Last month proved to be more productive than I expected. One minute there’s nothing on the plate—turn around—assignments aplenty. Some might not care for such unpredictability, but I think it keeps work from getting stale. Bouncing along an uneven road, even when things start seeming routine, they never feel like a rut.
In addition, most of the work revolved around online material. That’s to say, I got the chance to sit around ye olde apartment watching flicks off screener links and doing one interesting Zoom interview. While it may sound ideal to some, rest assured it comes with its own complications. If I didn’t make myself go out every now and again then being a hermit would certainly be a real risk. And although I do like the cozy hole I currently occupy, I don’t mind forcing my fat ass outside for a bit of fresh air. Still, a few flicks required adventures into the wide world. So let’s jump down the rehash rabbit hole.
In addition, most of the work revolved around online material. That’s to say, I got the chance to sit around ye olde apartment watching flicks off screener links and doing one interesting Zoom interview. While it may sound ideal to some, rest assured it comes with its own complications. If I didn’t make myself go out every now and again then being a hermit would certainly be a real risk. And although I do like the cozy hole I currently occupy, I don’t mind forcing my fat ass outside for a bit of fresh air. Still, a few flicks required adventures into the wide world. So let’s jump down the rehash rabbit hole.
I kicked off spooky season by reviewing an Argentinian fright flick called When Evil Lurks. It’s a creepy movie that has a fresh take on possession. Although the middle crawls a tad, I think it’s well-worth watching. If nothing else, it’s nice to see a new narrative at least being attempted, and the film really wins by creating a scenario then mostly observing how characters react to it.
When Evil Lurks, It Wins | Film Obsessive
When Evil Lurks, It Wins | Film Obsessive
After that I had a curious experience trying to review The Exorcist: Believer. The press screening took place in a part of Chicago I’ve personally never been to. Along Roosevelt Road is an area called Delano Court. It’s basically the unholy offspring of a cul-de-sac and a shopping mall. Overpriced, dubiously acclaimed restaurants and idiotic boutiques crowd the narrow slip cars idle through with a hair’s breadth between them and scrapping street-parked vehicles. The underground parking lot feels like something out of a dystopian nightmare. I kept thinking I was down in a bunker while the street sounds reverberating below conjured impressions of some sci-fi assault above ground.
From this madness I surfaced to wait with the other critics and some people from the public to watch The Exorcist: Believer. Watch is the key word since the film initially featured no sound. At first, I wondered if the movie started silently, but it soon became clear something was amiss. Three false starts later, the audio continued malfunctioning. What ensued was a grim reminder of how terrible humanity can be.
There is something viscerally nauseating about cinema nerds loudly breathlessly berating the poor PR people forced to endure their haughty tongue lashings. Indignant reviewers acting as if the time of gods had been wasted gruffly grumbling aloud for all to hear about how ridiculous it is that a technical malfunction could possibly occur as if the whole error were some planned insult purposefully wasting their precious seconds. And don’t get me started on the cries of the public demanding free tickets because they didn’t get to see a film. Never have I wanted a loaded shotgun more than at that moment, at the very least to fire into the ceiling in hopes of reminding these people of how petty they were all being—this inconvenience is not deathly.
Later that same day the PR company invited me back, and I saw no reason not to give them a second chance. The next afternoon, queuing up in line for the press admission, I noted I was the only person to thank them and at least make eye contact with the young lady ushering us in. The rest all took their passes with a scornful snort before demanding an explanation. Anyone preparing to play an aristocrat during the French Revolution would’ve done well to hear their tone, an odd combination of entitlement unwittingly asking for the guillotine.
Seems the sounds system simply broke—nothing anyone could predict let alone correct yesterday. Regardless, this made seeing The Exorcist: Believer more memorable as an experience than the film is. Although not terrible, it suffers in comparison to its source material. Furthermore, it does nothing new with the concept. For more details, check out the full review at the link below.
The Exorcist: Believer Pales in Imitation | Film Obsessive
From this madness I surfaced to wait with the other critics and some people from the public to watch The Exorcist: Believer. Watch is the key word since the film initially featured no sound. At first, I wondered if the movie started silently, but it soon became clear something was amiss. Three false starts later, the audio continued malfunctioning. What ensued was a grim reminder of how terrible humanity can be.
There is something viscerally nauseating about cinema nerds loudly breathlessly berating the poor PR people forced to endure their haughty tongue lashings. Indignant reviewers acting as if the time of gods had been wasted gruffly grumbling aloud for all to hear about how ridiculous it is that a technical malfunction could possibly occur as if the whole error were some planned insult purposefully wasting their precious seconds. And don’t get me started on the cries of the public demanding free tickets because they didn’t get to see a film. Never have I wanted a loaded shotgun more than at that moment, at the very least to fire into the ceiling in hopes of reminding these people of how petty they were all being—this inconvenience is not deathly.
