Page 12 - Irish Examiner USA

halloweenexaminer
12

2020 Halloween: A on screen. The Lambs”) Nicholas Roeg shape-shifting alien to prevent it
from escaping out of the
(“Don’t Look Now”), Ken
Before that studio, there was
28th, Universal which established the Russell (“The Devils”) and of Antarctic.
Another film which enjoyed
classics from which everything
course the masterful Stanley
October Night For Horror else emanates. Among their Kubrick who lent “The being remade to good effect
many
Shining” —Stephen King’s tale
was “Invasion of the Body
signature
franchises
established through the ’30s, it
of demonic possession — his
Snatchers.” it also dealt with
| Masked By made James Whale’s own unique stamp. outer space invaders trying to
replace humans with other-
“Frankenstein” and “Bride of
King, the prolific master of
EXAMINER Cinema Frankenstein,” the original horror, established a formida- worldly replicas.
But nobody has pushed the
“Dracula” (with Bela Lugosi)
ble array of horror classics from
and “The Mummy” (with Boris
limits of horror as has director
“Carrie” on to the most recent
IRISH By Brad Balfour bound cargo ship becomes Karloff). remakes of “It” with its demon- David Cronenberg. His early
work — “Shivers,” “Rabid” and
Roger Corman’s AIP studio
ic clown Pennywise as the ulti-
infested with monsters which
hen I recently found a
churned out a vast array of hor-
mate antagonist. While King
“The Brood” — were all mas-
new edition of Irish make their way on her starship ror films starring Vincent Price first established his mark as a terpieces of body contorting
Wauthor Bram Stoker’s and start killing everyone. She’s who played many a scary char- maker of literature, nobody horror. But of all his brilliant
“Dracula,” it led me back into one no passive player once she real- acter in a slew of re-interpreta- churned out as many incredible films, “Crash” investigated a
ofthegreateststoriesevertold.It’sa izes she has to defeat the mon- tions of horror meister Edgar films as British director Alfred twisted and obsessive psy-
classic tome about a legendary sters or die. Allan Poe’s many stories includ- Hitchcock, who made two dis- chopathology to such an
character who’s the quintessential Actor/director John ing “The Pit And The tinctly frightening films — extreme.
embodiment of horror. In fact, Krasinski’s recent film, “A Pendulum” and “The Raven.” “The Birds” and “Psycho;: they While Cronenberg estab-
Ireland has been a source for char- Quiet Place” blends the two And ever since George came at the genre in two dis- lished an aesthetic outer limits,
acters thathavepopulatedmanya genres in a unique way. Romero set into motion the tinctly different ways. The for- it has been Jason Blum, whose
horror story thanks to Celtic Extraterrestrials appear who zombie craze with his ground- mer was shrouded in mystery; company Blumhouse produced
mythology. Whether it be the shred people because they’re breaking 1968 classic, “Night of the latter addressed madness. Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking
Samahain Festival when spirits drawn to the noise they make The Living Dead,” younger Other literary stars such as “Get Out” a film which tackles
walk the earth or the legend of the — any noise. Just imagine the horror masters such as Danny Clive Barker transform their racial issues under the guise of a
selkie — constraints such a situation pro- Boyle have fashioned new own books into shock-inducing horror flick about a cult making
a mermaid-like seducer (as fea- vokes. The film reveals the ter- benchmarks out of earlier series; witness his “Hellraiser” sinister use of Black bodies. His
tured in Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” rifying lengths a family has to mythology. Witness “28 Days films with his torturer from production house has now
Ireland has provided its share of go to stay quiet and stay alive. Later” , his reboot of the zom- Hell, Pinhead, as an iconic fig- made dozens of horror films
horrorarchetypes. Sci-fi and horror pervaded bie mythology. ure. The slasher franchises of based on contemporary themes
I love horror, fantasy and sci- 1987’s “Predator” which starred Another new gen horror “Nightmare on Elm Street'' and by applying unique conceptual
fi, so Halloween stirs up a Arnold Schwarzenegger as a meister, Guillermo del Toro “Halloween” also set in motion approaches.
conundrum for me — should I commando team leader on a used “The Creature from The murderous antagonists who And that’s just the tip of the
stage my own little horror mission to take out rebels in a Black Lagoon” as inspiration for have spawned many successful iceberg of what could be a
movie marathon or not? South American jungle. his woman/monster love story, sequels. month-long fest of cinematic
Sometimes I feel compelled to Suddenly the hunters become “The Shape of Water.” But del And given “Halloween’s” contortions. But given the tor-
exploit the moment — not the hunted as an alien tracks Toro has been doing his best to success, credit must go to direc- tures of this year — the plagues,
being much for trick or treating and tries to kill them all for tro- re-envision fantastic films; I tor John Carpenter who made political passions, lies and mis-
or costume parties — and look phies (their skulls and back- would certainly look at his the ghostly “The Fog” and the demeanors — there’s enough
back at the films I love or try bones.”) “Pan’s Labrinyth” again. ultimate sci-fi/horror remake, horror all around. Maybe it will
out some new ones as well. For If a monster movie is created But enough of that. At the “The Thing.” In it, Kurt Russell all end with the results of the
example, stirred by an NPR with a clever touch and core of some of the best horror plays a scientist who battles a vote after November 3rd. C
interview with sci-fi author Jeff designed with a bit of snark is the unexplainable, the super-
VanderMeer, I sought out the then it deserves a look. Witness natural, and other stuff that
DVD of the cinematic retelling the low-budget rethink of the happens without any logic to it.
of his “Annihilation.” werewolf myth in Joe Dante’s Of course, “The Exorcist” is
As director Alex Garland’s ‘80s classic “The Howling.” He the best example of a supernat-
perfect example of the cross reimagines werewolves as a ural film in cinematic history.
between sci-fi and horror, the cult community with the No other movie has ever scared
film creates both a sense of expected frightening results. me as much, and, though I have
dread and wonder. Audiences Maybe the werewolf doesn’t watched other classics more
are fascinated in the way that an get the props that vampires get than once, I can’t even imagine
alien appears on earth after a but films like John Landis’ tragi- viewing this film in its entirety
spaceship had crashed into an comic “An American Werewolf again. After I saw it when it first
isolated lighthouse; this small in London,” 1935’s “The came out, I was ready to
patch of earth is transformed Werewolf of London” and become a Catholic before it
into an otherworldly environ- “Curse of The Werewolf” — ended.
ment, where sinister doings which starred Oliver Reed and Besides “The Exorcist,” and,
pervades it all. Natalie Portman was produced by Hammer maybe, “The Omen,” no other
and the rest of the cast play the Films — do their best in myth- film dealt with the Devil so
role that most humans do in a making. powerfully as did Roman
horror film — that of passive That brings me to Hammer Polanski’s artful “Rosemary’s
participants who are buffeted — a British film studio which Baby” in which hubby (played
by forces beyond their control. made some of the best genre by John Cassavetes) give his
I love that intersection of films during the ‘50s and ‘60s wife (Mia Farrow) to the Devil
horror and sci-fi which was bril- including “The Horror of who impregnates her with his
liantly expressed in the first Dracula” which starred child.
“Alien” film. Directed by Ridley Christopher Lee who per- I would also chose touch-
Scott and starring Sigourney formed the most terrifying ren- stones from such directors as
Weaver as Ripley , an earth- dition of The Count ever seen Jonathan Demme (“Silence of Irish author Bram Stoker