Midsommar (2019) #513

    In 2019, Ari Aster released his highly anticipated follow-up to his smash hit "Hereditary" with "Midsommar". Starring Florence Pugh, giving an emotionally raw performance as Dani, a young woman who loses her family in a tragic incident and turns to her boyfriend, who sees her more as a burden than as a partner. This is probably the most seen folk horror movie since "The Wicker Man", and this is one of the few horror movies that takes place primarily during the bright daylight hours.

  

    "Midsommar" begins with in a very serious tone, with Dani trying to contact her suicidal younger sister. Unfortunately, her sister has already followed through with her threat as well as killing their parents, fastening a hose from her car to their bedroom and a second hose tapped to her head. Dani calls her boyfriend Christian, who was out with his friends and was having a conversation with them about breaking up with Dani. He feels guilty and stays with her, to the dismay of his friends. A few months later, she learns that Christian is planning on going to Sweden with his friends Mark and Josh to visit their friend Pelle hometown. Christian invites Dani along, even though he is still considering breaking up with her. Once they arrive, the group is welcomed by the villagers of Pelle's small rustic home. There are a few other visiting foreigners, also bought along to witness the rituals that are to be performed. 
 

    First everyone enjoys a lovely meal and then the village witness an attestupa ceremony, where the eldest man and woman both leap from a high cliff onto the rock and boulders before. This freaks all of the visitors out, but Pelle explains that this act is an honor for the elderly. Then one by one, the visitors begin go missing. Christian has conflicts with both Dani and his friend Josh, who soon disappears as well. Soon Dani takes part of the Maypole dancing competition while Christian is lured away. The movie builds up to the final ritual, with a surprising but satisfying grand finale.

     

Frankenstein (2025) #512

    Based on the classic novel, "Frankenstein" is a 2025 film directed by Guillermo del Toro, premiering on Netflix. It's a beautiful film to watch, from the amazing set pieces, locations, and costuming. The film is more inspired that an adaptation of the novel, especially when it concerns Victor's storyline. Luckily the film is split into two parts, and the second half is focused on the Creature which is much more accurate to the source material. The pacing varies at times, and with a runtime of 2 hours and 29 minutes, the film does feel a bit over long.

    The movie opens with the accurate beginning with Victor boarding a ship that is trying to reach the North Pole but is stuck in ice. After the crew has a brief encounter with the Creature, Victor tells the captain the story that eventually led him here. He explains how his mother died giving birth to his younger brother, and how this event led him into becoming a skilled but arrogant surgeon whose primary goal is to find a cure for death. He is expelled from school after an experiment but is hired by Henrich, an arms dealer, and prepares a fantastical laboratory. During this time, he meets his brother's fiancée, Elizabeth, falls in love with her, is rejected, and learns that Henrich wants his brain implanted in the body that Victor is building. 

    

    Victor refuses Henrich's request, Henrich dies in an accident, the experiment takes place, and Victor is distraught when he thinks everything has failed. The next day, however, Victor finds that the Creature is alive and has great strength and healing abilities but seems mentally limited after only learning and repeating the word "Victor". As Elizabeth bonds with the Creature, William discovers that Henrich is dead, and Victor blames his death on the Creature. After William and Elizabeth leave, Victor sets the lab of fire with the creature inside. Hearing his name, Victor tries to rescue the Creature but is severely injured.

    The second half of the movie begins with the Creature boarding the ship and telling the Captain his side of the story. And this is where the movie aligns with the novel that we all know and love. The Creature survives the explosion and takes refuge at a small farm. Over the next few months, the Creature learns to speak and read from the blind patriarch. One day the blind man is attacked by wolves, and when the Creature tries to save him, he is seen by the blind mans family who attack the Creature at once. They leave him for dead, but the Creature soon heals from his wounds and discovers that he can not die, at least by violence. He tracks Victor down and demands that he creates a companion for him, which Victor refuses to do. The Creature attacks Victor, and Elizabeth is mortally wounded while trying to stop the fight. The Creature takes Elizabeth to cave where she dies. Victor chases the Creature until they arrive in the Arctic, where they finally come to terms and Victor dies. Taking all of this as a sign, the Captain and his crew abandon their plans for the North Pole, and the Creature remains in the icy abyss.

Silence of the Lambs (1991) #511

 

Movie trailer here!

    The early 90's were an interesting time for the horror genre, mainly remembered for sequels from the 80's and a host of low budget, direct to video films. Movies like "Child's Play 3", "Puppet Master 3: Toulon's Revenge", "Critters 3", "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker", "Howling IV: Freaks", and "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" graced the silver screens. Lots of third entries that year. Luckily, the horror-adjacent, instant classic "Silence of the Lambs" was adapted to film from the novel of the same name. This movie made Anthony Hopkins a household name and amplified Jodie Foster's reputation as an amazing actor as well.

    "Silence of the Lambs" is a thriller that follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she is tasked to interview the infamous Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lector, hoping to gleam any information that may help the FBI in their current manhunt for Buffalo Bill, an active serial killer who may have kidnapped a Senator's daughter. During their interactions, they form a unique bond and respect for each other, a relationship that draws the attention from Lector's useless psychologist/warden and from Starling's supervisor, the BSU chief Jack Crawford, each having their own agendas. 

    This became an instant classic because of the story itself and the incredible performances by those involved. Anthony Hopkins, also seen in "Bram Stroker's Dracula" and "The Wolf Man" makes Hannible Lector a horror icon, made more impressive that Brian Cox had made his own impressive rendition of the character in the 1986 "Manhunter". His presence on screen haunts you, his stare, and the delivery of his lines make for an unforgettable performance. Not be outdone, Ted Levine's portrayal of Buffalo Bill is also very iconic, immortalized by his dance routine in front of a video camera. This scene has been parodied and reenacted many times in pop culture, including this clip featuring Jay and Silent Bob.

    

  

    Another very memorable aspect of this film is how the characters are filmed when they are talking to Clarice, looking directly into the camera. It's an incredibly smart and effective way to film, having the attention placed on the viewer so we feel how Clarice might feel, and I have yet to see another film use this technique in the same fashion.

    The iconic mask

The escape scene - my favorite