THE EVIL DEAD... OR THE STORY OF HOW IT ALL BEGAN...

I try to stick to the tradition of watching a horror film or two on Halloween. Even if I am busy, or ill (or both) that is my way of celebrating the holiday. In my native Turkey we do very little to celebrate this holiday so that is where it stops for me. I mean, I can always do with an excuse for watching horror films and eating candy. The Evil Dead was my second film this Halloween. I actually checked out the trailer at around 2.00 in the morning, in the dark. It gave me the willies so I left it to the morning. Now those of you who know me in real life will know I do not scare that easily so I was surprised at feeling nervy at a trailer. But hey, I had already watched one really spooky film so I cut myself some slack.

I watched this big boy the next day, in broad daylight, with cats and people milling around noisily outside my door. I was TERRIFIED. I am a grown woman and we are talking cringing, pausing the film multiple times, hiding from the screen behind my fingers, the whole nine yards… Sam Raimi, you sick, sick puppy…

Of course horror fans will know that The Evil Dead is now officially one of the archetypes of a specific type of horror film. You know, a group of young people end up in a remote spot in the woods (more often than not they are renting a cabin though God only knows why you would choose to vacation bang in the middle of a weird forest all by yourselves but hey… Suspension of disbelief and all that. ) So yeah, our group of young people come to a remote cabin that they are renting as a relaxing vacation. But the whole thing goes south very quickly when they discover a sinister looking study on demonology left by the previous occupant. Nobody takes the study very seriously and it is read out loud to much hilarity, however…  Unbeknown to them, they have woken a curse… And it is coming straight for them…

The Evil Dead was one of those infamous films that was banned for years in some countries, edited heavily in others and definitely became the stuff of legend very quickly in all. What gets you in the gut is the absolutely brutal savagery of the film combined with a rather masterfully created atmosphere.  And the absolutely savage violence is unrelenting, no holds barred and in a word, not tastefully done at all. It is a complete battery on your senses and after a while you are just reduced to staring at the screen in terror, unable to turn away – pretty much like watching a train crash. The fact that the film was made in 1980 and that some of the effects were very patently achieved with stop motion and play dough is neither here nor there. Raimi seems to know exactly where all your primal fears are and how best to abuse them. You literally have no escape…

And yet, the overkill (literally) on violence does not make you glaze over after a while. The film is intelligent and humorous throughout and keeps you oddly engaged, which is not good news for your nerves if you are basically engaged with a cabin full of murderous and bloodthirsty demons.   Several tropes are noted and turned on their heads as they go along – there is, for example a typical character who would be the –last girl – in normal films. You know how it goes, the couples get plucked off one by one, the last, pure (often white and single) girl survives, thus making the film a hidden ode to the patriarcle system. Well we start off with two couples and the sister of one of the boys –familiar enough. But then the potential last girl is actually the first to be cursed, shortly after being raped by a tree (no that was not a typo) I might add. The film studies student in me wants to also make something of the fact that she gets trapped under the cabin in the cellar for a good part of the film after she is transformed into a demon, you know, repressed female sexuality and all that jazz. Especially since our last boys girlfriend is used quite openly to tempt him into the demonic fold. I did tell you that the film hits you at your most primal – and sex is, as we all know, a large part of all that.

This is not one of those horror films you put on just to giggle at the monsters and the general lack of common sense prevalent in slashers and B – movies. It’s a good, old fashioned corner stone. It’s an actual source. Its future incarnations have diluted it on the way, this is true, but even all these decades later when you re-visit the source, you find that electrifying and truly demonic energy present in all its glory, ready to inspire your dreams – and nightmares…   

DEEP RED AND THE HANDS OF A MASTER...

You know you have to smile sometimes when critics bang on about how we are desensitized, how technology means that we expect more and bigger thrills and more stimulus, it is easy to dismiss films made earlier in the 20^th century as “easy watching”. Especially when it comes to genres like horror where we have come to depend so much on special effects. I am thinking, for example, of the upcoming horror film Crimson peak by master director Guillermo Del Toro – the fantastic and eerie world we see (so far only from the trailers) could not have been created if it were not for the magic of technology.

