February 20, 2020 • 20 mins
Host Natasha Gargiulo speaks with Alexandra West from the Faculty of Horror Podcast about all things horror: an innovative studio's take on a classic TV show with Blumhouse's Fantasy Island, the intelligent and super suspenseful sci-fi thriller The Invisible Man, and the return of the creepy haunted doll in Brahms: The Boy II. Plus, join Marni Weisz, Editor, Cineplex Magazine, for an auditory romp through the terrifying terrain of horror soundtracks. Hold onto your popcorn -- there's bound to be a few jump-scares!
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Episode Transcript
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Movie Quotes (00:06):
Johnny. Scary movie. Do you like scary movies? What's your
favorite scary movie? Ah, I don't know. Clear.
Natasha G (00:33):
Those are some classic horror movie sounds that'll instantly send shivers up your
spine. You've probably heard them before, even if you can't
quite remember where. Never fear, we'll only keep you in
suspense about where they're from until the end of the
episode. I'm Natasha Gargiulo and this is Hello Movies. Today
we're taking a stab at the genre of horror. Once
(00:55):
seen as low brow and low budget, it's emerged as
a highly bankable bet at the box office. We're going
to slice that idea up a bit by taking a
look at three movies released this month. Joining me to
bite into all of this is Alexandra West. Alex is
the host of the Faculty of Horror podcast and the
author of two books examining horror movies. Let's get right
(01:16):
into it with Blumhouse's Fantasy Island.
Movie Quotes (01:20):
Good evening, I'm Mr Rurik. Let me officially welcome you
to Fantasy Island. Oh my God. That's really her.
Natasha G (01:31):
So a lot of people remember, this classic show that
ran in the late '70s, early '80s called Fantasy Island,
where people arrived on a mysterious island to have their
fantasies fulfilled, but not always in the way they expected.
This movie version is a lot darker by the sounds
of it. Alex, what do you think?
Alex W (01:49):
Yeah, two things struck me as soon as I heard
about it. IP, or intellectual property, is really the name
of the game for any production house, any producer right
now. If you want to get something made, it really
helps to have a notable property. And you know, for
me, I was born in the mid '80s, but I
have a vague sense of what Fantasy Island is. I
(02:11):
know it was a thing. I know it was a TV show.
This is the new version of it, the film version
of it. And the other thing that struck me about
it was the fact that it's titled Blumhouse's Fantasy Island,
and I think Blumhouse in the last few years has
really come to be the linchpin in the horror genre
in terms of big studio or a big production house
(02:32):
that is really leading the way in terms of horror.
And for me, even though they were doing some really
great horror films before, it really started for them with
Get Out, which was released in 2016, 2017 and so
now they have enough name recognition within the genre or
within their audience to be able to say Blumhouse, I
(02:53):
understand that Blumhouse means horror often, so this is going
to be like a spooky Fantasy Island. I'm very curious
to see it. I'm very curious to see what this
response to it will be. We'll see.
Natasha G (03:06):
Alex, you've made a career out of watching horror movies.
Why do you love the genre so much?
Alex W (03:10):
Yeah, I think horror, it's always trying to play with
the visceral part of ourselves, whether it's a visceral part
of our own emotional humanity or the visceral part of
our physicality. And they're the taboo subjects that we don't
often get to touch on or talk about. So when
we go and we experience these films, they can sometimes
feel really subversive and really scary and really weird. But
(03:33):
oftentimes they're are a lot of fun. They feel a bit
naughty, a bit transgressive, and you get a lot of
fun out of them as well as feeling really human
in many ways. So there's just so much going on
and it demands so much of us as an audience
member, I think, that I think that's why people really
respond to it and return to it again and again.
Natasha G (03:53):
You mentioned that Blumhouse produced Get Out, so talk to
me a bit about its trajectory as a studio.
Alex W (03:58):
Blumhouse started off very small. I mean, Jason Blum, the
founder of it, kind of started with the Paranormal Activity
films and it just kept growing. They were incredibly profitable
and they kept growing and they kept trading on horror.
They knew horror, they were trying all these different things
and oftentimes they were really successful, doing something like Insidious
(04:20):
and numerous other films, picking up other films that you
know had been made but the distribution fell through so
they were releasing them or at least finding them a
home in many ways. And then you know, if you
look at kind of what happened at the release of
Get Out, that truly changed the horror game. I really
believe that, as a horror critic, a horror journalist, however
(04:44):
you want to call me, we will continue to talk
about the time before Get Out and then after Get
Out. The same way we talk about there was a
time before Night of the Living Dead and there's a
time after Night of the Living Dead. And what I
think Blumhouse is continuing to do is in many ways
they are really speaking to the teen audience that wants
(05:04):
to play in horror, that wants to dabble in it,
but they're also keeping a toe in the more adult,
the more intellectual, the more accessibly intellectual horror film and
playing to that kind of elevated horror that people like
to wring their hands over. But Blumhouse is kind of
doing it all.
