Something Sinister: 5 Horror Film Classics

Horror films are cool. Well, sometimes. For some, drinking battery acid sounds much more pleasant than sitting down to a horror movie. Others can't get enough of these shows, constantly needing the latest straight-to-DVD exploitative gut fest to ease the addiction. My feelings are more that I like good horror, and hate bad horror. Sounds simple and dumb, but I find that too many of us spend more time with bad horror than good horror.

It's true that horror movies can be uncomfortable and (surprise) horrific. It's also true that the majority of horror films out there are rubbish and exist only as exploitation films that do much harm and little good. I'm not going to try solving the mystery of what makes a good horror film, or try telling you what criteria you should follow when choosing a scary movie. I don't really have the answers to those questions, for my own reasons and rules shift as I think, study, and learn more about life, cinema, and everything else. But I'd like to spotlight five classic horror films that I've found particularly good, though that does not mean these five are for everyone; 'good' or 'old' aren't descriptors that equal 'clean', though these are dreams compared to most any modern horror film. These five I've found to be important enough that anyone interested in looking at the horror genre a bit closer should check them out.

Night of the Hunter [1955]: Now here's a horror film about children that children can watch. Charles Laughton's only directorial credit is one incredible first and only film. Like many horror films, this one deals strongly with religious journeys and inquiries, as well as redemption & mercy, justice & punishment, and sexual obsession; all revolving around kids. And Robert Mitchum is awesome. Terrible, but awesome. It's correct to say the film is critical of religious hypocrisy, but that isn't all it is. Pay attention to Lillian Gish's character, Rachel Cooper. You'll notice how her own faith differs from that of Mitchum's Harry Powell, whose own faith lies more in the belief in one's self and one's divine right to judge, condemn and punish. In contrast, Cooper's faith is a fuller, more sincere Christian faith, rooted in Christ and Christian ideals of charity, love, and forgiveness.

The Unknown [1927]: Tod Browning's film of body horror and obsession is one of my favorites of the silent era. A traveling carnival troupe is always good for a horror film, though you run the danger of exploiting lifestyles and deformities that don't deserve such treatment. Browning worked in carnival shows for a while and knows something about the way people with physical handicaps and deformities were treated by the 'normal' public. In The Unknown, you can see Browning beginning to address some of these issues that he would more fully address in the offensive and brilliant Freaks [1932]. Also, Lon Cheney and Joan Crawford's performances are so good that they're reason enough to watch this film.

Repulsion [1965]: If you were ever starting to think that objectifying someone was cool, stop. And watch Repulsion. Catherine Deneuve is tragically great as the beautiful, psychologically scarred Carole. Thanks to this film I swore off straight razors for life. And rotting rabbit meat - gross. One of my favorite horror films. It's cold, dark and troubling, with a dash of tenderness and a whole lot of sincerity in the film making. Shows Roman Polanski's fascination/obsession with psychological trauma, and while his treatment of that subject might seem overly simple by today's standards, in 1965 it was a fairly new way of thinking about sexual trauma.

Peeping Tom [1960]: Michael Powell wins big points for making a film about serial killer Mark Lewis, who films the horrified expressions on women's faces as he murders them, and then later watches the footage. Collectively panned and banned when released, Peeping Tom has now become hailed as one brilliant piece of work, but initially it destroyed Michael Powell's career. Many thought Powell has just made a snuff film and were disgusted. Well, he didn't make a snuff film, but we should still be disgusted and disturbed by this film, because the subject matter demands it. But that doesn't mean it isn't a great film, because it is. My suspicion (okay, it's not just mine, many people say it now) is that Peeping Tom has more to do with film audiences, and our fascination with and consumption of violent and sexual images, than it does with serial killers.

Eyes Without a Face [1960]: Holy crap, they cut that woman's face off! Holy crap, that mask gives me the serene shivers. Mad scientist films can be cool and this one is very close to my heart. Plenty of fairy tale and myth in this one, along with a potent dose of identity anxiety, obsession, guilt, and complicated accountability. Georges Franju's disturbing film about a doctor's obsession and the consequences it has on family and neighbor alike is really beautiful to look at and has one unsettling, poetic, and gorgeous finale.

What do you watch in a year?

Now that the Academy buzz has subsided a bit, I feel obligated to alleviate some of the post-awards backlash by posting a list of honors based on movies/television that I've watched in the past year. Since part of my proper day job deals with what I watch, I find it helpful to keep a little log - title, year, director/creator, and a basic rating. When I say basic I mean a three star system:

Three*** = I would own it
One* = I'm so violently angry at this particular movie that I spend the next five days rehabbing with non-stop German New Wave films while mainlining peanut butter.

