tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35634545410645292812024-03-12T20:22:53.363-04:00Zombie CupcakeZombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-6574034170535955502023-10-01T16:52:00.002-04:002023-10-01T16:56:19.675-04:00The Signal (2007)<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynLcdFXeILdu2kozVKi6kWUDoxDmFUkF9vyXIxRwuh485oCdIbyVGD84U58Fr4RJtNl1omEljxgxgv9oIjlwvyXLWN3OPIU07yClPyt5N8RcuY-khmX9WmXP_jyddW3EY0wk2wuOw3-7bgUckvHDi7Gj2tSGqixYCv_t1LHuuUYaxQRuQCQgnD1O-hO0/s3204/PXL_20231001_141108303.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="3204" height="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynLcdFXeILdu2kozVKi6kWUDoxDmFUkF9vyXIxRwuh485oCdIbyVGD84U58Fr4RJtNl1omEljxgxgv9oIjlwvyXLWN3OPIU07yClPyt5N8RcuY-khmX9WmXP_jyddW3EY0wk2wuOw3-7bgUckvHDi7Gj2tSGqixYCv_t1LHuuUYaxQRuQCQgnD1O-hO0/w640-h569/PXL_20231001_141108303.MP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> A signal sent out over the radio, TV, phone, etc. turns those exposed homicidal. They aren't zombies, they still have their personality, they're just obsessed with killing and see it as a completely rational act.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Told in three parts and following a young woman, her abusive husband, and her love interest, this is a low-budget, tonally slippery tale. Violence is gruesome, but worse is hinted at offscreen in all three acts; and the second adds dark, almost absurd humour into the mix. Not sure it needed to be 1hr43min long, but the fake-outs and strangeness kept me watching.</p>Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-44674783521035043892020-11-02T16:21:00.000-05:002020-11-02T16:21:04.530-05:0028 Days Later... (pod appearance!)<p>I was delighted to be asked to guest on my friend Justin's podcast recently, to talk about <i>28 Days Later</i>! It was a lot of fun to chat about one of my favourite films.</p>
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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div></a> <p style="margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGzoZWBnx1H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">It’s easy to forget but the year 2002 also endured a scary pandemic: the zombie movie genre (but they run now!) The show welcomes @relaxcupcake to discuss the Danny Boyle film 28 DAYS LATER. @wehateyourhate #28dayslater #dannyboyle #cillianmurphy #naomiharris #brendangleeson #christophereccelston #zombies #running #london</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amusingourselvestodeath/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Amusing Ourselves to Death</a> (@amusingourselvestodeath) on <time datetime="2020-10-26T12:29:54+00:00" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 26, 2020 at 5:29am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
</center>Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-80238965951144181832020-10-01T16:15:00.009-04:002020-10-01T16:17:40.805-04:0031 days of horror: October 2020<p style="text-align: justify;">What is time, amirite?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fuuuuck, this year... I am taking a different approach to 31 Days of Horror for 2020 and refuse to feel bad about it! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am not assigning a film to a day, NOR am I attempting to review them all (I'm thinking maybe one a week?) NOR am I even starting with 31 (or more) films. I simply made a list of movies I am excited to watch this October.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Click the image below, if you want to know what I have to pull from, and please feel free to share your own list or plans for the spooky season 💀👻🎃<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/relaxcupcake/list/october-2020/"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="644" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxOlSq-z3krL-3kdjF6ZYxmlBCXN5JskGq3XPqcExaa2QnQXmGdgRSG4H1tYhosjrxWXaQM-rmu989WkFHIIuzXtJchs4VbP2cpBKs1i4-7bcyBydAGgcO9tqFTUVOT91SNLoRNR0akQ/w400-h400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-48817391062238226872020-07-20T16:20:00.000-04:002020-07-20T16:20:27.019-04:00The Beach House (2019)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmu7Iy8QPW17TTv9A2NfuWWJ_Fjbr1REHzgMPXf-fnI0LqU-aq-GIoZhJqjUD6eH8NPWPOwr0mJFXYnLDrjWiKIZabrZYnumUm9GTBUy-EaQ4kXTVn3mKFPdXaTSEwv32CHPyzE2ihxSU/s1600/poster.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmu7Iy8QPW17TTv9A2NfuWWJ_Fjbr1REHzgMPXf-fnI0LqU-aq-GIoZhJqjUD6eH8NPWPOwr0mJFXYnLDrjWiKIZabrZYnumUm9GTBUy-EaQ4kXTVn3mKFPdXaTSEwv32CHPyzE2ihxSU/s640/poster.webp" width="441" /></a></div>
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Written and directed by Jeffrey A. Brown, <i>The Beach House</i> is his debut feature, and folks, this film is an impressive beginning. It looks amazing (WOWEE do I love shots where the horizon slices through the middle!); the action slides along at a steadily increasing pace; it's weird and squishy and ultimately pretty sad... It's all here, and the grains of sand of this story really stick.</div>
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As usual, I went in as clueless as possible to watching, and it was particularly enjoyable. It turned out I had assumed completely wrong with regards to the type of film this was going to be, having seen little more than the poster (above) and some positive reactions on Letterboxd. Knowing almost nothing and assuming wrongly made the plot developments even more unsettling.</div>
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With that in mind: I'm not going to heavily spoil <i>The Beach House</i> here, but I do urge you to stop reading (and to not read the tags on this post) if you haven't seen this movie and plan to do so soon!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgh7d4yURGsn1uMwUSlrRbB84CwL0-TtUNBuAfLg5CfmLILAWM54IkIvPNiqYNhh12idxOpHk_-WY-a-Rso4513cF2Mw8PWkVh6bT9GHasJ91lVXZMlD3zlyV-iX89g_JbOSJ7Br867E/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="1000" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgh7d4yURGsn1uMwUSlrRbB84CwL0-TtUNBuAfLg5CfmLILAWM54IkIvPNiqYNhh12idxOpHk_-WY-a-Rso4513cF2Mw8PWkVh6bT9GHasJ91lVXZMlD3zlyV-iX89g_JbOSJ7Br867E/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Emily (Liana Liberato) is visiting the family beach house of her boyfriend Randall (Noah Le Gros) for the couple to attempt to reconnect after he dropped out of uni and started behaving strangely.<br />
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(...If I had one criticism, it would be that Randall's backstory seems to be developed more than is ultimately necessary. It gives us some meaty insight into him as a person and fleshes him out, but I felt as though what we're told might be more relevant by the end. It isn't. This is barely a complaint, however, and I'll take over-developed characters over under-developed pretty much always).<br />
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Emily is portrayed as sensible and smart, with some canny and portentous info dumps about her fascination with organisms and bacteria (she's an organic chemistry student), but she's still shown as young enough and in love enough to be putting up with a bit of a crappy boyfriend. </div>
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Not long after they arrive, Emily realises the house isn't empty of inhabitants, finding medication (a lot of medication), a stocked fridge, and dirty dishes. It appears that Randall - who, now that I think about it, spends most of the first two acts laying down or asleep 😆 - didn't ask his father if they could use the house, he just assumed it'd be free. Unfortunately, it's been promised to some family friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTlOxRAvU9zdD-f0kmRo469Nspaz9ey5QDciuzCKJyUPkit8OZZjoL98Iv97S7Hj4gS8faIH2NxkQgHc6JEhi5W6I9HwmbUO5SCuzYlG9FBuigivf27BFLRpteQtia5PFOWHES8mcdW8/s1600/The-beach-house.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTlOxRAvU9zdD-f0kmRo469Nspaz9ey5QDciuzCKJyUPkit8OZZjoL98Iv97S7Hj4gS8faIH2NxkQgHc6JEhi5W6I9HwmbUO5SCuzYlG9FBuigivf27BFLRpteQtia5PFOWHES8mcdW8/s1600/The-beach-house.webp" /></a></div>
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Mitch and Jane (Jake Weber, who I recognised from the <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> remake, and Maryann Nagel) are a slightly odd but seemingly harmless older couple who invite Emily and Randall to stay in the house - <i>"there's plenty of room!"</i> - and have dinner with them that night.</div>
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Exposition ensues. Randall suggests the group do edibles together. The night starts to get weird.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJt4V-x7fSp4G9lwPkuSPna3tujJUdXCtPaKViHkQSswGZWQvuYz7qbDvL_5l2U8iz-sux-4G1KTna5h7dmmoxO49Zh-VEJU-bdunkWiQoxS4xO57UJapP3U5LomEYxoGD4g5e0VfFu8/s1600/TBH__11.1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="768" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJt4V-x7fSp4G9lwPkuSPna3tujJUdXCtPaKViHkQSswGZWQvuYz7qbDvL_5l2U8iz-sux-4G1KTna5h7dmmoxO49Zh-VEJU-bdunkWiQoxS4xO57UJapP3U5LomEYxoGD4g5e0VfFu8/s640/TBH__11.1.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's a sense of groggy clamminess that begins around this point, and it sticks until the final shot. Whatever is making these people feel so sluggish, be it drugs/drink/something else (or a combination of all three), the physical and mental effects of it are revealed in such a way that it makes you want to mop your own brow. That sense of being drowsy, muddled and heavy-feeling. Even the clichéd perception-shift shot of the ground coming up to meet Emily when she passes out seems incredibly appropriate and effective here.</div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">The Beach House</i> is full of fog, outside, across the water and land as far as possible, and internally, inside the character's heads as they sweat and crawl and panic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUL8mpi8L95Tin2-caZcRy76vOjNBFYezk2XvyqgmzhcGiRaU7jeptUw7uNGcfW4aL0zhtTlK8YUffVW8opPEF8evak6hj3RZAufzWqR3HGb-9fXw7OOt-Skpp6z43e7Rbb0m9r7yMXA/s1600/thebeachhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUL8mpi8L95Tin2-caZcRy76vOjNBFYezk2XvyqgmzhcGiRaU7jeptUw7uNGcfW4aL0zhtTlK8YUffVW8opPEF8evak6hj3RZAufzWqR3HGb-9fXw7OOt-Skpp6z43e7Rbb0m9r7yMXA/s640/thebeachhouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A slow burn within a tight 88mins. An <i>It Follows</i> bedfellow with icky visuals (I'm looking at you, kitchen scene and basement scene!) and cosmic threat. It's a tale of an intimate undoing within a planetary one.</div>
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Cosmic horror is defined as: </div>
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<i>"fear and awe we feel when confronted by phenomena beyond our comprehension, whose scope extends beyond the narrow field of human affairs and boasts of cosmic significance". </i></blockquote>
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I'd say that <i>The Beach House</i> can definitely be filed under that.</div>
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Jeffrey A. Brown proves that with vision and imagination, a limited budget means absolutely nothing. Streaming on Shudder right now!</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-29543188643718789842020-06-08T12:04:00.001-04:002020-06-08T12:04:45.712-04:00The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I wrote this a while back for another site, but the project didn't work out. Seeing that it's now streaming in Amazon Prime I thought I'd throw it up here...</div>
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<b>The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)</b></div>
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<b>"a countdown of horror's hidden gems"</b></div>
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We all love a countdown show, right? A couple of hours playing pop culture bingo, agreeing with or disputing the decisions and rankings. It's a good time. When I came across this one from 2014 (and that title which, frankly, felt like a challenge) I couldn't resist.</div>
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First, let me say that this is not a top tier production. It’s affiliated with the now-defunct Shock Till You Drop website and directed by Anthony Masi, whose career seems to mostly consist of making horror documentaries. It’s populated by passionate horror fans who work in the genre - but don’t expect any heavy hitters.</div>
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The biggest name is PJ Soles (Lynda in <i>Halloween</i>) who narrates. Besides her, there’s a motley crew of indie horror creators, mostly c-list actors, and journalists and bloggers you've probably never heard of. As you’d expect, they each pop up intermittently and give a little context, personal opinion and recommendations for each movie. Some of them are better at being in front of the camera than others, but the worse it gets are some cheesy jokes and dated comments about sparkly vampires.</div>
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What’s cool about this countdown is that it’s pretty much spoiler free, so if any of these films do catch your interest, you can seek them out happily knowing nothing more than the basics.</div>
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Here’s the list. What do you think? </div>
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(btw I've linked any that I have reviewed in the past).</div>
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50. <i>Basket Case</i> (1982)<br />
49. <i>When a Stranger Calls</i> (1979)<br />
48. <i>Silent Night, Deadly Night</i> (1984)<br />
47. <i>The Slumber Party Massacre</i> (1982)<br />
46. <i>Valentine </i>(2001)<br />
45. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/02/grace-2009.html">Grace</a> </i>(2009)<br />
44. <i>The Hunger</i> (1983)<br />
43. <i>Prophecy </i>(1979)<br />
42. <i>The Dentist</i> (1996)<br />
41. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2008/09/choked-chickens-and-drowned-rats.html">The Food of the Gods</a></i> (1976)<br />
40. <i>Motel Hell</i> (1980)<br />
39. <i>Wrong Turn</i> (2003)<br />
38. <i>The Fury</i> (1978)<br />
37. <i>April Fool's Day</i> (1986)<br />
36. <i>Humanoids from the Deep</i> (1980)<br />
35. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2016/10/hatchet-2007.html">Hatchet</a> </i>(2006)<br />
34. <i>May </i>(2002)<br />
33. <i>Lemora </i>(1973)<br />
32. <i>The Brides of Dracula</i> (1960)<br />
31. <i>The Exorcist 3</i> (1990)<br />
30. <i>Burnt Offerings</i> (1976)<br />
29. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/11/funhouse-1981.html">The Funhouse</a></i> (1981)<br />
28.<i> Halloween III: Season of the Witch</i> (1982)<br />
27. <i>Hard Candy</i> (2005)<br />
26. <i>Castle Freak</i> (1995)<br />
25. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/02/feast-2005.html">Feast</a> </i>(2005)<br />
24. <i>Slither </i>(2006)<br />