Natasha G (05:21):
And just to jump in for a sec, speaking of
doing it all, Blumhouse is also behind the new film
Invisible Man starring Elizabeth Moss.
Movie Quotes (05:32):
(inaudible) What I'm experiencing. Do you need help? Adrian
is dead. I went to his house today. He's not
dead. I have a pile of ashes in a box
that disagree with you. He has figured out a way
to be invisible. Only thing more brilliant than inventing something
(05:52):
that makes you invisible is coming up with the perfect way to torture
you, even in death.
Natasha G (05:59):
Alex, what do we know so far about this film?
Alex W (06:02):
So this version of the Invisible Man is obviously a
take on the HG Wells character. This was a character
that was first brought into film as part of what
many considered to be the Universal classic monsters, he was
played by Claude Rains. There's been a few different incarnations
of it. This character has reappeared in popular culture over
(06:24):
the decades because, you say the invisible man, you kind
of get it. I think what not everyone is clued
into is the fact that HG Wells always wrote this
character as kind of evil. He was not a good
guy. And now what we see is Blumhouse and taking
that property and that theme and then shifting the perspective.
(06:46):
So it's not necessarily about this doctor who's running around
doing evil things and the men who go and chase
him. It's about his seemingly ex- partner who is terrified
of this abusive ex she has, who has now seemingly left
her all this money if she can prove she's not
crazy. And I think it's bringing up a lot of
really interesting themes about believing women, the Me Too movement,
(07:11):
abuse within intimate relationships, all under the banner of horror.
Natasha G (07:16):
You're listening to Hello Movies brought to you by Cineplex.
Before we continue digging into the characteristics of modern horror
films and why you should go see them in theaters,
we want to first encourage you to subscribe to Hello
Movies where ever you get your podcasts. While you're at
it, why not send us the name of your favorite
scary movie on social media? Let's get a list going.
Where at Cineplex movies on Twitter and Instagram. We're back
(07:41):
with horror movie journalist and author Alex West. And we're
talking about how the new take on Invisible Man explores
some bigger themes like abusive relationships. So what is it
about the horror genre that maybe opens up this kind
of storytelling?
Alex W (07:55):
I think the public perceives horror to be able to
tell that bigger story. So I think directors and filmmakers
and production houses are able to sell those through a
bit more easily. But the horror genre has always done
that. Like the Night of the Living Dead was never
just about zombies, it was about the state of America
at the end of the '60s. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is
(08:16):
about the collapse of capitalism. Rosemary's Baby, the Shining, the
original Suspiria, the new Suspiria, I can go on and
on. Even Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street. These are all
dealing with political issues that were happening at the time.
The horror genre deals with so much and it puts
(08:38):
it at a life or death kind of parallel. It
does deal often in the binary of it's going to
be life or it's going to be death, which can
seem very dramatic, sometimes it can be a bit silly.
But I think now audiences are more open to going
to a horror film and seeing something. And I think
now we're just at a place where the film industry,
(08:59):
the audiences, the producers, everyone else is willing to take
horror seriously, and I think we're going to see a
lot of people capitalizing on it. Just like we have
seen since just before Jordan Peele. But really since Jordan
Peele kind of broke through in a really significant way.
Natasha G (09:15):
So Alex, we've talked about horror films exploring deep social
issues, but there's also something to be said for the
fun and being scared out of your wits. That brings
us to Brahms
this family moves into a new home, unaware of its
terrifying past. Then this young boy makes friends with an
eerily lifelike doll named Brahms. You just know it's not
(09:36):
going to go well.
Movie Quotes (09:40):
Beware his story one and all. Brahms was never just a
doll. To live again, he needs a friend. His (inaudible)
of the rules will never end.
Natasha G (09:54):
What do you think Alex?
