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thehefnerY'know what 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY needed? MORE KIRBY CRACKLES.
My computer is not big enough for these scans. Wow. That's all I have to say. Just a stunned, awe-filled WOW. I keep looking around, waiting for Galactus and the Surfer to show up.
(even if he even Kirbified Hal 9000, which amuses me. Of all characters, Hal should not speak in exclamation points!)
I caught the first half of SESSION 9 on TV last night, and I would have watched the rest, except I needed to go to sleep. I've already seen it a year or two ago, and while I still don't know if it's actually good or not, the fact is that it got under my skin like crazy. There's something beautiful in how disturbing it is, if that makes any sense.
The Danvers State Insane Asylum, a real-life Arkham Asylum if I've ever seen one (it's actually shaped like a BAT! Also, it may have been the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham Sanitarium, which in turn inspired the Batman asylum) is the real star, and I understand the film crew didn't really do much of anything to add to its abandoned, dilapidated, utterly fucking creepy and beautiful state. It's a bloody crime they tore it down.
SESSION 9 is effective because, cinematically, it makes love to the Danvers Hospital with every shot. And while I still can't say for sure, I think the characters were pretty strongly written and acted, even from the likes of David Caruso, and I cannot stress how important strong characters are for a good horror film.
In my opinion, a strong horror movie needs minimal/selective music and sound effects (no orchestral swelling), off-key and atonal music is a plus, as are ambiant sounds... and you also need characters you give a shit about. Some of the best horror movies (like THE THING, THE SHINING, AN AMERICAL WEREWOLF IN LONDON, DAWN OF THE DEAD, even 28 DAYS LATER) have realistic characters that we actually care about. It's so damn important, in my opinion. Now, not even I would consider my "rules" here to apply to all situations, but time and again, I've found them to be more true than not.
The only rule I can think of that DOES apply to all situations is this: nothing is scarier than what we can imagine. Less is more in horror, as is suggestion and implication. That's why the original THE HAUNTING is fucking creepy as hell, all with just its use of shadows and sounds. The second we'd see any actual ghosts, we'd be disappointed, because nothing that even a genius filmmaker can create can match the terrifying, indescribable unknown in our imagination.
Now, I'm a firm believer in a creative place for explicit gore and whatnot, but only as long as it's a creative choice. So even this, I guess, should be something of a fuzzy rule. Sometimes, not seeing the body being torn apart can be more effective. And sometimes, seeing the body being torn apart is fucking awesome.
But what's my point? Oh, right. I need to rewatch SESSION 9 to see if it's really any good or if it's just hauntingly creepy without much substance. Either way, it's way ahead of most other horror movies out there.
But I'm not gonna watch it before bed. I am ashamed to admit this because I'll sound like a wimp, but I am actually having a hard time sleeping these past few nights because... well... because of the BLOB remake. For some reason, I've always had a deep-seated fear of being eaten alive by a thing that can seep through cracks, come up through drains, get me when I'm on the can or, worse, in the shower. I'm not scared for Norman Bates on the outside, I'm scared of what's going to come for my feet or on my face.
I faced my fear and finally watched THE BLOB remake several months ago and thought, "Well, this isn't so bad." It's actually a pretty great film, a lot of fun with really creative scares and gore, and the Man-God that is Kevin "Adonis" Dillon. But lately... hell, maybe it's because of the stuff going on in my head with my father... every time I lie down to sleep, all I can think of is the guy screaming inside the jelly, his jaw unhinging as his head melts, and his arm being torn off its sizzling stump. Not even watching KIM POSSIBLE beforehand seems to help. I feel so silly and wimpy for being so bothered by this, but it's under my skin, tapping into some fear I've had since childhood. I can't imagine how, but it probably has to do with Dad.
I saw him today. They're not giving him any more treatments, as the radiation and chemo is just making things worse and more complicated. His trachea has made an unnatural connection to his windpipe, so they're having to keep a constant eye on him to ensure that nothing gets in his lungs, whereupon (Mom says) he'd get pneumonia.
Even if he could talk, he wouldn't have anything to say. He's the most maddeningly passive man I've ever known. So whenever I visit, I just tell him about my life and read Dave Barry or JEEVES AND WOOSTER. I don't know what else to do.
My computer is not big enough for these scans. Wow. That's all I have to say. Just a stunned, awe-filled WOW. I keep looking around, waiting for Galactus and the Surfer to show up.
(even if he even Kirbified Hal 9000, which amuses me. Of all characters, Hal should not speak in exclamation points!)
I caught the first half of SESSION 9 on TV last night, and I would have watched the rest, except I needed to go to sleep. I've already seen it a year or two ago, and while I still don't know if it's actually good or not, the fact is that it got under my skin like crazy. There's something beautiful in how disturbing it is, if that makes any sense.
The Danvers State Insane Asylum, a real-life Arkham Asylum if I've ever seen one (it's actually shaped like a BAT! Also, it may have been the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham Sanitarium, which in turn inspired the Batman asylum) is the real star, and I understand the film crew didn't really do much of anything to add to its abandoned, dilapidated, utterly fucking creepy and beautiful state. It's a bloody crime they tore it down.
SESSION 9 is effective because, cinematically, it makes love to the Danvers Hospital with every shot. And while I still can't say for sure, I think the characters were pretty strongly written and acted, even from the likes of David Caruso, and I cannot stress how important strong characters are for a good horror film.
