St. Vincent - Cruel

This is a fantastic and dark video that I just fell in love with.

An interview with the directors for the video from a year ago can be found here:
http://pitchfork.com/features/directors-cut/8683-st-vincent-cruel/

"Truly simpatico music video director/artist pairings, like Spike Jonze and Beastie Boys or Michel Gondry and the White Stripes, don't occur that often. But the directing team Terri Timely (aka Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey) and St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) have a good streak going with their three collaborative clips: "Actor Out of Work", "Marrow", and their newest and best video, "Cruel". Kibbey and Creasey's manicured, creepy, and deadpan style is a perfect fit for Clark's studiously composed yet off-kilter music, where danger always seems to lurk just beyond the next spazzy guitar solo. "Cruel" is a comedy of horrors in which Clark is kidnapped by a mom-starved family, who proceed to torment the singer before sending her to an early grave. Literally. Terri Timely talked to us about manure, twisted little girls, and reinventing the music-video guitar solo."

Watching horror in the theater

The recent buzz-and-grumble about V/H/S got me thinking a bit. People were saying that it's not worth seeing in the theater due to the hand held cam scenes and the general nature of the production. However, I disagree. I think that films like V/H/S and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY should be seen in a theater and that the experience is drastically different when sitting in the dark with other people in a theater - even a theater that only has 11 other people in it.

The movie MATINEE (1993) had a great scene in it where John Goodman talked about cave drawings and the social aspect of people getting scared about something together.




-

Lawrence Woolsey: A zillion years ago, a guy's living in a cave. He goes out one day, Bam! He gets chased by a mammoth. Now he's scared to death, but he gets away. And when it's all over with, he feels great.
Gene Loomis: Well yeah, 'cause he's still living.
Lawrence Woolsey: Yeah, but he knows he is. And he feels it. So he goes home, back to the cave, the first thing he does,
[Waving his hand on a brick wall to show cave-drawing of Woolly Mammoth]
Lawrence Woolsey: ... he does a drawing of the mammoth. And he thinks, "People are coming to see this. Let's make it good. Let's make the teeth real long, and the eyes real mean."
 

[Animated sequence of roaring Woolly Mammoth, squashed at end by Woolsey's hand]
Lawrence Woolsey: Boom! The first monster movie. That's probably why I still do it. You make the teeth as big as you want, then you kill it off, everything's okay, the lights come up...
[Pretending to sigh]

-

A great film - check it out. :)

But, there's a point here. The fear. The being scared together in the dark. The internet and the easy access to movies (...and CRAZY costs associated with going to the theater! ) have made the theater experience something that's a second or third choice for people. Drive-In theaters used to make it easy for families to go to the theater with small children. Now, Netflix and other online movie delivery methods fill that spot.

However, I'll never forget seeing PARANORMAL ACTIVITY in the theater. Man, the buzz when something was going to happen. People sighing and ramping up for fear when a night shot would start. The tension in the air as things built to crippling heights. And, the screams when something scary happened. You can't get that at home unless you invite 100 of your close friends over to watch with you. :)

Stranger still was the fact that people had to be shooed out of the theater when it was done. It was 1:30am, but people wanted to stay and talk about the film. Once they were pushed out, they stayed in the hall of the theater area and talked some more. Outside, additional groups spoke  about the film and tried to laugh off the tension.

When I saw THE EXORCIST III in the theater, I found myself looking around to see who...or what...what in the theater with me from time to time. There were six other people in the theater for that viewing and the BLAIR WITCH viewing (afternoon weekday showings), but it was still a far different experience than watching at home.

I saw V/H/S in a small theater in San Francisco -  THE BRIDGE theater built in 1939. There were about 15 people total at the fantastic venue's 9:35pm showing. And, it was awesome. People behind me winced and muttered words of warning to the characters on the screen. A girl sitting in front of us wrapped her hands over her head at one point and muttered, "Oh God....oh God....no no....". And, I laughed out loud at a few situations because I had NO idea what I would do if it were me up there on the screen. There was an energy that swirled in the theater. A buzz. It made the movie more enjoyable.


What are your thoughts?

Do you enjoy the theater experience or have the internet and high movie costs driven you to the sanctuary of your home theater arrangement?

Leave a comment!

Apartment 143

Ok, I'll be honest here. I'm trying to figure out why I didn't hate this film. :)

There are several things making it difficult to love APARTMENT 143.

The first thing is having seen all the elements present in this films in previous horror films that were better. Haunting, strange images on video, camera mounted around that we the viewer observe from and jump scare set pieces. You've seen it all before, which isn't a bad thing when it's done well. These folks do fine in the presentation. It's just...fine.


The second major stumbling block is the strange and flat performance from Michael O'Keefe. He was pretty darn good at one point. THE GREAT SANTINI...CADDYSHACK...MICHAEL CLAYTON. But, in this it's like he's on something that inhibits human emotion. He mumbles lines blankly - not BADLY, just blankly. Like his soul has been removed.