Alex W (09:56):
I might be one of the few who actually saw
the original Boy in theaters and I did have a
lot of fun with it. It's a kind of ridiculous,
it's totally goofy, had a couple of good jump scares
and I think we're going to get the same with
this sequel. I think the really exciting part for me
being a '90s kid is that Katie Holmes is in
it. I'm very excited to see her in something and
(10:19):
honestly in the trailer it looks like she's having so
much fun. I can't remember the last time I've seen
her have fun, so I'm super pumped for it. Looks
like, I don't want to spoil the original, but it
looks like they're taking the film in a different direction
and that's the one you get all your friends together,
you get a big bag of popcorn and you go
and you like scream and laugh and have a really
(10:41):
good time with it at the theater.
Natasha G (10:43):
Okay. I'm glad you brought that up because a friend
of mine jokes that she likes to watch horror movies
in theaters because, well, then the monster has someone else
to eat. So why do you say they're best enjoyed
in a theater?
Alex W (10:54):
I mean, you've got a big screen so you can
appreciate all the visuals. The sound is awesome. You're getting
to hear every like creak and crack and your nerves
are on edge. The Boy Two is perfect for the
popcorn, the screaming, the good time with your friends where
you're kind of like, " Oh my gosh, what did we
just watch?" But then also I always think about when
I saw The Quiet Place in theaters and it was
(11:16):
a packed house, packed on opening weekend and everyone was
silent. We were all like as a community, we had
all just somehow subconsciously agreed we were not going to
mess this up and everyone was super quiet throughout the
whole thing and it was a blast. Horror is best
experienced with a community. And you find a great community
(11:39):
at the theater.
Natasha G (11:39):
Before I let you go, Alex, Parasite was a huge
winner at the Oscars and Get Out, like you mentioned,
was a landmark film. So where do you think horror's
going as a genre?
Alex W (11:48):
So I think what we're going to see is hopefully a
move towards more original content. Again, Jordan Peele created two
films, completely original concepts that I think are really exciting
and really new and I think we're going to see
an increased push towards international films. I think with Parasite
(12:08):
winning so many Oscars the last week that we will
see a further emphasis on Asian film. Asian horror films
are incredible and I think giving them a bit more
of a platform, seeking them out, getting them wider distribution,
not just straight to DVD or VOD, whatever it is
(12:29):
now. We're going to see some more international stuff. We're
going to see less IP. And I think hopefully because
a lot of horror films do their tour on the
festival circuit, I'm hoping we see some of those big
exciting things that came through, get picked up and get
released in theaters and we're starting to see that. So
I hope that trend carries on because it's an incredible
(12:51):
showcase and you know, as I always say, the best
place to see horror is in the theater and that's
what you want it, that's where you're going to find your
audience. That's where you're going to find your family, your
horror family.
Natasha G (13:03):
Alex West is a horror movie expert and the host
of the Faculty of Horror podcast. And now the moment
you may have been waiting for. One of our resident
movie critics, Marnie Wise is here now to reveal the
source of those scary sounds you heard off the top,
as well as some other horror movie trivia you may
not know. Marnie, welcome back.
Marnie W (13:22):
How are you? Let me start by asking how you
are. I understand you've been talking a lot about horror today.
Natasha G (13:29):
And you know Marnie, this is my favorite type of
film, right? This is my favorite genre because it just
scares me to death, but I want to get your
take on listening to those clips that we started the
podcast with earlier on in the episode. Let's take a
listen to these clips starting with an easy one.
Movie Quotes (13:48):
Here's Johnny.
Marnie W (13:52):
So of course, that's Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick's 1980
classic, The Shining, which I think is my personal favorite
horror movie. And Kubrick, who's famous for his obsessive attention
to detail shot the famous " Here's Johnny" scene over the
course of three days and had to replace the splinter
door 60 times.
Natasha G (14:13):
You mean Jack Nicholson had to do that scene 60 times?
Marnie W (14:17):
He's a pro.
Natasha G (14:18):
All right. Our next scene is an oldie but ooh,
such a goodie.
Movie Quotes (14:29):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (14:29):
Okay, you probably know that one too. They will get
harder. That's the famous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960
film Psycho. The now iconic score was written by Bernard
Herman and Hitchcock was so pleased with the end result
that he doubled the composer's salary to just over $ 34,000.
Remember, this was 1960. Hitchcock later said that 33% of
(14:53):
the effect of Psycho was due to the music
Natasha G (14:56):
Of course, and do you know, till this day, every
time I check into a hotel room and I take
a shower, I constantly hear that song whenever I take
a shower and I'm constantly worried that there's going to
be somebody on the other side of that shower curtain.
Marnie W (15:09):
Natasha, I feel for you, that's terrible. You have to
get over that. Maybe watch the film one more time
with all the lights on and surrounded by friends and
then you'll be okay.
