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mineofilms · 10 months

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amplectere palloris

Fear, in philosophical terms, emerges as a profound exploration of human consciousness and existence. It's a visceral response intertwined with the fundamental questions of life, reflecting our vulnerability in the face of the one thing we are all afraid of. The UNKNOWN… Rooted in existentialism, fear encapsulates the paradox of being alive, a relentless reminder of mortality. As a primal instinct, it taps into the separation of survival and contemplation, shaping our understanding of courage amid frailty. Within the philosophical landscape, fear transcends mere emotion; it becomes a dynamic force influencing our narratives, distorting perceptions of time, and challenging our conceptions of self. It is both an intimate experience and a universal phenomenon, connecting individuals through the shared recognition of life's uncertainties and the constant negotiation between dread and resilience on the philosophical stage of human existence.

—A dream?—

—A False Reality?—

—Existentialism—

—Nihilism—

Or NOTHING AT ALL?

Completely Meaningless and Purposeless…

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Fear is like a storm of strong feelings, swirling together in our minds—feelings like worry, dread, and discomfort. It plays tricks on how we see things, creating illusions and making us imagine things that aren't really there. It messes with time, making us think too much about what might happen in the future or what's happened in the past, blurring the lines between then, now, and later. It's the reason we feel like running away, freezing in our tracks, or getting ready to fight when we're scared. Fear makes us think about the big questions in life, like how vulnerable we are, but it also pushes us to find courage and face challenges. It's a bit mysterious and hard to pin down, not fitting into clear categories, and it likes to hang out in the spaces where our thoughts and feelings mix. Fear is like a ghost, showing up when we least expect it, changing our stories into scary ones filled with worry and nervousness. Even when it's not around, we can still feel its impact, a lingering feeling that says a lot about how deeply it affects us.

“Dread’s Embrace” is basically a Top 10 Things That Terrify Me in Film/TV. In no order the ten things I remember that freaked me out in a Movie. Granted I am 45 and a lot of these were seen as a kid. So 80s baby all the way. Just a side note that I really harp on “conceptual horror” over just visuals. “Conceptual Horror” would be imagining you as a child, in bed, feeling this sense that you are being watched. You cannot see anything, but you look in the darkest corners of your room to see BLACK and feeling there is something there that wants you to be terrified of its presence upon you. You get the distinct feeling this thing, this entity, wants to do bad things to you or at the very least make you do bad things to others or yourself. That to me, this uncertainty, this distinct feeling of a harmful force upon you, is terrifying. That unknown feeling of dread by something you cannot quantify, but is in your space that is supposed to be yours and safe.

The Elephant Man (1980) Writers: Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren, David Lynch Directed by: David Lynch Stars: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft IMDB Rating: 8.2/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

The life of John Merrick (John Hurt), a severely deformed man living in Victorian London. Discovered by Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) in a circus freak show, Merrick becomes an object of fascination and exploitation in society's eyes. As the narrative unfolds, it explores themes of humanity, compassion, and the cruelty of societal judgment. The film creates a haunting and emotionally resonant cinematic experience. The film navigates the division between Merrick's extreme physical deformity and the profound beauty within, unraveling a tale that challenges societal norms and explores the depths of human empathy. “The Elephant Man” isn’t a horror film, but as a very young child, the makeup scared me to death. I was like maybe three-years-old, watching David Lynch films. This movie is dark in tone. It looks like a horror movie. It feels like horror movies do. At times it is a horror movie. To a young child not having any real context to this, I was scared shitless. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was terrified for years by this movie. When I was finally old enough to watch it with a more mature mind. I cried… We can be boundless in our ability at human cruelty. As a young child I would walk up to my poor mother with a pillowcase over my head grabbing her leg and repeating the lines from the movie, over and over again.

“I Am Not An Elephant! I Am Not An Animal! I Am… A Human Being! I… Am… A… Man!” — John Merrick — The Elephant Man (1980)

To a hip mother in her late 20s of the 1980s this was, of course, cute to her and encouraged. Why she wasn’t teaching me Film Production College level courses at four-years-old I will never know…

The Thing (1982) Writers: Bill Lancaster, John W. Campbell Jr. Directed by: John Carpenter Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David IMDB Rating: 8.2/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%

You thought clowns were creepy? Try facing the uncertainty of not knowing if your colleague is secretly a walking, talking extraterrestrial entity ready to turn your organs into an intergalactic smoothie. It's the kind of uncertainty that makes you want to hug your pillow and question your life choices.

“The THING” isn't just a movie; it's like that ex that creeps on your Facebook for the new girl, a pure ride into the abyss of trust issues. It's a reminder that the world of reality might have some limits, but the world of paranoia and fear? Oh, that's boundless, my friend, boundless.

So go ahead, watch it with the lights off, but don't blame me if you start questioning your reflection in the bathroom mirror as thing, a thing, “The THING.” “The THING” has a way of making you realize that sometimes the scariest monsters aren't under your bed—they're sitting across from you at the research station's poker table. And yes, it looks like it would really hurt to be a victim of this shape-shifting, paranoid alien. We never seen anyone in pain. They either die fast or are absorbed slowly, experiencing unimaginable terror before the body dies. My dreams, say terrifying. Cosmic Horror wasn’t even a thing in mainstream horror films when I saw this, but I remember as a kid loving this movie, and as an adult believing this to be a classic among classics. The Special Effects gave me a nightmare-upgrade to five-stars. The grotesque transformations and visceral horror make your childhood fear of the dark seem like a walk in the park. I still have dreams or elements of dreams that have to be inspired by “The THING.” The visuals to me, at the time, represented what movies could not or would not show us but this one time, they went all out and did.

Who can you rely on when the guy next to you might be, “The THING…”

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Writers: Ron Kurz, Victor Miller, Sean S. Cunningham Directed by: Steve Miner Stars: Amy Steel, John Furey, Warrington Gillette IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 48%

You thought unmasking Jason Voorhees was intense? Jason's potato sack isn't just an accessory; it's like that unexpected plot twist that leaves you wondering. What’s underneath that sack? A suspenseful journey into the slasher movie with a mutant as the killer. I mean, who needs a shape-shifting alien that literally absorbs you with tentacles when you have a machete-wielding maniac with a mysterious face covering?

Back in the day, I was about as tall as a potato sack, probably three or four-years-old as well, and I'd often mix up my horror films. I'd be grappling with the chilling thought of Jason Voorhees while simultaneously picturing the haunting imagery from David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" under that sack. Talk about a mindfuck. I thought they were the same thing. Potato-sack-Jason, at the time, was an enigma of horror surrounding Jason's possible appearance. Limited backstory. Not really sure how he is supposed to be alive, living the woods? Knew what pants and shows were at the very least. The big reveal — that moment when the sack comes off. The choice to conceal Jason's physical appearance builds an aura of suspense and terror throughout the movie, as viewers are left in suspense, not knowing the true extent of the horror beneath the sack. The impact of this revelation echoes through the annals of the genre, solidifying the potato sack as a symbol of the unknown horrors that lie beneath, forever etched in the minds of horror enthusiasts and me as a child.

