Conceptual films are always a welcome change from the norm. It takes vision and courage to put together a complex film of this nature and form a whole world without necessarily having to explain it all. Phobias, although an anthology, falls in this category. It has a backdrop that serves as a through subplot that…
Like the more prominent “It: Chapter Two,” Spiral opens with a homophobic attack, one that is shown in all its distressing viciousness. From there, events spiral (sorry) into an eerie, menacing folk horror of cult, prejudice and scapegoating, in a manner that combines the best elements of “Get Out” and “Hereditary.” The film exposes prejudice…
Stephen King’s “It” has a long history. From the original novel to the 90s mini-series, an audio book and now two motion pictures, the battle between Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Losers Club has frightened and fascinated generations of readers, listeners and viewers. Andy Muschietti’s big screen release of “It” in 2017 was a…
The term “cliffhanger” is thought to have originated from Thomas Hardy’s 1873 novel A Pair Of Blue Eyes. Hardy ended the story with one of his protagonists hanging off a cliff edge, staring down at impending death. Cliffhangers have since become ubiquitous with serialized television and, more lately, film series (the ending to Marvel’s recent…