And lastly, the story is strange. I'm not sure how else to state it. Strange. Strange in a, "Oh...hmph...ok...that actually makes sense and I didn't see it coming," way. A good thing seeing as I usually manage to guess what's up half way through the film.


But, I think this is where the Why don't I hate this film? comes into play. I don't hate it because of the story. We have a lot of those "seen it" elements in here from a story perspective as well. Kids with a single father items, paranormal investigators and the investigation of a possible haunting in a small and seemingly isolated apartment. ( Hell, my neighbors play the music a little too loud and I want to start banging on walls, but screams? )

But, the execution is good and the acting works. That's huge. We're not talking bad, D List acting school acting. These folks are pretty good. They take time (SEE: Ti West Time - I'm working on getting that minted) to let people chat from time to time. To interact with each other. And, it's actually someone interesting. The science in the film seems fine, though I thought the camera work by a hand held camera in a scene of utter chaos was a bit clean. It was appreciated, however. After V/H/S, my mind needed a bit of a verité break. :)

It's also interesting that this film's original title was EMERGO. Yes, I looked it up. 

Italian • Verb • emergo  • first-person singular present indicative of emergere

I had to laugh. Tossing a title like emergo on a film like this would be really hard to sell to the masses. Sure, I'd still hunt it down and watch it, but that's not going to be the norm.

So...seeing as APARTMENT 143 is on Netflix streaming right now, it's not a bad film to invest time into. I'd love it if you did and posted what you thought of the film here or on the Facebook page, actually. I'd love to know what other people think!




Talk to me. :)

HALLOWEEN LIST 2012: Fear in Black and White

Ah...a grand era for film - the days of black and white. A time where wonder and imagination seemed to blossom and go wild. I love it.

I'm not old enough to remember seeing these films in the theater, of course, but I do remember sitting down with my parents - my Mother is a HUGE sci fi and horror fan - with a big bowl of popcorn on Saturday afternoon and watching on TV.  My mind almost exploded when I saw THE THING for the first time. I already have a movie list ready for when my two year old is old enough to start watching these with me!




Yes, there are other black and white classics, of course, but you most likely already know and love those.  These are just a few that you might have missed or might not have seen in a while.


YouTube embedding has not been kind to load times, so I'll keep things to a minimum on that front. If you have younger children and want to do some Halloween movie watching with them, older films like these may be the ticket for you. Some of them still pack a punch!

THE THING (...from Another World)
Storytelling, dialog and a great pace make this film a personal favorite. Iconic scenes like the one to the left are plentiful and the whip-crack pace of the dialog is fantastic. Howard Hawks at his best.

This is a must see.

Keep your eyes peeled for scenes of doors opening. Someone pointed it out to me once and it's a very interesting thing to pay attention to. There are many doors opening and closing in this film. And the makeup work on James Arness is awesome even today. Suggestion: Watch this the same week you watch the remake - it is wild to see the same story told in far different ways. Both are classics.

THEM!

Giant ants. Yes, THE BOMB and fear of what radiation might do had a lot of these giant insect movies popping up, but THEM! holds a special place in my heart. I've re-watched it recently and it's a fun film.

Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Can't....stop....laughing! :) This is classic comedy paired with classic monsters. We have The Wolfman, Frankenstein and Dracula paired up with the brilliant comedy antics of Abbot and Costello. The result is pure gold.
A fun film for the whole family!

 
Creature from the Black Lagoon

The Gillman is a movie monster that tends to get second billing, but he's still number one in my book. Sure, I love the other movie monsters, but the original concept and fun, action adventure setting of this film really make it for me.







 


Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Communists....I mean....aliens.....taking over the world. Brilliant.
This classic is chilling on several fronts. The metaphor isn't lost in translation and it still holds up wonderfully today. Don't fall asleep!









 
The Tingler

William Castle greatness. He even rigged seats with a minor electric shock when the film originally came out. You can't beat that for old school showmanship! (...that would have people running to their lawyers today!) Vincent Price is grand in this film as well.

What makes a shiver run down your spine? THE TINGLER!











 
Night of the Demon

This movie is another one that was watched every time is came on TV. Story plays a major part of this movie. It unfolds like you are reading the original story it was based on and is thick with atmosphere and great performance. Love it. 







 
Dementia 13

Francis Ford Coppola cut his teeth on this twisted tale of greed and family secrets. It has some gritty and creepy visuals that still manage to creep me out when i watch it late at night. If you like a little mystery with your shivers, this is perfect for you. 

The ever chilling CARNIVAL OF SOULS

Carnival of Souls

Madness. This film is madness. Part of me would like to see a "re-envisioning" (remake) of this film, but I know it would just fall flat. This is a perfect film to toss on around 11pm so it starts to wrap up a little after midnight when your mind is a bit mushy and you are sleepy and vulnerable! It's just a creepy film with some great visuals. Be warned, it's a tad slow in parts, but the end is well worth the wait!