23. <i>Inside </i>(2007)<br />
22. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/04/tourist-trap-1979.html">Tourist Trap</a></i> (1979)<br />
21. <i>Trilogy of Terror</i> (1975)<br />
20. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/01/splinter-2008.html">Splinter</a> </i>(2008)<br />
19. <i>Session 9</i> (2001)<br />
18. <i>Ginger Snaps</i> (2000)<br />
17. <i>Alice Sweet Alice</i> (1976)<br />
16. <i>Visiting Hours</i> (1982)<br />
15. <i>Repulsion </i>(1965)<br />
14. <i>Alone With Her</i> (2006)<br />
13. <i>Near Dark</i> (1987)<br />
12. <i>Joshua </i>(2007)<br />
11. <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i> (1973)<br />
10. <i>Audition </i>(1999)<br />
9. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/06/let-right-one-in-2009.html">Let The Right One In</a></i> (2008)<br />
8. <i>Re-Animator</i> (1985)<br />
7. <i>Wishmaster </i>(1997)<br />
6. <i>The Descent</i> (2005)<br />
5. <i>Alone in the Dark</i> (1982)<br />
4. <i>The Night of the Hunter</i> (1955)<br />
3. <i>The Beast Within</i> (1982)<br />
2. <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2008/12/hell-conjure-your-undoing.html">Pumpkinhead</a> </i>(1988)<br />
1. <i>Black Christmas</i> (1974)<br />
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If you're the kind of person who’s going to watch 2 hours of something with a title like this, I'd say you've probably heard of, if not seen, a lot of these movies. Perhaps this was made more for spooky scene-setting, to be aired around Halloween for inspiration, but for those of us who kind of live and breathe horror, there’s a fair amount of “well, duh” entries. However, I did get a couple of new films to check out such as <i>The Fury</i>: Brian De Palma made a telekinetic horror movie?! Sign me up immediately! And <i>The Exorcist 3</i>: which I always assumed was crap, but apparently it's amazing.</div>
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The one that jumps out as a dubious addition in my opinion is number 45. Despite a juicy premise, <i>Grace </i>was a big disappointment lacking the gut-punch you expect from baby-horror. I’d swap that out (choosing pre-2014 films to keep it fair) for the “humans are the real monsters” tale of <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2009/08/deadgirl-2008.html">Deadgirl</a> </i>or maybe the bloody mindfuck of <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/08/triangle-2009.html">Triangle</a></i>.</div>
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<i>The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen</i> is worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something inoffensively horror-adjacent. While not something that's going to truly blow any horror fan's mind, the countdown doesn’t drag, there are some interesting tidbits, and you might just discover some new favourites.</div>
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Currently streaming on Tubi, Amazon Prime and Youtube, too.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-89568048332221735172020-04-03T17:38:00.000-04:002020-04-03T17:38:40.870-04:00Bird Box (2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pSrVkHPO9vxLuGNLbqtH7PVKpGWOOak4QeKHZ1bOFnM27Un2MgFq6Vt0j8_zx9WXW2DAUZI3SBV6XFgYkeYi7xU46gXySy65tArA4GdBJNPvoke9KT5l08DVVfWMA4XytOnEQ1zokds/s1600/birb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pSrVkHPO9vxLuGNLbqtH7PVKpGWOOak4QeKHZ1bOFnM27Un2MgFq6Vt0j8_zx9WXW2DAUZI3SBV6XFgYkeYi7xU46gXySy65tArA4GdBJNPvoke9KT5l08DVVfWMA4XytOnEQ1zokds/s640/birb.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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For reasons I'm sure you can guess, I've been feeling more inclined to watch vaguely (and explicitly) apocalyptic films, lately. I don't want disease, because... <i>too soon...</i> but zombies and other stuff is fair game. With this in mind, it seemed like a good time to give <i>Bird Box</i> a try, as the initial "meh!" reviews put me off when it first dropped on Netflix. How bad could it be, though? I was still interested enough to chance it.</div>
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The first time I heard about this I thought (cw: Harry Potter) "HORROR <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Boggart">BOGGART</a>!" and it still stands, to be honest. Directed by Susanne Bier, based on a story by American novelist Josh Malerman (the screenplay by Eric Heisserer) we join the story switching between current day and flashback, meeting Malorie (Sandra Bullock), her sister (<b>criminally under-used</b> Sarah Paulson!) and gradually some other characters in a <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> (2004) type ensemble cast of people stuck together in one location. </div>
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Trope roll call!</div>
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<li>Sexy, tough female</li>
<li>Tattooed, creepy skinny guy who wants to fuck (it's Machine Gun Kelly but I'm old and don't know who that is *shrug*)</li>
<li>Grumpy widow (hi, John Malkovich)</li>
<li>Funny black dude</li>
<li>Soft-hearted lady who makes dubious decisions</li>
<li>Competent/kind/hot war veteran</li>
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Malorie stands out at the obvious lead here. She's tough, smart, empathetic - and heavily pregnant. She doesn't take shit and doesn't suffer the selfish whims of others gladly. Throughout this flashback we see the incredibly rapid end of the world (as they know it) from weird news stories (<i>"don't worry, it's happening in another country, not here"</i> - gulp!) to people behaving oddly, to full on societal crumble in a matter of minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXn7Q3tx1PIWlU2U6TsQCvNrdxkuNuMCGj60zdg9TeMZi6fVje-1aomBWHVqRBcT4syM08j2I0bw1XOUciAgA4Y_VI5cPYAnZr-nM_Aet7C8LnuzkjxMSIddHudPFEU6tCrwwwiHt4W8/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXn7Q3tx1PIWlU2U6TsQCvNrdxkuNuMCGj60zdg9TeMZi6fVje-1aomBWHVqRBcT4syM08j2I0bw1XOUciAgA4Y_VI5cPYAnZr-nM_Aet7C8LnuzkjxMSIddHudPFEU6tCrwwwiHt4W8/s640/bird.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am a stone cold sucker for tipping point apocalypse stuff, so this may have been my favourite aspect of <i>Bird Box</i>. The subtlety of the initial weirdness, paving way for the eventual riot and complete destruction of humanity. I dig it, although this stretch of the movie is pretty predictable for anyone remotely aware of the narrative beats of this genre. </div>
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End-of-world ensemble emotions roll call!</div>
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<li>Suspicion</li>
<li>In-fighting</li>
<li>Bonding</li>
<li>Double-crossing</li>
<li>Loss</li>
<li>Deception</li>
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<br />You know what I'm talking about.<br />
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The threat to these characters works well enough; you either lose your mind and commit suicide upon seeing the monsters, or you lose your mind and try to convert others to look at them. There's some not-very-gross-but-still-cool eye effects work, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh2g3zbYvM4g1dSkdwGOYAz2mNZpiY3rLG5vJXkUAamXIVkD11PlV8Mkn1lRsGr9v18nfnfXp5c-F8q1JJPgqKoFBEbdLIP3EAlVycyJUsFhjhyphenhyphengMz36VTcDButDLDgWmzGZCpIDL3hQ/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh2g3zbYvM4g1dSkdwGOYAz2mNZpiY3rLG5vJXkUAamXIVkD11PlV8Mkn1lRsGr9v18nfnfXp5c-F8q1JJPgqKoFBEbdLIP3EAlVycyJUsFhjhyphenhyphengMz36VTcDButDLDgWmzGZCpIDL3hQ/s640/bird.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What didn't catch for me were the gigantic leaps in logic and suspension of disbelief required for this story. I've said many times before that when I, Jo, say this, it's a big red flag. I don't usually get this shit stuck in my throat with movies; I'll pick up just about anything you are putting down. However, <i>Bird Box</i> puts down a little too much. Between driving blind from a suburban neighbourhood to a supermarket literally only using the GPS (and said device not functioning the way normal ones do) to lapses in logic when it comes to personal safety when looting... this was a lot for me swallow from a film that was just okay.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagpUJK78dYfNsEXoxQVD2FrbqOnT-hWQQ_MsmIFurSmls5lCsYqDeWhweTK0JTJ6IF7Zo7p-_6aWvAMFF1679OnAeOBFGsrWr-loch0WWoRbqIt0gFC9VKBt528Ks5RxQaFcvnnou3C0/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagpUJK78dYfNsEXoxQVD2FrbqOnT-hWQQ_MsmIFurSmls5lCsYqDeWhweTK0JTJ6IF7Zo7p-_6aWvAMFF1679OnAeOBFGsrWr-loch0WWoRbqIt0gFC9VKBt528Ks5RxQaFcvnnou3C0/s640/bird.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It also confirmed something I already knew: I am a horrible person. I turned to my partner and said "I hope one of the kids dies in this". Oops? But I did! I needed <i>something </i>to sink my teeth into! They didn't have the courage to do anything other than mild peril, though.</div>
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Speaking of, interestingly (but not surprisingly) the book this was based on had a much more downbeat ending. Malorie reaches her destination, but rather than a paradise of smiling people and a former school for the blind, the book describes a place where the inhabitants have willingly blinded themselves so as not to fall prey to the monsters, and the "sanctuary" offers little more than what the family had already. Points deducted for shaving the sharp edges off of that, <i>Bird Box</i> producers! </div>
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Apocalypse-lite. Streaming on Netflix now.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-78335415549259878032020-03-25T16:59:00.001-04:002020-03-25T17:00:04.661-04:00we're living in strange times.<center>
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I sat and listed all my loose DVDs in a spreadsheet last night... partly self-isolation boredom and partly because I am tired of forgetting and mis-remembering which parts of my collection are still left in the UK. SO. That's good and helpful going forward. </div>
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I found I do NOT have <i>Day of the Dead</i> here, booo. But I did <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/499210/day_of_the_dead">find it on Tubi</a>, yaaay.</div>
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They also have the disappointing "remake" and a fairly impressive selection of other zed movies, should you feel so inclined.</div>
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Stay safe, everyone.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-71483487078726535912019-12-12T14:50:00.000-05:002019-12-12T20:12:25.707-05:00Lootcrate dream crate<div style="text-align: justify;">
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A while back I was approached to build a "dream crate" for popular subscription service Lootcrate. Sadly this didn't involve being given lots of money to buy stuff... they just fancied finding out what things I'd enjoying discovering in an ideal unboxing.<br />
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So for my amusement - and hopefully yours, too - here's what I chose...</div>
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<b>T-shirt: <a href="https://lunarcryptco.com/products/death-has-come-black-shirt">Death Has Come shirt</a></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BkSyX3LwACKfCpv6_PpBfM4NHqF73U7lyX43-P5OgswmCZEjE4VC4i7nORBb0tEYVXIsJOSQDiZCKOyW66f6z6UxAy4iabgH-4fKhaPQYjCevmHGcEq2ead6eG7H45iqUlB_i5F1340/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BkSyX3LwACKfCpv6_PpBfM4NHqF73U7lyX43-P5OgswmCZEjE4VC4i7nORBb0tEYVXIsJOSQDiZCKOyW66f6z6UxAy4iabgH-4fKhaPQYjCevmHGcEq2ead6eG7H45iqUlB_i5F1340/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>I follow Lunar Crypt Co. closely, because their stuff is always so cool! What's not to love about this shirt featuring such an iconic quote?</i></div>
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<b>Pin: </b><a href="https://www.fright-rags.com/products/burkittsville-enamel-pin?variant=17479096926298">BURKITTSVILLE enamel pin</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaoctzAFSip7QzhlhHoieU0Pg8gDM97pBqyswcxzhL2j6WyYVRfh7sI_oZkxC39yr4clhqpu8Aq2PF0hleh9Lp7iXAI4YwSBYERXlleyKMUDlqyfBVHaYR_m1nIMTtTto_LHnO94JQCs/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaoctzAFSip7QzhlhHoieU0Pg8gDM97pBqyswcxzhL2j6WyYVRfh7sI_oZkxC39yr4clhqpu8Aq2PF0hleh9Lp7iXAI4YwSBYERXlleyKMUDlqyfBVHaYR_m1nIMTtTto_LHnO94JQCs/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Pins are something of an addiction for many of us, and this one from Fright Rags would be an eye-catching, unique addition to a horror fan's collection. I'm kind of terrible in that I love deeper cut, "if you know, you know" pop culture stuff, and if you know and love The Blair Witch Project, this is unmistakably a reference to that. A nice little tribute.</i></div>
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<b style="text-align: start;">Household: <a href="https://www.sourpussclothing.com/blood-spill-doormat.html" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Blood Spill Doormat</a></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4XMWuIuddqld6XUPjfEMsx1jW5tFK27bRbHmCiiLUBXpzGx_Jg4S90THk7KnCYzzzk0mF5idp4N6FMFlrF_mS3phR1CIggUsHScfOw3iTYxTBADvVYHplK2TUqNj8YHYTU_PxJgLTn4/s1600/blood_spill_doormat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1000" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4XMWuIuddqld6XUPjfEMsx1jW5tFK27bRbHmCiiLUBXpzGx_Jg4S90THk7KnCYzzzk0mF5idp4N6FMFlrF_mS3phR1CIggUsHScfOw3iTYxTBADvVYHplK2TUqNj8YHYTU_PxJgLTn4/s400/blood_spill_doormat.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Decent spooky housewares are the holy grail for the horror fan homeowner. This doormat in a "blood spill" design from Sourpuss Clothing is the perfect "welcome" to a house that keeps Halloween homewares on display all year long. Though it's maybe too nice and vivid in colour to use outside!</i></div>
