#and directed by karyn kusama my wife

[meat-wentz]

should i watch jennifer's body. i'm so intrigued by all your posting

it’s my firm belief that everyone should watch jennifer’s body because it’s a unique portrait of best friendism that leans into eroticism that leans into murderous desire, the push and pull of being so close and yet growing up and growing apart and hurting each other because it’s the only relationship you have where being the worst is permitted simply because you don’t know how to live without each other. ALSO it’s a great story about competition between girls and how girls eat each other and how girls are victims and how girls can tear everything apart and how girls are mean and cruel and how girls can know each other so much they can feel each other in their bodies and it’s about how we look at popular girls and how we treat high femme girls and how girls love each other and how girls hold each other and how girls are hungry. it’s everything to me.

[uttersorcery]

10 Horror films for Halloween

By David K Frampton

The Curse Of Frankenstein (Terrence Fisher 1957)

Hammer’s classic features a fine pair of performances from Chistopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

It also features the first time in cinema history to feature red blood. It’s so atmospheric and deep

And I love the way that Dr Frankestsein (Peter Cushing) becomes more and more evil as the film progresses yet somehow we still care about him. Classy early Hammer with tons of charm, atmosphere and darkness.

Les Yeux Sans Visage (Georges Franju 1960)

This French horror from the late 50s pioneers body horror. Beautifully shot and featuring some of the most haunting imagery of the era. There are some heart in mouth moments and a powerful performance my it’s cast…

Lake Mungo (Joel Anderson 2008)

This Australian horror flick might be the most terrifying movie I have ever seen…at least the most upsetting. But it is extremely well made and realised. A mockumentary with an edge it recounts the last days of a persons life. The gut wrenching finale is unforgettable and truly deeply scary.

Skinamirinck (Kyle Edward Ball 2022)

For true fear and originality try Skinamirink this film utilises atmosphere and tension to build a truly terrifying portrait of a young girl alone in her house. Too say anything more would spoil it but from a technical perspective this film uniquely creeps it’s way into your mind through showing and hiding key information leading to a disorientating and captivating stew of pure dread.

Raw (Julia Ducourno 2016)

Sometimes horror needs to be gut wrenching to truly have fun. And it doesn’t get much more gut wrenching than Raw. What makes this horror film so elemental is that this sort of pairs up as a coming of age tale as much as a cannibal horror. Beautifully shot and finely acted by Garance Marillier).

Jennifer’s Body (Karyn Kusama 2009)

Megan Fox arrived in this sensational witty and huge fun demon flick alongside Amanda Seyfried, writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama. The film deals with themes such as female sexuality, male gaze and the occult. It’s great fun, very bloody and somehow strangely moving.

From Beyond (Stuart Gordon 1986)

It’s always a pleasure to see some good old 80’s slime in a horror movie. This “slime classic” from Stuart Gordon is fun to watch, intense and woozy. When a scientist opens a portal to hell it is up to Jeffrey Combs to try and close it with disastrous results. This is a staple in the body horror diet as we witness flesh giving birth to flesh.

Audition (Takeshi Miike 1999)

Japan’s “Audition” is about as extreme as it gets as a film maker holds a fake audition to find a wife with terrible consequences. Takeshi Miike’s skill is to never let go of empathy for all of the characters leading to a finale that is both visceral and horrific aswell as heartbreaking. Essential horror.

Prevenge (Alice Lowe 2016)

If like me you think Alice Low is a genius then you’ll truly love her take on the slasher genre incredibly written and directed when she was pregnant. This movie contorts gender roles of men and women into new shapes as one nightmare situation bleeds into another. It’s dark…very dark but also shot with blackest humour. Stunning cinematography by Ryan Eddlestone.

Thanksgiving (Eli Roth 2023)

Eli Roth likes to make horror movies. He’s very good at them. And this is his best yet. My final entrance is a bit of fun. This slasher movie gets more and more crazy and gory as it progresses..almost a love letter to slasher movies the kills get more creative…and he keeps it in at a tight 90 minutes. It’s exhilarating, a little bit exploitative but the tension throughout is crafted immaculately.

[thecinephale]

Nicole Kidman 59 - #5-1

5. The Paperboy (dir. Lee Daniels)

Hell yeah the movie where Nicole Kidman pees on Zac Efron made the top five. I saw this in theatres and I too went in knowing only about that notorious moment. Most of the movie was sweaty and campy and fun and ridiculous as I hoped it would be. But as it kept going I found myself thinking, “Wait. Is this movie actually good??” Layers revealed themselves moment to moment and by the time the film ended I was convinced that, yes, it was good. Quite good. And as time has passed and I’ve revisited it I’ve only become more and more certain that it’s a brilliant and complex masterpiece. It’s still ridiculous and entertaining, but it’s also incredibly deep in its examinations of gender dynamics, racism, homophobia, and the ways they intersect.

4. To Die For (dir. Gus van Sant)

This is the film that won the Twitter poll and I have a hard time arguing. Between Gus van Sant’s direction, Buck Henry’s last great screenplay, and Nicole Kidman’s greatest performance, this is truly a remarkable film. Kidman isn’t just good in this movie. She gives the kind of performance that declares: No other actor could do this role. I have talents that are completely mine. And I am amazing. Like all 20th century media satires the subject matter only feels more and more relevant as the years go on. This is a nasty movie that’s equal parts hilarious and disturbing.

3. Dogville (dir. Lars von Trier)

Lars von Trier is a brilliant filmmaker and a terrible director. If a director’s job is to create a safe, supportive environment for cast and crew to create their best work, then he’s an utter failure. While the Björk sexual harassment accusations and the many more accusations against his producer Aalbæk Jensen are new, we always knew that von Trier was a terror. But our culture celebrates these attitudes in white men as a necessary downside to genius. Well, I’m in full agreement with Steven Soderbergh who in addressing all artists who harass, abuse, assault, or are just in his words “extreme assholes” said: “You’re 50 percent of what you could have been, because of the way you behave.” So, hey, I’m not going to lie. I still think Dogville is one of the best films of all time. But it was intended as a trilogy and because of the way he treated Nicole Kidman she did not come back for the much less accomplished sequel (Manderlay) and the third film never happened. I also do sincerely believe with his creativity and with the brilliance of the concept and cast, even this movie could have been better if made in a more collaborative space. Obviously that’s just speculation but it’s something I fundamentally believe about art and filmmaking. As is, it still is great though. I thought about this film every time the New York Times or some other publication wrote about the plight of the Trump voter. This film angrily and aggressively dismisses the romanticization of the white working class. As James Caan’s gangster dad wonderfully mansplains, refusing to hold people accountable for their actions, to ignore people when they make it clear who they are is extremely arrogant. Von Trier’s misanthropy can be tiresome, but this film has a lot of important things to say about America even if its filmmaker has never been here.

