A
Trio of Female Frights
by
Kristin Battestella
This
trio of lady horrors past and present provides plenty of paranormal
revenge, quirky fatalities, and bizarre terrors for these women young
or old.
Dark Touch – Barking dogs,
crying babies, thunderstorms, and young girls fleeing into the rain
open this 2013 international co-production written and directed
Marina de Van (Don't Look
Back). Tongue
injuries and unexplained bruises further belie the pretty Irish
landscapes, and this contemporary, harsh, monochromatic house
doesn't match the countryside. Yuppie doctors and reassuring adults
calmly explain away why their daughter is traumatized in this home
despite ringing in the ears and muffled screams inside the window.
Flickering lights, footsteps, shadows, and locked doors build an
ominous mood as children are told not to be afraid before they cry in
bed over the subtle but no less nasty suggestions. Although nighttime
blue lighting is a little too dark, clever editing makes the banging
objects, moving furniture, chandelier frights, and crafty kills more
terrible amid police discovery, tip toeing social workers, and acting
out at the hospital. It will take time to adjust, but ongoing
whispers, fear of belts, and back to school structure don't help heal
this trauma. People are trying to help and see to our survivor's
needs, but the awkward disconnection persists alongside secret photo
albums, missing medical records, locking oneself in the bathroom, and
refusing to bathe except fully clothed. Are the buzzing lights,
breaking dishes, and garage mishaps something paranormal or
uncontrolled telekinesis reacting to abuse? Other children are
brutally honest in some refreshing exposition, and creepy sing songs
lead to nearby abusers and gory retributions as a yellow patina
shapes this surreal atmosphere where the fantastic allows hurt
children to take matters into their own hands rather than suffer what
goes on behind closed doors in this close knit, superstitious
community. Adults insist it isn't this girl's fault that bad things
happen, but they suspect worse as she recoils from any compassion and
child's play becomes harmed dolls and fiery birthday parties. Trances
and school barricades come full circle, but the well intended adults
only question what they didn't know about the people closest to them
when it's too late. At times, the slow pace and frequent screaming
drag, and the supernatural aspects are also misleading. The artsy
finale will be confusing as well, but the mix of nightmares real and
horror make for interesting metaphors and conversations on the
frightening truth and who really has the titular mark.
Office Killer – Carol Kane (Taxi), Molly Ringwald (The
Breakfast Club), and Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct)
star in photographer turned director Cindy Sherman's 1997 dark satire
of magazine deadlines, office downsizing, and meek but murderous
co-workers. Phone gossip, bossy dames, cigarettes, big computers, and
older fashions invoke a quirky noir feeling amid the mundane ticking
clock and a greasy higher up man who's giving all the ladies his
cold. The copier ink explodes on hard working Dorine with the
crookedly drawn eyebrows, everyone forgets her name, and she's stuck
at home making tea for her crabby old mother amid laptop upgrades and
learn or get left behind memos. Late night tech support, power
outages, red lighting, and orange glows make the office a little
scary before creepy convulsions, thunderstorms, poison in the
inhaler, and crossed wires frying associates. Morbid winks layer
scenes amid well-filmed bungling crimes, messy mail room slices, and
a homeless man catching one hauling out the deceased, but Dorine
gains confidence in talking back to that mean corpse while the cat
plays with the bodies piling up in the basement. Bloody flashbacks
with sixties wagons suggest our mousy employee already had some
sociopathy in her, but the trickle down office blame mixes the real
world stinky of the ignored worker who sees all with horror,
distorted camerawork, kaleidoscope effects, and twisted perspectives.
Would she have killed if she had been treated nicely? Mom yearns for
the days when a man ruled the house, and mean girls, jealousy,
frienemies, and calls to the bitchy wife of the deceased from the
girl he was smooching in the office create multi-faceted women's
interplay. Sure let's go to lunch – so I can knock you out with a
crowbar! Our little lady is pretty crafty when she wants, using
primitive emails to get back at stealing accountants or cleaning
decomposing bodies with Windex and making unique décor with body
parts. Dorine trades tightly wound buns for better make up –
letting her hair down as she receives the workplace respect she
deserves. Is one hateful co-worker right to not take her sob story at
face value and accuse her of playing on everyone's sympathy? It's one
woman's word versus another, but the macabre, likable moments
ultimately reveal how disturbed the seemingly mild-mannered Dorine
truly is. The satire may be uneven, too on nose for some and not
outright horror enough with bemusing violence and cut away splatter.
However, the innocent, unassuming start results in flies buzzing,
smelly discoveries, and a sinister character parable with shrewd
commentary on women's relationships, workplace environments,
childhood dynamics, social shapings of psychoses, and more.
Trilogy of Terror –
Karen Black (Burnt Offerings)
leads this 1975 made for television anthology from director Dan
Curtis (Dark Shadows)
and
writer Richard Matheson (Somewhere in Time)
beginning with the campus bells, bell bottoms, and coeds of “Julie.”
One stud student wonders how hot this frumpy teacher would be with
hazy fantasy intercuts and steamy suggestions as he spies on her
undressing. Classroom talk on Faulkner rape and Fitzgerald violence
lead to a spicy French vampire movie and a dollar for two large root
beers at the drive in – spiked of course. It's surprising they got
away with such disturbing date rape on mid-seventies television, as a
check-in at the hotel as “Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Harker” leads to
dark room photography and threatening notes forcing a woman to “meet”
some of his friends before good old fashioned “I have the
negatives” blackmail. Who is controlling whom? Newspaper scrapbooks
and surprising revelations lead to the black and white reels and
button up repression of Segment Two “Millicent and Therese.”
Voiceover journaling recounts the family innuendo, cunning sister,
fatal accidents, and satanism books on the shelf, but our prudish
sibling won't let these perversions continue. All the lewd, sordid
mentions are just talk done in one room confrontations – leaving
enough saucy to the imagination in this near one woman show as a
little voodoo puts the sibling rivalry into her own hands. Sure, it's
obvious what's happening by time we see this tawdry sister in hot
pants and platform shoes listening on the phone extension. However,
it's taut fun, and I wish there were more star of the week, one
actress in small set piece presentations today. “Amelia” adds one
ugly little but cute in its own twisted way Zuni fetish tribal statue
with a miniature spear, sharp teeth, and instructions on not removing
its gold chain or the spirit inside will be released. .Awkward chats
on the phone with mom provide comforting exposition while building
drama – she wants to move on with her wild seventies kitchen,
seriously floral wallpaper, shiny orange appliances, and bright teal
carpet. Our tiny guy disappears under the couch, and initially, the
talking to oneself is bemusing until bloody ankles, low camera
angles, and tracking zooms across the floor create fear. Our young
woman is home alone with scary sounds, hissing, and blood on her
white robe. Yes, it is just a puppet, but the frenetic editing
creates scares as this little sucker climbs up the bedskirt and
sticks a stolen knife under the door. How does one explain this
emergency when calling the police for help? Wrapping him in a towel
or holding him under the water won't do the trick, but trapping him
in a suitcase just might! Though hysterical as much as it is scary,
this little battle makes for a memorable and wildly entertaining
finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment