Category: horror
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Horror Cinema: Apartment 7A
When I started watching Apartment 7A, I did not know that it was related to Rosemary’s Baby. As I recognized the names of the secondary characters and was introduced to Dianne Wiest’s loving tribute to Ruth Gordon, I was charmed straight through to the end.
The main character was refreshing as the protagonist in contrast to Rosemary. She was a career girl, and the stakes she had in being groomed for the Mother of the Anti-Christ were intriguing because she was making her decisions for herself. Julia Garner did a great job of portraying a sympathetic version of her character.
Overall, a great addition to Rosemary’s Baby!
James, Natalie Erika. Apartment 7A, Paramount Pictures, 2024.
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Horror Cinema: Insidious – Chapter 3
Horror movies are my comfort viewing. I start with my favorite ghost story, Ti West’s The Innkeepers, and then I revisit my favorite franchises, like Wrong Turn, Hatchet or Freddy Kreuger. I was recently in a spooky mood, so I revisited the Insidious franchise.
I’m a fanboy of the series, so I have nothing negative to say about it. I love the cast of characters, the exploration into the netherworld, and the numerous jump scares. My favorite in the series was the third chapter, but my appeal to it relies on having watched the first movie, so I would not recommend it on its own.
The third chapter is refreshing because it is about a new cast of characters, even a different demon, than the previous two. The one constant is the psychic, Elise Rainier. Played by Lin Shaye, Elise is a tender but fearless character. I am glad that the third and fourth movies are both about her.
In the third chapter, Elise sees her future, which is a vision of the ending of the first movie. I love the connection in time between the two movies, and I especially loved how the movie ended with Elise recognizing her finite, numbered days and choosing to use them to help others and become friends with her two ghost-hunting buddies.
For a horror junkie, I’m a total sap, I know!
Aside from the feel-good moments, the third chapter had scary visuals, like a demon looking out from the protagonist’s throat, and an engaging story. It is a great central chapter in the five-movie series.
Whannell, Leigh. Insidious: Chapter 3, Focus Features (USA), 2015.
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Horror Cinema: The Evil Within
The demonic villain alone makes The Evil Within worth watching. The demon’s make-up and his overall psychotically violent demeanor was scary. His relationship to the protagonist was intriguing and interesting to watch as he forced the protagonist into becoming a killer. I found the story thoughtfully layered, from the protagonist’s back story with his brother to the protagonist’s shifting identities near the end of the story as the demon possessed him. Narrative aside, the demon and the killer were unlike anything I had seen before and were memorable.
Getty, Andrew. The Evil Within, Vision Films, 2017.
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Horror Cinema: Ginger Snaps
My favorite aspect of Ginger Snaps is its setting: suburbia. The movie captures the unsettling homogeny of suburbia so well, and it does a great job of ripping it apart. Add to that the intelligently written story that touches thoughtfully on women’s sexuality, and this movie stands apart from the average horror movie, let alone werewolf flick.
Fawcett, John. Ginger Snaps, Motion International, 2000.
