A good knight in
Joe Cornish hides his inspirations in plain sight. Take Alex Elliott, the name of the 12-year-old hero of his latest film. Elliott’s a salute to the bike-flying protagonist of E.T. And Alex? Half a Scrabble hand away from Excalibur. Both movies took root in the imagination of the teenage Cornish and here’s the result: shining Arthurian myth bolted to Spielbergian suburban fantasy.
It’s a pointedly timely retelling of the legend. “People’s hearts grew hopeless and hollow,” intones the opening voiceover. “The country became lost and leaderless.” No, we’re not live from Leeds with this week’s Question Time – these words accompany a beautifully rendered animated sequence depicting the age of Camelot – but the parallels with modern times are soon rammed home. Cutting to the 21st century we see shuttered high streets and headlines declaring “GLOOM” in big, fun-killing letters. Perfect conditions for Arthur’s sorcerous half-sister, Morgana, to return and seize power – unless the true heir to Excalibur steps forward...
This story is from the Summer 2019 edition of SFX.
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This story is from the Summer 2019 edition of SFX.
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ANCER MAHAGEMENT
WITH A NEW TRILOGY IN SIGHT, WE SPEAK TO THE DIRECTOR OF 28 WEEKS LATER THE ORIGINAL CHILLING SEQUEL TO DANNY BOYLE'S SEMINAL SURVIVAL HORROR
WHO YA CONNA CALL?
BEHIND THE SCENES AT HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS FOR GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
THE DEVIL'S HOUR STRIKES TWICE AS THE GENREDEFYING DRAMA RETURNS
SCARRY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
FROM THE RETURN OF EC COMICS TO SCREAM!, THIS YEAR'S HALLOWEEN OFFERS UP HORROR COMICS FOR ALL THE AGES
UNDEADS REFLECTIONS
NEIL JORDAN ON BRINGING ANNE RICE'S MODERN VAMPIRE CLASSIC TO SCREEN, 30 YEARS ON
MUNSTER MASH!
PRODUCTION HELL, SHOCK RECASTING AND HOTLY CONTESTED AUTHORSHIP. AS THE MUNSTERS CELEBRATE THEIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY, WE UNCOVER HOW THE SPOOKY SITCOM WAS ALMOST DEAD ON ARRIVAL
COMING TO AMERICA
THE MOGWAI LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THEIR SECOND CHAPTER, GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH
BEING HUMAN EVOLUTION
IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INSTANT HIT, BUT BBC THREE'S DARKLY COMIC DRAMA ABOUT A HOUSE-SHARING VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF/GHOST TRIO HAD A STRANGE JOURNEY TO THE SCREEN, SERIES CREATOR TOBY WHITHOUSE TELLS SFX
THE MAINE EVENT
THE DARK IS RISING IN SALEM'S LOT AS STEPHEN KING'S DEATHLESS TALE RETURNS TO THE SCREEN
WHY DON'T YOU STAY FOR A BITE?
THE VAMPIRE COMES HOME AS DIRECTOR EUROS LYN WELCOMES SFX TO HIS NEW DARK COMEDY THE RADLEYS