That said, in the right hands, the technology of the ‘70s can become a dangerous and terrifying tool. Dario Argento is, without shadow of a doubt, one of these directors. The atmosphere he creates, the world we are plunged into is so chilling that our imaginations are more than enough – we do not need the monsters of technology…

Deep Red begins with a psychic, a psychic who inadvertently sees into the mind of a murderer. And who promptly gets murdered herself. A passing pianist gets pulled into the story. There is a plucky journalist and a cynical police officer. In the midst of this setting the psychic’s prediction seems to be quite on the mark. But the problem is, whenever anyone gets even remotely close to uncovering a clue, there is another grizzly murder. Our pianist, an eye witness to the whole affair, is in especial danger as he has come closer to the murderer than he might have liked. Yet, his time seems to be rapidly running out and the police seem helpless as his allies fall around him like flies and the murderer’s net slowly and inexorably closes…

At the opening of the film, you may well be forgiven for thinking that this is going to be a film overly relying on slightly dodgy acting, ‘70s visual effects and magical powers. Well, you would be wrong. What Dario Argento succeeds in doing rather brilliantly is taking the makings of quite an ordinary thriller and cranks it up to a level of a bona fide bone-chilling horror film. Yes the psychic is real, but there the magic ends. We never have any doubt that the killer is a human being. It is simply a rather able human being – but human none the less. Which is quite befitting really, after all in this world, there are no monsters as scary as human beings. Argento uses and magnifies the tricks our minds play on us when we’re at home alone. You know the feeling, that creek, was that movement – that sound, did it come from the street…  For most of us it’s our minds playing tricks on us. For the heroes and heroines of Deep Red, this is not always the case. Let’s just say that I felt very glad indeed that I live in a house with three flatmates and two cats - I’m rarely alone enough to hear little creaks and squeaks around the house.

I also have to remark on the camerawork, the images created by Argento are always deeply striking in some way, Deep red is characterized by striking close-ups at key points that makes ones hair stand on end. The colours of the film are also striking, dark shadows mixing with glowing red blood…

But the thing I always seem to love about Argento’s films is the soundtrack. I mean, I still hum the signature tune from Suspiria when I am distracted – and I watched the film quite a few months ago – and this is no exception. Deep Red is no exception to this rule. Then again, that might be because they were both composed and performed by the same band, Goblin, an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtrack work. This time around, Deep Red uses – brilliantly and quite effectively – the trick of using something normally innocent and everyday and transposing it into a horror setting to make it even more unsettling. This time around, it’s a children’s song (as you may or may not have been able to guess). The only thing I will say is that precious little is given in the way of explanations as to why this song is present in the film (because it is present in the actual film as well).

In fact, the only weakness of the film is that, when you settle your shivers and look at it closely, actual in depth explanations are exceedingly thin on the ground. However, the film does its job of creeping us out and scaring us so well that it can be forgiven – well, sort of - especially since it does such a good job of providing plot twists and surprises. Still, I don’t know,  another couple of minutes spent explaining properly WHY any of this happened may well have been all together a bad thing…  I do advise you don’t get too hung up on that though… You’ll miss out on an atmosphere well worth experiencing and being terrified in… 

A SPINE CHILLER FOR THE DISCERNING FAN - "THE CONJOURING"

This, in a sense, is a specialist movie. Horror is a genre you either love or hate and James Wan is a director who works particularly well within this genre. So the same goes for him, you either love him or hate him. And in this particular film, Wan takes on what is actually quite a “specialist” subject. It is the true story of – for those who follow these circles for whatever reason – two of the greatest and certainly most famous paranormal investigators of our time, Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The story is, purportedly, one of the most frightening cases the couple has been asked to assist on. They are invited into the house of the Perron family who have just moved to an isolated property out in the country with their young family consisting of five young girls. As is usual with these things, the events start small, the family dismisses them as fruits of over-active imaginations or just the difficulties of settling into a new house… But it soon becomes patently obvious that these are a lot more than the creeks of an old house. Ed and Lorraine desperately try to help – but it may well be too little too late…

Now, this does rather seem to go without saying but this film largely relies on fantasy. If you do not actually believe in the supernatural (the events depicted do after all claim they are based on reality) you must be fully able to suspend disbelief and enjoy being scared by the monsters Wan creates on the screen. If you’re going to eye-roll and go “oh that doesn’t make sense”, really, don’t bother. It will continue to not make sense throughout unless you can immerse yourself in the film’s universe and fully believe in it.