2. Eyes Wide Shut (dir. Stanley Kubrick)

Speaking of brilliant filmmakers who are terrible directors… this is my favorite film by this famous auteur. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (especially Kidman) add a humanity to this film that is missing from some of his others. And yet it still takes place in Kubrick’s usual cold, detached, semi-surreal film world. It creates an odd balance that works in some really interesting ways. I’ve been told that my reading of this film is too generous by people who think it’s a misogynistic mess, but it really feels like an indictment of a kind of pathetic upper-middle class man that is unfortunately quite common in our society. Cruise’s Dr. Bill Harford is so shaken by his wife’s stoned revelation that she once had a fantasy about another guy that he goes on a desperate journey to prove his masculinity and status. He’s constantly flashing his doctor card around and making idiotic gestures of power like tearing hundred dollar bills in half. He wants to be rich and powerful to prove he’s a man, but he’ll never be accepted by the top elite. He will however continue to hurt an array of women including his wife, sex workers, and abused children with few consequences in his quest to be like the ultra rich men who get to hurt an array of women with absolutely zero consequences. This movie is really complicated and there are moments that bother me or where I simply don’t know what to make of them. But as a whole I think it’s exploring some really interesting topics in a way that reveals new layers each time I see it. And the cinematography is so great that I’ve actually watched the movie on mute and still enjoyed it.

1. The Portrait of a Lady (dir. Jane Campion)

“They’re just people in different clothes.” Jane Campion’s period pieces always feel alive. So it didn’t surprise me when she gave that simple explanation at a recent Q&A. No film is that made clearer than in her Henry James adaptation. The movie opens with various contemporary female voices discussing their feelings about sex and love and then transitions into the credits played over images of contemporary women dancing, staring pensively, listening to a portable CD player (okay, contemporary to the 90s). And then she cuts to Nicole Kidman as Isabel Archer, as if to say, this famous literary character, this 19th century person, she’s just a woman. This is just a portrait of a lady. She manages to make the film feel both epic in importance and like an intimate reflection of common female experiences. Campion always places so much trust in her protagonists. Often when choosing among potential male lovers there are no good options, but Campion makes it clear that the bad option her character chooses is better because he is her choice. Even in this film where Isabel chooses the worst of them all, her choice is treated with respect. It’s her right to make a mistake and change her mind and live a life as a full person. Nicole Kidman is perfect in this role. Her Isabel is self-aware. We see in her expressions that she doesn’t always approve of her own actions, that she feels torn between what and who she’s drawn to and the expectations places upon her and that she places upon herself. The character changes over the years but in only the subtlest, truest ways. If you’ve read through this list and are disappointed the number one movie I’m recommending is a 2.5-hour period piece based on a Henry James novel, just trust me. Actually, don’t just trust me. Trust Jane Campion. Trust Nicole Kidman.

We made it! Thanks for going on this journey with me. I hope you learned something about Nicole Kidman and the film industry she’s worked within. The great news is she has all sorts of exciting projects coming up including John Cameron Mitchell’s already finished How to Talk to Girls at Parties and new films by Rebecca Miller and Karyn Kusama. But she also has the Weinstein-produced remake The Upside starring Bryan Cranston in a wheelchair. I guess that’s how it goes when you make more movies than years you’re alive.

[popculty]

52 Films by Women: 2017

Challenge completed: All the amazing films directed by women I watched this year. Faves in bold; where to watch in brackets (see key below).

Happy viewing!

American Fable (2016) dir. Anne Hamilton [N]

She-Devil (1989) dir. Susan Seidelman

Chau, Beyond the Lines (2015) dir. Courtney Marsh [N] [K]

Whip It (2009) dir. Drew Barrymore

Unbroken (2015) dir. Angelina Jolie

Night Moves (2013) dir. Kelly Reichardt [H]

Mustang (2015) dir. Deniz Gamze Erguven [N]

Black Rock (2012) dir. Katie Aselton

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) dir. Liz Garbus [N]

Unexpected (2015) dir. Kris Swanberg [N]

Suffragette (2015) dir. Sarah Gavron

Anatomy of a Love Seen (2014) dir. Marina Rice Bader [N]

*Belle (2013) dir. Amma Asante

*Punisher: War Zone (2008) dir. Lexi Alexander [H]

Bleeding Heart (2015) dir. Diane Bell [N]

Tallulah (2016) dir. Sian Heder [N]

The Intervention (2016) dir. Clea DuVall [A]

American Honey (2016) dir. Andrea Arnold [A]

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) dir. Anna Foerster

Certain Women (2016) dir. Kelly Reichardt [H]

The Beguiled (2017) dir. Sophia Coppola

*Kedi (2017) dir. Ceyda Torun

*The Bad Batch (2017) dir. Ana Lily Amirpour [N]

Wonder Woman (2017) dir. Patty Jenkins

The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) dir. Nikki Caro

Megan Leavey (2017) dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite [A]

To the Bone (2017) dir. Marti Noxon [N]

Meek’s Cutoff (2010) dir. Kelly Reichardt [N]

*A United Kingdom (2017) dir. Amma Asante

*XX (2017) dir. Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama, St. Vincent, Jovanka Vuckovic [N]

*Lovesong (2017) dir. So Yong Kim [N]

Beach Rats (2017) dir. Eliza Hittman

*Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017) dir. Angela Robinson

The Fits (2016) dir. Anna Rose Holmer [A]

Respire (2014) dir. Mélanie Laurent [N] [K]

Battle of the Sexes (2017) dir. Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton

*Mudbound (2017) dir. Dee Rees [N]

A Country Called Home (2015) dir. Anna Axster [N]

Raw (2016) dir. Julia Ducournau [N]

Take Care (2014) dir. Liz Tuccillo [N]

Loving Vincent (2017) dir. Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman

*Novitiate (2017) dir. Maggie Betts

Landline (2017) dir. Gillian Robespierre [A]

Faces, Places (2017) dir. Agnes Varda & J.R.

*Whose Streets? (2017) dir. Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis [H]

First They Killed My Father (2017) dir. Angelina Jolie [N]

Lady Bird (2017) dir. Greta Gerwig

A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015) dir. Natalie Portman [N]

Into the Forest (2016) dir. Patricia Rozema [A]

Always Shine (2016) dir. Sophia Takal

Paint It Black (2017) dir. Amber Tamblyn

Obit. (2017) dir. Vanessa Gould [A]

* = directed by woc

[N] = Netflix

[A] = Amazon Prime

[H] = Hulu

[K] = Kanopy

[brokehorrorfan]

Best New Horror Movies on Netflix: Summer 2017

I know there's an overwhelming amount of horror movies to sift through on Netflix, so I've decided to take out some of the legwork by compiling a list of the season's best new genre titles on Netflix's instant streaming service.

Please feel free to leave a comment with any I may have missed and share your thoughts on any of the films you watch. You can also peruse past installments of Best New Horror Moves on Netflix for more suggestions.

1. Clown

Before Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters, watch director Jon Watts' feature debut. Beginning as a faux-trailer that went viral, Clown was essentially willed into existence with the aid of genre favorite Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) as a producer. Andy Powers (Oz) stars as a dad who comes across an old clown costume to wear to his son's birthday party, only to find that he physically cannot remove it. He then develops an insatiable hunger for children, soon learning that he must sacrifice five kids in order to remove the suit. Laura Allen (The 4400) plays his wife, while Peter Stormare (Fargo) provides the ancient, demonic history of clowns. Not your typical killer clown movie, Clown combines classic monster movie motifs, body horror elements, supernatural undertones, and gallows humor into one coulrophobic package. Read my full review of the film here.

2. Beyond the Gates

Beyond the Gates was clearly made by horror fans for fellow fans. The 80-minute romp can best be described as Jumanji meets The Beyond. Estranged brothers Gordon (Graham Skipper, Almost Human) and John (Chase Williamson, John Dies at the End), along with Gordon’s girlfriend, Margot (Brea Grant, Halloween II), find and play an old VCR game. They must obey the tape’s host (Barbara Crampton, Re-Animator) in order to solve the mystery of their father's disappearance. It's slightly hindered by a limited budget - the set-up is slow and the ending is a tad anticlimactic - but it's so spirited along the way that the faults barely register. First-time director Jackson Stewart taps into the VHS nostalgia to create a film that would feel perfectly at home on a mom-and-pop video store shelf in the late '80s. Read my full review of the film here.

