IT FOLLOWS / THE BABADOOK: THE CLASS OF 2014

IT FOLLOWS (2014) d. David Robert Mitchell (USA)
THE BABADOOK (2014) d. Jennifer Kent (Australia)

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10 years ago, a pair of horror films exploded onto the scene, both from independent writer/directors not known for genre fare, both displaying exceptional visual confidence and storytelling skills, and both layered with multiple levels of metaphor and symbolism spicing their genuinely unnerving and clean mythologies. Critics and audiences celebrated this one-two punch of intellectually stimulating and emotionally gut-wrenching fright flicks, subtly shifting the terror landscape forever.

Fool's Views (9/1 – 9/30)

Greetings, autumnal ones!

Considering how crazed I’ve felt over the past month, it’s bewildering that September allowed for as many flicks as it did. I chalk it up to the pressure of having rented most of this month’s offerings from the public library (12 in total) and thereby having an imposed deadline in which to watch them, as well as the pleasant prodding of Kicking the Seat’s Ian Simmons with whom I shared another three horror viewings. The end results included a trio of directors’ festivals (Akira Kurosawa, Peter Berg, Alex Cox) and a werewolf double feature inspired by my current onstage exploits (The Man-Beast at First Folio Theatre, opening next weekend just in time for the full moon).

But the October Horror Movie Challenge (and SCARE-A-THON 2017) looms nigh, so let’s get these in the books and head off into the cornfield mazes!

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (3/1 – 3/31)

Back again!

March was a light month in terms of knocking out the flicks, but it did have the highlight of showcasing what will likely be my favorite horror offering of the year.

It Follows demonstrated a level of foreboding, atmospheric dread that I haven’t experienced in quite some time, with a brilliantly simple, uncluttered horror premise. I never thought it would resonate for the mainstream, however, and was legitimately surprised when it earned a wide release. Sure, the hype machine managed to ruin it for many hardcore fright fans, but it delivered the goods in my book, and I’m happy to keep recommending it. (Especially since the rest of the month’s genre selections were less than select.)

And with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we managed to knock out yet another Redford flick, the very one that sparked my interest in revisiting his onscreen output since it was supposedly an anomaly for Hollywood's golden boy to be playing a villain. Of course, anyone who was paying even the slightest bit of attention should have realized that even Sir Bob's "heroes" are a flawed and cranky bunch, and he's played an out-and-out S.O.B. on more than one occasion.

As before, feel free to leave your two cents worth about any of the titles below – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Sharp-tongued retorts will be dealt with accordingly.