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<b>Vinyl Figure: <a href="http://www.halloweentownstore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HS&Product_Code=GC1459&Category_Code=Horror_Pop_Vinyl_Figures" target="_blank">Army of Darkness Deadite Pop!</a></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP59dk96Zv3Xm0yR3QMn_CmVNn8Tl-UA5NaCfOpulJc1UKFeruVWnqgdqq-pzcozVDZxEr-fvvK2rVTP7t8YaIcasTfhjJkOY-i_P8CMk6HNqvIkeU3fMreADsqGahIwSSYu0Y5yJeJYs/s1600/GC1459.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP59dk96Zv3Xm0yR3QMn_CmVNn8Tl-UA5NaCfOpulJc1UKFeruVWnqgdqq-pzcozVDZxEr-fvvK2rVTP7t8YaIcasTfhjJkOY-i_P8CMk6HNqvIkeU3fMreADsqGahIwSSYu0Y5yJeJYs/s400/GC1459.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>There's got to be a Pop in there, right? Well I'm super picky when it comes to Pop Figures, generally preferring the more non-human ones as they seem to translate in design better. This Deadite from Halloweentown somehow manages to look cute and spooky all at once, plus thinking about the Deadites always <a href="https://youtu.be/re0yOujaBoM">cheers me up</a>.</i></div>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Something to read: <i>The Yellow Wallpaper</i></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkT3ilwMTUjJOYSBQwHqkMuqnlBj-_IhB6BbDzJOUka6RRECE1ORj9vfYvZ4kb_ra2fR_0tTW3uZRVCP1hi1hIFxjNcbmAHiZiQJ2yOx6xsXDdzbkSppT_uLclj1d2mcIM0hJlpcIwoo/s1600/Yellowwp_med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="285" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkT3ilwMTUjJOYSBQwHqkMuqnlBj-_IhB6BbDzJOUka6RRECE1ORj9vfYvZ4kb_ra2fR_0tTW3uZRVCP1hi1hIFxjNcbmAHiZiQJ2yOx6xsXDdzbkSppT_uLclj1d2mcIM0hJlpcIwoo/s400/Yellowwp_med.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<i>This choice is maybe a little out-there... but it's something I feel passionate about. After randomly finding this short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman on Spotify some time ago, it's become a firm favourite that I find myself thinking about often. Only 6000 words long and first published in 1892, its story is an eerie one of psychological horror.</i></div>
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<b>Self-care: </b><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://foxblood.com/collections/all/products/hex-bomb-black-as-your-soul">HEX BOMB - Black As Your Soul, black bath bomb</a><br />
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<i>Want to pamper yourself? Why not do it in inky black bath water? This bath bomb from Hex-Bomb and sold by Foxblood is hardcore as hell.</i></div>
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This was a dangerous endeavour, because now I basically want to buy everything I have listed here. Hopefully you enjoyed this little break from the reviews, and maybe found some cool shops to follow, too? Thanks for reading! 👻</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-91321639681962867132019-11-23T19:09:00.001-05:002020-04-01T16:53:28.259-04:00Stephanie (2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_vqaKfED2Au4BGR7MJIf1Njx1EdWreObePy2YrdDjNpnZsQXhkhh5LBC_8VrHbObktOWl5ZSJpoyQV6At8JVkwbU4jEKRF6fQ7_OKJS2V3xXbRFdaG7b3XH9OG9u4mDMAD2YY34an78/s1600/470c051c51d1a0f75cdd935df5803968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_vqaKfED2Au4BGR7MJIf1Njx1EdWreObePy2YrdDjNpnZsQXhkhh5LBC_8VrHbObktOWl5ZSJpoyQV6At8JVkwbU4jEKRF6fQ7_OKJS2V3xXbRFdaG7b3XH9OG9u4mDMAD2YY34an78/s400/470c051c51d1a0f75cdd935df5803968.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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This was an interesting one.<br />
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We're plonked down seemingly in the middle of Stephanie's story (an impressive performance from young Shree Crooks). Alone in her house and looking after herself while doing perilous things that made even a child-free person like myself wince, she talks to her cuddly turtle as if he were real, but there is clearly another entity here, too. Stephanie doesn't seem shocked about this. Scared, certainly, but not surprised. She goes about her day as normally as possible, reveling in her parent-less existence and also weeping for them to come home, occasionally hiding from a "monster" we only hear as it prowls around the little girl.</div>
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Before the story develops fully, there is a palpable sense of this being a traumatic experience told through the lens of a child's understanding and processing of something they can't quite grasp. This is one of the film's strengths, I think. It felt almost storybook at times.</div>
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Stephanie's parents (Frank Grillo and Anna Torv, freaking me out with her long, non-<i>Mindhunter </i>hair) seem confused and cagey around their daughter. There's a lot of talk about keeping calm. Stephanie's father is tender towards the girl; her mother less so. She's affectionate but guarded, often retreating a room of medical diagrams and Skyping with army officers. What on earth is going on?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDWq7X6M9CpcWd534iKZweZEyelEPkqRTVQ0czNtG5OsUYyM4Fhu1HTfFudDIKZ02tjKoNbJWgk9whqC_d4G0N7bjedd7RB8p8wqnrGDnrFLBcQbuuRq5eA7D_JfzzVb-bufPRmeljH8/s1600/stephanie-2017-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDWq7X6M9CpcWd534iKZweZEyelEPkqRTVQ0czNtG5OsUYyM4Fhu1HTfFudDIKZ02tjKoNbJWgk9whqC_d4G0N7bjedd7RB8p8wqnrGDnrFLBcQbuuRq5eA7D_JfzzVb-bufPRmeljH8/s640/stephanie-2017-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reveal did not come as a complete shock, to be honest. But it wasn't entirely evident, and it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the movie even so. This is a cool little story that successfully manages to convey a sense of fear and paranoia after a global crisis all while rarely leaving the upper middle class, suburban house. That the narrative ultimately pulls back so far as to leave the planet was... a choice, certainly. It's clear what they intended this to mean but I'm undecided as to how I felt about it after everything being so personal up to that point. Still, I enjoyed my time with <i>Stephanie</i>.<br />
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This is a Blumhouse Productions movie, directed by Akiva Goldsman and coming in at a very doable 86mins of runtime. It's streaming on Netflix at time of writing.Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-44561599014107198952019-10-19T21:32:00.002-04:002020-04-01T16:55:46.820-04:00Mom and Dad (2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS7re5gWj9Zl6U0ldQfEcbFimNGfQlB0mrvroe5TO_Yt_7raJ8i8gPMXlqSjHZfFx2NDfNK4cuRWkvzHXgwUMBYSccQJgfWaDovdYzHYrCYKJuBrgnPYpMZLyma-GWDIY58oJIZEfTX0/s1600/MV5BMzE5NzE5MDE1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDQxMjM1NDM%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C674%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS7re5gWj9Zl6U0ldQfEcbFimNGfQlB0mrvroe5TO_Yt_7raJ8i8gPMXlqSjHZfFx2NDfNK4cuRWkvzHXgwUMBYSccQJgfWaDovdYzHYrCYKJuBrgnPYpMZLyma-GWDIY58oJIZEfTX0/s640/MV5BMzE5NzE5MDE1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDQxMjM1NDM%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C674%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="431" /></a></div>
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<i>Mom and Dad</i> plays like a zombie movie if the undead were swapped for psychotic parents. Seriously stylish, from the beautiful retro opening credits to the expert use of music (satisfyingly Carpenter-like in places) to the rich cinematography, but also rapid and unforgiving in plot (you've got to respect a film that starts by showing a mother leaving her baby in the path of an oncoming train) this packs a hell of a lot of fun into its not even 90mins.</div>
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Which, when you realise it was written and directed by Brian Taylor, the writer/director of the <i>Crank </i>franchise, makes perfect sense!</div>
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We meet a white middle class household. Mom, dad, big sister and little brother. They're the kind of people who have those motivational/aspiration script-y signs everywhere in their home. The scene looks kind of perfect but quickly we see that, of course, things aren't that way.</div>
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Mom (Selma Blair) does a typical white woman <i>"I'm an ally!"</i> move of apologising to her Chinese housekeeper for something she deems offensive said at breakfast, but in the process offends the woman more. Dad (Nicholas Cage) seems close to his son, but at work turns the photo of his kids face down to jack off at his desk before taking a nap and ignoring a call from his wife. He's obsessed with his youth and all the opportunities he missed out on to have the life he does now.</div>
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No one is particularly likeable. But that's okay.</div>
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One of the best aspects of <i>Mom and Dad</i> is that we see the story unfold from both perspectives in the central family. As things start to go batshit the kids fight to stay alive, but more interestingly, we're shown what mom and dad are doing, too. It's chilling and hilarious how rational all the adults are about trapping and murdering their own children. Everything else about them is the same apart from this sudden, insatiable, specific urge to kill and it's highly entertaining to watch!</div>
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This was an excellent find after some false starts one evening. For sure worth checking out if you're in the mood for something blackly comic. <i>Mom and Dad</i> is fast, funny, mean, and streaming on Hulu at time of writing.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-27900280696833741582019-10-06T11:09:00.001-04:002020-05-15T15:08:36.465-04:00The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLNgX1gPn-rk6SaPz_ip0AFRAo8ZguPZ-Zd6emTJdQgFOl7v19KtWnKGsXUlDDQIoxEk5iWf0S_8_lWhix6c-Wcnnosp7PJpSPQYK177kwz5V0Y1R9pYr7W04FBa3U4GrUQ-mITGHIgI/s1600/a6534070fc6ed2bd81031c08fc4513e8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="430" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLNgX1gPn-rk6SaPz_ip0AFRAo8ZguPZ-Zd6emTJdQgFOl7v19KtWnKGsXUlDDQIoxEk5iWf0S_8_lWhix6c-Wcnnosp7PJpSPQYK177kwz5V0Y1R9pYr7W04FBa3U4GrUQ-mITGHIgI/s400/a6534070fc6ed2bd81031c08fc4513e8.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<i>The Poughkeepsie Tapes</i> is on Tubi right now! Tubi comes through again!</div>
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After a serial killer leaves a cache of tapes to be discovered by New York murder investigators, we're shown "choice cuts" of the decades of footage; from the disturbing to the horrific, to the downright weird, while context and background are given on those featured.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ya girl got some spoilers </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">⬇</span></div>
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We watched this on the brink of my being home alone for a couple of nights, and I'm REALLY pleased I didn't save it for then. And not because of the strange balloon stuff.</div>
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At this point, this film had become somewhat infamous to me, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I got was a fictitious crime documentary that's often downright uncomfortable to watch. One scene in particular I couldn't get out of my head for a couple of days. Many aspects - including, obviously, the fact that it's found footage - contribute to this feeling very grounded in reality. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0a6xWVlLjOEJImxdekhGaLjJDo2xP1eem3B5FXrpzg7dsOSxPE7LS3maZlejdYdyC1usbmlz5UA57j5qYRASazCVlCCI2pznpnwc-bTjLIDjmt8W6h0Fjq7ubVlqkWKe_4TUcmiqCgM/s1600/MV5BMTY3NzU2NDA2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODA2MzQ1MQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="485" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0a6xWVlLjOEJImxdekhGaLjJDo2xP1eem3B5FXrpzg7dsOSxPE7LS3maZlejdYdyC1usbmlz5UA57j5qYRASazCVlCCI2pznpnwc-bTjLIDjmt8W6h0Fjq7ubVlqkWKe_4TUcmiqCgM/s640/MV5BMTY3NzU2NDA2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODA2MzQ1MQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Full of bleak moments and clips of terror and torture, this story is successfully very, very creepy. A thread that runs through it is one particular female victim (Stacy Chbosky as Cheryl Dempsey) and her abduction, imprisonment and forced complicity through physical and mental torture. </div>
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Her interview and the information we're subsequently told about Cheryl is shattering. Hell, her entire story is shattering. This is probably the film's strongest aspect as it gives a heart to the story - even if it ultimately dissects that heart in front of our eyes.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: -webkit-center;">❝</span><i>I don't know what you want me to say...</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: -webkit-center;">❞</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">− </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cheryl Dempsey</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1COjHeq2LH_-q0XbQLrWIE4WN0XAedNl_QoXnBCYuAK4KFEb_ayuEs-2-AIcGP0oVXz9A0H6QEnUDAD_DN3tjk11aFMWEVqLcMx2nYdM5vGR2rS6c34Wmk9MGAV91TUcKhX55dNM3XY/s1600/the%253Dpoughkeepsie-tapes-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="345" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1COjHeq2LH_-q0XbQLrWIE4WN0XAedNl_QoXnBCYuAK4KFEb_ayuEs-2-AIcGP0oVXz9A0H6QEnUDAD_DN3tjk11aFMWEVqLcMx2nYdM5vGR2rS6c34Wmk9MGAV91TUcKhX55dNM3XY/s640/the%253Dpoughkeepsie-tapes-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As someone who deals with intrusive thoughts about home invasion (and yet watches horror movies and listens to true crime podcasts almost non-stop 👋🏻) the thought that his guy just moved on, <i>Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer</i> style, and set up shop elsewhere is terrifying. The audience witnesses him begin, escalate, shatter countless lives through murder, torture and the justice system itself - then simply disappear. The only reason the police ever found the tapes was because he wanted them to.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fh0mVGyYMQiXEwgJ7MERwqDx2k4YCWmXMm8uEcP47TOCQm775HuBlwLXzaR8bUXPMSKxTMl6CvPpxFR3Bdf9rkKuqVPS1m9XdFBAi_3OsF_mpBZuf6qJkhlT267QPW5FkgN2_9vqxw8/s1600/MV5BMjExMTY4NTU2NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzA2MzQ1MQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="485" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fh0mVGyYMQiXEwgJ7MERwqDx2k4YCWmXMm8uEcP47TOCQm775HuBlwLXzaR8bUXPMSKxTMl6CvPpxFR3Bdf9rkKuqVPS1m9XdFBAi_3OsF_mpBZuf6qJkhlT267QPW5FkgN2_9vqxw8/s640/MV5BMjExMTY4NTU2NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzA2MzQ1MQ%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>The Poughkeepsie Tapes</i> was shot in a staggering fifteen days, and was written (along with his brother Drew) and directed by John Erick Dowdle (<a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/10/as-above-so-below-2014.html" style="font-style: italic;">As Above, So Below</a>, <i>Quarantine, Devil</i>). He is also married to Stacy Chbosky. It must have been incredibly intense to direct her in some of these scenes.</div>
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If you like your scares stark, this is worth checking out. Not for those seeking buckets of blood; it's understated and implied a lot of the time, views often obscured or distorted so that we're forced to fill in the blanks. Nasty and unforgiving, if you're prone to movies sticking with you, this one just might.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-32191802008651687242019-09-29T15:48:00.000-04:002019-11-01T16:54:35.445-04:0031 days of horror: October 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnRdxTAZOcmiOzCirK7Z6Fk6ZnZ1yH4GO26pxtBofCJJER6ygbbwCbf3GL0ry1-YUeQ0fTmB9wuk4QWG5eXErRM-pUcc1XnEigQTMVSVTlM3_eokje88UM9V7lAxxZFBwbXbgTWkvpA/s1600/tumblr_pk79plMsEb1uutnkko1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnRdxTAZOcmiOzCirK7Z6Fk6ZnZ1yH4GO26pxtBofCJJER6ygbbwCbf3GL0ry1-YUeQ0fTmB9wuk4QWG5eXErRM-pUcc1XnEigQTMVSVTlM3_eokje88UM9V7lAxxZFBwbXbgTWkvpA/s400/tumblr_pk79plMsEb1uutnkko1_400.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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It's that time again! 🎃🎃🎃<br />
