Beyond the Pale

I'm a big House of Dark Shadows fan and met Roger Davis recently, I was surprised to see that his last film outing was 1999's "Beyond the Pale" which I have to say threw me, because it's very different from the sort of thing Mr. Davis usually does. At least I was able to get a DVD version which had a behind the scenes featurette and a rare interview with Mr. Davis, who plays a slime ball movie producer to a T. Beyond the Pale overall wasn't a bad flick, I had issues with a couple of things, in particular the lead character's whiter than white personality, which was frustrating, I know that's how the character was written and the actor pulled it off, but are there really people like him out there!for ROGER DAVIS fans it's a must see.

This is an unusual film in the sense that it's honest. Unusual because it looks more like a studio made film, than a low budget indie. The story is based on the the life of Patrick Clarke who also wrote the screenplay and plays himself, turning in a good performance in the process. I get the feeling that if this film had real financial backing it would've been a classic; it has the kinda substance and heart associated with films like, It's a Wonderful Life and The Verdict. The documentary on the DVD is pretty raw and gives a good sense of the hardships the filmmakers endured to get the film made. The biggest revelation is that Malachy McCourt can actually act! listening to him and the other actors and producers recount their experiences making the film shows how much it meant to them. I have to admit that I saw this film when I was at a low point and it cheered me up, so I may be seeing it through rose tinted glasses; but I still think that the collectors edition DVD is 2 hours well spent.

Good but it bothered me. Awakening my worst fears about love and friendship which I already need meds to suppress. The main character (Pat) is a freakin' doormat, always being stepped on. Didn't this guy ever hear that nice guys finish last? He has that Joe Buck (Midnight Cowboy) mentality You feel like slapping him and saying "Wake up boy, ya ain't in Ireland anymore, you're in the big city, and the big city is for people with big dreams" His Hustler friend (Seamus) has the right idea, taking what you can get, as fast as you can get it. They should re-title this film Saints and Sinners.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, good performances from the cast, good direction, beautiful images. Also look out for Roger Davis (Jeffrey)that actor from Dark Shadows, he is one creepy dude. He's so good playing the villain you feel like strangling him at films' end. The film is very true and honest. I've lived in an Irish area my entire life and some of my closest friends are illegals dealing with the same issues as Pat and Shea. It's a damn shame, damn depressing, but a damn good film.

I watched a copy of the collectors edition DVD, which my friend and I bought online, because we couldn't get it in any of the the video stores in Scotland. I moved to NYC in the mid-eighties and lived there for six years, which is what drew me to the film. It seems like a life time ago, but the nostalgia came flooding back as if it were yesterday. I have to say that I really enjoyed watching the film even though it was a bit corny in parts. What impressed me most was the film used New York as a character without the standard shots of the Empire State building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and so on. The documentary in the additional features of the DVD was excellent and enhanced my appreciation of the film because the story is based on real events and it's interesting to meet the real people involved. All in all it was a worth while 2 hours.

As a film buff I always make it a point to check out the local video stores of any country I visit, so on a recent trip to Dublin I made no exception. I was encouraged to visit the Irish Film Centre, which is situated in the heart of the Temple Bar district. In addition to its two movie theatres, there is a bar, restaurant, bookstore and a video library, which stocked a number of Irish titles I hadn't heard of. I purchased several titles including Beyond the Pale, which was the more obscure of the bunch. When I returned to London, I invited a friend round for dinner and a movie, we deliberated for a time and finally settled for, "Beyond the Pale", we both agreed that it was reminiscent of the sort of movies made in the Hollywood Golden Era, the style, pace and the acting. Patrick Clarke has my vote for the next James Bond, I haven't seen anyone like him on screen, we visited the www.imdb.com to find out more, it listed the official site for Beyond the Pale and we were shocked to find that this film was made on a tiny budget, which only served to enhance our admiration for the piece. It's a sad indictment of our times that movies like this get overlooked. Hats off to Maiden Voyage Pictures, keep up the good work.