3. The Eyes of My Mother

The Eyes of My Mother is too pensive for horror fans look for typical blood and scares, but those who appreciate arthouse fare are likely to get wrapped up in its unsettling tone. Writer/director Nicolas Pesce makes an impact with his debut, utilizing stark black-and-white photography to explore a character study illustrating the repercussions of murder. The story is told in three chapters, which each one showing a significant familial moment in a woman's life that shapes her into the disturbed individual she ultimately becomes. It’s a slow burn, even at a mere 76 minutess, but every moment is spent ruminating in its dark tone.

4. Backcountry

Backcountry is based on a true story of a black bear attack. The predator doesn't show up until two thirds of the way through the film; the rest of the time is spent developing the relationship between Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenn (Missy Peregrym, Reaper), who embark on what's supposed to be a romantic and relaxing weekend hike through the woods. Tensions first rise upon the introduction of an Irish backpacker (Eric Balfour, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), then again when the couple gets lost in the dizzying forest. It finally takes the form of a suspenseful survival thriller when the ferocious bear begins attacking their campsite. The investment in character development is worthwhile, as it causes the viewer to care about them, thereby making the final act even more harrowing. Real bears were used during production, adding to the ripe intensity.

5. Dig Two Graves

The first act of Dig Two Graves could be mistaken for a coming-of-age drama - not only thematically but also stylistically - as a young girl (Samantha Isler, Captain Fantastic) from a podunk town attempts to reconcile with her brother's death. Things really heat up when a trio of creepy men tell her they can bring him back to life... but someone else has to take his place. The story is structured in an interesting way, sprinkling in flashbacks that contextualize the actions taking place in the present. Isler delivers a brilliant performance, as does Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), who plays her grandfather, the town's sheriff.

6. XX

XX is a horror anthology made up of four segments written and directed by females, each one strong and unique. “The Box” by Jovanka Vuckovic adapts a Jack Ketchum short story about a boy who's forever changed upon seeing the contents of a mysterious box. “The Birthday Party” by Annie Clark (better known as musician St. Vincent) is a darkly comic tale about a woman who finds her husband dead on the day of her daughter's birthday party. “Don’t Fall” by Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound) turns a serene hike into a blood-thirsty creature feature. “Her Only Living Son” by Karyn Kusama (The Invitation) finds a mother learning a deep, dark secret about her son. There's not much of a through line outside of them all being female-led (3/4 of which are maternal roles), though neat stop-motion animation wraps around the tales. Several familiar faces populate the cast, including Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures), Natalie Brown (The Strain), and Mike Doyle (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). It's no secret that we need more female voices in film, and XX is a potent declaration that's impossible to ignore.

7. Stake Land II: The Stakelander

Despite a terrible title that could be mistaken for a joke, Stake Land II: The Stakelander is a sequel to Stake Land, Jim Mickle's impressive 2010 vampire film (which you should watch first; it's also on Netflix). Mickle resigns to executive producer, but his co-writer, Nick Damici, returns to pen the script. Damici also reprises his role as Mister, reuniting with Connor Paolo as Martin. The vampire slaying duo embark on a journey across a Mad Max 2-style post-apocalyptic wasteland infested with ferocious vampires, which resemble zombies more than your traditional bloodsuckers. As is often the case, it's the other humans that prove to be the real threat. Like its predecessor, the film finds a rare balance between drama and intensity. It's not as effective as the original, but fans won't be disappointed by the follow-up.

8. Tag

Tag (also known as Riaru onigokko) is not for everyone, but it's too gleefully weird not to warrant a recommendation. Written and directed by Sion Sono (Suicide Club), the Japanese film opens with a bus full of school girls getting sliced in half in one fell swoop. It only gets stranger from there as the infinite possibilities of multiple universes are explored. One girl survives each time, continually awakening in different realities after watching all her friends get killed in gory fashions - including a teacher mowing down her class with a mini-gun. I thought it might be adapted from a manga, as it has that bizarre, fantastical feel to it, but it's instead based on a novel. It's dreamlike and absurd but not without heart.

9. The Windmill

The Windmill (formerly known as The Windmill Massacre) is a slasher film from the Netherlands, although it's (mostly) in English. It follows a guided bus tour of Holland that breaks down near a mysterious windmill. One by one, the passengers are picked off by a cool-looking killer armed with a scythe. With glossy production value and a dark tone, it feels more like a throwback to late '90s slashers rather than the golden age of the '80s - but there's still some solid gore and practical effects. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the film offers a slightly more involved plot than the average slasher, including flawed characters and supernatural elements. It's also gleefully mean-spirited to the very end.

10. Man Vs.

As you may have guessed from the name, Man Vs. uses a survival reality show as the framing device for a creature feature. Doug (Chris Diamantopoulos, Silicon Valley) is the survival expert/host, filming himself in the Canadian wilderness - only to learn that he's not alone. It would have been cheaper to make a found footage film, but it's more effect as a traditional movie - though there are some shots from Doug's gear. The set-up is a bit slow, however you may learn some survival tips along the way. The story essentially becomes Survivorman vs. Predator in the final act. Unfortunately, the CGI creature is Syfy-level bad, preventing the big reveal from having much impact, but Diamantopoulos delivers a solid performance nonetheless.

11. Abattoir

Abattoir is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV, Repo! The Genetic Opera), based on the same named graphic novel he created. It follows a real estate journalist (Jessica Lowndes, 90210) and a detective (Joe Anderson, The Crazies) as they investigate a series of houses in which tragedies occurred having the offending rooms torn out. They end up in a Twin Peaks-esque town where a local (Lin Shaye, Insidious) tells them of Jebediah Crone (Dayton Callie, Sons of Anarchy), an enigmatic reverend attempting to build a gateway to pure evil. Although set in the present, the picture is an unabashed love letter to film noirs of the 1940s and ‘50s. While the execution of the fascinating concept is lacking, Bousman manages to create a wonderfully imaginative neo-noir universe rife with spooky atmosphere. Read my full review here.

Bonus: The Keepers

If you were among the throngs of viewers morbidly captivated by Making a Murderer, The Keepers will be your new true crime fix. The Netflix original documentary series is every bit as compelling and frustrating as Making a Murderer, but the heinous crimes are even more stomach churning. The story revolves around an unsolved murder case of 26-year-old nun in 1969 and her then-students who have teamed up decades later to try to get to the truth. There appears to be a cover up that involves sexual abuse at the hands of a priest. The show consists of seven hour-long episodes. It probably could have been shaved down to five, but it's structured in such a way that make you want to keep binge watching.

Bonus: Riverdale: Season 1

Riverdale is like Twin Peaks meets Pretty Little Liars by way of Archie Comics. It reinvents the classic Archie characters for a modern audience with an interesting murder/mystery plot. I'm admittedly beyond the key demographic for the trashy teen drama that ensues, but the first season is fun enough, albeit inconsistent, to hook me. Several of the younger actors deliver great performances, given the heavy-handed material, but it's even more fun to see the parents played by '90s stars like Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210), Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks), Robin Givens (Head of the Class), and Skeet Ulrich (Scream). If you enjoy MTV's Scream, you'll likely get a kick out of this one as well.

