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From: dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: AFTER HOURS film review
Message-ID: <432@cylixd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 12:48:44 EST
Article-I.D.: cylixd.432
Posted: Wed Oct 30 12:48:44 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 01:38:03 EST
References: <1283@mtgzz.UUCP> <137@duts.UUCP>
Reply-To: dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby)
Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN
Lines: 44

>>[LEEPER] ....... People will see AFTER HOURS as an often
>> nightmarish but hilarious black comedy but it may not register that it is
>> also very effective as a horror film.

>[SHIVA] A horror film? Come on, give me a break!...
>Rather, I found it to be the most sophisticated comedy around nowadays.

I just saw the movie myself, and I shall present a third viewpoint.
AFTER HOURS is written like a comedy and directed like a horror film. To
some it will appear as a horrifying film; to others, it will be the most
hilarious comedy they ever saw. How you see it depends on how cruel
your sense of humour is. If you like picking the wings off flies, you'll
laugh your head off at what the story writer does to this poor guy; I
know I did. But if you view the movie seriously, not having the warped
sense of humour that this film requires, you will be scared out of your
wits ever to go to New York.

This is the blackest comedy I have ever seen. It was not obvious to me
that it was a comedy until well into the film, where I realised that
NOBODY can have that much bad luck. When I saw that every decision the
guy made somehow turned out sour and got him into deeper trouble, I
began to realise that this film was somebody's cruel joke on the main
character, and then the movie began to make sense. Each predicament
got more and more ridiculous and far-fetched, until you had to stop
taking the movie seriously. The ending, of course, gives it away as a
comedy to anyone who hasn't yet caught on.

So I tend to side with Mr. Leeper. AFTER HOURS is a lovely black comedy,
but because of its direction it masquerades very well as a horror flick.
The camera angles, the background music and sound effects, the build-up
of suspense in some scenes, and the general feeling that something awful
was always about to happen to the poor guy, gave it the tone of a good
horror flick.

BTW, I give four stars to the theme music at the beginning and end of
the movie.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Kirby    ( ...!ihnp4!akgub!cylixd!dave)

(The views expressed herein are the exclusive property of Dave Kirby.
Any person, living or dead, found with the same or similar opinions
will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law.)