31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"The NeverEnding Story" (1984)
Think only horror films have a stake in being scary? Not so,
my friends.
When I reflect on my childhood, the frightening movie
moments that come to mind stem not from the likes of Freddy or Jason. A few
hail from the shark in "Jaws" or evil tree in "Poltergiest",
but the majority came from where I least expected. When I never expected to be
frightened, that's when the scares struck most deeply. When a film caught me
off guard. Even the seemingly innocent kids films in the 80's and 90's had
moments of horror in the mix.
I could rattle off examples for hours, but for tonight, I'll
stick to a single film. This film is fondly remembered by many. It's an inspired adventure that praises the wonder of imagination. And it's in that
theme that the terror lies. You see, imagination can produce any number of
visions. We like to think of the good ones, but the bad ones are there, too.
Though the "NeverEnding Story" is pure fantasy and
meant for children, I can recall few films that utterly frightened me so much
as a child. I love moments of the film, while dreading others. Sort of like the nature
of imagination itself, huh? Fancy that.
The Plot:
Bastian is a young boy going through a very hard time in life. His mother having recently passed away, Bastian struggles to find an
identity in a world that's suddenly very big and very scary. After all, half of
his entire universe just died. While his father advocates Bastian keeping a
level head, the boy wonders what his true purpose is.
Tormented by bullies en route to school, Bastion hides in an
old bookstore. I'm sure you already know the kind: dusty, dark, and filled with
numerous stacks of assorted tombs. There are no magazines or DIY books in this
kind of store. Only the sort of books looking like they belong in an Indiana
Jones movie.
The elderly owner receives Bastian coldly, barking that kids
today have little use for the books he gave his life to. Bastian just so
happens to be an avid reader and defends the imagination of his generation.
Intrigued, the old man asks Bastian what sort of stories he's read.
Unsurprisingly for a boy his age, most are classic adventures like
"Treasure Island". When Bastian takes note of the strange book currently
wrapped in the old man's clutches, things turn a bit dark. He warns Bastian
that this book is no casual read. It's a story with a power all its own. Challenged,
our hero swipes (okay, aggressively borrows) the book and dashes out of the
shop amidst the angry objections of the owner.
What could be so harmful about a faded old book, anyhow?
Arriving at school late, Bastian opts to settle in the attic and begin reading. The story that unfolds before him is equal
parts epic, frightening, and most disturbingly of all, personal.
The adventure to save the world begins.
The Flavor:
"NeverEnding Story" is a fantastic film, both in
quality and thematic content. For all the adventure packed in, it's really a
story about retaining imagination in a cynical world. I hugely
recommend it. That said, all adventures have their ups and downs. Their moments
of triumph. And their moments of tragedy. And "NeverEnding Story"
certainly does not shy away from such moments. For children, there's genuine
terror in such scenes.
Firstly, the world of Fantasia, where much of the story
takes place, is literally being torn apart. A shapeless entity residents call "The Nothing" is eroding the fabric of
existence at a pretty damn swift pace. By the time we meet the main characters,
they're already running from this apocalyptic force. The whole movie revolves
around finding a way to stop it. Think of a black hole that endlessly and persistently
rips apart the world you're standing on. That's "The Nothing".
That's the villain we're up against here, folks. It doesn't just threaten land or
lives. It threatens all of existence.
So already, we're off to a optimistic foot.
As if the end of the world weren't enough, our Fantasia-based
hero Atreyu is up against some pretty dire odds. First off, he's no idea how to
stop "The Nothing" and quests only to seek advice from various sages.
On the way, he faces deadly trials, such as a pair of sphinx statues that'll
fry him to a crisp if he has but a shred of doubt. His journey will also claim
the life of his closest friend in what is perhaps the most difficult-to-watch
scene I can remember as I child. Seriously, this scene crushed me. If you've
seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. Damn swamp.
But all that pales in comparison to Gmork. Oh boy, Gmork.
Few movie creatures terrified me on such a primal level. You see, when Atreyu starts
his quest, "The Nothing" sends something after him. This agent, a
massive wolf the size of a rhino, is devoted to one thing only: kill the only
one who could stop the end of the world. And man, does this villain take his
job seriously. Gmork stalks Atreyu throughout his journey with nothing but cold
blood thirst on his mind. He's like a werewolf that can think and reason, but
still wants to kill you.
