Spiral

[Sarah of the Dead]

Having just read the blogs, I feel obliged to say that actually I saw both of the twist endings coming, I just couldn't figure out which one the film was going for. Turned out it was both. Which was nice.

[soulmining]

Once the first twist was revealed I was expecting the second one to follow!

For me the last part of the film totally made it for me and I'd like to go back and watch the whole thing again now. I wasn't too sure if it was going to go anywhere, but I'm glad I stuck with it in the end. Totally different to Hatchet and was certainly a worth addition to the line up.

And Adam, I'd keep the song in if I were you - I think it really made the cemetary scene, even though it was a break from the jazz score.

[AndyJWS]

Yes please keep the song - it helped make the scene intensely affecting.

I don't think I can really say much of why I have to own this movie the second it's released as my reasons and the way I saw the film are intensely personal. Once it finished I basically did a swift'un away from Leicester Square and avoided talking about it as much as possible all day, which will probably continue.

Can't fault the acting though, and interesting to see the jazz theme both visually was well as aurally throughout.

[Laymonite]

Tough one to call. For the majority I didn't really enjoy it because I was thinking it was so obvious she wasn't real. But then the twist came in that she was real, so that improved matters. It was ok, but I just think Mason was way over the top. He wasn't shy and geeky, he was nut job. Do I remember Adam Green comparing him with Norman Bates? I can't see the comparison, Mason was too blatant, Norman's oddness was more subtle.

Amber Tamblyn was great though. Amber was such a great character, ao likable. I didn't buy it though, that she would be so into Mason.

[v for vienetta]

"and im curious as to what the last pose is though ill never know"

I was too and asked Adam about it at the signing after. He said it was the pose he had found his dead mother in.

[DavieT]

"and im curious as to what the last pose is though ill never know"

I was too and asked Adam about it at the signing after. He said it was the pose he had found his dead mother in.

I think I'm even more creeped out by him now.

[scrobble]

Amazing film.

I was so drawn into the story, and really wanted Amber to be the girl to 'redeem' Mason, although I never felt that the killings were all in his head at any point.

I came out afterwards feeling blown away and emotionally drained, in a good way - it's definitely a film that will stay with me.

Mr S and I had a discussion about Berkeley's motivations for looking after Mason, particularly in light of the scene where B's girlfriend accuses him of treating him 'like a pet' - I saw it as Mason being B's only true constant in his shallow and unrewarding life - he needs Mason as much as, possibly more than, Mason needs Berkeley.

Both of us tend to be quite shy about approaching directors whose films we've enjoyed, but we both felt we needed to talk to Adam Green afterwards because the film had such a profound effect.

[The Soapmaker]

Adam Green was, without a shadow of a doubt, the star of the entire FrightFest weekend. But I'm a little surprised that so many people seem to be praising Spiral quite so much. Yes, it's a very well made film that comes together beautifully in the closing scenes, but was it really the best film of the weekend? I have a feeling some people were wearing Green-tinted spectacles...

Maybe it's just me, but I had a problem with Mason. He's supposed to be some kind of uber-geek, a man with almost no social skills whatsoever; yet he lives in a nice, tastefully furnished apartment, he goes to see "It's A Wonderful Life", he paints, he listens to ever-so-bloody-hip jazz - on vinyl no less. In other words, apart from his personal issues, he seems tailor-made to appeal to the kind of middle-class trendies who like earnest, grainy indie movies and hang around in the bar at the Curzon Soho.

I'm a bit of a geek myself, but I listen to dodgy rock music, watch horror movies and my flat would need a close encounter with a skip and a visit from Rentokil before a nice young girl like Amber would even consider crossing the threshold. But again, maybe it's just me...

Apologies to Messrs Moore and Green if they're genuine jazzbos, but Mason was just a bit too calculatedly cool for my liking. It felt like a deliberate attempt to appeal to the Sundance crowd.

[jimbo]

"and im curious as to what the last pose is though ill never know"

I was too and asked Adam about it at the signing after. He said it was the pose he had found his dead mother in.

I think I'm even more creeped out by him now.

I think he meant Mason's dead mother - it's mentioned that his dad killed his mother, so that must have been what made him a bit loopy. Trying to recreate his dead mother from start to finish.

Didn't expect to love this, but it blew me away, I actually cried twice and was a bit quiet and distant once it had finished. I get why some didn't like it, but it really got to me. Just realised I said the same thing about Black Water... But it's even more so with Spiral, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Now, would any of you like to come round so I can paint you?? I promise nothing bad will happen. At first...

