#prevenge

Prevenge Alice Lowe. 2016

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10 Horror films for Halloween

By David K Frampton

The Curse Of Frankenstein (Terrence Fisher 1957)

Hammer’s classic features a fine pair of performances from Chistopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

It also features the first time in cinema history to feature red blood. It’s so atmospheric and deep

And I love the way that Dr Frankestsein (Peter Cushing) becomes more and more evil as the film progresses yet somehow we still care about him. Classy early Hammer with tons of charm, atmosphere and darkness.

Les Yeux Sans Visage (Georges Franju 1960)

This French horror from the late 50s pioneers body horror. Beautifully shot and featuring some of the most haunting imagery of the era. There are some heart in mouth moments and a powerful performance my it’s cast…

Lake Mungo (Joel Anderson 2008)

This Australian horror flick might be the most terrifying movie I have ever seen…at least the most upsetting. But it is extremely well made and realised. A mockumentary with an edge it recounts the last days of a persons life. The gut wrenching finale is unforgettable and truly deeply scary.

Skinamirinck (Kyle Edward Ball 2022)

For true fear and originality try Skinamirink this film utilises atmosphere and tension to build a truly terrifying portrait of a young girl alone in her house. Too say anything more would spoil it but from a technical perspective this film uniquely creeps it’s way into your mind through showing and hiding key information leading to a disorientating and captivating stew of pure dread.

Raw (Julia Ducourno 2016)

Sometimes horror needs to be gut wrenching to truly have fun. And it doesn’t get much more gut wrenching than Raw. What makes this horror film so elemental is that this sort of pairs up as a coming of age tale as much as a cannibal horror. Beautifully shot and finely acted by Garance Marillier).

Jennifer’s Body (Karyn Kusama 2009)

Megan Fox arrived in this sensational witty and huge fun demon flick alongside Amanda Seyfried, writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama. The film deals with themes such as female sexuality, male gaze and the occult. It’s great fun, very bloody and somehow strangely moving.

From Beyond (Stuart Gordon 1986)

It’s always a pleasure to see some good old 80’s slime in a horror movie. This “slime classic” from Stuart Gordon is fun to watch, intense and woozy. When a scientist opens a portal to hell it is up to Jeffrey Combs to try and close it with disastrous results. This is a staple in the body horror diet as we witness flesh giving birth to flesh.

Audition (Takeshi Miike 1999)

Japan’s “Audition” is about as extreme as it gets as a film maker holds a fake audition to find a wife with terrible consequences. Takeshi Miike’s skill is to never let go of empathy for all of the characters leading to a finale that is both visceral and horrific aswell as heartbreaking. Essential horror.

Prevenge (Alice Lowe 2016)

If like me you think Alice Low is a genius then you’ll truly love her take on the slasher genre incredibly written and directed when she was pregnant. This movie contorts gender roles of men and women into new shapes as one nightmare situation bleeds into another. It’s dark…very dark but also shot with blackest humour. Stunning cinematography by Ryan Eddlestone.

Thanksgiving (Eli Roth 2023)

Happy JULadies of the Boosh 21/31

Ah, pregnancy. A period lasting round 9 months of body changes as a separate organism grows within a woman’s body, stretching it apart, taking away the nutrients of their food while messing with their hormones in funny ways. Quite the hassle, isn’t it? And yet so many women are willing to go through it for the sake of a child: theirs! Because of course, a woman is supposed to love their child… right?

Well, what about doing it alone though? Now that is an even bigger challenge, and unfortunately Ruth doesn’t have an option since her husband had the unfortunate luck to, well, die in a climbing trip. But Ruth knows otherwise, and the baby does too. The other climbers let him fall to his death, “the weight was too much” they said. So the baby doesn’t crave for sweets or pizza at midnight. No, she wants mommy to take revenge.

Directed and starred by Alice Lowe (who was genuinely pregnant during the filming, mind you), the very premise is already ridiculous enough to warrant some laughs. And boy, does the film deliver: it’s transgressive irreverence makes for the funniest conversations you could ever hope to see between mother and baby, as well as the entire thing being quite deadpan and snarky.

But of course, there’s the OTHER side of the story. Between an introspection of grief, abandonment and just the woes of pregnancy outside of merely the physical aspect of it all (like the expectations of others or even oneself, the lack of societal support and the double standards about child care), there’s a layer of frustration and sadness in the satire here that adds to the appeal of Ruth’s character. She’s for sure going crazy, but with all the crap piled on her, who blames her for not being a cinnamon roll?

Never before I've seen pregnancy being so central to a movie that it warps the very verbal and visual languages the events are seen by to both a hilarious and dramatic effect. Quite on the nose, but so worth it.