The Beast's Movie Cave- Eraserhead

I have a fridge magnet that I picked up in Las Vegas years ago(at least I think it was Vegas...anyway...) that depicts the poster for the David Lynch film Eraserhead, with the blurb from Newsweek stating "The most original horror movie in years". It got me thinking about the film, and how I hadn't seen it in years. I got home early from work yesterday and checked what was on the free movies on demand channel, and on Sundance was none other than Eraserhead! Life is strange sometimes...and in the world of Eraserhead, it's very strange, indeed. I suppose I do agree with Newsweek's assessment of the film as horror, although it's not what one would typically think of as horror...there's no big scares, no killer on the loose, nothing of that sort. There are what could be considered supernatural forces at work, however. What the film does have is a pervasive feeling of dread and fear, an atmosphere of surreal creepiness that sets in from the very beginning and doesn't let up at all. If you've read my reviews of films like The Beyond or Phantasm, you know that I enjoy films with a dream-like feeling to them. Eraserhead is probably the most dream-like, or rather nightmare-like film that I can recall seeing. It's overall feeling is like that of a dream that's creepy , and you want to wake up, but nothing quite bad enough to make you jump up awake screaming happens, so you keep on going through this weird, unsettling dream, and things happen that you don't understand, and you're getting more and more freaked out...this is Eraserhead.

Eraserhead is about Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), a fellow with a strange hairdo, who goes about in an equally strange world. He goes to have dinner with his girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart), who he hasn't seen in a while. He meets Mary's family and finds out that Mary has had a baby, and claims that Henry is the father. Mary and the baby move in with Henry in his small apartment. The baby is sick, and cries almost constantly, which takes its toll on Mary, who leaves.

Now, reading the above paragraph, you may think that this all sounds fairly normal...oh boy, are you wrong. While the plot, when boiled down to its basic core, may seem ordinary, it's how it's presented that makes it a living nightmare. Meeting your significant others' parents and finding out you're a father can be distressing enough, but in Lynch's hands the situation becomes horrifying. Matter of fact, nothing in Lynch's world of Eraserhead is normal or reassuring. Henry, from the first time we see him, always seems apprehensive at best, or downright scared at other times. Nobody that Henry encounters acts what one would call normally...and then there are characters such as The Man in the Planet and the Lady in the Radiator...who, or what are they, exactly? And the 'baby'...definately not what any parent wants to see in the nursery at the hospital, trust me.

Though this was Lynch's first feature-length film, he set the bar high for extreme cinematic weirdness and surreal horror. If you've ever seen any of his other films, such as Lost Highway (1997), or Mullholland Drive (2001),or his TV series Twin Peaks(1990-1991), you know that he's a master of the bizarre. None of these hold a candle to Eraserhead, in my own humble opinion. Everything about the world Henry Spencer inhabits is strange and a bit terrifying. As I stated above, Henry is always nervous and apprehensive, as if he dreads whatever this weird world has to throw at him next. The film is in black-and-white, which adds to the atmosphere, making it like a demented film noir, but instead of crooks and dangerous dames, we have mutant babies and bleeding chickens. Strange touches in the background are also present, like the framed picture of an atomic bomb mushroom cloud, and the tree growing out of a pile of dirt on the nightstand in Henry's apartment. Sound also plays an important part in the film. There's usually something going on in the background, sonically speaking...either distant jazz music, as if from an apartment window far away, or more ominously, wind blowing or loud industrial sounds . These background sounds keep the viewer unsettled, wondering what's going to happen next...much like Henry, I suppose.

