Classics: A Review of The Witches By Lauren Ennis

 The moon is glowing bright and everyone is ready for a fright; Halloween is upon us once again. In all of cinema there is perhaps no ghoul, ghost, or monster as reviled, beloved, and recognizable as the witch. Even amidst the sassy teens, seductive sirens, and creepy crones that populate Halloween's cinematic covens few films capture the wickedness of witchcraft with the thrills and chills of 1990's The Witches. This Halloween spend your witching hour with The Witches if you dare.

The story begins with Luke learning about the existence of witches from his grandmother, Helga She tells him about her childhood in Norway, including the tale of how her neighbor was abducted by witches. She warns him that witches are real and hide in plain sight as they seek to rid the world of all children. When his parents are killed in a car accident Luke is entrusted to his grandmother's care. Soon after he moves in her she falls ill with diabetes, prompting the pair take a trip to the English seaside per her doctor's recommendation. Strange things start happening almost as soon as they arrive at their hotel, which is hosting a convention for the 'Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children'. When he accidentally witnesses the society's meeting Luke is horrified to learn that they are actually a coven of witches who are every bit as wicked, grotesque, and powerful as his grandmother described. He then sees them transform another boy, Bruno, into a mouse to demonstrate their plan to turn all of the children in England into mice. Before Luke can escape and reveal their plan the witches discover him eavesdropping and turn him into a mouse as well. It's then up to Luke, Bruno, and Helga to foil the witches plans and save the day before all of England's children are reduced to rodents.

From its first eerie lines The Witches sets itself apart from other family films. Rather than relating an uplifting adventure in which the hero follows their dreams the film instead relays a spine tingling supernatural thriller that will even have adult viewers on the edge of their seats. The film offers a refreshing respite from recent efforts which present witchcraft from a politicized, feminist, perspective in its unflinching portrayal of its truly wicked witches. The film also stands apart from more recent films that attempt to transform classic villains into misunderstood anti-heroes by not only acknowledging, but reveling in its witches' unbridled villainy. With the exception of a softened ending the film maintains the dark sensibility and cynicism of Roald Dahl's original novel and is all the better for it. Through its refusal to conform to the norms of mainstream family fare the film remains faithful to its original source material and shows a respect for its young viewers that is too often lacking in children's entertainment. The film's practical effects from Jim Henson's workshop are by turns adorable, disturbing, and never less than mesmerizing. The infamous witches convention and Luke's final triumph over the coven in particular remain the stuff of childhood nightmares and are guaranteed to leave viewers longing for the days before CGI. For truly bewitching viewing take flight with The Witches.

Grandma knows best

The by turns whimsical and unsettling world of Roald Dahl is brilliantly brought to life thanks to the work of the cast. Rowan Atkinson brings his signature dry humor to his performance as the hotel's concierge, Mr. Stringer. Charlie Potter is a delight as the gluttonous Bruno, whose haplessness makes him a perfect comic foil to the courageous Luke. Mai Zetterling is the grandmother that we all wish we had in her equal parts warm and steely turn as Helga. Jasen Fisher strikes an ideal balance between innocence and resilience in his performance as Luke. Even in the midst of uniformly excellent performances the film is dominated by Angelica Huston in her iconic turn as the Grand High Witch. Her performance is nothing short of a master class in villainy as she effortlessly alternates between understated elegance and blind rage in her dual performance as the Grand High Witch and her alias Miss Ernst.

Easily one of the most imaginative and terrifying films in all of family cinema The Witches is a wickedly delightful way to top off your Halloween. Through its dizzying visuals and daring script the film takes viewers on a journey into a dark fairy tale the likes of which only Roald Dahl could dream up. The superb performances bring the darkly whimsical tale to life and ensure that the story maintains its grounding even when the plot is at its most outlandish. For truly spellbinding Halloween viewing join Luke, Helga, and Bruno in The Witches.

Not just another pretty face

Classics: A Review of Brave New World By Lauren Ennis

 Imagine a world free of pain, hunger, disease, and conflict. Picture a world in which everyone fits in and no one is ever lonely. This is the paradise of New London, the brave new world  in which everyone is happy because "if you're not happy you're nothing at all". Based upon Aldous Huxley's classic novel, Peacock's 2020 drama Brave New World takes viewers on a journey into a world in which the lines between utopia and dystopia blur and the future might be closer than we think. At once a warning for the future and an apt commentary on modern life this series bravely goes where few series have gone before.

