Cold Light of Day (1989)

[McCrutchy]

Arrow will release Fhiona-Louise's Cold Light of Day (1989) on 26 October 2020.

[McCrutchy]

Specifications from the Arrow site listing:

February, 1983. Detectives are called to a residential address in the London suburbs following reports that the drains have been clogged by human remains. One of the property’s residents, Dennis Nilsen – a mild-mannered and unassuming civil servant – is brought in for questioning, leading to the discovery of one of the most shocking and disturbing cases of serial murder ever to rock Britain.

Offering a grim and gritty retelling of the story of “Des” Nilsen, often dubbed the “British Jeffery Dahmer”, 1989’s Cold Light of Day stars Bob Flag (the face of Big Brother in Michael Radford’s 1984) as Nilsen-cipher Jorden March, delivering one of the most chilling and credible portrayals of a serial killer ever committed to screen.

From writer-director Fhiona-Louise, Cold Light of Day – which picked up the UCCA Venticittà Award at the 1990 Venice International Film Festival – is a hugely underseen and underrated British effort that can stand proudly alongside the likes of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer as one of the most unflinching true-crime films of all time.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Limited Edition of 2000 units
• Brand new 2K restoration from the original 16mm camera negative approved by director Fhiona-Louise
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary with writer/director Fhiona-Louise
• Brand new audio commentary with film historians/writers Dean Brandum and Andrew Nette
• Newly-filmed interview with actor Martin Byrne-Quinn
• Newly-filmed interview with actor Steve Munroe
• Original Cold Light of Day promo film made to raise financing for the feature
• Re-Release Trailer
• Two short films starring Cold Light of Day director Fhiona-Louise and photographed by Star Wars DP David Tattershall, newly restored in HD: Metropolis Apocalypse (1988, 11 mins) and Sleepwalker (1993, 2 mins)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
• Limited Edition Die-cut O-card
• Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jo Botting and a look at how the press reported Dennis Nilsen’s real-life crimes by Jeff Billington

[McCrutchy]

Has anyone seen this? It sounds really interesting, and I'm all for Arrow releasing more remastered British films. I might even buy direct from Arrow, since Amazon are blocking pre-orders to the USA. I know that there's a US edition, but I want mine from the UK.

I think they'll have to update the BBFC certificate, though, as this releases after the 6 October transition period.

Anyway, I'm excited to give this one a look.

[Aclea]

If Rotten Tomatoes were around in 1990, it probably would have scored a 0%. As I wrote in the Arrow thread, it's a film I'd completely forgotten about, but now I'm reminded of the revulsion it was met with even by hardcore horror reviewers when it opened and quickly closed because of its thesis that Nilsen was 'too sensitive for this world' and for rearranging the facts and misrepresenting his character in a way many felt romanticised (some even said fetishised, though I think that was probably just failed arthouse styling) and excused his actions as those of a sensitive lost soul. Since many of its fiercest critics championed the much maligned 1977 The Black Panther, its rejection went way beyond the usual tabloid suspects' manufactured outrage. Good luck rehabilitating that one's reputation.

Looking at the few contemporary reviews I can find, they highlight the technical incompetence and lack of substance, while the interrogation scenes sound like a really hamfisted attempt at aping The Offence. The review from Time Out - then a major force for championing independent film and new directors and the kind of magazine that you'd have most expected to be supportive of the film had it genuinely been a decent or at least ambitious film slammed by a sensationalist press - is pretty typical of the reviews it was met with:

https://www.timeout.com/london/film/...d-light-of-day

A very lightly disguised drama-doc on Cranley Gardens serial killer Denis Nielsen (here named Jordan March), who disposed of at least 13 young loners and losers, presumably based on Brian Masters' fine account in his book Killing for Company. March (Flag) looks like Roy Orbison wearing a Black-and-White Minstrels wig; the film has the lighting and look of an Andy Warhol home movie - heads cut off, lots of static shots of men on sofas - and a soundtrack composed of deep breathing, the pounding of a demolition ball, and church bells. Little light is thrown by March in the police interrogations on the reasons for his actions ('I didn't mean to. It just happened') or by the film itself. We see March as a boy, presumably traumatised by witnessing the death of his grandfather. Mostly we see strangulations, heads being boiled, viscera being scooped, hands being hacked. Risibility vies with banality; result, objectionability.

[CompleteCount]

I remember it being met with a combination of utter distain and contempt when it came out. There was quite a bit of the expected "the BBFC clearly aren't up to the task of protecting the public from this kind of filth" and the like, and - as mentioned above - even the expected allies of controversial films deserted it.

Nilsen had only been caught 6 years earlier, and the UK public was still in shock that such crimes could have happened in present-day Britain, leaving no desire for a thinly-veiled account of his actions to splatter a 30ft screen. I have vivid memories of the film being savaged by the relentlessly trendy show 01 For London, which usually thrived on the outsider-art,

[McCrutchy]

Hmm, my enthusiasm seems to be withering, then. Perhaps it's best to wait for more opinions and reviews of the disc.

[bond77]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Hmm, my enthusiasm seems to be withering, then. Perhaps it's best to wait for more opinions and reviews of the disc.