Later that same day the PR company invited me back, and I saw no reason not to give them a second chance. The next afternoon, queuing up in line for the press admission, I noted I was the only person to thank them and at least make eye contact with the young lady ushering us in. The rest all took their passes with a scornful snort before demanding an explanation. Anyone preparing to play an aristocrat during the French Revolution would’ve done well to hear their tone, an odd combination of entitlement unwittingly asking for the guillotine.
Seems the sounds system simply broke—nothing anyone could predict let alone correct yesterday. Regardless, this made seeing The Exorcist: Believer more memorable as an experience than the film is. Although not terrible, it suffers in comparison to its source material. Furthermore, it does nothing new with the concept. For more details, check out the full review at the link below.
The Exorcist: Believer Pales in Imitation | Film Obsessive
Following that, I sat down to pen some thoughts on The Faculty. This retrospective article gave me a chance to look back at a flick that’s been an A-plus piece of evidence in many friendly debates I’ve had about horror. Mainly, the ways in which the fear genre, whatever its form, is best when it applies to some metaphor. Granted, some of the symbolism and metaphorical implications have become codified over the years, resulting in formulaic designs. Fortunately, movies like The Faculty do a marvelous job subverting expectations by providing interesting twists on such conventions. It’s a concept my buddy Bryan Miller first brought to my attention in college, and it’s served me well as a conversation piece as well as a reminder for the fiction I write.
Lessons from The Faculty, 25 Years Later | Film Obsessive
Lessons from The Faculty, 25 Years Later | Film Obsessive
Afterward, I returned to the online press screeners. I enjoyed most of a movie called The Goldsmith. This Italian horror flick relied on psychological elements more than gore. Again, I liked that it didn’t fall into predictable patterns. What could easily have become a Saw knockoff, torture porn strived for something more clever. If that makes you curious about The Goldsmith, please read the review.
The Goldsmith Is Tarnished but Watchable | Film Obsessive
The Goldsmith Is Tarnished but Watchable | Film Obsessive
Earlier in the month I volunteered to review a documentary called Anselm. This intriguing film ended up playing at the recent Chicago International Film Festival. Prior to that, I got invited to attend a screening at The Logan Center for the Arts. Part of the University of Chicago, this required a trip from where I live down to the Southside. As such, I hit the road around 7 a.m. to have ample time to get there for the 9 a.m. screening.
Without hyperbole, I can attest to getting stuck in the worst traffic of my life. At one point, cars simply stopped obeying any semblance of traffic laws. Vehicles poured down lanes in a chaotic clusterfuck regardless of the supposed direction some should be going in. Inching through miles of road construction, random stoppage as cars double parked without warning, and the molasses pace of typical rush hour slowed to a torturous crawl by an anarchic motorist free-for-all; I made it to the screening with two minutes to spare. Suffice it to say, I am very glad the film did not suck.
This surreal documentary is shot in 3D. From director Wim Wenders, it details the strange works of German artist Anselm Kiefer. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in something that ought to get the creative juices flowing. It also raises some thought-provoking questions about the nature of art and the utilization of history, especially the horrific, for creative expression. More on all that can be found in the full review.
CIFF2023: Wim Wenders' Anselm Is Immersive, Alluring | Film Obsessive
Without hyperbole, I can attest to getting stuck in the worst traffic of my life. At one point, cars simply stopped obeying any semblance of traffic laws. Vehicles poured down lanes in a chaotic clusterfuck regardless of the supposed direction some should be going in. Inching through miles of road construction, random stoppage as cars double parked without warning, and the molasses pace of typical rush hour slowed to a torturous crawl by an anarchic motorist free-for-all; I made it to the screening with two minutes to spare. Suffice it to say, I am very glad the film did not suck.
This surreal documentary is shot in 3D. From director Wim Wenders, it details the strange works of German artist Anselm Kiefer. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in something that ought to get the creative juices flowing. It also raises some thought-provoking questions about the nature of art and the utilization of history, especially the horrific, for creative expression. More on all that can be found in the full review.
CIFF2023: Wim Wenders' Anselm Is Immersive, Alluring | Film Obsessive
Following that I did a scene analysis on one of my favorite horror films, The Lords of Salem. The movie is from writer-director Rob Zombie, and frankly, I don’t think it gets as much love as it deserves. I’ll always remember the first time I saw it. My good friend and I went to the Rosemont Theater, and in an almost vacant cinema we watched this haunting head fuck unfold. In many ways, it’s unlike anything else Rob Zombie has done, yet fits right into his cinematic accomplishments. For more on what I think works as well as the scene I dissect, not to mention how that fits into film history, click the article.