Altered States (1980) Writers: Paddy Chayefsky Directed by: Ken Russell Stars: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban IMDB Rating: 6.9/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 71%

"Altered States" explores the boundaries between consciousness and primal instincts. Driven by the relentless quest to unlock the mysteries of human existence and consciousness itself through sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic substances. Where blurred lines between reality and hallucination as the boundaries of time, identity, and even physical form disintegrate. The existential terror arises from the unsettling notion that reality itself is a basic construct susceptible to manipulation. The film's vivid visual effects, coupled with its psychological intensity, create an atmosphere of dread by challenging fundamental perceptions of self and reality. The tone of this movie. The sense of dread from the soundtrack. I was, again, very young and usually would only get glimpses of this film over the years till I was old enough to appreciate it.

The scenes of transformation into a blob of proto-consciousness and subsequent reconstitution serve as a visual metaphor for human existence. Dr. Jessup's (William Hurt) experiments with altered states of consciousness lead him to a primal, pre-human form—a manifestation of pure, unbridled consciousness. As Jessup undergoes these radical transformations, question boundaries of selfhood and the nature of reality. The visual representation of his reconstitution underscores the fragility of human form and the transformative potential within the recesses of the mind. We all used to be something more animal. More hunter, more predator than dossal plant eater woods dweller. This surreal imagery and tone contributes to the film's existential unease, as it explores the profound and unsettling implications of manipulating one's consciousness and challenging the conventional boundaries of human existence.

Perhaps A Warning To Not Try To Hack God.

Tightrope (1984) Directors: Richard Tuggle, Clint Eastwood Writer: Richard Tuggle Stars: Clint Eastwood, Geneviève Bujold, Dan Hedaya IMDB Rating: 6.3/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 50%

This isn’t about the film. It is about a mask that is literally in one or two shots of the film, that it just so happen to be in the trailer. It was either Dirty Harry “Sudden Impact” or another Clint Eastwood film around that time; where there is a scene in an amusement park, where someone is wearing a creepy mask. That always freaked me out as a kid. I cannot remember exactly what movie it was, but I knew Clint Eastwood was in it. This mask scared the living crap out of my six-year-old ass every time I would see the preview on HBO back in 1985. This gave me nightmares for years and I didn't really remember what movie it was from till recently. I remembered Clint Eastwood was in it and there was a carnival or celebration. At first glance, I thought it was “Sudden Impact." After watching the movie I realized it wasn't it. I had been thinking for months about what I saw from horror films that actually scared me to my core as a young child. I remembered most of everything but this. After thinking hard on this subject for months I finally remembered it after going through all the movie trailers from Clint Eastwood films starting from 1982 and moving forward on YouTube. After only a few movie trailers I found it. “Tightrope” (1984). Stars and co-directed by Clint Eastwood... The Killer would wear masks, but this specific mask was at an outdoor exterior scene. The mask is only in the scene for a short second, but in both the trailer and the HBO teaser the mask was prominently shown and that was the part that always freaked me out as a kid. So here is a better look at the face that terrified me more than any creepy neighbor, creature feature or alien of the 1980s...

Communion (1989) Director: Philippe Mora Writers: Whitley Strieber Stars: Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse, Frances Sternhagen IMDB Rating: 5.5/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 46%

The 1989 film "Communion" unfolds as nightmare fuel. Based on Whitley Strieber's autobiographical account, played by Christopher Walken, of a series of real-life Alien abductions from a race of Aliens called “the GREYS.” The film explores his unsettling experiences, blurring the lines between reality and imagination. As Strieber (Walken) and his family confront the mysterious events and beings, the intricate dance with the unknown, a shadow, movement behind a door. Only a crack open. Nothing could possibly hide around the small of a crack of space. You look harder, your vision adjusts to the dark. Then you see it. A large black almond-shaped eye with no pupil, just staring at you, coldly. It’s both there and not there at the same time. You see the door creak open and then you wake up in your bed, believing it to be a dream. OR WAS IT?

The beings are not products of imagination; they are manifestations of existential terror. Short in stature, yet towering in malevolence, their featureless bodies and colossal, almond-shaped jet black eyes become conduits for an insidious force that defies comprehension to all that bear witness. Their presence is an intrusion into the sanctity of our psyche, a violation of the comfort derived from the familiar. The false and disjointed realities projected onto us by them makes us feel like we are watching ourselves perform in a film where we try to speak to ourselves to get out of there, but the us in the movie cannot hear us as we become a voyeuristic explorer of scenes that straddle the boundaries between sanity, insanity and stone cold terror. Love and familial ties dissolve into the pool of nightmarish aberrations, and reality itself becomes a will-less substance manipulated by unseen hands. The film skillfully crafts an unsettling tone that taps into the primal fear of being abducted by “the GREYS.” – They have haunted us for sixty years, perhaps longer, we just cannot remember it.

The ability to evoke sheer terror without relying heavily on explicit visuals of the alien beings capitalizes on the power of suggestion and atmospheric tension, causing a lingering anxiety that transcends mere jump scares. Apply this logic to a ten or eleven-year-old. Damn right, I was scare as hell when I saw this. The scenes depicting Strieber's abduction experiences are a masterclass in psychological horror for any era, plunging us into the depths of existential dread. The film doesn't merely depict the physical aspects of abduction; it digs into the psychological trauma and the unsettling unknowns that characterize such experiences. For those fascinated by the enigma of alien abduction, "Communion" remains a standout choice. Its ability to induce genuine unease, coupled with a haunting portrayal of the psychological toll of otherworldly encounters, makes it a fun and exciting watch if you like to be freaked out while you watch movies.

Abduction can induce terror through the invasion of personal space, loss of control, and the unknown. “The GREYS” mysterious presence creates an unsettling atmosphere, leaving most in constant fear and uncertainty. The heightening anxiety through psychological manipulation and the violation of domestic sanctity. The terror stems from the inability to comprehend “the GREYS” motives, leaving victims vulnerable to an enigmatic and menacing force beyond human understanding. 2013’s “Dark Skies” and 1993s “Fire in the Sky” get notable mentions for their tone and depiction of terrifying Aliens abduction sequences.

The Fourth Kind (2009) Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi Writers: Olatunde Osunsanmi, Terry Robbins Stars: Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, Hakeem Kae-Kazim IMDB Rating: 5.9/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 41%

"The Fourth Kind" was presented as a "re-enactment" of real events rather than a fictional narrative. The marketing campaign aimed to blur the lines between fiction and reality, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue around the movie. I fell for the trap myself. However, the “real events” that the film claims to make are a series of unrelated, other, random stories from all over the United States. The film was presented in a pseudo-documentary style, with reenactments of supposed “real events” mixed with both re-created footage based on the “real events” and actual "archival footage," along with interviews with the alleged “real-life people” this happened to. This approach was intended to make us question the authenticity of the story as it flips back and forth to the “re-enactment,” movie footage and the “archival footage.” Where the “archival footage” is also footage created for the film’s presentation to appear “based on actual events.”