[multiply-xxx]

Rocket Science heads to AFM with 'Resistance' starring Jesse Eisenberg (exclusive)

Rocket Science has secured international rights and will launch sales at AFM on Jonathan Jakubowicz’s Resistance to star Jesse Eisenberg as legendary mime artist Marcel Marceau and his involvement in the French resistance during the Second World War.

CAA packaged the project for Cannes and represents US rights to the drama, which Rocket Science is co-financing with Pantaleon and producing with Epic Central and Pantaleon.

Coming off Cannes 2016 selection Hands Of Stone starring Robert De Niro and Edgar Ramirez, Jakubowicz is lining up to direct Resistance in early 2018. Claudine Jakubowicz and Carlos Garcia de Paredes, who worked on Hands Of Stone, are producers on the project, while Marceau’s oldest son Baptiste Marceau serves as executive producer.

Born to a kosher butcher from Strasbourg in France, Marcel Marceau was born Marcel Mangel and grew up speaking Yiddish. He learned to mime to survive and save the lives of Jewish orphans whose parents had been killed by the Nazis. His own father was killed in Auschwitz.

Marceau’s earned global fame for his stage persona Bip the Clown and referred to mime as “the art of silence”. He performed professionally for more than 60 years and earned the Legion Of Honour and the National Order of Merit in France. He was friends with Michael Jackson, who credited him as the inspiration for the moonwalk. Marceau died in 2007 aged 84.

“The story of how a group of boys and girls scouts created a network that saved the lives of thousands of orphan refugees during WWII, would be worth telling even if the main character wasn’t the greatest mime of all time,” Jakubowicz said. “The fact that Marcel Marceau is at the centre of it, and that he saved their lives thanks to his art of silence, makes this film a dream come true for any writer and director.”

“With a movie like this, and the genius of Jesse Eisenberg who seems born for the role, all you need is to find partners who care about making it with the scope and ambition that the story and the public deserve.

“I’ve known about Thorsten Schumacher’s impeccable taste and track record for a long time and I can’t think of a better company than Rocket Science to make sure this timely tale is handled correctly for a worldwide audience.

“And to count with the infrastructure of the German-based production powerhouse Pantaleon (of Pantaflix group) and producing partners Dan Maag and Philipp Klausing, completes a dream team that me and Claudine, my producer and wife, and our Hands Of Stone partner Carlos Garcia de Paredes, can only feel blessed for”.

The Rocket Science sales slate includes Los Angeles crime thriller Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman that Karyn Kusama will direct. Among the other titles are: David Lowery’s The Old Man And The Gun starring Robert Redford and Casey Affleck; Dominic Cooke’s On Chesil Beach with Saoirse Ronan; Nick Hornby adaptation Juliet, Naked for Judd Apatow; Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum with Matthew McConaughey; Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate to star Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh; and Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut, The Sea Change.

x

[mrmichaelchadler]

#340 October 30, 2018

Matt writes: Just because you're stuck at home answering the door for trick-or-treaters on Halloween doesn't mean you can't have a delightfully spooky evening yourself. Two ten-hour programs ripe for seasonal binging recently premiered on Netflix and received enthusiastic reviews at RogerEbert.com. Mike Flanagan's limited series "The Haunting of Hill House," reviewed here by Brian Tallerico, is a genuinely unnerving, often brilliant reimagining of Shirley Jackson's classic novel about ominous ghosts, mental illness and frayed familial bonds. The other must-see show is "Riverdale" creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," a marvelously acted, richly provocative new vehicle for the supernaturally inclined Archie Comics heroine, played by a perfectly cast Kiernan Shipka. In my review of the first season, I explore how Osgood Perkins' masterful debut feature, "The Blackcoat's Daughter" (starring Shipka), served as a major influence on Aguirre-Sacasa, and could serve as ideal Halloween programming itself (check out the trailer embedded below...)

Trailers

The Prodigy (2019). Directed by Nicholas McCarthy. Written by Jeff Buhler. Starring Taylor Schilling, Brittany Allen, Colm Feore. Synopsis: A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him. Opens in US theaters on February 8th, 2019.

The Curse of La Llorona (2019). Directed by Michael Chaves. Written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. Starring Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez, Raymond Cruz. Synopsis: Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Opens in US theaters on April 19th, 2019.

The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018). Directed by Diederik Van Rooijen. Written by Brian Sieve. Starring Stana Katic, Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon. Synopsis: When a cop who is just out of rehab takes the graveyard shift in a city hospital morgue, she faces a series of bizarre, violent events caused by an evil entity in one of the corpses. Opens in US theaters on November 30th, 2018.

The Clovehitch Killer (2018). Directed by Duncan Skiles. Written by Christopher Ford. Starring Charlie Plummer, Dylan McDermott, Samantha Mathis. Synopsis: A picture-perfect family is shattered when the work of a serial killer hits too close to home. Dylan McDermott stars in this chilling portrait of all-American evil. Opens in US theaters on November 16th, 2018.

Vice (2018). Written and directed by Adam McKay. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell. Synopsis: A bureaucratic Washington insider quietly becomes the most powerful man in the world as Vice-President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways still felt today. Opens in US theaters on December 25th, 2019.

Destroyer (2018). Directed by Karyn Kusama. Written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Starring Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany. Synopsis: A police detective reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace. Opens in US theaters on December 25th, 2018.

Vox Lux (2018). Written and directed by Brady Corbet. Starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Christopher Abbott. Synopsis: An unusual set of circumstances brings unexpected success to a pop star. Opens in US theaters on December 7th, 2018.

Bird Box (2018). Directed by Susanne Bier. Written by Eric Heisserer (based on the novel by Josh Malerman). Starring Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar. Synopsis: A woman and a pair of children are blindfolded and make their way through a dystopian setting along a river. Debuts on Netflix on December 21st, 2018.

All Creatures Here Below (2018). Directed by Collin Schiffli. Written by David Dastmalchian. Starring David Dastmalchian, Karen Gillan, Jennifer Morrison. Synopsis: A desperate young couple on the run seek refuge in Kansas City. US release date is TBA.

The Aftermath (2019). Directed by James Kent. Written by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (based on the novel by Rhidian Brook). Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke. Synopsis: Post World War II, a British colonel and his wife are assigned to live in Hamburg during the post-war reconstruction, but tensions arise with the German who previously owned the house. Opens in US theaters on April 29th, 2019.

Unlovable (2018). Directed by Suzi Yoonessi. Written by Charlene deGuzman, Sarah Adina Smith and Mark Duplass. Starring Charlene deGuzman, John Hawkes, Melissa Leo. Synopsis: A sex and love addicted woman learns what real intimacy is when she starts making music with a reclusive man. Opens in US theaters on November 2nd, 2018.

Speed Kills (2018). Directed by John Luessenhop and Jodi Scurfield. Written by David Aaron Cohen and John Luessenhop (based on the book by Arthur Jay Harris). Starring John Travolta, Katheryn Winnick, Jennifer Esposito. Synopsis: Speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire, Ben Aronoff, leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords. US release date is TBA.

The World Before Your Feet (2018). Directed by Jeremy Workman. Synopsis: For over six years, and for reasons he can't explain, Matt Green, 37, has been walking every block of every street in New York City, a journey of more than 8,000 miles. This documentary follows the story of one man's unusual personal quest and the unexpected journey of discovery, humanity, and wonder that ensues. Opens in US theaters on November 21st, 2018.

