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In the French Film “Being Maria,” Veteran Actor Matt Dillon Brings the Legendary Marlon Brando Alive
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Features
- Published on Friday, 04 April 2025 16:46
- Written by Brad Balfour
Of all the features in Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (held March 6 – 16, 2025), “Being Maria” was the one that really piqued my interest. Freely adapted from Vanessa Schneider’s 2018 memoir “My Cousin Maria Schneider,” this 2024 French biographical drama is based on the much-conflicted life of the late actress who died of cancer (1952–2011). It particularly dramatizes Schneider’s experience working on the late Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci’s controversial 1972 feature, “Last Tango in Paris.”
That film, an NC-17 rated erotic drama (it was initially X-rated), starred Marlon Brando, Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud. It portrays a recently widowed American who begins an anonymous sexual affair with a young Parisian woman. The film is quite explicit with nudity and a scene where Schneider is anally penetrated with butter by Brando. Though it was in the script Schneider had read, the novice actress was caught off guard by the fierceness of the scene and felt she wasn’t treated with respect. She felt violated and it forever affected her and her career. Throughout her career, she passionately fought to elevate the role of women in the world of cinema.
“Being Maria” stars Romanian French actress Anamaria Vartolomei in the title role, with Céleste Brunnquell, Giuseppe Maggio, Yvan Attal, Marie Gillain, and Jonathan Couzinié in supporting roles. Directed by Jessica Palud from a screenplay by Palud and Laurette Polmanss, veteran Irish American actor Matt Dillon was cast as Brando. The 61 year-old has received various accolades, including two Independent Spirit Awards and one from the Screen Actors Guild alongside nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy (for Best Spoken Word Album for narrating Jack Kerouac's “On the Road”).
Recently, Dillon spoke before an audience at the Quad after “Being Maria” was screened shortly after the film opened in New York.
Q: Matt, how did you get involved in this film?
Matt Dillon: I was living in Italy at the time. My Italian agent told me about the movie. Then Marielle and Jessica, the director, came to meet me. We had a long meeting. I read the script beforehand and I liked it very much. I thought it was a very good translation. I have to be honest with you. Sometimes you read scripts that are translated into English and it’s not always the best result. But this was not the case. I liked the nuances… I was a little bit concerned that it might be a little too focused… That it might have too much of an axe to grind or something like that — but that wasn’t the case.
It was just very truthful and very human. I liked it. I thought the writing was good. I liked the way in which Brando [is portrayed]. It’s a very subjective story from Maria’s point of view. We only see Brando in relation to her and in relation to the making of “Last Tango in Paris.”
I had a very good meeting with producer Marielle Duigou and Jessica. To be honest, I couldn’t resist playing Marlon. [audience chuckling] It was too much of a temptation for me. I had to do that. I didn’t even question whether I’d do it. Maybe that’s stupid because when I got on the set, and we were shooting the infamous scene, I just went, “Oh, no. Why did you agree to do this?” But then I was happy to be a part of it.
Q: How does one prepare to play Marlon Brando? That’s sort of an insane undertaking.
Matt Dillon: Well, he is one of the most interesting people of the 20th century. And he’s Brando. There’s no way to really … It’s Marlon Brando! However, the good thing about playing somebody like Brando, or somebody that really exists, is that there’s material. You have a lot to work with. Brando was a gift as an actor, especially in this film because of what they were doing. Even if they made this huge, disastrous mistake in what they did, what they were going for was deeply personal. That’s where they went too far. Brando himself was also affected. Maria was really traumatized, and he himself regretted a lot of it. I think he revealed so much of himself.
However, that was good for me as an actor –– to have that as source material. And the way he worked. Brando was very much from the inside out, which is the way I was trained. In preparation, there was a lot to work with. I liked the challenge. It did have its own challenges, of course.
Q: What kind of conversations did you and Jessica have about the characterization of Brando? Obviously, the film primarily comes from Maria's viewpoint, but it was also quite a traumatizing experience for him, as well.
Matt Dillon: I think their intention was to provoke. And even though we say, yes, they were working that way, it was a different time. It was a very controversial film at the time. And it changed many things about films back then. There were things in that film that had never been done. I think there was a warrant for the arrest of Bertolucci, Maria and Brando in Italy, at one point. Italy destroyed all the prints there. It’s still kind of ironic that it’s controversial for an entirely different reason now.
