Editorials
How ‘Kane & Lynch 2’ Found Itself Forgotten as Gaming’s Modern Video Nasty
The very subject matter of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is enough to cement itself as a sordid, macabre escapade, with two hard-to-like dudes with a raging woody for cash and corpses face-shooting their way through modern-day Shanghai. Though it’s in the stylistically unique fashion in which the whole thing is presented, that Io Interactive’s last-gen IP has managed to endure quasi-fondly in the memory as long as it has.
A seemingly vanilla and no-frills third-person shooter, the whole experience is made dramatically more interesting by its audiovisual presentation, as the shaky cam, VHS imbued art style seeks to create a window into a grimy world, where the dirty neon of downtown Shanghai bleeds greedily across the screen alongside clumps of detail enmeshed in congealed puddles of textured filth.
If the world finds itself stained by this befouled aesthetic, so too do a number of other visual flourishes contribute considerably to the overall video nasty veneer too. Killed enemies, for example, find their faces masked by an inelegant mess of video macro blocking – an act that feels at times, directed as much towards the preservation of sensitivity in the face of extreme violence as much as it robs the identity of those who have fallen.
Given the relatively humble hardware of the time, the way that the blurriness and assortment of visual artifacts all conspire to hide the technical problems that the game might have had, too. Frame rate drops, low-resolution visuals and screen tearing are all rampant and yet, they are easily passed off as being part and parcel with the game’s deliberately low rent VHS style presentation.
Such deliberate visual styling choices also expose an intriguing truth – there’s no cause for a remaster of Kane & Lynch 2, since upping the resolution and adding in additional detail would be at odds with the deliberately lo-fi aesthetic.
Likewise, beyond the fanfare of its raucous shootouts, audio is leveraged with equal, humanity depriving brutality. Early on, after a protracted and frenzied bloody chase through the streets of Shanghai, a cornered thug slits his own throat just as the audio cuts out for a few seconds, denying the audience his final blood-curdling screams and the slump of his lifeless form onto the dirty floor.
In keeping with this found footage approach, Kane & Lynch 2 also makes the player question who is actually holding the camera while the titular protagonists are off honoring the rigors of their murderous nature. Is it some poor sap that our duo has scooped off the street? Some nefarious and unnamed third party? Regardless of who it is, the feeling is palpable. Most notably the sensation of the perspective going into a full-shaky cam mode, and having the wind whoosh past your face as you scramble and sprint your way down a murky corridor proving to be an intoxicating event.
In essence, Kane & Lynch 2 ends up feeling, looking and sounding akin to a Michael Mann flick, by way of a found footage auteur like Adam Wingard. The clinical, street-level violence of the former having its brutality exacerbated by the style of the latter.
The Surprising Use of Violence in Manhunt
It’s surprising, really, that this almost esoteric brand of audiovisual presentation hasn’t been more openly embraced by other games. Sure, you could say that Dennaton’s Hotline Miami games mimic this to an extent, but the effect is very different when comparing a top-down blaster, to the much more intimate over the shoulder experience that Kane and Lynch 2 offers.
Brought into sharp relief with the comparatively more conservative stylings of Io’s much more recent and widely accepted Hitman series, it’s easy to see why Io Interactive seemingly and dutifully continues down the path forged by Agent 47, apparently content to leave the tawdry spectacle of the Kane & Lynch franchise behind.
With relatively little new to offer in gameplay terms, and by proxy a wide commercial audience, Kane and Lynch 2 instead doubles down on the nastiness and invites its audience to their own private cesspool, one where the imprecise haze of its presentation serves to enhance the brutality and ultraviolence that lay beneath.
Ultimately, chances are that the famed Danish studio won’t ever return to the series and in a way that would be fitting; effectively relegating Kane and Lynch 2 to a dusty, solitary existence on digital and second-hand physical store shelves, to be ignored and forgotten by all but the most determined grime seekers.
New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features one random pick as well as four selections reflecting the month of May 2024.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings include a self-loathing serial killer, a violinist’s murderous ghost, and a postmodern vamp flick.
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)
Pictured: Ted Bessell and Sian Barbara Allen in Scream, Pretty Peggy.
Directed by Gordon Hessler.