Movie Quotes (15:18):
Watching some scary movie. You like scary movies? What's your
favorite scary movie? I don't know. You have to have a favorite.
Marnie W (15:28):
That clip is from the opening scene of the 1996
slasher films Scream. Drew Barrymore, whose character Casey meets an
early demise in the film, was originally cast as Sydney
Prescott, the character played by Nev Campbell, but Drew insisted
that if she played Casey who dies in the first
few minutes of the movie, then it would make audiences realize, "
Wow, anything can happen. Any character can go at any moment."
Natasha G (15:52):
Marnie, did you just spoil Scream for people who've never
seen it?
Marnie W (15:55):
Look, this movie came out in 1996, if people haven't
seen it by now, they're on their own and she
dies in the first few minutes, it's not like it
ruins past the first 10 minutes of the movie.
Natasha G (16:06):
All right. Our clips are going to start getting a
little more difficult to recognize. Take a listen to this.
Movie Quotes (16:18):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (16:17):
So that eerie croak is from Takashi Shimizu's 2004 supernatural
horror The Grudge, which was itself an American remake of
his own 2002 Japanese version. The Grudge of course, has
gone on to spawn a huge horror franchise, which was
just re- rebooted last month with John Cho in one
(16:39):
of the lead roles.
Natasha G (16:40):
Yeah, and people just can't seem to get enough of
The Grudge. All right. We've come to our final movie.
It's a horror clip that might be a little tricky
for some to guess, but it's become a cult classic.
Movie Quotes (16:57):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (16:56):
Anybody who got this one gets an extra 10 points
and a gold star. So this creepy sound is the
infamous defibrillator scene from John Carpenter's sci- fi horror The
Thing. This movie, which horror master Carpenter has said is
(17:16):
his favorite of all of his films, was a big
box office disappointment when it was released in 1982 and
the film's producers blame that on its horrific depiction of
an alien life form, which was contrasted against Steven Spielberg's
feel good E. T. The Extraterrestrial, which had just come
out a few weeks earlier. The film, however, as you
(17:38):
mentioned, has since achieved a major cult following.
Natasha G (17:42):
I have to tell you, I Googled that scene because
I've never seen this film before. And again, I was
traumatized. So whether-
Marnie W (17:51):
If you were scared by the sound, then the visuals
are really going to creep you out. I encourage everybody
to Google that scene.
Natasha G (17:57):
Marnie, it is always such a pleasure to have you
on Hello Movies. Before I let you go though, I
want to ask you about some movies coming out this
week and what particular ones you're excited for.
Marnie W (18:07):
Okay. We've got two that are counter- programming to horror
movies. Both of them come out on February 21st the
first one is Emma based on a Jane Austen novel.
So we've got Anya Taylor- Joy who you may have
seen in The Witch or Split. She is playing Emma
Woodhouse who is a high society girl in 1800s England
who wants to be a matchmaker but ends up just
(18:27):
meddling in and messing up everybody else's life. Also, this
one is a directed by Autumn de Wilde who you
probably haven't heard of because up until now she's mostly
done music videos, including a bunch by Beck. So expect
this one to be pretty stylish. And also the reviews
are already out. And last time I looked it was
(18:48):
at about 95% on rotten tomatoes.
Natasha G (18:51):
Oh, I think I will check that one out. Thanks
Marnie. Do you have another one?
Marnie W (18:54):
Yep. The other one is The Call of the Wild, also
February 21st and that of course is based on the
classic Jack London novel, which was published in 1903. This
is a dog movie. So if you're a dog person,
get your tickets now. The story is really about the
dog. He's stolen and sold as a sled dog, transported
up North to the Yukon where he lives a pretty
(19:17):
tough life. He's abused. He goes through a number of
owners until he lands with grumpy old John Thornton, who
is played by grumpy old Harrison Ford. So Thornton is
a gold prospector, this is during the Klondike gold rush
of the 1890s, and Thornton and his dog Buck go
off on this great adventure. And they bond with each
(19:41):
other the way that neither of them has bonded with
anyone else. And this one too has been done a
few times in the past. There was a Clark Gable
version in 1935, a Charlton Heston version in 1972, and
now we have Harrison Ford's version.
Natasha G (19:56):
Marnie, I love it. They are two classic novels and
two great films that everyone can see this week in
the theater. Thank you.
Marnie W (20:04):
Maybe you can alternate horror, classic, horror, classic.
Natasha G (20:12):
That's it for this episode of Hello Movies brought to
you by Cineplex. We hope you enjoyed sinking your teeth
into some of the meaty issues involved in horror movies.
