Tuesday, May 09, 2017

Hell in the Harbour

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I think we can all agree that David Harbour is awesome. He's been one of "those guys" for over a decade now -- when Jack Twist eye-fucked him across that table while Anna Faris prattled on obliviously I knew twas love but it was three years later in Revolutionary Road where he really took control; he was the best thing in a movie where Kate Winslet was very very good indeed. I actually like that movie more than most and I thought Leo was very good too, and Michael Shannon of course. But Harbour was best in show. It's been a slow build for him since he's not typical Movie Star material, but Stranger Things finally gave him the role where people learned his name, and now...

I think we can all agree that the director Neil Marshall is awesome. His D trilogy in the Aughts - Dog Soldiers, The Descent, and Doomsday - were all to varying degrees big-time kicks in the pants; The Descent especially but I unreservedly adore the other two as well. I mean would we have gotten Mad Max Fury Road if Neil hadn't kept the flame alive with Doomsday? I'd love a double-feature. Marshall bizarrely hasn't directed a feature since he directed Michael Fassbender in the okay Centurion in 2010 but he's been no slouch - he's been turning in series-best installments of Game of Thrones and Hannibal on TV.

So those two? Those two are awesome. But last night's news that the two of them are teaming up to reboot the Hellboy series... well it's not so much a "but." It's more like a... long pause... long pause... I don't don't how to react. Another long pause. 

Cuz the thing is, to be honest I don't entirely adore the original Hellboy movies. While this is still a highly esteemed place to be they're among the lower rungs of my Guillermo Del Toro loves. But Del Toro did some of his best monster designs ever in them...

... and Ron Perlman... well David Harbour must have king-sized - like painfully call-the-doctor-quick sized - nuts to walk into that role when the fans of those movies are still clamoring for more Perlman. Physically I think Harbour could do it. He's a big dude, with a big presence. And I am dying for Marshall to make another movie. This just kind of feels as if they're wading into a mine field.

What do you guys think? 
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Most welcome news, Perlman was spot on but a harder bloodier darker approach would be much interesting

Anonymous said...

I'm willing to give it a chance, but it's hard to do better than Del Toro and Perlman. I wonder who will step into the Selma Blair role, though.