Post by klep on Oct 29, 2018 6:49:47 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 10/29: Cat People (1942)
HALLOWEEN WEEK!
Often the most effective horror comes from what isn't being shown rather than what is. Cinematic language is already highly adept at creating suspense and fear through suggestion, but holding off on showing a monster also leads the audience to imagine it - ultimately filling in the gaps for whatever flaws the monster may have when it does make an appearance.
Jaws is perhaps the most famous example of this. Taken out of context, scenes with Bruce make it obvious that he is an animatronic shark - clearly fake. But Spielberg does such a great job of building the tension and fear around him that he's still terrifying. In the moment, your perception of Bruce's artificiality diminishes because you're expecting to see an enormous shark.
Cat People excels at at this kind of horror. Jacques Tourneur uses sound and lighting to create atmosphere and establish threats in the shadows. We hear lions roar in the distance early on, and that primes us to hear a panther's cry when it's really just a bus' brakes. Alice's (June Randolph) fear as Irene (Simone Simon) secretly follows her home is palpable to us because of the emptiness of the night street and the way she rushes from streetlight to streetlight - seeking shelter in brief pools free of darkness.
Perhaps the most terrifying moment in the film is when Alice goes for a swim in her building's basement pool. Panthers are black, so when we hear it growl in that dimly-lit pool, we look for it in the shadows knowing we're looking in vain. But we still know it's there, and we feel its presence as keenly as Alice does. So when Irene turns on the light, we feel a pit in our stomach - not only is Alice's life in danger, but Irene has succumbed to her greatest fear.
And all of this primes us for the final confrontations when first Oliver (Kent Smith) and Alice and then Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) meet with Irene's feline form. We never see the panther in frame with anyone, and in isolation Dr. Judd is clearly wrestling with a stuffed animal. But after what we've already seen we're ready to believe, and ready to feel the terror of this powerful predator driven by a keen human mind. Though Tourneur didn't really show us anything, we still saw all we needed to see.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/5: The Rocketeer
GUEST ESSAY WEEK!
Next week we tackle 1991's The Rocketeer, one of the highlights of the previous wave of comic book movies to sweep Hollywood. Be sure to watch this glorious tribute to old Hollywood and the art deco aesthetic, and join us for an essay from a guest contributor. The Rocketeer is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/30: A Star Is Born (1954)
This edition of the Next Picture Show Podcast takes a look at two versions of one of the most-remade stories in film. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of the Judy Garland version from 1954, available on Filmstruck and for rent on Amazon Video (though it is not free for Prime members).
HALLOWEEN WEEK!
Often the most effective horror comes from what isn't being shown rather than what is. Cinematic language is already highly adept at creating suspense and fear through suggestion, but holding off on showing a monster also leads the audience to imagine it - ultimately filling in the gaps for whatever flaws the monster may have when it does make an appearance.
Jaws is perhaps the most famous example of this. Taken out of context, scenes with Bruce make it obvious that he is an animatronic shark - clearly fake. But Spielberg does such a great job of building the tension and fear around him that he's still terrifying. In the moment, your perception of Bruce's artificiality diminishes because you're expecting to see an enormous shark.
Cat People excels at at this kind of horror. Jacques Tourneur uses sound and lighting to create atmosphere and establish threats in the shadows. We hear lions roar in the distance early on, and that primes us to hear a panther's cry when it's really just a bus' brakes. Alice's (June Randolph) fear as Irene (Simone Simon) secretly follows her home is palpable to us because of the emptiness of the night street and the way she rushes from streetlight to streetlight - seeking shelter in brief pools free of darkness.
Perhaps the most terrifying moment in the film is when Alice goes for a swim in her building's basement pool. Panthers are black, so when we hear it growl in that dimly-lit pool, we look for it in the shadows knowing we're looking in vain. But we still know it's there, and we feel its presence as keenly as Alice does. So when Irene turns on the light, we feel a pit in our stomach - not only is Alice's life in danger, but Irene has succumbed to her greatest fear.
And all of this primes us for the final confrontations when first Oliver (Kent Smith) and Alice and then Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) meet with Irene's feline form. We never see the panther in frame with anyone, and in isolation Dr. Judd is clearly wrestling with a stuffed animal. But after what we've already seen we're ready to believe, and ready to feel the terror of this powerful predator driven by a keen human mind. Though Tourneur didn't really show us anything, we still saw all we needed to see.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/5: The Rocketeer
GUEST ESSAY WEEK!
Next week we tackle 1991's The Rocketeer, one of the highlights of the previous wave of comic book movies to sweep Hollywood. Be sure to watch this glorious tribute to old Hollywood and the art deco aesthetic, and join us for an essay from a guest contributor. The Rocketeer is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/30: A Star Is Born (1954)
This edition of the Next Picture Show Podcast takes a look at two versions of one of the most-remade stories in film. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of the Judy Garland version from 1954, available on Filmstruck and for rent on Amazon Video (though it is not free for Prime members).