Masterpiece Memo: The Exorcist

Often I wonder with a kind of disappointed enthusiasm, what it was like to actually be around to see some of cinema’s greatest motion pictures when they first went on general release in theaters. Of all the excellent movies that drift in and out of my abstract nostalgia, not many fill that yearning more than The Exorcist from 1973. I’d like to think, back then, seeing that film for the first time on the big screen I would not have been one of those cinema-goers that actually threw up while watching it. Or fainted. Or even left the theater as it was all too much for them.

I’m pretty certain those reactions would not have befallen me. But alas, we shall never know, I can’t put myself completely in that time, I was not on this good Earth back then. And as much as people reading this who were here then are likely to huff and label me lucky, I beg to differ.

I remember growing up, probably in childhood, teenhood too, maybe even a part of adulthood, when you used to flick through the newspapers to check the cinema listings. An exciting feat in itself, lashing through the big paper pages until you spotted the cinema logo – usually somewhere near the back, but I still flicked from the front. Anyway, choosing a movie to see is always an exciting prospect, no matter your age, but back then when scanning the cinematic menu in the newspaper, I recall seeing a late night showing of The Exorcist for what seemed liked every single weekend. Just this one showing, once a week, at this one cinema.

A film I held in prestige then, a horror film so shocking it was banned in the UK for a while. I mean, that in itself makes it a great temptation, a banned film I was too young to see, from the 1970s, playing locally every week. Whatever age ranges of my life these memories depict, I always knew The Exorcist was indeed a very special film.

The Exorcist, as well as being a phenomenon and decades-long conversation starter, is one of the very, very best horror films ever to grace a screen. Horror, though, is not the film’s only forte. A strong dramatic strand exists through the depiction of a small family (in a huge house). A very intellectual thriller, too, more so in William Peter Blatty‘s novel. Plus, there are strong elements of the reality of dwelling with such horrific circumstances, and, of course, the struggles and strengths of religion, faith, vocation, good, evil, humanity.

The aesthetic and haunting of The Exorcist live long after you watch it too. And not just the first time, on repeat viewings. One of the most remarkable aspects of the film’s magnetism is just how it leaves you afterwards (and indeed during), the provocation and thought-trail, a kind of unlimited reflection of not just placing yourself in the hands of a demon, or coming to terms with the experience of the film, but also the amorous admiration of the vast brilliance of the filmmaking on display. Even looking at it today. I watched The Exorcist for umpteenth time just days ago, and was in complete awe of the motion picture experience all over again.

Perhaps known in his circles more for writing comedy, William Peter Blatty embarked on the novel after he had overheard a case of possession of a young boy. His research was intense (as would be the eventual shoot of the film adaptation), also pulling from his own experiences to some extent – like Father Damien Karras, Blatty had lost his mother recently.

Film director William Friedkin, who would direct The Exorcist, was not a fan of the first screenplay Blatty wrote, though he had read the book, claiming he could not put it down. Friedkin was, of course, looking for the script to match the aggressive vision he had as a filmmaker. Blatty worked his ass off adapting is own book, often 18 hour days, for 9 months or so, but his collaboration with Friedkin would prove a mesmerizing pay-off. Much of the book made the final pages of the screenplay too, some aspects such as Regan MacNeil’s early condition, or her mother Chris’ conflict with the absent father, though present in the film, were explored far more in the book.

When Friedkin finally got the gig to direct, The French Connection was being distributed, and would go on to win Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards. There was some hesitation when hiring the director, names like Stanley Kubrick and Mike Nichols were in the mix but never amounted to anything committal. Friedkin was determined to make this picture, and eventual producer Blatty was also firmly in his corner.

There was, too, plenty of resistance in the casting process. Audrey Hepburn was approached to play Chris MacNeil, the mother, but wanted to shoot in Rome where she was residing at the time. No thanks, said Friedkin. Anne Bancroft was also a contender had she not been pregnant at the time. The delay in casting Ellen Burstyn, who really wanted this part, was basically down to her lack of star power at the time. Some things never change in the film industry.

Friedkin and Blatty stood by their resolute, artistic instincts. The director took a rather unstoppable grip of the production, he was himself a man possessed, pushing many around him to the limits. Burstyn and Linda Blair, who plays Regan, both suffered injuries during the grueling shoot, in which the director, and in instruction to stunt crew, was not afraid to be heavy-handed. Remember the scene when Jason Miller as Karras is startled by the phones ringing? That’s his reaction is to Friedkin firing a gun. You watch the reactions of the performers, so authentic in the way they are thrown to the ground or scared out of their wits. I mean, do you think that is Linda Blair thrashing around on the bed by herself? Of course not.

The opening sequence in Iraq, were locals are actually digging up heads of statues, was an extremely enduring shoot given the heat. Another section of the film that Freidkin restored when others resisted. Incidentally, the shot of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) arriving at the house was inspired by the director seeing René Magritte’s painting Empire of Light in New York.

To this end, in all aspects of film production, I have always seen The Exorcist as a masterpiece of technical prowess. Even the seemingly simplest of techniques, were bees are used to omit a terrifying buzz, or the twisting of a leather wallet providing the creepy creaks of a head turning. There were no no computer generated effects back then, not like today. No, this was much more a case of excellence in mechanics, artistry, rigging, innovation.

There are not many that are now aware that Regan’s vomit was actually pea soup. Maybe few know that the visible cold breath coming from the actors towards the end of the movie is not special effects as we know it, but rather the results of completely refrigerating Regan’s room – there was a second set of the room built specifically for this purpose.

The impact of such a determined, attention-to-detail kind of film shoot is an astonishing one to the audience members, like me, no matter how many times you have seen it. The Exorcist is a horror movie to define the genre, yes it is scary whatever you say, but also an accomplishment to put cinematic consummation on a pedestal. Look at the scenes before the true horror makes its mark, those disturbing moments of the examinations on Regan, penetratingly real from the actress Blair, the actual surgeon in character, and reactions of others watching – you can almost feel the pain yourself.

A film of contrasts, not just in the transition from the heat of Iraq to the colder Georgetown, or the children in Halloween costumes on the same street as the nuns whose garments drift in the wind, also the contrasting scenes of sound and silence, lingering moments of contemplation or normalcy, then bursts of horror and despair. The Exorcist is full of them, inspirational to many a horror flick afterwards, but hardly a scratch on the craft from 1973. The implications of the smell coming from Regan as the demon surfaces, superbly executed too by the performers – how often are smells so vividly portrayed on the visual medium?