This strategy received heavy criticism for potentially misleading people and exploiting the idea of real-life trauma for entertainment purposes. There were a lot of people online as well that felt cheated after discovering that the entire film was a work of fiction. An inside joke from producers to movie fans. The reality is people do "disappear" in and around the area of Nome, Alaska. They have a high rate of alcohol abuse among the locals, statistically. As isolated as this location is, it wouldn’t be out of the norm to wander off, nothing but the vastness of wilderness and not return. Exposure in the winter, bears in the summer... Man is not dominant here, even with our technology. It is a dangerous place to live. Make no mistake. Now ad hallucinational-alcoholism on top of that and I am sure you will find reports of people seeing Santa’s sleigh…

With all that said…

This movie still has some good total freak out moments in it. The aliens here are completely shrouded in Ancient Alien mystery. They are complete unknowns but command so much raw horror. So extremely terrifying, the ones that have seen them with their own eyes go insane if they saw “them” and remembered that they did. The fear of the subconscious and the unknown traumas that might lurk in one's mind. Combined with the dread “they” evoke to everyone that comes into contact with them. To know your eyes have seen something, but the memory cannot pull the image, and still the mere thought of it shows the body still remembers. It has not forgotten that anxiety, that fear, that horror. Go back and watch how the abductees start to act once they know they have seen “them” and they cannot remember but their anxiety immediately rises.

One of the Better Examples is the Owl.

The abductees didn't remember being abducted, but the owl evoked unspeakable terror in them. Like brainwashing or being tortured. A great example of what PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) actually is. Those scenes, in particular, evoked the worst kind of dread in me. I still feel my neck prickle in those sequences. The tension never lets up once all the characters understand what it is that is actually happening. Where Abbey (Milla Jovovich) discovers something terrifying has happened to her on the audio recorder she had turned on for dictation as she was being abducted by aliens and couldn’t remember it. That whole scene is freaky and really stood out to me with unease. The idea that she was abducted by aliens but cannot remember the experience. We hear what happened on the recording, every sound and it creates a chilling sense of vulnerability, terror and powerlessness.

This is the only modern-day film that is represented here. Remember this is a list of things that terrified me in Film/TV, mostly things that have stayed with me from when I see them as a child through the lens of a child. Most of these feelings are from me trying to retrospectively make sense of what I saw, how I felt and how I feel now.

The Entity (1982) Director: Sidney J. Furie Writer: Frank De Felitta Stars: Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa IMDB Rating: 6.7/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 41%

The movie fictionalizes the real-life case of Doris Bither (Barbara Hershey), who claimed to be attacked and raped by invisible entities. Parapsychologists from UCLA observed the paranormal events and agreed to study the case. The film follows the fictionalized account of these events, incorporating supernatural horror and pseudoscience elements. The potential motivations of these entities, including feeding on human energy for survival using sexual assault as their weapon of choice. The invisible and unknown nature of the entity, the disturbing themes of sexual assault, the blending of supernatural and pseudoscientific elements, the relentless attacks, the emotional impact. Pretty much every rape scene in the film is horrific and painful to watch. From a special effects point of view it is absolutely brilliant for 1982. I mean seeing this as a young child and not really understanding the context of sex and there not be a man on a woman, but thin air on a woman just freaked me out from the time I saw the film as a child to an adult in film school. This movie still gives me ideas about what ghosts are and/or actually could be. I have a whole blog exploring the intersection of physics, consciousness, and the supernatural, into the idea that ghosts may be entities with measurable mass or formless energies that have consciousness. Drawing on concepts like Sacred Geometry and Quantum Mechanics. Considering the possibility of consciousness existing independently of organic matter. It connects various cultural representations of entities, from demons to energy vampires, and poses intriguing questions about the nature of consciousness, existence, and the mysteries within the UNIVERSE…

Kummituksia (Finnish word for Ghost)

Prince of Darkness (1987) Written/Directed: John Carpenter Stars: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker IMDB Rating: 6.7/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 61%

"Prince of Darkness," directed by John Carpenter in 1987, centers on a group of scientists investigating a mysterious cylinder filled with a pulsating, green liquid discovered in an abandoned church. As they study the liquid, they uncover disturbing revelations about its extraterrestrial origin and its connection to an ancient evil force that transcends time, space and reality as we now it. The liquid is revealed to be a form of concentrated anti-particles, a sentient embodiment of evil that was the inspiration of what the Christian church describes as Satan himself, seeking to escape from its otherworldly dimension of the anti-Universe. As the liquid turns their co-workers into zombies, the remaining members realize they have released the most unspeakable horror of them all. As the scientists delve deeper into the secrets of the malevolent substance, they confront increasingly terrifying phenomena, including disturbing dreams that blur the lines between reality and nightmare. The film explores the psychological and spiritual toll on the characters as they grapple with the horrifying implications of their discoveries. As the boundary between dimensions weakens, the group faces an escalating sense of dread and despair. The film's horror lies not only in the tangible threats posed by possessed individuals but also in the intangible, existential terror of an ancient, incomprehensible evil permeating the fabric of reality.

The concept of the "Anti-God" is explored within this mysterious cylinder filled with green liquid. As the liquid is studied by the group, they uncover ancient texts and prophecies that suggest the existence of an entity referred to as the "Anti-God." The green liquid is revealed to be a physical manifestation of this “Anti-God” in this Universe. This “Anti-God” is portrayed as a malevolent, primordial entity with the potential to bring about apocalyptic consequences with existential fear and terror of facing an ancient, incomprehensible evil. The concept plays on the clash between the divine and the diabolical, introducing a force that stands in direct opposition to conventional notions of goodness and order. That we never know what this energy actually is, but it can only be described in Christian terms of “Satan’s Father” or the “Anti-God.”

The dream sequences involving a shaky cam and white noise broadcasts from the future, featuring a demon-shaped creature emerging from the old Church and then later when Catherine (Lisa Blount) emerges from the old Church, used to give me nightmares for years, every few years all through my youth through college. For the viewer, this dream serves as a premonition, a foreboding glimpse into the impending terror to be bestowed onto the Earth in the fictional year of 1999 being broadcasted to the year 1987. The vagueness and distorted presentation of the demon/Catherine contributed to this lingering anxiety.

Lastly; in an earlier scene, Catherine and Walter (Dennis Dun) engage in a conversation about Schrödinger's cat while walking together on campus. Interestingly, as the plot unfolds, Catherine makes a sacrificial act towards the end of the film, ultimately finding herself trapped in the anti-Universe behind the mirror. One could argue that, within the movie's context, she becomes a tangible manifestation of the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment. In this analogy, her state in Limbo is in parallel to being inside a box or container, and her life or death remains uncertain until someone opens the "box" and observes her. Reopening the pathway between Universes. Existentially, this has always terrified me about this movie and movies like it. I am sure there are more buried in my subconscious but these movies still have things and concepts that still stand out to me after all these years.