It’s been very polarizing. I think for me, if I may say, when I watched the film, I didn’t see Maria as a young woman, because I was such a kid myself. I started acting young. And of course, early on, I watched Brando’s works. Eventually it came to me when I was in high school. And, you know, the movie affected me in a deep way, because I was studying about the acting and the aesthetics and the performances. And she was great.
Brando changed the game. I watched the film many times. It had such an impact on me. The one scene I didn’t like in the film, and not for any moral reason, was the scene with the butter. It just seemed out of place to me. It’s funny, because it was out of left field, in a way. That’s how I felt about it. Oddly, I will say if I may, that I feel like it’s much more of a powerful scene in this film than it was in that film, because of what happened.
By the way, I am a big fan of “Last Tango in Paris.” I really believe that. Yet I’m very proud to have been part of this film, because I think it gives voice to Maria for what she went through. I’m empathetic to that, because I was a young actor, very young, younger than her when I started. I didn’t go through what she went through, but I understand that.
I’m empathetic to her objectification. I think she was marginalized. She was made to feel like… I don’t think they even considered her side of things. I don’t think that they were trying to do something diabolical. I think they were just inconsiderate and insensitive to what [she was feeling.] They pushed it too far. In that way, that’s where I feel empathy for her, because I think that had to be very painful. I mean, obviously it was. We know that from seeing this film.
Q: As a fan of “Last Tango,” was it kind of a surreal experience, recreating so many parts of it?
Matt Dillon: It was a big surprise for me. Not to recreate, because once you get to the set, we already know we’re going to be doing that. But when it came to me, it was not something I ever expected that I would be involved in, anything related to that film. Yet that film had a big impact on me. So it was really a lot of things coming together at once.
On one side, there was Brando, and there was a young actor influenced by all of that. Being in one of her films, it really had an impact on me. And then there’s this side of Maria, which was her trauma, and what she went through. And not that I suffered from anything like that, but the feelings that I had, and I am sensitive to that, because I started young. It’s something that I’m very aware of.
Q: How was it for you working with Anamaria [Vartolomel] who played Maria? She’s absolutely phenomenal in this as Maria — especially for you, Matt. You shoot some very intense scenes with her.
Matt Dillon: I love Anamaria, and wish she was here. She was with us in Lincoln Center a couple of days ago, but now she’s in Japan. I just love working with her. She was great, and it was a really nice experience with her.
She’s a fighter. She gets better as the movie goes. She’s so good. Though she doesn’t look like Maria Schneider, it doesn’t matter, because she’s so good. I loved working with her, but I was there only a week, and it was the toughest week.
Q: Matt, you’ve had such an incredible career. So many people look to you as an acting legend in the way that people look at Brando. Was there anything (audience laughs) that you felt came up for you that maybe you haven’t already unearthed throughout your career playing him? I’m sure you’ve learned so much throughout, but did you feel like you learned anything specifically from playing this role?
Matt Dillon: I learned some French (laughter), and then they cut it out of the movie! I had to learn some French, and I know from experience that Brando, first of all, Brando spoke really good French. Really good, in fact. I think he was fluent in several languages. He was amazing in that way.
I don’t speak any French. I had to learn things, not phonetically, because I knew what I was saying, of course. But that aside, to me, there was so much there to work with. I like that as an actor. You don’t often get to play somebody who’s a real person, so you have this source material to work with. You really disappear more in the character, which I liked being able to do. It’s interesting, because it’s the opposite of what Brando would do. Brando really was revealing a lot of himself, and that’s what’s so powerful about that performance. I don’t know if I said it right. I always like to think I learned something from everything.
It’s a hard thing, because you have to do that. We all know Marlon Brando. How many people do a Marlon Brando impersonation? (Audience laughs.) It’s just through him, because you can’t avoid him. You can’t say, ”Well, I’m not doing Marlon Brando,” and then finding that balance. The thing with Brando is that his inner life was so strong. So, yeah, I had that to work with — what he brought, that’s why he was the greatest.