[scrobble]

He's supposed to be some kind of uber-geek, a man with almost no social skills whatsoever; yet he lives in a nice, tastefully furnished apartment, he goes to see "It's A Wonderful Life", he paints, he listens to ever-so-bloody-hip jazz - on vinyl no less. In other words, apart from his personal issues, he seems tailor-made to appeal to the kind of middle-class trendies who like earnest, grainy indie movies and hang around in the bar at the Curzon Soho.

As far as I could see, his apartment had very little furniture in it, and what was there was fairly plain and utilitarian, rather than 'tastefully furnished'. The only signs in the flat of his personality were his paintings.

As for going to see 'It's A Wonderful Life', he went to see it with Amber, as she'd said she loved all the old ones - he'd confessed earlier in the film that he'd never been to see a movie.

And people can be socially dysfunctional yet have impeccable taste in 'hip' music. So ner!

[Sarah of the Dead]

Maybe it's just me, but I had a problem with Mason. He's supposed to be some kind of uber-geek, a man with almost no social skills whatsoever; yet he lives in a nice, tastefully furnished apartment, he goes to see "It's A Wonderful Life", he paints, he listens to ever-so-bloody-hip jazz - on vinyl no less. In other words, apart from his personal issues, he seems tailor-made to appeal to the kind of middle-class trendies who like earnest, grainy indie movies and hang around in the bar at the Curzon Soho.

I'm a bit of a geek myself, but I listen to dodgy rock music, watch horror movies and my flat would need a close encounter with a skip and a visit from Rentokil before a nice young girl like Amber would even consider crossing the threshold. But again, maybe it's just me...

So, let me get this straight, you're saying that because Mason didn't have exactly the same "geeky" interests you do, you couldn't buy him as a geek?

Surely the point of a geek, of any flavour, is that they're a little too obsessed with whatever it is they like. That's why you can have horror movie geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks... Not all geeks are created alike. And I wasn't aware that liking jazz was cool - I associate it with nerdy Howard Moon of The Mighty Boosh!

As for going to see It's A Wonderful Life, I figured that was just because he wanted to take Amber to the cinema, like she'd said, and since it was Christmas, that was what was on. The title probably appealed to him.

[DavieT]

"and im curious as to what the last pose is though ill never know"

I was too and asked Adam about it at the signing after. He said it was the pose he had found his dead mother in.

I think I'm even more creeped out by him now.

I think he meant Mason's dead mother - it's mentioned that his dad killed his mother, so that must have been what made him a bit loopy. Trying to recreate his dead mother from start to finish.

...

When I wrote creeped out by "him" it was Mason I was talking about

[The Soapmaker]

So, let me get this straight, you're saying that because Mason didn't have exactly the same "geeky" interests you do, you couldn't buy him as a geek?

No no no, because Mason didn't have exactly the same "geeky" qualities as me I couldn't identify with him, that's true. He just didn't seem genuinely geeky enough for me to really believe in the character.

I had no trouble buying him as a geek personality-wise, but as I said I just felt that in his lifestyle and interests there was a contrived air of "cool" which seemed tailored to appeal to a wider audience. "It's A Wonderful Life" is one of America's most beloved, iconic films, it isn't just what happened to be on. I'm not saying Mason was being hip by going to see it, I think the filmmakers are being artfully hip by putting it in there.

And as for the jazz, I don't wish to offend any genuine fans, but the whole old-jazz-on-vinyl thing just has a snobby, poseur hipster quality about it. You can just imagine the guest reviewers from "The Culture Show" or whatever it's called pulling out their scratchy Ella Fitzgerald records (right next to the Buena Vista Social Club on the shelf) for their poncey Islington dinner parties.

OK, my prejudices are showing...

[HeadOnAStick]

The jazz worked for me. As a theme in the music of the film it was strong but it also fell into line with Mason's obsessive need for approval from his father, explaining both his breakdown when he was rejected and his need to live out his father's crime. I was left with the feeling that it didn't matter if he even liked the music, it was because his father liked it that he played it.

Even though I know I'm going to be accused of the green-tinting thing and I do find Adam to be great fun but I also thought this was one of my favourite films of the festival, gripping and creepy.

[The Soapmaker]

As a theme in the music of the film it was strong but it also fell into line with Mason's obsessive need for approval from his father, explaining both his breakdown when he was rejected and his need to live out his father's crime. I was left with the feeling that it didn't matter if he even liked the music, it was because his father liked it that he played it.

Very good point, that makes a lot of sense.