Funnily enough, 13 year-old Linda Blair struggled with the contact lenses she had to wear, as part of her 4 hours in make-up, but spoke the vulgar lines from the script and the cursing, with ease, shocking the adults more. Rumors that Blair then went into mental decline following the production have been silenced. I mean, it was the brilliant body double Eileen Dietz who went through much of the trauma too. Her’s is the face of the demon Pazuzu, which is subliminally (sublimely) used a couple of times, as well as hauntingly imposed through the face of Regan for a split second in the film’s final act.

In the end, though, beyond bloody masturbation, a gyrating bed, a painstaking exorcism, the film’s backlash for being blasphemous, even the Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences unable to find the courage to award The Exorcist more than the 2 Oscars from 10 nominations, the film triumphs, and continues to do so more than 40 years on.

Let’s not forget, too, the film has a true sense of victory, with Karras surely believing once again, that if evil exists, then so must good. When Father Merrin has almost accepted his last act (Pazuzu draws him in from the opening scenes), Karras throws the possessed Regan to the ground, pounding and pleading the demon out of her, and instead of killing the now free young girl, finds the strength to throw himself out of the window down those stone steps, and to his death. An act of will and courage to defy all evil. The Exorcist, with all its technical mastery, enduring appeal, and cinematic legacy to strive for, even now, is a breathtaking victory in the history of film.

 

GENRE BLAST: Things That Go Bump, III – Fantasy

They run the gamut, from epic film franchises, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the seemingly interminable Star Wars series, to one time mind-bending hallucinations like Adaptation and Metropolis. Of all movie genres, none presents as blank a slate to the filmmaker as the fantasy genre. The best of the lot go further than dressing up a standard good guys vs. bad guys plot with otherworldly characters and settings. They fracture time and space, reference our libraries of mythology and ethics, and take us far outside – or inside – of our hopes, our dreams and nightmares.

Filmed fantasies slyly teach us about ourselves which is likely the reason so many are adapted into philosophical parables we tell our children. They imagine world’s where both affection and fear are immediate and overpowering, and where humor effortlessly shines in some of the most absurd – even the darkest – situations.

It is also the genre that arguably displays true gender parity – we are mesmerized by the the power and influence of female characters like Morgana in the Arthurian legends or Wonder Woman just as much as we are entranced by the antics of Han Solo or Pinocchio.

Fantasy represents the dreams and nightmares that we share to make sense of a difficult and dangerous world. Here are five that imagine the unimaginable:

El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) – Guillermo del Toro (2007)

That del Toro is the contemporary master of the fantasy genre is unquestionable –he has become the 21^st Century version of the brothers Grimm. He also produced and wrote this post Spanish Civil War tale, which is as dark, brutal and, ultimately, as magical as any classic fairy tale that has been retold for centuries. It has all the elements – the young girl and her fantasy world, the evil stepfather, mythical creatures and a set of three tasks. What makes this special is the fullness of the backstory of a world so harsh that it can only be dealt with through phantasmagorical eyes. And what eyes del Toro provides – his vision mixes the horrors of war with the imagination of a child dealing with them. The works of Goya and Picasso’s Guernica trod the same ground with their unflinching imagery of the effects of war, and this modern classic stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

Being John Malkovich – Spike Jonze (1999)

I wish Jonze made more features, especially when he’s paired with writer Charlie Kaufman. Together they drill into the maze of our psyches, wreaking havoc such as they do with “poor” John Malkovich here. It’s an inner mind adventure that examines, twists, pokes in ways we never see – hell, most of us can’t imagine – where a failed puppeteer discovers a portal into a movie star’s mind. That does not even begin to describe the frolics that ensue in this shock-and-awe script that is one of the most original screenplays ever written. John Cusack is the meddler, ably supported by Catherine Keener and a totally un-glam Cameron Diaz, while a good-natured and self-deprecating Malkovich plays himself as he tries to regain control of his mind. Imaginative fun that surprises at every turn.

Excalibur – John Boorman (1981)

Over 70 films based on the same Arthurian Legend that has been examined and interpreted in every medium from literature and art to musical theatre and television. Boorman gives us a very mystical (and very adult-oriented) version, full of magic, philosophy and seduction that is based primarily on Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (written in 1485). With considerable visual assistance from cinematographer Alex Thomson, we are presented with the well-known story of idealism mixed with sorcery in stunningly bravura fashion. Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson and Nicholas Clay play the leads, but the film was also the career launchpad for a generation of Irish actors including Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Ciaran Hinds and Gabriel Byrne. Who ever said mythology can’t be lush, sexy, and inspiring?

Cloud Atlas – The Wachowskis & Tom Tywker (2012)

David Mitchell’s tale of six interwoven stories proposing that individuals’ actions are interconnected across the centuries and continents was deemed as “unfilmable,” but, thankfully, that is not a condition that either Tywker or the Wachowskis seem to recognize. Using a troop of actors playing four to six characters each across time, race and gender lines, the film has pretty much everything – romance, comedy, adventure, discovery, politics, science fiction, artistic struggles…even a hint of cannibalism, all set to a glorious score anchored in the Cloud Atlas Sextet. We leap from story to story and back again, landing into situations already in progress from 1849 to 2321. This is a Chicago-style pizza of a movie – thick, messy and totally satisfying – that polarized audiences and critics, but I believe it will stand the test of time and become regarded as one of the most ambitious and uplifting films ever made.

La belle et la bête (Beauty & the Beast) – Jean Cocteau (1946)

As good as they are, the Disney versions can’t hold a candelabra to Cocteau’s dreamily brilliant version of this 18^th Century fairy tale. Cocteau was primarily a poet, and his film is visual poetry that inventively captures both dread and magic by way of imagery that surpasses any animated or CGI-assisted contemporary retelling of the familiar story. In addition to the sumptuous production values, there is a subtle, adult layer of desire working its way through the fairytale elements that make the tale appealing to all age groups without pandering to any. Cocteau’s companion of 25 years, actor Jean Marais, does triple duty as the Beast, the Prince, and a suitor to Josette Day’s Belle. Cocteau was nearly 60 when he made his version of this “tale as old as time”, his first feature length film, and his maturity and vast experience as avant-garde poet, playwright, artist, set designer, and director imbue a simple fairytale with depth and incomparable beauty.

Things that go bump – be they monsters, phantoms or unreal worlds where we find ourselves in times of trouble – help us cope, explain and, in the final analysis, survive. They all are truly the stuff that dreams are made of.

 Happy Halloween!

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Family Dysfunction

The Greek and I close out our series of 50 films for Halloween with a heavy dose of family values. Light relief? Not if you consider kidnapping, murder, rape, madness, deviance et al as gratifying. Families often suffer in horror movies, these last 5 of our selections are no different.