Galaxy of Terror (1981) Director: Bruce D. Clark Writers: Marc Siegler, Bruce D. Clark, William Stout Stars: Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Sid Haig, Robert England, Grace Zabriskie IMDB Rating: 5.0/10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 28%

1981’s "Galaxy of Terror" could be said to be one of the worse movies ever made. It should be on that list. The effects from the film are either borrowed from other films or were used in other similar movies that deal with the same themes. I can distinctly remember seeing the same exact effects and ship models in other movies over the years. As bad as this movie is it did hold some existential horror through two disturbing scenes I saw when I was about two or three-years-old, that contributed to my psychological and physical fears and night-terrors.

The first scene involves the rape of Dameia (Taaffe O'Connell), by a giant space worm. This disturbing act not only portrays a violation of the character, but also taps into her previously established fear and aversion to maggots and worms. The grotesque encounter serves as a metaphorical manifestation of her deepest anxieties, merging physical and psychological terror. She literally dies from the giant space worm raping her violently to an orgasm that is so intense she has a heart attack. What they couldn't show in the movie due to the extensive graphic nature and sexual violence in this scene, was the worm's orgasm into her. I know this is gross, horrid and disgusting, but supposedly it was filling her up with so much, so quickly, that her body died from shock. Right up till the end of the scene; which is the worm still raping her as she dies. The scene ends with the last thrust of the worm into her. The scene had to be toned down for many reasons. The MPAA had threatened an X rating, which in the 80s was a death sentence to a film making any sort of money whatsoever. Taafee herself did not want to do full nudity, which is one of the reasons she is rolled over on her side when the rest of the crew find her body.

The second scene intensifies the existential horror by exploiting claustrophobia. Alluma (Erin Moran), faces a nightmarish demise as she navigates tight spaces. Her character, previously established as having high anxiety when confined, experiences a gruesome end as cables squeeze her, culminating in the grotesque explosion of her head, that is considered classic in the cosmic horror subgenre. This scene capitalizes on the primal fear of confinement and the dread associated with the frailty of the human body. Both scenes play on the characters' individual fears, transforming them into harrowing physical ordeals. From the context of a child with no frame of reference other than the screams of terror. As I look back at my very young viewing experiences in Film/TV; I laugh at some of these movies for how bad they are and funny they can be, but as a child with no context, yeah, scary as fuck.

Fear becomes a visceral response to the uncertainties of life, serving as a constant reminder of mortality. It is not merely an emotion, but a dynamic force that influences both our conscious and subconscious minds. Our dreams and nightmares distort the perception of time, and challenges conceptions of self. The psychological impact of fear is a storm of strong feelings that create illusions and blur the boundaries of safety. Fear is a mysterious and elusive force. The terror of the unknown and the feeling of a harmful force in one's personal space. Fear emerges as a multifaceted phenomenon, intertwining with existential questions, psychological intricacies, and cinematic experiences. It transcends the boundaries of mere emotion, becoming a force that shapes our understanding of existence. The unsettling nature of fear as both a universal phenomenon and an intimate, personal encounter with the UNKNOWN. The passing of fear leaves us contemplating the profound implications on the philosophical stage of human existence, where the line between reality and imagination becomes blurred, much like the elusive nature of fear itself.

Themes of existential terror, unknown entities, psychological manipulation, and the blurring of reality and imagination are recurrent from the haunting beauty within the deformity of "The Elephant Man," Jason from "Friday the 13th Part 2" to the unsettling uncertainty of extraterrestrial existence in "The Fourth Kind," and "The THING." Just a glimpse of a mask in "Tightrope," each movie becomes a vessel for exploring the depths of fear and the unknown. The thematic threads of existential dread, societal judgment, and the clash between reality and imagination weave through these instances of child-like terror, creating a tapestry of personal fears and cinematic brilliance. The exploration of psychological horror in "Communion" and "The ENTITY." The cosmic terror in "Prince of Darkness," "Altered States," and "Galaxy of Terror" showcases the enduring power of these films to induce genuine unease. These instances of sheer existential terror from my youth remain etched in my memory, lingering in my subconscious long after the credits have rolled and are still rolling.

amplectere palloris Latin for (Dread's Embrace) By David-Angelo Mineo 11/19/2023 5,196 Words

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jedivoodoochile · 10 months

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El hombre elefante (David Lynch, 1980). La segunda película de David Lynch, sigue considerándose, 43 años después de su estreno, una rara avis dentro de su filmografía. Un biopic de época, una historia basada en hechos reales acerca de una de las figuras más legendarias de la era victoriana que aparentemente poco tiene que ver con los ejercicios surreales que el cineasta de Montana ha ido desarrollando desde Cabeza borradora (1976) hasta Twin Peaks The Return (2017). Un trabajo que el propio Lynch admite haber aceptado tras darse cuenta de que si quería introducirse en la industria, su ópera prima, convertida con el paso de los años y gracias a las midnight sessions en objeto de culto, no servía como carta de presentación.

De lo que si sirvió Cabeza borradora fue para llamar la atención del productor ejecutivo de Mel Brooks, Stuart Cornfeld, que tras ver el primer largometraje de David Lynch en su estreno en el cine Nuart de Los Ángeles dijo de ella que “…era lo mejor que le había pasado en la vida. Una experiencia purificadora”. Acto seguido, Cornfeld se puso en contacto con David Lynch y este le propuso un guion en el que llevaba trabajando un tiempo, Ronnie Rocket. Un proyecto en el que el cineasta había puesto todo su empeño -y del que gran parte acabó luego dentro de su regreso a Twin Peaks- y que no consiguieron que ningún estudio aceptara. Lynch, angustiado por la posibilidad de no volver a poder realizar un largometraje, le pidió a Cornfeld que le buscara scripts para que pudiera dirigir. Cornfeld le propuso tres guiones. El primero de ellos era el libreto de El hombre elefante, obra de los guionistas Christopher De Vore y Eric Bergren. En cuanto Lynch escuchó el título, no quiso saber nada de los otros dos proyectos. Ese era el trabajo que quería convertir en su segundo largometraje.

Pero aunque Cornfeld estaba decidido a que Lynch dirigiera la cinta, Mel Brooks prefería al británico Alan Parker. Pero Cornfeld consiguió convencerle para que tuvieran una reunión, y así, Brooks se dio cuenta de que Lynch era el director indicado, además de redefinirle como “El Jimmy Stewart de Marte”. Una vez que Lynch fue contratado, marchó a Londres con un equipo ajeno a la troupé de su artesanal y familiar ópera prima, en el que por ejemplo su director de fotografía Frederick Elmes fue sustituido por Freddie Francis, con el que volvería a trabajar en su segundo y último acercamiento al mainstream, Dune (1984). La única excepción fue su técnico de sonido, Alan Splet, que introdujo el ambiente sonoro industrial de Cabeza borradora en los callejones del Londres victoriano.

