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December 29, 2020December 30, 2020

The Horror that Helped: The Content that Made 2020 a Bit Brighter

In this Issue:

Brandon Christensen
Peter Kuplowsky
Prince Jackson
Phil Nobile Jr.
Aaron B. Koontz
Trace Thurman
Matt Donato
Damien LeVeck
Brea Grant
BJ Colangelo
Jed Shepherd
Ryan Spindell
Abraham Castillo Flores
Sam Wineman
Michael Greyeyes
Jenny Nulf
Kalyn Corrigan
Tara Ansley

The Horror that Helped

To say that 2020 has been difficult is a huge understatement. We’ve all lost a great deal this year, some far more than others, and as a result things have felt insurmountable at times. But you’re here now, hopefully in good health, and that is truly worth celebrating.

So how do we wrap up a year as monumentally awful as this?

We celebrate the things that brought us joy, that gave us a blissful distraction, and that, in many ways, kept us alive. We asked a group of horror filmmakers, writers, actors, editors, and other creators to share with us that one horror thing or person — a TV show, movie, filmmaker, book, game, etc. — that helped 2020 suck just a little bit less. The end result is an eclectic selection of content that we hope encourages you to reflect on the things that helped you get through this year.

BRANDON CHRISTENSEN

Scaredycats

Written and Directed by Brandon Christensen

Superhost had been delayed until the fall, and I was needing a creative spark. So I dug up an old short script that I wrote for my kids and forced them to act in it. An idea I came up with 15 years ago finally came to life in short form. It was a ton of fun to get my children in front of the camera, and it helped make me feel like, even under strict pandemic guidelines, I could once again use my family to scare others.

I am a director by way of Canada, now living in the US of A and exploiting my family turmoil to scare people. Find him on Instagram.

PETER KUPLOWSKY

DracuLOL

Racer Trash

During the pandemic, a collective of editors began remixing movies with a “vaporwave” a e s t h e t i c and broadcasting them on Twitch. Calling themselves RACER TRASH, they scramble the iconic through a nostalgic, yet critical lens and the result is a unique Midnight Movie experience, complete with audience rituals that manifest in the live-chat that accompany their streams. DracuLOL, their “waving” of Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of their very best pieces, its climactic segment crescendoing to a sublime use of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited”. Follow the collective on Twitter.

TIFF Midnight Madness curator and indie producer (Climate of the Hunter, PG: Psycho Goreman). Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

PRINCE JACKSON

Come True

Written and Directed by Anthony Scott Burns

This title is not out yet, but Come True absolutely blew me away. A tale that feels very familiar and yet completely original. Giving off the vibe of a reimagining of Nightmare on Elm Street was absolutely refreshing. This film came at the right time for me — my daughter was about to be born and this film captured my anticipation and excitement perfectly!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, everyone.

Prince Jackson is the host of Knight Light: A Horror Movie Podcast on the Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network. His love for the genre oozes within each conversation about films of horror. Horror, being at the basis of his construct, will always have a special place held in his heart.

PHIL NOBILE JR.

Relic

Written by Natalie Erika James and Christian White, Directed by Natalie Erika James

We’d be forgiven for wanting to spend 2020 wallowing in nostalgia, comfort food, staying in a place of safety for our entertainment. But Relic exists and it reminds us that horror continues to defy expectations and eradicate illusory boundaries of what the genre is and can do. In 2020 especially, when we might be wondering about the point of any given thing, Relic showed us that horror continues to matter.

Editor of FANGORIA Magazine.

AARON B. KOONTZ

Scare Package

Segments directed by Courtney Andujar & Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Emily Hagins, Aaron B. Koontz, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, and Baron Vaughn.

Is it cheating to pick our own film? Maybe. But in a year with so much hurt and frustration, to get to release our weird, absurdly silly horror-comedy to the world was impossibly special. And in particular that Friday night in June when we premiered on The Last Drive-In and my phone crashed because of all the texts and tweets of love that poured in. It provided a small moment of happiness that I know I sorely needed, and I’ve come to learn has meant the same to many others. That’s why we make movies, after all, and it’s something I will tell my (potential) children about one day.

Filmmaker: The Pale Door, Scare Package, and more. Founder of Paper Street Pictures and the new genre production venture Blood Oath. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.

TRACE THURMAN

The Haunting of Bly Manor

Created by Mike Flanagan

While Mike Flanagan’s follow-up to his outstanding The Haunting of Hill House may have been light on traditional scares, it nevertheless told a beautiful (and queer!) love story that left this viewer in tears by the time the credits rolled on the final episode. Flanagan has always been particularly adept at finding the heart in the horror, and The Haunting of Bly Manor is no exception. Schmaltzy, you say? Bitch, please. This was raw, honest emotion that allowed viewers to have some incredibly cathartic cry sessions, and after the hellish year that 2020 has been, don’t we all deserve that?

Trace is a staff writer for Bloody Disgusting, as well as the co-host of the Horror Queers podcast.

MATT DONATO

Get Duked!

Written and Directed by Ninian Doff

I’ll keep it simple. In 2020, I needed to escape more than ever. Ninian Doff’s feature debut is rambunctious, raucous, and anarchistic in ways that make me think of Attack the Block. There’s no better “party movie” released in 2020 than Get Duked!, as four teens battle elitist elders to the death across Highland mountain ranges.

From the uptempo score to hashed-out characters, Get Duked! is supercharged entertainment. Look no further than DJ Beatroot’s midpoint rap-recap. Doff’s background as a music video director shines through in a kinetic and frenzied way. Think The Most Dangerous Game on acid. My most rewatched movie of the year.

Matt Donato spends his post-work hours analyzing cinema for /Film, What To Watch, Bloody Disgusting, and other internet reaches. Follow along on Twitter/Instagram/Letterboxd. He seems like a pretty cool guy, but don’t feed him after midnight just to be safe (beers are allowed/encouraged).

DAMIEN LEVECK

The Cleansing Hour

Written by Damien LeVeck and Aaron Horwitz, Directed by Damien LeVeck

Millennial entrepreneurs Drew and Max run a webcast that streams live exorcisms that are, in fact, elaborately staged hoaxes. But they get their comeuppance when today’s actress becomes mysteriously possessed by a real demon that holds the crew hostage. To make matters worse, the possessed victim is Drew’s fiancée, Lane. In front of a rapidly-growing global audience, the demon subjects Max to a series of violent and humiliating challenges meant to punish him for his online charade. Meanwhile, in an effort to save the love of his life, Drew discovers that the demon’s sinister motive is not only about revenge, but also to expose the dark secrets he, Max, and Lane have been hiding from one another. With only the show clock remaining, it’s a matter of time before either the truth is revealed or the demon forces them to meet their maker.

Damien is a writer/director/editor from Los Angeles whose company Skubalon Entertainment develops and produces low-budget horror content for film/TV/web. SkubalonEntertainment.com.

BREA GRANT

Swallow

Written and Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis

I saw this movie for the first time at Fantastic Fest (back when we could still go to festivals) and, to use an overused phrase, I felt seen. The combination of the beautiful screenplay, the gorgeous aesthetic, and the brilliant acting made this a standout film, but what it was trying to say and the combination of horror with the female experience left me speechless.

Brea Grant wrote/directed the 2020 film 12 Hour Shift and wrote/starred in the film Lucky (out next year). She’s also an actress in Heroes, Dexter, Halloween II, and, more recently, After Midnight.

BJ COLANGELO

Brian Duffield, writer and director

Screenwriter and now director Brian Duffield was a bright light in this dreadful year. Between Underwater, Love & Monsters, and my favorite film of the year, Spontaneous, Duffield consistently had his hands in some of 2020’s best offerings. His films featured inventive creatures, terrifying situations, but most importantly, a whole lot of heart. His characters are ones we genuinely care about, and in a year that felt devoid of empathy at times, it’s exactly what we needed. Through horror, Duffield’s films allowed us to navigate a lot of complicated emotions but also offered the reminder that we are strongest when we work together to combat whatever problems come our way.

BJ Colangelo is a recovering child beauty queen that fancies herself the lovechild of Chistopher Sarandon in Fright Night and Susan Sarandon in The Hunger. She writes about horror, wrestling, sex, kicking pancreatic cancer’s ass, and being a fat queer all over the Internet. She’s also the co-host of the teen girl movie podcast, This Ends at Prom, with her wife, Harmony Colangelo.

JED SHEPHERD

Survivor Song

A novel by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay wrote A Head Full of Ghosts which absolutely terrified me so I went into Survivor Song with some trepidation if it could ever match that high bar. I can confirm it does. A fresh take on a zombie pandemic in the midst of our very own, it’s clever, subversive, and most importantly, scary! If Host was the movie that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 2020, then this was the book.

I’m a writer, producer and director. Co-Wrote and EP’d Host for Shudder. Find me on Twitter and Instagram.

RYAN SPINDELL

Tales From the Crypt (1989-1996)

Created by Steven Dodd

I flew to Maine to visit my parents over the summer and quarantined myself in a small cabin for the first two weeks I was there. The cabin had no cable or internet, but my mom supplied me with a small TV, a VCR, and our dusty collection of Tales From The Crypt episodes on VHS. I’ve always had a soft spot for the pulpy series, but there was something extra special about revisiting it from a creepy cabin in the woods, and I left quarantine with a renewed enthusiasm in pure escapist horror.

Ryan Spindell was born in a haunted house on the forgotten coast of Maine, so as you can imagine, his social skills are top notch. After receiving his masters degree from Florida State University, Ryan relocated to Los Angeles where he founded Trapdoor Pictures, a boutique production company specializing in “fun” horror for film and television. Ryan’s first feature, The Mortuary Collection, was released by Shudder in 2020, and he’s like super famous now. Find him on Twitter and Instagram.

ABRAHAM CASTILLO FLORES

Romancing the Gothic

Free online classes, book groups, and film watch-alongs from Dr. Sam Hirst

Back in April when it became clear nothing was going to make sense anymore for a while I was delighted to discover the Romancing the Gothic online classes led by the masterful Dr. Sam Hirst. Her insight, wit and deep knowledge shone as she shared her deep love for gothic and romance. The avenues of thought and reflection that these classes offered to me were an oasis to the despair and confusion that reigned in those early days of the pandemic. Thanks to this online community I also discovered wonderful authors, scholars and practitioners of the genre like Caroline Duvezin, Karen Graham, Sebastian Crane, and CM Rosens.

Shout out to my dear friend and colleague Valeria Villegas Lindvall for directing my attention to Romancing the Gothic.

A Mexican offspring of the 1970s obsessed with the power and paradoxical beauty of genre stories imprinted onto celluloid and pixels. Abraham Castillo Flores has been Head Programmer at Mexico’s Morbido Fest since 2010, where he curates and presents exotic and outrageous films to audiences hungry for intense emotions. Abraham currently lives in Mexico City where he dedicates his every breath to the promotion, restructuring, study and presentation of genre films.

