After working on his Bafta-winning feature Bait and folk-horror follow-up, Enys Men, Mark Jenkin vowed that he would never work with boats again: too many logistical problems, unpredictable tides, sea sickness, etc. Thank goodness he went back on his word, as it is hard to imagine a better impetus for […]
Barney Nuttall
Essential Polish Animations (1957-1987) Testament to art made under difficult regimes
The reappraisal of animation as an art form, one capable of tackling adult themes and topics beyond its cereal-box public image, could be seen as the result of contemporary animated offerings. Adult Swim’s foul-mouthed comedies or the hyper-violence, sexuality and general intensity of anime (a subgenre rapidly entering the Western […]
Scanners (1981) A Subversively Interior Body Horror Lacking Cronenbergian Dread
David Cronenberg’s films usually feature hyperviolence that manifests on the outside of the body. Think of the birthing sacs pulsating on Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) in The Brood or the vaginal cavern on Max Renn’s (James Woods) chest in Videodrome. Next to these grisly visions, Scanners stands out as a […]
Lost Highway (1997) A Mind-Bending Rollercoaster Ride with some Hefty Caveats
In many ways Lost Highway is quintessential David Lynch. There are strobe lights, doppelgangers, and twisted symbols of Americana. Yet, unlike his dreamier films, Lost Highway has a heavy metal intensity. The music is aggressive, miles away from Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic Twin Peaks score, and Lynch’s approach to sex and […]
Daddy’s Head (2024) Frightening Exploration of Grief via Polished Filmmaking
Although its title suggests something pulpier, Shudder’s latest release, Daddy’s Head is actually a frightening exploration of grief told via polished filmmaking. It leans towards elevated horror aesthetics, most notably in the modernist house setting which recalls Ex-Machina, Parasite, The Invisible Man, etcetera. It is the distinction between the sharp-edged, […]