'Viking: The Berserkers' 2014 film review

Viking: The Berserkers - Official Trailer [HD]

Tornado Films

"The Viking Hunger Games!" When a clan of Viking 'Berserker' warriors terrorise Saxon youths in a ritualistic manhunt, the youths must fight back!


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‘Viking: The Berserkers’ - 2014 film

In Dark Ages Britain a group of five young Saxons are captured by a clan of fearsome Viking warriors and used as prey in a ritualistic manhunt. High on a potion that turns them berserk the brutal hunters are soon on the scent of the terrified youngsters in a desperate battle for survival. Against long odds, the captors fight back and the hunted become the hunters.

There are so many films about Romans and Vikings, Romans and Vikings, Vikings and Romans…. that I may have to be more selective in which I review. I review the Roman-themed films at the other blog. This film effort was a little different, and would hold up fairly well to ‘Valhalla Rising’, and worth a review. It was at the least, eerie, brutal, and gripping. The film opens with the words Viking Britain 835AD. Most portrayals of the Vikings tend to be negative; however here they are truly shown as brutal murdering sadists. Actually, these were a warrior subgrouping called the Berserkers.

The first scene shows what is described as a rural Saxon family whose mother had been murdered by the invading Vikings, or Berserkers, and the father was merely trying to protect what was left of his family; keeping them away from towns and open trade routes. He is soon murdered by a Berserker ambush. His sons, including a young man named Wade, are captured and taken to a holding pen at their camp.

The entire film is set amid a gloomy foreboding landscape; I assume filmed somewhere in the UK. There’s an obvious British-bias here, but it’s just a movie right? Actually the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were Teutonic tribes which had invaded the British Isles, and they were originally from what is today northern Germany, Denmark, and Scandinavia. The idea that,--as the DVD jacket stated--"the peaceful times of Saxon Britain have been shattered by the invasion of Viking forces” is at least somewhat deceptive. Those earlier Teutonic invaders were very similar to the Vikings. Also, the Christians are shown to be very peaceful; but actually they had run an aggressive campaign against the Vikings and others who would not submit to the Christian faith. For example, cutting them off from established trading centers.

The Berserkers chose five young individuals from the holding pen, I think three men and two women, and released them into the wilderness to be hunted down. This apparently was a rite to Odin, as the high priestess called The Volva administered this blood ritual. She said to Wade before he was released: “You have fire in your blood. Odin will feast upon your soul.” As the chosen victims were trying  to escape as far as they could get, the Berserkers painted their faces white (later to add blood) as the wicked-looking Volva chanted. They ingested some type of drug substance which put them into a frenzy… growling, foaming at the mouth, and barking at the moon!

Spoiler alert beyond this point!!

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As each victim was brutally killed, their hearts were cut out and taken back to the Volva. It wasn’t always clear as to the intentions of the various characters, but that added to this unpredictable melee. At one point as one the victims was dying, they left some advice to her fellow prey:

“To beat the wolf, you have to become the wolf.”

The Berserkers were presented as like wild animals, roaring and looking into the eyes of their victims as they cut their hearts out; all the while continuing to take more of the drug substance and snarling like wolves. They were like werewolves.

I think this was the type of film that is worth at least one viewing in the same way as a good B horror flick. It’s different and keeps your attention. Of course, it portrays Asatru in a negative light; “the devils of the north” as the protagonist Wade put it. Well, someone's got to play the bad guys. There’s also an interesting theme at the end about life, nature, and evolutionary struggle.

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'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows - A Complete History' (Ruickbie; 2004) .... book review

Amazon.com
'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows - A Complete History' (Ruickbie; 2004)
Leo Ruickbie

This complete history of witchcraft from Ancient Greece to the present day charts the rise and development of witchcraft and the modern witchcraft religion of Wicca. This in-depth investigation discovers how the ideas we have about witchcraft took shape thousands of years ago in the myths and religions of the ancient world. It looks at why these ideas were expressed so violently during the era of the witch trials, and reveals how witchcraft has been transformed into one of the most radical and fastest growing religions of our age—a religion of equality and compassion that still has the power to unsettle even the bravest amongst us. With fresh insights and previously unpublished material drawn from the author's doctoral research into the mysticism, magic, and social meaning of Wicca, this is the first book to bring witchcraft fully out of the shadows.


