An unseasonably favourable and unexpectedly bright break from the rapid descent into the dark days of Winter is very hard to top and I always find myself deeply enchanted by Autumn sunshine. That high level of enchantment is exactly what we all got to enjoy this weekend, a spat of really lovely and unseasonably sunny weather, and as with all Autumnal sunny days, it arrived with a heavy mellow mist at dawn that burst forth into full sunshine by 11am. It is absolutely magical and has always been a special time of the year for me.
It is true that there is something magical about all of the seasons though isn't there? Without trying too hard I could rattle off at least ten things that I love about each of the seasons, but everyone has a couple of special seasonal moments that are uniquely significant to them. A sunny Autumn day is definitely one of mine and whether you choose to get out in the warmth of that sun or just observe its brilliance from indoors, it is undeniably intoxicating.
Out here in Enfield, the sun sets on the living-room side of our house, so as the cool of the evening slides in you can watch the sky shift from bright brilliant blues into dazzling oranges and golds in the late afternoon, even if you are inside. The mushrooms and toadstools stick their brightly coloured heads out of the ground. The yellow, orange and red leaves gently fall from the deciduous trees and the fruit trees hang heavily with last apples of the season in the dying sunlight. It is so still that nothing seems to move at all except for a couple of busy birds and the shifting colours of the sky.
In short, it shines brightly with all of the regal colours of warmth and splendour, delivers all of the mellowness of a good red wine, a warm bath or a bowl of mum's soup and offers a strong reminder that the dark days ahead are only temporary. There is a calm and harmony to it all that is so hard to resist and its meditative state can easily seduce you into an afternoon nap under a cosy blanket.
Yes, I do love all of the seasons, but I will always love an Autumn sunny day in a very special way.
Release Date: 2020
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 111 mins
Based on the short story Color Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft, this cosmic science fiction/ horror directed by Richard Stanley will assault your senses with its psychedelic colour palette and weird otherworldly imagery.
Rurally based and pretty much completely secluded, the Gardner family start to experience all manner of strangeness after a brightly coloured meteor plunges into their back yard from out of space. First the flora succumbs to its power which is soon followed by the fauna, and before long the entire Gardner family are experiencing weird and escalating levels of distress and aggravation from this odd and otherworldly arrival.
To say that this film is weird is an understatement, not since John Carpenter's The Thing have things gotten this weird in a science fiction movie. And to be honest, I think that is what I liked so much about it. Color Out of Space has a seriously pulpy B grade feeling to it and no-one (especially Nicholas Cage who plays the Gardner patriarch) seems to be taking this too seriously. However, that being said, it still manages to deliver some high quality FX, stunning night-time cinematography and enough shocks and off beat intensity to actually work.
FINAL SAY: Cold and wet. But it burns. Sucking the life out of everything.
3.5 Chilli Peppers