In my opinion, a strong horror movie needs minimal/selective music and sound effects (no orchestral swelling), off-key and atonal music is a plus, as are ambiant sounds... and you also need characters you give a shit about. Some of the best horror movies (like THE THING, THE SHINING, AN AMERICAL WEREWOLF IN LONDON, DAWN OF THE DEAD, even 28 DAYS LATER) have realistic characters that we actually care about. It's so damn important, in my opinion. Now, not even I would consider my "rules" here to apply to all situations, but time and again, I've found them to be more true than not.
The only rule I can think of that DOES apply to all situations is this: nothing is scarier than what we can imagine. Less is more in horror, as is suggestion and implication. That's why the original THE HAUNTING is fucking creepy as hell, all with just its use of shadows and sounds. The second we'd see any actual ghosts, we'd be disappointed, because nothing that even a genius filmmaker can create can match the terrifying, indescribable unknown in our imagination.
Now, I'm a firm believer in a creative place for explicit gore and whatnot, but only as long as it's a creative choice. So even this, I guess, should be something of a fuzzy rule. Sometimes, not seeing the body being torn apart can be more effective. And sometimes, seeing the body being torn apart is fucking awesome.
But what's my point? Oh, right. I need to rewatch SESSION 9 to see if it's really any good or if it's just hauntingly creepy without much substance. Either way, it's way ahead of most other horror movies out there.
But I'm not gonna watch it before bed. I am ashamed to admit this because I'll sound like a wimp, but I am actually having a hard time sleeping these past few nights because... well... because of the BLOB remake. For some reason, I've always had a deep-seated fear of being eaten alive by a thing that can seep through cracks, come up through drains, get me when I'm on the can or, worse, in the shower. I'm not scared for Norman Bates on the outside, I'm scared of what's going to come for my feet or on my face.
I faced my fear and finally watched THE BLOB remake several months ago and thought, "Well, this isn't so bad." It's actually a pretty great film, a lot of fun with really creative scares and gore, and the Man-God that is Kevin "Adonis" Dillon. But lately... hell, maybe it's because of the stuff going on in my head with my father... every time I lie down to sleep, all I can think of is the guy screaming inside the jelly, his jaw unhinging as his head melts, and his arm being torn off its sizzling stump. Not even watching KIM POSSIBLE beforehand seems to help. I feel so silly and wimpy for being so bothered by this, but it's under my skin, tapping into some fear I've had since childhood. I can't imagine how, but it probably has to do with Dad.
I saw him today. They're not giving him any more treatments, as the radiation and chemo is just making things worse and more complicated. His trachea has made an unnatural connection to his windpipe, so they're having to keep a constant eye on him to ensure that nothing gets in his lungs, whereupon (Mom says) he'd get pneumonia.
Even if he could talk, he wouldn't have anything to say. He's the most maddeningly passive man I've ever known. So whenever I visit, I just tell him about my life and read Dave Barry or JEEVES AND WOOSTER. I don't know what else to do.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 09:19 pm (UTC)I read about "Session 9" awhile ago, and they were also really impressed by the asylum. Now that I click that link, holy shit. That place is terrifying.
Oh, David Caruso. He's more Shatnery than Shatner (in terms of acting. He can't touch him on all that other stuff). He uses sunglasses as punctuation! One day soon, when I have contacts, I'm gonna get me some gas-station sunglasses and try that out.
I haven't seen any versions of "The Blob", but since I don't suffer from giant-amoeba anxiety (though it is a perfectly respectable irrational fear. I'm afraid of airplane bathrooms, though not for any rational or even slightly explicable reason like that I think I'm going to get sucked out of the plane) and since that scene you are describing sounds awesome, I should check it out.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 09:35 pm (UTC)Not kidding, seriously.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 10:08 pm (UTC)Yeah, SESSION 9 is well worth seeing. I think you'd crazy dig it, especially for the place. Trust me, I've looked for pictures that do the place justice, but really, the movie seriously makes cinematic love to that building.
Did you watch that Caruso link? Not only does he use sunglasses, but he has the Who backing him up to punch it home!
I have heard of that fear of being sucked out of the plane, and while I don't share it, it makes sense.
Yeah, THE BLOB 80's remake is totally worth checking out. It has style, humor, pretty great special effects, and some really fantastic kills. I know I sound weird and morbid saying that, but trust me, there are a couple things that happen here that just... well... never happened before or sense. Ever wanted to see someone get pulled down a sink drain? Head-first? Now's your chance.
Fun fact! THE BLOB (as well as the 1972 sequel to the original, entitled BEWARE! THE BLOB, which was directed by Larry "J.R. as in 'Who Shot J.R.'" Hagman!) features Del Close as the nutty preacher. Del Close is the godfather of improv theatre, teacher and influence to people like Harold Ramis, Tina Fey, Andy Ricter, John Candy, Stephen Colbert, Andy Dick, Chris Farley, and more! When he died, he left his skull to the Goodman Theatre of Chicago so he could play Yorick in HAMLET. How... awesome is that?
...
But now I just read this on imdb.com:
Willed his skull to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, USA, so he could play Yorick in Hamlet, or for any other theatrical use. The skull was handed over on July 1, 1999. However in July 2006, the Chicago Tribune published a story questioning the authenticity of the skull. In October 2006, it was revealed that Del's skull had been cremated with the rest of his body and the skull at the Goodman Theatre was a fake.
Noooo, Del, you lied to us! Well! This just means that I can do it!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-21 01:51 am (UTC)(probably checking out your ass).no subject
Date: 2007-06-21 03:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-21 02:19 pm (UTC)linky link link to a Caruso strip....(its strip 701 in case they have updated this since I posted).
no subject
Date: 2007-06-21 03:25 pm (UTC)