That said, Wan makes it incredibly easy for the discerning viewer to leave the comfort of their armchairs and enter into the once home, now hell hole of the Perron family. Every single film I have watched by this director very artfully combines suspense and pace to quickly create an overwhelming sense of dread and then quickly – and almost without us noticing – drag us into the film’s universe. And our sense of overwhelming dread is such that even when staples of the horror genre turn out on our screens, even if you are quite sure what is going to happen, you are still concerned with how it is going to happen. Of course with a director like Wan at the helm there is always a good chance that it is not going to happen at all, but the point is that when / if it does happen, you are not disappointed. And you jump. I mean for example – and for those who have seen it, think of the scenes with the family dog. You know what the little girl is going to encounter as she runs out of the house. You’re still on tender hooks.

I think this has a lot to do with inspiration taken from a more oriental way of filmmaking. In popular Eastern cinema themes and stories are often classics, clichés even, the audience knows full well what is going to happen. They’re there because they already like that particular story. What they are interested is the “how”. This leads to a great attention to detail and imagination used in the endless variations of details that change the whole atmosphere of the story… This attitude combined with just the right amount of imagination, that magic combination of a well-executed classic and just the right amount of innovation means that James Wan’s films are works you simply cannot take your eyes off.

And a couple of words of admiration for the cast – a lot of screen time goes to the five young actresses portraying the perron girls and it has to be said they do not miss a beat. Lili Taylor has always been an actress I have admired through her various television shows and she was an absolute pleasure to watch here too.

This film will not change your world. It is not, say a George Romero film with undertones of political message and a good dose of dark comedy. It is quite an expendable film, to watch for two hours, be scared of and then forget (or have a few nightmares about and then forget depending on how sensitive you are about these things). But if you are a fan of horror or you just feel like checking out a rather superb example of the genre executed by a master go ahead and get stuck right in. I’d leave the lights on though if I were you… You know, just in case… 

IF IT'S IN A WORD OR IT'S IN A LOOK, YOU CAN'T GET RID OF "THE BABADOOK"

I used to be a massive horror fan when I was a kid. No really. Realising that it was mostly jump-scares and blood and gore took it out of it for me slightly. The more analytical I became in my approach, the less interested I became in ghouls and goblins and films with too many jump scares. It’s such a rarity to find a film that really, REALLY teases your little grey cells these days, I find in the horror genre this is even rarer…

This is why, when a film like The Babadook comes out, I feel it needs to be praised, exalted, shouted from the rooftops, held aloft like Simba in The Lion King was when he was born (oh come ON yes you DO know that scene) . I am especially proud of it because it was directed by a woman and stars a strong female lead. We need more Babadooks on so many levels, we really do, principally because it is actually one of the most cerebral horror films around in recent history – which, in turn, makes it so terrifying…

Amelia (Essie Davis) is a young mother who is trying to get over the violent death of her husband some years back. She lives with their young son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman) who is an imaginative young man with his views on life and the world around him that are very much his own. One day, a strange and slightly macabre book appears in Samuel’s bookcase. It is a pop-up book about a monster called The Babadook, and the moment they read the book, Samuel becomes convinced The Babadook is coming to get them all… He is a bit of a handful at the best of times and Amelia is distracted what with the anniversary of her husband’s death approaching, so she dismisses it at first. But soon she has to admit, there is a sinister presence in the house… Something lurking just on the border of her vision, desperately trying to get in…

Now… There are two levels to this film… First of all, this is a solid, hooves firmly planted on the ground monster movie. I am quite a veteran of horror films, I do not scare easily and yet the tension, the brooding, the whole “creepiness” is built up so well and the film is so atmospheric even before the monster arrives on the scene that I personally was reduced to actually peeping through my fingers at some points. The film takes place by and large in the house, a rambling, mutely colored house that uses a rather eccentric décor to give it that truly dreamy / nightmare-ish existing outside of time quality. Essie Davis is absolutely wonderful in portraying Amalia’s slow decent into chaos from a life held together, it transpires, a lot more precariously than it first seems. The same has to be said for Noah Wiseman who is insightful and a delight to watch as Samuel. You could apply literally no analysis to this film and enjoy it as a horror film anyway – it delivers all the scares, the screams and the special effects you could possibly want or need…

But of course there is more to this film than meets the eye. A cursory search of the internet reveals the biggest plot twists, in fact I must add I knew what the major plot twist was. And yet – even though I knew – I remained terrified throughout the film because The Babadook cleverly side-steps the biggest trap a lot of horror films fall into. You see, when you want to scare someone, whenever possible, it is best to leave a hefty chunk of work to the imagination. Each person’s imagination will create the monster that is most frightening for them – or at least will add the details that will make it that tiny bit more gruesome. The Babadook relies specifically on this trope and although it hints, points, winks and makes oblique hand gestures throughout, by the time the credits roll at the end, it has not openly uttered a single word about the “details” of this haunting and what The Babadook “actually” is. Oh it’s easy enough to guess. But the point is we are never “told”. Symbols abound throughout, and although you see them clearly you are never quite sure; cue the pages and pages of guesses and analysis all over social media from the excited viewers who have just left the cinema. Now THAT, ladies and gents, is a story that truly immerses the viewer.

And – this may be deemed a mild spoiler or “things” may be inferred from it – one of my favorite parts of the film is the fact that the “monster” is never quite vanquished. Like a lot of “real” monsters and things constructed by the human mind, it is not “destroyed” – but Amelia learns how to live with it and manage it. She has looked on the face of the monster, she has made her peace with it, and this enables her to carry on a normal life, taking care of her son. It is truly powerful that after Amalia “sees” the monster, we cease to be able to. We either see her from the monsters’ perspective or it remains in the shadows, just beyond our grasp… Which is rather fitting I thought – seeing as everyone’s “personal demons” are – the clue is in the name – intensely personal…

You may find this perverse, but The Babadook proves once again that the most frightening monsters are often very much of this world and in fact from our very beings… A truly hair raising experience

even for the most discerning horror fan… 

FOR AFTER THE NIGHT, COMES THE DAWN AND THE DAY

The Night of the Living Dead. Not the remake by the way – the George Romero original. Analyzed, talked over, written about ad infinitum. But the thing I always find is that if you are not into deepest darkest Film Studies (ehm, like some people) the fact that the film is actually part of a trilogy seems to be quite quickly forgotten. For reasons best known to itself, the Dawn of the Living Dead has found its way back onto TV recently (don’t get wrong, it is more than welcome it’s just a little random that’s all) so I thought now would be an excellent time to remind ourselves of the rest of the trilogy. Not least because the Day of the Living Dead is one of my favorite zombie films of all times.

As some of you may already know, the series is an “anthology” series (I don’t know if you’re the same, after American Horror story, I’ve started noticing so many anthologies everywhere it’s a miracle I didn’t give it more in depth thought before). The inexplicable event has happened, the zombie apocalypse is here and everywhere there are small groups of humans fighting to survive against diminishing odds.

As a side note and just before we begin, let me tell you unequivocally that the trailer by NO MEANS represents the tone of the film. It is scary. Yes there are flesh eating zombies. But it is NOT as "shock horror" as all that. No, really. Still, I love the classic '70s alarmist style of the trailer - so I kept it.
Dawn of the Living Dead takes us one step up the food chain from Joe public. We kick off at a local TV channel, the place we all turn to for info in times of trouble. But this time the channel is in no fit state to guide as chaos as taken over there as well. Francine who works at the channel and her boyfriend Stephen who is a helicopter pilot (funny how in these Romero films there is always one (but never more than one) helicopter pilot knocking around and the whole affair of -but he’s our only way out- comes up again and again buuut anyway… So, sorry, Francine and her boyfriend. As you probably guessed they make a dash for it in the helicopter. On their travels they team up with two very hard hitting police officers (because honestly, you’re not going to survive long if you’re anything less) and ultimately end up in a mall. And being surrounded by such bounty (granted, they are also surrounded by a good number of zombies) they decide to stick around a while and catch their breath…

I would be the first to tell you that this is not my favorite film in the trilogy (my personal fave is the 3^rd, Day of the Dead, followed by the 1^st, with this fella bringing up the rear) but you would be wrong to dismiss it as just some sort of re-hash of the first. Group dynamics, claustrophobia and the way each and every member of the gang copes with the apocalypse and the tough decisions it brings with it every day makes for a fascinating viewing. Ever present throughout the film is dark humor and of course, a damning and barely obscured criticism of capitalism as zombies trample dollar bills, knock over luxury items and just shuffle around the mall aimlessly consuming –whenever they find anything to consume – merely for the sake of consuming. In pretty much all three films they are described as –mechanized instinct – and very little else besides. Of course when all is stripped down the only thing is left is consumption for the sake of it (the dead bodies need no sustenance) and savagery. Not exactly complimentary of the human race but… Dare I say it, he may have a point…