I could go into greater detail about the strangeness that abounds in Eraserhead, but I want you, if you've never seen it, to discover all of the nightmarish goodies for yourself. There are lots of opinions on what the film is about...anything from fears of fatherhood to fears of domesticity in general. Lynch , as with most of his films, isn't forthcoming on what he had in mind when he made it, though I believe I remember reading that he said nobody's gotten his interpretation correct yet. Most people either love this movie or hate it...if you haven't guessed yet, it's one of my favorite films. With films like Eraserhead or Mullholland Drive, part of the fun is figuring out what it's about, or at least your own interpretation . It's a creepy, challenging , nightmare on celluloid, and if you haven't seen it yet, I think you should. After seeing it yesterday, I wondered why the Hell I don't own a copy...I think I'm going to get one this weekend.

As always, feel free to discuss this film with me...I'm interested to see what you think of it. As I said, if you have Time-Warner , its on the free movies on demand channel this month, under the Sundance channel. I believe its on Netflix's watch instantly option, as well. I don't know if Blockbuster or Hollywood video stores are enlightened enough to carry a copy, so good luck there. Until next time, good readers...

"In Heaven, everything is fine"

-The Lady in the Radiator

The Beast's Movie Cave- Martyrs

When you watch the director's introduction on a DVD and he tells you that you may have selected the wrong movie, and apologises for making the film, you know that you're in for a cinematic experience that's out of the ordinary. I'd read about French director Pascal Laugier's film Martyrs...it's been described as 'existential torture porn', and that viewers at screenings ran out, vomited, and fainted. After reading all this, I decided this was a film I had to see. The French have been producing some powerful horror films lately( Inside comes to mind), leaving our own U.S. made remakes and kiddie-horror-lite flicks like Twilight looking like the weak-ass efforts they are...comparing them to films like Martyrs and Inside is like drinking a glass of watery Kool-Aid and chasing it with a glass of 100 proof vodka...one is weak and unsatisfying, the other kicks you in the ass and makes you wonder if you should have even drank it in the first place.

Martyrs opens with a young girl escaping captivity...she has obviously been tortured. She makes a friend at the orphanage she is sent to. 15 years later, the former captive, Lucie (Mylene Jampanoi) finds who she believes to be the ones that tortured her years ago, and takes violent retribution, not only on her torturers, but their family as well. Her friend, Anna( Morjana Alaoui), trying to help her, is brought into this bloody scene of revenge . Anna doubts Lucie's judgement in locating her former tormentors, because said torment has left Lucie mentally tortured long after the physical wounds have healed, and her sanity is , well, questionable, to say the least. After yet another tragic and bloody episode, Anna learns that although Lucie's sanity is shattered, there is a dark and disturbing group working in the shadows, and the acts of torture are far from over...perhaps worse, the torture has a twisted reasoning behind it ...to get closer to God.

Martyrs , as the title suggests, works with the old belief that pain and suffering, and being on the precipice of death because of it, brings one closer to God, and through being near such a person, one can possibly catch a glimpse of the other side, and maybe God himself. Near the film's end we are given the definition of the word martyr, essentially being 'witness'. I think that it's this underlying theme that brings the film a few notches above your average 'capture -people-and-torture-them' flick...the director actually had ideas in his head (dark as they were), and I think it shows.

Ideas notwithstanding, Martyrs is an extremely dark and violent film, and much of it it is hard to watch . I don't necessarily enjoy violence done to women, even if it's imaginary...I'm ingrained with a sort of rough chivalry(I think it's due to repeated viewings of old swashbuckler movies as a kid ...so blame Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn), so it was a bit of an excersize in cinematic intestinal fortitude to view a lot of the scenes in this film. Laugier has said in interviews that he was in a very dark place when he made this film, and it definately shows. Even though it was difficult to get through parts, I would much rather be challenged as a viewer and have a director be able to get his vision across, that to sit numbed and bored by the latest sanitized, mindless, PG-13 concoction Hollywood has to offer. Mind you, I'm not against a no-brainer, fun, 'popcorn' movie, but once in a while it's good to watch something that actually makes you think and feel, even if it's not shiny, happy feelings and thoughts.