Cold Pursuit (2019). Directed by Hans Petter Moland. Written by Frank Baldwin (based on the movie written by Kim Fupz Aakeson). Starring Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Emmy Rossum. Synopsis: A snowplow driver seeks revenge against the drug dealers he thinks killed his son. Opens in US theaters on February 8th, 2019.

The Front Runner (2018). Directed by Jason Reitman. Written by Matt Bai, Jay Carson and Jason Reitman (based on the book by Matt Bai). Starring Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons. Synopsis: American Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1988 is derailed when he's caught in a scandalous love affair. Opens in US theaters on November 21st, 2018.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). Written and directed by Dean DeBlois (based on the book series by Cressida Cowell). Written by Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith. Starring Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig. Synopsis: As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless' discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup's reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind. Opens in US theaters on February 22nd, 2019.

Escape Room (2019). Directed by Adam Robitel. Written by Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik. Starring Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Taylor Russell. Synopsis: Six strangers find themselves in circumstances beyond their control, and must use their wits to survive. Opens in US theaters on January 4th, 2019.

Rosemary's Baby (1968), 50th anniversary edition. Written and directed by Roman Polanski (based on the novel by Ira Levin). Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon. Synopsis: A young couple moves in to an apartment only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins to control her life. US release date is TBA.

Disability Employment Awareness Month

Matt writes: Chaz Ebert's latest special edition of Thumbnails celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which ran through the entirety of October. Out writer Scott Jordan Harris assembled a superb list of articles detailing the lack of inclusivity in media and why it must be changed. Click here for the full round-up, which includes Jordan's review of Jenni Gold's documentary, "CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion."

Peter Bogdanovich on Buster Keaton

Matt writes: The great filmmaker and cinema historian Peter Bogdanovich recently spoke with our Editor-at-Large Matt Zoller Seitz about his new documentary, "The Great Buster: A Celebration." Click here to read their full conversation.

Free Movies

The Return of Dracula (1958). Directed by Paul Landres. Written by Pat Fielder. Starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn. Synopsis: After a vampire leaves his native Balkans, he murders a Czech artist, assumes his identity, and moves in with the dead man's American cousins.

Watch "The Return of Dracula"

Blood for Dracula (1974). Written and directed by Paul Morrissey. Starring Udo Kier, Vittorio De Sica, Joe Dallesandro. Synopsis: An ailing vampire count travels to Italy with his servant to find a bride.

Watch "Blood for Dracula"

Count Dracula (1977). Directed by Philip Saville. Written by Gerald Savory (based on the novel by Bram Stoker). Starring Louis Jourdan, Frank Finlay, Susan Penhaligon. Synopsis: The vampire count leaves his Transylvanian home to wreak havoc across the world.

Watch "Count Dracula"

from All Content https://ift.tt/2Ob5Xr2

[janvba2film-blog]

Post A: Initial Ideas

Characters:

All characters will be named after horror directors, as a sort of meta in-joke (much like when Tatum Riley says “You sound just like a Wes Carpenter film”)

Jennifer – Named after Jennifer Kent (The Babadook, 2014); this will be our protagonist after Karyn is murdered. She will be the final girl in my short film. She is strong, smart, capable, and doesn’t fall over things.

Karyn – Named after Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, 2015); after walking home from her boyfriend’s (after having sex), she hears him scream and runs back to find him dead, only to be killed herself. This is me using the red herring device Mr. Craven makes regular use of.

Sam – Named after Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, 1983); he is just a token character and part of the friend group; he will die.

Eli – Named after Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, 2002); he is dating Karyn.

The Killer - We don’t know who they are .

Messages, Values, and Themes:

I was watching a Cracked podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylzkOPBrdx0) about murderers and the like, one of which was Jean-Claude Roman, a man who pretended to be a medical doctor whilst actually conning people out of their money to afford his 18 year-long lie. When he came close to being discovered, he killed his wife and children. Now, the fear from this scenario doesn’t necessarily come from the fact that he was lying and was truly a monster, the fundamental fear in this situation, and any situation, comes from the not knowing. We take comfort in knowing the face of evil, it provides us with more knowledge to tackle an issue. So why not exploit that aspect in my movie? It seems for the longest time now that horror movies (particularly slashers) end with an expositional monologue detailing the evil’s motives; we see this in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. There is a direct correlation between the amount of information we know about Freddy and how intimidating he is. By the end of the original series we know everything about him, and he’s more of a pop culture icon no one is afraid of than an intimidating force of evil. Compare this to The Last House on the Left; we don’t understand the motivation behind the antagonists, we just know that they’re the bad guys and that worries us. It scares us that people could naturally that evil. Considering Wes’ favourability towards the subversion of audience expectations I feel it justified that I reveal no information about my murderer in an age where it is the norm.

Another aspect I wish to touch upon in my film relates to interior meaning. I would like to touch upon mental illness, which is worryingly present in teenagers in modern society. I needn’t look at statistics either, I can just look at my peers and see it. I would like to have my killer be a representation of a mental illness or a topic surrounding it (E.g. suicide) but it must be done in a way which takes a back seat to what is happening on screen, much like the Vietnam commentary in Wes’ debut film; it cannot be the central plot-line of the movie.

Basic Plot:

We follow Jen, a middle class white female in college as she suffers the trials and tribulations of being faces with a mysterious murderer who plagues the town, stealing people’s eyes after he murders them.

Micro-technical Features:

Cinematography:

Long takes/tracking shots, such as the opening scene of Scream

The shadow of the killer on the wall, much like Freddy is portrayed in A Nightmare on Elm Street

A close up of the murder weapon, much like that of Freddy’s glove

Obscured deaths/body’s

Shots from behind the protagonist, akin to the one in Scream which pays homage to POV shots of the killers.

Mise-en-Scene:

Memorable weapon and attire for the killer

Booby traps, which I learned Wes uses in at least three of his films (NoES, Last House on the Left, and The People Under the Stairs).

References to other films, such as on the TV or on posters, in the film. Obviously like Scream but also like in NoES, which features Evil Dead on the TV because Raimi featured a The Hills Have Eyes poster in it.

If I am to go down the road of discussing mental health issues, then perhaps it would be good to have some medication in certain shots.

Editing:

Long/Tracking shots

Long shots of uncomfortable moments, like the Mari’s rape scene

Jumpscares – a common horror convention used in all my focal films. This is also accounts for false jumpscares (E.g. It was just a cat making noise and jumping out of nowhere)

Montage: These are both used for showing booby traps in my first two focal films so perhaps I will use it in the same manner.

Sound:

Use of time-appropriate music like all of my focal films do; probably some upbeat indie-folk.

Possibly accented sound effects, like the principal’s scissors on Scream or Freddy’s gloves in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I would like to compose a piece of music for my short film similar to NoES. I didn’t mention the music in my notes because I know Wes had nothing to do with it, but the music is heavily chromatic and I learned in Never Sleep Again that the main theme is in 7/8, an unusual time signature, which causes the viewer to feel strange.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-u9YDDrTFo - This video taught me that playing a low note and high note makes the listener want to fill in the gaps, because a low sound (lion) signifies danger, while a high note signifies something innocent and small (kitten). I can also use  cognitive dissonance by applying something innocent (lullaby) over a sinister image - this was utilised by Nightmare on Elm Street.

