An all-female group of scientists investigate a ‘shimmer’, a zone created when a meteor hits the earth which has a mutating effect on vegetation and animals within. This is an interesting plot which, unfortunately, feels like it’s been completely wasted. Unlikeable characters (all different but not one who I could empathise with), bad CGI which …
Continue reading Shocking Cinema- Day 9- Annihilation (2018)
A young woman has her life (and her new home) turned upside down by the arrival of a stranger. Well, the events in this film escalate quickly. I love that things can go from 0-60 in a breath. There’s also a gorgeous look to the film which looks like every individual frame has been hand …
A very religious policeman (Edward ‘Equalizer’ Woodward) arrives at the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a child, Rowan Morrison. Whilst he makes enquiries regarding the missing child he witnesses first-hand the pagan lifestyles of the inhabitants which shock him and clash severely with his staunchly Christian and somewhat puritanical beliefs. I …
Continue reading Shocking Cinema- Day 7- The Wicker Man (1973)
An unstable children’s author finds the hallucinations that engulf her life are becoming out of control as she stays in her vacation home. What is fact and what is fiction? I had never heard of Images before and was surprised to discover that it was directed by Robert Altman. An impressive cast is led by …
From IMDB- ‘A jazz musician who suspects his wife of infidelity gets framed for her murder. However, after he is sent to prison, he changes his identity and leads a new life as a car mechanic.’ This is a David Lynch movie and so expect the unexpected. Sometimes even trying to write a synopsis for …
Continue reading Shocking Cinema- Day 5- Lost Highway (1997)
A young man rents an apartment after the previous tenant takes her own life. But he quickly finds that others are trying to mould him in her image and that his identity is starting to converge with hers. This was the last film in Polanski’s apartment trilogy (the others being Rosemary’s Baby and Repulsion). Polanski …
A young couple move from France to an isolated villa in Romania. This proves to be a bad move though as things quickly take a turn for the worse as they find themselves under attack. Beautifully photographed, brilliantly directed (loving the POV shots that place you in the shoes of the protagonists), Them (released as …
The ancient practice of witchcraft in Swinging 60s New York. Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into the gothic apartment building known as The Bramford. Guy is an actor who doesn’t seem to be getting the big breaks he deserves. That is, until he meets the eccentric couple Minnie and Roman next door, and suddenly his …
Continue reading Shocking Cinema- Day 2- Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Four students venture to Burkittsville, Maryland to investigate the myth of the Blair Witch. Things slowly start to unravel. I remember the hype surrounding The Blair Witch Project in 1999, with some saying this was a horror masterpiece that would be seen as a trailblazing entry into the genre. The marketing for the film reminded …
Continue reading Shocking Cinema- Day 1- The Blair Witch Project (1999)
An 80’s pop group are going to make history by being the first Western ensemble to play in Communist China. Who would this group be? A critically respected group like The Smiths or The Cure who would surely take the opportunity to highlight the differences between the two worlds and use the expedition as fuel …
Meathook Cinema 