THE KEEP (1983)
With hostilities brewing overseas, I thought it would be a prepossessing time to visit a war/horror hybrid. That almost sounds intellectual, but the truth is...eh, I just wanted to catch a monster movie that I have yet to catch. On two occasions, I succumbed to slumber halfway through The Keep. That was ages ago. In fact, my last viewing was at least a decade back. My senses were telling me that the film was denuded of blame, that I was simply not metal enough for Michael Mann's surreal dollop of atmospheric dread. My senses were right. I'm glad that I gave The Keep another whirl, even if all I end up getting out of it is a sick name for my firstborn son.
Molasar! That's the name. Wicked, right? Yeah, I'm never having a fucking kid. Anyway, the plot is a tricky one to recapitulate. Nazi soldiers are sent to protect a massive citadel that may or may not house an evil force at its nucleus. We aren't told why they are guarding this particular fortification, nor are we told the identity of "the stranger at the inn." Are we supposed to know? These faint pockets of anti-exposition bothered me more than the showy, counterfeit visual effects. Still, I came away from The Keep satisfied. It's a picture held together with fantastic acting and forward-thinking dialogue. I mean, it's no Miami Vice, but what is?
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