[lucasflanagan-blog]

The Best Movies of 2016 According to Me and Only Me

I love movies. I love talking about them, talking shit about them, arguing about them and writing about them. This new blog I'm starting is my attempt to get back to basics with what I like to write about the movies I love and hate and everything else in between the highs and lows. Oscar Sunday is the perfect opportunity to discuss what I loved best about this past year. I saw many movies and still somehow seemed to miss a great deal of what I suspect might be worthwhile movies to check out. This stands as a testament to the strength of this past year -- the strongest in recent memory. But let's cut through the bs and get down to it. 

 First off, I want to highlight how strong a year this was for the horror genre. Something happened and horror movies -- a whole mess of them -- delivered in a legit way. Cooties was the best horror comedy I've seen since Shaun of the Dead. Rainn Wilson ruled nearly every minute of that movie. Adam Wingard did some interesting things with The Blair Witch and while that movie didn't entirely work, it's still a nice entry on Wingard's resume. The same goes for James Wan with The Conjuring 2. Not perfect but still a solid movie. 10 Cloverfield Lane and Green Room might not exactly be horror movies but they both slipped into the genre rather nicely while never being hampered by traditional genre trappings. The Mind's Eye was an extremely weird and crazy as shit little telekinesis movie. The Witch was a terrific exercise in slow building dread while still hiding so much more underneath the surface. Light's Out and Don't Breathe were, on the surface, more traditional fare but over delivered in every conceivable way. Specifically, Don't Breathe which always zigged when you expected a zag. Lastly, The Autopsy of Jane Doe and I'm not saying anything else about this movie except: SEE THIS MOVIE! There is one more horror movie to talk about but it nearly snuck into my top ten and will thus be discussed in this next section.

 Now, getting closer to the main course. In trying to pare down to a top ten, I was shocked at how many movies I was originally considering. This speaks to two things: How many great movies I saw this year and how close some of them were for me. Dr. Strange is definitely the craziest Marvel movie I've seen to date. Lion surprised me with how touched I was by what, on the surface, was a traditional, sappy, awards-bait story. Dev Patel was magnificent in showing the turmoil of going twenty-five years without finding your way home. Hidden Figures was the feel good movie of the year. Fences was crushing and while imperfect in it's pacing and constant tendency toward monologues, which is never great to watch on screen as opposed to seeing it live, the highs were really, REALLY high. Hacksaw Ridge was Mel Gibson's most complete effort as a director since Braveheart and while pretty standard, it was still a handsome production. The Lobster was definitely not for everyone and I'll definitely not be able to recommend it to anyone I know but for me, it totally worked. I found this movie hilarious at times. Is something wrong with me? Don't answer that. Next up is The Wailing, a Korean horror movie about...well, it's a Korean horror movie. It's about the Devil? Maybe? Whatever, the movie was nuts in all the best ways.

 This next group of movies is still in the same boat but were either made by some of my favorite directors or based on or part of something else I adore. Nicolas Winding Refn is a polarizing figure. I find the man to be a genius behind the lens and The Neon Demon felt like him summing up his career to this point while still projecting how he feels about the industry in general. Everybody Wants Some was marketed as a spiritual successor to Dazed and Confused and while that's a fairly accurate tag, the movie speaks more to the bonds of friendship and new love. Linklater is as good a filmmaker as there is working today. Everything he does just works for me. I feel like we speak the same film language. The Jungle Book surprised me. Rudyard Kipling is one of my favorite authors but this movie didn't look special to me in any way upon it's release. Word of mouth led me to an eventual viewing and I was stunned. It's one of the most useful applications of CGI I've ever seen in a movie. Nailed it. Oh Rogue One. I really don't know how this didn't make my top ten list. I love Star Wars and this easily ranks as the third best Star Wars movie ever. The best depiction of Darth Vader ever. Holy shit. Midnight Special made me cry. Hard. On an airplane. In front of a lot of strangers. Michael Shannon is in the discussion of greatest actors of his generation and kills it in this movie. Joel Edgerton has quickly become one of my new favorites and Jeff Nichols is the best filmmaker in the business right now. And finally, the final movie to JUUUUUUST miss making the cut. Arrival. Awesome, quiet, meditative movie and when the pieces of it's puzzle finally fall into place, you're left stunned in the best possible way. And next up for Denis? The Blade Runner sequel. Get psyched. 

 And now for my top ten. (Note: The top three movies were so close and are constantly playing leap frog. As I'm writing this, I still don't know which is going to be number one for me. And yes, I know it's February and nearly March. Don't look here for sense.) 

 10. THE HANDMAIDEN 

 Chan-wool Park is a madman. His movies are impeccably designed, ultra violent and perverse as hell. This one was no different. Easily the most gorgeous film of the year and full of twists, innovations, titillation and drama. I respect it more than I love it but I respect the living shit out of this movie. 

 9. DEADPOOL 

 Unlike any superhero movie we've yet seen. Violent, sexually deviant, foul-mouthed in the most horrible way but also smart, superbly written, hilarious, violent, sexually deviant and foul-mouthed in the most horrible way. Deal with it prudes. 

 8. THE INVITATION 

 Ahhhh The Invitation. The most contested movie of the year in my house. My wife hated it which killed me a bit. It'll undoubtedly be brought up in our divorce proceedings. Karyn Kusama reminded me of Hitchcock in this movie. Actually, the best ode to Hitchcock since the man himself. She is now on my list of directors whom I see no matter what. What's it about? Who cares? Karyn Kusama directed it. 

 7. THE NICE GUYS 

 Shane Black is a legend. How did this movie get ignored this awards season? Not even for it's script? Maybe the tightest script of the year. For sure, the best dialogue. Gosling and Crowe should spend the rest of their careers working with each other. Amazing movie. 

 6. NOCTURNAL ANIMALS 

 Another on the list of: HOW DID THIS MOVIE GET IGNORED? Tom Ford is carving out a hell of a place for him in Hollywood. A Single Man was amazing and now with Nocturnal Animals, I suspect studios will be hot after Mr. Ford. Also, how can you go wrong with the three best actors working today in the same movie? Shannon, Gylenhall, and Adams all crush here. Such a nasty slice of noir. We haven't seen noir willing to go full noir like this in a long time. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw one willing to be pitch black like Nocturnal Animals. I love when filmmakers don't give a shit about what an audience might think or like and just go out and make a fucking movie. 

 5. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA 

 This is a tough one. It's also another movie that is hard to recommend because it's so soul crushingly sad. But it's also funny and somehow life affirming. It's a great piece of character writing and solid directing by Kenneth Lonergan. Michelle Williams continues to be excellent while Casey Affleck continues to be the best Affleck. Anyone else wondering what Live By Night would have been with Casey playing the lead? 

 4. 20TH CENTURY WOMEN 

 And again another member of the WHERE IS THE LOVE CLUB. Mike Mills wrote the best script of the year. I'm willing to debate but there is really no debate. This was the best written movie of the year. Mills is an amazing talent. And then he went and cast so many people I love. Billy Crudup is great. Greta Gerwig, my wife now understands why I have such a crush on her. She is impossibly cool. Elle Fanning is going to be one of the biggest stars in the world very, VERY soon. Remember that. And finally, Annette Benning has never been better. She was robbed! And this is where things get messy/interesting/crazy/nonsense-y? 