The acting in Martyrs was very well done. The leads Jampanoi and Alaoui had very intense and physical performances. The sadness, fear, rage, shock, and horror that the young women go through is strong and even heartbreaking at times. A standout scene for me is one where Lucie expresses her rage , hammer in hand...like most of the film, it is not for the squeamish.

If you're looking for a whimsical, carefree, feel-good movie, this is not the one for you...go find the latest Matthew McConeghey celluloid offering instead. However, if you are up to a dark, challenging film experience, give Martyrs a go...and , as always, feel free to come back here and discuss it with me...or curse my existence for even suggesting such a film, heh. Either way, I'll be waiting. Oh, the version I saw was unrated...I don't know if there's an edited version out there, but don't bother with it if there is...if you're going to see it, there's no sense in half-assing it.

" The only thing I can say is that the actual world is so shitty that horror is the perfect genre to express the most honest and concrete things, things that say a lot about our real lives. This is contrary to what television programs constantly do. Doing a feel-good movie right now, considering the state of the world and the brutality of our system, would disgust me. I'd take it as a self-betryal. More than ever, horror should embody the absolute escape from the lies of official society. The genre has a great opportunity to be really countercultural again after years of having been softened by the cynical postmodernism of our times. That's my feeling, anyhow."

-Pascal Laugier, writer/director of Martyrs, from Rue Morgue magazine

Cloudy Skies

The weather here in my neck of the woods (Southwestern Texas) has been rainy of late...which is good because we needed the rain. It's also good because I like grey, rainy days. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy sunny blue skies as well, but sometimes I like to take in a dark, rainy day. I like it a lot better if I have the day off, then I can sit and watch the rain for as long as I please...or read a book, or maybe watch a movie as the rain falls outside. I like when the house is dark, even with the blinds open in the daytime. I also got to walk home from work in the rain a couple of times this week....I don't mind getting wet as long as I'm going home. I remember years ago when I was walking home and it started to hail. I covered my eyes as the hail fell from above...I was wearing a tank top, so the hailstones left marks on my chest , arms, and shoulders where they hit me. That's not so much fun.

The sun gets all the good press, but I think the dark, rainy, grey day is vastly underrated.

Odin Update

My dog Odin is doing better. He's back to eating, and his liver values are slowly going back down to normal levels.

I want to thank everyone that has written with kind words and thoughts...it seems like I've had several generous helpings of bad luck lately, but all of your good wishes really mean a lot to me. Thanks.

Now my dog is ill...

My dog (and best friend ) Odin is sick now...I can't seem to get a break lately. I took him in because I intended to clean his teeth, but his appetite has been down, which is very unusual for him. Turns out his liver values were high. What is it with my pets and their livers? I'm the one who should have a bad liver, not them...and I'd rather it was me who was sick, even though I just got over being sick, than Odin. The Dr. doesn't think it's too bad yet, but he's on meds and I've got him on IV fluids tonight, and will take him back in tomorrow. I did get him to eat some canned food this evening, though he didn't want to take his medicine(not that I blame him ). Other than the lack of appetite, he seems fine...he doesn't act like a sick pooch. Right now he's laying next to me, his IV dripping away. I'll sit in here with him for the next couple of hours 'till he gets his fluids for the night. I hope I can get him through this...I don't know what I'd do without him. I realize that a pet's time is limited, and he is 13 years old, but I'm not ready to lose him, especially right now. ..I've lost enough family and pets lately.The fact that he ate tonight and his temperature is normal makes me think he'll be OK, but I can't help but think the worst, even when I hope for the best. Raven got over her illness, I hope that Odin can beat his, too. I'm going to do everything that I can for him. He means the world to me.

Highland Games

Last weekend the Highland games took place here in San Antonio. It's not a huge affair, but there's plenty of events, vendors, food and beer to keep one occupied for a while. This year there were some Viking re-enactors stging battles...made me want to jump in (note: next year bring battle axe and sword).

One of the attendees brought his Irish wolfhound along...he was huge, but a gentle giant. Everyone loved him.