At one time, I played the alter ego of [the raunchy beat poet] Charles Bukowski in a film called “Factotum.” Have you seen that? [clapping] Thank you. That was great for me. Another surprise, you know. But I was like, I can’t. I’d read him when I was younger and I was like, “I can’t do this?. I don’t look like him.” Then I agreed to do it. I thought it was good, the script and all. I spoke to Linda Bukowski and said, “Oh, this is great, because it’s like the alter ego. It’s not really Bukowski.” And she goes,” Oh no, this is very much like him. This is Charles, this is Hank. you know.”
I’m like, “Oh, okay, okay, I’ve got to go there.” It’s nice because there’s plenty of material again. You know not to do an impersonation — it is an alter ego. Another surprise, I don’t think I’ll get anything better than that, you know. The same with Brando.
With Much Celebration This St. Patrick’s Day, Peaky Blinders' Season 6 Release Date on Netflix Will Be in June
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Features
- Published on Thursday, 17 March 2022 18:54
- Written by Brad Balfour
Report by Brad Balfour
Though the British gangster series "Peaky Blinders" has been airing In the U.K. since Feb. 27 on the BBC, Season 6 is finally heading to Netflix. Starring Irish actor Cillian Murphy, the hit show will launch on June 10th, 2022. This season is set to be the final one, although a film adaptation is in the works which is set to go into production in 2023.
Sadly, this season will air without one crucial character, Aunt Polly, since Helen McRory, the actor who played her, tragically died of cancer last April. Lead actor Murphy, who also co-produced seasons 5 and 6, has said to Variety, the entertainment publication. “This is the culmination of the series that hopefully improves upon the last season and makes the most recent one the richest and deepest one that we possibly can — partially because of all of the pandemic shit happening in the world and, of course, the really sad loss of [Helen]. We are determined to make this a special series and we have been extra committed to working hard. I think the fans will be pleased!”
Murphy continued. “The whole series is really in tribute to her and to honor her. Her presence and her character’s presence are very much still felt in the series, and is very much part of Tommy Shelby’s journey in the season. It’ll be different without her. It simply won’t be the same. I’ve spoken about how phenomenal she was as an actress and person; it’s an enormous loss to the whole acting community — not just for our show. My thoughts are always with [husband] Damian [Lewis] and her kids. I just hope that the show will live up to her memory and our memory of her.”
The multi-award-winning gangster epic was created and written by Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things,” “Eastern Promises” and “Locke”). Sold to more than 180 countries, the series has been widely available internationally on Netflix. Owned and produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions the series is co-produced with Banijay's Tiger Aspect Productions which distributes and represents a range of global ancillary rights for the Peaky Blinders brand.
Founded by Emmy-winning US producer Mandabach, her prolific career includes the creation of iconic titles such as "Roseanne", “Third Rock from the Sun,” “That 70s Show” and “Nurse Jackie.” This independent television production company not only produces and owns the BAFTA winning drama, it also controls the development and licensing of the brand. The company also continues to develop and produce ground-breaking, culturally relevant content that is consistently part of pop culture vernacular.
The show is also known for its dark and dramatic soundtrack which acts as a window into the mind of Murphy’s character Tommy Shelby — a tortured ex-soldier who suffers from PTSD after fighting in the trenches during World War One.
Centered around the Birmingham-born, Irish-descended gangster, the series details his family and their very dubious business practices. Through a complex set of plot developments and complications, the Shelby clan -- ruthlessly led by Tommy -- achieves success well beyond its tawdry working class background -- with many family members and friends dying along the way.
To tie in with the sixth and final season airing now on BBC One, Universal Music Group (UMe) is releasing a blood-red vinyl edition of the official soundtrack to "Peaky Blinders". The three LP set features music and key clips of dialogue from all the show's seasons.
The show has been particularly celebrated for its stylish cinematography and charismatic performances. But it’s all enhanced by the use of contemporary music, with the latest season’s score by the multi–Mercury Award nominated singer/ songwriter Anna Calvi. The soundtrack album also features extracts from original scores created specifically for the show.