Blumhouse's Fantasy Island is in Cineplex theaters now, Brahms
Boy Two on February 21st, and The Invisible Man on
February 28th. See you again in two weeks, when we
take a look at movies that explore the theme of
(20:34):
memory. I'm Natasha Gargiulo. See you next time.
Johnny. Scary movie. Do you like scary movies? What's your
favorite scary movie? Ah, I don't know. Clear.
Natasha G (00:33):
Those are some classic horror movie sounds that'll instantly send shivers up your
spine. You've probably heard them before, even if you can't
quite remember where. Never fear, we'll only keep you in
suspense about where they're from until the end of the
episode. I'm Natasha Gargiulo and this is Hello Movies. Today
we're taking a stab at the genre of horror. Once
(00:55):
seen as low brow and low budget, it's emerged as
a highly bankable bet at the box office. We're going
to slice that idea up a bit by taking a
look at three movies released this month. Joining me to
bite into all of this is Alexandra West. Alex is
the host of the Faculty of Horror podcast and the
author of two books examining horror movies. Let's get right
(01:16):
into it with Blumhouse's Fantasy Island.
Movie Quotes (01:20):
Good evening, I'm Mr Rurik. Let me officially welcome you
to Fantasy Island. Oh my God. That's really her.
Natasha G (01:31):
So a lot of people remember, this classic show that
ran in the late '70s, early '80s called Fantasy Island,
where people arrived on a mysterious island to have their
fantasies fulfilled, but not always in the way they expected.
This movie version is a lot darker by the sounds
of it. Alex, what do you think?
Alex W (01:49):
Yeah, two things struck me as soon as I heard
about it. IP, or intellectual property, is really the name
of the game for any production house, any producer right
now. If you want to get something made, it really
helps to have a notable property. And you know, for
me, I was born in the mid '80s, but I
have a vague sense of what Fantasy Island is. I
(02:11):
know it was a thing. I know it was a TV show.
This is the new version of it, the film version
of it. And the other thing that struck me about
it was the fact that it's titled Blumhouse's Fantasy Island,
and I think Blumhouse in the last few years has
really come to be the linchpin in the horror genre
in terms of big studio or a big production house
(02:32):
that is really leading the way in terms of horror.
And for me, even though they were doing some really
great horror films before, it really started for them with
Get Out, which was released in 2016, 2017 and so
now they have enough name recognition within the genre or
within their audience to be able to say Blumhouse, I
(02:53):
understand that Blumhouse means horror often, so this is going
to be like a spooky Fantasy Island. I'm very curious
to see it. I'm very curious to see what this
response to it will be. We'll see.
Natasha G (03:06):
Alex, you've made a career out of watching horror movies.
Why do you love the genre so much?
Alex W (03:10):
Yeah, I think horror, it's always trying to play with
the visceral part of ourselves, whether it's a visceral part
of our own emotional humanity or the visceral part of
our physicality. And they're the taboo subjects that we don't
often get to touch on or talk about. So when
we go and we experience these films, they can sometimes
feel really subversive and really scary and really weird. But
(03:33):
oftentimes they're are a lot of fun. They feel a bit
naughty, a bit transgressive, and you get a lot of
fun out of them as well as feeling really human
in many ways. So there's just so much going on
and it demands so much of us as an audience
member, I think, that I think that's why people really
respond to it and return to it again and again.
Natasha G (03:53):
You mentioned that Blumhouse produced Get Out, so talk to
me a bit about its trajectory as a studio.
Alex W (03:58):
Blumhouse started off very small. I mean, Jason Blum, the
founder of it, kind of started with the Paranormal Activity
films and it just kept growing. They were incredibly profitable
and they kept growing and they kept trading on horror.
They knew horror, they were trying all these different things
and oftentimes they were really successful, doing something like Insidious
(04:20):
and numerous other films, picking up other films that you
know had been made but the distribution fell through so
they were releasing them or at least finding them a
home in many ways. And then you know, if you
look at kind of what happened at the release of
Get Out, that truly changed the horror game. I really
believe that, as a horror critic, a horror journalist, however
(04:44):
you want to call me, we will continue to talk
about the time before Get Out and then after Get
Out. The same way we talk about there was a
time before Night of the Living Dead and there's a
time after Night of the Living Dead. And what I
think Blumhouse is continuing to do is in many ways
they are really speaking to the teen audience that wants
(05:04):
to play in horror, that wants to dabble in it,
but they're also keeping a toe in the more adult,
the more intellectual, the more accessibly intellectual horror film and
playing to that kind of elevated horror that people like
to wring their hands over. But Blumhouse is kind of
doing it all.