<br />
October 1st - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4201990/"><strike>Haunters: The Art Of The Scare</strike></a><br />
October 2nd - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7958736/"><strike>Ma</strike></a><br />
October 3rd - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0437857/"><strike>Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon</strike></a><br />
October 4th (<b>Fri</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4687108/"><strike>In The Tall Grass</strike></a><br />
October 5th (<b>Sat</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1713476/"><strike>The Bay</strike></a> / <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242998/"><strike>Valentine</strike></a><br />
October 6th (<b>Sun</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230600/"><strike>The Others</strike></a><br />
October 7th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8396294/"><strike>Darlin'</strike></a><br />
October 8th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161081/"><strike>What Lies Beneath</strike></a><br />
October 9th - <strike><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1767382/">Silent House</a> (2011)</strike><br />
October 10th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106449/"><strike>Body Bags</strike></a> /<br />
October 11th (<b>Fri</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245674/"><strike>Thir13en Ghosts</strike></a><br />
October 12th (<b>Sat </b>& <b>my birthday!</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4263482/"><strike>The Witch</strike></a> / <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091083/"><strike>From Beyond</strike></a><br />
October 13th (<b>Sun</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202493/"><strike>Curse of the Blair Witch</strike></a> / <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3377670/"><strike>Haunters</strike></a> / <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937"><strike>The Blair Witch Project</strike></a><br />
October 14th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5462326/"><strike>Mom and Dad</strike></a><br />
October 15th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090837/"><strike>Chopping Mall</strike></a><br />
October 16th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073582/"><strike>Deep Red</strike> </a>[big screen with live orchestra]<br />
October 17th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084777/"><strike>Tenebre</strike></a><br />
October 18th (<b>Fri</b>) - <strike><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470761/">First Born</a></strike><br />
October 19th (<b>Sat</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2628232/"><strike>Penny Dreadful</strike></a><br />
October 20th (<b>Sun</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099528/"><strike>The Exorcist III</strike></a><br />
October 21st - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082966/"><strike>The House by the Cemetery</strike></a><br />
October 22nd - [halloween movie trivia night]<br />
October 23rd - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4503598/">Emelie</a><br />
October 24th - [had to go to ER!]<br />
October 25th (<b>Fri</b>) - <strike><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/">Halloween</a> (1978)</strike><br />
October 26th (<b>Sat</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095271/"><strike>Halloween 4</strike></a><br />
October 27th (<b>Sun</b>) - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5913798/"><strike>Wounds</strike></a><br />
October 28th - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080646/"><strike>Don't Go In The House</strike></a> (started, didn't finish...)<br />
October 29th - <a href="https://m.imdb.com/title/tt6535880/"><strike>Haunt</strike></a><br />
October 30th - <strike><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1844624/">American Horror Story</a>: Apocalypse</strike> (series)<br />
October 31st! - <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/"><strike>Trick 'r Treat</strike></a> / <strike><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5516328/">Ghost Stories</a></strike>Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-71398902367594666022019-09-07T11:55:00.002-04:002020-04-01T16:55:31.407-04:00I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFkfOOF1idQjxldEhQCMSEhl7Gr6spZyorsedeSgQQnFonuoZYbjy7SLdooDENT-3RVWs28EmZpEqxPPYGNw5bXOvrFKjrP2RTh6dyFjtKd2ysl63wKPrUpgiVO_n_UQReU4hBFznD2U/s1600/pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFkfOOF1idQjxldEhQCMSEhl7Gr6spZyorsedeSgQQnFonuoZYbjy7SLdooDENT-3RVWs28EmZpEqxPPYGNw5bXOvrFKjrP2RTh6dyFjtKd2ysl63wKPrUpgiVO_n_UQReU4hBFznD2U/s1600/pretty.jpg" /></a></div>
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I get why some people didn't like this. It's so very studied and ponderous. And maybe a little pretentious. It reminded me of the old Christmas horror films we'd get in England, years ago. Too female-centered to be too much like M. R. James, but possessing a similar climbing, quiet horror of thumps in the night and mold on the walls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xqjdcxM8MWcRiGWn3NUNuONNE33Zj_WPWLMcx-ZuLOKvtlX-UbP-Aj-A1xitFcxf3VYRbkZHdDv6CVjK0lvGrFqh26qdJM1vxgigy4YprbLrJ3BgCJdpWr_tO1dfU_5eJYPvZkeGorE/s1600/pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xqjdcxM8MWcRiGWn3NUNuONNE33Zj_WPWLMcx-ZuLOKvtlX-UbP-Aj-A1xitFcxf3VYRbkZHdDv6CVjK0lvGrFqh26qdJM1vxgigy4YprbLrJ3BgCJdpWr_tO1dfU_5eJYPvZkeGorE/s640/pretty.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-19949753837034832542019-09-05T17:03:00.001-04:002020-04-01T16:56:22.073-04:00Before I Wake (2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3QBQG03j96JV3lYvgvA8ryC7Ea304KS0xOHjW080SjpmO09BWnymte8R1w5pfk8gCYSkZhZb5Zr9Okt9JaNpcLn970dTzVQUvAhasXQ3k03jrGY0ZdLo1YarVkDKeo4CH6Nv0SR97Xg/s1600/Before-I-Wake-2016-01-08-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3QBQG03j96JV3lYvgvA8ryC7Ea304KS0xOHjW080SjpmO09BWnymte8R1w5pfk8gCYSkZhZb5Zr9Okt9JaNpcLn970dTzVQUvAhasXQ3k03jrGY0ZdLo1YarVkDKeo4CH6Nv0SR97Xg/s1600/Before-I-Wake-2016-01-08-43.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yet another title that's been on my list for some time - I can't remember how I even came to add it? Perhaps because it's Mike Flanagan (<i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/02/oculus-2013.html">Oculus</a></i>, <i>Hush</i>, <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2017/10/geralds-game-2017.html">Gerald's Game</a></i>, <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> series and the forthcoming <i>Shining </i>sequel, <i>Doctor Sleep</i>). I like Flanagan's "voice" and style - <i>Oculus </i>being the weakest I've seen, and I feel like I'm in the minority there - and was eager to see where this one fell in my personal spectrum of hits and misses of his work.</div>
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Some spoilers incoming!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwYPmtJ3HiHkXE2rugsheF8-19nc017Gd4iEFnDKuFsvnw7A-lRUJzfSW28jFbu0lDntzu5ZndEXj-ys1c_oPgz2YHRDigv695F3sZ9KrWXXf-egzkNCqXVC5oaCfZrQmqU0lfoEfLFo/s1600/before-i-wake-butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1000" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwYPmtJ3HiHkXE2rugsheF8-19nc017Gd4iEFnDKuFsvnw7A-lRUJzfSW28jFbu0lDntzu5ZndEXj-ys1c_oPgz2YHRDigv695F3sZ9KrWXXf-egzkNCqXVC5oaCfZrQmqU0lfoEfLFo/s640/before-i-wake-butterfly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We join Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) as they near the end of an adoption process, after the tragic accidental death of their son. The little boy they bring into their home is named Cody (Jacob Tremblay) and he has a special gift: when he sleeps, his dreams and nightmares manifest as tangible apparitions in the vicinity. </div>
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At first this is something spellbinding, but soon the bogeyman (known as the "Cancker Man") who stalks Cody's nightmares appears, and we learn that it has the power to hurt and kill.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPuojwEOahFHwm7hEJuNYXyw0GJeqw5iicMnIFdGTLieuDLejILwBdthDiHw__kD9QasgLX5SBY1KGYMbxjfGmUbvqLdrUZ2A6Ij1Vb0urjiJqjM4Uth40RlOVauS1cJlh_3OyMOrPrs/s1600/before-i-wake-still-two-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPuojwEOahFHwm7hEJuNYXyw0GJeqw5iicMnIFdGTLieuDLejILwBdthDiHw__kD9QasgLX5SBY1KGYMbxjfGmUbvqLdrUZ2A6Ij1Vb0urjiJqjM4Uth40RlOVauS1cJlh_3OyMOrPrs/s640/before-i-wake-still-two-1024x576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This reads as quite a basic plot, and it is, but there are some little touches to it that kept me invested. Jessie goes through a spell of manipulating Cody's gift in order to see her dead son again; filling his mind with anecdotes and visuals then drinking coffee all night to stay awake in case an apparition appears.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sfjh_K_olu2_stDAmedt-IZAt99VS06otEtVGrXqdSW5xBV0H4NUwYH9pgUSI_InmZEVFD-KyQiVruVun_wYbaP0006ghN8tavHapk5IDbVWLFTNj4WR5okrX-UiPNTfbPO7qbAIgEM/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sfjh_K_olu2_stDAmedt-IZAt99VS06otEtVGrXqdSW5xBV0H4NUwYH9pgUSI_InmZEVFD-KyQiVruVun_wYbaP0006ghN8tavHapk5IDbVWLFTNj4WR5okrX-UiPNTfbPO7qbAIgEM/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Her decision to give Cody sleeping pills and make excuses to husband Mark how this was helping <i>them</i> was so cold! And Jessie is the one who ultimately survives! Poor Mark (and poor Thomas Jane for having to wear that bad wig, honestly) didn't have much to do but manages to be both common sense and conscience to Jessie, before being startlingly "absorbed" by the "Cancker Man".</div>
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Two moments stick out in my mind after watching this. That of a vision of the deceased son Sean, eyes wide, repeating the same words over and over again; and the scene of Cody's previous foster father hugging a vision of his dead wife - only, as the camera shows her face, his voice over explains how Cody was too young to remember (and therefore dream) her correctly. The woman we see is a terrifying facsimile of a human.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYQigRyiwNXBlVLhQInXSXukS2_-e-AK9DjXxKFtarEhTOerUTRzrXZYdFAtBJOLL7CCe76cp_kxucxJvaxtvwFn21D9nJJWg7qUPvifLaw1_S6a_-83JCe9SryBygfX2KIHMFAARkT8/s1600/Before-I-Wake-2016-01-08-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYQigRyiwNXBlVLhQInXSXukS2_-e-AK9DjXxKFtarEhTOerUTRzrXZYdFAtBJOLL7CCe76cp_kxucxJvaxtvwFn21D9nJJWg7qUPvifLaw1_S6a_-83JCe9SryBygfX2KIHMFAARkT8/s640/Before-I-Wake-2016-01-08-43.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Flanagan has a lot to impart about grief, doesn't he? <i>Oculus </i>and<i> ...Hill House</i> were both heavy with sadness along with chills. <i>Before I Wake</i> fits into his oeuvre pretty well, with muted tones of set design and characters listless in beautiful houses that feel too cold and somehow too big for their occupants. </div>
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I did call the reveal about 5mins before it was explained, but the flashback was heartbreaking enough for me not to mind. Maybe because I lost my dad to a terminal illness, I don't know... Adults can barely deal with that reality, so I can't imagine a small child trying to comprehend it. Your mileage may vary on this aspect of the film especially, but I found where it could have lost me with a potentially silly and/or overly sentimental explanation, this was awful in just the right way.</div>
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For a movie that comes across a little <i>Conjuring</i>-universe in its marketing, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. There are some moments that lean into the "simple summer blockbuster" horror vibe (as ever, no judgement, it has its place) like jump scares and eyeless ghosts... but there's also an interesting story woven through this. It's a great concept, and even if this didn't reach its full potential, it was still absorbing enough to keep me watching.</div>
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Streaming on Netflix at time of writing!Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-22618545267611810942019-08-26T20:33:00.000-04:002020-04-01T16:57:37.301-04:00Last Shift (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNy3-1JAStkiwCRAJ9Y4ow94zPZPaYeKVXaAqKsU6lTID4y5bTMooVKdkPNsJgCcFn4J9pT5PR8MDIWxHoStys2t6qkK4MNx5gUUh2nKyrzgHPyOu8oCD260_O7tACzrc44BPKYVU4pQ/s1600/shifty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="707" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNy3-1JAStkiwCRAJ9Y4ow94zPZPaYeKVXaAqKsU6lTID4y5bTMooVKdkPNsJgCcFn4J9pT5PR8MDIWxHoStys2t6qkK4MNx5gUUh2nKyrzgHPyOu8oCD260_O7tACzrc44BPKYVU4pQ/s400/shifty.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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Oh hey Paimon! Listen, I know we had a rocky start with that first viewing of <i>Hereditary, </i>but I'm here now and I'm ready to listen.<br />
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I guess <i>Last Shift </i>doesn't really bury the lead here. There's a demon in this! If you're into cult-y, demon-y shenanigans then this little flick directed and co-written (along with Scott Poiley) by Anthony DiBlasi, is surprisingly unsettling and... full disclosure... I had to turn it off 30mins in the first time, as I was alone downstairs in my house and got freaked out. For that reason alone it gets points!</div>
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And so attempt #2, with company and knowing a little more about what to expect, I checked out this story of rookie cop Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) spending the night in a soon-to-be abandoned police station. The old <i>Assault on Precinct 13 </i>location treatment.</div>
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There may only be a single locale for <i>Last Shift</i> - apparently it was an actual redundant police station - but it's used fantastically. Loren, initially bored and then increasingly on edge, wanders the empty halls and rooms of the precinct; experiencing strange noises and visions of a spine-chilling, violent past that played out within its walls.</div>
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We learn along with her that it may be more than just bad luck placing her on this doomed shift, in this doomed building. Her father's time - and death - as a police officer may be relevant, too.</div>