Simple Scares Enrich The Lords of Salem | Film Obsessive
Simple Scares Enrich The Lords of Salem | Film Obsessive
Around then I started down a new path at Film Obsessive. Lately, I’ve been creeping into interviews. The last one I did was for Horror Obsessive way back when the Gwar documentary came out. Now, I’m feeling a desire to head down that road again. I enjoy doing the research to prep, trying to figure out questions interviewees haven’t been asked a million times, and there’s something exciting about talking to real people about the films they’re making.
As such, I got the chance to interview Lindsey Anderson Beer. She’s the writer-director behind the latest flick inspired by Stephen King, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. I can’t say the movie has been well reviewed. Regardless of your feelings about the film, I recommend giving her a chance to elaborate about what the movie is meant to be. Although I doubt that may change any negative opinions – believe me, I’ve had that conversation with one or two folks already – but I do think knowing the intentions behind a piece of creative expression can alter the way a person might come at their own project. There are lessons for anyone willing to learn.
Writer-Director Lindsey Anderson Beer Makes Halloween More Frightening | Film Obsessive
As such, I got the chance to interview Lindsey Anderson Beer. She’s the writer-director behind the latest flick inspired by Stephen King, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. I can’t say the movie has been well reviewed. Regardless of your feelings about the film, I recommend giving her a chance to elaborate about what the movie is meant to be. Although I doubt that may change any negative opinions – believe me, I’ve had that conversation with one or two folks already – but I do think knowing the intentions behind a piece of creative expression can alter the way a person might come at their own project. There are lessons for anyone willing to learn.
Writer-Director Lindsey Anderson Beer Makes Halloween More Frightening | Film Obsessive
Finally, I closed the month sitting at home watching Suitable Flesh. Initially, I got an invite to the London press screening. I had to politely decline since being in Chicago without millions on hand or access to a private jet—it was unfeasible for me to attend. The PR rep and I had a few emailed laughs about that, and they were then kind enough to send me a screener link.
Inspired by the short story “The Thing on the Doorstep” by H. P. Lovecraft, it’s a tale of psychic body theft starring Heather Graham. The movie oscillates wildly striving to be somewhat comical while also erotic and gory. Nailing down the intention of this film is like trying to catch jelly on a wall by flinging an ax.
Still, that said, film adaptations of Lovecraft have left a low bar to clear. In many ways, Suitable Flesh does. In others, it falls short. Mostly, I could never tell if this movie wanted to be made fun of. It kept feeling like something striving for an intentional good-bad production. Yet, occasionally, I got the sense the filmmakers wanted to be taken seriously. I recommend reading the review, and seeing the movie, though doing the latter with the assistance of several adult beverages.
Suitable Flesh Can Be a Rotten Delight | Film Obsessive
Inspired by the short story “The Thing on the Doorstep” by H. P. Lovecraft, it’s a tale of psychic body theft starring Heather Graham. The movie oscillates wildly striving to be somewhat comical while also erotic and gory. Nailing down the intention of this film is like trying to catch jelly on a wall by flinging an ax.
Still, that said, film adaptations of Lovecraft have left a low bar to clear. In many ways, Suitable Flesh does. In others, it falls short. Mostly, I could never tell if this movie wanted to be made fun of. It kept feeling like something striving for an intentional good-bad production. Yet, occasionally, I got the sense the filmmakers wanted to be taken seriously. I recommend reading the review, and seeing the movie, though doing the latter with the assistance of several adult beverages.
Suitable Flesh Can Be a Rotten Delight | Film Obsessive
In any event, that sums up October for the most part. Stay tuned for more Beerfinger updates! I just recorded the instruments for two new songs. Yes, it’s high time I focused on the lyrics and vocals like I said I would, but when inspiration hits it can be hard to concentrate on anything else. And as much as I’d like to be someone who can do four things at once, my attention is unidirectional. But the time is fast approaching for the new album to be fully complete.
Additionally, Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolary Horror is on the horizon! It’ll be released on December 1st. Preorders are currently being taken and last I checked, that put the anthology in the top ten for Amazon’s top selling horror books. I can’t wait for folks to read the numerous nightmares in here especially my own, “Queen of This Carnival Creation.”
Until next time… stay safe and keep being weird… cheers!
Additionally, Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolary Horror is on the horizon! It’ll be released on December 1st. Preorders are currently being taken and last I checked, that put the anthology in the top ten for Amazon’s top selling horror books. I can’t wait for folks to read the numerous nightmares in here especially my own, “Queen of This Carnival Creation.”
Until next time… stay safe and keep being weird… cheers!
RSS Feed