Frailty (2001)

Bill Paxton, God rest his soul, directed and starred in a psychological thriller back in 2001 named Frailty – and I bet not a lot of people knew that. His first feature behind the camera, Paxton plays an extremely religious man, believing demons walk the Earth disguised as humans, and God has entrusted him to destroy them. His troubled boys are drawn into this web of madness, and the film digs deeper into the horrors of humanity. Matthew McConaughey plays a supporting role, and just about steals the show.

Stoker (2013)

With the excellent Oldboy and Lady Vengeance (to name just two) under his belt, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook has strands of Stokerhorror running through his creative veins. His first English-langauge venture was  back in 2013, gathering an impressive cast headed by Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode. When India Stoker’s father passes, she has to not only contend with her imbalanced mother, but her father’s brother arrives on the scene, imprinting some fear and suspicion into India. And rightly so.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

A Tale of Two Sisters allows me to plug yet another magnetic movie from South Korean cinema. A psychological chiller, brings mental illness and haunting to the table, quite literally it seems as the sisters are reunited into a rather unconventional family environment. As ghosts sporadically visit, and deep, dark secrets come out of the closet, things become decidedly worse. So many twists and turns, and not pleasant ones, I’m sworn to secrecy here by my own recommendation for the movie. Besides, you probably wouldn’t believe me if i told you. Go see it.

Kidnapped (2010)

As I’ve alluded to before, the Spanish certainly know how to inflict quality psychological thrillers on us. Kidnapped opens with an alarming scene of a man being suffocated, setting the scene for what turns out to be a home invasion movie that will likely leave your stomach curdling and your heart racing. The very final scene alone is a gut-wrencher. Encapsulating a string of disturbing events, Kidnapped is quite the traumatic experience, but one that is very difficult to ignore.

Raw (2016)

Well, this has left me all frustrated but for all the right reasons, I guess so… it’s a good thing? ‘Raw’ is an aptly made allegory, keeping thematically tight from beginning to end, albeit tiptoeing unevenly at certain parts that end up heaving under the weight of ill-timed symbolism. And therein lies my problem with the feature. Because it is good. Really good. However, had it not become so self-aware past the slow-burning murmur of the first act, it wouldn’t have forgotten an important point. No matter what, it’s a movie, and movies need some sort of structured narrative, otherwise they become more of a repetitive symbol than circularly symbolic and that tends to detract from the viewer’s enjoyment, hindering the possibility of full-on immersion into the narrative. Which is exactly what happened here. Foregoing motives and reasons in favour of promoting The Idea, ‘Raw’ is a case of visual philosophy more than is an entertaining journey into sexual awakening, establishing personal identity, freedom and discovery which, in itself isn’t a negative, but… if only it had been injected with a couple of familiar cinematic breathers, it could have been so, so much better. Would make for a decent thematic double-bill next to both ‘Let The Right One In’ and ‘Bullhead’. – – – The Greek

So there we have it, the finale of the 50 films for Halloween. As always, comments welcome.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Head Fuck

Yes, these are the horror hybrids that have you scratching your head if only you could locate it. From the sublime, the bonkers, to the head-spinning, time-tossing, can’t-believe-your-eyes motion picture experiences you are unlikely to forget. Now, excuse me while I go take a shower, popped some painkillers, and have a lie down.

Timecrimes (2007)

While the family home journeys through a refurbishment, Héctor casually takes his binoculars to the outside world, a kind of foresty landscape. A girl is seen peeling off her top in the distance. On investigation, he finds the young woman, mysteriously laying there, before being sliced across the arm from nowhere by a man with bandages across his face. Following so far? From here the plot dives into a kind of time loop where Héctor literally finds himself, an alternate him, an hour prior. Spinning your head with the time frame notions, Héctor finds himself being pursued, taking shelter in a nearby building where a scientist attempts to explain what the hell is going on.

Baskin (2015)

One of the most nerve-crawling, surreal horror films we have seen in a long time. A Turkish production directed by Can Evrenol, he based this on his own short film were five police officers inadvertently end up in imminent danger. Having stumbled upon what has been described as a kind of Hell on Earth, the night gets extraordinarily frightening – and it was rather strange when they were just hanging out. Actor Mehmet Cerrahoglu, who suffers from a body-altering skin condition, is ultra-frightening as the leader of the savages that lure them. And just when you catch breath when all the horrific events transpire, well, you best see for yourself.

Cube (1997)

There is a TV game show in the UK called The Cube, where contestants have to complete a series of complex, mind-boggling, physical, skillful challenges inside a cube perimiter. These activities are tough, but not life-ending like those in the 1997 sci-fi horror movie. The cube-shaped rooms here, a kind of doomsday labyrinth Rubix cube, is the venue for a group of strangers who simply have to find their way out. By ‘simply’ I meant good chance of being torn apart, sprayed with acid, unlikely to live basically. Fucked up.

Coherence (2013)

Another directorial debut dabbles in the what-the-fuck, as James Ward Byrkit tells the story of a group of friends getting together for dinner in a time of a potentially world-threatening comet sighting. This is not sci-fi in that sense though, no, that would be too easy. The dinner party soon falls victim to a bewildering discovery of alternate realities, right there in the neighborhood. Putting the clues together, amidst all manner of trust issues and are-they-really-friends bickering, members of the group realize they are also having the same dinner party in other houses. When those realities are crossed, the film becomes an enven more compelling mind fuck than it already was.

Irréversible (2002)

Written and directed by Gaspar Noé, a filmmaker renowned for his disturbing, unfathomable, but vividly displayed story-telling, this monstrous human horror is famous, dare I say, for an enduring rape and battery scene with Monica Bellucci. There’s also a head bashed to a bloody pulp via a fire extinguisher. An extraordinarly thought-provoking, blood-curdling thriller, as Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel head off into the night streets of Paris to find the the culprit. Each of the films segments, though, are shown in reverse order, so while our heads swirl with the camera, we also have the dread of knowing what is coming to some extent. The thumping score composed by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk is also an admirable nightmare. Irréversible is the mother of mind fucks in modern cinema, I personally was distraught watching some of this. You might just hate yourself for not hating this.

If you’re well enough to come back and talk about these movies then please let us know your warped thoughts in the comments below.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Women Scorned

I’m not here, as a man, to endorse the poor treatment of women, only to scan over how it does form a strong source of some horror stories. These 5 films might just fit into that category, but these women fight right back – with knives, razor-sharp wire, guns, but also with their courage, strong-will, and a ravenous taste for pure revenge.