SAM WINEMAN

Drive-In Theaters

An empty space between each car, popcorn in my cupholder, a group chat lighting up about newbies turning on their headlights at New Mutants — the drive-in was our cinema oasis. A socially-distanced concessions line wrapped around the building and no one cared because, for those 40 minutes, we had a safe place to see each other again. Jake and I became boyfriends at The Vast of Night. I cheered on my friends through the cracked window of my car at the Freaky premiere. The Wretched, The Rental, Spree — it almost didn’t matter what was playing; the drive-in gave us a place to love horror together again.

Sam Wineman is the writer/director of The Quiet Room as well as Shudder’s upcoming queer horror documentary. He is also the co-host of Aughtsterion, a limited-series podcast celebrating millennium-era horror movies. Find him on Twitter and Instagram.

MICHAEL GREYEYES

La Llorona

Written by Jayro Bustamante & Lisandro Sanchez, Directed by Jayro Bustamante

I did not expect a horror film that I’d heard so much about would be a political cruise missile aimed at the Guatemalan genocide that also centered Indigenous language and characters, highlighting the racial tensions of Central America. But then again, I starred in Blood Quantum by Jeff Barnaby which did much of the same thing, but Jeff’s cruise missile was aimed at the heart of Canada’s colonial past. So in retrospect, 2020 was a year when Indigenous voices and stories captured new audiences deservedly and that is a good sign for things to come.

Michael Greyeyes is an actor, director, and scholar. He is Nêhiyaw from Treaty Six Territory in Canada. His father is from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, while his mom is from Sweetgrass First Nation in Saskatchewan.

JENNY NULF

What We Do in the Shadows, Season 2

Created by Jemaine Clement

What We Do in the Shadows the TV series is impeccably written and laugh-out-loud funny, with full, larger-than-life characters. Season 2 was strong, filled with incredible bits like the Nadja doll (I want one of my own) and Guillermo’s genetic connection to Van Helsing (oh, the irony!). It also included one of the best episodes of the show to date: Episode 6, “On the Run,” where Laszlo transforms into the man, the myth, the legend Jackie Daytona by simply sporting a pair of blue jeans and placing a toothpick between his teeth (Mark Hamill also has his best TV cameo of 2020 in this episode as Jim the Vampire. Many apologies to the Baby Yoda show). There is absolutely nothing in horror right now that is as brilliant or rewatchable.

Jenny is a film programmer, distributor, and critic. She currently is the programs director at the Austin Asian American Film Festival and writes for the Austin Chronicle.

KALYN CORRIGAN

Bleed With Me

Written and Directed by Amelia Moses

Waking life feels incorrect in a year characterized by its hazy obscurity. Mornings in North America have been lonely as of late, as the lockdown over the past nine months takes quiet tolls on everyone. Virtual film festivals abound and vacant movie theaters take up empty space as far as the eye can see. It was unclear just how many movies I’d actually be able to see from the lazy corner of my cat-scratched upholstery, let alone find something that really grabbed me.

In a sea of solid little indie horror standouts, Amelia Moses’ Bleed With Me shines like a beacon in a storm. How is it possible to feel so seen in a year where I’m not physically seeing anyone? Conveyed in a claustrophobic cabin, set against desolate wide blue skies and golden light, this snowbound fable about a young woman who believes her new bestie is stealing her blood at night acutely taps into the dreamy, off-centered weirdness that is 2020. Is her friend deranged? Is she imagining things? Is the isolation driving her mad? When you spend so much time staring at the same quiet wood-panelled walls, it’s hard to decipher what is real and what’s just a dream.

Kalyn Corrigan is a freelance writer and critic for Fangoria, Vulture, Collider, IndieWire, and Shudder. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

TARA ANSLEY

Onyx Equinox

Created by Sofia Alexander

Onyx Equinox is a Mexican-American horror anime series created by Sofia Alexander for Crunchyroll. It is based on the mythologies of Mesoamerica, featuring deities of Aztec, Maya and Zapotec myth, and also makes references to the Olmecs. At FANGORIA we believe everyone screams in the same language. 2020 has been an incredible year for international horror. It’s something I’m passionate about consuming, championing, and producing. Really incredible what Sofia has created — congrats to their entire team!

Co-owner of FANGORIA Magazine.

Happy New Year from all of us at Shudder. Thank you for subscribing, and may your 2021 be bright and full of hope.

November 25, 2020November 25, 2020

The Ontology of Open Mouths: The Scream and the Swallowing

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Ganja and Hess - Bigger Bites

In his studies of the grotesque and carnivalesque (what we might consider a theoretical precedent for queer theories of camp), Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin identifies the mouth as “the most important of all human features for the grotesque.” As he puts it, “the grotesque face is actually reduced to the gaping mouth; the other features … only a frame encasing this wide open bodily abyss.”

Indeed, the mouth agape is a many-faced thing: among the most prevalent motifs of the horror genre on film, noteworthy also in literature, other modes of visual art, mythology, and folklore. Contained within its many significations — a spectrum that runs from terror to wonder to song — are the grand preoccupations of the human and nonhuman condition alike.

Julia Kristeva defined abjection, the experience of fear, distaste, or repulsion as a violation or trespass of prescribed borders — the perspective from which most approaches to the genre derive. This is, like all things, however, a matter of perception, and in the case of horror films, many suggest an overarching preoccupation with not just trespass, but what I call the Swallowing: the occasion in horror reflecting an explicit fear of being consumed.

In its most literal sense, the Swallowing appears in eco-horror like Jaws, The Birds, The Fog, Frogs, and The Descent which all see elements of the natural world threaten humanity’s perceived sovereignty in the form of some devouring menace. It’s also seen in many of our most popular cultural monsters — vampires, werewolves, zombies, cannibals, succubi — to whom the human body is made meat for their monstrous appetites.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - The Meg and Jennifer's Body

Psychic consumption takes the form of demon possession, all-manner of Body Snatchers-type narratives, characters who become “unhinged,” and, of course, the threat of brainwashing and cults. Even within haunted house movies, home and alien invasion plots, viral outbreaks which shatter society — these themes that perhaps most overtly reflect an essential fear of trespass — dually reveal how it’s not solely the gesture of trespass that we fear, but what we believe trespass to inherently indicate: consumption and dissolution.

Annihilation, thus, is located in the swallowing mouth; not just a hole, but a black hole.

If we understand the Swallowing as an umbrella term for these varied occurrences of devouring monsters while also accepting that monsters necessarily reflect the anxieties of the culture which created them, then what does the Swallowing reveal to us about the construction of Black monstrosity and where we locate and weaponize fear in our culture? Further, how might this monstrousness be reimagined as a vehicle for catharsis?

If someone were to ask me why 1992’s Candyman is not a Black Horror film (apart from the traditional reason which is that it was written and made by white people), I’d need only reference this image.

Lead #136 - The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - The Bite

Though the film’s namesake, Candyman is explicitly not its emotional core. It’s Helen, the white anthropology student studying the urban legend, who is the subject and center of this movie, just as she’s the center of this shot. Her relationship to Cabrini-Green, the housing project he haunts (a decision which makes very little sense given his backstory), is essentially one of tourism and extraction.

The film’s not-so-subtle subtext stokes a specific and pathological preoccupation with Black men’s perceived desire for white women. The evidence of Candyman’s monstrosity is primarily located in his mouth, which, in other moments, teems with swarms of killer bees. In this case (and in this image), Black male desire represents the occasion of the Swallowing, echoing earlier appearances of coded (and not-so-coded) renderings of Black men as monstrous Others (King Kong, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Ingagi, Birth of a Nation).

Meanwhile, Rusty Cundieff’s Tales from the Hood 2 features a similarly composed shot in the first tale, Good Golly, to drastically different effect.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - The Coon Chicken Inn

Cundieff has confirmed the doorway entering the Museum of Negrosity references the infamous Coon Chicken Inn restaurants. The implication being that, as the two girls at the center of the tale — Audrey, who is white, and Zoe, who’s Black — pass through the mouth of this caricature, they’ve left behind the world which pretends to be “color-blind” and entered a space where the evidence of racism and white supremacy is unignorable.

Collected in this museum are relics of anti-Black Americana; its mission, to refuse the sugar-coated, white-washed overhaul of this country’s history. Certain dynamics are already evident between the two girls, and the imbalance of influence is exacerbated when Audrey is thrilled to discover a doll of the controversial (read: racist) golliwog character she played with as a child. In all her entitlement, she insists on being able to purchase it, refusing to recognize its existence as a cursed object.

In this case, Blackness is still equated with a devouring force — something which, if acknowledged, would fundamentally necessitate reconsideration of the ways we relate to one another and the world. Here, the Swallowing is represented as that all-consuming shift in perspective, threatening only to those whose goal is revision and suppression.

Let’s, too, consider the scream, the other instance of open mouths most prevalent in horror. A physiological response to fear, yes. But it’s also something born of laughter, grief, ecstasy, or rage, all of which ultimately represent catharsis.

The complicating of these expressive, emotional boundaries is the lifeblood of any great horror climax. Recall Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s closing crescendo: the cacophony of Leatherface’s chainsaw, an extension of his bodily self, and Sally’s sustained screaming from the back of the pickup truck; the moment her screams of terror melt into jubilation.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Edvard Munch The Scream

While we may consider the scream a sonic experience, it’s a visual and imagined experience as well, and the image most relied upon within non-sonic mediums to address (read: project) suffering, anguish, and fear to a given form. Indeed, Edvard Munch’s painting, “The Scream” represents a key example.

Another would be Frederick Douglass’ description of his Aunt Hester’s screams as recalled in his Narrative of the Life of… and again in My Bondage, My Freedom; analysis of which accounts for the introductions to both Saidiya Hartman’s Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America as well as Christina Sharpe’s Monstrous Intimacies: Making Post-Slavery Subjects.

Hartman’s approach is unique for its refusal to reproduce the text detailing the scene of astounding brutality to which Douglass first bears witness, and then forces us, his reader, to bear witness too in turn. Not unlike many perspectives regarding the spectacle (and propagation) of Black death shared across social media, Hartman’s argument, which Sharpe reproduces and builds on, roots itself in the belief that instead of “inciting indignation, too often [such accounts] immure us to pain by virtue of their familiarity.” Scholar, Zalika U. Ibaorimi further affirms this point, calling it “imperative to consider Hartman’s decision to not recount the violences of Aunt Hester, while also introducing her trauma.”