Show creator Knight was instrumental in pushing the importance of the music used in the show. As he explained, “The Peaky Blinders story and the music we use are twins, born at the same time. It would be difficult to imagine most of the pivotal moments without the soundtrack. I’m so glad that at last we have been able to put some of the tracks together on one album, to put the atmosphere and swagger and snarl of the show into your headphones and speakers.”
But it’s not just the low tones of Nick Cave’s vocals in the opening theme tune which have become synonymous with the BBC’s hit drama. Alongside the atmospheric opener, all the songs featured in the show have been painstakingly chosen to reflect the feel of the program (its violence, grit, and glamor), and the internal life of its characters. The soundtrack features the haunting rendition of the show's iconic theme song,“Red Right Hand,” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ plus a version recorded specifically for the show by PJ Harvey which is only available on this soundtrack.
Also exclusively on the album are Jehnny Beth’s “I’m The Man” and Calvi’s Season 5 score, “You’re Not God,” along with Richard Hawley’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of A Thin Man.” The album is completed by songs from Cave himself, Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, Royal Blood, The Last Shadow Puppets, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Laura Marling, and Foals among others.
At the same time, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, has been designated as the Official Whiskey of the "Peaky Blinders" TV Show, making it the preferred sipper of the notorious Shelby Family. The partnership with Endemol Shine North America (a Banijay company), and the official brand owner and series producer Caryn Mandabach Productions, launches just in time for St. Patrick's Day with an exciting offer for fans to imbibe like the Shelbys and will extend through 2022.
The Shelby Family and Bushmills Irish Whiskey share stories of passion and perseverance in the face of adversity. Bushmills has never wavered from its commitment to crafting great whiskey with a recipe passed down through generations of skilled and devoted whiskey-makers. Made on the wild edges of the north coast of Ireland, Bushmills has stood the test of time for over 400 years, having overcome conflict, fire and famine.
Said Lander Otegui, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Proximo Spirits, "The motivations of the Shelby's are those of family, loyalty and perseverance, which are the same qualities that have put Bushmills at the forefront of whiskey making for hundreds of years. Over the course of our partnership, we are excited to connect with a new, dynamic generation of whiskey drinkers through collaborative content and experiences that speak to the history and heart of our brand."
Throughout the year, Bushmills and Endemol Shine North America (a Banijay company), in collaboration with Caryn Mandabach Productions, will connect with U.S. consumers through an exciting, full-scale promotion featuring co-branded content, a national advertising campaign and live experiential moments.
Bushmills Irish Whiskey is crafted with care and passion at The Old Bushmills Distillery — with more than 400 years of whiskey-making heritage behind every bottle. Passed down through generations, the brand's award-winning triple distilled single malt whiskeys are renowned for their signature smooth taste and famous house style which includes: Bushmills® Original, Bushmills® Red Bush, Bushmills® Black Bush, Bushmills® 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills® 12 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills® 16 Year Old Single Malt, and Bushmills® 21 Year Old Single Malt.
Learn more atwww.bushmills.com
For those looking to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, toast the day with the Official Whiskey of the "Peaky Blinders" TV Show, and its Shelby Sour cocktail. To kick off the partnership -- running through March 17th -- fans of the whiskey brand and of the show can order a Shelby Sour from a local bar, and Bushmills will cover the cost.
The cocktail recipe, inspired by Shelby, features sweet and fruity flavors, balanced by the smooth, warm finish of Bushmills Original Whiskey.
Said Scott Shillet, Vice President of Licensing at Endemol Shine North America, “What better way to welcome Bushmills as the Official Whiskey of the series than with a free whiskey cocktail for our loyal fans. We're excited to give our extended Shelby family a first taste of the partnership this St. Patrick's Day as they eagerly await the sixth and final season of the hit show."
Go towww.Bushmills.com/Shelbyfor official terms and conditions of the program, the Shelby Sour recipe and an exclusive sneak peek into Bushmills' next release.
Follow @BushmillsUSA on Instagram for more "Peaky Blinders"-inspired St. Patrick's Day activations and experiences.
An Unresolved Murder In West Cork Still Keeps Audiences Intrigued 25 Years Later
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Features
- Published on Tuesday, 13 July 2021 13:37
- Written by Brad Balfour
When Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found murdered on December 23rd, 1996, near her holiday home in Drinane, near Schull, County Cork, Ireland, it shocked not only the county but the country.