What Happened to Monday (2017)

The bad: A directorial mess, convenient (re: lazy) writing, exquisite premise left sorely unexplored, Close looks bored, Dafoe is barely in it, the hook promises one thing but the movie itself delivers something all together different. Don’t fall for it like I did – if you’re expecting a meaty exploration of a dark, futuristic possibility, you won’t get it. Instead, you’ll be served an action movie as generic as the size of its many, many plot-holes. The good: If you can ignore all of the above, it’s not a bad action movie. Average, with some intensely boring and unnecessary scenes being balanced by decent kicking-ass bleakness — and Rapace nailing 4 out of the 7 characters she plays. Bottom line: If you are fully aware of what you’re about to see (instead of what you’d hope for), do it. It’s not going to make you a better person for having watched it but, eh, it’s a passable time-waster so, sure, by all means. – – – The Greek

Bedevilled (2010)

For those of us outside of South Korea, the poster and the literal translation of the movie Bedevilled doesn’t so much give away the film’s climax, but rather sets a different scene as you go into it. Regardless, nothing changes the sheer excellence of this picture, Jang Cheol-soo’s first feature as director, in all its harrowing, upsetting progress. Two old friends are reunited, one from the big city, the other in an abusive rural community. As friends there is a bitterness, and lost companionship, but in their own individual lives a huge gulf and longing to escape. But this comes with a bloody price, and even amidst the violent backlash, you carry a strong bond with Bok-nam as she lashes her way to potential liberation – the devastatingly good turn from Seo Young-hee only fuels your support.

The Skin I Live In (2011)

One of Pedro Almodóvar’s darkest tales, and perhaps the closest he has got to the horror genre. The Skin I Live In has career high performances from the likes of Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, and Marisa Paredes, in a retelling of sorts of the man creates woman and pays the price as woman inherits the world story. Well, I said sort of. While pretty brutal and raw in its execution, the picture is so tranquil and under-stated it becomes more skin-crawling than many horror films that rely on screams and monsters. Watch it with Ex Machina, and then debate until the sun comes up.

Audition (1999)

Audition comes in two parts that I took away with me having experienced this Japanese horror film. The plot centers around a man decides to stage auditions with many women in an attempt to perhaps find a new wife, and that’s the majority of the film. What really establishes itself well through pacing and intrigue, Audition takes a rather shocking turn when the widower meets Asami. Sure, love could be in the air for him here, but there’s a whole lot more to this than what the eye of the beholder sets upon, regardless of what your heart tells you. I’d day be prepared for how this evolves, but I am not certain how you possibly could.

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

Once upon a time know as Day of the Woman, the 1978 rape-revenge horror I Spit on Your Grave, whatever many would say of its horrific violence and treatment to women, carries a very strong message. The film was banned for obvious reasons, and hated by many, as our protagonist Jennifer is gang raped by four men, leaving her mutilated and near-dead. The ultimate retribution in such a brutal discourse is that she tracks down these bastards and inflicts on them their own painful end one at a time. The dreadful remake in 2010, not only misses the boat in place of torture porn but will never garner the cult reputation of the original.

What are you views on the vengeful women chunk of the horror genre? Comments welcome below.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Funny That

What do you mean there is nothing funny about a pregnant slasher? Or zombies in a classical literary setting? Or a kind of vampire The Real World? Or severed heads in the fridge? Where the hell is your sense of humor? These 5 “horror” movies blend in wit, satire, back comedy, genuine laughs, and, well, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Murder Party (2007)

So we’ll start with a Halloween party you’d never attend if you knew what was to transpire. Not to say that it had bloodbath on the invitation, nor is there much trick or treat about this. Still, there is something comical about the throw-away gore that erupts from the party of the title. So many wicked costumes here (cheerleader, werewolf, Pris from Blade Runner), and some rather inventive, and accidental deaths too, but the film, as silly as it might get, carries itself to the gruesome finish line largely thanks to the rather ludicrous, witty exchanges.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

With all the nonsense, repetition and unimportance of our reality TV culture, a forced knowledge of the popular platform goes some way to allow What We Do in the Shadows to work as a familiar, but refreshing take. The comedy portraying horror characters, vampires, in their every day lives, living together, socializing etc. They are ordinary folk, this and their naive, sometimes awkward way of life, provide splashes of humor – a quirky, eccentric bunch, with idiosyncrasies like you or I, just a different occupation. Quick-witted, accessible in its writing and directing, this is a vampire movie like no other.

The Voices (2014)

That Ryan Reynolds character seems to be a nice guy. Oh wait, he is a little odd, an outcast maybe, could just be lonely. His crush on Gemma Arterton won’t come to anything. Oh look, she agrees to hang out with him. This could be happy every after – whoa! There goes her head. And he’s putting it in the fridge. And now its talking. Well, this is new. Er, Anna Kendrick, probably not a good idea to get too attached to Reynolds, I mean, talking pets, bloody secrets. And there goes her head too. Oh my. And yet, in spite of this psychotic fellow, I am somehow sympathetic towards him by the end. Wow, great dance number to close the show.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Doing exactly what it says on the tin, this classic literature, flesh-eating hybrid is actually a lot of fun. Fans of, or even those familiar with, Jane Austen, and that romantic, public responsibility way of life, will easily spot the alternative, parodied references to the etiquette and rigidness of that society. The fight sequences are all well and good, we’ve seen it all before, but perhaps not quite with this form of sartorial range. See it with a pinch of salt, too much of a good time to be had here to be a snob about it.

Prevenge (2016)

Alice Lowe’s directorial debut, in which she also writes and plays the lead, is a deftly comic look at not only the violent impulses perhaps women ought to express on the fucktard of the male species, this also forms a kind of satire of pregnancy that might just ring true. Lowe is simply perfect in the central role, expressing her own dialogue so naturally, there’s a strong chance you’ll not only see her point of view in all this madness, but you might actually side with the murderess, even before the end.

Hilarious horror is an important segment of the genre, which chilling chucklefests are you a fan of – comment away.

Frankenstein and The Cinematic Legacy of Man as Creator

It was a “wet ungenial summer” in Geneva when the 18-year-old daughter of a political philosopher and a feminist author suggested to her lover and other acquaintances (including Lord Byron) that they write ghost stories. As a result, this young woman would unleash on the world a tale which terrified and captivated in equal measure.

I’m talking, of course, about Frankenstein. There was no way that Mary Shelley could know the cultural legacy her creation would have on the entire world. Cinematically, it has inspired countless films, loose adaptations riffing on the Frankenstein theme (even pop artist Andy Warhol had a go with Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, starring Udo Kier). And although the creature created by Victor Frankenstein started life without a proper name, after Universal Pictures rolled out their iconic film in 1931 he would become identified as “Frankenstein” in the public consciousness (there are debates as to whether he can/should be identified as “Frankenstein”- the ball’s in your court on this one). Moreover, Boris Karloff’s iconic creature became typified as the creature: heavy eyelids, heavily sutured, flat head, bolts through the neck. So iconic is the creature of Victor Frankenstein that in 1997 “Frankenstein Friday” was created. Traditionally falling on the last Friday of October, “Frankenstein Friday” celebrates all things Frankenstein and is a great run-up to Halloween.