Despite its 1996 release, the original Scream is an overwhelmingly white film: the type of homogenization whose absences tell an unwitting story about white flight and the project of suburbia, something Robert Palmer considers in his 2011 essay, Scream 2 and the African American Element. Further consideration are the motives behind the film’s racial commentary, the decided focus of the sequel’s opening sequence with questionable success.

There are clear similarities between the Ghostface mask itself and Munch’s anguished subject, a trick mirror of sorts. Tension is effectively built through the sheer proliferation of masks onscreen and Maureen’s (Jada Pinkett-Smith) visible discomfort with their omnipresence, a very specific anxiety echoed in her inability to relax while surrounded by hooded figures.

After killing Phil (Omar Epps) in the bathroom, Ghostface stabs Maureen in the stomach just as Heather Graham is simultaneously stabbed onscreen, their screams sounding around each other. Bleeding and desperate, she stumbles through the audience, onto the stage, and looks out at the sea of white-faced masks, all of them the face of her killer, as the movie is projected over her body.

Of this scene, Ibaorimi writes, “as she screams from the pain, fear, and utter disgust of how invisible and visible she is to the white audience, she dies.” And at that very moment of collapse, of realization, Ghostface’s gaping mouth encases her, her demise having literally become the show.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Scream 2

Enormous pathos is granted to this scene, suggested by its very length and somewhat melodramatic treatment. It’s clear the audience is meant to be sad to see these characters die. Nevertheless, her death is sensationalized in a way that negates catharsis by simply reproducing the violence of the banal.

As Sharpe states:

We know that the repetition of such horror does not make the violence of everyday black subjection undeniable because, presented in its most spectacular form, [violence] does not confirm or confer humanity on the suffering black body, but all too often contributes to what Jesse Jackson calls…’an amazing tolerance for black pain…[a] great tolerance for black suffering and black marginalization.’

When Sidney (Neve Campbell) and Dewey (David Arquette) later discuss their murders, Sidney asks, “three hundred people watched? Nobody did anything?” Sheepishly, Dewey responds, “they thought it was a publicity stunt.”

Revealed in Hartman, Sharpe, and Ibaorimi’s analysis and its application to the film is the understanding that there has never been a lack of visibility for Black people’s, and, more specifically, Black women’s suffering (as Douglass and other abolitionist authors exemplified in the nineteenth century). What has and continues to persist is a lack of care. Reproducing violence does not provide catharsis from violence. It only reifies it.

In contrast, we can look to Bill Gunn’s 1973 experimental film, Ganja and Hess. Though there are several occasions of the open mouth worthy of close examination in this film which uses vampirism (hunger) as a vehicle to explore several anxieties of Black life, I’d like to examine two specific shots — one representing the Swallowing, the other the scream.

Captured in this shot is what the poet Carl Phillips describes as “the zone of tragedy — transition”, “when the body surrenders to risk, that moment.” In the film, a disembodied choir sings “You’ve Got to Learn to Let it Go,” and Ganja becomes something new.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Ganja and Hess

In her work of autotheory, Shadow Without Object, Katrin Hanusch writes of the symbology of the hole that it is “the absence of a boundary between two spaces touching each other … through which we expect thing to come or pass.” It represents “the hidden,” which she posits “both threatens and allures.”

Here, Ganja’s open mouth is a portal: the moment of transformation.

The below moment, too, is transitory, though of a different sort; concerned with the mortification and catharsis of self-realization.

With Ganja blood-sick in the aftermath of her new becoming, Hess brings a man, “a guest,” to dinner, essentially to be dinner. And as is typically the case with vampire narratives, biological hunger is overlayed with sexual desire. Part of what makes the catharsis of the scream so effective is Gunn’s willingness to take his time building tension so that, at the moment of the scream, it could successfully contain several degrees of satiation and release simultaneously.

The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Ganja and Hess - The Bite

Prior to their wedding and her transformation, Ganja recounts a “very decisive” day in her childhood: the moment she declared her own self “valuable,” embracing the “disease” projected to her Black femininity (and sexuality, in particular, which whiteness’ impact attempted to strip from her before she was even old enough to consider it for herself). She reveals how, on this day, she vowed to “take whatever steps had to be taken. But always take care of Ganja.”

In her lyric essay, The Black Catatonic Scream, Harmony Holiday notes how “For the African diaspora, the scream has been an emancipatory preoccupation.”

The reality of having fulfilled this promise to herself, combined with other condemned gratifications, appears to overwhelm and shatter Ganja. Indeed, neither she, nor Hess, nor their love is the same on the scream’s other side: that shift of gravity, a type of swallowing.

Holiday writes:

If you cannot describe what is happening to you yet, you are not complicit in making it real … The holds (patterns of human cargo) go quiet the way a child’s screams do when the tantrum is exhausted. No relief has come, and the body knows it needs to rest and roams the cosmos for the answers that no scream reveals.

It’s worth noting that the film does not end on this tragic sentiment (part of my personal love for the character). Ganja does take care of Ganja. She finds the answer to that scream in freeing herself of moral judgements prescribed by religion, white supremacy, and patriarchy.

The answer to the question, “what’s on the other side of the hole?” is always possibility. Always the future.

Lea Anderson is an independent horror scholar, critic, and poet, currently based just outside Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter.

October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

So Your Kid Likes Scary Movies … What Now?

My twelve-year-old son Shane has been a horror fan ever since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. These days he dabbles in makeup FX and creates props from his favorite movies like Aliens and The Ruins. Beyond the gore, however, he enjoys a really good scare and watches his faves repeatedly. When it became clear that he progressed beyond the gateway fare like Gremlins, we started to talk more about the things that spook us. I’m no Village Voice luminary of the critical world, but I’ve managed to make a modest career out of watching and dissecting the things that go bump in the night. Here’s what led to the most illuminating conversations between my son and I:

First, ask open-ended questions about the stories that they respond to the most

“Out of all the monsters and boogeymen in cinema/literature, why do you enjoy watching ____ so much?” The answers may vary; Shane digs Freddy Krueger movies because, among other reasons, he delights in the creative nightmare sequences that have teens fusing to their motorcycles and being transformed into human marionettes. Sometimes the enjoyment is technical like that. Other times it’s contradictory; as my six-year-old said of his fave, “I don’t like being covered by blankets, it feels like a monster is eating me. The Blob actually eats people and it hurts the whole time.”

“Did any of these movies genuinely scare you when you first saw them?” Prodding on this one can reveal anxieties that the child didn’t know they had. See the follow-up question below.

“What do you think it is that makes ____ so frightening to your brain?” The most important words in this question are “to your brain/to you.” Why? The qualifier personalizes a generic question and prompts them to think of stories in terms of the response it creates for them specifically. An example: the scariest thing about Michael Myers to me has always been that he is unstoppable. There’s no wooden stake, no silver bullet that can stop him for good — you can’t kill the Boogeyman, just as you can’t stop the ever-creeping proximity of Death itself. The question may impart a piece of their psyche that they—and perhaps you, their guardian — weren’t aware of.

“If you take away the beasts and the blood and the jump scares, what do you think this story is about?” Here’s the meat and potatoes of critical thinking for kiddos. The ability to discern between narrative devices, visual elements, and the core stories they support is a skill that their teachers have been trying to drill into them while you’re at work. In the same way that you can lowkey boost their reading level by letting them devour comic books, you can improve their film literacy by inquiring what they think the Wolf Man’s transformation is really about.

Second, relate, relate, relate

This goes back to my Michael Myers example; tell your child what keeps you up at night and how some of your favorite films address or don’t address that (according to your degree of comfort and their degree of maturity, of course). Kids are on endless journeys of revelation, soaking up knowledge and awareness with every move they make. How enlightening would it be for your young one to hear that you — a whole Responsible Grown-Up who pays taxes, takes their Omega-3s, and seems to have everything together — are scared of the Unknown sometimes? That you worry about providing a safe world for them? They won’t think you weak, I promise. On the contrary, they’ll likely be relieved to confirm that the world has monsters that everyone can see, and that fear is a vulnerable but necessary part of the human condition.

Third, talk about roller coasters

No, seriously. If you like roller coasters or (legal) thrill-seeking activities, it’s an uncomplicated example of the way that humans engage with alarming concepts from a position of relative safety. Horror can be confusing as a young fan; if the idea of being killed in my sleep keeps me awake at night, why do I keep returning to an entire Elm Street franchise that parties in that sandbox, sequel after sequel? Because the genre provides an avenue to face the monsters and all that they represent while keeping actual danger at an arm’s length.

It’s a good rule of thumb to give kids more credit; they can handle a lot more than we assume. Even with the expected amount of shielding from the news, their lives have already been affected by many current events, from cultural shifts to protests to a global pandemic. For many, as Dr. Loomis would say, Death has already come to their little town in some degree of intensity. If they’re already inclined towards it, horror cinema can help the children of 2020 process the things that worry them. Just keep it simple — ask and listen with intent. You might be surprised to find that you learn just as much from (and about) your little demon spawn as they learn from you.

Anya Stanley is a columnist at FANGORIA Magazine, a film critic on the horror beat, and a staunch Halloween 6 apologist. Find her ramblings on Twitter @bookishplinko, and find her clips at www.anywrites.com.

October 27, 2020October 27, 2020

Halloween With The Prices, Freddy In The Makeup Chair, CURSED FILMS Vinyl, And More!

Lead #132 - Halloween With The Prices by Victoria Price - The Bite

In this Issue:

Horror History: Halloween With The Prices
Image of the Week: He’s Ready For His Closeup
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: Cursed Music
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

Halloween With The Prices

By Victoria Price

Celebrating Halloween at our house when I was a kid meant costumes and pumpkin carving and candy. And, although my dad was the King of Horror, I often think about my mom around this time of year. Now, of course, Halloween is as big as Christmas with fabulous front yard decorations, costume contests, fun houses, corn mazes, and horror conventions. But when I was a kid back in the 1960s, it was just starting to become popular.

My mother loved Halloween. She was a well-known Broadway and Hollywood costume designer who became an architectural designer. We lived in a 9,000-square-foot Spanish mansion built in the 1920s, and I can only imagine how my mother would have gone to town with the kinds of decorations people have today. 580 North Beverly Glen would have been unravelled in its seasonal Halloween glory. She would have had so much fun!

Back then, her seasonal creativity was limited to my costumes and carving pumpkins. Unfortunately, however, her only child — me — wasn’t always very appreciative of her costumes. You see, my mom designed huge Broadway musicals, so if I said I wanted to be a cowgirl or a dog, well, what fun was that? She wanted to make me into a showstopper! But I didn’t want a fabulous costume. I really just wanted to BE a cowgirl or a dog. I did not want to be a creepy orange clown wearing an Elizabethan ruff or a Bob Fosse black cat. I didn’t even like cats.

My poor mother! Saddled with a kid who never appreciated her custom-made costumes — as good as anything in any movie or musical.