You might think this is a pretty simple system, and I wouldn't disagree; I'm a simple kind of guy. Easy to please you might say. Forgiving. Stupid. Whatever. I justify the simplicity by the fact that I refuse to watch 'anything'. I hate, hate, hate to have my time wasted watching something lame when I could be watching something I know I'll enjoy (see therapy for one-star films). Therefore, I tend to know beforehand a bit about the film, be it history, context, people, etc. and many titles on the list are repeats (yes, I had seen, among others, Back to the Future, Night of the Hunter, and Big Trouble in Little China before). Basically, I know what I like and what I don't. Now that doesn't mean that I don't like to be challenged or surprised - I do. Hence... the variation in the ratings.

[this is the part where your brow furrows as you contemplate the profundity while simultaneously questioning your life's direction and purpose without Boast]

Since this list isn't limited to what was released (and forgotten - Zodiac!) in the past year, it can serve as a ready reference when you need something new (or old) to watch. And, in an effort to achieve our goal of being the coolest, I have also highlighted a few titles that stood out over the course of the year. Think of this as the Oscars minus the annoying bits. Plus you can print yourself a personal copy of the list for free. Now that's what I call the bomb-diggity.

* * * * *
And the Winners are...

Overall Favorite- West Wing (1999-2006)

Aside from being one of the most prophetic shows on television, Aaron Sorkin's blend of drama and comedy is remarkable. A refreshing polar opposite to the current administration.

Weirdest/Coolest - American Astronaut (2001, Cory McAbee)
It's like indie sci-fi New Wave expressionist rock musical noir. The universe that McAbee creates is like Isaac Asimov meets Joss Whedon. Rocks much?

Best movie that I wouldn't watch with my grandmother - Tipping the Velvet (2002, Geoffrey Sax)
Adapted from the novel by Sarah Waters, this BBC drama is a raunchy, dramatic, and hilarious trip through a side of Victorian England that would cause your grandmammy to blush and then slap you silly. Waters' novel Affinity was also one of my favorite reads from last year.

Strangest run of back-to-back movies - Gabbeh (1996, Mohsen Makhmalbaf), Blade (1998, Stephen Norrington), The wind will carry us (1999, Abbas Kiarostami)
OK. So, I was doing a bunch of research and prep for an Iranian Film Festival that I was organizing and presenting at our public library. That is where Gabbeh and The wind will carry us come in. And honestly, I can't think of a better group to sandwich a bloody vampire flick between. Can you?

Most Misunderstood - Barbarella (1968, Roger Vadim)
That is, "Most Misunderstood" by adolescent boys as well as middle-aged city council members. I'll just say that Vadim's brilliant sex-lib satire does more to illustrate the merits of film as a political tool than anything in the mainstream media. If there is any question, Barbarella holds the power people. Barbarella holds the power. And if any of you feel the need to pour on the Hate, I've got an arsenal of yet unpublished material to make you weep like an impotent man-angel.

The Goods:

Three Star Rating System
The List

"Et tu, Cleanflicks?"

As you have all come to expect, the stalwart interns here at Boast HQ will not rest until we, like the NY Times, have updated you with "all the news that's fit to [post]." How else do you think our world-wide readership topped 300,000 last month? Well I can tell you that it isn't by posting controversial little nasties about a certain former movie-editing franchise that is "NOT Affiliated in Any Way with Daniel Dean Thompson, a Convicted Felon Recently Arrested on Sexual Abuse Charges."

Hey, speaking of...

Did you hear Ray Lines, CEO of Cleanflicks, telling everyone, "[Daniel] Thompson was never a partner, officer, affiliate, dealer, franchisee, collaborator, consultant or representative of any Clean Flicks entity in any capacity"? He pointed out that because of Thompson's scandal, "Our name has been dragged through the mud and it's not right." Boy, it sure isn't right, and it's a good thing that Cleanflicks isn't associated with this guy because nothing brings your business down like criminal activity.

Sarcasm aside [sigh], what Cleanflicks has done by releasing a statement and filing charges against Thompson is the equivalent of a schoolyard "Nuh-uh!" Like all businesses who appreciate a good sports metaphor, Cleanflicks has adopted the philosophy that "the best defense is a better offense." Ask the Patriots about that one, Ray.

