Terence Was A First Class Stamp

Terence Stamp has passed away at the age of eighty seven and we must doff our caps to this versatile English actor. He could do theatre, he could do film. He was masterful in ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’, ‘Poor Cow’ and Passolini’s ‘Theorem’. He brought gravitas to Zod in ‘Superman’ and had a lateContinue reading “Terence Was A First Class Stamp”

Scream If You Love Nosferatu

Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu. Everyone- audiences and critics alike – seemed to adore Robert Eggers’ recent version of Nosferatu, but I must confess it left me bored. It looks beautiful, with a painterly touch homaging the German Expressionism of the 1922 F W Murnau classic. But it feels reductive, style over substance with little newContinue reading “Scream If You Love Nosferatu”

In Heaven, Everything Is Fine…

I’m not the biggest fan of the late David Lynch, because of his more problematic elements (depictions of gendered violence, exploitation etc) but he was unquestionably a smart, bold auteur who took risks in every project he took on. His admirers are aware of the complexities within his work. I adore the peerless 1977 classicContinue reading “In Heaven, Everything Is Fine…”

Film Review: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched

Subtitled, A History of Folk Horror , Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched, written and directed by Keir- La Janisse, is a pretty comprehensive documentary guide to films set in rural landscapes where terror lurks. Essentially, folk horror is defined as “the juxtaposition of the prosaic and the uncanny” . At over three hour long, itContinue reading “Film Review: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched”

Overlooked Classics: Prevenge (2017)

Alice Lowe is an often overlooked comic genius, and Prevenge isn’t always held up in high regard in the horror genre. Possibly it’s because it doesn’t have the usual tropes audiences expect. Written, directed by and starring Lowe, it’s kind of bonkers, with her character Ruth believing her unborn baby is telling her to goContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Prevenge (2017)”

The Wicker Man at Fifty

Awww, poor Sergeant Howie. If you’d just shagged Willow, you wouldn’t be meeting such a horrible demise… I recently rewatched The Wicker Man, as it’s now the same age as me. What struck me upon watching it again is that it’s kinda a musical – albeit one with sex, Paganism and (spoiler) ritual murder. TheContinue reading “The Wicker Man at Fifty”

The Company of Wolves (1984)

Angela Carter… So much to answer for. I first read The Bloody Chamber in 1987 as a young teen, exactly the right time to discover her voluptuous, gory, evocative prose. Her descriptions of sex, death, circuses, films, literature and the theatre were vivid and lucid, patently original. Without het, I question if Guillermo del Toro,Continue reading “The Company of Wolves (1984)”

Lost In Music: Gazelle Twin &NYX- Deep England

Halloween weekend is here, the thin veil between the dead and the living. Come stroke the red velvet interior of your worst nightmares. A hundred snakes constrict, a hundred shark mouths consume. There’s an infinite karaoke held by Nigel Farage. Directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, the wonderful creative duo behind the stunning Nick CaveContinue reading “Lost In Music: Gazelle Twin &NYX- Deep England”