The Spine of Night movie review

This epic fantasy is now available on Video on Demand

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 33 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

A press screener was offered to me for consideration as an Oscar contender. I was flattered and started watching the film without knowing anything about it. Big mistake. The studio calls it a dark horse and unique “palette cleanser” from child-focused content. This film is definitely NOT appropriate for children. It will even be too much for many adults and is absolutely not my cup of tea. Honestly, I couldn’t even watch it for more than a few minutes. I am absolutely not the target audience. I’ve never released a movie review of a film I haven’t fully watched before, but I think I saw enough to give you the flavor of the movie that will help you decide if you want to watch this or not.

It’s an ultra-violent, visceral, adult dark fantasy set in a land of magic and horror. It follows heroes from different eras and cultures battling against a malevolent force that unleashes suffering onto mankind. The storytelling and style of design are its own genre, really, and something that hasn’t been made since the 1970s.

The film is written and directed by both Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King.

THINGS I LIKED:

You’ll recognize some of the voiceover talent: Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Richard E. Grant, Betty Gabriel, Abby Savage, Rob McClure, and Joe Manganiello. Joe Manganiello has voiced his appreciation for the game Dungeons and Dragons. I mention that because I’ve heard some reviewers say that fans of the game will probably enjoy this type of movie.
I haven’t seen many films that use rotoscope animation. Rotoscoping is a technique that involves tracing over motion picture footage, frame by frame. It’s often used in animation fantasy and has been popular in the cult classic works of animators Ralph Bakshi and Frank Franzetta.
The animation of landscapes and sky is beautiful. Unfortunately, the human designs look unsophisticated in comparison.