What I see is Thompson claiming one thing and Lines another. It's not like Daniel Thompson has only just started making this claim - he's been doing it since the courts ruled that the movie-editing business was bad (and by bad I mean illegal) business. We didn't hear Cleanflicks filing lawsuits and non-affiliation then and it's not like they weren't being dragged through the proverbial mud of public perception. But now the company who made such a show of being picked on by Hollywood is now suing Thompson for $1.1 million in damages, fees, and awards. What makes me sad is that because of this, Ray Lines and Daniel Thompson will probably never be friends.

The official Boast, M.D. diagnosis:
Cleanflicks suffers from acute martyrdomitis (the interns watch a lot of House) - first it's Hollywood, now it's the lying pedophiles.

The Boast Judges:
Not one finger - but two!




[Link to Cleanflicks statement]
[Link to SLTrib article]
*Clicking or adding labels to a feed reader will keep you up to date on these topics*

More Cleanflicks

Wipe that wink off your logo!
I've posted a couple of times on the supreme cheekiness of a company touting moral high ground while selling unauthorized and illegal versions of edited movies. However, much to my surprise, owner of the re-opened Orem, UT location of Cleanflicks, Daniel Thompson, keeps pushing the levels of irony to laughable proportions.

It seems that the mole in charge of illegally cutting movies in the sweaty basement has also had a few side activities that wouldn't become one so bent on cleanliness. Daniel Thompson and Isaac Lifferth have both been booked into jail for paying 14 year-old girls for sex acts.

Although, after the courts ordered them to stop doing business the first time, they did change their name from Cleanflicks to Flix Club... hmmm. I guess it's not so ironic after all. My bad.

Anyway, the undernourished staff writers here at Boast have been working all afternoon (their sleepy-time) on new names for the next time someone decides to continue this silliness:

FlixXx Club
The Club (for private members... you know *wink*)
Prison Flix, or Flix Prison (we're a bit undecided on this one)
A club for guys who watch hours of sex and violence frame-by-frame.
Jim Cunningham's Heroes

It can always get worse/better (choose one).


[Link to the KSL article]
[Related Boast articles here, and here]

Calexico: Jesus & Tequila

Calexico @ Twilight Concert Series, SLC

This is fairly old news but Calexico played at Twilight Concert Series in SLC (all free shows) this past summer. As expected, it was awesome. The reason I mention this now is I found a little video of them on Youtube playing the Minutemen's, 'Jesus and Tequila' - one of my favorite numbers from the SLC show. The lighting and sound are both really bad, but it gives you the basic idea of how cool they are live.

Enjoy.

Large Association of Movie Blogs

We are proud to announce that Boast is now part of the Large Association of Movie Blogs (LAMB). The reason we are proud is... because it's cool with the kids, of course. It is also a really great project that will network and promote all of those savvy bloggers who sacrifice sleep and social lives to geek out on movies.

Be sure to visit our links to other blogs and sites that we like.

Check it out.

Sugarshock, by Joss Whedon & Fabio Moon

Dandelion

Is the answer if you have found yourself wondering what Joss Whedon (aka Monsieur Creative Genius Extraordinaire) has been up to since cutting off from the intriguing but possibly doomed Wonder Woman project. This latest work of pure Jossiness has been spotted on our Whedar and does not fail to please for all its randomness and the lovable Dandelion.

This new post-fem rocker girl heads a thrash band named Sugarshock (also the comics' title), loves her mates, is slightly delusional, and festers some mysterious childhood angst against Vikings. And she saves planet Earth while signing with an interstellar music label.

It might be fair to say that this is the coolest thing since, well, the last thing Joss did.

"One, two, three, four...!"


Free Sugarshock comics from Dark Horse @ MySpace:
Part one
Part two
Part three

No Country for Old Men

Much has already been said, critically and otherwise, about No Country for Old Men’s “hunter becoming the hunted” and the prospects of Javier Bardem winning an Oscar (which would be great). While such clichés citing overt and somewhat elementary symbolism flow like sentimentalism from a Spielberg movie, the more sinister and indicting themes at the core of this story confound such reductive criticism while demanding attention. Contrary to the popular notions of chic hipsters, Country doesn’t settle for merely achieving pop-genre status but, like many of the great films, resists simple classification and generalization to the effect of appealing to multiple tastes and sensibilities while being pointedly insightful. Of course the tense story and action, paced by remarkable editing, grabs our focus as well as our concern. But where the film becomes the most fascinating is in its acute awareness of cultural politics in America.