And...of course....

V/H/S

It's time! It's time!

The HORROR SHOW changed clothes, hung the robe on the hook and shock the dust off the outside coat. Slipping into shoes, I ventured out into the world...to see a NEW horror film. In the theater. Outside of the house!

V/H/S. What a wild ride. Felt like...a roller coaster. One where stuff was tossed at you as you ride!

NOTE: If you can avoid watching the trailer, do so. You'll be better off.  I found myself wishing I had not watched the trailer...over and over again. :)  But, that's the nature of trailers.

The visuals are still stuck in my head. Firmly and darkly branded onto my brain like a tattoo under the skin. I feel like an experiment. A test subject that's just been subjected to something very bad. Very wrong. I LOVE IT!

We have a collection of stories here. An all "cinema verité" style anthology, so if you get sick from shakes, avoid this one or take your Dramamine before seeing it. There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

We have a classic set up. A group of thugs get hired to go snag a VHS tape from an old man's house. How many tapes? Just one. One, small VHS tape from an old man. How hard can that be? Difficult when there are many to choose from. Which is the right one? Better watch some...and check 'em out.

GO! 

Five...was it five? Stories. The stories roll and we slip from "watching" various tapes to seeing what our thug buddies are up to in the old man's place. I'm a sucker for this setup when done correctly and V/H/S nails it. The last film I saw that did this brilliantly was the GLORIOUS Trick R Treat.

No, I'm not going to ruin things by going into details. That would be telling.

Suffice it to say that the weakest two shorts in the V/H/S assault are still grand and thought provoking works of creepy goodness. Shocking, twisted, chilling and visually delicious - this is a fun movie that gets a lot of things right for sure.

There are downsides. I should reiterate that this is shot like it was shot on hand held, VHS cams. Small and twitchy. The jerking motion and shakes are rough at times, but it added to the realism. Another thing of note is a strange mix of empowering females and exploiting them. It wasn't bad, but it was noticeable and sometimes...distracting. (At times, in a good way...wink wink, nudge nudge) I did find myself thinking, "Why did she just take her top off there. Kinda odd," a few times, but I got over it when all hell broke loose yet again. 



They got a LOT right in this film.
Story was still the main focus. They didn't get too wrapped up in the "See what we're doing? They're tapes. VHS tapes. We're watching them, see?!" gimmick. They came at this film with great material FIRST, then executed - so to speak. :)
They also got the "person shooting with camera" right. Things were not framed perfectly. Things moved like people shooting home movies.
And most importantly, the actors were able to pull off the complex job of acting like they are not acting in all but one case of note. Pretty impressive.

I was hoping that V/H/S would have gotten the same sort of buzz something like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY got. Honestly, I think this is a better film when all is said and done. However, the machine has not latched onto this one like they did with Paranormal. Maybe they just have not gotten wind of it yet? I hope that's the case. I'll do my part to fight the good fight for this film. It deserves it.



 
V/H/S was a delight. I'm so happy.  





Directed by
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin         (as Radio Silence)
David Bruckner        
Tyler Gillett                       (as Radio Silence)
Justin Martinez                  (as Radio Silence)
Glenn McQuaid        
Radio Silence        
Joe Swanberg        
Chad Villella                      (as Radio Silence)
Ti West        
Adam Wingard        

Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Simon Barrett                    
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin        
David Bruckner        
Tyler Gillett        
Justin Martinez        
Glenn McQuaid        
Radio Silence        
Nicholas Tecosky        
Chad Villella        
Ti West        

Jack the Ripper

A great live performance by SCREAMING LORD SUTCH, 3rd Earl of Harrow!

I love the gimmic. The ladies seem to love it too! Some good, safe scares.

Hidden Horrors

THE HORROR SHOW has it's sights set on some yummy looking, hidden horror this month. You may have missed these here in the states due to numerous adverts for THE AVENGERS and DARK KNIGHT RISES filling the air. :)



WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT
Creepy ghosties. 





A NIGHT IN THE WOODS
Just three buddies...hanging out in the woods.




BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO
One way trip. And I thought my job had it's bad sides.
Some great sound design here.



STRIPPERS VERSUS WEREWOLVES
Ok...admit it...it looks like fun. Sit down, eat your popcorn and don't judge me. :)





ELFIE HOPKINS
A fun, strange looking tale of detective work gone wrong in a sleepy village.  DEAD SET's Jaime Winstone stars - what more could you want?





WITHER
This just looks creepy good.




Wither - Trailer from NonStop Sales on Vimeo.



And, I think I'm the only person who actually liked this film. I watched it, stared at it and got a little caught up in it. Sure, it has it's missed opportunities and writing hitches, but what it delivers is good old, WHAT THE F?! horror that I really enjoyed.

YELLOW BRICK ROAD



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