It had been the first murder in the area in maybe a century or more. This was a very remote area — few immediately knew where her house was. Artists, poets and various artistic types ostensibly came to the region to mix with locals but were viewed with suspicion at best.
Nonetheless, her killing — unusual as it was — intrigued not only folks in the area but the country as a whole. It put a spotlight on the Irish police (the Garda), and their investigative skills — the investigation quickly shifted from the local police to those from Dublin — or the lack thereof. It also forced an examination of Ireland’s criminal court process and ultimately extended itself to the French and France’s legal system as well.
When her body was found by a neighbor. Toscan du Plantier’s head had been staved in by a concrete block (or a huge rock) and her body was left askew not far from her driveway. She was dressed in a nightgown and boots; her body was splayed against a fence. It was left there without forensic protection out in the rain until the coroner arrived 28 hours later. The investigation then pinioned from one questionable interrogation to another.
The 39-year-old had bought the house in this remote region of West Cork after she had visited frequently with friends and family but in December 1996 she traveled there alone for the first time.
Born on July 28th, 1957, Sophie Bouniol had been raised in Paris’s first arrondissement (district) in the apartment where her parents Marguerite and Georges Bouniol still live. She married in 1980 and had a son, Pierre-Louis Bauday-Vignaud, the following year.
Sophie was a producer for French television of documentaries on subjects concerning art and various subcultures. Among her documentary projects was a film about the concept of “the fold” in art and philosophy, titled Il Voit Des Plis Partout (He Sees Folds Everywhere). Directed by Guy Girard, the film was released a year after her murder and was billed as presented by “Sophie Toscan Du Plantier.”
In 1991, she got remarried, this time to the renowned French film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier and they lived in Paris’s second arrondissement. In 1992, she bought a getaway home in Toormore, County Cork. Sophie visited frequently with friends and family but in December, 1996, she traveled there alone for the first time.
At the time of her murder, she had been separated from her second husband, who, as a prominet producer, brought more attention to the sensational circumstances of her death. A peculiar mix of murder mystery and social commentary pervaded stories of her demise and the subsequent media coverage at the time of the initial investigation. Although this murder happened more than a quarter century ago, it still stirs interest in its central mystery — who killed Sophie Toscan du Plantier?
The investigation out of the Garda’s Dublin headquarters was led by chief inspector Dermot Dwyer who interviewed many of the key participants and eventually became convinced that English journalist Ian Bailey— who had moved to the region several years before the murder and was originally from Manchester — was the prime suspect. Bailey, as a local “blow-in,” at first provided articles from a bird’s eye view of the investigation. Then the focus shifted from him being an investigator to suspect because of several surprising discoveries. He apparently had been seen in the area of the murder at 3 AM on the day of the event. He had scratches on his hands and face and had been under police scrutiny for his violent relationship with his live-in lover.
Bailey eventually was accused of the murder and was tried inabsentiain France where he was convicted. Yet he’s still out free in Ireland because the Irish court didn’t extradite him to France.
This murderous affair is being talked about again because Netflix released at the end of June, Sophie: A Murder in West Cork— a three-part documentary mini-series about this still open-ended crime story. Directed by John Dower and produced by Suzanne Lavery, this telling of the tale both tries to make sense of its convolutions and sorts out the characters involved — the suspect, the witnesses to his behavior, the Garda and Sophie’s survivors — including her only child.
Besides revealing the flaws of the investigation and the quirky nature of the folks living out there in West Cork, the series shows the impact Sophie’s death had on the people who were there in one way or another. It’s a well-made doc and provoked this audience member to ask lots of questions, some of which I wished it had answered.
I wanted to know what happened to the house and Bailey’s relationship with his lover at the time. I would have posed further questions to the son about the effect of his mother’s death. And there’s more.
But, I guess, I will have to turn to West Cork, a non-fiction podcast series reported and hosted by Sam Bungey and Jennifer Forde. The 13-episode series premiered as an Audible original in February 2018, as a binge, and was made freely available widely as a podcast in 2021. A new episode of the series was released this May, 2021, detailing the trial of the main suspect. It is Audible’s most listened-to podcast series of all time, and spent seven consecutive weeks as the site’s number 1 nonfiction best seller. The series became notable again in April 2021 when it was released free to air on the general podcast platforms and went in at number 1 In the Apple podcast charts in several countries.