The story begins in the futuristic , eternally tranquil society of New London. New London's citizens are genetically engineered and raised by a social collective to fulfill their designated role in the city's rigid social caste system made up of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, and Epsilons. Residents happily spend their days working at jobs chosen for them and their nights engaging in state-sanctioned casual sex, all while under the influence of state supplied mood stabilizers. As a result, citizens are always happy but never fulfilled. Just outside of the city's limits lies the 'Savage Lands' where people live in a society that is socially and technologically similar to our own. These 'savages' live in grinding poverty while performing for New London tourists, but possess all of the freedom that their seemingly privileged counterparts lack, as well as all of the complications that come with it. When two New London tourists are rescued by a savage during an attempted rebellion the two worlds are set on a collision course that leaves everyone questioning if utopia is really such a paradise after all.

Over the course of its nine episodes the series aptly portrays the central characters and conflicts of the classic novel while adding knowing nods to our own brave new world. For instance, while the original novel portrayed the savage lands as something akin to a Native American reservation the series instead depicts them as a living history museum. This alteration allows the series to offer insight into how people might view our world in the future with a sly critique of the ways in we have already begun to alienate ourselves from our history and culture. Similarly, the series adds a dystopian element of social control through the inclusion of Indra, the digital intranet that keeps New Londoners connected to and visible to each other at all times. Through the characters' use of Indra the series emphasizes New London's oppressive control of its citizens with a nod to such recent phenomena as the rise of social media and reality television, the advent of social credit systems, and the creation of the modern surveillance state. The series particularly shines in the ways that it brings its technocratic society to vibrant life. In its depiction of the by turns dazzling and disconcerting New London the series takes viewers on a journey into the future while foreshadowing the dangers posed by our own society as we increasingly replace such institutions as family, religion, and community with science, technology, and government .In this way the series explores Huxley's central themes while offering commentary on the ways in which those themes relate to the modern world.

The series also uses its nine hour running time to infuse each of its characters with a complexity that they lacked in the novel. For example, Lenina and John are portrayed in the novel as one dimensional representations of their societies, with Lenina personifying the superficiality of pleasure seeking New London and John symbolizing the primitive passion of the savages. In the series both characters are provided with complex personalities and satisfying story archs as they come to terms with the brave new world surrounding them and their place within it. Similarly, Bernard is spared the banishment that he suffers early in the novel, which allows the series to explore his struggle to reconcile the shallow social norms of New London with his yearning for personal connection and a purposeful life. Through the expansion of characters and updates to the plot the series offers an original take on a classic story that is certain to leave viewers bravely daring to ask questions about our own world and what the future holds for it.

Oh brave new world with such people in it

Huxley's 1932 novel is brilliantly brought to life thanks to the expert work of the cast. Nina Sosanya infuses New London's conflicted ruler, Mustafa Mond with a humanity that ensures she is more than a stock villain. Demi Moore gives her best performance in years in her tragic turn as exiled Beta, Linda. Hanna John-Kamen is mesmerizing in her charismatic and slyly comic performance as New London artist Wilhelmina. Harry Lloyd perfectly captures the elite smugness of Alpha Bernard, while aptly highlighting his yearning to belong. Jessica Findlay Brown infuses Lenina with intelligence, depth, and charm as she portrays Lenina's journey beyond the blissful ignorance of her regulated existence. Alden Ehrenreich turns in a magnetic performance as tormented savage John with a vitality that perfectly contrasts the vapid culture of New London.

Brave New World breaks New London's most sacred rules; it makes viewers think and feel and invites them to question the world around them. Through its expert combination of cerebral drama and sly wit the series brings Huxley's classic novel to vibrant life with a refreshing modern twist. The performances capture both the shallow superficiality of New London's conditioned residents and the tortured passions of the savages while infusing each of the characters with depth and humanity. At once an unsettling glimpse into the future and a critique of the present Brave New World makes for some of the bravest viewing in recent television.