It is time for another Favouritest Grabs Ever…and this time it is lucky number 13. Just in time for Halloween. As we did last time, we’re going to mull over grabs that have a spooky vibe, be it obvious or slight.
Admin’s Picks:
Being chained to a radiator is seldom a good predicament.
What’s Going On in This Picture?
Whyyy it is that old chestnut from Luther S04E01 where our adorable Cockney crim George has been chained to a radiator. The reason for that is because Luther (Idris Elba) wants to question him about Crazy Alice and a gem stone scam. The easiest way to get a straight answer out of George is taking him by force to some run down old gaff and cuffing him to the nearest cruddy radiator you can find. Quite sensible really.
Why Is This One a Favourite?
Well, it has George Cornelius and a pair of cuffs, so there is always the ooh-la-la factor, but, c’mon, it is suitably creepy. It could easily be a scene from a horror movie. In many ways, “Luther” is horror with all its brutal serial killers. The dingy damaged walls and the chipped paint on the radiator all suggest neglect and secrecy, key components of a horror hideout. But, don’t worry. George survives to fight another day and sets up his own chamber of horrors in series five. Hooray!
RF: Oh, it could’ve definitely been a horror movie, especially since Luther seemingly forgot about leaving George there! I think George was quite justified in feeling a wee bit peeved after that. If George hadn’t decided to take matters into his own hands and pull the radiator out of the wall, he might still be there. 😮 Agreed that the overall dinginess and disrepair of the flat just adds to the atmosphere.
Preparing to lead the funeral.
What’s Going On in This Picture?
This is from December Bride. The Reverend Sorleyson is leading a funeral. The young woman behind him with closed arms is Sarah Gomartin (Saskia Reeves). Her employer has just passed away, but she is remaining on the farm with his two sons in what can only be described as a polyamory. Sorleyson doesn’t know how unconventional things will become just yet, but he has a pretty good idea that Sarah has a mind of her own. He doesn’t approve of her peculiar ways, but he also finds himself fascinated by her.
Why Is This One a Favourite?
It looks incredibly gothic, so it is perfect for Halloween. Sorleyson is very attractive in his clerical finery. He also looks a little out of place. Perhaps he’s a little too dapper. I love the contrast of him with the grim faced dour black-clad women behind him. Everything around him is very bleak and barren and earthy while he looks elegant and more depressed than dour. There is a difference between those two sad qualities, and he nails it.
RF: It does look like the opening set-up to a vampire movie, where it turns out that the corpse they’ve buried isn’t quite dead yet. All those villagers in black look like they’d be the ones warning the newcomers in town (whose coach has broken down, of course) that they shouldn’t be in the village after sunset. Sorleyson does look suitably melancholy, but then again, he pretty much always looked melancholy. As I recall, he was a winner as far as his Misery Level, compared with Mr. Malahide’s other clergymen characters.
RF’s Picks:
It was a dark and stormy night…
What’s Going On in This Picture?
It’s from the S06E02 episode of “Game of Thrones“, titled “Home“. Balon Greyjoy is crossing a windswept, rain-slicked bridge between the towers of Pyke during a heavy storm when he sees a mysterious, hooded figure at the other end of the bridge. There isn’t exactly room for the two of them to squeeze past each other, so Balon peremptorily orders the inconsiderate boob to “Move aside for your king!” Unfortunately for Balon, it turns out that the boob in question is his estranged brother Euron (Pilou Asbæk), who was exiled from Pyke for conduct that not even the Ironborn could countenance. Euron has returned to usurp the throne of Pyke by getting rid of Balon by any means necessary.
Why Is This One a Favourite?
It’s just so gosh-darned atmospheric. The bridge, the lighting, and the pouring rain and wind, and the precariousness of the situation all contribute to the feeling of anxiety and dread that the showdown between Balon and Euron is finally happening. It’s also our first glimpse of Euron and he did a good job of looking all mysterious and foreboding with his hood hiding his features. Of course, the situation doesn’t frighten Balon at all; he’s probably used to standing on slippery ship decks in driving rainstorms in high seas, so he’s mostly irritated that someone’s blocking his way. I do have to give Mr. Malahide and Mr. Asbæk credit for filming under such difficult conditions, and for producing such a great scene as a result. It’s just too bad that Euron turned out to be something of a bust as a villain as the series moved towards its conclusion.
Admin: You can practically feel the wet and the cold just by looking at that photo, and it does give one a strange sense of vertigo to boot. It is definitively not a night to be out crossing rickety, old rope bridges. If only a giant kraken had emerged from the depths and took Euron up in its tentacles dragging him to a terrible death. That would have been so much better.
A nice cup of tea with a kindly grandfather.
What’s Going On in This Picture?
It’s from S01E07 of “Hunted“, titled “Khyber”. Sam Hunter (Melissa George), an operative for the shadowy Byzantium organization, has been working undercover as a nanny for crimelord Jack Turner’s (Mr. Malahide) grandson, Eddie. Her real purpose is to gather information on Jack and a deal he’s finalizing to buy a dam in Pakistan (long story). Sam thinks she’s successfully kept her true identity under wraps, using the alias “Alex Kent”, but it turns out that Jack has known she’s been up to something the entire time. Jack has just invited her into his office for a nice, friendly cup of tea to discuss things. Just prior to Jack making the tea, we got an underlined-twice glimpse of a drug bottle in his desk. What could possibly happen next??
Why Is This One a Favourite?
I like this picture because it’s just about the most sinister tea service one could ever imagine. 😀 Everything from Jack’s “friendly” smile to the slight underlighting screams “GET OUT!!” but Sam, as “Miss Kent”, is blissfully unaware that anything could be wrong – which really makes me doubt her skills as a supposed espionage operative. I mean, just look at him! Would you take a cup of tea from that man?? All it really needs is a vapour-y skull and crossbones rising from the teacup to complete the picture. So, I have to give the “Hunted” cinematographer credit for making Mr. Malahide look incredibly creepy here – perhaps a little too creepy. Showing the bottle of drugs in his desk was a bit on the nose. But still, like George Cornelius above, Jack lends himself extremely well to Halloween themes. 😉
Admin: Yep, that just screams poison. That’s right, some skull and crossbones vapor or a disintegrating teaspoon would be about the only ways to hit the point home any more clearly. I’m surprised there isn’t a can of Rat-away on his desk 😀 And I love his expression of gentle tolerance. It reminds us that Jack is a patient one.
