Category: 31 Days of Horror

31 Days of Horror, Halloween, Retrospect Reviews, Women in Film

Witchcraft Month: “Suspiria” (1977)

Witches are among the first villainous archetypes many of us come across in our stories. Although I was personally introduced to these magical women via much friendlier interpretations, such as “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1988), “Harry Potter”, or even Julia Donaldson’s “Room on the Broom”, others would look to “Snow White” (1937), “The Witches” (1990) or any number of others for more maniacal examples. However, few stories take the concept of witchcraft to its extreme, revelling in the sheer dread such a common villainous template can exude.

Enter Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” (1977), a techni-coloured gore-fest that not only revels in the eerie aspects of witchcraft, but also happens to be a staple in Italian cinema. Continue reading Witchcraft Month: “Suspiria” (1977)

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31 Days of Horror, Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Halloween, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews

31 Days of Horror, Day 31: Jennifer’s Body

When making that perfect meal, there are two key rules – follow the recipe, and get the very best ingredients. Everything else is just adds to the general appearance, but if you get those basics right? You won’t go far wrong. Making a film is pretty similar – get the right story, and deliver it with the best creative team, and you’ll almost certainly get an enjoyable film. “Jennifer’s Body” is the exception that proves this rule.

Let me take you back to 2009. Megan Fox was one of the hottest properties in cinema, with her face and body being plastered all over the unfathomably internationally successful first couple of entries into the Transformers franchise. Amanda Seyfried was a key part of popular movies like “Mean Girls” and “Mamma Mia!”, along with a major role in hip TV show “Veronica Mars”. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 31: Jennifer’s Body

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31 Days of Horror, Film Reviews, Halloween, Reviews

31 Days of Horror, Day 30: Body At Brighton Rock

“Body at Brighton Rock” is a horror film. However, it’s not a very well executed one. There are a lot of jump scares in all the right places: a hand on the shoulder, a loud noise, someone jumps out from the bushes. When well-executed, the jump scare can be very effective. A prime example is in “Jaws”, or in “The Shining”. However, for the case of Body at Brighton Rock, the jump scare is used as a lazy way to keep the viewer awake, rather than actually scaring them. As a result, you walk away from this film feeling deeply unsatisfied. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 30: Body At Brighton Rock

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31 Days of Horror, Female Characters, Halloween

ITOL’s Top 10 Female Focused Horror Films

What does “Suspiria”, “Carrie”, “The Witch” and “The Hunger” have in common? Well, these horror films are not only directed by a male director and are terrifying to watch, but they also pass the Bechdel Test. If you have managed to make it through our 31 Days of Horror countdown and you’re still looking to be well and truly creeped out, then ITOL recommends these horror films which see women at the centre of their plot. The films included on this list aren’t necessarily directed by a female filmmaker, but they are unique because they all pass the Bechdel Test.

The films below all meet the criteria set out by the test: (1) it [the film] has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. So, without any further ado, here are some must-see horror films this Halloween. Enjoy! Continue reading ITOL’s Top 10 Female Focused Horror Films

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31 Days of Horror, Female Characters, Halloween

A Look Back On Sally In The Nightmare Before Christmas

We love Jack Skellington for not staying in his lane, for that exuberance that makes this Pumpkin King of Halloween want to wrap himself in Christmas like a kid flopping into a snowdrift. But Sally, the clever ragdoll who first loves Jack from afar, gives “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a conscience and an extra dose of heart.

Jack and Sally have been bridging two of the biggest holidays for more than 25 years now. Tim Burton, director of “Beetlejuice”, “Batman”, and “Edward Scissorhands”, first conceived of the dapper skeleton with an existential crisis in the 1980s, writing a poem about a spooky fellow who wants more out of life than just saying, “Boo!” (A book version with Burton’s illustrations was released for the film’s twentieth anniversary.) Continue reading A Look Back On Sally In The Nightmare Before Christmas

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31 Days of Horror, Film Reviews, Halloween, Retrospect Reviews

Sex and Living- Death in Thirst

2019 was the year that Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest seized the zeitgeist with full gusto. The Fleabag character had people all over the world fanning themselves to avoid a case of the vapours, with his actual name remaining a mystery. He was merely the latest – one of the most libidinously triumphant – in a line of on-screen hot priests. Others include Father Brian Finn in “Keeping the Faith”, Father Grandier in “The Devils”, Father Andrew Kiernan in “Stigmata”, Reverend Adam Smallbone in “Rev” and, perhaps most obviously, Friar Fuck in “Sex and the City”. One of the finest men of the faith was given to us by Park Chan-wook in his 2009 vampire romantic-horror, “Thirst”. Continue reading Sex and Living- Death in Thirst

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31 Days of Horror, Directors, Female Filmmaker, Female Writer, Halloween, Women in Film

31 Days of Horror, Day 29: The Babadook

“The Babadook” is the type of horror flick I love; one where the threat — in this case, the monster — works as both an internal and external threat. The unique creature design is simultaneously whimsical and menacing. Think, the hybrid that one would get if they were to describe Nosferatu to a child and have that child illustrate the description. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 29: The Babadook

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31 Days of Horror, Female Filmmaker, Halloween, Reviews, World Cinema

31 Days of Horror, Day 28: Tigers Are Not Afraid

By Dominic Corr Since the involvement of the Mexican government in 2006, the war on Drug cartels and trafficking have torn apart the cultural landscape of South America, surprisingly without much focus from many Western nations. With upwards of 160,000 recorded deaths, with many children being hidden on the fatality list, ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid’ (2017) blends together a mixture of spiritual folklore, horror and … Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 28: Tigers Are Not Afraid

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31 Days of Horror, Female Characters, Film Reviews, Halloween

Halloween H20: Laurie Strode, the OG Scream Queen Getting Even this Halloween

It is tragic that this year’s Halloween season has seen barely any worthwhile horror shaking up the box office. Sure, Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” is being released here and there, but if what I’ve seen on #FilmTwitter is anything to go by, the film is still quite inaccessible to quite a substantial amount of people. So, if like me, you’re spending your Halloween on the couch of a friend’s house, with some pumpkin spice–allow me to suggest you revisit Steve Miner’s “Halloween: H20”.

Only two (arguably three) of the six “Halloween” films released prior to this are worthy of a recommendation. This film–set 20 years after the events of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) barely escaping the hospital with her life on that fateful Halloween night–seems to have capitalized on the cultural zeitgeist of the “Scream” films (also worthy of a Halloween slasher binge). Continue reading Halloween H20: Laurie Strode, the OG Scream Queen Getting Even this Halloween

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