So thanks to the media, Sophie’s death will not be forgotten. Whether justice will ever be served remains to be seen.
Celebrate Halloween With A Night For Horror Masked By Cinema
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Features
- Published on Saturday, 31 October 2020 01:02
- Written by Brad Balfour
Photo by Glenn Hughes
When I recently found a new edition of Irish author Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” it led me back into one of the greatest stories ever told. It’s a classic tome about a legendary character who’s the quintessential embodiment of horror. In fact, Ireland has been a source for characters that have populated many a horror story thanks to Celtic mythology. Whether it be the Samahain Festival when spirits walk the earth or the legend of the selkie — a mermaid-like seducer (as featured in Neil Jordan’s “Ondine”) Ireland has provided its share of horror archetypes.
I love horror, fantasy and sci-fi, so Halloween stirs up a conundrum for me — should I stage my own little horror movie marathon or not? Sometimes I feel compelled to exploit the moment — not being much for trick or treating or costume parties — and look back at the horror films I love or try out new ones for my imagined personal film festival.
Spurred on by an NPR interview with sci-fi author Jeff VanderMeer, I sought out the DVD of the cinematic retelling of his “Annihilation.” As director Alex Garland’s perfect example of the cross between sci-fi and horror, the film creates both a sense of dread and wonder. Audiences are fascinated in the way that an alien appears on earth after a spaceship had crashed into an isolated lighthouse. This small patch of earth is transformed into an otherworldly environment, where sinister doings pervade it all. Natalie Portman and the rest of the cast play the role that most humans do in a horror film — that of passive participants who are buffeted by forces beyond their control.
The intersection of horror and sci-fi also was brilliantly expressed in the first “Alien” film. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver as crew-member Ripley, whose earthbound cargo ship becomes infested with monsters that make their way onto her starship and start killing everyone. She’s no passive player once she realizes she has to defeat the monsters or die.
Actor/director John Krasinski’s recent film, “A Quiet Place” blends the two genres in a unique way. Extraterrestrials appear who shred people because they’re drawn to the noise they make — any noise. Just imagine the constraints such a situation provokes. The film reveals the terrifying lengths a family has to go through in order to stay quiet and stay alive.
Sci-fi and horror pervaded 1987’s “Predator” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a commando team leader on a mission to take out rebels in a South American jungle. Suddenly the hunters become the hunted as an alien tracks and tries to kill them all for trophies (which is their skulls and backbones).
If a monster movie is created with a clever touch and designed with a bit of snark then it merits inclusion here. Witness the low-budget rethink of the werewolf myth in “The Howling,” Joe Dante’s ‘80s classic. He re-imagines werewolves as a cult community with the expected frightening results. Maybe the werewolf doesn’t get the props that vampires get but several other films do their best at myth-making this man-into-beast character. These include 1935’s “The Werewolf of London” and 1961’s “Curse of The Werewolf” — which starred Oliver Reed and was produced by Hammer Films — and John Landis’ tragicomic “An American Werewolf in London” which came out in 1985.
That brings me to Hammer — a British film studio which made some of the best genre films during the ‘50s and ‘60s including “The Horror of Dracula” which starred Christopher Lee who performed the most terrifying rendition of The Count ever seen on screen.
Before that studio, there was Universal which established the classics from which everything else emanates. Among their many signature franchises established through the ’30s, it made James Whale’s “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein,” the original “Dracula” (with Bela Lugosi) and “The Mummy” (with Boris Karloff).
Roger Corman’s AIP studio churned out a vast array of horror films with many of them starring the regal Vincent Price. He played many a scary character in a slew of re-interpretations of master horror scribe Edgar Allan Poe’s many stories including “The Pit And The Pendulum” and “The Raven.”
When director George Romero set into motion the zombie craze with his groundbreaking B&W low budget hit, “Night of The Living Dead” in 1968, younger horror masters such as Danny Boyle fashioned new benchmarks out of that earlier trope-definer. Witness “28 Days Later,” his reboot of the zombie film establishing new elements to the mythology and this horror sub-genre has spawned countless films and TV variants.