But if you thought this was bad, I would honestly steer clear of Day of the Dead. No, honestly. It is the bloodiest and most brutal of the three as far as physical violence goes and it doesn’t exactly let up as far as the psychological pressure goes either… For the third film, we move one rung up the proverbial ladder. We are now in the bastion of the last remaining authorities (pretty much, anyway) in the country. It is a military facility guarded by a handful of soldiers and housing a handful of scientists and a few technicians. The scientists are trying, against hope, to find some sort of cure for the epidemic. The advances are minimal however, and as practically every day brings a new loss in their ranks, the patience of the military men is beginning to wear a little thin… Tensions rise slowly and surely, leading to a showdown the group can’t really afford to have under the circumstances… But with neither side backing down, it seems like less of an option and more of an inevitability…

In this film, we see Romero enlarging on several themes and storylines we have seen in the previous films. The military authority is shown as closed in on itself, selfish and crude – much like the group of security guards in the Night of the Living Dead (the 1^st film that also by and large took place in a mall). They are pitted against pretty much all the civilians in the compound and approach them with disdain –only the helicopter driver (again there is only one)can feel some level of actual security, based purely on the fact that he is the only one who can drive the chopper… It is, in short, a nightmare scenario – the rule of law has broken down on all levels, and armed militias rule the roost. In this chaos, however, there is one positive and fascinating breakthrough… One doctor, Dr Logan, may actually have broken through and managed to communicate with one of the zombies…

The question is of course will he have the time to elaborate on this and actually use this advance to some advantage. Romero being Romero, the answer is no. This is where it all winds down ladies and gentlemen. This is where the nightmare reaches its climax, and yet you cannot wake up… True to previous form, come the end of the film, the safe house (and by now it is feeling like the only one left on Earth) is overrun and zombies chew on the broken remains of the last humans…

Romeros trilogy is, in short, a prolonged nightmare where there is no real escape and no real solution. We neither find out what caused the outbreak nor if there is any solution to it. But with our very survival as a species now under threat, we suddenly manage to take a good long look at all those things -  status, money, power and the rest of it – we used to deem so important. We ask ourselves who we really are when put under pressure – and if the way the film paints the authorities, the people responsible for protecting us , even the most seemingly virtuous of us has a few nasty skeletons to hide, deep in the closet. This is why Romero’s zombie films will remain classics. No matter how much time goes by, we will still be scared by the already old-fashioned zombies and the characters reactions to them. Not because we are afraid of the living dead, but on some level, we know we have been confronted by potentially one of the greatest monsters that still walks the earth today… The dark depths of our own souls… 

HUDDLE UNDER THE BLANKET AND LISTEN TO A GOOD OLD FASHIONED "AMERICAN HORROR STORY"

I have been away from the “TV series” scene for a while now. I watch a lot of moves and go to the cinema quite a bit but haven’t “got into” the whole series thing for a while now. I mean, I’m quite picky with these things anyway, and I have been craving something original for a while now. This was recommended to me by a friend, I decided to check out one episode on the insistence of friends. What started out as me just checking out one episode quickly turned into a seven episode marathon that I had to literally force myself away from. I am fully aware that I am waay behind in proceedings – season 4 for this baby being broadcast and all. But have no fear, I am two seasons in and ploughing on as fast as I can to catch up! In the meanwhile though, I think I have a good enough grasp on the whole thing – and you DEFINITELY need to hear all about this one!

So, American Horror story is an anthology of horror stories. The stories are linked principally bt their themes – these are all “classic” American horror stories we all somehow know and love; the first season tells the story of a haunted house, second, a mental asylum where more than one kind of monster lurks beneath the surface of normality, third a selective boarding school that is actually coven of witches and the fourth current one an old fashioned freak show.

The second element that links the anthology is the cast. Not the whole cast – that would be slightly impractical and not a little weird, but quite a few actors from the first season also turn up in the second season playing completely unrelated characters (unrelated to their previous role that is). And other actors that were in the first series but side-stepped the second series turn up in the third. You get the picture. It is such a brilliant showcase for the versatility and talent of the actors – and just the right shade of spooky, perfectly suitable to the eerie series – body snatchers anyone. One constant that needs a mention is, without a doubt, Jessica Lange. The talented actress makes any role she takes on her own and our emotions soar and plummet even through the series as the plotline twists and turns – much less as we cross through different stories of the anthology together.

