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Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: The Babadook

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The Babadook Pride

Practically every region has its own boogieman in some form or another. For Australia, that boogeyman is Mister Babadook.

And in a land where every one of the members of their indigenous wildlife can eat you, bite you and otherwise kill you, you know that their boogeyman is going to be on point with something real horror show to exceed the fear of a kangaroo beating you to death or getting poisoned by a koala.

The latest film from Australian director Jennifer Kent focuses on Mister Babadook. From the name Babadook alone I would have thought comedy. Maybe a comedy starring Yahoo Serious, but “The Babadook” is far from shenanigans and more about unadulterated fear rattles.

Babadook Pop-Up

“The Babadook” centers on a young Samuel and his mother who are trying to live normal lives following a car accident that took the life of their husband and father.

After she reads him a children’s story (that mysteriously showed up in the room of the young boy) young Samuel becomes obsessed with an invisible entity that will not stop haunting him.

In a “Monster Squad” meets “Lost Boys” like the approach the boy begins building crossbows and slings along with other weapons to protect him his mother from the monster he believes is lurking in their home.

“If it’s in a look it’s in a book you can’t get rid of the Babadook,” one of the quotes from the children’s book reads. And once Amelia sees the Babadook he relentlessly begins to haunt her and her son Samuel forcing them into a battle for their own sanity and the stability of their already shattered family.

“The Babadook” is a different kind of horror movie. It doesn’t rely on as many tacky jump scares as it does create its own atmosphere and a loveable mother and son dynamic to go with it.

There is a lot of psychological tug of war that the film evokes in its audience as well. As an audience member, you aren’t sure if this is psychological, physical or metaphorical. The great approach the film takes is that any of those three outcomes are equally horrifying.

Focusing on a mother and son dynamic and putting that relationship through the grinder is hard to watch on its own without the introduction of Mister Babadook. But, once he is thrown into the mix things become even bleaker.

‘The Babadook’ via IMDB

Speaking of bleak, the production design work is fantastic. The world that they create is devoid of color by using only grays and washed-out blues. Key points are occasionally highlighted in red to coincide with something going on in the story.

Essie Davis who plays Amelia and Noah Wiseman who plays Samuel are both excellent in their roles. It’s been a long time since I have seen a young actor as believable and someone I felt could sympathize with as much as I did with his character.

“The Babadook” does stay with you after it’s over. I caught myself jumping when there was a knock at the door after this one. It doesn’t go for the scares that we are used to, and for me, that is a big plus. The addition of all the more dramatic elements do a lot to strengthen the bigger scares in the film as well.

Don’t watch this one alone and if any children’s books mysteriously appear on your bookshelf just run.

“The Babadook” opens in the US on November 28.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szaLnKNWC-U

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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