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The scares <i>are</i> often of the jump variety here, and there is at least one moment of that once heavily-relied-upon effect of sped up ghouls being ghoulish (that kind of 90s/early 2000s music video editing thing... yawn). However, the cult/demon visuals are pretty jarring and disturbing when they come, so this lends some heft to the proceedings. Despite some questionable paths getting us there, I found the scares and creepiness ultimately successful.<br />
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❝<i>I am the dancing flame.</i>❞<br />
− <span style="font-size: x-small;">John Michael Paymon</span></center>
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So, I mentioned Paimon earlier. His incarnation here is as a Charles Manson-esque cult leader called "Paymon" (Joshua Mikel). I'm not well-versed enough in my occult history to have recognised the name without the help of <i>Hereditary</i>, but I thought it was pretty cool to see him featured in something else. </div>
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According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paimon#See_also">Wikipedia</a> these are the only two films with a plot where Paimon comes up. Demon-specific double bill, anyone?* Though I think <i>Last Shift</i> would pair better with <a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2017/03/let-us-prey-2014.html"><i>Let Us Prey</i></a> for strong female police officers getting more than they anticipated during their first night on the job.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">See my "double bill idea" tag. Maybe one day I can actually make use of all these?!</span><br />
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I caught this on Shudder but as usual, it's probably pretty easy to find. A movie that's smaller in scope, but with atmosphere and nastiness (that ending!) to feel like it deserves a seat at the table.</div>
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Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-7311625446032172262019-08-12T21:23:00.000-04:002020-04-01T16:58:06.082-04:00The Ruins (2008)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rLQL4XGcYigDDjFCgownMBx8v3TSaTlUN4F8HaBI6kC9eWSaW_JRfN-dGHfE3esmo8LDQf9BlAz6Tk9ffsUWVzT9F_zEXjIoKawkRTsA44YJcCsi6bqCP1jR72vdXQzzkFRXCxp28G0/s1600/ruins_ver3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rLQL4XGcYigDDjFCgownMBx8v3TSaTlUN4F8HaBI6kC9eWSaW_JRfN-dGHfE3esmo8LDQf9BlAz6Tk9ffsUWVzT9F_zEXjIoKawkRTsA44YJcCsi6bqCP1jR72vdXQzzkFRXCxp28G0/s640/ruins_ver3.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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For another movie about dumb white tourists misunderstanding and/or disrespecting native culture to their peril, <i>The Ruins</i> ain't so bad!</div>
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Two couples are on the last days of a holiday in Mexico when they're invited to trek to Mayan ruins "off the beaten path". As one might expect, terrible things happen until horrifying tragedy wipes out nearly the entire group. This apparently departs from the novel upon which the film was based, that culminated in <i>everybody </i>dying (which honestly, I would have preferred... though I suppose cosmically speaking this one is scarier).</div>
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Directed by Carter Smith and written (novel and screenplay) by Scott B. Smith, who also did the same for the story/film of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120324/"><i>A Simple Plan</i></a>, this is short, sharp and competent horror. It's not a complicated tale but it keeps you interested and decently unfolds the dread over its 90mins.</div>
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I was also pleasantly surprised at an early assumption I'd made plot-wise being proven wrong. Guessing narrative twists and turns is an occupational hazard but it's nice to be fooled where possible!<br />
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❝<i>Four Americans on a vacation don't just disappear!</i>❞</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">− Jeff (Jonathan Tucker)</span></div>
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I suppose if I had one complaint, it was the clumsy handling of the introduction of "mimicking" early on. Would these kids use that phrasing? It seems to be done purely to put that word or action in the minds of the audience for later. But I really don't think it was necessary - in fact, it would have been roughly 5% more shocking coming out of absolutely nowhere.</div>
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"But Jo", I hear you ask, "does this film have gore?" And to that, I say yes, yes it certainly does. </div>
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<i>The Ruins</i> gives realistic, skin-crawling moments of body horror. From broken bones, to open wounds and amputations, this one isn't for the squeamish in that respect.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN-Quu_hmoIoknEw8ol54t2kyZYLZPWV0-4Z113e2z5Y4AdhhXIxU43ERc99SEpMq4M4jFYL7J8uCNTf_H1FETNSGkxmCPYWB8vagz2KZZ1aTILv3jV55EBTdPfjoK680JBdl30KzHcU/s1600/the-ruins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN-Quu_hmoIoknEw8ol54t2kyZYLZPWV0-4Z113e2z5Y4AdhhXIxU43ERc99SEpMq4M4jFYL7J8uCNTf_H1FETNSGkxmCPYWB8vagz2KZZ1aTILv3jV55EBTdPfjoK680JBdl30KzHcU/s1600/the-ruins.jpg" /></a></div>
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At dead on 1hr30 <i>The Ruins</i> is worth the runtime for some genuinely uneasy and hopeless moments of peril and solid bloodiness. I had always assumed this movie was a sub-standard <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2009/04/paradise-lost-turistas-2006.html">Turistas</a></i>-type affair; a great concept but ultimately the makers balls it up in a variety of frustrating ways. This is not the case! I'm pleased I gave this one a chance (better late than never).</div>
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I watched on Tubi but I'm sure it's fairly easy to find other places, too.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-11122045938643775072019-07-26T17:01:00.000-04:002020-04-01T17:00:48.912-04:00Midsommar (2019)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wdOMSXxr5IrdSstXj6OG5dEnOqmEXsSwH3C88KRjq989oCXMiCaHpnTG8SsgyvbtioHMdGQ8Fs-sn9nCIEhUAzJJAYHWcrxVwK4OkPiDOpUOU-4whF1j1WoaolJrtClCaaCf-kC5vR0/s1600/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wdOMSXxr5IrdSstXj6OG5dEnOqmEXsSwH3C88KRjq989oCXMiCaHpnTG8SsgyvbtioHMdGQ8Fs-sn9nCIEhUAzJJAYHWcrxVwK4OkPiDOpUOU-4whF1j1WoaolJrtClCaaCf-kC5vR0/s640/download.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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Okay, so just a couple of warnings.<br />
1) 🚨Spoilers🚨<br />
2) It's about to get real fucking feminal* up in here.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">"relating to a woman".</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> It's archaic but I kind of love it.</span><br />
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I have been processing this film for a while. Letting it sink in and then rise to the surface of my thoughts over and over. Usually, I try to bang out reviews fast but this one needed time. Honestly, I still don't quite know how I'm going to approach it. I'm writing and hoping my thoughts align, somehow!</div>
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To begin, I'll say that <i>Midsommar </i>was a balm on the wounds still smarting from my terrible viewing experience of <i>Hereditary</i>. There is much here linking the two: the theme of grief/trauma, the bordering on (and sometimes tipping into) comedic melodrama, Aster's delicious visual style, and the symbolism (<a href="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article14094522.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_MIDSOMMAR.jpg">triangles</a>: the <a href="https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Leighs-Bedroom.png?resize=740%2C367&ssl=1">shape</a> of <a href="https://i2.wp.com/methodsunsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/The-Void.jpg?w=600">choice</a> for the horror genre).<br />
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I now definitely count myself among those excited for his next film and how these explorations and links may continue.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0hOCvHfqz7_OtZjSx9BRwPKoXyljTucmoDlO_Kj1iNhfrTt7fY5ZejCVPVhM23TdQqyqKqzhJQbl9Yaa5FugKkxIBtvViIMnV3tMZ1z8tdx3235LXpUVdNyFVs_H2i0ZwtPvD8qple0/s1600/_107819312_4407307e-e4df-4830-b5d8-9d8a54b30d7c.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="660" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0hOCvHfqz7_OtZjSx9BRwPKoXyljTucmoDlO_Kj1iNhfrTt7fY5ZejCVPVhM23TdQqyqKqzhJQbl9Yaa5FugKkxIBtvViIMnV3tMZ1z8tdx3235LXpUVdNyFVs_H2i0ZwtPvD8qple0/s640/_107819312_4407307e-e4df-4830-b5d8-9d8a54b30d7c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian (Jack Reynor) and Dani (Florence Pugh)</td></tr>
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In his <i>Fangoria </i>interview with Jordan Peele, Aster calls this a <i>"breakup movie dressed in the clothes of a folk horror film". </i>And ponders - as this chat took place before <i>Midsommar </i>hit our screens - how people may feel as they leave the theater after.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I hope people walk out feeling elated and happy, despite the fact they just watched a small massacre"</i>.<i> </i></blockquote>
Mission accomplished, Ari. I felt like standing up and applauding at the film's end. That smile on Dani's face... I felt invigorated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaDZU2h5rEXmou-fK09MGJQP6NSIz2rKKkm4mRNWA2NeJGZry6FNP0E-pAnAXZKLT8PhURSH-EikaDMEUHv0hIfZniQcyX3nBQ21olqGmksgMLxW3Vse3dd0wSwJjCtP6gza_grj1dzg/s1600/MV5BMzIwZDhlY2EtYmMyYy00ZDRjLWIzMzYtZWEyMDFlYzUzNzUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc1NDA1MTc%2540._V1_SX1777_CR0%252C0%252C1777%252C853_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaDZU2h5rEXmou-fK09MGJQP6NSIz2rKKkm4mRNWA2NeJGZry6FNP0E-pAnAXZKLT8PhURSH-EikaDMEUHv0hIfZniQcyX3nBQ21olqGmksgMLxW3Vse3dd0wSwJjCtP6gza_grj1dzg/s640/MV5BMzIwZDhlY2EtYmMyYy00ZDRjLWIzMzYtZWEyMDFlYzUzNzUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc1NDA1MTc%2540._V1_SX1777_CR0%252C0%252C1777%252C853_AL_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What's fantastic about <i>Midsommar </i>is not only the juxtaposition of horrible imagery, stunning tableau-like shots and bizarre glimpses into the idiosyncrasies of Hårga - though those aspects are wonderful, of course - it's that we witness Dani and Christian on this journey of the slow implosion of their relationship, to the point where one partner makes a decision to have the other murdered in a ritual sacrifice <i>and it doesn't feel at all excessive.</i> It's a "horrific" breakup quite literally.<br />
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Perhaps it's because I identified with Dani so much... but really, who <i>hasn't </i>wanted to burn a shitty boyfriend alive?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx6AzN6bzc-pPdwPwtm9y5SeGdlMqSVq3o-pN8onkLI1hOgObDOG4slkt50trV1Dl771F7Je-evqcj0doJhZKVrSamn1LdMuGkZHKcch3qi9OVrvhlAS7kK7qy_ONihtEuXwPyI3m9Bc/s1600/MV5BNTYwMmU3YzgtZTA3Mi00OTFkLTgyODYtY2I4ZjQ1OTYzNTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1497%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1497" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx6AzN6bzc-pPdwPwtm9y5SeGdlMqSVq3o-pN8onkLI1hOgObDOG4slkt50trV1Dl771F7Je-evqcj0doJhZKVrSamn1LdMuGkZHKcch3qi9OVrvhlAS7kK7qy_ONihtEuXwPyI3m9Bc/s640/MV5BNTYwMmU3YzgtZTA3Mi00OTFkLTgyODYtY2I4ZjQ1OTYzNTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1497%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aster draws these characters with care; many of the smaller moments feel so real and they work to build an understanding of the emotional chasm between many of the men and women we meet. Dani's stream-of-consciousness phone call to her friend about her relationship; bringing an issue to a partner only to find yourself apologising by the end of the conversation; the way Ingemar (Hampus Hallberg) and Connie (Ellora Torchia) interpret a past situation so differently (<i>"we dated"</i> / <i>"...we had a drink"</i>), Dani's breathing when she's trying to hold off a panic attack, and how Christian silently, awkwardly holds her as she screams her loss during the opening scenes, compared to the women of Hårga who emote along with her later on.</div>
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Over the past year or so, a number of films have been made that have resulted in me sitting back, exhaling, and realising what a sense of power and strength they conveyed to a female audience. This is a feeling that pop culture has been handing men since the dawn of cinema, but now it feels like new things are playing in front of my eyes that strike something deep in my being. Something I didn't know I was missing until relatively recently.<br />
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<a href="http://www.finalgirl.rocks/">Stacie Ponder</a> on <a href="https://gaylords-of-darkness.pinecast.co/">Gaylords of Darkness</a> called it a "power fantasy paradigm" and that's such an awesome way to phrase it.</div>
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There's the connection, sisterhood and female leaders of <i>Suspiria</i>; of being enough and not having to prove anything (<b>especially </b>to<b> </b>men) from <i>Captain Marvel</i>*. And now with this, again a feeling of female connection (the dancing, the breathing/primal screaming, the sex scene) and finding a strength you always had within yourself. Her smile at the end broke me and rebuilt me all at once. I felt my own face reflecting Dani's. It was art!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Yes, not a genre film and yes I was suprised I felt so empowered by that movie. But I did!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnJqkebA8AnlgZ8SjiTEjstz3QJW8DeUUvH2ycWY8gMaJkOsUc63knRgBOscUfmqsbPaBvuuM03YKGxuh5yz0xnjqjXgoBmOFTcmvNdULRM2u82Wn30XuUHFIBEX6wrEa0MW_e4L02uE/s1600/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnJqkebA8AnlgZ8SjiTEjstz3QJW8DeUUvH2ycWY8gMaJkOsUc63knRgBOscUfmqsbPaBvuuM03YKGxuh5yz0xnjqjXgoBmOFTcmvNdULRM2u82Wn30XuUHFIBEX6wrEa0MW_e4L02uE/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This film brought me such joy in so many ways. It also made me want to a) watch it again, immediately, and b) rewatch Aster's debut feature with a renewed appreciation for this writer/director's unique vision and voice. It is MIND-BLOWING that this is only his second feature film.</div>
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It also brought to mind several others that beg to be revisited - or at least included, as I mentally curate my <i>Midsommar</i>-inspired film festival...</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="http://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2009/12/wicker-man-1973.html">The Wicker Man</a> </i>- ...obviously</li>
