Hooptober 12: #11/34
I appreciated all the Poe references, especially in the Argento segment. I felt like that Leo pointing meme every time an Easter egg popped up. The central idea of the Romero segment was so fun - I am obsessed with the idea of a liminal space between the living and the dead. This notion of being trapped in limbo and unable to move on after death is genuinely one of the most horrifying concepts, and it’s deployed in a fun albeit slightly nonsensical way here. I had a good chuckle at all the “ghosts” reflected in the patio door that looked like a bunch of PAs standing around in morph suits.
The Dario Argento segment was surprisingly focussed and much less overindulgent than the fanciful giallo flourishes I’ve come to expect from the man’s oeuvre. I really loved the cat POV shots near the beginning, a cheeky swap out for the typical killer POV shots we expect in a Argento film. The main issue I had with this one, is Keitel suffers from a bit of Jack Nicholson-itis. He’s slightly unhinged from the outset, so his descent into madness feels less shocking to the viewer, and much more inevitable- much like Nicholson as Jack Torrence in The Shining. I think the impact of the segment could have hit so much harder if an actor with a much less aggressive presence had been cast as Usher. I wanted to see the black cat literally drive him over the edge, not push him off a ledge he was already teetering on.
Overall though, a fun time was had! This was another big win for my practical effects loving heart!
Hooptober 12: #11/34
I appreciated all the Poe references, especially in the Argento segment. I felt like that Leo pointing meme every time an Easter egg popped up. The central idea of the Romero segment was so fun - I am obsessed with the idea of a liminal space between the living and the dead. This notion of being trapped in limbo and unable to move on after death is genuinely one of the most horrifying concepts, and it’s deployed in a fun albeit slightly nonsensical way here. I had a good chuckle at all the “ghosts” reflected in the patio door that looked like a bunch of PAs standing around in morph suits.
The Dario Argento segment was surprisingly focussed and much less overindulgent than the fanciful giallo flourishes I’ve come to expect from the man’s oeuvre. I really loved the cat POV shots near the beginning, a cheeky swap out for the typical killer POV shots we expect in a Argento film. The main issue I had with this one, is Keitel suffers from a bit of Jack Nicholson-itis. He’s slightly unhinged from the outset, so his descent into madness feels less shocking to the viewer, and much more inevitable- much like Nicholson as Jack Torrence in The Shining. I think the impact of the segment could have hit so much harder if an actor with a much less aggressive presence had been cast as Usher. I wanted to see the black cat literally drive him over the edge, not push him off a ledge he was already teetering on.
Overall though, a fun time was had! This was another big win for my practical effects loving heart!