Mexican-born Guillermo del Toro, another new-gen horror-meister, used “The Creature from The Black Lagoon” (a Universal monster classic from the ’50s) as inspiration for his Oscar-winning woman/monster love story, “The Shape of Water.” Del Toro has been doing his best to re-envision fantastic films; his “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a great example of that.
But enough of that. At the core of some of the best horror is the unexplainable, the supernatural, and other stuff that happens without any logic to it. “The Exorcist” is the best example of a supernatural film in cinematic history. No other movie has ever scared me as much, and, though I have watched other classics more than once, I can’t even imagine viewing this film in its entirety again. After I saw it when it first came out, I was so disturbed that I was ready to become a Catholic before it ended.
Besides “The Exorcist,” and, maybe, “The Omen,” no other film dealt with the Devil so powerfully as did Roman Polanski’s artful “Rosemary’s Baby” in which the hubby (played by John Cassavetes) gives his wife (Mia Farrow) to the Devil who impregnates her with his child.
I would also choose touchstones from such directors as Jonathan Demme (“Silence of The Lambs”) Nicholas Roeg (“Don’t Look Now”), Ken Russell (“The Devils”). And of course, there’s the masterful Stanley Kubrick who lent “The Shining” —Stephen King’s tale of demonic possession — his own unique, profound stamp.
King, the prolific master of horror fiction, prompted the making of a formidable array of horror classics from “Carrie” on to the most recent remakes of “It” with its demonic clown Pennywise as the ultimate antagonist. The list of his achievements is formidable and so are the many films he’s responsible for. Other literary stars such as Clive Barker transformed their own books into shock-inducing series; witness his “Hellraiser” films with his torturer from Hell, Pinhead, as an iconic figure.
While King first established his mark as a copious maker of literature (though he also acted in many of the films that sprang from his twisted brain), nobody churned out as many incredible productions as British director Alfred Hitchcock. The portly auteur made two distinctly frightening films — “The Birds” and “Psycho.” Both stylistically came at the genre in two distinctly different ways. The former was shrouded in mystery; the latter addressed madness. And incidentally, Hitchcock made also appearances in the films he created.
The horror genre is notable for the many franchises it has generated. Two classic blood-n-guts slasher flicks — “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Halloween” — set in motion murderous antagonists who have spawned many successful sequels. Given “Halloween’s” success, credit must go to its director/creator John Carpenter who also made the ghostly “The Fog” and a terrifying version of “The Thing,” the ultimate sci-fi/horror remake. In it, Kurt Russell plays a scientist who battles a shape-shifting alien in order to prevent it from escaping out of the Antarctic.
Another film which enjoyed being remade to good effect was Don Siegel’s 1956 classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It also dealt with outer space invaders trying to replace humans with otherworldly replicas. Underlying this film and its subsequent re-thinks (especially Phillip Kaufman’s 1978 version) were larger social issues as viewed through the lens of a sci-fi narrative.
Yet nobody has pushed the limits of horror-as-social-commentary as has director David Cronenberg. His early work — “Shivers,” “Rabid” and “The Brood” — were all masterpieces of body-contorting horror. But of all his brilliant films, “Crash” illuminated a perverse and obsessive psychopathology which was not only tortured but also erotic.
While Cronenberg established an aesthetic outer limits, it has been Jason Blum, whose company Blumhouse re-thinks horror tropes through its many movies. It recently produced Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking and highly praised “Get Out,” which tackled racial issues under the guise of being a horror flick. Its story line revolves around a white cult making sinister use of African Americans’ bodies to extend their own lives. His production house has made dozens of films based on contemporary themes by applying unique conceptual approaches to sometimes worn-out ideas (the supernatural “Ouija”) or by freshly blending genres (as with the mad-killer dystopia of “The Purge” or through the mysterious “Us”).
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what could be a many month-long fest of cinematic contortions. And given the tortures of this year — the plagues, political passions, lies and misdemeanors — there’s enough horror all around.
Maybe it will all end with the results of the vote after November 3rd.
