À l'intérieur (aka Inside)

There are rules in horror movies...understood agreements between viewer and filmmaker as to what can be done and what can't...promises of sorts. The filmmakers are always playing at the border of the forbidden, hinting and gesturing that they will cross that line, and the viewer sits back dreading and ashamedly hoping that perhaps this time the rule will be broken. From time to time, it gets pretty damn close. We are relieved when it remains intact. We settle back into the safe zone, the zone of having not seen what we feared to see. We have once again been successfully horrified, but not scarred. We have been threatened by the unimaginable, but the threat slunk away when the credits rolled, without making good on its word.

But then, once in a great while, a filmmaker comes along and does the unthinkable. He dances us straight into the dark, and what was once beyond the pale is suddenly all around us. The French film À l'intérieur is one of those films.

From the very beginning, we are in uncomfortable territory: our main character is pregnant and her husband has been killed in a car accident. The night before she is to be induced to give birth, her last night at home alone, a woman shows up who desires only one thing: the baby. Set on Christmas Eve in the time of the riots, the hope for help seems doubtful at best. Neighbors are out at holiday dinners; the police are preoccupied with street violence and vandalism. But, help does come. It comes again and again. Each time we are filled with hope, and each time the violence is shocking, and, in one awful instance, heartbreaking. With each newcomer the violence escalates, further bloodying the walls and damaging the mind of our already damaged main character. This is the type of movie where you find yourself talking to the screen, informing, begging, pleading. The brutality is horrifyingly exquisite. And as you think to yourself that it can't get any worse, it does. It does it with a grace that, at times, borders art. (Correction: it IS art.)

And that promise that is ultimately broken? Well, that one you'll have to see for yourself.

This movie is not for everyone. It's not even for all horror fans. No doubt some who see it will deem it vile trash, corruptive, and criminal. I thought it was well-written, well-acted, graceful, monstrous, and terrifying.






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That Screaming in the Background Is Just My Lullaby

Horror movies are a major part of my life (obviously, seeing as this blog exists). Probably 80% of everything I watch is a part of the horror genre. They are an element in my life that, no matter what is happening, I can count on and I often take comfort in them. The following is a list of what I call my "comfort movies." Whenever I've had a bad day, feel sad, have a major stressful or painful event, I find myself turning to these movies for comfort again and again. They are like a great big security blanket that wraps me away from the world.

But bad things don't necessarily have to happen for me to watch them, sometimes it's just that I want to feel something familiar -homey. These films, for whatever reason, feel like home to me. I never tire of watching them. They are never far from the DVD player, and I even own some on VHS.

Now, all that said, it doesn't mean that all these films are winners...not all of them are examples of fine cinema, though several of them are.

Here they are in no particular order.



THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE, 1973

The whole atmosphere of this film is fantastic. The cinematography is gorgeous and conveys the mood and feel of the film perfectly. I find myself constantly pausing it so I can take in the unique frame of a shot. The opening theme music is some of my favorite in the horror genre.





BLOOD MOON (AKA WOLF GIRL), 2001

This is actually one of my main comfort movies. I played it over and over again one weekend when I had a terrible headache and didn't get out of bed. Even as I lay with my eyes closed, I followed along with the dialogue, listened to th music, and saw the scenes play out in my mind.

Unfortunately, the trailer for this unknown gem is misleading. While it is technically in the horror genre, it is more of a drama set in a standard horror frame -a traveling freak show. It has several musical numbers (strange, I know) with Tim Curry and Grace Jones as performers in the show. I'd kill, or pay a very large sum, to have this soundtrack, but to my knowledge (and ALOT of internet searching) there isn't one.

The movie is beautiful, very original (how often do you see that these days?), well acted, and very genuine. It has a big heart without ever being sentimental or cheesy.





SUSPIRIA, 1977

The original trailers for this were, well, awful. This is a fan made trailer that is much more representative of the feel and mood of the film. Also, it showcases GOBLIN's absolutely flawless score which belongs to horror's movie score canon.





THE BEYOND, 1981

Fulci at his best, in my opinion. The ending shot is to die for.





THE SHINING, 1980

This is my all time favorite movie... ever. It's PERFECT. I've included the trailer (goddamn! I love love love this trailer), and the breathtaking opening sequence which is vast, beautiful, and bone chilling at the same time. Talk about feeling small and isolated.

Trailer




Opening Credits





Halloween III: Season of the Witch, 1982

What can I say? I love everything about this movie. It gets quoted at my house alot. LOVE the opening sequence. Cochran is one of my favorite villains of all time. And yes, I own the "special edition" score.





Fright Night, 1985

I think I have every line in this movie memorized. Also another bootlegged score in my collection.





DEEP RED, 1975

Another fabulous score by GOBLIN. I couldn't decide which trailer to feature since they are both fabulous in their own way. So, here are both.

The original Italian trailer



The American trailer





DAY OF THE DEAD, 1985

My favorite Romero. Is that wrong?





THE HAUNTING, 1963

I think this is the greatest haunted house movie ever made. No special effects here... just scary as hell.





GRAVEYARD SHIFT, 1990

Stephen Macht as the psycho boss Warwick steals the entire movie.





MACABRE, 1980

Okay, so this one is, well, a little embarrassing. All horror fans have some movie like this...the dirty little indulgent secret kept in the back of the closet...that one movie we absolutely adore but would never tell other horror fans for fear of being shunned. It's cheesy, uneventful, and just plain stupid...and I love it. The build up is unbloody and the climax is ridiculous. And I just watched it again as I wrote out this blog entry. (I also watched Suspiria while making this list.) Note: There is nudity in this trailer.