Up until the film's climax, we only get brief glimpses of
the beast. Then Atreyu finds a series of murals, each depicting key moments of
his journey. The final painting is that of a huge, black, angry wolf. Atreyu
turns, and there it is.
Gmork is one of the most horrifying puppets I've ever seen.
Forget clown dolls and cursed totems. This thing is here and wants to eat you.
He's a massive behemoth of twisted teeth and glowing green eyes. But then he
speaks. Once Gmork reveals his true nature, things only get worse. He's
essentially an anarchist, not only accepting the absence of hope, but seeking to
profit from it. This is a character who sees the world falling apart and his
first thought is how to benefit from it.
Guys, this is the Joker in the body of a goddamn werewolf.
An agent of chaos with fangs.
Best Paired with:
"NeverEnding Story" is a kid's film, and a great
one, but remember that it's got quite a bit of bite behind its story.
Ultimately, the film is about imagination. How the presence thereof can make
anything happen, but the lack thereof cause widespread destruction. The
metaphor's framed via Fantasia, a beautiful place when it's not getting torn
apart, I'm sure. There's a sense of childlike wonder running throughout the
film. The adventure is scary, yes. But you want it to keep going.
That said, take your kid's age into account before letting
them see this. Those with active imaginations will probably be the most
frightened, as each scary scene is more frightening for its implication than it
is for what's on screen. "The Nothing" out of context is just a bunch
of fog. It's what it represents that makes it terrifying.
Accompanying Brew:
In honor of the wolf that scared the adolescent daylights
out of me, I devote tonight's beer. It's a complex number that surprises on
many levels. Like the film's journey, there's more going on here that meets the
eye.
Gmork, this one's for you:
Name: Werewolf
Brewery: Rinkuskiai
Where Brewed: Birzai Region, Lithuania
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Old ale recipe
Harder to find, more
complex than you'd think, with a literal transformational taste profile.
Color: A hazy copper
shade with golden edges
Aroma: Sweet, but in a tangy, almost slightly-burnt caramel
way. That's a good thing, though. There seems to be a unique scent blended with
the malt. Some sort of yeast strain? The scent actually reminds me of pure malt
extract syrup.
Taste: Actually starts out with a more mellow flavor than it
finishes with. Strangely, much of the bolder tastes don't show up until later
in the sip. Werewolf first starts out relatively mild on the tongue, crisp and
clean, almost like a nice German lager. As the beer moves towards the back of
your tongue and throat, that's more potent flavors
arrive. A combo of slight hop, sweet alcohol, and something tangy hits you all
at once and feels like it's moving from the back of your mouth forward. I'm not
sure if the slightly-molasses flavor is from the combination of malt and
alcohol or if its enhanced by the yeast, which is unique in taste.
Certainly something all its own. Tastes European, like a German or Belgian
yeast, but there's something different. Perhaps a more fruity taste to the
yeast? Hard to pin-point given the hop character, which is mild and blends with
the tangy/sweet symphony.
Aftertaste: After each sip, the tastes that stick around
most prominently are the sweeter notes from the malts. They almost cling to the
back of the mouth and tongue and refuse to let go. Nicely, they're added to in
complexity by a remnant of the hop and yeast (I assume that's the yeast)
flavor, which settles down but doesn't fade away completely.
Body: Much like the taste, the body seems to change mid-sip,
too. Starts off crisp, clean, and light. Once the heavier flavors hit, the beer
spreads out over the inside of the mouth and hangs on for a while, letting you
get the full impact of the flavors. At that point, it's more of a medium body,
though the coating-aspect ups it a bit beyond that.
Funny, it feels like this'll be an easy drinker at first. Once the flavors punch in, you're reminded, that you are indeed sampling a beer with an 8.2% ABV. It gets more complex at the end, and finishes more like a brew to slowly sip and savor. Strangely, the lighter start works more towards extending the beer's level of interest on the palate. This is a reverse of the usual, where the final flavors balance things out. Here, the initial flavors offer something different and light while the end is bold.
Pair: Befriend Werewolf with savory dishes like beef, though dishes with an
Earthy-spice like chicken would also work well.
No comments:
Post a Comment