<li><i>Kill List </i>- Cults, symbols</li>
<li><i>A Field In England</i> - Outdoors; hallucinogenic visuals, mysticism</li>
<li><i>Apostle</i> - A small community with shocking traditions; becoming one with the earth</li>
<li><i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-endless-2017.html">The Endless</a></i> - Cult/commune; clueless newcomers</li>
<li><i>Suspiria </i>(2018)<i> -</i> Sisterhood; female leader; dancing as a powerful energy</li>
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I'm definitely going to be seeking some of these out again as I ponder "folk horror" for the remainder of the summer, wait impatiently for <i>Midsommar</i>'s Blu-ray release and work on a flower crown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufH50gtFPps9BOWMvrmFvr1oeeL6jtqSygJ7rPeYRHM-FfR38l7DkBlZTiE4OEffgosO44gqzIZWT0mc4oIAEpooF-fFriYikHzv_oVDui4aQiQQnh_TCmIyySqzi_Cx4C8kqANnYDXw/s1600/MV5BNTYwMmU3YzgtZTA3Mi00OTFkLTgyODYtY2I4ZjQ1OTYzNTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1497%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufH50gtFPps9BOWMvrmFvr1oeeL6jtqSygJ7rPeYRHM-FfR38l7DkBlZTiE4OEffgosO44gqzIZWT0mc4oIAEpooF-fFriYikHzv_oVDui4aQiQQnh_TCmIyySqzi_Cx4C8kqANnYDXw/s640/MV5BNTYwMmU3YzgtZTA3Mi00OTFkLTgyODYtY2I4ZjQ1OTYzNTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1497%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a beautiful, perfectly woven tapestry of humour, heartbreak, and death. I cannot recommend it highly enough.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-58416412259368250622019-06-29T19:45:00.003-04:002020-04-01T17:00:26.874-04:00Cherry Tree Lane (2010)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBVwZHbqpJiKKXD7UXmGSEWdhuD1TGEwOC_M5Im9OnqcOLcBI8T1haEoTcoZKctUTG260Wotbj62AvkHzPPOSa9_a06Uxd5elIfJSQDlwTBF_AGpG83gCZmOkY5izYsAG6CA6JyRKdMo/s1600/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1055" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBVwZHbqpJiKKXD7UXmGSEWdhuD1TGEwOC_M5Im9OnqcOLcBI8T1haEoTcoZKctUTG260Wotbj62AvkHzPPOSa9_a06Uxd5elIfJSQDlwTBF_AGpG83gCZmOkY5izYsAG6CA6JyRKdMo/s400/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not</i> NW10...</td></tr>
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This is an English movie, even if one variation of the artwork clearly shows an American-style house and a white picket fence. It's actually set in North West London, and was written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams (another of his horror outings was darkly comic <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465430/">The Cottage</a></i>).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXdkeGIqGHKuxAl7SUgwBVEYGRRtQHeNu8zoyGz3x48COVWte9vTyAlkNbQsTdjDscadRiDHGbQ0bgdEWP3BLawOrAGsuzn6SAG12uxWDk-orjtpWjg8ZDpPbWNDk8O05BWi6-OxKFn0/s1600/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="698" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXdkeGIqGHKuxAl7SUgwBVEYGRRtQHeNu8zoyGz3x48COVWte9vTyAlkNbQsTdjDscadRiDHGbQ0bgdEWP3BLawOrAGsuzn6SAG12uxWDk-orjtpWjg8ZDpPbWNDk8O05BWi6-OxKFn0/s400/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's... better...?</td></tr>
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<i>Cherry Tree Lane</i> reminded me of both <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119167/">Funny Games</a></i> and <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/06/eden-lake-2008.html">Eden Lake</a></i>, and though it's neither as cerebral as the former nor as devastating as the latter, it still manages to be pretty riveting and successfully create tension with "only" a mostly one-room setting and a lot of dialogue. </div>
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It never truly reaches heights of being <i>scary </i>(or at least, it didn't for me) but home invasion is always going to be unsettling... and here the invaders are not dramatic, masked, silent ghouls of unknown motive; they are loud kids with bad attitudes, little empathy, and when it comes to leader Rian (Jumayn Hunter, who actually starred in <i>Eden Lake</i> also) a real streak of cruelty.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRceQgf3vUEmpCtD95DEJONw78VurXRAIiEPscg0jRUF_TFRQ90YErwB7ANMkn0MHuct25Bxivvz1h7cdzpSyvy5QeoTfL6nam8PXrq13VxHVmA_71KGVqCkzeC18azncwzuxP4RYz8u8/s1600/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="332" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRceQgf3vUEmpCtD95DEJONw78VurXRAIiEPscg0jRUF_TFRQ90YErwB7ANMkn0MHuct25Bxivvz1h7cdzpSyvy5QeoTfL6nam8PXrq13VxHVmA_71KGVqCkzeC18azncwzuxP4RYz8u8/s400/Cherry+Tree+Lane.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The plot couldn't get much simpler; married couple Christine and Mike (Rachael Blake and Tom Butcher) settle down for an evening in - if I had one complaint, it was that the setting up of their dislike for one another was done so painstakingly, we were led to believe something would happen later to explain this, but it doesn't - and while they're eating dinner, a group of teens ring the doorbell and push their way into the house, taking the pair hostage. They say they want to speak to Sebastian, Christine and Mike's son. He's due home within the hour and they're going to wait. They assault Mike to subdue him and tie both up with gaffer tape.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vej5P7IY1iXsdrs4ouTzHsezjZPIa40gCAmkjUh4aVXoQOHaGtNjpv90HLFHIu8lnIV1JHcn-1n7YTk3v6argzyyJKemSgiCjn-GLOTfFNUFO88UbU85IohQoc4BqGkMFw4FP-OlVU4/s1600/MV5BMTkzODYwMTA4MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTI3NTg3Mw%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1280" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vej5P7IY1iXsdrs4ouTzHsezjZPIa40gCAmkjUh4aVXoQOHaGtNjpv90HLFHIu8lnIV1JHcn-1n7YTk3v6argzyyJKemSgiCjn-GLOTfFNUFO88UbU85IohQoc4BqGkMFw4FP-OlVU4/s400/MV5BMTkzODYwMTA4MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTI3NTg3Mw%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What follows is a slow, stressful climb in unease as time passes, tempers fray and cruelties heighten. Much is done with off-screen violence, using the classic "we'll just have you hear what's happening and imagining far worse than we could ever show/afford to show" to great effect. Screaming and thumping reverberate through the house on a couple of occasions, and it makes up the nastier moments of the film as both the audience and other characters grimace and think about what's happening.</div>
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Even though this is a white middle-class couple up against working class kids, it never particularly feels like A Statement On Class. Honestly it feels more straightforward than that. It feels real in the sense that you can imagine Sebastian (whom we wait the entire runtime to see and barely catch a real glimpse of, a touch that I liked) is a mouthy little shit who acts like he's a big deal and got caught saying the wrong thing about the wrong person. I have known people like this - I think we all have. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwvU3Rr5ZtlFcFhahSnIN3v8C6LmmzBUx-MbUX9kYYY19zmzF0VicUp3SwCyktc6tp8m8VVAeHgbdw0e42zTF6XjtD7ABp3Lb_PNAzFT1JZRDTaeEhiTS7EtoBHgevDo1ztgKUg76jVY/s1600/8518503_orig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1100" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwvU3Rr5ZtlFcFhahSnIN3v8C6LmmzBUx-MbUX9kYYY19zmzF0VicUp3SwCyktc6tp8m8VVAeHgbdw0e42zTF6XjtD7ABp3Lb_PNAzFT1JZRDTaeEhiTS7EtoBHgevDo1ztgKUg76jVY/s400/8518503_orig.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As nasty as <i>Cherry Tree Lane</i> gets, it never feels over the top. There are also some stand-out singular moments and shot compositions; watching one of the gang browse the DVD shelf in slow motion, tossing them aside, and the appearance of Christine in the foreground towards the end.</div>
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This one was a bit of a grower, but ultimately it left me feeling satisfied that I'd checked it out. I've been feeling pretty uninspired by horror movies of late... or locked into a perpetual scroll of streaming services through fear of wasting time on something shitty. There's so much shit out there! This piqued my interest - the clincher being it runs less than 90mins - and I'm glad it did. Oh, and anyone remember <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unkle">UNKLE</a>? They did the music!<br />
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<i>Cherry Tree Lane</i> is currently streaming on Tubi! Honestly, Tubi is making me re-evaluate some life choices. It's free, their catalogue is MASSIVE and even if you have to wade through some crap, they have gems hidden in there too. </div>
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I'd recommend giving this a spin if you want a short, sharp, English take on home invasion.*</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I feel I ought to say, however, CW: sexual assault. It's handled without exploitation, or lingering on the abuse like many movies tend to, but heads up that it happens here. </span></div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-66865062343871392782019-06-03T21:16:00.000-04:002019-06-03T21:16:01.106-04:00Brightburn (2019)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgjbAtQN5jbngZTOjL3ihvSc1AIa0iNhjMHyp6AIOmcHy5_1c-O4HKFnelIQHbs4isnySG1nQ_mUfyiXn8K7wAOPCGFPYVa0f9rB3cmT9JdT4ZetzJV4DveieDY6QqHgLZ_x1a8OZg2g/s1600/s-l640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgjbAtQN5jbngZTOjL3ihvSc1AIa0iNhjMHyp6AIOmcHy5_1c-O4HKFnelIQHbs4isnySG1nQ_mUfyiXn8K7wAOPCGFPYVa0f9rB3cmT9JdT4ZetzJV4DveieDY6QqHgLZ_x1a8OZg2g/s640/s-l640.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<i>Brightburn </i>is clunky with exposition, light on character development, and even if jump scares catch me out occasionally, they still make me roll my eyes... but this movie is still hugely fun and worth your time.</div>
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While never reaching heights of what I'd call a "great" horror movie, it has enough wallop where it counts; notably with its gore and willingness to go further than you're probably expecting it to.</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-47155967102035339442019-04-15T17:01:00.000-04:002020-04-01T17:02:05.138-04:00The Ritual (2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I fancied watching this again recently, and I'm really glad I did. <u>Spoilers incoming!</u></div>
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Based on a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ritual-Adam-Nevill/dp/0312641842/" target="">novel</a> by Adam Nevill, directed by David Bruckner (who co-wrote and directed <i>Amateur Night</i> in <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2105044/">V/H/S</a></i> and <i>The Accident </i>in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4935334/" style="font-style: italic;">Southbound</a>) this Netflix movie takes us deep into dark Swedish forests with a group of friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dom, Luke, Phil and Hutch.</td></tr>
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Tension exists between these men, as we find out that Luke (Rafe Spall) carries a heavy burden of guilt for not stepping in during a violent attack which opens the film. The knowledge they all have of Luke essentially standing by as their friend Robert (Paul Reid) was killed hangs heavily over the beginning of their trip. We see Luke wake from a nightmare about the murder, and throughout our time with him images ripple through his reality of the trauma from that night.<br />
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These scenes are some of my favourites, as imagination and reality/fabricated building interior and forest mesh so effortlessly and organically together. It's incredibly impressive and extremely disconcerting. It reads very much like something out of a dream, where details and settings bleed together in a singular landscape.<br />
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On the night Rob died the lads were trying to decide where to go on holiday together, and now, six months later they find themselves hiking as a tribute to him (as he'd originally suggested it). Hutch (Robert James-Collier) is clearly the most comfortable in the outdoors, with the others joining through a sense of sad duty. These are middle-class affluent types, paying £200 for their hiking boots but neglecting to break them in before the trip. They are kind of out of their depth before they even set foot in the forest.</div>
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The turning point of events comes after Dom (Sam Troughton) gets hurt, and they make the decision to take a short-cut back to their lodge. Rather than staying out in the open, they realise with reluctance that entering the dense forest is the quickest way back.</div>
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❝<i>What's up? Are you scared of the woods?</i>❞</div>
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It's dark, damp, and visibility is low through the arrow-straight trees. Luke repeatedly thinks he sees a glimpse of something moving in the distance and tensions increase as pain and exhaustion take hold. Everything changes after their first night in the forest. Breaking into an abandoned cabin during a storm, they wake the following morning, nerves shredded from terrifying nightmares and sleepwalking. </div>
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There is a palpable feeling of a dark presence infiltrating their minds as they slept, pushing its way into their deepest fears. The most alarming awakening is from Phil (Arsher Ali) who is found naked in a "praying" position in front of a terrifying headless totem.</div>
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No one, especially Phil, is ever the same after that night. Arsher Ali doesn't have an awful lot to do aside from this, unfortunately, but he gives a haunting performance as someone who can't process or escape the fear of his ordeal. Phil is shell-shocked and violated.</div>
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Similar to the "lost in the woods" idea, the stripping back of anything our characters have - in this case: possessions, unity, sanity - is not a unique narrative approach, but in capable hands, it's <i>so </i>effective. The lads start with the latest gear, and end with nothing, having lost tents, party members, and a full grip on what the fuck is even going on. With a steady hand, <i>The Ritual </i>peels back to the terrified primal core of these characters.<br />
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The creature reveal is what solidifies the success of this movie for me. This beast is a "Jötunn", an ancient god worshiped by villagers and offered sacrifices of unsuspecting visitors to the area (their possessions dot the landscape, nature claiming them in varying degrees). In turn, the locals are granted unnaturally long lives. The things we do for eternity, eh? I did find it interesting that none of the villagers seem particularly <i>happy</i>, however. Their lot appears more duty and fear-fueled than actively wanting to be eternally stuck in this existence.</div>