Mercifully for us both, I did love her pumpkin carving. There were girl pumpkins and boy pumpkins. The girl pumpkins were the ones with the stems. They wore bows and had long hairdo tops. The boy pumpkins had no stems and short hair. My mother, who, like me, did not like scary stuff, felt that all pumpkins should be as welcoming as possible. So our pumpkins had the biggest smiles on the planet. To this day, I carve mine just like my mom. The Price pumpkins are happy pumpkins.

My dad’s friend Boris Karloff used to call Halloween his “busy season”. It was my father’s, too. So sometimes my dad wasn’t home for Halloween. But when he was, we had so much fun throwing a Halloween party where all my friends came over in costume and we had clowns and candy and my dad!

Of course, all my friends wanted to spend Halloween with Vincent Price!

But the best was when my dad and mom took us trick or treating.

My parents were really strict about sweets, so Halloween was the only time of the year I could eat lots of candy. My friends and I would figure out the streets in Beverly Hills where we could go to the most houses with the best candy, and my parents would park our RV at the top of the street. My mom would lay out Halloween snacks while my dad took us from house to house. We’d run up to get our candy while sometimes he would hide behind the bushes and then jump out and scare the owners. We got our treats while they got tricked.

My dad was a big kid. He loved having fun. He loved hanging out with my friends. And how my friends loved him!

Orange clown or not, every Halloween I feel grateful to have been raised by parents who loved me so much. Now, every time I carve a pumpkin or dress my dog, Allie, up in a costume she doesn’t particularly like, every Halloween that I spend with horror fans remembering my dad, I realize just how fortunate I was to grow up, not with famous parents, but with parents who loved me and who I loved so very much.

Victoria Price is an author and inspirational speaker. Although she is not a fan of horror movies, she is a HUGE fan of horror fans. She loves horror conventions, where she shares her father’s legacy of love and joy and all things spooky. Victoria hosts regular Virtual Vincent events at followspot.live and also leads tours all over the world inspired by Vincent Price’s cultural and culinary legacy. Learn more about her books and talks and tours at victoriaprice.com.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

He’s Ready For His Closeup

FANGORIA shared some images from their vault of treasures including this gem of Robert Englund on the set of A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) in the makeup chair.

TINY BITES

HORROR LITERATURE, TONY TODD AND MORE

The Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimi, and Sarah Jessica Parker) are coming back this Friday, October 30th, for a very special Hocus Pocus reunion and fundraiser hosted by Elvira. Here’s everything you need to know.

The New York Times spoke with Tony Todd about socially-conscious horror, the fight for inclusion in and beyond the arts world, and his legacy in the genre in this powerful interview.

Jeffrey Combs’ one-man show Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allan Poeis now available to listen to via Audible.

Reflect back on 30 years of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horrors (and question the meaning of time) with this retrospective.

This Halloween, you can spend the night in American Horror Story’s Murder House, as the owners open its doors to the public for the first time.

Add these 10 films to your Halloween watch list if you’re looking for something a little less familiar.

Or maybe consider Letterboxd’s list of the 50 highest-rated horror movies directed by women.

Variety’s Actors On Actors video series took a spooky turn as Scream Queens Jamie Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell sat down for a one-on-one chat, Final Girl to Final Girl.

Pepper your Halloween music list with these 10 songs inspired by (or made for) iconic horror movies. A little Dokken, anyone?

Love horror but hate gore? These 10 movies should fit the bill while scaring you senseless.

Add a little Jewish folklore to your Halloween watchlist with these four horror films with Jewish origins.

Rotten Tomatoes reflects on the history of the Goosebumps TV show for its 25th anniversary — with R.L. Stine.

There are so many horror literature recommendations this week, as O Magazine explored 29 of the best Gothic horror novels ever written…

… BookBub shared 12 of their best reader-recommended horror novels of the year thus far…

… the AARP put together a list of what they consider the 20 scariest books you’ll ever read…

… and The New York Times collaborated on a list of 50 of the scariest novels set in every state.

THINGS WE LOVE

Cursed Music

We don’t normally showcase our own stuff in this section, but we love the music from Cursed Films and now it’s available to take home on vinyl from Ship To Shore PhonoCo. It’s just too pretty not to share.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

Shudder Announces Virtual Halloween Event “ShudderFest”; Secret Screening of a Future Shudder Original!

The 50 Best Horror Movies on Shudder – 2020

Shudder Finds Success in Streaming Horror Service Space

Dragula’s Boulet Brothers on stars not returning for Resurrection

A Creepshow Animated Special: Stephen King, Joe Hill stories

December 23, 2020December 23, 2020

The Three Drinks of Christmas: Holiday Horror Libations

Lead #140 - The Three Drinks of Christmas: Horror Holiday Libations by Harmony M Colangelo - The Bite

In this Issue:

Horror History: The Three Drinks of Christmas: Holiday Horror Libations
Image of the Week: Fun for the Whole Family
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: Spin Me Right Round
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

The Three Drinks of Christmas: Holiday Horror Libations

By Harmony M. Colangelo

The holiday season is the coldest and darkest time of the year, so it only makes sense that it would blend so well with horror. With this year in particular, as we’re lacking the usual cheer most often associated with the holidays, I thought it’d be nice to give the gift of cocktails based on some of my favorite Christmas themed horror movies. Let’s add some extra meaning to the “Christmas spirits” with some at-home mixology!

How I Found Out There Was No Santa Claus (Gremlins)

“Me and Mom were expecting them to pull out a dead cat or a bird, and instead they pulled out my father. He was dressed in a Santa Claus suit.” Still dressed in red, this drink has a uniquely warm, smokey undertaste that could only come from the holiday accident so morbid it broke the PG rating. This cocktail favors the flavors of traditional fruitcakes but spruces them up into something more pleasant. Best enjoyed slowly, you should avoid diving headfirst into this glass … or any chimneys.

– 2 oz brandy
– 2 oz cranberry juice
– 1 oz freshly squeezed blood orange
– 2-3 drops of hickory liquid smoke
– A pinch of cayenne pepper

Start by juicing your blood orange. I’m not going to sit here and blow smoke up your chimney chute (we have Liquid Smoke for a reason) by making these instructions longer than they need to be since this is a straightforward concoction. Add the proper measurements of your ingredients to your shaker with the tiniest pinch of cayenne pepper for just a little extra warmth. Lightly shake, strain, and serve over fresh ice.

Dag øf Mor (Santa’s Slay)

We may know December 25th as Christmas, but long ago it was known as the Dag øf Mor, a wondrous time when satanic hellspawn Santa Claus rose from his flaming pit of damnation after a thousand-year slumber to spread yuletide fear. This cocktail uses cold brew coffee and dark chocolate liqueur to keep you awake and on the lookout for when Santa comes to deliver more than just a lump of coal. It’s also strong and warm enough to defrost even the coldest of hearts.

– 2 oz Power’s Irish whiskey
– 1.5 oz dark chocolate Godiva Liqueur
– 1 oz cold brew coffee
– 0.5 oz simple syrup
– Pinch of Ground Cloves
– Milk or milk substitute
– Top with whipped cream and a light drizzle of grenadine

For this toasty delight, we’re going to learn how to make simple syrup. As the name suggests, it’s quite easy to make: combine one part sugar with one part boiling water on the stove or in the microwave. Make sure you remove the pot of boiling water from the stove before adding the sugar to prevent splashing.

I chose Powers specifically for this cocktail because of its spiced flavor and because Irish whiskey is right at home in warm drinks like a Hot Toddy.

Combine and heat your milk (or milk substitute), simple syrup, cold brew, and a pinch of ground cloves. If you are adding them directly to your mug, make sure there is room to add your alcoholic ingredients later.

Add your whiskey and Godiva liqueur to the mix, stir slowly, and top with whipped cream. I lightly drizzled Grenadine on top to simulate blood splattered across the snow for that extra gory flourish.

Peppermint Stabby Cane (Anna and the Apocalypse)

“Christmas means nothing without you,” I whisper to my fourth round of sleigh bells and spirits. Whether it’s hordes of zombies in ugly holiday sweaters or any form of dread trying to knock down your door, you can always arm yourself with your very own candy cane cocktail to fend off impending doom. If Christmas is your least favorite “C” word, dance around your home to this film’s soundtrack and forget about the world, if only for a bit, like a proper festive legend.

– 2 oz chamomile infused Crystal Head vodka
– 1.5 oz simple syrup
– 1 oz peppermint schnapps
– 2 oz eggnog
– Ghirardelli peppermint bark

Our third cocktail requires the most planning since we’ll be infusing our vodka, which is exciting because it lets you add extra flavors to your alcohol without needing to purchase gimmicky ones. For the sake of this drink, you will need to add either a chamomile tea bag or chamomile flowers directly into your vodka. This can be in a separate container or the original bottle but you will need to let it soak for at least 24 hours.

If you want to expedite this process, you can also infuse simple syrup just by adding your chamomile to the hot water as though you were making tea.

Once it’s cocktail hour, you’ll need to finely chop your peppermint bark for the rim of your glass. To adhere your garnish, simply pour a small amount of simple syrup into a shallow dish and place your glass upside down in it to coat the rim, repeating this with your peppermint bark. You should be left with a light coating of peppermint chocolate.

Add your infused vodka, simple syrup, peppermint schnapps, and eggnog to a shaker of ice and give it a good jostle. Using a strainer, carefully pour it into your glass, making sure not to spill it over your beautiful rim. Finish your drink with a light dusting of peppermint bark.

And there you have it! Hopefully, you’ve picked up a few bartending tips and have gotten to enjoy some seasonal drinks along the way.

Whether you’re a musclebound Jewish professional wrestler playing Santa, a British girl singing musical numbers while skewering zombies, or anyone else in between, I hope you have a wonderful holiday, whichever you celebrate.

Merry Drinkmas to all and cheers to a better new year!

Harmony M. Colangelo is here to do some kickass writing and bartending, and she’s not done a lot of bartending this year. You can see those worlds collide in the recipe book A Year of Queer Cocktails. She has been published in Bloody Disgusting, Certified Forgotten, We Are Horror, and The Bite.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Fun for the Whole Family

‘Tis the season for gruesome gifts in Rob Sheridan’s twisted family portrait, “Presents Opening Children“. He’s remastered the darkly funny illustration as a 4k wallpaper just in time for the holidays.

TINY BITES

CHRISTMAS HORROR, STEPHEN KING, AND MORE

‘Tis the season for ghost stories according to Den of Geek’s exploration of Christmas’ longstanding scary stories tradition.

Learn more about Canadian novelist Robertson Davies’ penchant for Yuletide terrors and Dickensian ghost stories.

Stephen King spoke to The New York Times about TV adaptations of his work, including his adaptation of The Shining.

