The Labyrinth: absurd surrealist animated film portrays a bizarre totalitarian society
Jan Lenica, “The Labyrinth / Labirynt” (1963) Superficially this looks like a Terry Gilliam / Monty Python animated cartoon and it is indeed very funny and…
Horror
Ghostwatch: very funny hoax documentary that blurs reality and fiction, and raises issues about authenticity
Lesley Manning, “Ghostwatch” (1992) Subject of a post on Adam Curtis’s BBC blog, this BBC hoax drama is quite a laugh to watch. Hard to believe…
The Skin I Live In: tricked-up film about identity change misses some deep lessons about obsession, control and revenge
Pedro Almodóvar, “The Skin I Live In / La Piel Que Habito” (2011) Georges Franju’s sci-fi horror classic “Eyes without a Face” was overdue for a remake…
Antichrist: inquiry into misogyny and battle between rationality and Nature
Lars von Trier, “Antichrist” (2009) Highly controversial for its depiction of sexual violence and mutilation, “Antichrist” was made when von Trier was suffering depression and the…
French and French-language Films
Blood of the Beasts: horror, death, poetry and beauty co-exist in slaughterhouse
Georges Franju, “Le sang des bêtes” / “Blood of the Beasts” (1949) An amazing if very graphic realist film documentary of the work done in abbatoirs…
Where Evil Dwells: superficially slight and crude slasher flick packs a heavyweight wallop
David Wojnarowicz and Tommy Turner, “Where Evil Dwells” (1985) Loosely based on an actual American court case in which 17 year old youth Ricky Kasso killed…
Rabbit’s Moon: two very different films in mood and themes in spite of superficial similarities
Kenneth Anger, “Rabbit’s Moon” (started 1950: long version 1972, short version 1979) Based on a Japanese myth about a rabbit on the moon, this film comes…
Din of Celestial Birds: exploration of evolution and development of consciousness in short film
Edmund Elias Merhige, “Din of Celestial Birds” (2006) Astonishing little film – it’s just 10 minutes long – about evolution and the development of consciousness, “Din…
Amalgam: no-budget home movie is surprisingly complex in plot and visual effects
Craig Murray, “Amalgam” (2007) Using just a handycam and his own home as set to make a black-and-white film on next-to-no budget starring himself and a few…
Begotten: film explores Christian and pagan myths of fertility in cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Edmund Elias Merhige, “Begotten” (1989) A remarkable student film that explores Christian and pre-Christian creation / fertility / life cycle myths, “Begotten” was inspired by a…