 3. HELL OR HIGH WATER 

 Whoah. This movie was number one on my list for a very long time. Ben Foster gave one of my favorite performances of the year. Jeff Bridges was funny and badass at the same time and Chris Pine was incredibly authentic as a man willing to put literally everything on the line for his family. This was noir and a western at the same time and that ain't easy to pull off. Impeccably written and basically told two separate stories about varying degrees of brotherhood at the same time while still having plenty to say about the haves and have-nots. About ownership, not only about tangible things but also about one's life. I have a brother who'd I'd rob banks for and maybe that's why this movie spoke to me so sweetly but I loved it all the same. 

 2. LA LA LAND 

 This was the most inspiring movie of the year for me. I loved every second of it and maybe down the road this will be remembered by me as the best. I don't know, I have yet to receive my time machine. Gosling is as charismatic as actors get and ditto for Emma Stone. They're both likable nearly to the point of annoyance. Chazelle is a great writer and even better director. He allows his movies to breathe while still managing to fill them to the brim. It's a high wire act few can pull off. 

 #1 MOONLIGHT 

 This one was just different. I've never seen anything quite like Moonlight. It's the movie which stuck with me the longest after seeing it. I saw it over a month ago and not a day goes by without me thinking about it. The story is timeless and new at the same time. The way Barry Jenkins shot this movie feels revolutionary to me. Everything was shot in hyper color and then drab. Things shoot into and out of focus. It's like seeing a movie with all of your senses. Mahershala Ali gave my favorite performance of the entire year. He was nothing short of extraordinary. Everything about this movie was extraordinary. I liked it upon leaving the theater. I liked it more the following day. I loved it a few days later. And where Hell or High Water and La La Land were, in many ways, equally extraordinary, they were maybe just the best versions of their respective genres that we've seen in years. Moonlight defied genre to just be unforgettable. 

 Enjoy the show everybody.

 RIP Bill Paxton. 

 Love each other.

[albusaudio]

In this blog I will be analysing the musical characteristics of two different film scores.

The first film, The Invitation, is a 2015 American mystery thriller film directed by Karyn Kusama, which is about a man who attends a dinner party at his former home, who starts to believe that the hosts of the party (his ex-wife and new husband) have sinister intentions for their guests.

The film score was composed and produced by Theodore Shapiro. The score is predominantly orchestral with small sections of electronic, synthetic and MIDI generated sounds. Shapiro worked with an orchestra of up to 50 players, including strings, brass, piano and harp instruments. After working with the orchestra, the material was processed using Digital Performer and Ableton Live, and additional sounds were created with a 61 key digital synthesizer, Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer and a MIDI keyboard.

*** Spoiler Warning ***

In a particular scene entitled ‘Rupture’, we see the new husband (David) pour drinks for the guests upstairs. David (the ex-husband of Eden) has finally had it and smashes the drinks out of everyone’s hand fearing that the drinks are poisoned. From this, Sadie (a friend David and Eden met in Mexico) goes wild and starts fighting Will. When they start fighting, a deep string sound starts increasing in volume and then a high metallic string sound is blended in, and as soon as Sadie hits her head on the drawer, the blended sounds cut out immediately, creating this interesting tension building timbre.

Sadie is on the floor and it appears that Gina is lying unconscious on the table from drinking the drink. As soon as this is apparent, we hear a fast, dark, pulsating rhythm, which represents everyone’s heartbeats in the room.

A guest attempts CPR on Gina and we start to hear a fast endless uprise of string sound, combined with the pulsating rhythm and a scattering of string sounds that we hear throughout the film. This timbre builds the tension up even further but in a way that something big is about to go down.

David shots the guest attempting CPR on Gina and the camera pans to Will. All dialogue and human sound is cut out and all we hear is a very slow rhythmic contrast of high and low string sounds, representing the pace of the scene given that the scene is now in slow motion.

A similar slow rhythm of string sounds is introduced after another shot is fired at a guest and is played until the end of the scene which builds tension for the remainder of the film. Although this scene’s score lacks melody and harmony, I think the rhythmic, timbre and tonal qualities of the score play out perfectly to capture the feeling of the film. The way the score changes rhythms suddenly really captures the change of pace within this scene, and the timbre and tonal qualities of the combined string sounds really capture the ‘rupture’ that has been building up throughout the film. I was definitely at the edge of my seat watching this scene. Great film!

The second film, The Neon Demon, is a 2016 psychological horror film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, which is about an aspiring model in LA, whose beauty and youth generate intense fascination and jealousy within the industry.

The film score was composed and produced by Cliff Martinez, who describes the score as a “sparse electronic score”. Cliff is quite the minimalist and generally uses a mobile rig for his film scores, which consists of an Arp Odyssey synthesizer, a 49-key MIDI keyboard, a handful of hardware effect units, and his trusty Macbook with Abelton and other music software.

*** Spoiler Warning ***

In a particular scene entitled ‘Runway’, we see model Jesse close fashion designer Robert Sarno’s fashion show. As she closes the show, we see Jesse close her eyes. When she opens her eyes again, we hear these dreamy, delicate synth arpeggiated sounds suggesting that Jesse has fallen into a dream/hallucination, a great use of harmonic representation. Moments after, Jesse envisions a blue triangle figure at the end of the runway. As she approaches the blue triangle figure she sees herself at the end of the runway. As her figure approaches her, we hear a moving synth bass arpeggio. This synth bass is played in a tempo and rhythm that is similar to one’s walking style, a nice rhythmic representation.

As Jesse reaches the blue triangle figure, she notices her figure is mirrored twice on the triangle. From this realization we hear an intense, eerie, helicopter-like sweeping synth sound. The sound gets even louder and Jesse enters the blue triangle figure. The timbres and tones of this sound really captures Jesse’s horrified/shocked emotions and the entrance into this mysterious triangle.

The shot fades out black for a few seconds and then comes back in and Jesse is now shining red and we see dominance, power and evil within her. She has now transformed into the ‘demon’ (hence ‘The Neon Demon’). She kisses each of her mirrored figures, she has fallen in love with herself and she is no longer the shy, innocent, neon model. As she kisses her figures we hear these really dark, gritty synth bass hits combined with a very bubblegum/pretty synth lead that is very free form and very dominant coming in and out of the mix. The combination of this sound is a great timbre and really signifies Jesse’s transformation from neon to demon.

I think this film’s score is outstanding, especially with the limited amount of instruments and tools. I often find that synthesizer-based score can have a very science fiction feel that can take away from a different genre film, but the musical characteristics of this score really captured the themes, emotions, attitudes, landscapes of this film. It captured the contrast of female dominance within the modelling industry. Beautiful film!