Natasha G (05:21):
And just to jump in for a sec, speaking of
doing it all, Blumhouse is also behind the new film
Invisible Man starring Elizabeth Moss.
Movie Quotes (05:32):
(inaudible) What I'm experiencing. Do you need help? Adrian
is dead. I went to his house today. He's not
dead. I have a pile of ashes in a box
that disagree with you. He has figured out a way
to be invisible. Only thing more brilliant than inventing something
(05:52):
that makes you invisible is coming up with the perfect way to torture
you, even in death.
Natasha G (05:59):
Alex, what do we know so far about this film?
Alex W (06:02):
So this version of the Invisible Man is obviously a
take on the HG Wells character. This was a character
that was first brought into film as part of what
many considered to be the Universal classic monsters, he was
played by Claude Rains. There's been a few different incarnations
of it. This character has reappeared in popular culture over
(06:24):
the decades because, you say the invisible man, you kind
of get it. I think what not everyone is clued
into is the fact that HG Wells always wrote this
character as kind of evil. He was not a good
guy. And now what we see is Blumhouse and taking
that property and that theme and then shifting the perspective.
(06:46):
So it's not necessarily about this doctor who's running around
doing evil things and the men who go and chase
him. It's about his seemingly ex- partner who is terrified
of this abusive ex she has, who has now seemingly left
her all this money if she can prove she's not
crazy. And I think it's bringing up a lot of
really interesting themes about believing women, the Me Too movement,
(07:11):
abuse within intimate relationships, all under the banner of horror.
Natasha G (07:16):
You're listening to Hello Movies brought to you by Cineplex.
Before we continue digging into the characteristics of modern horror
films and why you should go see them in theaters,
we want to first encourage you to subscribe to Hello
Movies where ever you get your podcasts. While you're at
it, why not send us the name of your favorite
scary movie on social media? Let's get a list going.
Where at Cineplex movies on Twitter and Instagram. We're back
(07:41):
with horror movie journalist and author Alex West. And we're
talking about how the new take on Invisible Man explores
some bigger themes like abusive relationships. So what is it
about the horror genre that maybe opens up this kind
of storytelling?
Alex W (07:55):
I think the public perceives horror to be able to
tell that bigger story. So I think directors and filmmakers
and production houses are able to sell those through a
bit more easily. But the horror genre has always done
that. Like the Night of the Living Dead was never
just about zombies, it was about the state of America
at the end of the '60s. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is
(08:16):
about the collapse of capitalism. Rosemary's Baby, the Shining, the
original Suspiria, the new Suspiria, I can go on and
on. Even Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street. These are all
dealing with political issues that were happening at the time.
The horror genre deals with so much and it puts
(08:38):
it at a life or death kind of parallel. It
does deal often in the binary of it's going to
be life or it's going to be death, which can
seem very dramatic, sometimes it can be a bit silly.
But I think now audiences are more open to going
to a horror film and seeing something. And I think
now we're just at a place where the film industry,
(08:59):
the audiences, the producers, everyone else is willing to take
horror seriously, and I think we're going to see a
lot of people capitalizing on it. Just like we have
seen since just before Jordan Peele. But really since Jordan
Peele kind of broke through in a really significant way.
Natasha G (09:15):
So Alex, we've talked about horror films exploring deep social
issues, but there's also something to be said for the
fun and being scared out of your wits. That brings
us to Brahms
this family moves into a new home, unaware of its
terrifying past. Then this young boy makes friends with an
eerily lifelike doll named Brahms. You just know it's not
(09:36):
going to go well.
Movie Quotes (09:40):
Beware his story one and all. Brahms was never just a
doll. To live again, he needs a friend. His (inaudible)
of the rules will never end.
Natasha G (09:54):
What do you think Alex?
Alex W (09:56):
I might be one of the few who actually saw
the original Boy in theaters and I did have a
lot of fun with it. It's a kind of ridiculous,
it's totally goofy, had a couple of good jump scares
and I think we're going to get the same with
this sequel. I think the really exciting part for me
being a '90s kid is that Katie Holmes is in
it. I'm very excited to see her in something and
(10:19):
honestly in the trailer it looks like she's having so
much fun. I can't remember the last time I've seen
her have fun, so I'm super pumped for it. Looks
like, I don't want to spoil the original, but it
looks like they're taking the film in a different direction
and that's the one you get all your friends together,
you get a big bag of popcorn and you go
and you like scream and laugh and have a really
(10:41):
good time with it at the theater.