Lo mismo ocurrió con el casting de la obra, impuesto por la productora de Mel Brooks y repleta de actores ingleses, entre los que destacaban Anthony Hopkins como el médico Frederick Treves, John Hurt como John Merrick (el hombre elefante), John Gielgud como Carr Gomm o Freddie Jones como Bytes. Este último sería el único actor del reparto que repetiría con el cineasta, en Dune (1984) y Corazón salvaje (1990). Del resto del reparto principal, son conocidas las continuas peleas entre Lynch y Hopkins, ya que este último no confiaba en el director debido a su inexperiencia. Más cordial fue la relación entre Hurt y Lynch, desde el proceso de casting -para el que también se presentó Dustin Hoffman- como en el proceso de rodaje, a pesar de algunos momentos de tensión cuando Lynch pretendió convertir la producción en lo más artesanal posible, realizando él mismo el maquillaje para caracterizar a Hurt en John Merrick. El fracaso en la aplicación del maquillaje por parte del propio cineasta en el rostro y cuerpo de Hurt fue solventado con la entrada del especialista Chris Tucker.

En lo que sí pudo introducir Lynch su sello en las primeras etapas de la producción fue en la reescritura del guion. El libreto original de De Vore y Bergren carecía del drama necesario en el tercer acto del filme, ya que en el mundo real, la vida de John Merrick tras su llegada al hospital donde fue cuidado hasta su fallecimiento, fue un remanso de paz. En cambio, en el guion reescrito por Lynch, este introduce las torturas físicas y psicológicas nocturnas y su regreso al circo de freaks donde fue recogido por el médico Frederick Treves. Pero además de los cambios en el relato, Lynch introduce a una película aparentemente academicista y clásica en su concepción, elementos de su trabajo previo y apuntes de lo que será su filmografía posterior.

En su superficie, El hombre elefante aparenta ser una clásica y conservadora producción de prestigio para la temporada de premios estadounidenses. Un reparto de flema británico, un relato narrado linealmente, un fastuoso diseño de producción que introduce al espectador en la atmósfera de la Inglaterra de finales del XIX y un score de John Morris con reminiscencias -sobre todo en sus primeros acordes- de la suite de El Padrino (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972), compuesta por Nino Rota. No es de extrañar que la cinta fuera una de las candidatas principales en la temporada de premios y fuera nominada a ocho Oscars de la Academia -entre ellos el de mejor película y mejor director- aunque finalmente se fuera de vacío. Pero bajo esa superficie clásica y académica -quizá el trabajo que más ha creado concordia entre público generalista y amantes del cine de Lynch- el segundo largometraje del director esconde apuntes y toques de su particular manera de entender el arte audiovisual.

Solo hay que fijarse en su prólogo y epílogo, nacimiento y muerte de John Merrick. Al principio, a partir de un rostro flotante y superpuesto sobre un cielo estrellado -recurso visual que enlazará a este trabajo con el inicio de Dune– el espectador es testigo de una extraña ensoñación donde el cineasta representa la gestación de Merrick, a partir del relato (entre lo legendario y lo onírico) transmitido por su madre ausente. Una secuencia onírica, que a partir de la concatenación y superposición de los planos trae al recuerdo no solo el inicio de Cabeza borradora -la superficie de un planeta alienígena que no es más que el exterior de la mente de Henry Spencer, el protagonista de la misma- sino una perversa sugerencia, entre la concepción y la violación por parte de los elefantes a la madre de Merrick. Esto también recuerda a la recreación de la violación y muerte de Laura Palmer en la secuencia que da cierre al primer episodio de la segunda temporada de Twin Peaks, donde la recreación de la última noche de Laura Palmer -a partir de los recuerdos de Ronette Pulaski- es representado a partir de una puesta en escena que comparte estética y tono con el arranque de El hombre elefante. De idéntica manera, a lo largo de todo el metraje del filme, el rostro de la madre de Merrick acompaña tanto al protagonista de la cinta como al espectador, a partir de un retrato que atesora Merrick y que es registrado por la mirada del cineasta, con la misma liturgia que el retrato de reina del baile de Laura Palmer en Twin Peaks. Dos presencias, ambas de personajes fallecidos, que inundan y ahogan tanto la narración como los márgenes del celuloide.

De idéntica manera, la conclusión de la cinta, con el rostro de la madre de Merrick adscrita a un orbe flotante bajo el cielo nocturno del espacio, esperando a su hijo en la inmensidad de la eternidad, sirve como antecedente directo de dos momentos cruciales de Twin Peaks. En primer lugar, la muerte de Merrick, tan plácida como buscada por el propio Merrick para acabar con su sufrimiento, sirve de precedente al clímax de Twin Peaks: Fuego camina conmigo (1992), donde Laura se deja matar por su propio padre para conseguir algo de paz. Tanto Merrick como Laura son testigos, en sus últimos estertores, de una epifanía entre lo cósmico y lo religioso. Para rizar el rizo entre dos obras tan aparentemente opuestas, Merrick y el espectador ven el rostro de su madre observándole con ternura y delicadeza desde el interior de un orbe cósmico. Un orbe que en Twin Peaks The Return se convierte en elemento narrativo y conceptual de la obra, al introducir Lynch en el interior del mismo el retrato de Laura Palmer visto en las iteraciones precedentes del serial.

Otro elemento que Lynch introduce por primera vez en su obra es el del conflicto entre dos mundos. Una escisión que tan bien define el conjunto de la obra de Lynch la famosa frase de Paul Eluard: “Hay otros mundos, pero están en este”. Si en su ópera prima lo real se transformaba en una pesadilla de tintes surreales y kafkianos, monotonal en su desarrollo y ambientación, en El hombre elefante se divide entre los sórdidos ambientes de clase baja surgidos de la segunda revolución industrial y el mundo elevado de las clases aristocráticas de la Inglaterra victoriana. Ambos mundos surgidos de un ecosistema de humo, metal y fábricas que conformaron -como la bomba atómica que da origen al universo Twin Peaks- dos dimensiones que conviven sin rozarse en el Londres victoriano: las clases marginales de Whitechapel y la periferia londinense -lugar de ese circo subterráneo freak, heredero de la representación de Tod Browning en La parada de los monstruos (1932) del que surge John Merrick- y el mundo aristocrático al que pertenece Frederick Treves, donde la conversación, el arte y los rituales sociales son el centro de la existencia. No es casual que el incidente incitador de la trama sea ese choque entre dos mundos: el descubrimiento de Frederick Treves de El hombre elefante, en una secuencia que trae al recuerdo la primera aparición de Boris Karloff en el Frankenstein (1931) de James Whale.