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GoodReads.com
'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows - A Complete History' (Ruickbie; 2004)
Leo Ruickbie

Dr Leo Ruickbie is a sociologist and historian specialising in the field of witchcraft, Wicca, magic and the occult. He hold a PhD from King's College, London, for his work on modern witchcraft, and is the author of several books including Witchcraft Out of the Shadows and Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician. In 2008 and 2009 he exhibited on the subject of witchcraft in France. As well as giving public talks and writing articles for Pagan Dawn, Watkins Review and ASANAS, he also runs the WICA (witchology.com) website.


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One thing about this book is that it's very thorough. The only thing that I could slightly knock it for is that it didn't go back to prehistoric evidence of Proto-European spirituality; including the Earth Mother, the Horned God, and the Nebra sky disk. It started with the pre-Christian era, and was very complete from that point onward as far as I could tell.

The book started off with three chapters on 'The Early History of Witchcraft in Europe', entitled 'Age of Shadows'. First was ancient pre-Olympian Greece... "The Birthplace of All Sorceries." Essentially, it was about Hecatean tradition. and how it later conflated a bit with the the gods of Classical Greece, and later Christian Greece; and it delved into the mythology of Hecate's daughters Circe and Medea as well. Medea was a prominent character in the ancient Greek legend of 'Jason and the Argonauts'; you may recall the 1963 film.

Second was entitled 'East of Midgard', and delved into the history and mythology of the Odinic tradition in northern Europe. Included in this chapter was a sub-section entitled 'People of the Oak', which described the pre-Christian Druidic tradition; and of which I found particularly interesting. Ruickbie even gave a small account of the interaction between ancient Germania and Gaul.

Third was a chapter entitled 'South of Heaven', and was a very objectively complete overview--much if it in great detail--of the history of witchcraft/pagan traditions in the Medieval/Christian era... the burning times. I found the 'Age of Shadows' to be the most enjoyable part of the book, especially the first two chapters. I would have liked to have heard Ruickbie's opinion of how the early Proto-European traditions tied together.

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The next three chapters were entitled 'Born of Shadows', and delved into the history of modern witchcraft. First, he gives a brief summary of the survivals of the ancient magical or mystery traditions at the closing of the nineteenth century. It started with Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism, the Celtic revival, Charles G. Leland's long study on Italian Stregheria and its continued existence in a few rural locations, Hermeticism and Golden Dawn, the influence of Aleister Crowley, and Margaret Murray's "Witch Cult" hypothesis.

Second was about the invention of Wicca entitled 'The Craft of Invention'. Ruickbie proved beyond a doubt that an English Freemason named Gerald Gardner literally invented "Wicca" out of thin air. He actually used elements of Masonry, Hermeticism, and the magical works of Aleister Crowley and tried to pass them off as the ancient native magical tradition of the British Isles... and that he was a part of a long surviving coven. Personally I think that the basic idea of "Wicca" was a great idea, and I don't understand the need to rush in exaggerated claims to prove the legitimacy of what was an ancient tradition of some form.

Next was a chapter on the development of Wicca. Somewhat comically, Ruickbie detailed how a very knowledgeable associate named Doreen Valiente "cleaned up" Gardner's sloppy work and made it practical and workable. This chapter went into detail of how Wicca unfolded after Gardner's death. Lots of names were dropped, mostly charlatans and pretenders; but it seemed to me that Doreen Valiente and Patricia Crowther were sincere and practical leaders.

