Monday, May 25, 2020

2020 Summer Reading Challenge





It's that time again! I'm very happy to announce this year's Summer Reading Challenge (or Winter for those of you on the Southern Hemisphere)! We're all spending way more time at home this year and that means plenty of time for reading. And what's the best kind of reading? Classic film reading!

I'm keeping the challenge the same but I encourage you to do additional posts including sharing your TBR stack of books, your shelfie (a selfie of your book collection), favorite place to read, favorite classic film books you've read in the past, etc. Keep the hashtag #ClassicFilmReading going all summer long with classic film book posts!

Please remember that in order to participate you must follow each of the rules below. The three most important ones are signing up, using the hashtag and submitting your review links.

If you don't read all 6 books that's okay! You can participate with one or two books if that's all you have time for. 

All of the details and the forms are on the main hub for the Summer Reading Challenge. Here is an overview of the rules.

Summer Reading Challenge Rules

  • Sign up for the challenge on the official page.
  • Read a classic film book
  • Write a review and post it on your Blog, Instagram or Goodreads profile
  • Use hashtag #classicfilmreading
  • Submit your review link  on the official page.
  • Repeat until you have read and reviewed 6 books!
  • Review 6 and be automatically entered to win a prize.

Challenge runs from June 1st until September 15th, 2020. Sign-up before July 15th.



If you complete all 6 reviews by September 15th you’ll be eligible to win one single disc DVD-MOD from the Warner Archive Collection, film of your choosing. # of winners to be determined.

Open internationally.

HAPPY READING!

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Olivia (1950) on OVID




Directed by Jacqueline Audry, Olivia (1950) is a little-known French drama about an English student who, while attending a French finishing school, falls in love with her headmistress. The film is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Dorothy Bussy and stars Marie-Claire Olivia as the title character. The young English teen struggled to fit in at her previous school and finds the new school more welcoming. The girls at the new school are separated into two cliques: one clique favors Mademoiselle Julie (Edwige Feuillere) and the other favors Mademoiselle Cara (Simone Simon). Mademoiselle Julie is a competent headmistress. However Mademoiselle Cara is volatile, emotionally manipulative and suffers from a mysterious ailment that may be a figment of her imagination. When Mademoiselle Julie whisks Olivia away for a private field trip to Paris, Olivia's feelings for her headmistress deepen. Back at the finishing school, tensions arise. Secrecy, jealousy, tragedy. What will become of Mademoiselle Julie and Olivia?

Olivia (1950) is a rare gem. A lesbian drama directed by a woman is not unusual to find these days but back in 1950 it was virtually unheard of. Olivia is not the best film. It's overblown and a bit convoluted. Simone Simon is in her element as the temperamental and pouty Mademoiselle Cara. Feuillere and Olivia are  dutifully restrained in their performances. But if you've seen such films as Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), which is a masterpiece in its own right (you can read my review here), and want to watch an equivalent from a different era, Olivia is a good companion film. I had never heard of this film before discovering it on OVID.tv, a newer streaming service that I've been having a great time exploring. Olivia was recently restored and is currently distributed through Icarus Films. I highly recommend you seek out this rarity if you get a chance.




OVID streams a variety of independent and foreign films. Visit OVID.tv for more information about their offerings.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Cursed Films: Review by Ally Russell


Review by Ally Russell

Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series about some of Hollywood’s most troubled horror movie productions. From real skeletons on the set of Poltergeist (1982) to The Omen (1976) star Gregory Peck’s airplane being struck by lightning, Cursed Films examines the factual and fictional stories surrounding The Exorcist (1973), Poltergeist, The Omen, The Crow (1994), and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).

These films were plagued with on-set accidents, seemingly supernatural occurrences, and even tragic deaths, like that of young film star Heather O’Rourke (Poltergeist, 1982). But were these films actually cursed (or blessed by the Devil himself—as claimed by the crew of The Omen)…or did they simply suffer from a series of untimely but purely coincidental occurrences?

Beauty Day (2011) was filmmaker Jay Cheel’s debut documentary, and in addition to it premiering at the New York Museum of Modern Art as part of the Canadian Front Programming series, the film was also nominated for a Genie Award in the Best Doc category and was an official selection at the Hot Docs. Cheel is also the co-host of the podcast Film Junk.

Considering his enjoyable and compelling film short Twisted (2016) and the subject matter of his 2016 documentary How To Build a Time Machine, writer and director Jay Cheel is no stranger to subjects that are taboo or just plain weird, including urban legends and curses.

I was granted access to episodes two and three of Cursed Films (2020). Episode two, which focused on the 1982 film Poltergeist, was outstanding. Woven throughout with commentary from horror fans and expert interviews from individuals like film critic April Wolfe and science writer Matthew Hutson (The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking), episode two offered insightful analysis on society’s obsession with one of the horror industry’s most beloved films.

The episode delved deep into the film’s history with interviews from Special Make-Up Effects Artist Craig Reardon (Poltergeist, 1982) and Director Gary Sherman (Poltergeist III, 1988), both of whom serve up some sage advice about our collective ability to get swept up in the sensationalism of Hollywood horror and its gory details.

What I found most enthralling about episode two of Cursed Films was Jay Cheel’s treatment of the subject matter. Cheel is careful to avoid cheap thrills and instead handles the topic with sensitivity—letting the horror of the history speak for itself.

With commentary and past footage, Cheel explores the anxiety, fear, and grief that the cast and crew experienced and gently reminds viewers about the unfortunate loss of human life that occurred during and after the filming. That combination of horror and heart makes for a strong documentary episode about the tragic legacy of a film that has touched the lives of many horror fans.

Episode three, which focuses on the 1976 film The Omen, is enjoyable and worth watching, but it is noticeably less cohesive than episode three. And while episode two is emotionally charged, episode three seems to lack that same sentiment because we don’t spend as much time with the cast and crew.

The beginning and end of episode three focus on the unfortunate events surrounding the production of The Omen, including airplane and automobile accidents, but the remainder of the episode is dedicated to commentary from expert occultists. Commentary from these individuals is interesting and provides viewers with a new perspective on the occult and curses in popular media. However, interviews with these experts shift the focus of the narrative away from the film itself, so viewers who are hoping to get an in-depth look at the dark history of The Omen may be disappointed with the change in tone between episodes two and three.

For those reasons, episode three of Cursed Films felt slightly disjointed and didn’t seem to complement episode two.

It’s undeniable that Cheel has respect for the genre and endeavors to give horror fans more than the recycled and regurgitated content that we’re used to. So, despite the contrast between episodes two and three, I’m still looking forward to watching the remainder of the series when it premieres on AMC’s streaming video service Shudder.

Opting for sentiment over sensationalism, Cursed Films gives horror lovers the documentary series they deserve; a worthwhile watch for horror fans and film history buffs alike.






Ally occasionally creates content for the Horror Writers Association’s Young Adult & Middle Grade blog, SCARY OUT THERE. She also hosts the FlashFrights podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Ally lives in Boston and works in publishing. She can be found on Instagram at @OneDarkAlly.

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