Una secuencia cuya puesta en escena -Frederick Treves introduciéndose en el inframundo de las clases populares- se erige como precursora de la odisea del agente Cooper en el capítulo final del Twin Peaks original. Un laberinto de límites y geografía espacio-temporal imprecisa, que luego será desarrollada en mayor profundidad tanto en las siguientes evoluciones y revoluciones de Twin Peaks, como en otros trabajos emblemáticos del cineasta. A destacar: el descubrimiento del tenebroso y seductor otro lado del aparentemente luminoso Lumberton por parte de Jeffrey Beaumont desde la intimidad del armario del apartamento de Dorothy Valence en Terciopelo azul (1986) o la pérdida de conciencia temporal y espacial de Fred Madison en esa vivienda de cortinas rojas infinitas que sirven de trasunto de su mente escindida y fracturada, fortaleza de sus más sucios secretos, en Carretera perdida (1996).

Pero también El hombre elefante con la que un cineasta alternativo como Lynch se introdujo en el circuito del cine de estudios, sirve al artista multidisciplinar para aprender y desarrollar su peculiar talento a partir de las formas y códigos del cine clásico. Porque El hombre elefante hunde sus raíces no solo en el cine melodramático clásico -Douglas Sirk mediante- con el que Lynch comienza su estudio milimétrico del dolor del alma a partir de los rostros en primer plano de John Merrick y aquellos que observan su monstruosidad física y belleza interna -una mirada agónica que llevará a su paroxismo en el episodio piloto de Twin Peaks o en el epílogo de Mulholland Drive (2001) – sino sobre todo en las maneras del cine mudo. Fundidos a negro entre secuencia y secuencia -e incluso entre plano y plano- que aportan una cualidad etérea y onírica a la realidad de lo narrado. Elementos todos ellos que servirán para profundizar e indagar en los límites entre independencia y sistema de estudios -de nuevo dos mundos en conflicto- que se encuentran sobre todo entre Terciopelo azul y Mulholland Drive hasta su vuelta a sus raíces más experimentales con Inland Empire (2006) y Twin Peaks The Return.

Unas raíces experimentales salidas de sus primeros cortometrajes y Cabeza borradora, cuya impronta permanece subrepticiamente en el interior de El hombre elefante. En primer lugar, a partir de la atmósfera sonora creada por Alan Splet, que inunda -sutilmente y por encima del sonido ambiente y los diálogos de la cinta y el score de John Morris- la aparentemente sin subterfugios puesta en escena directa y teatral del conjunto de la obra. A su vez, el terror industrial surgido en el cineasta tras pasar de vivir en la “idílica” Misoula -su Lumberton o Twin Peaks particular- a la tenebrosa e industrial Philadelphia en su juventud, un terror que hizo acto de presencia para quedarse en su ópera prima -casi un personaje más de la obra- continúa en El hombre elefante, como si esta cinta fuera un apéndice de la pesadilla de Henry Spencer, o una nueva reinterpretación de su delirio, momentos antes de morir. Todo ello potenciado por un uso del blanco y negro -al igual que en la película protagonizada por Jack Nance- con una intencionalidad alejada de lo retro y profundamente estilística y atmosférica, precursora de su trabajo como fotógrafo. Una obra que siempre se ha considerado como una curiosidad, una obra extraña dentro del conjunto de la obra de Lynch, pero que analizada y observada con perspectiva demuestra que junto a Cabeza borradora sirvió de campo de pruebas, punta de lanza y díptico, para construir al David Lynch que vino después.

Por Felipe Rodríguez Torres para Revista Mutaciones ➡️ n9.cl/5xglw 🎥🎞️❤️

#the elephant man #david lynch

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addictivecontradiction · 3 years

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The Elephant Man, 1980

#biography #drama #the elephant man #david lynch #christopher de vore #eric bergren #frederick treves #ashley montagu #anthony hopkins #john hurt #john merrick #victory

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sesiondemadrugada · 4 years

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Frances (Graeme Clifford, 1982).

#frances (1982)#graeme clifford #jessica lange #frances farmer #eric bergren #christopher de vore #nicholas kazan #lászló kovács #john wright #richard sylbert #ida random #george gaines #patricia norris #frances

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80smovies · 4 years

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#The Elephant Man #LaserDisc #Anthony Hopkins #Anne Bancroft #David Lynch #Christopher De Vore #Eric Bergren #Frederick Treves #Ashley Montagu #80s

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genevieveetguy · 7 years

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People are frightened by what they don't understand.

The Elephant Man, David Lynch (1980)

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brokehorrorfan · 4 years

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The Elephant Man will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 29 via The Criterion Collection. Sister Hyde designed the new cover art for the Academy Award-nominated 1980 drama.

Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, the film is directed by David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Eraserhead). Lynch co-wrote the script with Christopher De Vore (Hamlet) and Eric Bergren (Frances). Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt star with Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, and Wendy Hiller.

The Elephant Man has been newly restored in 4K with uncompressed stereo audio. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Filmmaker David Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna reading from Room to Dream, the 2018 book they coauthored

Archival interviews with director David Lynch, actor John Hurt, producers Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger, cinematographer Freddie Francis, stills photographer Frank Connor, and makeup artist Christopher Tucker

Audio recording from a 1981 Q&A with director David Lynch at the American Film Institute

The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed - 2001 featurette

Trailer

Radio spots

Booklet featuring excerpts from an interview with director David Lynch from Chris Rodley’s Lynch on Lynch and an 1886 letter to the editor of the London Times concerning Joseph Merrick by London Hospital chairman Francis Culling Carr Gomm

With this poignant second feature, David Lynch brought his atmospheric visual and sonic palette to a notorious true story set in Victorian England. When the London surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) meets the freak-show performer John Merrick (John Hurt), who has severe skeletal and soft tissue deformities, he assumes that he must be intellectually disabled as well. As the two men spend more time together, though, Merrick reveals the intelligence, gentle nature, and profound sense of dignity that lie beneath his shocking appearance, and he and Treves develop a friendship. Shot in gorgeous black and white and boasting a stellar supporting cast that includes Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, and Wendy Hiller, The Elephant Man was nominated for eight Academy Awards, cementing Lynch’s reputation as one of American cinema’s most visionary talents.

#the elephant man #elephant man #david lynch #anthony hopkins #john hurt #criterion #criterion collection #the criterion collection #dvd #gift #anne bancroft #john gielgud #wendy hiller #sister hyde #mel brooks

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cultfaction · 4 years

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Cult Movie Essential: The Elephant Man (1980)

Directed by David Lynch, The Elephant Man is based on the real life of Joseph Merrick who is renamed John Merrick in the movie. The screenplay was adapted by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren from Frederick Treves’s The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) and Ashley Montagu’s The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity (1971).