References:

motuTV (2012, September 26). MOTU artist profile: Film composer Theodore Shapiro Retrieved from https://youtu.be/u7VB5ScHzU4

Lakeshore Records (2015, December 11). Theodore Shapiro - Trumbo composer interview (official video) Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rcuH85cX0ic

Academy Originals (2014, September 8). Creative spark: Theodore Shapiro Retrieved from https://youtu.be/WbqnrK6CsEI

Kocanada, P. Theodore Shapiro Filmography. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://www.theodore-shapiro.com/filmmusic/shapiro/filmography/invitation/

Footage used to analyse ‘Rupture Scene’: https://youtu.be/64H0C1fzmzE

Audio of ‘Rupture Scene’: https://youtu.be/QoJZKahD6hM

 Milan Records USA (2016, October 4). Nicolas winding Refn & Cliff Martinez - the music of the neon demon Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGWDcuMPHqM&t=3s

MICK MOVIE (2016, August 31). The neon demon “runway” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukqyho-fuUA&t=9s

Martinez, C. (2016). Cliff Martinez | composer. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://cliff-martinez.com/

[biogeniy]

XX (Sundance Review)

A review of the new female-directed horror anthology XX

To anyone even remotely familiar with the film industry, it’s common knowledge that the issue of women working in cinema, or its lack thereof, is a huge one. Fifty percent of film school grads are female, yet only comprise 7% of working directors, a number that understandably does not sit well with a lot of people, this writer included. Storytelling requires a multitude of voices, and that is stifled by a commercial industry that is clearly catering mainly to a limited demographic. But, genre fans and artists being the fiery bunch they are,  have become incredibly proactive in battling against that lack of voice being given female directors.  The last few years have seen the galvanization and forward movement of women artists, and forward thinking programmers, like Mitch Davis at Montreal’s FanTasia, and the crew behind Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX, have been proactive in helping, by ensuring the inclusion of the female perspective on genre in their line-up. Now, one of the major first strikes against the proverbial “Boy’s Club” has been landed, thanks in large part to producers Jovanka Vuckovic and Todd Brown. Horror fans know Jovanka as the former editor of the highly regarded Rue Morgue magazine, who went on to get behind the camera herself and start kicking in doors and making inroads. Cinema fans will likely know Todd as the editor-in-chief of Screen Anarchy formerly known as Twitch Film.  Jovanka had initially planned on going through Kickstarter to fund her project which would be a horror anthology featuring all women directors, and serve as a showcase for both new and veteran talent. Todd came into the picture, and picked up the project for XYZ Films, funding fell into place, and the project became a reality. Well now “It’s Alive!!!!” to paraphrase a well-known mad scientist, as XX bloodied up theater auditoriums at this year’s hallowed and renowned Sundance Festival, in Park City, Utah. XX opens up with the first of many wraparound segments, which are beautifully animated with dolls and real sets by Mexican artist Sofia Carrillo. With notes of The Brothers Quay, Jan Sjvankmeyer  and Tim Burton, Carrillo actually uses her own teeth and hair in her puppets, which she then brings to surrealistic life one frame at a time. Her work is beautiful and stunning, also echoing the classic Russian and European animators of the past.  Dark and magical. The first vignette of XX comes from Jovanka herself, an adaptation of an old Jack “Dallas” Ketchum short story, “The Box”.  The premise is maddeningly simple: a young boy on a subway train with his family is sitting next to a stranger who is holding a big red gift wrapped box. When the boy asks to see what is in the box, and is told by his mother to not be nosy, the stranger chuckles politely, and agrees to show the boy, then exits at his stop, leaving the boy suddenly slack and despondent. From that point on the boy loses his appetite and begins declining his dinner. This escalates and soon…well, things are not going well. Stylistically, Vuckovic mines some serious Rod Serling territory here. She name checked The Twilight Zone last night at the Q&A, but when I think about it, for me it hearkens more to Night Gallery, Serling’s later era horror anthology show (maybe if there is an XX2, paintings! Juuuust sayin’). With a bleak look, determinedly languid camera work (which does reflect the lack of energy the boy experiences quite nicely) and some solid acting, XX gets off to a good start. I particularly enjoyed the character of the big sister, with a big appetite. And the spin Vuckovic puts on the original Ketchum story is actually pretty brilliant, in switching the personality traits of the mother and the father. RELATED: Jovanka Vuckovic talks about the making of XX Next is “The Birthday Party”, by Annie Clark. A dark, dark comedy about an obviously stressed to the max mother trying to prep for her young daughter’s birthday,  while dealing with the frigid and aggressive maid, the absence of her husband for their child’s party,  and needy neighbors prone to gossip. The surroundings are conservative chic, and the mother looks to be a bit of an ex-trophy wife, who wanders the house perpetually in her bathrobe now, drinking early in the morning to cope, but still handling her shit. But when she finds her husband, who she thought was still away on business, slumped over dead in his office from a pill induced suicide, “handling her shit” becomes a lot more difficult. What ensues is a cat and mouse hide and sneak thing, that reminded me of that old Popeye cartoon where Olive Oil is sleepwalking from moving girder to moving girder, or like a round of some stealth video game. Can this willful and tenacious mom somehow hide the body for an hour or two until her daughters’ party is over? This one was easily the biggest surprise for me in XX. When I heard Clark was doing one of the vignettes I scratched my head a little and drifted towards “stunt casting”, because in her other life she is known as St. Vincent, a very successful musician and critic’s darling. It’s deserved, her music is amazing as well as ground breaking, but I was unsure of what she would bring to a horror anthology. But the producers of XX know what the hell they are doing, without question, because “The Birthday Party” with its Black Hole Sun visual aesthetic and the lead performance from Melanie Lynskey , is super funny while being a white knuckle stress fest too. Lynskey is known to fans for her iconic performance as Pauline Parker in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures. She kills it here. Loved this one. Then BAM! BAM! BAM! Roxanne Benjamin (who helped bring us the V/H/S anthologies, and co-wrote the aforementioned “The Birthday Party”) bends the audience over and kicks it squarely in the ass as she fires off with “Don’t Fall”,  the most viciously direct piece in XX. A group of friends go camping where they shouldn’t, a sacred site of an unnamed (or I didn’t catch it) indigenous people. When one of the girls in the party, a city lifer with no great love for the outdoors,  who they constantly tease and scare, scratches her hand against some mysterious red glyphs on a rock…uh oh. Soon she is transformed into a ravenous beast out to mutilate and kill her companions. Benjamin keeps it upper short and sweet with this one,  a chase and kill monster slasher that did a great job of referencing 80’s style victim/survivor tropes, and delivers some beautifully choreographed action. There was a shot that did confuse me concerning the transformation of the girl to creature, but still, “Don;t Fall” is a kick in the nuts.  Super duper fun. XX winds up with what may be the longest and epic of the shorts, Karyn  Kusama’s “Her Only Living Son”. An older, struggling single mother is raising her son in hiding from the threat of a mysterious father who we hear about in hushed and scared conversation. As her son approaches his 18th birthday, he is becoming increasingly moody, with sudden outbursts of anger and adistic acts of violence. When an assault against a girl at school goes unchecked by the faculty, who refuse to penalize the boy, the mother realizes he is being protected and groomed for “something great” by a secret cabal of conspirators.  Just who the hell (ahem) is the boy’s father? And will he finally find them to take her child “home” on his 18th birthday? “Her Only Living Son” could easily be called “We Need to Talk About Rosemary’s Baby”, but I do not mean that in the negative. A solid tale of a mother willing to literally fight off the powers of hell for her son, who struggles to retain his humanity as he feels the pull to succumb to his true evil nature, it’s an incredibly strong piece, and looks like a Big Movie. Not surprising, since Kusama has been directing for a long, long time and has deserved her due for well over a decade after coming out swinging with her feature debut back in 2000 with Girlfight, about female boxers. Her recent oddball horror film The Invitation was one of the year’s best, and ‘Her Only Living Son” has me sincerely hoping Kusama decides to stick around and muck about in our beloved horror genre. Another winner. Well, this anthology ends a lot of arguments, and given the number of directors that had to drop out due to other projects coming through, including Jen Lynch who has done the best episodes of The Walking Dead to date, and the growing plethora of women helping to drive genre fare forward into new territory, it looks like XX is marking the spot for the future of horror. I’m ready for a second installment. XX opens in limited theatrical release and VOD on February 17th Click to Post