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Last night I went to Central Cinema to see Shallow Grave, the 1994 directorial debut of Trainspotting/Slumdog Millionaire maestro Danny Boyle, starring Ewan MacGregor, Christopher Eccleston, and Kerry Fox as amoral Edinburgh flatmates offered the chance to take their fluid morality to the next level.

Beyond that I’ll be cryptic, to protect those who, like me, haven’t seen this movie that’s been around and acclaimed for 15 years. But it’s delightful, and disturbing, and comes together in a creepy fashion that reminded me of Blood Simple, only more British and Hitchcocky. (Helping this Coen-Bros connection: Boyle’s extensive use of drill-hole spotlights.)

Also, at Central Cinema, the film is preceded by a mind-bending instructional film from the 1950s warning against the SIX MURDEROUS BELIEFS, those concepts that, when embraced, add up to MURDER. It’s impossible to explain, as it’s from outer space, but it’s totally worth seeing.

Shallow Grave plays at Central Cinema through Oct 22.

Also, the man on the right up there looks so much like Eric Fredericksen it’s insane.

David Schmader—former weed columnist and Stranger associate editor—is the author of the solo plays Straight and Letter to Axl, which he’s performed in Seattle and across the US. His latest...

12 replies on “When Passive Crime Begets Active Punishment: Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave”

  2. This film was shown on Sundance awhile back, several times. Eccleston was still seen on BBC America as Dr Who at the time. His character here is quite different from Dr Who, I’ll say that.

  3. The man on the right is Christopher Eccleston…

    Better known to us geeks as the first New Doctor (or the Ninth Doctor, if you’re old school) in Doctor Who.

    *sigh* He’s dreamy.

  4. Eccleston caught my eye as the Duke of Norfolk in 1998’s Elizabeth – slender and angular, but meat where there should be some meat. Woof.

    I remember loving Shallow Grave when I saw it way back when. I particularly loved the set design of the flat – all of those primary colors. It was new and bold then.

  5. Eccleston is also the scary-psychotic military leader in Boyle’s “28 Days Later”. He’s awesome in just about everything he’s been in.

    …which was not enough to convince me to watch “G.I. Joe” (he’s Destro in that), but almost.

    And if you haven’t seen “Shallow Grave”, do so immediately.

  6. I’d like to know how it is possible that you, David Schmader, general maven and magpie, had not, until last night seen Shallow Grave?

    My world just turned upside down.

  7. 7: Yeah, I know, just a random omission. I think I had it mixed up with “Apartment Zero,” but I haven’t seen that either. Anyway, I loved “Shallow Grave.”

  8. But Dave, Apartment Zero won the Golden Space Needle for Best Film at SIFF 1989! And if that weren’t encouragement enough, there’s Hart Bochner (inhale…sigh…heart, heart, heart).

  9. WHA WHA WAANNANANANANANH.

    FREEDIXSON!!! THERE ARE PUZZLES COMING TO YOUR FRIEND’S PARENT’S HOUSE! WATCH OUT! THEY MIGHT BE TOO HARD! LIKE GAMES! BUT UNPLAYABLE! SHIT!

  10. …and in college, I acted in a play written (and with music by) Murray Gold, who wrote the theme music for the Doctor Who starring Eccleston. Two degrees of separation!

  11. Eric@10: at the risk of getting really, really, really geeky here, the Doctor Who theme music was “written” (composed, ahem), by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire for the original series in 1963. Gold’s take on it would be called an arrangement.

    (And yes, I’m just being pedantic here: I really, really love Gold’s version of the theme, and hope that the new producers retain it.)

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