The film follows Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony…

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#Anthony Hopkins #Ashley Montagu #Christopher De Vore #David Lynch #Dexter Fletcher #Eric Bergren #Freddie Jones.#Frederick Treves #John Gielgud #John Merrick #Joseph Merrick #The Elephant Man #The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences #The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity #Wendy Hiller

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usa-roadtrip-2018 · 6 years

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Hej igen. Vi har fuld fart på og er nu tæt på Bryce Canyon National Park. Efter Grand Canyon kørte vi til byen Page, hvor vi har set Horseshoe Bend og Antelope Canyon. Fantastiske klippe- og sandstensformationer, der tager pusten fra én. Dette krævede heldigvis ikke så meget fysik, da det var nogle kortere ture, hvilket vores meget ømme ben fra Grand Canyon var rigtig glade for. Derudover havde Christopher 25 års fødselsdag (ja vi gav ham kanel), og det skulle fejres med et besøg på det lokale steak house i Page. Men da vi ankommer kan vi høre en hvislen fra det ene dæk og beslutter os for at skynde os tilbage til vores motel. Ca. 30 minutter efter vi er kommet tilbage er dækket fladt. Træls, men vi får fat i vores udlejer og de vil sende én ud for at sætte vores reservedæk på. Han ville komme inden for én time. I mellemtiden spiser vi pizza og efter 2 timer er der ikke dukket nogen op. Vi får igen fat i udlejeren, men de har givet ham en forkert adresse og derfor kommer han først efter 3 timer. Vi får skiftet til reservedækket, og kører næste morgen ned til den lokale dækhandel for at få repareret dækket. Det gik heldigvis som smurt og vi var igen videre på vejen, nu mod Monument Valley. Som beskrevet i vores guidebog, er det præcis som at køre ind i en film. Utallige westernfilm har brugt dette område og det er virkelig ubeskriveligt hvor mange enkeltstående klipper der er. Dagen kørte vi til Moab hvor vi brugte dagen i Arches National Park, hvor der er ca. 2000 buer. Disse buer går hele tiden i stykker, men pga. vejret opstår også nye.

I dag er vi ankommet til Tropic, hvor vi på vejen har kørt igennem Capital Reef National Park. I morgen skal vi i Bryce Canyon National Park, og tænker at vores ben igen er klar til et længere hike.

God sommer til jer alle hjemme i Danmark 😊

#ahvafornoget

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hemligheternaiblackthornhall · 3 years

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Tessas brev till Magnus

Käraste Magnus,

Jem, Kit och jag ser verkligen fram emot ditt besök. Kit har i förberedelse försökt lära Mina att säga ditt namn. Hon kan det nästan men du kanske får nöja dig med att bli kallad ”Agnes” eftersom hon har svårt att uttala M – väldigt utmanande för henne när hon är så avancerad i sitt språk, precis som du sa att Max var. Du skulle ha hört dem i köket imorse. ”Vem är det som kommer på besök, Mina?” ”Agnes!” Jag känner att ditt alter ego, Agnes, skulle bära paljetter och vara farlig i kortspel.

Tack för dina idéer angående sköldarna. Jag ska titta efter labradorit i ädelstensaffären i Exeter. Jag provade det du föreslog med hönsen – jag kunde låna en Blue Orpington av en granne under den sista halvmånen. Sedan dess verkar hönsen undvika Kit, så kanske kommer det att fungera på demoner också? (Fast kan man verkligen avgöra när en höna undviker någon till skillnad från när den bara beter sig som en höna?)

Jem och jag kämpar med att balansera allt på en hårfin egg; att hålla Kit trygg och gömd och samtidigt ge honom ett så normalt liv som möjligt. Vi vill inte låsa in honom i ett torn som någon sagoprinsessa – han skulle vara så olycklig. Och Mina skulle vara olycklig, hon bara avgudar honom och rider på hans rygg överallt medan hon håller i hans tröja med hennes små händer. Det påminner mig om hur James och Lucie brukade rida på Wills axlar. Jag antar att tiderna förändras men aldrig barnen.

Vi försöker att tillåta Kit frihet när vi än kan. Han går på den lilla skolan i byn där några få av hans vänner känner till Skuggvärlden, medan andra inte gör det. Det finns en lokal flock av varulvar som vi har blivit bekanta med och flera av deras barn går i skolan med honom. Jag har börjat misstänka att Kit har en flickvän men han är hemlighetsfull om det. (Jag gissar att det är ännu en sak som aldrig förändras när det gäller barn – hur hemlighetsfulla de är. Jag hoppas bara att han vet att han kan berätta allt för oss. Framför allt om det är relaterat till demoner, eller som i Kits fall, féerna. Hundratio år senare och jag är fortfarande på spänn.)

Han är en gåta, vår Christopher Jonathan Herondale. Han är öppen om vissa saker och är villig att prata fritt om dessa med Jem och mig – hans pappa, och hur det var att växa upp med att kunna se alla möjliga underliga saker utan att förstå varför. Om att han fick lära sig att vara rädd för Skuggjägare. Om hans funderingar angående hans ursprung – vad det innebär, vilken typ av kraft han kan ha. Jag tror att det frustrerar honom, att inte veta.

Andra saker vill han inte prata om. Vi har frågat honom om Ty, som du och jag diskuterade, men han är som en tegelvägg gällande deras vänskap. Vad som än hände så vill han inte prata om det. Jag tror också att Livvys död tog hårdare på honom än vad vi först trodde. Jag har hört honom ropa hennes namn i sömnen, alltid på ett väldigt förtvivlat sätt. Ibland säger han ”Inte om du gör det här. Inte om du gör det här, Ty.” Det känns som att vad de än bråkade om måste det ha varit hemskt. Men människor kan vara förskräckliga när de sörjer; vi vet det båda två.

Du kan troligen utläsa från allt jag har skrivit hur mycket jag – hur mycket vi – älskar Kit. Jag bara älskar honom Magnus, som om han vore min egen. Han är min egen. Jag skulle döda den som vill skada honom, precis som att jag skulle skydda Mina eller Jem med mitt liv. Jag trodde aldrig att jag skulle få uppleva det här igen, den här perfekta familjen som jag älskar så mycket att det gör ont. Det är konstigt att efter så många år bli överraskad av sina egna känslor – men jag kan tänka mig att det är samma för dig, är det inte? När jag ändå är inne på det, jag hoppas att du och Alec och barnen har det bra. Var snäll och berätta för Max att vi hittade hans superhjältemantel – den låg inuti pianot.

Jag skickar med en bild från ditt förra besök här. Vad söta de alla är!

Kramar, 📷

Tessa

Originaltext: © Cassandra Clare Svensk översättning: © Patricia S. Bild: Cassandra Jean

#secrets of blackthorn hall #hemligheterna i blackthorn hall #tessa gray #Magnus Bane #Cassandra Clare #Jem Carstairs #Kit Herondale

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viktorfredriksson · 3 years

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Oscarstippning 2021

Sent omsider är det dags för årets Oscarsgala. Efter det kanske tuffaste året någonsin för filmbranschen råder det såklart andra förutsättningar än vanligt. Många filmer med planerad premiär under fjolåret har blivit framflyttade, och möjligheten att uppleva de filmer som faktiskt har släppts har varit mycket begränsad. Att uppmärksamma bra filmer känns därför viktigare än någonsin.