The TV-movie Scream, Pretty Peggy first aired as part of ABC Movie of the Week. Bette Davis plays the mother of a reclusive sculptor (Ted Bessell), and after the previous housekeeper goes missing, a local college student (Sian Barbara Allen) fills the position. Little does she know, though, the young employee’s predecessor was murdered — and the killer is still on the loose.
Admittedly, Scream, Pretty Peggy isn’t difficult to figure out; its inspiration is obvious. However, Bette Davis’ overstated performance and the son character’s macabre artwork are enough to stay tuned and learn who’s behind the killings.
Scream, Pretty Peggy is now available on physical media from Kino Lorber. Perhaps watch the movie with your own mother this Mother’s Day (May 12).
Paganini Horror (1989)
Pictured: The ghostly killer in Paganini Horror.
Directed by Luigi Cozzi.
For National Buy a Musical Instrument Day (May 22), check out this absurd Italian entry in the subgenre of cursed music horror. A rock band unleashes hell when they unknowingly use a satanic piece of music composed by Niccolò Paganini, the violinist who was rumored to have made a Faustian deal.
Even though Paganini Horror is hardly deemed a standout of Italian Horror, and the movie indeed drags itself toward the finish line, there are some bright spots worth focusing on. For instance: Donald Pleasence. If that’s not enough, the very ’80s aesthetic helps gloss over the flaws in Daria Nicolodi‘s uneven script.
Paganini Horror is now on physical media from Severin Films and is also streaming on SCREAMBOX.
Nadja (1994)
Pictured: Suzy Amis Cameron and Karl Geary in Nadja.
Directed by Michael Almereyda.
These vampires may or may not cast a reflection, but they sure do love to reflect. David Lynch executive-produced as well as briefly appeared in the film, which Roger Ebert succinctly described as “Deadpan Noir” in his review. This tale of revenge and philosophical pondering begins with the vampiric namesake (Suzy Amis Cameron) seducing the daughter (Galaxy Craze) of Van Helsing after he killed Nadja’s father, Dracula. From there a war erupts between the two sides, all while taking place in modern NYC.
Nadja is quite slow but also just strange, stylish and creative enough to keep your attention. In addition, the trip hop soundtrack is easy on the ears, and Peter Fonda plays a memorable Van Helsing. Overall, this is a unique and artsy approach to vampire horror.
Nadja is now streaming on Freevee.
The Bone Snatcher (2003)
Pictured: Scott Bairstow, Warrick Grier and Rachel Shelley in ‘The Bone Snatcher’.
Directed by Jason Wulfsohn.
For National Sunscreen Day (May 27), dig up the monster movie The Bone Snatcher. It will take more than a high SPF to protect the sunburned characters here; they are stuck in a South African desert with a bizarre monster called the Esikhulu.
The best things about The Bone Snatcher are its setting and the creature. This beast, which is brought to life on screen using a combination of practical and digital effects, sports a ghastly design to go with its unnerving ability to animate skeletons. Something else this movie has going for it is a refusal to show the monster too often; that way there is less chance of becoming desensitized to the Esikhulu. Ultimately, this has nothing on John Carpenter’s The Thing, however, those more forgiving fans of Syfy-ish creature-features should be satisfied.
The Bone Snatcher is currently streaming on Tubi.
#1 Serial Killer (2013)
Pictured: Jason Tobin in #1 Serial Killer.
Directed by Stanley Yung.
May is AAPIM, and the subversive #1 Serial Killer (originally titled Chink) is relevant when discussing the “Invisible Asian” notion. Acknowledging the irony, Stanley Yung’s movie has gone widely unnoticed despite its potent take on race and identity.
Jason Tobin (Warrior) delivers a compelling performance as the vile protagonist here. The self-hating, Ted Bundy-admiring character discriminates against other Asians after years of mistreatment and disregard, and that growing rage finally manifests as cathartic violence.
#1 Serial Killer is currently available at digital retailers like Apple.
No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.
‘Infested’ Review – One of the Best Spiders Attack Horror Movies in Years
‘The King Tide’: An Island Town Rots with Moral Decay in Canadian Folk Horror Fable [Review]
Limited Edition Morticia & Wednesday Addams ‘Monster High’ Dolls Releasing Next Week!
TWO New ‘Evil Dead’ Movies Now in the Works; Sébastien Vaniček & Francis Galluppi Directing
“AHS: Delicate” Review – ‘The Auteur’ Gives Birth to a Lackluster, Laughable Finale
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