The New York Times took its King content one step further by looking at the history of The Stand and how it came to be its latest iteration.

Film School Rejects put together a list of their favourite video essays of 2020 with several horror entries including Mike Dougherty’s Everything I Need to Know to Survive #COVID19 I Learned by Watching Sci-fi & Horror Movies.

Meanwhile, Nerdist weighed in on the best horror of the year…

… as did Den of Geek with their top ten picks of 2020…

… and Thrillist with their gargantuan ranking of 75 horror titles released this year.

A Baltimore real estate agent has been hanging “NOT HAUNTED” signs below her listings to give prospective buyers some peace of mind.

This article postulates what we can expect to see from horror cinema in the years following COVID.

THINGS WE LOVE

Spin Me Right Round

Waxwork Records is offering their exclusive, deluxe subscription service for its seventh year in a row, featuring five remastered vinyls with all new artwork and tons of killer goodies throughout the year. Perfect for the horror fan audiophiles in your life.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

A Creepshow Holiday Special Official Trailer Brings the Ho-Ho-Horror

Review: ANYTHING FOR JACKSON is as close to hell as you’ll get and be happy about it – The Beat

Boston Film Critics Winners: LA LLORONA wins Best Non-English Film

Best horror movies of 2020 (Color Out of Space, The Mortuary Collection, Host)

Shudder Started Two Separate Lovecraft Cinematic Universes in 2020

December 16, 2020December 23, 2020

The Joyous Horrors to Come, DON’T BREATHE Poster Art, A Year of Queer Cocktails, and More!

Lead #139 - Horror Games to Look Forward to b - The Bite

In this Issue:

Horror History: The Joyous Horrors to Come
Image of the Week: In the Dark, the Blind Man is King
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: A Year of Queer Cocktails
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

The Joyous Horrors to Come

By Jonathan Barkan

Horror gamers have never had it as good as they do now. With a seemingly endless amount of indie developers and major studios releasing one title after another, there is a bit of a glut for solid, interactive spooks and scares. Just like with horror movies, horror games can be hit or miss. Some offer something unique and exciting while others feel like the same old thing with a fresh coat of paint.

As we wrap up 2020, the depressing, awful, painful year that it’s been, it’s worth looking ahead to a few recently announced titles coming in 2021 and beyond that should provide gamers with countless hours of spook-tastic entertainment.

Evil Dead: The Game

Release Date: 2021
Platforms: PC and Consoles

The Evil Dead film franchise is one of the most consistently entertaining and bloody. We owe it our thanks for bringing us both the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and Ash Williams, the sharp-tongued, chainsaw-armed, shotgun-wielding anti-hero brought spectacularly to life by Bruce Campbell. But Evil Dead’s game history leaves much more to be desired. Several games have been released and none have left their mark. Boss Team Games and Sabre Interactive are hoping that things will be different next year with the release of Evil Dead: The Game.

A co-op and PVP game, the Games Awards world premiere trailer revealed Ash standing side-by-side with Ash vs Evil Dead’s Kelly Maxwell, Army of Darkness’ King Arthur, among other characters from the films. Over two years ago, Ray Santiago, Ash vs Evil Dead’s Pablo, stated that the Ghost Beaters, “…stick together in everything that we do.” It’s highly likely that the entire Ash vs Evil Dead team will be a part of the game in some way.

The Callisto Protocol

Release Date: 2022
Platforms: PC and Consoles

Ask any gamer about the stand-out horror titles from video game history and you’re bound to hear the name Dead Space. A sci-fi/horror franchise with two fantastic entries, Dead Space’s last outing was in 2013. Fans have been clamoring for publisher/owner EA to do something, anything, with the series, including HD remakes, a new title, and more. All they were met with was a deafening silence. Until now.

Hailing from the mind of Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield, The Callisto Protocol is set on Jupiter’s moon Callisto where it seems like some sort of outpost or colony has encountered a very serious problem. Little else is known about the game but given Callisto’s substantially lower gravity, I’m guessing we’re going to see some low-grav action as well as some more of those “space vacuum” shenanigans we used to know and love.

While this isn’t an official new entry in the Dead Space series, it is, without a doubt, the next best thing. Altman be praised!

Back 4 Blood

Release Date: June 22nd, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

You can bring me all the asymmetrical horror games you want. Friday the 13th? Awesome. Dead by Daylight? Good times guaranteed. But nothing — NOTHING — comes close to the countless LAN and Xbox Live parties my friends and I sank into both Left 4 Dead games. While we preferred some maps over others, those nights never got old. As the years passed, I, my friends, and who knows how many other gamers have all been seeking a return to that fast-paced, zombie-shooting experience.

Much like how The Callisto Protocol isn’t Dead Space 4, Back 4 Blood isn’t Left 4 Dead 3 but that’s okay. It’s coming from the same dev team, so you know it’s going to have those fast-paced, high-octane thrills where four survivors have to face off against countless zombie hordes as well as those pesky special infected. I’m already charging up my controllers!

With these three titles to look forward to, horror gamers have a very bright future ahead. And with so many other incredible games on the horizon, there’s no shortage of interactive spooks and scares. Still, I found myself slightly disappointed as the award ceremony came to a close and my restless dreams went unseen. Ah well, there’s always hope.

Jonathan Barkan is a producer and acquisitions and distribution executive. He was the Managing Editor for Bloody-Disgusting and Dread Central’s Editor-in-Chief.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

In the Dark, the Blind Man is King

Chris Barnes, artist and founder of Brutal Posters, shared this stunning poster of Fede Alverez’s Don’t Breathe and it’s definitely taken our breath away.

TINY BITES

BEST OF 2020, NIA DACOSTA, AND MORE

It’s that time of year again for the Best Of lists, so kick things of with TOR.com’s look at the best YA sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books of 2020.

Rolling Stone weighed on in the best horror movies of the year with cerebral titles like Koko-Di Koko-Da and our favourite pandemic-shot flick, Host.

After Midnight got a lot of love from Paste in their look at some of this year’s highlights…

… Harper’s Bazaar raved about other killer titles from 2020 like Spiral, Relic, and 32 Malasaña Street…

… and Slant joined them by including late entries like Hunter Hunter and The Dark and the Wicked.

Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes shared their ranked list based on the year’s reviews that solidifies what all of these lists highlight — His House was a 2020 standout.

If you’re looking for Christmas horror titles to keep you entertained this week, here are some ho-ho-horrificaly wicked suggestions.

Revisit Walt Disney World’s nightmare attraction from the 90s, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.

Megan Thee Stallion spoke to James Cordon about why horror is her favorite movie genre.

Inverse gushes about why they think Scream 2 is the best horror sequel ever made.

Director Nia DaCosta and writer Carmen Maria Machado spoke with Harper’s Bazaar about what we can learn from fear.

We got a new trailer for the upcoming horror film The Vigil which explores Jewish tradition and folklore alongside the horrors of demonology.

THINGS WE LOVE

A Year of Queer Cocktails

End the year right with this fantastic nerdy cocktail book from Harmony M Colangelo and the staff at the Side Quest Bar. They’ve got something for everyone. Try some of their spookier options like the Goth Girlfriend or make a Werebear in Manhattan. All proceeds directly benefit the Side Quest staff who lost income due to the pandemic.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

A Creepshow Holiday Special Trailer Released by Shudder

A Creepshow Holiday Special (Shudder) review – monster slasher fun

Joe Bob Saves Christmas As Only Joe Bob Can

Anything for Jackson: An impressive ‘anti-Christmas’ movie

What’s It Like to Make a Movie During the Pandemic?

December 9, 2020December 23, 2020

The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020, Krampuskarten, Ichabod’s Last Meal, And More!

Lead #138 - The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide Part Deux - The Bite

In this Issue:

Horror History: The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020
Image of the Week: Greetings From Krampus
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: Watch Your Head
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020

By Ariel Fisher

It’s that time of year where we’re all desperately scrambling to try and find the perfect gift for our loved ones (no judgement). So if you’re struggling to come up with ideas for the horror fan in your life, look no further — we’ve got our ultimate horror gift guide right here. From books and movies to subscription boxes and games of the board, card, and video variety, we’ve got every base covered.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Friday the 13th Box Set

Movies

There were a lot of incredible movie releases this year, but Shout Factory’s Friday the 13th Delux Edition box set definitely takes the cake. This behemoth is loaded with special features and has all 12 films connected to the franchise including Freddy vs. Jason and both the theatrical release and director’s cut of the 2009 remake. So if you know someone who’s obsessed with all things Crystal Lake and Jason Voorhees, this is the way to go this holiday season.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions - The Bite

Books

For the Junji Ito fans in your life, you can’t do better than Viz Media’s exquisite book The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions. The first of its kind, this collection of Ito’s artwork features over 130 pieces from some of his most iconic stories along with other rarities, complete with commentary from Ito himself on each work.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - The Fog Vinyl - Waxwork Records - The Bite

Music

Make the audiophile in your life ecstatic this holiday by gifting them Waxwork Record’s 40th anniversary expanded soundtrack from The Fog on vinyl. Considered by Carpenter himself to be one of his best musical works, this double LP set will be a glorious addition to any horror fan’s collection.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Spinatures Bride of Frankenstein - Waxwork Records - The Bite

Collectibles

Waxwork Record‘s Spinatures are a must-have for every horror-obsessed vinyl collector. They did an official line of Universal Monster designs and this Bride of Frankenstein is definitely a standout. As if it wasn’t stunning enough on its own, the Bride’s collectors box features new artwork by Robert Sammelin.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Mixtape Massacre - The Bite

Games

Have a tabletop gamer in your family who’s also obsessed with horror? Then Mixtape Massacre is a must. In this board game, you and up to 5 other friends get to play as horror archetypes and compete in an ‘80s-style slasher killing spree. You can even get expansion and booster packs to make this game endlessly playable.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Twin Peaks art set - Mondo - The Bite

Art

Send your Twin Peaks-obsessed friend back to the Douglas fir-scented air with this gorgeous set of five prints by Greg Ruth. The 8” x 11” prints are just one of a 12-part limited edition series from the iconic show.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Hunt a Killer Subscription Box - The Bite

Subscriptions

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for murder mystery fans, look no further than the Hunt A Killer mystery box. Hunt A Killer is an episodic murder mystery subscription box that plays out over the course of 6 “episodes” or boxes, each of which you’ll receive monthly with all the clues you’ll need to solve the murder. There’s an experience for everyone, including an officially licenced Blair Witch subscription. Part of their proceeds also go towards the Cold Case Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps solve cold cases.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Deaths Whisper Tiki Mug - Mondo - The Bite

Housewares

Gift the bartender in your life this beautiful Victorian Tiki mug — yep, you read that right. Designed by Sara Deck and sculpted by Tufan Sezer, Death’s Whisper blends the aesthetic of ouija occultism with a more delicate Victorian touch to create this haunting work of art.

