We're Back...

Well, things have been quiet here for the past few months. The main reason for this is that I've been finishing writing up my PhD thesis, on Deleuzean Hybridity in the films of Leone and Argento. I'll be submitting it on Monday and so should then be in a position to start writing and reviewing again :-)

Prior to that I was working on an article on Italian Gothic and Giallo. If the abstract sounds of interest to you send me your email and I'll send you the PDF:

Italian horror cinema is commonly divided into two periods and genres. An initial classical Gothic period spanned the years from 1956 to 1966 and was followed by a modern giallo (thriller) period from 1970 to 1982. Whilst accepting this broad distinction, this paper seeks to add nuance by considering the hybrid elements of three key films by three of the most important directors working in the giallo and horror area, namely Riccardo Freda with I Vampiri (1956), Mario Bava with The Girl Who Knew too Much (1963) and Dario Argento with Deep Red (1975). Drawing in particular upon Nöel Carroll’s idea of “fearing fictions”, I contend that Freda’s film, the first Italian horror movie since the silent era, is notable for being a distinctively modern vampire film; that Bava’s film, a foundational giallo, may be seen as having a palimpsest in Jane Austen’s Gothic parody Northanger Abbey; and that Argento’s film, while often taken as the paradigmatic giallo, has supernatural horror elements that push it in the direction of the Gothic.

Laughable article in the Daily Heil

Psychology Professor Craig Jackson on media violence - writing in the Daily Heil

His article includes this little gem:

One of the most infamous examples was the torture and murder of James Bulger in 1993. For his killers, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, were said to be enthusiasts of the macabre horror film Child’s Play 3 about the murderous doll Chucky who comes to life.

What he fails to mention, of course, is that there is no evidence that Venables and Thompson ever saw Child's Play 3; that this was just an unsubstantiated claim made by the sensationalist gutter press such as the very newspaper his article appears in.

I hope Martin Barker chimes in and tears this guy a new one...

Nice posters

http://silverferox.blogspot.co.uk/

This guy is a friend of ours...

Hi,

my name is Torbjørn Pedersen and I'm a master student studying the presentation and preservation of cinema at the University of Amsterdam. I have put together a short presentation on Italian formula cinema for a class on curating cinema, as well as a proposition of how to present these films to modern audiences. My idea is based around the concept of the terza visione and how these films' original viewing conditions have disappeared. I have put together a small program for a screening event based around the giallo and would like to eventually have similar programs for all the major filoni.

I was wondering if you could take some time to read through this proposition and leave a comment on the blog. Any film suggestion, critique or input in general is much appreciated. If you know anyone else that might be interested in the subject feel free to contact me or send the link to them.

http://2012.curatingthemovingimage.org/2012/03/20/screening-italian-popular-cinema/

Kind regards,
Torbjørn Pedersen

Japanese Argento posters

These are currently on ebay and are attracting a lot of interest; a little beyond my price range unfortunately.

Umberto

On the bus today I was reading the free newspaper Metro. There was a little piece in it about a one man group called Umberto, who were described as having a John Carpenter/Goblin vibe to them. From the track I heard just now, Temple Room, that's a pretty apt description. Good to see they also do FLAC downloads

http://umberto.bandcamp.com/

Argento Dracula - to 3D or not to 3D, that is the question

As you are probably aware, a 3D version of Dracula directed by Argento is due to come out soon The teaser footage that has been released predictably shows some "comin' at ya'" type images -- Dracula throws a sword at someone and it pins them to a door, following which there is a cut to the other side showing how far the blade has penetrated the wood, or instance.

Where I think the film will stand or fall as a 3D experience is in how well Argento manages to incorporate and integrate the more subtle kind layered images that have long been a staple of his 2D productions -- the endemic curtains and screens, the shattering glass, or the killer standing immediately behind his victim at the end of Tenebre. It would also be interesting/weird seeing some of those prominent mirror-based compositions in Deep Red and Suspiria with 3D except the flat mirror image...