Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 26 september 2018
Alaskan thriller 'Hold the Dark' is brutal and bleak

By LINDSEY BAHR Keelut sees something far
Associated Press worse. What else could you
The Alaska tourism board expect from a town named
can't be all that thrilled after an evil Inuit spirit of
with Jeremy Saulnier's "Hold death?
the Dark ," a grueling but The film takes us next to the
beautifully shot mystery Middle East to meet Me-
about a small town where dora's husband, Vernon
it seems the very best qual- (Alexander Skarsgard), an
ity of life one can hope for emotionless soldier who will
is crippling depression. That gun down the enemy with-
would be at least manage- out blinking, and even stab
able compared to what one of his own to stop a
the characters are forced rape he happens to witness
to endure in this film, which while walking by. An injury
presents a series of escalat- earns him a ticket home,
ing tragedies and atrocities where their son's body has
with a dead-eyed nihilism been discovered and Me-
that should only be re- dora has gone missing,
served for first-year philoso- which sets Vernon off on his
phy students. own confusing and bloody
Adapted from a novel by journey.
William Giraldi, "Hold the The introduction of James
Dark" is about the fiction- This image released by Netflix shows Riley Keough, left, and Jeffrey Wright in a scene from "Hold Badge Dale's local cop
al village Keelut, where the Dark." Donald Marium gives the
wolves have been taking Associated Press film some much-needed
the town's children. A local life, and someone poor
mother, Medora Slone (Ri- believes has killed her child. quizzically. "You're old," she ing encounter with Medora Wright can finally play off
ley Keogh), is the latest to There is something off says, clasping the well-worn that night and then is told of, but this is frustratingly
have her little boy go miss- about Medora, and it's not book he authored about by a local villager the next short-lived.
ing. With her husband off just grief. She is haunted living in the wild with wolves morning that there is evil Those familiar with Saulnier's
fighting in Iraq, she writes and strange and speaks for year. here and to go back where work — his last was the hy-
a letter to a wilderness like a simple and sedated Core agrees to at least go he came from. per-violent "Green Room"
expert, Russell Core (Jef- but poetic child whose out looking for the wolf, but In the forest, Core witnesses — will not be surprised by
frey Wright), asking him to wisdom is only acciden- one wonders why after he a pack of wolves eating the relentless gore in "Hold
come out to Keelut to hunt tal. When Core arrives at has an extremely disquiet- their young, and back in the Dark." q
and kill the wolf that she her door, she looks at him
Paul Collins' power pop propels

'Out of My Head'

an 11-stop journey that's another failed attempt to
loaded with melodies and approach the Little Red-
hooks that make it one of Haired Girl; "Just Too Bad
the most enchanting re- You're Leaving" has a per-
cords in his catalog. fectly melancholy melody;
Collins sings, plays guitars and "Emily" applies gentle
and drums and is assisted Hollies-like harmonies to a
mainly by bassist Paul Stin- theme of uncertainty and
go, who also adds delight- ambiguity. "You Belong to
ful supporting vocals. Me" describes an obsession
The jagged guitar solo on with possession, and the
"In and Out of My Head," noir-ish, bass-driven "Killer
This cover image released by the opening track, mirrors Inside" disturbingly suggests
Alive Naturalsound Records
shows "Out of My Head," a re- the confusion of someone we're all walking around
lease by Paul Collins. who is trapped in feelings with one within us.
Associated Press from a past still haunting There's a more reflective
the present. Blink and you'll approach on the last three
By PABLO GORONDI miss "Go," 95 seconds of en- songs, a sudden power cut
Paul Collins, "Out of My ergetic drums and strums that may have been more
Head" (Alive Naturalsound backing a typically ado- effective had "Lost Again,"
Records) lescent lyric that any heart- ''Tick Tock" and "Beautiful
New York-born Paul Col- broken adult could sing, Eyes" been interspersed
lins has been carrying the too. among the faster ones.
torch of power pop for In a curious case of co- "Out of My Head" could
decades in bands like The incidence, or something have been recorded any-
Nerves and The Beat as else, there are three songs time over the past 50 years
well as a lengthy solo ca- in row each lasting 2:23 — and it's a blast that Collins
reer. In just 33 minutes, "Out the "Kind of Girl" could play is still making albums like it
of My Head" completes as Charlie Brown makes today.q