Natasha G (10:43):
Okay. I'm glad you brought that up because a friend
of mine jokes that she likes to watch horror movies
in theaters because, well, then the monster has someone else
to eat. So why do you say they're best enjoyed
in a theater?
Alex W (10:54):
I mean, you've got a big screen so you can
appreciate all the visuals. The sound is awesome. You're getting
to hear every like creak and crack and your nerves
are on edge. The Boy Two is perfect for the
popcorn, the screaming, the good time with your friends where
you're kind of like, " Oh my gosh, what did we
just watch?" But then also I always think about when
I saw The Quiet Place in theaters and it was
(11:16):
a packed house, packed on opening weekend and everyone was
silent. We were all like as a community, we had
all just somehow subconsciously agreed we were not going to
mess this up and everyone was super quiet throughout the
whole thing and it was a blast. Horror is best
experienced with a community. And you find a great community
(11:39):
at the theater.
Natasha G (11:39):
Before I let you go, Alex, Parasite was a huge
winner at the Oscars and Get Out, like you mentioned,
was a landmark film. So where do you think horror's
going as a genre?
Alex W (11:48):
So I think what we're going to see is hopefully a
move towards more original content. Again, Jordan Peele created two
films, completely original concepts that I think are really exciting
and really new and I think we're going to see
an increased push towards international films. I think with Parasite
(12:08):
winning so many Oscars the last week that we will
see a further emphasis on Asian film. Asian horror films
are incredible and I think giving them a bit more
of a platform, seeking them out, getting them wider distribution,
not just straight to DVD or VOD, whatever it is
(12:29):
now. We're going to see some more international stuff. We're
going to see less IP. And I think hopefully because
a lot of horror films do their tour on the
festival circuit, I'm hoping we see some of those big
exciting things that came through, get picked up and get
released in theaters and we're starting to see that. So
I hope that trend carries on because it's an incredible
(12:51):
showcase and you know, as I always say, the best
place to see horror is in the theater and that's
what you want it, that's where you're going to find your
audience. That's where you're going to find your family, your
horror family.
Natasha G (13:03):
Alex West is a horror movie expert and the host
of the Faculty of Horror podcast. And now the moment
you may have been waiting for. One of our resident
movie critics, Marnie Wise is here now to reveal the
source of those scary sounds you heard off the top,
as well as some other horror movie trivia you may
not know. Marnie, welcome back.
Marnie W (13:22):
How are you? Let me start by asking how you
are. I understand you've been talking a lot about horror today.
Natasha G (13:29):
And you know Marnie, this is my favorite type of
film, right? This is my favorite genre because it just
scares me to death, but I want to get your
take on listening to those clips that we started the
podcast with earlier on in the episode. Let's take a
listen to these clips starting with an easy one.
Movie Quotes (13:48):
Here's Johnny.
Marnie W (13:52):
So of course, that's Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick's 1980
classic, The Shining, which I think is my personal favorite
horror movie. And Kubrick, who's famous for his obsessive attention
to detail shot the famous " Here's Johnny" scene over the
course of three days and had to replace the splinter
door 60 times.
Natasha G (14:13):
You mean Jack Nicholson had to do that scene 60 times?
Marnie W (14:17):
He's a pro.
Natasha G (14:18):
All right. Our next scene is an oldie but ooh,
such a goodie.
Movie Quotes (14:29):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (14:29):
Okay, you probably know that one too. They will get
harder. That's the famous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960
film Psycho. The now iconic score was written by Bernard
Herman and Hitchcock was so pleased with the end result
that he doubled the composer's salary to just over $ 34,000.
Remember, this was 1960. Hitchcock later said that 33% of
(14:53):
the effect of Psycho was due to the music
Natasha G (14:56):
Of course, and do you know, till this day, every
time I check into a hotel room and I take
a shower, I constantly hear that song whenever I take
a shower and I'm constantly worried that there's going to
be somebody on the other side of that shower curtain.
Marnie W (15:09):
Natasha, I feel for you, that's terrible. You have to
get over that. Maybe watch the film one more time
with all the lights on and surrounded by friends and
then you'll be okay.
Movie Quotes (15:18):
Watching some scary movie. You like scary movies? What's your
favorite scary movie? I don't know. You have to have a favorite.
Marnie W (15:28):
That clip is from the opening scene of the 1996
slasher films Scream. Drew Barrymore, whose character Casey meets an
early demise in the film, was originally cast as Sydney
Prescott, the character played by Nev Campbell, but Drew insisted
that if she played Casey who dies in the first
few minutes of the movie, then it would make audiences realize, "
Wow, anything can happen. Any character can go at any moment."