The Ultimate Horror Gift Guide 2020 - Rob Sheridan Chatterer Mask - The Bite

Apparel

Since they’ve become a necessity, face masks are a must-have for everyone on your list, and there’s truly no better than Rob Sheridan’s horrific selections to help make safety guidelines spookier in a fun way. We’re particularly fond of this specially-designed Chatterer mask in honor of Nicholas Vince’s character from Hellraiser.

Now, this is only a sample of our full gift guide. Make sure you visit the Shudder blog for the full version with dozens of covetable options for friends, family members, significant others, or, hell, even yourself.

Happy holidays, readers!

Ariel Fisher is the editor of The Bite. She is also a freelance writer whose work has appeared in FANGORIA Magazine, Rue Morgue, and Birth.Movies.Death..

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Greetings From Krampus

You better watch out, you better not lie, you better not shout, I’m telling you why — Krampus is coming to drag you to hell. Or at least that’s what this and many other Krampuskarten depicted in 1890s Germany and Austria.

TINY BITES

HELLRAISER, STEPHEN KING, AND MORE

There was a lot to learn and gain from horror this year, and Gizmodo is here to explore how the genre saved us in 2020.

Clive Barker officially regained the franchise rights to Hellraiser.

There’s a new project in the works that looks to tackle the history of comic book adaptations of horror films.

If you’re looking for great horror novel recommendations, these 18 spooky audiobooks will definitely get you through the holidays.

Or explore any of these 5 wintery horror novels while hunkering down inside. Syfy Wireranked all 42 theatrical adaptations of Stephen King’s work from The Shawshank Redemption to The Lawnmower Man, the movie so bad he sued to have his name taken off of it.

Find out how Vince Vaughn’s Blissfield Butcher from Freakyputs all other slasher villains to shame.

BuzzFeed looked at 13 of this year’s horror movie releases and how they terrified audiences.

This article explores 10 profoundly impactful scary movies that aren’t technically horror (depending on who you ask).

These terrifying travel horror movies should effectively quash any desire to go on vacation right now.

Men’s Health showcased just some of the amazing horror titles we’re all eagerly waiting for in 2021.

Horror subreddit Dreadit is redoing their movie guide starting with the best Christmas horror movies and they want your input.

THINGS WE LOVE

Watch Your Head

We’re firm believers that spooky season is year-round and Townsend & Son’s recreation of the ginger cakes from Ichabod Crane’s last meal in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is peak Halloween vibes.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

How a Holiday Movie Director Finally Made His Horror Dream Come True

ANYTHING FOR JACKSON Is This Year’s HEREDITARY

Hunted trailer: Persepolis director brings myth to the survival thriller

The Zoom horror that was 2020’s most timely hit

How to Give Netflix, Hulu, and Other Streaming Services As Gifts

December 2, 2020December 3, 2020

Ho Ho Huh? The Sequel, RIP Daria Nicolodi, A Krampus Sweatshirt, And More!

Lead #137 - Donato's Christmas Poem - Ho Ho Huh The Sequel - The Bite

In this Issue:

Horror History: Ho Ho Huh? The Sequel
Image of the Week: RIP Daria Nicolodi
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: 1, 2, Krampus is Coming For You
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

Ho Ho Huh? The Sequel

By Matt Donato

‘Tis Donato’s grand return, for this festive Bite;
Spreading seasonal fear meant to thrill and excite.
Yes, once again, with Christmas horror’s good word;
But last year was too tame, so let’s get more absurd.

Why don’t we start with Dan Haggerty in Elves;
Who’s hammered in most takes, let’s not fool ourselves?
Nazis, mall Santas, and forced demon-seed breeding;
Plus an elf so ugly your eyes will be bleeding.

Poor Kirsten is cursed to birth a new master race,
As the horned-up goblin pest never quits his chase.
She turns to her grandpa, who’s also her dad;
Christmas and incest, is it really that bad?

Yes, that’s a joke, what the fuck is occurring;
Isn’t Elves plural? Only one “elf” is stirring.
Dan Haggerty, his booze, and beard save the day;
Unless that’s a fetus shot, in which case, oy vey.

Did you know that Christmas is The Day Of The Beast?
From Spain comes this headbanger’s satanic feast.
A priest commits sins to stop the antichrist’s birth;
Lest he allows Lucifer’s destruction of Earth.

A metalhead, a padre, and a TV host;
Mankind’s last defense against an unholy ghost.
It’s batty and blasphemous, a true yuletide treat;
The Day Of The Beast is one chiller to beat.

Before I wrap up, why not a classic remake?
Silent Night, a gruesome slasher, is no lame fake.
Savage kills deck the halls with tinsel and gore,
As a woodchipper spits minced-up flesh to the floor.

Nods to Silent Night, Deadly Night keep fans in glee,
Like mounted antlers that puncture; oh, what a spree.
Using practical effects is “Nice List” conduct,
Given how many CGI knockoffs have sucked.

Once more, dear readers; three Christmas special die-lights.
What’s that Santa’s writing? Oh, just your last rites.
Pray to the sugar plums that dance in your head,
And hope Krampus skips you; that bringer of dread.

Matt Donato is a freelance writer who stays up too late typing words for such outlets such as /Film, Collider, Bloody Disgusting, and What To Watch. You can follow his work on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd at @DonatoBomb.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

RIP Daria Nicolodi

Actress, screenwriter, and cult icon Daria Nicolodi passed away this Thursday at the age of 70. Her daughter, Asia Argento, broke the tragic news. Known for her presence throughout Dario Argento’s filmography, Nicolodi was also credited with the original concept and co-writing the screenplay for Suspiria.

TINY BITES

FANGRRLS, MISERY, AND MORE

Syfy Wire’s Fangrrls sadly announced the end of their publication this week, after providing us with incredible genre content for the past four years.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s Sawyer family is jumping on the reunion bandwagon with a special two-day event this Friday and Saturday hosted by Joe Bob Briggs.

Interactive Zoom horror short Take This Lollipop 2 uses deep fakes to scare viewers from the comfort of home.

AV Club wrote about the legacy of Lucille Fletcher’s Sorry, Wrong Number which Orson Welles called “the greatest radio script ever written.” It was also one of the first telephone-based horror films.

This piece looks at horror’s penchant for focusing on Indigenous lore over Indigenous people.

Thanksgiving may be over, but its themed horror movies are evergreen — this list of the holiday’s scariest features is well worth a look.

It’s Misery’s 30th anniversary this week, and Film School Rejects is celebrating by looking at Kathy Bates’ performance and the film’s discourse around toxic fandom.

Meanwhile, Collider positioned the film and Bates’ Annie Wilkes as an allegory for COVID-19 and being stuck in quarantine.

Dig into the identity crisis of internet horror in this video essay through early aught cyber-horror flicks Kairo and Feardotcom.

This piece looks at Hollywood’s longstanding tradition of using disabilities in horror films as the signifier for evil.

Refinery29 looked at the industry’s obsession with murderous mothers.

Dig into the history of Val Lewton’s horror through four of his iconic titles in this article from Bloody Disgusting.

THINGS WE LOVE

1, 2, Krampus is Coming For You

The holidays are fast approaching and this Krampus sweatshirt from Michael Ramstead’s Etsy shop should definitely be on your list of things to get your friends.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

REVIEW: Gory and Surprisingly Heartfelt, Porno Is the Breakfast Club With a Sex Demon

Anything for Jackson’s Justin Dyck & Keith Cooper Talk Jumping From Hallmark to Horror

The best horror comedies on Shudder

Now Scream This: 10 Great Streaming Horror Movies – /Film (The Cleansing Hour and The Mortuary Collection)

November 26, 2020November 26, 2020

The Heart of Corruption in THE BLOOD OF WOLVES

*The following essay includes spoilers about The Blood of Wolves*

When we are first introduced to veteran detective Shogo Ogami (played by Kôji Yakusho) in The Blood of Wolves, it’s through the eyes of a straight-laced rookie, Shuichi Hioka (Tôri Matsuzaka). Ogami seems more concerned with fucking the sister of a missing person in the police interrogation room than actually finding the missing person. He provokes Hioka into picking a fight with an outsized yakuza, sets a building on fire to illegally gather evidence, taking bribes to look the other way from lesser criminal activity, and, in the film’s most iconic scene, holds a gangster down to bloodily extract his genital piercings when the gangster fails to provide information.

Shogo Ogami is the vision of a bad cop, a figure whose outlandish antics are played for laughs while acting as a direct refutation of the kind of ordered justice that Hioka stands for. You might end up rooting for Ogami because he’s likeable and this is a crime movie, but there’s no denying that he does not represent a by-the-book style of policing, as his devotion to investigation by any means necessary looks more chaotic than what could possibly sustain a case in court.

We eventually come to realize that this is part of why a greenhorn like Hioka has been paired with Ogami in the first place. He’s there to report to the higher-ups about Ogami’s misdeeds and provide a foundation for action to be taken against him. You recognize Hioka thinks of himself as the good guy because he abides by the rules of an orderly society, designed to protect the rights of the accused while still bringing justice for the victimized.

That’s where the hidden depths of this yakuza crime thriller start to shine through, revealing a surprisingly complex morality for a film that spends the majority of its first half playing for violent goofs and laid-back retro atmosphere. As the investigation reveals to Hioka the complex machinations of a turf war between two rival yakuza factions, it becomes clear that Ogami doesn’t have the liberty of being a neutral arbiter of justice. He has been the main peacekeeping force between the yakuza gangs, using his power as an officer to beat them into line hard enough to maintain respect, but not so hard as to invite retribution on himself. As he says, working his beat is like walking a tightrope, and the only way out is to keep moving forward.

And in the end, that’s what kills him. When the yakuza gang war kicks into full gear, Ogami is one of the first casualties, found dead in the water with pig shit in his stomach. At first, this would seem to be a tragedy of a life lived poorly, as not even Ogami’s immense skill as a detective was enough insulation against the violence of those he bumped elbows with. But as the violence escalates and a new order in the gangland landscape asserts itself, Hioka starts to suspect that there might be more to Ogami than just his blunt force attitude to keeping the peace.

For Ogami, being police was not about power over the lawless, but about the protection of civilians. Hioka’s conversations with Ogami’s informants reveals a depth of concern for those caught in the crossfire of the yakuza, the collateral damage of violence, and the unchecked extortion that a lack of police presence would invite. But even more concerning to Ogami was his lack of faith that the police would do anything at all if he were not present to keep the yakuza in line.