Besides several rounds of Scottish ale , I purchased a flag, and I think it's the perfect one for me...the neighbors aught to love it.

Hope you all had a good weekend, and have a good week ahead...take care!

Literary Maven Meme

Over at Shauna Roberts' blog(see link at the right) she posted a meme that I wanted to take a stab at. This will probably show how un-intellectual and poorly -read I am, but what the Hell, here goes:



1) What author do you own the most books by? Robert E.Howard.



2) What book do you own the most copies of? Kull, by Robert E. Howard



3) Did it bother you that both these questions ended with a preposition? No.



4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? I don't think I'm in love with any fictional character, but I guess if I had to pick one, it would be Belit, title character of the story 'Queen of the Black Coast'...any gal who leads pirates and does a naked love dance for a guy she likes is OK in my book!



5) What book have you read the most times in your life(excluding children's picture books)? Hmmm...that's a tough one...probably something by Howard, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Thompson, My Brother Was An Only Child byJack Douglas, or Shadowland by Peter Straub.



6) What was your favorite book when you were 10 years old? It's hard to remember, but most likely Conan the Warrior, by Howard.



7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? The Devil's Dominion by Anthony Masters...some good info, but very dry reading.



8) What is the best book you've read in the past year? A tie- Last Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko and The Cold Spot by Tom Piccarilli...fantasy/horror with an edge, and hard-boiled action, respectively.



9) If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be? The collected Identity Crisis mini-series that Brad Meltzer wrote for DC Comics...it shows that comics can have adult, interesting stories, and it shows the human faces behind the masks.



10) Who deserves the win for the next Nobel Prize for literature? I haven't a clue...I'd give it to Charles Gramlich...not only because he's a helluva writer, but he also cooks a mean hamburger.



11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? The Light At The End by Skipp and Spector. It's a violent vampire tale that takes the romanticsim that has infused the vampire genre since Rice's works and kicks it right in the ass. The book has many cinematic moments that would translate well to the big screen.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? Hmmm...probably Shadowland by Peter Straub... I don't think a film could do it justice...maybe a miniseries, but even then, I don't know if it could capture the feel of the book.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. Actually, I don't recall any dream based on any books...they've probably occured, but I can't think of any .

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? Probably an entry in the Destroyer book series.

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? Teach Yourself Norwegian , from the Teach Yourself collection.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've ever seen? I've never attended a play by the Bard, but I have seen the film Tromeo and Juliet, which is the weirdest adaptation of his work , I'm pretty sure.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? The French, I guess.

18) Roth or Updike? I've only read one book each by them , so a tie, I suppose.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers? Never read Eggers, so Sedaris wins.

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Milton...Paradise Lost , man!

21) Austin or Elliot? Uh, neither?

22) What is the biggest, most embarrassing gap in your reading? Probably the classics, like Moby Dick , A Tale of Two Cities, books like that.

23) What is your favoirite novel? I'd have to say Hour of the Dragon by Howard...I also really like Shadowland by Straub, and Hexes by Tom Piccarilli.

24) Favorite play? Honestly, I don't have one.

25) Favorite poem? A Crown For a King by Howard ( see a pattern forming here?).

26) Favorite essay? Have to get back to you on this one.

27) Favorite short story? Beyond the Black River by (you guessed it) Howard.

28) Favorite work of non-fiction? The Lords of Chaos by Moynihan and Soderlind...it tells the tale of European Black Metal, and the suicides, murders, church burnings, and other events that surrounded the scene in its beginnings.

29) Favorite writers? Howard, Picarilli, Joe Bob Briggs, Clive Barker, Milton, to name a few.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? There's several who could be nominees for this award, but I think Stephen King gets this one.

31) What is your desert island book? Man...I guess I'd have to say a Howard collection of some sort...probably The Ultimate Triumph, since it's illustrated by Frank Frazetta.

32) What are you reading now? I am , unfortunately, between books right now...have to get more!