Speaking of the storyline I really need to say, I think anthologies may well be the future of TV series. I mean, I have always felt that the major virtue of a good series is to know when to stop. I mean sure, we moan and cry when our favourite TV series finishes, we may empathise with this character or have a crush on this actor – actress… But admit it, there is a sense of disappointment there when you realise that the writers are literally scraping the bottom of the barrel just to keep the series going, because hey, the ratings aren’t that bad so you know, let’s keep milking it. I’ve walked away from a number of TV series for this self-same reason, it doesn’t “hook” me if they’re doing stuff just for the sake of doing stuff (I’m thinking particularly of True Blood here – I was told the series did improve but once I lose interest I rarely go back). I mean, the series I reviewed last week, Black Mirror, is basically united by theme alone – but Charlie Brooker’s very original personal mark in each and every story helps one make a very clear link.

But of course one thing is absolutely certain. As fascinating cinematically the casting and the whole “anthology” type storylines are; you will not enjoy this one unless if you are a big fan of the horror genre. But conversely, if you are a fan of the horror genre you’d be a fool to miss it. Series one played host to simply one of the most terrifying haunted houses I have ever come across (and believe you me I have come across some GOOD haunted houses in my day) – to the point that a few episodes in I was jumping at creaks and squeaks in the house (I live with three other adults and two cats so there were plenty of creaks to jump at, I’ll tell you that for nothing). The second series, looking back, seems very improbably when you describe it on paper. I mean, there seems to be waaaay too much going on. An asylum is a fertile ground for potentially all manner of horror story weirdness ranging from alien abductions to possession – it seems a bit risky to stick ‘em all into the same story and then throw in a few more curveballs besides… And yet, they do, and somehow it works. They even throw in a few actual old fashioned medical practices for good measure and it STILL works.

So if you want a chill or three down your spines you guys – definitely take a gander at American Horror Story you guys! As a horror fan my only regret was not having started before – check it out! J  

THE HORROR THAT BEGOT A HUNDRED MONSTERS : "THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE"

Oh I know, you’re surprised, right? Appearances by horror films on this blog are rare as it is, much less the much sniggered-at slasher. I mean, I can’t deny it, I snigger at slashers myself. But the point is, the horror genre is there and there to say whether you like it, hate it or are too much of a scardy-cat to watch a film or three and make a judgement on it. And every genre has a history. Forefathers. Films that did things for the first time, that led the way for other films that walked in their footseps and, for better or worse, copied them. You can have a million different opinions on horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but you cannot deny its importance. Which is why we are looking at it today. Plus, between you and me, I did rather like it. So, yeah.

The premise of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is simple enough. We start off with a group of five teenagers out on a drive on a barmy afternoon. We have two couples and the invalid brother of one of the girls, a rather difficult young man stuck in a wheelchair.  They are exploring the brother and sisters  grandparents hometown, the old family house etc and well… Getting up to the kinds of stuff young couples get up to on trips like these. But the thing they don’t know is things have changed around these parts since they were children. The old abbatoir is closed, some townspeople have passed on and some of the survivors are getting… Well… Restless…