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The final three chapters were entitled 'Empire of Shadows', and went into great detail about every aspect of modern witchcraft today; basically in the English-speaking world, or at least as of 2004. Although undoubtedly important, it was quite wordy and monotonous. I know, it's important to understand what something is, and not what people perceive it is, what you think it is, or what you may want it to be. Still, I think it could have been summarized in a short chapter. However, for what this section was trying to accomplish, it was very complete. This book was a good and complete chronological history of pre-Christian European spiritual/magical traditions--including historically conflated elements--from ancient times up to their emerging time-nexus today.

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Movie Review: ‘White Mischief’ (1987)

‘White Mischief’ is a British movie portraying a well-known (in the UK) murder case which occurred during World War II. During the German “Blitz,” British elitist Jock Delves Broughton, and his much younger wife Lady Diana Broughton, escape to Colonial Kenya.  They quickly fit in with a particular well-established crowd of their peers in the rural countryside. I guess that even the Westernized capitol of Nairobi was too close to the war front, although there were scenes shot along the coast.

This resort-like atmosphere seemed to be all fun-and-games, as there was little open concern of the prospect that the UK may lose the war and be colonized themselves. It sort've reminded me of the accounts of the Roman elites enjoying themselves as Rome fell to the barbarian hordes; or even the elites on the Titanic, who partied as the ship was sinking. The British had colonies the world over, and it would have been easy for the wealthy to hide out in many places. I suspect that they were investing and planning what they may do. It should be noted that the word “English” refers to the ethnic group, while the world “British” refers to the whole of the United Kingdom.

The Kenyan countryside portrayed was not the typical sub-Saharan landscape that most think of. It looked more like New Mexico; dry, somewhat mountainous. It seemed like an unlikely atmosphere for the unfolding debauchery among the social circles of these aristocratic personalities. I think that this movie reflected the final days of the globe as being just a big playground for this type of elitist. In other words, the days of wandering the exotic globe while the home front--which they may return to at any time--remains secure and unchanging, is gone. Sure they may still travel--even easier--but the entire world as a whole is less welcoming to their whims in a new world where they are a small minority of competing races, religions, and cultures.

The Broughtons soon met the philandering Josslyn Hay, who almost immediately partakes in an non-discrete affair with Lady Broughton. That is the basic storyline, and I won’t do a spoiler for this. Suffice to say, there is conflict and drama. It’s a pretty easy watch, as there are no deeper storylines. Jock Broughton is more-or-less the protagonist, and he is played by British actor Joss Ackland whose face I have seen in numerous movies. Lady Broughton is played by a young beautiful Greta Scacchi. Joslyn Hay is played by British actor Charles Dance, who is also a familiar face.

Greta Scacchi was born in Milan, but grew up in the UK. She is half Milanese; and I think half English. Naturally her Lombardian ancestry is why I am writing this review, and she is someone very familiar to the English-speaking world. Her mother was an English citizen, as she then became as a girl. The word “great” is thrown around so often, but I objectively say that she is a very good actress. I perceive her performance in this movie as being somewhat like Kathleen Turner in ‘Body Heat’ (1980). The storylines are similar, and the sultry-sophisticated performances of both actresses are pointed to by some as quasi-real/fictional “perfect tens.” However, Scacchi has been a much better actress than Turner. In 1995, Greta Scacchi became an Australian citizen.


~Warning: Spoiler alert beyond this point!~ 


White Mischief (Wikipedia)

White Mischief is a 1987 film dramatizing the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll.

Based on a book by the Sunday Times journalist James Fox (originally researched with Cyril Connolly for an article in December 1969), it was directed by Michael Radford.


Plot

With much of the rest of the world at war, a number of bored British aristocrats live dissolute and hedonistic lives in a region of Kenya known as Happy Valley, drinking and indulging in decadent sexual affairs to pass the time.

On a January day in 1941, Josslyn Hay, the philandering Earl of Erroll, is found dead in his automobile in a remote location. The Earl has a royal pedigree but a somewhat sordid past and a well-deserved reputation for carrying on with other men's wives.

Lady Diana Broughton is one such woman. She is the beautiful wife of Sir John Henry Delves Broughton, known to most as "Jock," a man at least twice her age. Diana has a pre-nuptial understanding with her husband that should either of them fall in love with someone else, the other will do nothing to impede the romance.