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The design of the Jötunn is <i>stunning</i>, even in full view it's difficult to comprehend as it seems compromised of human and beast body parts, as well as having aspects of the forest, too. It feels profane in a way that both captivates and repels.<br />
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As Luke attempts to escape his fate of being trapped forever, this showstopping moment is captured:</div>
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If he had lost his mind then and there, who could have blamed him?</div>
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As the third act draws to a close, the warm tones of a burning village give way to a landscape bathed in dawn light. In the far distance we see a car on a road. Luke is returning to civilisation and leaving old gods behind. At least physically. He was chosen because his "pain was great" - is his pain gone, by the end? I doubt it. If anything it's deeper, along with his guilt. His primal scream at the creature stuck at its forest's edge certainly hints at a lifetime of nightmares to come. </div>
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This movie would pair well with <a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/06/blair-witch-2016.html"><i>Blair Witch</i></a> for a night's viewing, as I think they'd complement one another for a <b>"we're lost in the woods and we're f*cked!"</b> double bill. Tents and trees by torchlight; distant, gigantic sounds you can't identify... That kind of fear pre-dates almost everything, it's woven into our lizard brains.</div>
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<i>The Ritual</i> is streaming on Netflix now. I appreciated the abrupt, not-necessarily-sad but definitely not happy ending (see also: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6218358/"><i>Calibre</i></a>). Beautiful landscapes, old gods and flawed humans - what's not to love? Very tempted to pick up the book and see how the two compare.</div>
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Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-23123874898707448012019-03-25T22:41:00.000-04:002020-04-01T17:03:02.183-04:00Us (2019)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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❝<i>We're Americans.</i>❞</blockquote>
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Hi! So I know I don't tend to review new stuff. This is because I feel a weird kind of self-imposed pressure for having an opinion that's somewhat topical...! Buuut I wanted to get some thoughts down about <i class="">Us</i><span class="">. This</span> kind of starting writing itself without me making a conscious decision. So here we are :)</div>
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Okay firstly, let's talk about this fact from the IMDb trivia page:<br />
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<i>Jordan Peele gave the cast ten horror films to watch so they would have "a shared language" when filming: Dead Again (1991), The Shining (1980), The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2014), A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), The Birds (1963), Funny Games (1997), Martyrs (2008), Let the Right One In (2008), and The Sixth Sense (1999).</i></blockquote>
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This list does two things: reminds me that I need to see <i>Dead Again</i>, again, (it was a taped off the TV favourite of mine, back in the day) and it gives some clue as to the calibre of storytelling and overall atmosphere that <i>Us </i>was reaching for - and in my opinion, succeeds in capturing.</div>
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And honestly, those film choices simply make my horror/thriller nerd heart happy. Pun intended: Peele is clearly one of us.</div>
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I'll say no more other than what's already out there with regards to plot: the Wilson family are on holiday when doppelgängers of themselves wearing red overalls invade their summer home, intent on forcing them to take part in some kind of ritual called "the untethering".<br />
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This film just kept turning down avenues I wasn't expecting and, as ever, that's truly the best way to experience it.</div>
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Worthy of mention though are the performances from the central four: Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide, Winston Duke as dad Gabe, and Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex as their children, Zora and Jason. </div>
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Instantaneously I believed in this family dynamic and all their superbly drawn little idiosyncrasies. From Winston's amusingly (and adorably) feckless father-figure, eliciting eye rolls; Wright Joseph's bored teen; Evan Alex as the "weird" little brother still into masks and magic tricks, and finally the <i>force </i>that is Nyong'o, whose performances are quite simply fantastic.<br />
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Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker also star as the delightfully loathsome bougie family "friends", the Tylers. They have twin teen daughters, to further the doubling/doppelgänger weirdness. Moss doesn't have much to do, but that's fine; she has a tonne of fun as Kitty Tyler, a sloppy WASP who clearly can't stand her husband or kids. The later scenes with this family are a great blend of humour and violence.<br />
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The more <i>Us </i>unfolded, the more I loved it. And yes, okay, I guessed a beat or two, but that didn't stop any of the gut-punch-like enjoyment as this peeled back to a story that is both brutally simple and simply brutal.</div>
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There's nothing like a shattering final shot in a horror movie, so enjoy this one while never being able to hear "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZBZSepIdSYbPaTSZLvZBU" target="_blank">Les Fleurs</a>" the same way again.<br />
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And join me, won't you, in obsessing over the "untethered" mix of "I Got 5 On It"...<br />
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<i>Us </i>is in theatres now and hopefully smashing records and expectations all over the place. I recommend you go and see it, and then go see it again ✄✄✄<br />
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Argh, there's so much I haven't covered here! Partly through fear of spoilers, plus the need to sit with some of the epic themes or see this film again to fully be able to process it all. I may do a follow-up post exploring things a bit more - or at least giving links to further reading from voices better placed to comment than mine.<br />
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<u>Bonus Jo-went-to-sleep-thinking-about-this content:</u><br />
<a name='more'></a>Welcome to my first spoiler cut!<br />
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Hours after watching this my head was still swimming with details and symbolism sinking in. I'm a huge sucker for twins/duality/mirror image themes in film, and I hope to learn of some articles, essays or podcasts about <i>Us </i>in that respect in the future. For now, here's what I couldn't stop thinking about.<br />
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<li><b>Reflections</b><br />✄ The TV at the beginning showing young Red/Adelaide's reflection between images.<br />✄ An obvious one, but the multiple reflections in the hall of mirrors.<br />✄ Adult Adelaide looking at her reflection in the windows of their summer house.<br />✄ The image of Adelaide's face doubled as Red presses it into the glass coffee table.<br />✄ On a rewatch of the trailer, the family's long shadows are shown on the beach in an overhead shot as they walk toward the Tylers.<br />✄ The handle of the scissors in the artwork (see top of this review) looks like two heads back-to-back; two halves of a whole. Full disclosure: I didn't spot this until someone pointed it out online. Now I can't unsee it.</li>
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<li><b>Doubles</b><br />✄ The spiders on the coffee table, real and fake.<br />✄ The Tyler twins.<br />✄ It's discussed (and we see) that the Tylers have more expensive versions of material possessions the Wilsons own. The boat, their new car, a house with a back-up generator, etc. This could be seen as the whole, "surface" version, to the Wilsons' "lesser".<br />
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<li><b>Mimicry</b><br />✄ Adelaide and Jason are represented as having a close relationship, and we see her in a couple of instances do something that he then copies or matches (clicking along to the song, putting their hands together at the palm).<br />✄ Jason realising that Pluto copies his actions, as seen in the cupboard and when Jason leads Pluto to commit suicide.<br /><br />
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<li><b>Masks / </b><b>"Two-Facedness"</b><br />✄ Jason's wolfman mask.<br />✄ Pluto's protective mask.<br />✄ Adelaide's mask of normality/sanity that we see slip after Red's murder (also used to great effect in another <i>Us</i> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/mediaviewer/rm3483724800" target="_blank">movie poster</a>).</li>
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Let me know if you spotted any I missed! I've pretty much already decided we're going to see this again on its theatrical run. Repeated viewings are going to be a whole other journey.<br />
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EDITED TO ADD:<br />
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As I'm sure most of us who saw the film have been, I am thinking about <i>Us </i>a lot lately. Once my review was done (such as it was 🤷) I wanted to dig into some others, and really get my teeth into the opinions and readings of the movie - especially from a) Black horror fans b) horror academics, and c) anyone with the ability to voice their thoughts in an eloquent and engaging way.</div>
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I realised my review (due to my wanting to make it mostly spoiler-free, and also because I was still processing it) didn't touch on any of the social commentary angles but in a way I'm good with this, because does the world need another white cishet reading of something like <i>Us</i>? I'd rather sit back and absorb from the a,b,c's above and share my favourites with you. So that's what I'm doing here.</div>
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Here's what I found:</div>
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<li><a href="https://www.graveyardshiftsisters.com/2019/03/us-2018-urgently-clever-emotional.html">https://www.graveyardshiftsisters.com/2019/03/us-2018-urgently-clever-emotional.html</a></li>
<li><a href="https://viewfromthedark.ca/2019/03/27/jordan-peeles-us-and-the-impostor-within/">https://viewfromthedark.ca/2019/03/27/jordan-peeles-us-and-the-impostor-within/</a></li>
<li><a href="https://filmschoolrejects.com/jordan-peele-us-inequality/">https://filmschoolrejects.com/jordan-peele-us-inequality/</a></li>
<li>Peele speaks about the movie on this Empire podcast:<br /><a href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/empire-podcast-us-spoiler-special-ft-jordan-peele/">https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/empire-podcast-us-spoiler-special-ft-jordan-peele/</a></li>
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There's also <a href="https://atomtickets.com/movie-news/currently-clicking-all-the-best-writing-about-jordan-peeles-us/" target="_blank">THIS</a> list, which Peele himself retweeted.</div>
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Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-22261405729726889782019-03-21T16:25:00.000-04:002020-04-01T17:03:39.461-04:00Digging Up the Marrow (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you say "lower-budget passion project about monsters", I'm usually going to reply with "yes please". However, with <i>Digging Up the Marrow</i>, I'm having some slight viewer's remorse.</div>
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This "found footage" mockumentary is a strange mix of smug self-congratulation and geeky love letter from writer/director Adam Green. The creatures are drawn and designed by Alex Pardee and sculpted by Greg Aronowitz and they, along with the excellent Ray Wise, are the best thing about it.</div>
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We follow Green as he abandons writing duties for his then-popular (and real) TV show <i>Holliston </i>to go monster hunting with a man called William Dekker (Wise). Accompanying them is Green's real-life cinematographer and collaborator Will Barratt, who acts as camera man.</div>
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Wise was cast as an audience "signpost" of sorts so that they didn't get too convinced that this might be real and feel cheated at the first big reveal. While I get the logic of this, Wise's amazing, intense, wild-eyed self sits awkwardly next to literally everyone else onscreen. From Green's staff to cameos from other genre names, the acting in this is worse than daytime soaps. The dialogue, apparently scripted, does nothing to help matters as it's so uninteresting and long-winded that it comes across as bad improvisation.</div>
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This kind of criticism - and sadly, it's one I have with some regularity in this sub-section of horror - always makes me ponder the nature of "reality" a bit. Yes, the point of this is that it's meant to be amateur and real, so what's the problem? The problem is that to be enthralling and tense, this shit still needs a framework of considered, careful choices on which to drape its reality. As a filmmaker and horror obsessive himself, I would have assumed Green had better judgement than what is shown here.</div>
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And to get petty for a second, Green and his staff are almost exclusively shown wearing T-shirts advertising his own work... It's just a bit much? </div>
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Is this a meta wink? Or does <i>Digging Up the Marrow</i> just have something in its eye?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And they all look brand new. I don't know why this irritated me so much.</td></tr>
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This took five years to make, and I have to be brutal and ask, was it actually worth it? I see what he was trying to accomplish, but he just didn't get there soon enough or <i>enough</i>, enough, for my liking.<br />