The Blood of Wolves paints a portrait of the police as bureaucrats concerned with their own power, and that the ideal of protecting and serving is an anomaly that only Ogami was up to the task of effectuating. But in order to do that, he needed to get dirty. He needed to become a thug himself. And he needed to get dirt on the police as insurance against his termination, all so that he could keep protecting civilians.

In the end, there is no justice for Ogami. There are no convictions for his murder, no assurances that his life did anything more than delay the inevitable. The justice system is corrupted by the corruptible, and the yakuza continue to spill blood in the streets. The only hope for the future is a newly jaded Hioka, armed with the same blackmail Ogami had before him and a newfound recognition of the lengths necessary to live up to his own ideals of justice. He may have entered Ogami’s unknowing tutelage with a naïve belief that the institution he had entered was there to protect and serve more than its officers’ desire to advance their own careers. But in the end, he recognizes that despite Ogami’s persistent role as a bad cop, he was the most incorruptible of them all.

Ogami had the noble blood of wolves in his veins. Perhaps now Hioka has the same.

You can watch The Blood of Wolves streaming now on Shudder.

Leigh Monson is a non-binary film and television critic from St. Paul, Minnesota. They’re passionate about genre movies, LGBTQ things, LGBTQ things in genre movies, and the LGBTQ folks who love genre movies. Read their work on What to Watch.

November 25, 2020November 25, 2020

The Ontology of Open Mouths, An ALIEN Poster, JASON TAKES MANHATTAN on Vinyl, And More!

In this Issue:

Horror History: The Ontology of Open Mouths: The Scream and the Swallowing
Image of the Week: Priority One
Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
Things We Love: Jason Takes a Boat Ride on Vinyl
Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News

HORROR HISTORY

The Ontology of Open Mouths: The Scream and the Swallowing

By Lea Anderson

“The grotesque face is actually reduced to the gaping mouth; the other features…only a frame encasing this wide open bodily abyss.” – Mikhail Bakhtin

It is as Bakhtin noted, that all horror is communicated through the shape of the open mouth: a motif so essential to the genre as both a sonic and visual experience that the language through which it operates achieves a type of transcendence. The human revealed again as animal.

The scream is widely considered a universal signal of terror. But as any horror fan knows, not all screams are the same and, in fact, most great horror climaxes hinge on collapsing, wildly disparate emotions, allowing them to spill over each other to conjure the ecstatic. Though distinct as a sonic experience, it is equally visual and imagined. What emerged from the back of Janet Leigh’s mouth in Psycho remains audible, even as a still image.

Lead #136 - The Ontology of Open Mouths by Lea Anderson - Psycho - The Bite

Then there is the Swallowing, my term for the appearance of a devouring Other. Present across subgenres, the Swallowing threatens the mind, body, family, home, neighborhood, nation-state, and planet, reducing these human institutions to mere prey. It is the reversal of Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abject as fear of invasion or corruption. While these (invasion, corruption) may be “offensive” actions, the fear itself remains obliteration via consumption, rendered visually as a mouth, open, ready to swallow.

If we look at these occasions — the scream and the Swallowing — in the context of both Black Horror films and Black-led horror films, what might they reveal about the construction of Black monstrosity and, further, the location of Black catharsis?

Candyman (1992)

My personal frustration with the totality of Candyman can be summed up by this singular shot:

Helen is the center of this image, just as she’s the film’s emotional center, confirming its gaze as fundamentally white. We know Candyman’s monstrosity is primarily located in his mouth, from which swarms of bees gather and descend. But the film also traffics in a specific type of fear-mongering around Black men’s perceived desirous appetites for white women.

As such, Black desire is in this case synonymous with the occasion of the Swallowing: a notedly white supremacist perspective illustrated in The Birth of a Nation, King Kong, and countless other films.

Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)

Rusty Cundieff reproduces a variation of this image in the Tales from the Hood sequel’s chaotic first segment, Good Golly. Two girls — one white, one Black — roll up to the Museum of Negrosity, the entrance to which is framed by the mouth of an enormous anti-Black caricature, a reference to the infamous Coon Chicken Inn restaurants.

An implication to the allusion is that, as these girls pass through this mouth-frame, they’re moving out of a world where their friendship could exist as “color-blind.” Here, the Swallowing represents that fundamental shift in perspective, threatening only to those whose goal is revision and suppression.

Scream 2 (1997)

As the climax of the sequel’s opening sequence, this shot exemplifies the franchise’s metanarrative project but does so in a way that falls into the trap of rendering Black death a spectacle.

In the moments before her death, Maureen (Jada Pinkett-Smith) is attacked whilst surrounded by people, none of whom respond to her desperation. She stumbles onstage, looks out at a sea of hooded, white-masked figures (not without significance), and lets out a scream tinged with incredible grief as the projection of the film-within-the-film plays over her body. As she dies, she falls back and for a moment, is encased — consumed — within the onscreen Ghostface’s open mouth. In merely reproducing tragedy, the scene denies catharsis, inspiring only horror.

Ganja and Hess (1973)

Ganja’s scream, in contrast, is pure catharsis, even if horror remains elemental. Its context within the film functions as what is termed in poetry a volta: a dramatic turn or shift in thought or perspective. Because nothing prior to the occasion of this scream remains exactly the same on its other side, it represents the place where the scream and the Swallowing exist as the same stretch of space: what the poet Carl Phillips refers to as “the zone of tragedy — transition.” It is, in essence, the moment of transformation. One iteration of Ganja dies here, consumed by the next. And though there is horror, there’s also, eventually, liberation.

It’s typical that the great enduring fear of capitalist white supremacist patriarchy is in fact itself: the eternally present, eternally devouring mouth. Monsters, after all, always say the most about those who fear them.

This piece has been abridged to fit the format of The Bite. Visit our blog for the full version.

Lea Anderson is an independent horror scholar, critic, and poet, currently based just outside Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Priority One

Acclaimed artist Paolo Rivera recently announced his latest piece for Sideshow Collectibles — a stunning limited edition Alien poster with Ripley cradling Jonesy.

TINY BITES

TROG, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, AND MORE

This September, Halloween superfan Anthony Woodle passed away an hour after his wedding to his girlfriend of eight years, Emilee Stickel. The ceremony was officiated by Jamie Lee Curtis. Our thoughts are with Emilee and Anthony’s families during this difficult time.

This week was the 61st anniversary of the Twilight Zone episode Time Enough At Last based on Lynn Venable’s short story of the same name which you can read right here.

The latest Scream installment wrapped shooting and got its official name, leaving some folks a tad frustrated (and confused).

We also got some news about the Dexter revival which will be set 10 years following the series finale.

If you’re looking for a good soul-crushing horror film to match the mood this Thanksgiving, Bloody Disgusting has some suggestions.

Looper listed the most frightening horror movies based on short stories that you should most definitely check out.

Script Magazine wrote about the history of horror and what makes an effective horror movie, with input from a wide array of filmmakers, producers, writers, and other industry professionals.

BBC Culture wrote about Joan Crawford’s final film, the absurd Trog, and its legacy as a cult classic and an anomaly for the era.

Gamespot put together a video of horror titles coming out later this year and into next year you’ll want to keep your eyes on.

If you’re looking for watchlist inspiration, Parade ranked their picks for the 151 best horror movies of all time and, dear reader, Deep Blue Sea made the cut.

Get your fill of family this holiday season with these dysfunctional families in horror literature.

Certified Forgotten revisited the made-for-TV sequel When a Stranger Calls Backand its gift for gaslighting its final girl.

FAB Press announced that they will be posthumously publishing the late Stuart Gordon’s autobiography.

Get started on your holiday horror fun with this 32-film bracket of the best and most chilling the subgenre has to offer.

THINGS WE LOVE

Jason Takes a Boat Ride on Vinyl

The soundtrack for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is now available for pre-order on vinyl from Waxwork Records. The 2 LP set even comes in the perfectly named NYC Grime and Hot Pink Flying V colored vinyl and we’re obsessed.

HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS

Movie Review: Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

Alexandre O Philippe on telling the inside story of The Exorcist

Slasher Season 4: Why The Show Will Be Better On Shudder (Not Netflix)

Nine New Must-See Horror Films Guaranteed to Make You Shudder

November 23, 2020November 26, 2020

Nightmare Logic and the Cinema of Mario Bava

The Mario Bava Collection - Mario Bava 2

If you don’t know Mario Bava, you should. He is, without a doubt, one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, regardless of genre. He was responsible for the first Italian horror and science fiction films after he took over direction on I Vampiri for Riccardo Freda and made The Day The Sky Exploded, despite credit having been awarded to another director.

Bava started in film as an assistant cinematographer and worked with his father on special effects. He eventually became a cinematographer and worked with Roberto Rossellini. His skills as a cinematographer gave him a matchless eye as a director, making his black and white films some of the most gorgeous ever made and giving his color features that same distinct beauty. Much is made of Dario Argento’s use of colored gels in Suspiria, and rightly so, but it’s likely that Suspiria’s brightly colored horrors would not exist without Bava’s Blood and Black Lace.

The genre owes Bava a huge debt. His films paved the way for both the giallo and slasher subgenres. If you watch his films such as the aforementioned Blood and Black Lace and A Bay of Blood, his impact on the genre becomes clear, from specific setpieces referenced in films like Friday the 13th to the escalation of violence and visual cues such as black trench coats and begloved hands that became staples of the gialli.

While most gialli and slashers are not known to be plot heavy, Bava’s movies were creations of equally decadent visuals and ideas. While their plots may not be complex, many of his films have much in common with the gothic subgenre and are surprisingly and sweepingly romantic. Bava was also one of the first to work with the idea of what horror fans refer to as nightmare logic, a plot that is absurd or fantastical in a way that you would normally only see in dreams or nightmares. Instead of a gritty reality, you see the characters trapped in surreal and seemingly inescapable situations that become more and more grotesque with every passing moment. It’s all a dream, but it’s one that you can’t leave.

Shudder’s Mario Bava Collection features seven of Bava’s most beloved and iconic films, and I’m here to tell you about each of them.

The Mario Bava Collection - Black Sunday

Black Sunday (1960)

Black Sunday is a gothic tale about the cursed Vadja family. A striking black and white film starring the unforgettable beauty Barbara Steele in a dual role as Asa and Katia Vadja and John Richardson. When two doctors arrive at the Vadja castle due to a broken carriage wheel, they meet the lovely Katia. When one of the doctors accidentally awakens Asa, the witch who placed the curse on their family two centuries earlier, she is ready to kill anyone who stands in the way of her vengeance. Not to be missed, Black Sunday contains some of the genre’s most ravishing and iconic black and white imagery.