Oscarsgalan är den 93:e i ordningen. Den kommer, precis som föregående två år, inte ha någon enskild värd. På grund av omständigheterna kommer galan att hållas på både Dolby Theatre och Union Station i Los Angeles samtidigt. Exakt på vilket sätt återstår att se, men galans producenter har sagt att »the plan is to stage an intimate, in-person event at Union Station in Los Angeles, with additional show elements live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.«

I vanlig ordning har jag tippat samtliga kategorier – vinnare i fetstil.

Best Picture

“The Father” (David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, producers)

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, producers)

“Mank” (Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, producers)

“Minari” (Christina Oh, producer)

“Nomadland” (Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, producers)

“Promising Young Woman” (Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, producers)

“Sound of Metal” (Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, producers)

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, producers)

David Finchers »Mank« är galans mest nominerade film (tio stycken) men favoritskapet i den största kategorin ligger hos Chloé Zhaos lågmälda neo-Western »Nomadland«, med vinster på Producers Guild Award (PGA), Directors Guild Award (DGA), BAFTA och Golden Globe.

Det enda som talar emot »Nomadland« är vinsten för »The Trial of the Chicago 7« på Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG). Det är ett pris som historiskt sett har korrelerat starkt med vinnaren för Bästa Film på Oscarsgalan – främst på grund av att skådespelare är den största röstande grenen inom Akademin. Faktum kvarstår dock att »Nomadland« inte ens nominerades för Best Ensembe (som är motsvarande Best Picture på SAG) eftersom filmen inte har någon ensemble, utan drivs av Frances McDormands ensamma huvudkaraktär.

De som utmanar närmast efter »The Trial of the Chicago 7« är »Minari« och »Promising Young Woman«. De senaste åren har som bekant bjudit på flera skrällar (»Moonlight« och »Parasite«), och därmed är kampen långt ifrån avgjord, men i år känns inte utmanaren lika tydlig. Aaron Sorkin misslyckades med att landa en nominering för bästa regi för »The Trial of the Chicago 7«, och momentum för »Minari« och »Promising Young Woman« känns inte tillräckligt starkt för att lyckas hela vägen. Själv har jag endast haft möjlighet att se fem av de åtta nominerade (ej sett »The Father«, »Minari« eller »Sound of Metal«). De jag har sett har hållit hyfsad jämnhög kvalitet, utan att riktigt nå hela vägen.

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)

David Fincher (“Mank”)

Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

Oavsett om »Nomadland« går hela vägen eller ej så tror jag att Chloé Zhao står mer eller mindre ohotad för sin regi. Vid vinst blir hon blott den andra kvinnan i filmhistorien (efter Kathryn Bigelow för »The Hurt Locker«) att lyckas med det.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Om Hopkins skulle ta hem det vore han som 83-åring den äldsta vinnaren i kategorin någonsin. Riz Ahmed skulle vara den första muslimska mannen. Allting talar dock för Chadwick Boseman, som endast 43 år gammal gick bort i cancer i augusti i fjol.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Förmodligen galans mest öppna kategori på förhand, då samtliga fem har vunnit priser under galasäsongen. Vanessa Kirby kan sannolikt räknas bort men övriga fyra har alla reella chanser. Andra Day tror jag dock faller bort på grund av att filmen inte är lika populär (och därmed sedd) som de övriga. Vidare har Frances McDormand redan belönats med två Oscars tidigare, den senaste för bara tre år sedan. Även Viola Davis har varit en återkommande favorit hos Akademin. I »Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom« spelar hon en fysisk och utagerande roll, vilket brukar premieras i sammanhanget. Min röst faller dock på Carey Mulligan. Hon har inte nominerats sedan genombrottet i »An Education« för elva år sedan, men är en personlig favorit med starka roller i bland annat »Drive«, »Inside Llewyn Davis« och »Shame«. Hennes roll i »Promising Young Woman« är en av årets mest debatterade – förmodligen på både gott och ont.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)

Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Allt pekar på att Kaluuya kraftfulla gestaltning av Fred Hampton räcker för vinst. Hans största risk är förmodligen att Stanfield är nominerad i samma kategori för samma film, vilket skulle kunna »stjäla« röster från Kaluuya, men det ska mycket till.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”)

Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)

Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”)

Glenn Close har tidigare aldrig vunnit en Oscar, trots sju nomineringar. Så sent som 2019 var hon favorittippad för sin roll i »The Wife« men föll på målsnöret mot Olivia Colman. En slags hedersoscar vore därför inte otänkbart, men givet den relativit anonyma filmen hon är nominerad för tror jag inte det kommer hända. Bisarrt nog är Maria Bakalova en av favoriterna, men efter att SAG och BAFTA gått till Yuh-jjung Youn är det hennes statyett att förlora.

Best Animated Feature Film

“Onward” (Pixar)

“Over the Moon” (Netflix)

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)

“Soul” (Pixar)

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)

Ett annat år vore hyllade »Wolfwalkers« ett säkert bet, men »Soul« är en av Pixars bästa och mest kreativa skapelser på många år. Dessutom nominerad för ljud och musik.

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad

“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers

“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani

Best Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas

“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung

“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell

“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin

En duell mellan »Promising Young Woman« och »The Trail of the Chicago 7«. Personligen tycker jag att Sorkin har gjort mycket som är av betydligt högre kvalitet än »The Trial...«.

Best Original Song

“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson

“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

Om en låt från den filmen kan nomineras så kan den väl lika gärna vinna?

Best Original Score

“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard

“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“Minari,” Emile Mosseri

“News of the World,” James Newton Howard

“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste

Trent Reznor och Atticus Ross är dubbelt nominerade och vinnare är förmodligen någon av dessa två filmer.

Best Sound

“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman

“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin

“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett

“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

Titeln skvallrar om var krutet har lagts. Allt annat än vinst vore ett misslyckande.

Best Costume Design

“Emma,” Alexandra Byrne

“Mank,” Trish Summerville

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth

“Mulan,” Bina Daigeler

“Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best Animated Short Film

“Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar)

“Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions)

“If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix)

“Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike)

“Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói)

Best Live-Action Short Film

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers”

“White Eye”

Best Cinematography

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt

“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt

“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski

“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael

Best Documentary Feature

“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster

“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard

“A Concerto Is a Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Best Film Editing

“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval

“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten

En stenhård duell mellan »Sound of Metal« och »The Trial of the Chicago 7«. Personligen har jag tyvärr inte hunnit se den förra än. Däremot kan jag konstatera att korsklippningen i den senare är helt central för filmens energi. Redan i filmens första minuter utnyttjas detta på ett effektivt sätt.

Best International Feature Film

“Another Round” (Denmark)

“Better Days” (Hong Kong)

“Collective” (Romania)

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson

“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff

“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti

Best Production Design

“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton

“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale

“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

Best Visual Effects

“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher

Oscarsgalan sänds på TV4 från kl. 00:20 i natt.

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