Although Llewelyn Moss is a sympathetic character who gets drawn into a treacherous stalking match, it’s significant that we understand him as a truly opportunistic guy who is determined to keep a bundle of money he gained by shady chance. That this money is someone else’s never deters him from trying to keep it even though he clearly understands that doing so puts him and his family at terrible risk. This act seems to characterize more of the McMahonian notion of capitalist expectation than one would normally assign to a poor schmuck being stalked by a raging psychopath. To ignore this and idealize a protagonist’s morally dubious actions based on our empathetic support is a remarkably dangerous practice and one that is deftly exploited by the Coens and award winning novelist, Cormac McCarthy.

Similarly, at the center of the film’s parade of ubiquitous and abrupt violence is the idea that no one is exempt and punishment (or dire consequence), however unjust, is inevitable. The fact that neither lawful nor vigilante retribution has a marked effect on minimizing the imminent brutality that Anton Chigurh brings further parallels a culture muddled in paradox and misconception. This is not to say that the film promotes fatalism, but only that it has its finger on the proverbial button of our societal conundrum of violence and terror. As Sherriff Bell’s narration brilliantly bookends the film, we understand the layered and self reflexive irony that veterans returning from conflict are doomed to relive the same madness at home.

No Country for Old Men evokes a haunting vision of social anxiety in America, defying our best efforts to evade responsibility in a way that could generically be considered post neo-western-noir. Despite the ambiguity of such categorization, we could also surmise that the Coen’s have made a masterful adaptation of a striking novel. More importantly, however, the filmmakers appear to have not only been faithful but have had faith in their source material – a virtue to be sure. If artists continue to make comparable renderings because of such stark and relevant works (i.e. if Moss really is America’s redneck Everyman) then our cultural position is bleak indeed.

Assessment: Many stars

The Potter's Meal & Nobody's Business

In the passed few weeks I've had a chance to see two rather interesting documentaries. Both deal with maybe more ordinary subjects, but it seems there's something quite unique and wonderful about both of these simple stories.

The Potter's Meal is a cool short doc about potter Joseph Bennion, who lives with his family in rural Utah. For many potting might not sound like the most exciting thing. This doc might not convert you to the excitement of making pots, but it will let you in on Joe's perspective on potting as art and the relationship that man has with nature, food, creative process, God, and family. For being only 30 min long, there's a lot in there and it's well worth the time. Director Steve Olpin also claims that a new remastered version of the film is done and he just has to find the time to get it released. We'll see how long it takes him.

Nobody's Business is Alan Berliner's film about genealogy and family relations, focusing primarily on his father, who's now a rather old man. His father has that grumpy charm that is so funny in people who've been around a while and now see no reason to change their views in the slightest. This film looks at an alleged 'ordinary' life and captures/finds some things that could be considered more than just ordinary. This is a cool look at Alan Berliner's quest to learn more about his ancestors and in the process, I believe, discovers a lot about his own relationship with his parents. And all along the way we have his father, Oscar's grumpy cursing to keep us smiling.

Resident Evil Still Fighting Negative Waves

The reviews are in, opening week is passed and the critical consensus seems to be that Resident Evil: Extinction is a waste of time. This isn't a new conclusion for the Resident Evil franchise, but I can't help but wonder why the negative waves? It's Resident Evil. Not Citizen Kane. Should we honestly expect such brilliance from a show whose source material is a video game franchise? It's like expecting Pirates of the Caribbean to be of the same caliber as Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy.

Extinction doesn't even get the bogus criticism of being 'so bad it's good'. Perhaps people would be happier if Russell Mulcahy and Paul W.S. (not just one initial, but two!) Anderson had said Extinction was meant to be bad, or they were paying tribute to fellow bad movies. Heck, if Tarantino and Rodriguez can do Grindhouse and convince people it's great cinema, why can't Resident Evil exist as what it is: a pulp sci-fi/fantasy, fully equipped with poor lines and gun/machete-toting women who always look beautiful.

Extinction does have flaws, as do most shows like it. . . . or maybe just most shows. It would have been cool to see more of Vegas and spend more time in Vegas. I could have done without Ashanti. The ending was rushed and not explained very well. Well, then the show was ok. Not terrible. Not amazing. I got what I expected and was satisfied. Maybe that makes me just really easy to please, or just a sucker for pulp sci-fi.