Dennis Nilsen-Based On Actual Events-Cold Light of Day - YouTube

If you want to actually check out the film, it's at the link above. I wasn't intending to buy it, even before I saw the film on the link, but I think if I'd have bought the new release for the film blind, I'd be disappointed. Feels student film-y to me, to be honest. I've not saw Tony, but from the sounds of it, released 10 years after this one, seems a much better film about Nilsen and his murders-even though the film isn't about him.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by bond77

Dennis Nilsen-Based On Actual Events-Cold Light of Day - YouTube

If you want to actually check out the film, it's at the link above. I wasn't intending to buy it, even before I saw the film on the link, but I think if I'd have bought the new release for the film blind, I'd be disappointed. Feels student film-y to me, to be honest. I've not saw Tony, but from the sounds of it, released 10 years after this one, seems a much better film about Nilsen and his murders-even though the film isn't about him.

Just watching some select scenes from that, you can see it's inept, easy pass

[GhastlyGraham]

Gonna take a gamble on this one, just ordered it.

[Wes M.]

Originally Posted by GhastlyGraham

Gonna take a gamble on this one, just ordered it.

Well, fair play to you, I hope you enjoy it. Sometimes, these things can surprise you - I remember well catching the 2009 serial killer film Tony on a late night slot on the Horror channel, having no prior knowledge of the film whatsoever, and being pleasantly surprised at how decent it was...

[GhastlyGraham]

Originally Posted by Wes M.

Well, fair play to you, I hope you enjoy it. Sometimes, these things can surprise you - I remember well catching the 2009 serial killer film Tony on a late night slot on the Horror channel, having no prior knowledge of the film whatsoever, and being pleasantly surprised at how decent it was...

https://www.pulpcurry.com/2020/08/co...r-arrow-films/

This article mainly convinced me. I'd rather form my own thoughts on something instead of relying on 30 year old reviews.

[Cragworth]

Originally Posted by Wes M.

Well, fair play to you, I hope you enjoy it. Sometimes, these things can surprise you - I remember well catching the 2009 serial killer film Tony on a late night slot on the Horror channel, having no prior knowledge of the film whatsoever, and being pleasantly surprised at how decent it was...

I’ve seen “Tony” a few times (it was on Amazon Prime Video for ages, might still be?) and it’s one of those weird little horror films you’d be hard pressed to recommend to anyone but once you get into it the film is very good in an unspectacular way. Very cheap and quickly made, with actors that weren’t in much else, and very British.
Also the new ITV production of “Des” should render this Arrow release obsolete.

[Gerby]

Originally Posted by Cragworth

I’ve seen “Tony” a few times (it was on Amazon Prime Video for ages, might still be?) and it’s one of those weird little horror films you’d be hard pressed to recommend to anyone but once you get into it the film is very good in an unspectacular way. Very cheap and quickly made, with actors that weren’t in much else, and very British.
Also the new ITV production of “Des” should render this Arrow release obsolete.

Des is fantastic...i watched it a couple of days ago.
Highly recommended!

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by GhastlyGraham

https://www.pulpcurry.com/2020/08/co...r-arrow-films/

This article mainly convinced me. I'd rather form my own thoughts on something instead of relying on 30 year old reviews.

I can't really go along with his assertion that the UK rarely portrays its serial killers on the screen - Jack the Ripper (a virtual cinematic industry), Burke and Hare, John Christie (10 Rillington Place), Donald Neilson (The Black Panther), the Shankill Butchers (Resurrection Man) and many less well known examples all made it to the big screen while UK TV seems absolutely fascinated with them.

[GhastlyGraham]

Des was decent enough I suppose, David Tennant is barely in it and the series ends before it can really get a decent footing in. Passable, but nothing special really.

The documentary aired after the 3 part mini-series was much more interesting and informative I thought.

Still interested by this film even more, "ill reputation" be damned.

[UpsetSmiley]

I'm not a fan of modern TV dramas, especially ITV with their generic one word titles but 'Des' was decent, often there's a lot of filler and they're over produced with all the typical drama theatrics but it was quite subdued and the actors performances kept me entertained, Daniel Mays was very good as well as being from around my neck of the woods.

[GhastlyGraham]

Originally Posted by UpsetSmiley

I'm not a fan of modern TV dramas, especially ITV with their generic one word titles but 'Des' was decent, often there's a lot of filler and they're over produced with all the typical drama theatrics but it was quite subdued and the actors performances kept me entertained, Daniel Mays was very good as well as being from around my neck of the woods.

Daniel Mays was actually my favorite part in the series, underrated actor in my view.

[Graeme67]

I watched An Appropriate Adult again this weekend, and think it's excellent and worthy of a physical purchase. Dominic West's portrayal of Fed West is uncanny.

As far as I know, it's the only drama produced that focuses on Fred and Rose.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Graeme67

I watched An Appropriate Adult again this weekend, and think it's excellent and worthy of a physical purchase. Dominic West's portrayal of Fed West is uncanny.

As far as I know, it's the only drama produced that focuses on Fred and Rose.

Fred and Rose sounds like a 70s sitcom

[Filmmaker]

I have always considered myself a man for whom very little is sacred, but damn if this line from the Blu-ray.com review isn't about the most tacky and tasteless thing I've read in some time:

"Note: For those of you who are packaging fans, the slipcover on this release comes with a die cut window exposing the leg of a victim that is part of the keepcase insert cover image. I guess that's appropriate, given the fact that the victim both died and was cut."

I also couldn't help but roll my eyes at the reviewer's inflated ego, blatantly admitting he links to an out-of-date review of PSYCHO simply because he wrote it, LOL. Wow.