Hey guys! Horrorella here...
The Seattle International Film Festival kicked off last night and movie nerdom has commenced. I'll be checking out a number of films over the next few weeks, and I am excited for every single one.
Let's kick things off with a couple of films that reach outside the box with fascinating results. First up is ANOTHER EVIL.
ANOTHER EVIL
ANOTHER EVIL is an understated horror comedy that reaches for the subtle, humor associated with interaction, as opposed to gallons of blood. And is hilariously funny. It follows Dan (Steve Zissis), a successful artist and family man who suddenly finds himself dealing with a rather unorthodox infestation. When he and his family spend a weekend at their vacation home, they begin to suspect the house might be haunted. Dan notices some strange activity in his studio when his paint brushes seem to move around on their own, and his son sees a strange figure roaming the halls in the middle of the night.
Obviously unsettled and not comfortable with letting the spirits have their run of the place, Dan invites a paranormal investigator out for a few days to see if he can put an end to the haunting. Os (Mark Proksch) is really not what you would expect a ghost hunter to be. He’s less Van Helsing and more like Tucker and Specs from the INSIDIOUS movies, but if Tucker and Specs were way less charming and funny, and were instead broken down sad sacks who had to drink copious amounts of alcohol in order to feel the ghost vibes. His methodology is questionable at best, and most often ridiculous. Weird traps, cheesy sensory gizmos and tons of wine comprise his arsenal of tools, and it doesn’t take Dan long to wonder just what the hell he stepped into.
Os reports that there are two entities in the house, and the two spend the next several days trying to flush them out. The time between ghost chasing events is filled with awkward moments, strange confessions and a barrage of TMI from Os. The film is hilarious in its awkwardness and Os’ ineptitude is matched only by his needy presence. Despite this, the two begin to form an odd friendship as the week progresses. Amidst the awkwardness and the strange behavior, there are also moments of honesty and comradery that bring them closer together.
As the week draws to a close, Os becomes more and more intense and clingy. Despite their odd friendship, Dan is ready to part ways – particularly after a strange incident involving an enraged Os standing naked in the living room in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, Os seems less willing to leave than the spirits being driven from the home and Dan is having a hard time getting him to bring the investigation to an end.
ANOTHER EVIL is great in the way it uses its awkward, mumblecore humor to disarm and set the tone for a more menacing film than might initially be apparent. It would actually make a great double bill with CREEP. This one plays it a bit lighter through the finale, but both films invoke the same style of discomfort before bringing out the big guns in the final act.
So much of the story relies on the performances from Zissis and Proksch. Their chemistry and rapport really makes the relationship between Dan and Os come to life in a very realistic, yet absurdly funny way. It seems like so much of this script is dependent on improvisational moments, and both actors carry that off brilliantly. It really sets the tone nicely for the stilted comedy while also laying the groundwork for the dark turn the film will eventually take.
ANOTHER EVIL isn’t the type of film that springs to mind when you think horror comedy, but it is absolutely a welcome addition to the subgenre. It ignores the crazy gore in favor of a more understated approach that gives us some very realistic, human moments of laughter and really brings out a sense of dread once it gets rolling.
THE LURE
THE LURE is a Polish, modern day retelling of The Little Mermaid, set to music, told as a disco rock opera, including tons of sparklies and a fair amount of blood. Yes, all those things are possible, and yes, it does actually work, for the most part.
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska, the film opens when mermaid sisters Silver (Marta Mazurek) and Golden (Michalina Olszanska) run into a band partying on a beach. The band decides they could use the girls in their act, the girls decide they want to ditch the ocean for awhile and play on dry land with the humans, so they agree to join. The band plays this crazy glam rock/disco night club that makes its money on high energy, sexually charged performances. The girls fit in wonderfully. While on land, they pass for (nearly) perfect humans, but when you splash a little water on them, they revert back to their natural form. It's a perfect (and perfectly erotic) addition to the show, and they have the crowds at their mercy every evening.
As time goes on, Silver begins to fall for the band’s bass player. As their attraction grows, so does her desire to remain with him and in human form. In a scene that is sort of like if Tim Burton had a baby with David Cronenberg, she even undergoes a surgery to remove her tail and give herself human legs (and other bits) permanently. It seems nothing can come between the two lovers. But every fairy tale has a catch – unless Silver can secure her bass player’s hand in marriage, she will turn to sea foam and disappear forever.
The film is a good marriage between fairytale and horror story, and exists very comfortably in the space where the two meet. Yes, we have these beautiful, wondrous mermaids who do everything mermaids are supposed to do - entrance, enrapture and hold humans under their spell - but they are also quite horrifying. Their tails are more sea monster than fish-like and they grow rows of horrifying teeth when they become aggressive. As beautiful as the sisters are, they are also very dangerous beings. As Silver begins to fall in love, Golden begins to assert her independence and femininity by preying on predatory men in the seedier corners of the city. In a series of violent scenes we are reminded that this is not the charming fairy tale that we are used to, and there is an underlying darkness to this story.
The tone carefully balances whimsy, dark humor, love and horror. It's romantic, it's silly, it's sexualized, it's horrifying and even goofy - Smoczynska manages to play it straight, yet with a very lighthearted vibe. It really is a modern day fairy tale, one that keeps the core elements that make these childhood stories memorable, while eschewing the more dated and overly romanticized aspects to add a layer of the grotesque.
And as the cherry on top, it's a musical. So it’s a little bit like the Disney did a ton of blow in the 80s and told the story this way instead of the Ariel version, which, really, is pretty damn sweet. The film doesn’t come together perfectly, and much of the musical dialogue doesn’t seamlessly translate to English, but it’s an entertaining ride nonetheless. THE LURE is a fantasy story that isn’t afraid to look to its dark side when the need strikes, and is visual and stylistic fun the whole way.