Natasha G (15:52):
Marnie, did you just spoil Scream for people who've never
seen it?
Marnie W (15:55):
Look, this movie came out in 1996, if people haven't
seen it by now, they're on their own and she
dies in the first few minutes, it's not like it
ruins past the first 10 minutes of the movie.
Natasha G (16:06):
All right. Our clips are going to start getting a
little more difficult to recognize. Take a listen to this.
Movie Quotes (16:18):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (16:17):
So that eerie croak is from Takashi Shimizu's 2004 supernatural
horror The Grudge, which was itself an American remake of
his own 2002 Japanese version. The Grudge of course, has
gone on to spawn a huge horror franchise, which was
just re- rebooted last month with John Cho in one
(16:39):
of the lead roles.
Natasha G (16:40):
Yeah, and people just can't seem to get enough of
The Grudge. All right. We've come to our final movie.
It's a horror clip that might be a little tricky
for some to guess, but it's become a cult classic.
Movie Quotes (16:57):
(inaudible)
Marnie W (16:56):
Anybody who got this one gets an extra 10 points
and a gold star. So this creepy sound is the
infamous defibrillator scene from John Carpenter's sci- fi horror The
Thing. This movie, which horror master Carpenter has said is
(17:16):
his favorite of all of his films, was a big
box office disappointment when it was released in 1982 and
the film's producers blame that on its horrific depiction of
an alien life form, which was contrasted against Steven Spielberg's
feel good E. T. The Extraterrestrial, which had just come
out a few weeks earlier. The film, however, as you
(17:38):
mentioned, has since achieved a major cult following.
Natasha G (17:42):
I have to tell you, I Googled that scene because
I've never seen this film before. And again, I was
traumatized. So whether-
Marnie W (17:51):
If you were scared by the sound, then the visuals
are really going to creep you out. I encourage everybody
to Google that scene.
Natasha G (17:57):
Marnie, it is always such a pleasure to have you
on Hello Movies. Before I let you go though, I
want to ask you about some movies coming out this
week and what particular ones you're excited for.
Marnie W (18:07):
Okay. We've got two that are counter- programming to horror
movies. Both of them come out on February 21st the
first one is Emma based on a Jane Austen novel.
So we've got Anya Taylor- Joy who you may have
seen in The Witch or Split. She is playing Emma
Woodhouse who is a high society girl in 1800s England
who wants to be a matchmaker but ends up just
(18:27):
meddling in and messing up everybody else's life. Also, this
one is a directed by Autumn de Wilde who you
probably haven't heard of because up until now she's mostly
done music videos, including a bunch by Beck. So expect
this one to be pretty stylish. And also the reviews
are already out. And last time I looked it was
(18:48):
at about 95% on rotten tomatoes.
Natasha G (18:51):
Oh, I think I will check that one out. Thanks
Marnie. Do you have another one?
Marnie W (18:54):
Yep. The other one is The Call of the Wild, also
February 21st and that of course is based on the
classic Jack London novel, which was published in 1903. This
is a dog movie. So if you're a dog person,
get your tickets now. The story is really about the
dog. He's stolen and sold as a sled dog, transported
up North to the Yukon where he lives a pretty
(19:17):
tough life. He's abused. He goes through a number of
owners until he lands with grumpy old John Thornton, who
is played by grumpy old Harrison Ford. So Thornton is
a gold prospector, this is during the Klondike gold rush
of the 1890s, and Thornton and his dog Buck go
off on this great adventure. And they bond with each
(19:41):
other the way that neither of them has bonded with
anyone else. And this one too has been done a
few times in the past. There was a Clark Gable
version in 1935, a Charlton Heston version in 1972, and
now we have Harrison Ford's version.
Natasha G (19:56):
Marnie, I love it. They are two classic novels and
two great films that everyone can see this week in
the theater. Thank you.
Marnie W (20:04):
Maybe you can alternate horror, classic, horror, classic.
Natasha G (20:12):
That's it for this episode of Hello Movies brought to
you by Cineplex. We hope you enjoyed sinking your teeth
into some of the meaty issues involved in horror movies.
Blumhouse's Fantasy Island is in Cineplex theaters now, Brahms
Boy Two on February 21st, and The Invisible Man on
February 28th. See you again in two weeks, when we
take a look at movies that explore the theme of
(20:34):
memory. I'm Natasha Gargiulo. See you next time.
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