The film does everything it says on the tin. And it is what has become a “classic” slasher. Characters being picked off one by one, one female survivor… The film is not one to watch for originality. I mean, it was back in the day – but not anymore. This is the film - or at least one of the films- all those slashers you were watched as a teenager and then get bored of, copied. The thing is, this is the original, this is the “first time” that was done and even as someone who is not a great fan of horror films I have to admit, the original idea is a lot more vivid and bright than many of the copies it spawned. I mean take, for example the invalid brother, Franklin. Franklin is wheel-chair bound. He is clearly bitter about his condition and not a little immature. He is an all-round difficult character and all in all not the most pleasant. But the point is, that as a paraplegic, he is an integral cast member and an important part of the story. In fact his disability is, more than anything else, a vessel to create tension and conflict in the film – ultimately red herrings of course given the real antagonists in the film. Now, how many films can you think of that have disabled characters with important roles?  You have the odd “blind sage” type character, a character as old as Homer but can you think of any deaf characters? Anyone in a wheelchair? No. I mean ok, I can see the argument against not having wheelchair users in action films where the acrobatics are almost as important as the storyline if not more important in places (although I can fully imagine some wonderful “acrobatics” being executed with a wheelchair and am a little baffled as to why no one has even tried it) but what about other genres? The hero of a romantic comedy never falls for a beautiful deaf girl… I mean I do know that Hollywood is in the business of showing us “perfect” pictures but hey…  It is the 21^st century. And the indies aren’t doing an overly impressive job of including disabled characters. I mean that, in itself, shows originality.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the edition of the film that includes a 72 minute “making of” documentary. Do take the time to watch it if you get your paws on this edition. It makes you even better appreciate the amount of work that went into creating the creepy “family home” (you probably know what I’m talking about) and the eerie family. It is a wonderful film that builds atmosphere very subtly and even if, like me, you make a game of “guessing what’s coming next” (yes, watching films with me in a venue where we can talk outloud (i.e at home as opposed to in a cinema) is a very frustrating experience indeed) you will jump. You will get startled and possibly (if you’re anything like me) wave wildly at the screen yelling “Stop it you fool!” The scene that struck me most was the first encounter with the family i.e. the segment with the hitchhiker. This of course was largely fuelled by real life stories of serial killers and hitchhikers, albeit in a role-reversal scenario where the innocent victims actually pick up the hitchhiker. But of course the real life story that inspired the film the most is the horrific recent (at the time) discovery of serial killer Ed Gein. Now, it is not this blog’s aim to talk in length about serial killers but you might want to check here to give you a certain idea of what caused the film’s inception. If you are into the macabre, I would advise you to take a closer look at Gein’s story, it has inspired many a big-name film including Psycho  and Silence of the Lambs. It may be the fact that this film was made relatively closer to the first discovery of Gein’s house of horrors that it’s rendition (or re-rendition) of the story is more visceral, more striking. While other films have taken a character inspired by Gein and put them into various situations, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre creates almost an entire family clan of Gein’s and puts them face to face with a bunch of very normal young people.  In actual fact, the combination of real life horrors put face to face with real people – young people who were more often than not the principal patrons of horror films – meant that the film was a roaring commercial success. And shall I tell you something else? Knowing about Gein, knowing that something very similar to this actually did happen… Coupled with Tobe Hooper’s masterful directing… Makes for… Well a chronic distrust of hitchhikers. And little houses sitting all by themselves. Ehm. 

"DON’T LOOK NOW" BUT THERE'S SOMETHING CREEPING UP ON YOU...

I have never read anything by Daphne Du Maurier. She is, however, one of those writers I have had the nagging feeling I would really get to enjoy if I could find ten minutes in my life to actually sit down and read. Oh I know what you’re going to say, there’s always time, read on the commute etc… But see, a lot of her work contains Gothic elements, the subtleties of which are lost sometimes on the hustle and bustle of a busy commuter train.  I cannot possibly feel the full, subtle range of emotion the genre brings out in one while also trying to deal with the B.O. of a fellow passenger and the underlying worry I might get too sucked in and miss my stop. The same goes with Gothic style films. I feel my most comfortable watching them at night, after everyone has gone to sleep (I share the house with three other adults and two bouncy cats so especially on weekends, night-time is the only quiet spell around) This is why, watching this understated little number based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier on a Sunday afternoon may have been a mistake. The fact that it made me curl my toes and huddle under the blanket clutching my laptop towards the end is a testament to the strength of the film.

John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura Baxter’s (Julie Christie) lives are shattered when their young daughter Christine drowns while playing in a pool behind their house. The death shakes the young family to the core, as it would any family, but with time they find a way to move on. Their son is put in boarding school and the parents move to Venice for a short while as John has found work renovating an old church there. But just as their lives seem to be entering some form of normalcy a chance encounter with two rather eccentric old ladies changes everything. One of these two old ladies, two sisters to be precise, is blind. And she claims to be psychic. A psychic who has a rather eerie plethora of knowledge of Christine… She claims Christine has a message from beyond the grave for her parents. Laura is interesting but John, ever the sceptic, refuses to heed messages or read any kind of meaning other than the mundane to a series of bizarre events taking place all around him. His, is of course, the way of logic… But is logic the only explanation for things going on around us?

