In an epic fantasy realm, the lives of all are tied to the
fate of a powerful magic that corrupts all who try to tame it. ACTION/FANTASY
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The Spine of Night (2022)Written and Directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King
Starring Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Joe Manganiello, Jordan Douglas Smith |
A few months ago, I discussed the Ralph Bakshi film Wizards on the Filmgazm Podcast. I'm very glad that film was chosen, because it prepared for me for the sheer insanity that is The Spine of Night. This film took seven years to make due to a small production crew, and you can feel the weight of every cell of animation. We need more adult-oriented animated films like this out there, and hopefully this film is seen by enough people to perhaps start a trend. Wizards, monsters, gods, knights, magic, war, and the strength of legends all play a part in this gorgeously animated, brutal, fantasy war epic.
Our framing device is a swamp witch named Tzod (Lawless), who is recounting her tale of death and resurrection to the Guardian of the Bloom (Grant). The Bloom is a blue flower that contains a powerful magic that few understand. It also unlocks the secrets of the universe to those who are willing to listen. Tzod once wielded the Bloom, but it was stolen by a scholar named Ghal-Sur (Smith), who used it to take over the world and extend his life by centuries. We get to see the various rebellions that tried to take Ghal-Sur down to no avail. For me, the most intense part of the movie was the Guardian's tale of the Bloom's origin, in which the film shifted animation styles and told a self-contained, unique story. This is truly a testament to the skills of animators. The Spine of Night is the most recent Shudder original, and while it has elements of horror, I wouldn't consider it a full-blown horror movie. It's a fantasy epic akin to films like Wizards and Heavy Metal. It's weird as shit, so be prepared for that, but it's so damn intriguing that you can't help but get sucked in to this story that spans a thousand years of darkness. |