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Kerrie
Registered User
(11/28/01 6:49:09 pm)
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New fairy tale-based films...
Has anyone heard of this movie:
Little Otik
Premise: When a couple fail to conceive their own child, the husband, Bozena (Zilkova) carves a baby out of a stump, which the mother, Karel (Hartl) then nurses to life. But soon, the baby becomes a monster that consumes anything it can...
Director's site:
www.illumin.co.uk/svank/
One preview I read said it was based on an old Czech fairy tale (not sure which one). It sounds really interesting!
Any other fairy tale/folkloric films out there?
Forest frosts,
Kerrie
Edited by: Kerrie at: 11/28/01 7:03:45 pm
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(11/29/01 8:37:53 am)
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Faerie Films
Well I don't quite know if you mean films currently in theaters or ones available on tape, but here goes:
SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS, a Russian film based on I think, a Carpathian folk tale. In the faces and costumes it's like watching a Alphonse Mucha painting come to life. I believe it was released in the late 60's or early 70's and IS available on VHS tape.
THE SHOUT, a late 1970's British film starring Alan Bates, Suzanna York, John Hurt, Tim Curry and based on a Robert Graves short story about a man who returns from the Australian outback possessing shamanic powers.
DEMON POND a Japenese live action film based on a folktale about a demonic dragon that protects an ancient well.There are several other beautifully evocative Japenese films based on their folktales or ghost stories whose names are escaping me right now.
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES based on Angela Carter's short story and from her own screenplay filled to the brim with Red Riding Hood imagery. Splendid! There is also a very well done adaptation of her THE MAGIC TOY SHOP (again from her own screenplay) done for the BBC which I have on tape but I don't know if it's readily availabvle to view anywhere.
SIEGFRIED and KRIMHIELD'S REVENGE both silent films directed by Fritz Lang filled with all that Germanic folklore, deep forrests filled with towering trees, giant dragons, dwarves and cloaks of invisibility.In the second film the widowed wife of Sigfried is bargained off by her family to be a bride to a savage Hun and the manner of the revenge that she exacts is truely gut wrenching.
DONKEY SKIN a period French film with Catherine Denueve with many delightful images such as the heroine spitting toads from her mouth as well as the Prince arriving for his rescue effort in a helicopter!
And Cocteau's truely must see, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST of course.Speaking of Cocteau have any of you ever read the book, COCTEAU ON FILM which is a full length interview in which the interviewee tries to get him to disect the "how he did it" of his wonderfull special effects on film as all the while Cocteau steadfastly expounds on the meaning of true magic. It's a treat!
All of Tom Davenports films are adaptations of American folk tales or European tales transported to the US (Snow White, which I think our own Jane Yolen had a hand in writing the screenplay for). Most of Davenport's films should be available at your library and while done on a low budget they are well worth seeing.
There's lots more (including FAERIE TALE, A TRUE STORY that is just splendid) but I need to get back to my drawing board right now.
Enjoy!
Charles
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janeyolen
Unregistered User
(11/29/01 10:59:18 am)
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Wrting for Davenport
Nope--Davenport and I had a falling out. If you know me, you know that is very difficult to do. I never wrote anything for him, though I did critique some stuff for him, and he used some of my ideas.
Jane
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