But what about the conceptual legacy of Mary Shelley’s work and the idea of man creating life in a laboratory? Over the years, Hollywood has brought us some surprising riffs on the concept of man-made creation in various forms. Here are just some of the films which tip the hat to the concept of man as creator of biological (and/or artificial) life:

Weird Science (1985) – – – With more a locker room shove than a subtle wink to Frankenstein, Weird Science sees two unpopular teens creating their ‘perfect woman’, thanks to early 80’s computing power (and a bizarre table set-up which involves The Game of Life, candles…and bras on their heads). As with all John Hughes teen films, hijinks ensue, complete with catchy Oingo Boingo theme song. It’s not a film that stands up well compared to the rest of John Hughes’ back catalogue, but shows how the concept of man creating (wo)man can translate into more contemporary scenarios.

Ex Machina (2014) – – – As technology has progressed, the concept of man as creator has progressed as well. Oscar Isaac’s “Nathan”, like Weird Science’s Wyatt and Gary, chose to create a virtual woman, albeit more sophisticated and advanced in design.

Ex Machina is rich in allegory, from the biblical through to recitation of parts of the Bhagavad Gita; just as Frankenstein’s creature in the novel reads Paradise Lost, the epic poem about the Biblical Fall of Man. And just like with Frankenstein, it will be the creation that has the upper hand- Ava has benefitted from Nathan’s need for brilliance and genius, because he has imbued her with the very knowledge she needs to succeed upon her escape. Caleb, too, falls into the trap, with Ava using his role as the human in the Turing Test to her advantage. Thus, she has cleverly outwitted the one who created her, and used the human component of the Turing Test as a guinea pig.

It is Nathan’s desire to play God that ultimately leads to his destruction. As he says to Caleb: “If you’ve created a conscious machine, it’s not the history of man. That’s the history of gods”. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with creating life and playing God also led to his destruction, as well as the ultimate destruction of his creature. Nathan will also muse: “One day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction.”

Alien: Covenant (2017) – – – I could wax lyrical about the role of the Engineers in man’s creation, according to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, but then that would take us off on another (albeit equally interesting) tangent. For me, the cinematic concept of man as creator of life (and thus the legacy of Frankenstein) takes a very interesting turn in Alien: Covenant. David, originally created by Peter Weyland, is one-of-a-kind, compared to his mass-produced counterpart, Walter. And as an original, stranded on LV-223 when the crew of the Covenant discover him, he has become a creator himself. He has been maniacally experimenting with the alien beings on LV-223, as well as being able to outwit the remaining Covenant crew by pretending to be Walter and coming aboard the ship…taking alien embryos for storage with him. Weyland created David. David experiments with alien life, meaning to destroy the species who were responsible for his very creation.

Although these are just a fraction of the films which riff on man as creator (see also films like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Blade Runner, etc), it’s a theme which has continued to intrigue audiences and filmmakers alike. Man as creator is a theme which has resonated since before Mary Shelley penned her pivotal novel, but the question now is: given this theme and the consequences shown in these films…what next for society outside of the cinema?

 

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Cursed Be

There’s nothing like a possession to disrupt a wedding, or indeed a congregation. Could be supernatural, could be a curse, likely unable to explain all the same. The next 5 films for Halloween carry with the weight of enigma, of body control, of actions outside of the remit of natural human forces.

Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)

An extremely popular reception in Cannes in 1961, Mother Joan of the Angels is rife with visual imagery and powerful story-telling, as the subject of nuns being possessed gets an exhilarating portrayal. Filmed with such grit, the characters, even those enraptured, struggle with the harrowing change of circumstances around them. Fine performances, exquisite direction, vivid cinematography, Mother Joan of the Angels is still alarming to watch today, a testament to chilling filmmaking, could well teach a thing or two to the modern horror auteurs often struggling to make an impact with tales of religion and possession.

Demon (2015)

Piotr and Zaneta are about to be married, but when he finds a skeleton just prior to the wedding he begins to act strangely, seeing a mysterious woman named Hana, before having a seizure. It seems he is being possessed, and some of the close friends and family try to keep the reception somewhat in the dark so not to panic them. The film takes on an even sadder reputation given that Polish director Marcin Wrona committed suicide in a hotel room during a film festival in Gdynia.

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

The found footage sub-genre of horror can be especially effective when depicting events of the supernatural variety, given the restrictive physical viewpoint and still unique human point of view. Noroi: The Curse follows this spooky format well, utilizing an actual expert of the paranormal disappearing while making his new documentary. Watching the footage is a compelling experience, even in its slow-burning moments rather than relying on the over-used jump scare tactics. The spooks are held behind closed doors here effectively, and there’s enough creaking and prying as we build to the revelatory final act.

The Wailing (2016)

As dire events take hold of a community, the notion of possible entities of the unexplained being responsible is a lot to swallow. Another brilliant film from South Korea, The Wailing handles elements of horror and mystery in lean fashion, there’s no fat on this meat. There’s even emotive moments of humanity, never diluting the overall tone of the picture, and still remaining a spooky slice of abstract horror. Paced perfectly too, changes in the film’s narrative strands and dramatic levels never hinder from the constant ruffling of your nerves.

The Witch (2015)

Robert Eggers brought a fresh, genuinely eerie take on the folk tale. A tale of witches as the title might well suggest. But that’s not all, nor is a significant part of the main story, which focuses on a banished family, about to be undone by forces from the forest. The Witch is like a breath of fresh air, often painfully poised, the narrative lingers through unfathomable events, and soon enough the family begin to crumble within themselves. A fine example that horror can be subtle, and provide an impact worthy of the genre.

Comment below to let us know what possesses you in regard to great horror stories.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – High Tension

This will not include the movie High Tension that was featured in last year’s Halloween 50, but delivers another 5 films in the same vein that ought to make up some of your binge-watching over the next few days. Entrapment, murder, secrets, deception, danger, outbreaks, twisted folk, that is all here at the very least. Take a look.

The Invisible Guest (2016)

The Greek and I welcome an abundance of Spanish suspense / thrillers / horrors. The first of two on this list is an edge-of-your-seat crime kaleidoscope, packing punches in intrigue, suspicion, as well as story-appropriate twists and turns. When a successful young businessman is the prime suspect of the murder of the woman he was having an affair with, he is forced to be interrogated by a hot-shot defense lawyer, unraveling the many bumps along to the way to the imminent truth. The film leaps back and forth, forming a puzzle so complex we fail to see the finale coming. To reveal details here would do your own viewing a injustice, so go see it now.

