Showing posts with label movie scares. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie scares. Show all posts
22 March 2008
19 October 2007
16 October 2007
The Blair Witch Project
You know what film gets a bad rap? The Blair Witch Project.
I was reading the Willies list over at Shoot the Projectionist and was pleasantly surprised to find it listed among the finalist. The reason for this has to do with the strange critical trajectory the film has followed.
When it came out, people couldn't get enough of it. It became one of the highest grossing independent films of all time and became an important film in the history of Sundance, ranking among films like sex, lies, and videotape. A few years on, however, it became sort of a critical punching bag for people to label 'one of the worst movies ever made'. Now, it seems, the tide seems to be turning in the film's favor yet again.
And rightfully so. People tend to complain about the camera work or that nothing much happens for a great deal of the running time, but they forget all the tension building that goes on. The filmmakers didn't need to show the witch at all to make us afraid of her. This is horror filmmaking as it used to be, before watching Heather Matarazzo get carved up while hanging from the ceiling naked passed for effective horror filmmaking.
This is all well and good, but what really endears this movie to me is the ending in which a single figure in a corner and the screams of the main character are still enough to send goosebumps up my arm, even seen out of context.
I was reading the Willies list over at Shoot the Projectionist and was pleasantly surprised to find it listed among the finalist. The reason for this has to do with the strange critical trajectory the film has followed.
When it came out, people couldn't get enough of it. It became one of the highest grossing independent films of all time and became an important film in the history of Sundance, ranking among films like sex, lies, and videotape. A few years on, however, it became sort of a critical punching bag for people to label 'one of the worst movies ever made'. Now, it seems, the tide seems to be turning in the film's favor yet again.
And rightfully so. People tend to complain about the camera work or that nothing much happens for a great deal of the running time, but they forget all the tension building that goes on. The filmmakers didn't need to show the witch at all to make us afraid of her. This is horror filmmaking as it used to be, before watching Heather Matarazzo get carved up while hanging from the ceiling naked passed for effective horror filmmaking.
This is all well and good, but what really endears this movie to me is the ending in which a single figure in a corner and the screams of the main character are still enough to send goosebumps up my arm, even seen out of context.
29 September 2007
Who is Adelina Poerio?
So, anyone who has happened upon this and DOESN'T want the ending for Nicholas Roeg's 1973 film Don't Look Now spoiled for them should just scroll on down and enjoy some trailers featuring a drop dead gorgeous Norah Jones.
Still here....?
Don't Look Now is a very effective-if dated-thriller that is not easily described. Much of it deals with the relationship between a married couple (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) living in Venice after their daughter drowns. Both grieve in different ways as a blind woman and her sister enter their lives, appearing to know more than they are letting on. Into this domestic drama, however, Roeg slowly but deliberately introduces a string of killings and a mysterious figure in a red cloak that catches the attention of Sutherland's character. The red cloak he continues to see fleeting glimpses of disappearing around corners reminds him of the one his daughter was wearing the day that she died, leading him to rush after the figure wearing it as the film draws to a close.
He comes upon the figure huddled in a corner and speaks to it, telling it he is there to help.
The small figure turns around and....
...needless to say, that's not quite the frightened daughter he was searching for.
The dwarf approaches him and, after pulling out a knife, drives it into the side of Sutherland's neck. As he's dying, Sutherland's mind flashes back through events of the film, particularly focusing on the face of his wife as his life spills out on the floor.
Even having known that it was coming from the very beginning, that scene worked on every level and sent a chill up my spine. It's a strong ending to an effective thriller that has rightly become iconic. Donald Sutherland is one of the most underrated actors there's ever been, and his performance here (essentially a one man show for a good portion of the last third of the film) stands among his best.
But the person I'm most interested in here is Adelina Poerio, the woman who played the dwarf and went on to do nothing else. There's essentially no information anywhere about her, but there's just something so fascinating about her to me. Her appearance is truly frightening and, as it draws all the plot threads together, puts the finishing touches on Roeg's classic.
Still here....?
Don't Look Now is a very effective-if dated-thriller that is not easily described. Much of it deals with the relationship between a married couple (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) living in Venice after their daughter drowns. Both grieve in different ways as a blind woman and her sister enter their lives, appearing to know more than they are letting on. Into this domestic drama, however, Roeg slowly but deliberately introduces a string of killings and a mysterious figure in a red cloak that catches the attention of Sutherland's character. The red cloak he continues to see fleeting glimpses of disappearing around corners reminds him of the one his daughter was wearing the day that she died, leading him to rush after the figure wearing it as the film draws to a close.
He comes upon the figure huddled in a corner and speaks to it, telling it he is there to help.
The small figure turns around and....
...needless to say, that's not quite the frightened daughter he was searching for.
The dwarf approaches him and, after pulling out a knife, drives it into the side of Sutherland's neck. As he's dying, Sutherland's mind flashes back through events of the film, particularly focusing on the face of his wife as his life spills out on the floor.
Even having known that it was coming from the very beginning, that scene worked on every level and sent a chill up my spine. It's a strong ending to an effective thriller that has rightly become iconic. Donald Sutherland is one of the most underrated actors there's ever been, and his performance here (essentially a one man show for a good portion of the last third of the film) stands among his best.
But the person I'm most interested in here is Adelina Poerio, the woman who played the dwarf and went on to do nothing else. There's essentially no information anywhere about her, but there's just something so fascinating about her to me. Her appearance is truly frightening and, as it draws all the plot threads together, puts the finishing touches on Roeg's classic.
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