I think old horror films are honestly things we, the children of the 21^st century should re-visit more often. Horror films today rely far too much on jump-scares and CGI monsters I find. I mean sure, I’m in the mood for a good scare from time to time. But these days we seem to have very little time for the “creepy”. We no longer seem to have time to be “creeped out” slowly –we want it all, at once, full sensory load, NOW. I blame the sheer amount of jump-scares in horror. I also believe the pervasion of CGI and visual effects absolutely EVERYWHERE. Now I’m not saying they shouldn’t be used by the bucket-load when necessary. I personally am looking forward to watching The Desolation of Smaug in 3D. But I’m very sad that “non-CGI” is being pushed further and further into the back of the closet. One of the solutions if, like me, you are nostalgic for this era is to watch older films like this little 1970’s number. Like I said in the intro, you may want to wait for an evening when you are not too hyper to watch it. Let it wash over you and slowly draw you in; this, people, is basically a good old chills down your spine type tale. You gotta give the chills time to settle in. iYou may be a bit disoriented by all the intercutting images at first. It is quite atmospheric when you get “in” to the film, but I haven’t seen the technique used so frequently in one film for a while so I kept getting “snapped” out of the film, as it were – at least in the beginning. But don’t be sceptical. Give it a shot. ‘Cos being a doubter did John no good, I can tell you that much… 

AN ASSAULT ON THE SENSES AND IMAGINATION : " SUSPIRIA"

Now, from one kind of old-fashioned to a totally different kind. Because, you know what the other thing you think when you watch old horror films is. I mean, at least, I know what I think: wow. Look at what used to pass for special effects back in the day!  How better to explore this phenomenon than a good old bit of grindhouse… Now, this is not a genre that generally appeals to all. OTT special effects, loud female screams, monsters living or dead… You get the picture. But when you have a master director like Dario Argento at the helm, you know there’s going to be something to it. The end result? This rather intriguing little number that will definitely etch itself onto your memory for the right reasons or the wrong ones…

Suspiria is the story of Suzy Banion (Jessica Harper), an American ballet student who has come to a European ballet academy to continue her studies. On the surface  of it, it seems like what it says on the tin : an old, well established ballet academy set in a picturesque European town in the middle of the woods. However, a few grisly murders and a few hints of the supernatural later, Suzy begins to slowly become convinced that there is something a lot more sinister than the art of ballet being practiced in this school… But can Suzy get to heart of the sinister secrets housed in the school? And if she does, will the school let her survive to tell the tale?

Now, you have to have a love of all things nostalgic to enjoy grindhouse. And, most importantly, you have to be able to suspend disbelief completely and play “let’s pretend”. Did you do that as a child? Of course you did. The question is, did you ever stop? If, like me, you never did quite, you’ll probably enjoy grindhouse.

Because I mean, let’s face it. All the clichés of horror films rolled into one. We have a frail and beautiful American heroine in a “strange” European country. She arrives at a ballet academy which, for God knows what reason, is in the middle of a dark forest. Oh, and the night she arrives, there is a terrible storm and it’s pouring with rain – obviously. But then again,  I don’t think I’ll knock the opening sequence too  much, now I come to think about it… There is a sequence in there that has a very well deserved place in cinematic history. I won’t give too much away – you need to not see it coming to have the full effect.

So, if Don’t look now was understated and creepy, Suspiria is the mirror opposite. It is a complete sensory load on the senses be it in terms of colour, music (the theme tune is still  a little bit stuck in my head) and effects…  And it’s not just the technical side of it, everything, EVERYTHING about this film is completely OTT. But then again, I’m lucky you see. Like a lot of creative people I have a bit of a fondness for all things truly dramatic. Yes of course there will be times you cannot help giggling at the special effects of the day (1977 to be precise) but hey… I’m willing to bet good money you will have to make a conscious effort not to get sucked into the film in the end. It just goes to show that good direction sometimes transcends details like special effects. And Suspiria is deliciously spine tingly, with some very, very tense moments – even by 21^st century standards – with awesome atmos… I enjoyed the film on so many levels, be it visually (I just want to re-iterate how stunning the colours in this film are), cinematically or simply as a chilling yarn told around the camp fire. You’ll love it. Oh and if you watch it in the dead of night like me, do leave a light on in the hall. I had to creep along a dark hallway to the stairs to go up to brush my teeth. And what with the bannisters creaking and the cats running about… Let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience directly post-Suspiria… ;)