The Hidden Face (2011)

The second Spanish (well, Colombian) movie easily making the high tension list, The Hidden Face, is a riveting experience as a motion picture, but also a kind of warning about looking after the key to a secret, secure room should you wish to install one in your home. As a relationship ends, the woman seems to disappear, and while the man quickly finds himself in bed with a new flame, investigations begin. Through the sharp, intelligent script, and direction, the film reveals the origin of the bunker, as well as the events leading up the the missing woman. The chilling circumstances, and unveiled secrets, cause much tension, literally rippling the waters.

Wait Until Dark (1967)

Terence Young’s Wait Until Dark is good old-fashioned psychological thriller that were a common commodity during the 1950s and 60s. Pressing at the senses and nerves, the film portrays a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) subject to some suspicious investigation from a band of men in search of missing drugs. Taking advantage of her blindness, in her own apartment, they pose as decent, law-abiding folk as a ploy. Alan Arkin dons multiple guises here, pulling off a kind over danger over comedy, and Hepburn is terrific, earning an Oscar nomination to boot.

Pontypool (2008)

Canadian quarantine horror Pontypool is a small town terror tale with a difference. Taking place in the local radio station where staff members tend not to get along, but all is forgotten when there’s an unknown viral outbreak during a heavy blizzard. A clever twist on the human self-destruction format, this is a super-tense and subtle chiller, not only having he carnage heard but not seen, but also traveling the infection through English language words and phrases (like terms of endearment for example). The world outside the four walls of the radio station is in utter chaos, but the suspense and fear from within is admirably captured.

A Cure for Wellness (2016)

A Cure for Wellness is hardly a recommended viewing for medicinal purpose, but there sure is plenty to get caught up in. Intriguing, disturbing, and a dark picture that’ll keep you guessing and squirming in your seat. A enigmatic care home of sorts is the primary setting as Dane DeHaan sets out to locate a fellow employee. Sinister Jason Isaacs and ethereal Mia Goth hold great support as, of course, a mere day out of the office is anything but straight forward. And leaving such a rehabilitation establishment proves, in classic horror discourse, to be near-impossible.

So high tension is an essential formula of the horror genre, please share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – I’m A Creep

Multiple personalities. Behaving inappropriately. Getting into someone else’s bed. Wielding an axe. Watching people from afar. Murderous tendencies. Kidnapping girls. What a bunch of creeps. Here are 5 more films for Halloween to creep you out a little.

Monsieur Hire (1989)

Michel Blanc’s central performance as the Monsieur Hire of the title in Patrice Leconte’s acclaimed drama gives all the vibes of a mysterious, creepy individual. He also portrays the lonely man as a vulnerable, isolated figure. Still, components of a man our perceptions are suspiciously drawn to, especially when he spends spells watching the object of his affection, played by Sandrine Bonnaire, through his apartment window. With a cunning inspector on his case following a local murder, Hire’s life is about to unravel out of the dark somewhat.

Creep (2014)

Mark Duplass is something of an under-rated entity in the film (and TV world), a kind of unorthodox every-man, popping up in all manner of drama-comedies. His more unusual side shines skin-crawlingly brright in 2014’s aptly titled Creep. A found footage horror film of sorts, Creep follows Josef as he hires someone to video him for his unborn son. Or so he claims. The unlucky Aaron finds himself recording someone who is now quite all there – Josef consistently jump scares his guest, also insisting he keep filming while he takes a bath, or demonstrates his werewolf mask named Peachfuzz. Compellingly eerie, more so as the film progress, as revelations come to light, Creep lives up to its simple title without a doubt.

Another Evil (2016)

Another Evil is, simply put, wonderful. Transcending genres efficiently is a marvel to behold, one many world-famous, well-respected directors and writers frequently strive for — only to have the end result crumble within itself under the weight of what they couldn’t, ultimately, achieve in a realistic way. Well. Not in this case, let me tell you that. The comedy progressively darkens, the story organically shifts, morphs, setting a sense of uneasy and upcoming dread so naturally, the viewer would be hard-pressed to notice that they’re actually slowly sliding towards the edge of their seat. A Ghost Story, you say? Nah, not even close. Speaking in “American” terms, the Healeys and the Duplasses, the Batemans and the Kellys, the Kwans and Scheinerts; they’re the ones I want to be looking at, that’s where I want to be. And now, Carson D. Mell, a brand new, exciting addition to have to look forward to. Good times. Good times. I just wish White Knight Os would exist in Lowery’s universe just so he could at least attempt to exorcise Rapey Affleck (That goofball!) and his cloven hoof before the filming of that mess was ever even in the cards. – – – The Greek

Sleep Tight (2011)

Disturbing Spanish drama Sleep Tight is another example of how the Greek and I have soon become a fan of actor Luis Tosar. Voicing a concern to be happy, his character here works at a hotel, wedging a disruption into the happiness of others. His lingering current target, a young woman staying at the hotel, means he has his wok cut out a little – his creepiness comes in the form of tampering with things in her apartment, but more pressingly creeping into her bed (or under it) while she sleeps. I won’t spoil this here, but the escalation of such troubling personal affairs is well worth your viewing time.

Split (2016)

Watching this did not make me think Shyamalan is “back”, or has vastly improved or something along those lines. If anything, it all strikes me as a tad ‘samey’. Even on the back of good cinematography, the movie itself suffers from atmospheric deprivation, ill-timed and unfocused characterization framing, a complete absence of story foundation and cringeworthy, cheap, try-hard attempts at distracting the viewer into the supposed twists instead of purposefully diverting us into them. James McAvoy is superb. As it stands, miraculously and above its many, many shortcomings, Split does work — on the shoulders of its protagonist. That is not to say that Anya Taylor-Joy is not worthy, she also has to be mentioned with praise, however, I found her budding talent severely underused here and her performance caged within the screenwriting confines of a shadowed, mismanaged backstory and character stagnancy. tl;dr: Woman or man, watch this and James McAvoy will get you pregnant. Salud! – – – The Greek

So which films depict weirdos so well? Which films truly creep you out? Comments always welcome.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – There Will Be Blood

To be spilled, to be spattered, to be in excess, to be shimmering even in black and white, to leave an impossible stain on your clothing. Blood is the name of the game with the next 5 films for Halloween, and indeed the driving force of these narratives, be it viral, explicit, for revenge, for greed. The Greek and I both recommend the following.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Try as I might, the only reason I can find against crowning this lean, tight and concise project with a rare 5-star rating is the fact that Emile Hirsch’s vague facial resemblance to Jack Black threw me off at certain points. Seriously. That’s it. Needless to say, that’s not enough of a basis. – – – The Greek

Train to Busan (2016)

The title is a real spoiler here, the majority of the action taking place on that very train on its way to Busan. Thankfully, what the movie’s name doesn’t indicate is the explosive events that very soon occur on said train. For sure, this journey turns out to be the last for many, as an outbreak of zombilific proportions erupts through the confinement of the moving carriages. Imminent death, bloodshed, ultimate human fear, all collide with mesmerizing energy, if you think you have time to catch your breath, think again. A modern horror masterpiece, a one of many excellent films out of South Korea in 2016, Train to Busan also boasts some genuine heat and soul amidst the mayhem.