Diana has indeed succumbed to the charms of the roguish Earl of Erroll, whose local conquests also include the drug-addicted American heiress Alice de Janze and the somewhat more reserved Nina Soames. It appears that Diana expects to divorce Broughton and marry the Earl, and, true to his word, Broughton publicly toasts their affair in front of them at a club in Nairobi.

The resentment he feels privately is known only to Broughton and possibly to old friend Jack Soames. In any case, the Earl's murdered corpse is found not far from Broughton's estate, and before long Broughton is charged with the crime.

Diana is distraught over losing her lover, as is Alice, who openly masturbates near his coffin. A local plantation owner, Colville, quietly offers Diana advice and solace, ultimately surprising her by proposing marriage.

Broughton stands trial. There are no witnesses to the crime and the physical evidence is incriminating but circumstantial. He obviously had the motive and means, but is found innocent and the scandal comes to an end.


Related article of interest:
'White Mischief' murder finally solved after 66 years (DailyMail.co.uk)

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Greta Scacchi: A World Famous Lombardian

Greta Scacchi is very well known to the English speaking world, and is considered to be a great actress. Even just from the handful of movies that I have watched her in, she seemed equally as believable playing English elitist Lady Diana Broughton in 'White Mischief' (1988), an Icelandic woman June Gudmundsdottir in 'The Player (1992), or poor Cuban immigrant Isabel in 'Fires Within' (1991). Of course, most of her films have been either from Australia or the UK, so it's not always easy seeing them, unless you were to cherry pick them. After looking at her filmography, I would like to conduct my own little Greta Scacchi film festival. I'm going to post some of the information from Wikipedia, as it's probably the most accurate due to the person actually being involved many times with verifying and writing the bio. Hopefully we can do her more justice in the future.


Greta Scacchi

Greta Scacchi (born 18 February 1960) is an Italian-born, Australian actor.


Biography

Born Greta Gracco in Milan, Italy, the daughter of Luca Scacchi Gracco, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Carsaniga, an English-born dancer and antiques dealer. Her parents divorced when she was three, and her mother moved to England with her and her two older brothers. In 1975, following her mother's remarriage to Giovanni Carsinga, the family moved to Adelaide, Australia.


Career

In 1977, Scacchi returned to England to pursue an acting career. She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, with Miranda Richardson and Amanda Redman. In 1982, she made her film debut in the German movie Das Zweite Gesicht (The Second Face) and gave versatile performances in films such as Heat and Dust (1983), The Ebony Tower (1984), The Coca Cola Kid (1985), White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992) and Country Life (1994). She has appeared nude, including frontal nudity, in several films. According to New Idea magazine, she has appeared naked in more films than any other "Australian" actress. She turned down the role of Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct (1992).

In 1996 she won an Emmy Award for her work as Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia in the television film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and numerous other awards. In 2007 she received another Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for Broken Trail.

She speaks French, German and Italian fluently, which has made her a popular choice for the casting directors of European films and has been an asset when working for European directors and producers.


Personal life

Between 1983 and 1989, Scacchi was romantically involved with New Zealand singer/songwriter Tim Finn. A relationship with American actor Vincent D'Onofrio began in 1989 and ended in 1993 after two years of marriage; their daughter Leila was born in March 1992. Scacchi's son Matteo, fathered by Carlo Mantegazza, was born in October 1998.

In January 1995, Scacchi became an Australian citizen. Scacchi currently resides in Hurstpierpoint.


Wikipedia link for Greta Scacchi, with filmography and many different internal and external links


Fools Paradise (White Mischief trailer):

White Mischief Vestron Video Trailer:

This is something. Someone on YouTube has an entire Greta Scacchi movie called 'Rasputin - Dark Servant of Destiny' (1996). I'm going to watch this this week. If you click on the little box on the lower right, you can get a full screen. Just like watching a televistion set, except that you have to prep it every ten minutes.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12