The Dark Tourist

London Frightfest 2013 has been and gone, this forum is available to post film reviews, chat, etc. from the festival.
Post Reply
jonbly
Braaaains!
Braaaains!
Posts: 647
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:16 pm
Location: Bristol

The Dark Tourist

Post by jonbly »

8/10 - heavy and disturbing. What jonbly didn't get, but came out in the Q&A, was that Betsy disrupts his normal routine... perhaps because we don't have all the info at that point. Not sure how this could be fixed other than exposition, though.
DJBenz
-----
-----
Posts: 714
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:12 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by DJBenz »

Really bad selection of films for a Sunday, IMO. Tiredness taking over and they run with three slow burn thrillers. Had to fight sleep during Grief/Dark Tourist. It would be unfair to grade it, as clearly it's a well made and superbly acted piece, but I just couldn't be bothered with such heavy going for the afternoon slot it was in.
User avatar
Stephen with ph
Running Zombie
Running Zombie
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:48 pm
Location: The garden of England

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Stephen with ph »

In the Q&A afterwards, Michael Cudlitz said that his co-star in the hooker scene had been in training for weeks beforehand and wasn't carrying a single spare inch...

...I disagree. I spotted around six.
DJBenz
-----
-----
Posts: 714
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:12 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by DJBenz »

Stephen with ph wrote:...I disagree. I spotted around six.
Image :lol:
Charlie
Twitching Corpse
Twitching Corpse
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:23 pm
Location: Norfolk
Contact:

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Charlie »

Yeah i couldnt agree more. Sunday on the main screen was a really poor show. I slept through most of it, and the group next to me left midway through at least two of the films. I found that there was a lot of films on this year that probably shouldnt have been at a horror film festival. Conspiracy theory and The last days on the sunday, and to a lesser extent, Dark Tourist. Maybe they struggled to fill the bill this year?
User avatar
Stephen with ph
Running Zombie
Running Zombie
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:48 pm
Location: The garden of England

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Stephen with ph »

Charlie wrote:Yeah i couldnt agree more. Sunday on the main screen was a really poor show. I slept through most of it, and the group next to me left midway through at least two of the films. I found that there was a lot of films on this year that probably shouldnt have been at a horror film festival. Conspiracy theory and The last days on the sunday, and to a lesser extent, Dark Tourist. Maybe they struggled to fill the bill this year?
For my part, I'd say it's been uniformly strong on the Main Screen this year (reckoning without the unfortunate Viking misstep) and a huge improvement on last year.

Probably the subject of another thread...
Wolfshade
Undead Horde
Undead Horde
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:57 pm

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Wolfshade »

Re: films, it was stronger this year, but Sunday was the worst day by far.

Dark Tourist was a yawn-fest, too flat, uninvolving and dragging to ever become as disturbing and nasty as it wanted to be 3/10
mamawaldi
Undead Horde
Undead Horde
Posts: 265
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by mamawaldi »

Probably the best film of a poor day for the main screen. Dark and moody but with a great central performance and an interesting final plot twist.
Jekyll
Running Zombie
Running Zombie
Posts: 164
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:52 pm
Location: Rainham, Essex

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Jekyll »

Awesome lead performance and did like this but felt it could have done with a quicker pace to it.
Alex J
Braaaains!
Braaaains!
Posts: 700
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:30 pm
Location: The Back Of The Beyond

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Alex J »

Thoughtful, emotional rollercoaster ride, looking at a security guard who visits key sites in the life of a fictional serial killer. The dark subject matter is covered intelligently with outstanding performances from Michael Cudlitz in the main role and Melanie Griffith in support. 8.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
ChrisReynolds
Undead Horde
Undead Horde
Posts: 281
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:01 pm

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by ChrisReynolds »

Good acting from Michael Cudlitz and Melanie Griffith, but the film is too slow and relentlessly downbeat, all set in uninteresting small-town America locations, so that it feels rather grotty, and the ending is abrupt. This is very much an actor's film, where the film tries to concentrate on individual performances, but the script just isn't good enough, and its attempts to be profound just fall flat.
4/10
streetrw
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1560
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 5:54 pm
Location: A hell of my own making
Contact:

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by streetrw »

Hated it. I don't get it, I certainly don't like it and I don't see the point. I found it, and the lead character, annoying and difficult, and I have no idea why That Sex Scene is even there. Frankly I thought it was rubbish and it's my worst of the fest.
http://streetrw.blogspot.com - For all your occasional film rambling needs.
http://twitter.com/streetrw - For when you really need to know what I had for breakfast.

AND NOW: SKYPE!
Oswald Cobblepot
Walking Dead
Walking Dead
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:00 pm
Location: Bedfordshire

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by Oswald Cobblepot »

Some of the stuff that Cudlitz explained in the Q&A about character motivations, and said had been taken out, needed to be in the film. It makes sense that Melanie Griffith throws him off the rails and makes him slip up, but for me there was nothing in the film to lead me to that conclusion if he hadn't been there to explain.

Overall I found it stylish, if a little dull, but didn't think it added anything much new to the sum total of serial killer films.
User avatar
zappa fan
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:21 pm
Location: Sunny Caerphilly (133.4 Miles West of Fright Fest)
Contact:

Re: The Dark Tourist

Post by zappa fan »

Now known as The Grief Tourist

currently on FreeVee and Plex.
LAST FILM- Turistas 2006
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt. Then it's just hilarious." - Bill Hicks

twitter @nottsey
Letterboxd nottsey
Instagram nottsey
Post Reply