The Belko Experiment (2016)

Axe meet Face. Face meet A…
Face? What is… Face where ar…
F… Face?
……….
…Face…?
……….
Rude.

I didn’t come here for the production value. It’s not the possibility of thrilling character progression, mind-bending plot development, or even the potential of exciting performances that lured me in. Sometimes, I hit ‘play’ looking for blood. And blood I fucking got. – – – The Greek

American Mary (2012)

You’d be slightly misunderstood if you, like me, went into this expecting a trashy, meaningless horror flick. Katharine Isabelle’s Mary is an ambitious medical student, who takes her surgical skills to a new, rather unethical, outlet. Sister Jen and Sylvia Soska wrote and directed this unusual, gushingly bloody, but somehow relevant movie where body image might be concerned. And even amidst the graphic violence there’s a clear-as-day gesture to women’s liberation.

The Eyes of My Mother (2016)

Nicolas Pesce’s directorial debut as a writer-director (and editor) is a lingering, penetrating little chiller, displayed across the screen with such panache and beauty largely thanks to the black-and-white cinematography of Zach Kuperstein. The rural, farm-house-set tale is gory, eerie, and genuinely scary, as Francisca’s lifestyle appears to revolve around an inability to let go (literally) of her mother and father. Theres home invasion, massacre, eyeballs removed, kidnapping of a young mother, mutilation, body preservation. A true horror delight you might say, all the more surreal and intelligent as much of the violence is off-screen, so you can let your imagination run wild – like you have a choice.

Let us know your thoughts on these movies when you have seen them, as well as recommending your own blood and guts must-sees, in the comments below.

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Oh The Horror

Okay let’s shovel some of the shit out of the way, with a selection of five horror movies we love to hate. Awful writing, terrible acting, ridiculous direction, laughable plots, unsurprising twists. The list goes on, but some of this garbage will have you rolling in the aisles or therapeutically enraged. And for those reasons alone, these are highly recommended by The Greek and I.

Smiley (2012)

I was going to type a whole bunch of negative stuff about this but whatever, it’s not worth it and who cares. The condensed version. Shane (Shanaynay being the peak of his acting career) should change his name to Shame Dawson, Toby should never try acting off script again, and the rest can stay in Smiley‘s universe because that’s as good as it’s ever gonna get for them. Way to cash in on the subscribers, though. Truly cringeworthy waste of time. – – – The Greek

Apartment 1303 3D (2012)

The one dimensional plot (I am so generous) is likely the most, how can I say, interesting, no, familiar thing about this. The familiarity comes from the standard, and poor execution of, horror conventions associated with a haunted house, only this time it is an apartment. One character drives the plot by talking to herself excessively, everyone tends to over-react to the simplest of things, as well as that pouty, lanky chick from The O.C. reminding us of her bottom tier acting – like we had forgotten. Ludicrous and humorous in all the wrong places.

Wishmaster (1997)

This is so bad, so incredibly bad that… just… I freaking love it! No matter the time, place, mood or whatever, I could watch this and just completely trip away from my troubles, so hilariously awful that this… effort is. I won’t grace it with stars since, on the serious side, it deserves none. As a personal experience though, this gets 6 out of 5, three thumbs up, about 13 Oscars — and why not throw in a Grammy for good measure. My slow applause as I stand in thankful ovation. – – – The Greek

The Traveler (2010)

Val Kilmer is the title character, who strolls into a police station in the middle of nowhere (obviously), without a care in the world. Events soon take a bloody turn, as one-by-one the law enforcers become victims of their own unethical justice. The most horrifying aspect of this gruesome chucklefest is Kilmer’s complete lack of emotion, his bag-of-flour posture, not to mention his golden locks of hair and somehow managing to keep a straight face through all of this. Impressive. And I say that lightly.

The Wicker Man (2006)

When Nic Cage famously screams “how’d it get burnt?!” in unmatchably cruddy fashion, one could be forgiven for assuming he could be referring to the movie’s script. That’s, of course, now all that is very wrong with this mess. The classic 1973 chiller didn’t need a remake for one, the rest of this unintended horror parody makes a mockery of the tale’s eerie community and their ritualistic ways, fails to control it’s own shambolic tone, but does add value to Cage’s hysterical filmography. Watch this for the kicks, then stick on the brilliant original to restore order to the universe.

Comment below with your takes on these, and why not add your own crummy horrors to the mix – plenty to choose from.

The State Of LGBTQ+ Horror

As a gay male who loves watching horror movies, there is one thing that keeps occurring to me. I’ve noticed that there aren’t many horror movies centering around LGBTQ+ people which is not shocking, given the state of queer characters in all genres, yet it is rather unfortunate.

One horror film I can think of which depicts openly gay characters as the main protagonists is a 2004 slasher film called Hellbent. The film depicts a bunch of gay friends going out in West Hollywood on Halloween night only for them to slowly get picked off one by one by a masked psychopath. Hellbent is rather progressive because of how it depicts gay people as the protagonists without ever politicizing them or reducing them to tokenistic tendencies. But because it barely made a blip at the box office ($183,066 total), producers evidently got the idea that there isn’t an audience for queer horror films. To me, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The only other times I can think of where openly queer people have been depicted in horror cinema are when they’re depicted as villains. Not only that, but they either are portrayed as mentally ill or have psychosexual motivations. For example, in High Tension, the character of Marie (Cecile De France) who’s a lesbian goes to the countryside with her friend Alex, who she has a crush on, to spend time with her and her family only for a psychotic trucker to disrupt their tranquility. After the trucker kidnaps Alex and kills her family, it is up to Marie to save her.

