Horrorspital
In 1994, Lars Von Trier wrote, produced and directed a show about a creepy hospital called Riget (Kingdom). It's very low-budget, with intentionally crappy camerawork and a really weird orange filter over every scene. It's about the most advanced hospital in Denmark, an experimental flagship of the Danish health care system, but supernatural madness is about to be unleashed.
By the end of the series, it's popping out everywhere, leading to the climactic final scene where the Minister for Health is touring the hospital only to find: an abortion being conducted in the neurosurgery unit; a liver transplant for a man who strenuously objects to the procedure; a neurosurgeon bricking up a wall in the basement; nurses having sex in the sleep disorder unit; and a severed head bouncing along the floor. Also, there are ghosts moving through the walls, the parking lot is sinking into the water table, the most gifted neurosurgeon in the hospital, recently arrived from Sweden, is rabidly prejudiced against Danes, and Udo Kier plays the head of a new-born baby who might just be the antichrist. It's in Danish, but it's worth hunting down some English subtitles for what might be the weirdest show you will ever see. And if you don't get what the hell is going on, Lars Von Trier himself tries to explain over the end credits, always reminding us at the end that we should learn to "tage det gode med det onde", take the good with the bad.
In January of 1994, Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness wrote and directed a show about a creepy hospital called Garth Merengi's Darkplace. Originally, I thought it was a parody of crappy production values of 80s television shows in general, and perhaps a gentle mockery of the horror genre. Having seen Riget, it seems unthinkable that they did not also see Riget and decide to make a comedy version, for that is what they have done. They both concern a creepy hospital with ineffectual security guards and night porters. They both concern a hospital built on the Danish/British equivalent of an Indian burial ground, giving rise to all sorts of supernatural unpleasantness. They both feature idiot doctors who don't seem to have any idea what they're doing, and seem all too eager to volunteer themselves for ridiculous medical procedures in the name of advancing medical science. They both have oddly-endearing rock theme songs with weird choral vocals on top, that are so out of step with the tone of the actual show, it's jarring. (This is the Darkplace theme and this is the Riget theme.)
Garth Merengi's Darkplace is screamingly funny no matter what your angle is though, with Matt Berry firing on all cylinders.
In March of 1994, Stephen King adapted Lars Von Trier's show into Kingdom Hospital, to mixed reviews, even among people who like it. Everyone seems to agree that it's not a bad series, but the best thing about it may just be that it will lead you to discover Riget for yourself.
The world of dark hospital dramas appears to be limited, but there must be room for more. The whole field of medicine is a mystery to most of us, and we subconsciously treat these modern wizards as if they were gods. There are elements of this horror and hubris in all medical dramas, even light-hearted comedies (scroll down to Fridge Horror). I guess it's all an expansion of that bane of Socrates, the fear of the unknown.
By the end of the series, it's popping out everywhere, leading to the climactic final scene where the Minister for Health is touring the hospital only to find: an abortion being conducted in the neurosurgery unit; a liver transplant for a man who strenuously objects to the procedure; a neurosurgeon bricking up a wall in the basement; nurses having sex in the sleep disorder unit; and a severed head bouncing along the floor. Also, there are ghosts moving through the walls, the parking lot is sinking into the water table, the most gifted neurosurgeon in the hospital, recently arrived from Sweden, is rabidly prejudiced against Danes, and Udo Kier plays the head of a new-born baby who might just be the antichrist. It's in Danish, but it's worth hunting down some English subtitles for what might be the weirdest show you will ever see. And if you don't get what the hell is going on, Lars Von Trier himself tries to explain over the end credits, always reminding us at the end that we should learn to "tage det gode med det onde", take the good with the bad.
In January of 1994, Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness wrote and directed a show about a creepy hospital called Garth Merengi's Darkplace. Originally, I thought it was a parody of crappy production values of 80s television shows in general, and perhaps a gentle mockery of the horror genre. Having seen Riget, it seems unthinkable that they did not also see Riget and decide to make a comedy version, for that is what they have done. They both concern a creepy hospital with ineffectual security guards and night porters. They both concern a hospital built on the Danish/British equivalent of an Indian burial ground, giving rise to all sorts of supernatural unpleasantness. They both feature idiot doctors who don't seem to have any idea what they're doing, and seem all too eager to volunteer themselves for ridiculous medical procedures in the name of advancing medical science. They both have oddly-endearing rock theme songs with weird choral vocals on top, that are so out of step with the tone of the actual show, it's jarring. (This is the Darkplace theme and this is the Riget theme.)
Garth Merengi's Darkplace is screamingly funny no matter what your angle is though, with Matt Berry firing on all cylinders.
In March of 1994, Stephen King adapted Lars Von Trier's show into Kingdom Hospital, to mixed reviews, even among people who like it. Everyone seems to agree that it's not a bad series, but the best thing about it may just be that it will lead you to discover Riget for yourself.
The world of dark hospital dramas appears to be limited, but there must be room for more. The whole field of medicine is a mystery to most of us, and we subconsciously treat these modern wizards as if they were gods. There are elements of this horror and hubris in all medical dramas, even light-hearted comedies (scroll down to Fridge Horror). I guess it's all an expansion of that bane of Socrates, the fear of the unknown.