The Mario Bava Collection - Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath (1963)

In this horror anthology, Bava burst into the world of color with none other than the eminent Boris Karloff as his host and star of the second segment, The Wurdalak. The opening segment, The Telephone, features a young woman (Michèle Mercier) who is terrorized by a mysterious caller. I can’t help but think of the opening of Scream every time I watch it. The Wurdalak, meanwhile, is the tale of vampires hungry for the blood of their loved ones. In the third segment, A Drop of Water, sound is used to create a mounting sense of tension as a nurse learns the consequences of stealing from the dead.

The Mario Bava Collection - The Whip and the Body

The Whip and the Body (1963)

Christopher Lee stars as the dissolute Kurt Menliffe. The son of a count, he was banished after the suicide of his mistress before his marriage to a young woman named Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). Lee, quite young in the film, is a very lively and sexual presence as the sadist with the titular whip. The film was censored because of its sado-masochistic love scenes, despite some of them being intensely romantic. There is a great rapport between the two actors that shows the act in a different light, offering a tender and mature handling of the subject. Then, as a bonus, the story becomes a mystery and a ghost story. Watch it with someone you love.

The Mario Bava Collection - Kill Baby Kill

Kill Baby Kill (1966)

In this film, a village is under the curse of an evil child. Working again in the gothic tradition, the scenic design is lavish with elegant deterioration and is beautifully shot. A scene in the tavern when Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi Stuart) arrives looks like a painting from the Dutch Golden Age. Considering that Bava originally wanted to be a painter, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Bava plays with the audience’s mind with the use of a loop of repeated action that is pure nightmare logic. See if you can spot the moments that undoubtedly inspired Frederico Fellini and The Changeling.

The Mario Bava Collection - A Bay of Blood

A Bay of Blood (1971)

A Bay of Blood is widely regarded as the prototypical slasher with a high body count and vicious murders, particularly those of a group of carefree young people who break into a home by the bay to party and have sex. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both this film and Friday the 13th are set near bodies of water, and there’s even a submerged decaying body that surfaces to touch a naked beauty’s butt. A number of greedy people seek to take control of the bay to turn it into a tourist attraction after the murder of the wheelchair-bound Countess Federica Donati (Isa Miranda) who owned the land and opposed any development. Just when you think you know who is going to come out on top, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Trust me when I say you aren’t prepared for how this one ends.

The Mario Bava Collection - Lisa and the Devil

Lisa and the Devil (1974)

Bava was never one to shy away from controversial topics and Lisa and the Devil is no exception as it ups the ante with the depiction of necrophilia. It is so committed to its nightmare logic that it crosses over into the surreal and is filled with selfish and reprehensible people who can’t seem to stop trying to have sex with anyone they aren’t supposed to. It stars Telly Savalas as a surreptitiously snacking demon that has to be seen to be believed. Despite all of this, it still manages to be as romantic as it is unsettling.

Shock (1977)

This is Bava’s last feature before his death and stars Daria Nicolodi as Dora Baldini, John Steiner as her husband Bruno, and David Colin Jr. as Dora’s son, Marco. Dora had survived a bad marriage to a brutal husband and was committed after his suicide. But when the family moves back into the home she’d shared with her first husband, she feels her sanity start to slip. Through Bava’s direction, Daria Nicolodi gave one of her best performances, and he captured her beauty in a way no other director had before or since. You may recognize its most notable, mind-bending scare as it had a lasting impact on the genre, influencing filmmakers for generations. Of all of these films, it’s the most modern and psychologically horrifying.

Mario Bava was an excellent cinematographer, a brilliant director, and had an indelible impact on the horror genre thanks to his gifted and clever sense of the bizarre. With the Bava Collection, Shudder has given you the opportunity to watch some of his best and most provocative films. Watching this series is like attending a masterclass in cinema while being effectively terrified. I know, because I did just that, and my mind is still brimming with inspiration and delight. Take Bava’s hand and let him lead you into his gothic world. Allow yourself to be transported into this wild Italian country and open your mind to his breathtaking and romantic vision.

The Mario Bava Collection is available to stream now on Shudder.

Dolores Quintana is a film, theatre, and television critic, actress and journalist who regularly contributes to Nightmarish Conjurings and her personal blog on Medium.com. Previously, she has written for FANGORIA, We Like LA, We Are Horror, Pocho.com, late period Buddyhead, and The Blog @ Boston Court. As an actor, she is part of Native Voices at the Autry, Alone: an Existential Haunting, Screenshot Productions, and Warner Brother’s Horror Made Here.

November 18, 2020November 25, 2020

A Life Force in the Darkness

Lead #135 - Jacob's Ladder 30th anniversary by Adam Egypt Mortimer b - The Bite

When I was casting Daniel Isn’t Real, I would talk to the actors I met about Tim Robbins’ performance in Jacob’s Ladder. The way, for me, it exemplified the contrast between a thematically bleak world and the expression of a character’s inner life. Ironically, the one actor I couldn’t do this with was the one I cast; Miles Robbins, my lead, is Tim’s son. I couldn’t point to that performance without chaining him to his dad, and so I had to find other ways to reference the particular energy I was looking for. That particular aliveness. And so we talked, among other things, about Rocky.

Adrian Lyne’s Jacob’s Ladder takes place in a New York that is literally hell. Yet, in a world of death and trauma and fear, Tim Robbins is alive. He’s no walking corpse — he’s energetic, kinetic, and sexy. Check out the eyes the palm reader gives him at a party. “And a sense of humor, too,” she grins. “I like that!”

Jacob is alive despite his struggle to process the violence of Vietnam. He is alive despite the fact that his son is dead — despite the fact that he is dead. There’s a tension between the performance and the setting: the rich humanness of the character and the inhuman cosmic horror of his situation. And this tension is where the movie finds its magic. We see it in the first few seconds as, strolling through the brutal Vietnam jungle, he laughs giddily while all the other GI’s mock him.

There are two crucial elements of a horror movie I look for: how it makes you feel, and how the horror resolves itself. So how does Jacob’s Ladder make me feel? Terrified, anxious, overwhelmed, and yet elated, excited, and engaged. But better than any other movie I can think of, it replicates the ongoing feeling of living with trauma.

I thought of Jacob’s Ladder the other day as I was making a Spotify playlist to celebrate the election. Let’s hit these LA streets and honk!! “Born in The USA” led me to “This is America.” Then the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman” in a nod to mail-in ballots. Jacob is a mailman, too. And I flashed on the incredible scene when a group of teen girls skip up from their stoop serenade him with this song. Like a coy Greek chorus, surrounded by the filth and smoke and rust of their urban inferno. For a few bars of an old pop song, there’s joy.

Then I flashed back to the 2016 election. To that shock of displacement. Suddenly, you are in an alien world that is somehow still your home. I remember saying to my friend, “I’ve been thinking of Jacob’s Ladder.” She said she’d been, too. It captures the feeling of a worsening. None of us escape it. I felt it during my most painful breakups. I felt it during the days and weeks and months following the death of my mother 17 years ago.

Jacob felt it in Vietnam. He felt it when his child died. He felt it when his marriage collapsed. He felt it when he was stabbed in the guts with a bayonet. These moments are embodied in the life force of Robbins’ performance. No matter how much he smiles, no matter how much he grooves to James Brown, there are demons behind every pane of glass and on every dance floor.

Lead #135 - Jacob's Ladder 30th anniversary by Adam Egypt Mortimer a - The Bite

Even the sets are alive. Daylight exteriors teem with smoke or steam. Moody interiors with their clutter and photographs and rotary phones with the life of decades piled on top of them.

The visual style of Jacob’s Ladder was part of a cinematic movement. In the ’80s, British directors who had come up in the advertising world brought a fierce new style to genre films. Tony Scott’s The Hunger, Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, and Adrian Lyne’s Jacob’s Ladder all share a vibe: the smoke, the backlight, the patina of a city’s decay.

For that, give credit to the masterful production designer of all three films: Brian Morris. His sets don’t simply reflect the character, they communicate to the character. A sentient environment saying “This is hell! Look around you … and accept it!”

Prior to these films, Morris was the production designer on Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Compare the rush of Alan Parker’s train filled with school kids to Lyne’s demonic subway; the staggering swimming pool of blood to the shaking Baconian demons; or the damp backlit stadium to the layout of ’70s New York. All of this design says, as the doctor does, “This is your home, you’re dead.” Jacob protests to ex-wife Sara, “I’m not dead, I’m alive!” And the doctor’s voice emanates from the wall itself: “DREAM ON!”

But is it a dying man’s dream? Is it a drug trip? Is it a metaphysical journey through the bardo of dying into non-being? It doesn’t matter. All the answers track emotionally. What matters is the feeling of horror, of that masterful, influential, hellish hospital sequence, and of that horror’s resolution — Jacob absorbing his demons to find peace.

The terror of death powers Jacob’s fear of recognizing the truth. This is horror not in that we are afraid of being stabbed to death but instead we are afraid of what will happen after we’ve been killed. The inciting incident — not the climax — is Jacob being murdered. But the real fear, the enduring fear, is a cosmic one; how to face the unthinkable, the unknowable. The inevitable.

Lead #135 - Jacob's Ladder 30th anniversary by Adam Egypt Mortimer c

But for all its horror, Jacob’s Ladder is also about peace. The struggle to find it and the sacrifices demanded to achieve it.

When Jacob confides to Jezzie that he is seeing demons, she tells him, “Don’t make them into something they’re not.” This is played as a dismissal or even a lie. But she’s not wrong. In a deleted scene, Jezzie reveals herself to be a demonic entity, and the entity, in turn, reveals itself to be Jacob himself.

By cutting that vivid scene, Lyne gives Jacob a night-long internal meditation. And when the sun rises, Jacob is ready to follow his dead son up to nonbeing.

Jacob’s fight rages from the Vietnam War to a metaphysical battle. And it only stops when he accepts death.

“He looks peaceful,” says an army doctor, standing over his corpse, “but he fought like hell.” He fought to be alive. Which is exactly why the movie demands the life force of Robbins’ performance. Every moment we’ve seen has been Jacob fighting to be alive, which is why it demands a performance crackling with an unending life force.

It was not easy to restrain myself from bringing this all up, even in passing, to Miles. After all my obsession in making a movie like Daniel — about isolation and depression — is to spite the theme though an affirmation of life. But then, five days into rehearsal, Miles paused in the middle of a scene (I’ll let you guess which one) and said “This reminds me of Jacob’s Ladder.”

“Jacob’s Ladder?” I said, keeping it cool. Miles said that movie was one of the reasons he wanted to do our project. He’d recognized the homage to one of his favorites of his father’s movies.

So we laughed and we talked about it, and continued trying to build our own life force up out of the darkness.

Adam Egypt Mortimer is an LA-based writer+director, who made Daniel Isn’t Real, Some Kind of Hate, and the upcoming Archenemy which releases December 11, 2020. Chat with him on Twitter.