**major spoilers ahead**

But it is revealed that Marie herself is the killer and the trucker is just a split personality. It turns out that it was Marie who killed Alex’s family so that they wouldn’t come between her and Alex and kidnapped Alex to try and keep her for herself. In hindsight, High Tension proved to be a missed opportunity. If they had left out the twist of Marie being the killer, Marie would still be a strong-willed and more dignified character. Even though her crush Alex doesn’t share the same feelings since she likes guys, by having Marie try to save her without her ending up being the killer, she would’ve been a more progressive depiction of a queer character in a slasher film the way the characters in Hellbent were. In a genre where queer people are nearly invisible, I found the way that Marie was depicted to be rather harmful.

While the 1983 slasher film Sleepaway Camp may have fun B-movie value, even that film is still guilty of presenting harmful tropes. In the end, it is not only revealed that Angela Baker (Felissa Rose), the main protagonist, is the killer but it is also revealed that Angela is actually Peter, Angela’s brother, who has been passing as a girl and forced to live as a girl against his will by his aunt. For further proof of how transgendered people are presented in a harmful manner, look at Psycho. When Norman Bates kills people, he does it when dressed in women’s clothing to show how insane he is.

Even though it isn’t a feature film, one film that depicts openly gay characters in a more positive manner that I would recommend viewing is an episode of the anthology series “Masters Of Horror” known as Sick Girl. The episode depicts an entomologist named Ida Teeter (Angela Bettis) who falls for a woman named Misty (Erin Brown). But as their relationship quickly blossoms, it becomes disrupted by an unknown mantis-type insect. Aside from a scene where Ida is being chastised by her bigoted landlady Lana (Marcia Bennett), Ida isn’t completely defined by her sexuality which is a good thing. Apparently, the character of Ida was originally written as a male and named “Ira.” But it’s good that the gender was changed because it shows that Ida is not just a great gay character or a great female character. She’s a great character in general and those are the kind I want to see. I want to see more LGBTQ+ characters that aren’t defined by their sexuality just like how I want to see characters played by people of color that aren’t defined by their race.

I have a feeling people will ask “Why is it so important for a film’s character to be gay?” or “Why are you trying to force your gay agenda?” Well, because the film industry has a responsibility to reflect the diverse world we live in. It also has a responsibility to reflect particular communities, like the LGBTQIA+ community, in a positive manner. To show that not all lesbians are obsessive stalkers like Marie from High Tension and not all trans people are psychotic like Angela from Sleepaway Camp.

To explain why it is so important, I’ll just give my own personal introduction to queer cinema in general. The first films I watched that depicted queer people at the forefront were Philadelphia, Boys Don’t Cry, and Brokeback Mountain. Because those films depicted the plight of the queer community, I was given the assumption that being gay was a negative experience. That was until I discovered films like Carol, Weekend, The Way He Looks, and Tangerine which provide a more positive experience and made me realize that being gay isn’t shameful. So, what’s reflected on screen does matter.

Even though Hellbent isn’t a perfect film and in fact is rather cheesy, I still think it deserves credit for putting gay characters front and center in a genre that often ignores them. Hopefully, it doesn’t have to feel anomalous in the future.

 

50 Films For Halloween ’17 – Children Of The Revolution

We simply could not resist delving into the horror binge this year, the wife and I, as we hover ever closer to Halloween. The 50 films we kind of showcase here, come in 10 parts, and a mixed bag of genres. They are not all all out horrors, sure, nor are they all classics. All worth a mention though. Every film in the 50 the wife and I have seen, but it will be the majority of my words you’re about to read, though my dear Greek kicks things off as we wander through the stories of children, a horror staple.

El Orfanato (2007)

Coming to us through the sharp viewpoint of Juan Antonio Bayona, and clearly influenced by the earlier work of the movie’s very own producer, Guillermo Del Toro, The Orphanage is a tightly shot, lean début movie, daring to throw a brand new, steel spanner in the works of age-old horror banalités, breaking the rulebook’s cogs to thriller-truism oblivion. Scary kid-ghosts? Check! Spooky house that seems coming to life into a character of its own? Check! A history drenched in blood returning to haunt the present with its claim in revenge? Yeah, we’ll go ahead and double-check that one. But do we once get bored of the same-ol’ terror-inducing techniques? Absolutely not since… they’re hardly present. We watch our heroine embark on a challenging journey, with no comedy to juxtapose her tragedy, no sort of relief, no end of torment in sight. Still, even as the walls start closing in around her in a most claustrophobic way, even as our chests tighten with the need for release, in filmmaking brilliance, we remain right there with her. We stay by her side, gripping the edge of the passenger’s seat with might as the Past melts into the Present, as Today itself frays away, threading its path into emotional limbo. We hold her hand and gasp for breath, with nothing left to do but seek to shield ourselves mentally against the dreaded jump-scare… that never comes. Because the film is far more profound and complex than to bid us farewell with a widely predicted extravagance of horror. Because Laura’s multilayered, gothic fairytale deserves more respect. Because El Orfanato is better than that. – – – The Greek

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Peter Weir has always resonated with me, even when watching his films as a kid. Films of troubled folk, spread through varied landscapes and life events, but never without a kind of serene beauty somehow. Weir is also one of the masters of the final sequence, his last moments often linger longer after you even realize. Picnic at Hanging Rock is no different, his ethereal masterpiece, like an uncomfortable but enticing dream shadowing the mysteries of reality. This is haunting for sure, so brilliant, so vivid, so tragic, you never really wake up from this.

The Boy (2016)

Is it a doll? Is it a boy? A house of intrigue and strange goings-on awaits our protagonist, who has certainly attracted more than she bargained for with this once simple babysitting gig. Depending on your disposition here, this might be the kind of throw-away horror picture you fancy, it might well be up your street – I can pretty much guarantee that you will chuckle from time to time, question the acting, and see most of the plot twists a mile off. So my advice, see it with a pinch of salt, but hold your expectations. We’ve all seen far worse than this, so give it a shot.

Évolution (2015)

Lucile Hadžihalilović’s surreal French horror is both inviting and captivating in all its beautiful and startling images. Set by the sea where only women and boys appear to dwell, a red stafish soon becomes more memorable than the dead boy that introduced it. Évolution is a clinical, mysterious thriller, the unknown journey it takes you on is a huge part of its, well, not sure if charm is the right word, but well worth the experience.

Orphan (2009)

Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard are in a breaking marriage, in fact with their two troubled children, the family as a whole is fragile following the tragic loss of the third child. Adopting 9 year-old Esther, an orphan from Russia, is intended to glue some of the cracks together of the family. Of course, this girl is revealed to be bad news, very bad news. As suspicions grow, as do the horrific events, as the cunning Esther does what she has to do to cover her tracks. Isabelle Fuhrman is extraordinary here, demonstrating a truly sinister presence, portraying a child with a pretend innocence and a figure of chilling maturity.

Let us know if and when you have seen these films, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.