Bruce Campbell vs Army of Darkness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f2-OIiVjrA

In which category can we place Army of Darkness?

This movie is a sequel of Evil Dead II, but it's not a Horror as previous movies because the scariness, the splattering and the suspense are in the background of the story. Someone might argue that it is a parody of previous films. Yes, this was, probably, one of the purposes of Sam Raimi who wanted to make fun of the splatter genres and his own movies. 

Let's analyse the elements of this wonderful move: a Medieval world, a quest, an Evil menace, wise men, a beautiful woman, an outside hero and sorcery. Sorcery was present also in the previous movies, but there was the mean to create the Horror situation.

Now the question is Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery genre? 

What? Someone will argue at this point, are not the same thing? 

No, they aren't. 

Sword and Sorcery telling are on ours Earth, in a remote past, a remote future or in a contemporary one. While a Fantasy is set on another world, not just different geography and races than Earth, but also a different sky - two or more moons, for example.

Here we are, I will say that Army of Darkness is a Sword and Sorcery parody of splatters movies :-)

And this show what genius Sam Raimi is. 

   

Rourke

If you realize that around or inside of you, something is changing, if everything starts to go wrong and you feel that your life could be in danger, but doctors and experts do not find a solution, maybe you’ve been hit by a curse. You might even get to see so-called magicians or fortune tellers who are only interested in your money, but it would be useless. Unless you have the luck or the good sense to turn to Rourke. Because he has the gift of “stealing” the curse, and then transfer it to himself. At that point, you will be free and the problem is all its own.

By Francesca Da Sacco and Federico Memola

A tale about Orcs

This afternoon reading: Orcs Forged for War (2011) by Stan Nicholls.

I have to admit this is my first read of Nicholls. My eyes were catched by the cover, that Orc doesn't look as a beast: it's a warrior. Look at his eyes, he hasn't a axe but a Sword, a wooden shield on the back, even a belt with pockets. Too civilized than the classic image of the brute. And actually it is: the Orcs are the good guys in Nicholls word. Good story telling indeed.

I must admit that the conflict on this word is similar to the French and Indian wars of the 18th century, where the Unis are the first English colonist, there is even a preacher, Kimball Hobrow, who in look and speech resembles a Massachusetts preacher; the Matis, maybe, the french; and the Elders are the native Americans. I will say that the Orcs could represent the Iroquois, but it's just a guess.

Indeed I would like to read the books.

A few things more, I could see that there are two quotations from the Odyssey: the Sirens and the Cyclop.

The encounter with the sirens is quite funny: sailing on the river ours heros mee an Island with the singing sirens "quick cover your hears"... but when the sirens see that they are Orcs, stop singing and starts shouting "go away, we don't want you ugly Orcs"... this is too funny I thinks :)

The scene with the Ogre-cyclop is a clear reference on Polyphem casting rocks on Odysseus.

A small mistake has been done by either the letter or the artist: we see the Orcs building a casting machine, a trabucco, but they call it catapult. Maybe I am too picky. :P