Pulp shows like Extinction have their place and are fine in their own right. The issue with them is perhaps not so much the quality of these films as the expectations put on them. It seems they're supposed to stand up against shows they have no business being associated with. It could also be that the easy thing to do is trash shows like Resident Evil, Aeon Flux [2005], and The Island. Kinda how it's easier to praise stuff like The Departed, Saving Private Ryan, and Braveheart rather than be the guy ripping them apart.

Grateful for Diesel Power

This passed summer - yeah, summer's gone already - I was on an action film kick. As part of that adventure I finally saw a number of Vin Diesel shows. For the most part it was a great experience. He's cool for a couple of reasons: (1) The reluctant hero role of the Riddick shows and xXx is fun. He's like Wolverine, but with more badness than just attitude and large eyebrows. (2) He probably does the rough and tough roles better than any one else doing similar shows. This guy does have talent and like many actors gets better as he goes along. (3) He helps produce many of his shows. Plus, he's tried his hand at writing and directing with Multi-Facial and Strays. Nothing like trying your hand at a few different things. Sure, several actors have done it so such an accomplishment isn't new, but for alleged 'muscle head' actors like Vin to get into it might be a bit more unique.

With xXx, I was reminded of Jackie Chan shows like Operation: Condor. Multi-angle, slow motion action moments with explosions and dirt bikes are sure fun - except when it's Mission: Impossible II. Vin also lands his barbed-wire fence jump, where even Steve McQueen couldn't. Awesome! Plus, The Third Man musical moment was great; zithers rock. The American flag parachute? I choose to see it as a tongue-in-cheek moment that only adds to the fun and humor, by laughing at the idea of America coming to save the world.

Vin's Riddick character is great for what he is. Those hardcore, mysterious criminal-turned-hero guys are usually quite appealling. Plus, Chronicles of Riddick has some weird sci-fi production similar to that of David Lynch's Dune. While Dune has its weaknesses, the look of the world Lynch created is not one of them and the same goes for Chronicles of Riddick.

The Fast and the Furious is a hit and miss show, where the times when it misses aren't Vin's fault. There's no way around Paul Walker's lameness. There's also not much to be done about Vin turning out to actually be the criminal - disappointing. But his speech about "granny shiftin instead of double clutchin like you shoulda been", yeah, the finest moment of the show.

While Vin's shows aren't and don't claim to be brilliant cinema, there is something really cool about them. You just have to know what you're getting into.

Raise the Red Lantern: Redux

A while back I lamented the fact that Zhang Yimou's brilliant, Raise the Red Lantern, had yet to be remastered, transfered, and released on a DVD worth owning. That was regarding the region 1 version distributed by Razor entertainment. Well now MGM world classics has one on deck that seems promising. The set date for US release is July ...

**Update**
The newest MGM region 1 version is far superior to the Razor release. Better color and subtitles. The exceptional folks over at DVD Beaver review it here, and conclude that it's probably the best version of this film available on DVD (although, like me, lament the lack of a commentary or production featurettes). The over done airbrushing on the cover is also slightly annoying, but...

Reshoots for Blade Runner's 25th?

Dark Horizons reports that Joanna Cassidy, who plays the famous replicant Zhora from the classic sci-fi film Blade Runner, has recently finished re-shooting scenes to be included in the film's upcoming 25th anniversary DVD boxed set.

From Cassidy's website:

Joanna has just finished re-shooting her scenes from the original BLADE RUNNER movie. Joanna is wearing her original outfit (which she kept over from the first production).

This could be really exciting - nearly as much as the fact that Cassidy still has that sweet outfit from 25 years ago! Apparently, director Ridley Scott has a great track record for extended/director's cut reissues - both Legend and Kingdom of Heaven received better reviews for the DVD release than they did for the theatrical. My only worry is that Blade Runner (one of my absolute favs, as previously mentioned) could suffer from the same conflated pretentious nostalgia that inspired George Lucas when re-releasing the Star Wars films (IV, V, VI) or the 30th anniversary release of Night of the Living Dead (not Romero's fault). The reshoots for both of these films, while I'm sure causing Lucas's beard to twitch and his beady eyes to start wiggin', made my childhood dreams distort in a pile of digitally induced CGI reflux. (For the record, 35mm black and white looks way better than miniDV with the color removed).

Lets hope that this release will be as cool as we all hope. And maybe if we're lucky, they'll shoot some more scenes with Edward James Olmos! Hey, if androids can dream, so can we!
Meh!


[Link] to the Dark Horizons article.