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"Dig it up" on Shudder now. (...sorry).</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-9372356213333296632019-03-16T09:29:00.000-04:002020-04-01T17:04:33.548-04:00Evil Dead (2013)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRSF-kRYtAbslN7UtMd5gHriysjk0E_McUwwBjWPhSl6fsvrN2X6XV60ucryxB-J9ccm684B_bF9UAJZzU44iBdDeHxNJiFM1b0FvhdATAK3_9wY91s8jZIK0bFw8LVUy8qbBgRdZP5E/s1600/evildead-lazmarquez1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRSF-kRYtAbslN7UtMd5gHriysjk0E_McUwwBjWPhSl6fsvrN2X6XV60ucryxB-J9ccm684B_bF9UAJZzU44iBdDeHxNJiFM1b0FvhdATAK3_9wY91s8jZIK0bFw8LVUy8qbBgRdZP5E/s640/evildead-lazmarquez1.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This artwork by <a href="http://www.lazmarquez.com/evil-dead-2013-poster">Laz Marquez</a> is EV-ER-YTHING.</td></tr>
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I remember when I first saw a trailer for this, and it looked INTENSE. So much so that I didn't go and see it on its theatrical release. Tongue slitting?! Wow... that's a bit much.</div>
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Well, times have changed! And just recently I was in the mood to pop this on and finally see how I felt about Fede Alvarez's take on the <i>Evil Dead</i> thing. And, honestly, I felt pretty entertained!</div>
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After a gorgeous title card/opening shot one-two punch, we're introduced to a group of college kids. In a spin on the original set-up, Mia (Jane Levy, doing most of the work but doing it brilliantly) is being isolated in this cabin in the middle of nowhere in order to go through drug addiction withdrawals. Her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) accompanies her to supervise, along with his girlfriend and Mia's friends (including <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/02/spring-2014.html">Spring</a></i>'s Lou Taylor Pucci).<br />
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David is warned that his sister has paid lip service to quitting before, with all the heartfelt declarations and ceremony they just witnessed as she threw her drugs away moments before. So, he's told, they have to be harder on her this time if it's really going to work. This is obviously almost instantly the cue for demonic shit to go down and no one initially believing Mia, assuming she's either attempting to manipulate them or hallucinating through her withdrawal.</div>
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But as we know: she's not. This is demon dinnertime.</div>
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Fans of the originals will recognise some iconic plot points like the tree assault (feeling WAY less exploitative than the 1981 version but still horrible [I watched that to remind myself and YIKES x100]), the Book of the Dead (bound in trash bags and barbed wire; nice touch) the tool shed and an Oldsmobile sitting out to rust near the cabin.</div>
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This was neither as sick as I had assumed it would be, nor as redundant. And what I really enjoyed about it was the <i>dirt under its nails</i>. 99% of this film feels deeply unclean; slick with sweat/rain/vomit/blood and caked in mud (and blood!). When horror successfully feels so tainted, I'm so completely on board. I love it when world-within-the-movie feels this soiled.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8wU6ysHXVq-cr0WgKPY_yhyphenhyphenDCbr38POcvuBc7cwzDoxzlElZ7jOT2JRODnTgFVH7vWtQvvjBrXajNc7YH0JS_UbjUc0PVTC6hpoWBBlro-VVVxE42Xnyr0MgXrITp5AYX-y7TaDfqxQ/s1600/EvilDead2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8wU6ysHXVq-cr0WgKPY_yhyphenhyphenDCbr38POcvuBc7cwzDoxzlElZ7jOT2JRODnTgFVH7vWtQvvjBrXajNc7YH0JS_UbjUc0PVTC6hpoWBBlro-VVVxE42Xnyr0MgXrITp5AYX-y7TaDfqxQ/s640/EvilDead2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sure, the drug comedown madness/evil infiltration thing is a horror trope, but it works like a charm here, and once the demons have an "in" with this group, it's almost non-stop evisceration, self-amputation and screaming.</div>
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Taking into account the serious, practical gore + solid story + exceptionally bold visuals (the cinematography was by Aaron Morton, who's since worked on <i>Black Mirror</i>) I feel I must recommend <i>Evil Dead</i>. There's not much about this I can fault. Perhaps the ending? Just slightly? But that may only be because it's where we veer off from the known path more than at any other time and I wasn't quite ready for that. On subsequent viewings, I suspect I'll appreciate it more. For its pure insanity if nothing else.</div>
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Now that I've come to accept reboots, reimaginings and their ilk, it's easier to get excited about them. At the end of the day, it's <i>more horror</i>, and that's a good problem to have. None of these films will ever undo the classics, so why not enjoy them? Especially when they are as competently made as this is.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the most disturbing shot in the movie, for me.</td></tr>
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Raimi and Campbell were in fact producers on this movie. Apparently, the original plan was to make a sequel connecting both this and the originals, as this iteration was said to be set in the same continuity. Such info kind of boggles my mind as tonally they are so different; there are very few moments of levity here. I'm sad a connecting sequel didn't happen, as I can't imagine the middle ground. Would have been interested to see Raimi/Campbell and Alvarez mashup?!</div>
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I rented this on Google Play so I imagine it's easy to get hold of if you've yet to see it!</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-43679536361814883812019-03-09T18:27:00.002-05:002020-04-01T17:05:13.406-04:00Little Deaths (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been rolling the British-made <i>Little Deaths</i> around in my head since I watched it a few days ago, wondering what exactly to say about it. If you can't stop thinking about a horror movie - does that make it good? This is an odd one.</div>
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<i>Little Deaths</i>, as the name and the artwork suggests, is about sex and death. Two staples in our genre. Here we have three shorts collected together but without any wraparound or connecting threads. I suppose it's a bit like <i>The ABC's of Death</i>, with nothing but a common theme to unite the work.</div>
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This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel it works better with larger projects (like the alphabet). For this, when the credits rolled after the third story, it felt undercooked, somehow? I hadn't been keeping track of the time but I had assumed there'd be more than three segments in this anthology.</div>
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Anyhow, this trio of tales has elements of sex, death, and also revenge. <i>House & Home</i> (written/directed by Sean Hogan) seems to generally be considered the best of the three - at least judging by the Letterboxd reviews. It concerns an affluent couple whose hobbies include kidnapping and abusing young homeless women. This is a pretty typical "they picked on the wrong girl this time!" story, though the reveal wasn't quite what I was expecting. It's fine enough, but the degradation that comes before the payoff made me feel uneasy and kind of exhausted. </div>
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<i>Mutant Tool</i> (written/directed by Andrew Parkinson) is bonkers but loses a lot of its impact due to its plodding plot. I am a fan of stories about imprisoned and exploited entities, so long as they escape and the captors get their comeuppance. This doesn't exactly happen here, but the ending is satisfactorily dark.</div>
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The third and final tale is <i>Bitch </i>(written/directed by Simon Rumley), and it's the one I've thought the most about post-viewing, but I honestly can't decide if I like it or not. </div>
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Here, we witness the day-to-day goings on in an abusive relationship between Claire (Kate Braithwaite) and Pete (Tom Sawyer). Claire is mean and manipulative; she does what she wants and makes Pete feel bad until he goes along with it, treating him like shit in front of his friends as well as in private. They have a kinky "puppy play" situation where Pete wears a mask and leash, crawls around on all fours, and gets pegged by Claire (and sleeps in a kennel in the spare room) but we get the distinct impression that this is more for her enjoyment than his. Ultimately, after she literally fucks one of his friends right in front of him, Pete breaks. He begins to set up a revenge plot that preys upon her deepest fears.</div>
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This story is tough to watch, it goes without saying, as abuse is never a fun thing to witness. Sawyer does well in portraying Pete as a sweet bloke trapped in his relationship. He seems constantly agonised and yet the crumbs of affection or interest Claire throws him, plus the hope that things will improve are enough to keep him from leaving. </div>
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Claire is - aptly, given the title - shown almost entirely as a bitch. A horrible, selfish, abusive woman. Her moments of phobia are the only glimpse we get into something deeper or less repulsive about this character. As the villain, I guess this makes sense, but it's a shame to see such broad strokes used. Tackling an abusive relationship from the lesser-represented side of a male survivor is refreshing, but painting Claire so one-dimensional makes it come across more like Rumley just fucking hates women. Her unpleasant fate is not entirely clear, and I hope this was the creator's intent and not an oversight. I won't spoil it, but I have my reasons for disagreeing with a few reads I've seen of what becomes of her.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(<u>aside:</u> well... yikes. I just found out that Rumley also directed the most upsetting segment of the aforementioned <i>The ABC's of Death</i>: <i>P is for Pressure. </i>So honestly, I'm not going to waste too much time wondering what his motivation was here).</span></div>
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I think what got to me most about <i>Bitch </i>was its use of music as it's made clear what Pete is doing. An emotive, uplifting instrumental plays over this montage, stopping with jarring immediacy on a shot of him weeping at what he's done. It's my favourite part of the entirety of <i>Little Deaths</i>, though I'm not sure it's enough to redeem the whole thing...<br />
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This is streaming on Shudder at time of writing. It's barely over 1hr30 so if you feel like gulping down three odd little stories, you could do a lot worse??</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3563454541064529281.post-15729812432995792802019-02-26T18:02:00.002-05:002020-04-01T17:05:39.909-04:00The Loved Ones (2009)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_rU-lltMx0cryfC09JltteN0MGGv7zAfD90QmN7YqbqkUOEt8bETBs3a6tYJgBzChLEWOTV2hmEwBl1XiWW_n7fE79-rOsqyB8c3Vlb4i9OXIM-wBtQNFaTwKOKcVYCT0xHCiKK1Ozc/s1600/the-loved-ones-movie-poster-360x543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_rU-lltMx0cryfC09JltteN0MGGv7zAfD90QmN7YqbqkUOEt8bETBs3a6tYJgBzChLEWOTV2hmEwBl1XiWW_n7fE79-rOsqyB8c3Vlb4i9OXIM-wBtQNFaTwKOKcVYCT0xHCiKK1Ozc/s400/the-loved-ones-movie-poster-360x543.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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I emerge from an unplanned break from horror, and <i>The Loved Ones</i> wasn't a brilliant one to come back with, but here we are.</div>
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This is from the same guy as <i><a href="https://zombiecupcake.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-devils-candy-2015.html">The Devil's Candy</a> </i>but this grubby little Australian flick did not give me anything approaching the heart eyes 😻 that <i>Candy</i> did, sadly.</div>
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Sitting here wondering how to start this review, I was reflecting on our introduction to Lola, the main character, and it only further highlighted to me how aggravatingly one-dimensional she is. Robin McLeavy certain commits as this nightmare in a pink prom gown and Lola is never <i>ever </i>shown as anything other than delusional and psychopathic. Even when she appears by the locker of her crush Brent (Xavier Samuel), she's wide-eyed and manic. Always heightened, turned up to 11. That ended up being my main problem with <i>The Loved Ones</i>. Lola is annoying as shit, so I spent most of the time irritated and waiting for her to die - and even the death scene was annoying, too! More on that later.</div>
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There are two "dates" happening throughout this movie. Lola with a kidnapped Brent, and Brent's friend Jamie (Richard Wilson) with a sexy goth girl. This secondary story is ultimately revealed to be a tenuous (at <i>best</i>) link to the kidnapping and torture, and if its purpose was to serve as light relief or a way to break the tension of Brent's apparently hopeless situation, it doesn't really work. There's even a moment where we're led to believe the stories are about to interestingly converge... but it's a fake out. Thanks?</div>
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It's hard to imagine Lola existing in the real world well enough to successfully attend school and socialise, but we're shown that throughout her life, with the help of her father (who harbours incestuousness feelings for her) she's lived a cycle of crushes and rejection, followed by capture and torture in the name of her obsession.</div>
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Drills, forks, knives, syringes of bleach, a hidden pit under the kitchen; it's all here. Yet, I wasn't enjoying this ride.</div>
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When the moment finally came to see her die, she's treated like horror royalty in a Big Moment where time slows down. She watches her death approach, and we watch her watching. It goes on for-ev-er. This kind of end is fit for someone way more iconic and giving her this, when the writing and action have done nothing to flesh her out feels <span style="text-align: center;">unwarranted and unearned.</span></div>
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<i>The Loved Ones</i> is streaming on Shudder at time of writing. Have I just woken up grumpy from my hiatus?!</div>
Zombie Cupcakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176349073306338323noreply@blogger.com0