Ligottian Horror Flicks

[Mr Intolerance]

The Bunker has a vaguely Ligottian vibe to it - quite an understated and rather effective film. Think The Keep, but told through the atmosphere of Session 9, and removing any image of a guy in a rubber monster suit.

I think that Argento's Inferno is more Ligottian than Suspiria was. Suspiria is effectively (my favourite Argento - the soundtrack, mise-en-scene, and use of colour are all amazing) a slasher flick with grotesque supernatural imagery. Inferno is far more cerebral.

If we're talking J-horror, then I'd probably throw Infection into the mix. Not as outright creepy as Kairo (Pulse) or Kourei (Seance), and a little heavy on the gooey stuff, but worth a look.

Can I also recommend A Tale of Two Sisters, a K-horror flick, before the inevitable Hollywood re-make defiles it?

Also, a recent watch, Takashi Miike's "Gozu" had a very hefty Lynchian vibe, thence recommending itself to Ligotti fans, in my not-so-humble opinion, although the black comedy is hammed up a little too much for my taste.

[Daisy]

Yesterday I saw Last Year at Marienbad (dir. Alain Resnais, 1961) at the Film Forum in Manhattan, where it's playing in a limited engagement until March 27. If any of you on the board live in or near NYC, try not to miss it! I was immediately put in mind of "Drink to Me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes" by an early scene in which elegant spectators in formal dress sit rapt before a stage performance in a grand, ornate hotel. These "fancy persons" in a "baroque room" of a "fancy house" are subject, like their counterparts in TL's story, to tricks of the most fantastical kind. Memory deceives and eludes them; events in their lives occur and distortedly recur. And, in the movie's most eloquent sequences, the director's camera literally freezes them in their tracks, making mannequins of them. The atmosphere of dread that pervades Marienbad has impressed a number of contemporary filmmakers, including Dario Argento, whose Inferno -- discussed in the previous post by Mr. Intolerance -- not only extrapolates the earlier film's eerieness into full-blown horror but also features one of its stars, Sacha Pitoëff. I'd be interested to know what other Ligottians make of Last Year at Marienbad . . . I think that, as films go, it's an enigma and a marvel.

[waffles]

I love Last Year at Marienbad.

It never occurred to me that it could be Ligottian. It has atmosphere and mystery to spare - but not gloomy like an upbeat Bergmann film;)

I'll have to rewatch it.

Thanks for reminding me that it exists!

[DeathfareDevil]

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Intolerance

Can I also recommend A Tale of Two Sisters, a K-horror flick, before the inevitable Hollywood re-make defiles it?

Excellent movie, and I agree: hopefully Hollywood will stay away. With the exception of the first Grudge (and then just barely), these remakes are aqueous crap.

One of the few times a film scene has made me physically jump -- excepting those cheap shots of cats springing from bushes -- was in this movie, A Tale of Two Sisters, when one of the girls suddenly appears crammed into the cabinet beneath a kitchen sink. Sounds odd, yes, but somehow it works in context.

I also agree that Guillermo del Toro is the man. I look forward to his movies as much for the DVD commentary as for the films themselves. He's one of my favorite people, and someone needs to introduce him to Ligotti (if it hasn't happened already), because he definitely is fit to translate TL into cinema.

I have yet to see The Orphanage, however -- any thoughts on this one? Is it somehow related to Devil's Backbone?

[the_havoc_man]

I can't wait to see Last Year at Marienbad when it plays at the Music Box the first week of May. I have not been excited for a film in a long time.

Quote Originally Posted by Daisy

Yesterday I saw Last Year at Marienbad (dir. Alain Resnais, 1961) at the Film Forum in Manhattan, where it's playing in a limited engagement until March 27. If any of you on the board live in or near NYC, try not to miss it! I was immediately put in mind of "Drink to Me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes" by an early scene in which elegant spectators in formal dress sit rapt before a stage performance in a grand, ornate hotel. These "fancy persons" in a "baroque room" of a "fancy house" are subject, like their counterparts in TL's story, to tricks of the most fantastical kind. Memory deceives and eludes them; events in their lives occur and distortedly recur. And, in the movie's most eloquent sequences, the director's camera literally freezes them in their tracks, making mannequins of them. The atmosphere of dread that pervades Marienbad has impressed a number of contemporary filmmakers, including Dario Argento, whose Inferno -- discussed in the previous post by Mr. Intolerance -- not only extrapolates the earlier film's eerieness into full-blown horror but also features one of its stars, Sacha Pitoëff. I'd be interested to know what other Ligottians make of Last Year at Marienbad . . . I think that, as films go, it's an enigma and a marvel.

[Mr Intolerance]

Quote Originally Posted by DeathfareDevil

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Intolerance Can I also recommend A Tale of Two Sisters, a K-horror flick, before the inevitable Hollywood re-make defiles it? Excellent movie, and I agree: hopefully Hollywood will stay away.

Sorry DeathfareDevil, it's already underway, but under the title "The Uninvited" to give it some distance from the original, I suppose. You can read about it here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815245/

Hope that link works, I'm a dreadful yutz when it comes to things technological...

[the_havoc_man]

Quote Originally Posted by the_havoc_man

I can't wait to see Last Year at Marienbad when it plays at the Music Box the first week of May. I have not been excited for a film in a long time. Quote Originally Posted by Daisy Yesterday I saw Last Year at Marienbad (dir. Alain Resnais, 1961) at the Film Forum in Manhattan, where it's playing in a limited engagement until March 27. If any of you on the board live in or near NYC, try not to miss it! I was immediately put in mind of "Drink to Me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes" by an early scene in which elegant spectators in formal dress sit rapt before a stage performance in a grand, ornate hotel. These "fancy persons" in a "baroque room" of a "fancy house" are subject, like their counterparts in TL's story, to tricks of the most fantastical kind. Memory deceives and eludes them; events in their lives occur and distortedly recur. And, in the movie's most eloquent sequences, the director's camera literally freezes them in their tracks, making mannequins of them. The atmosphere of dread that pervades Marienbad has impressed a number of contemporary filmmakers, including Dario Argento, whose Inferno -- discussed in the previous post by Mr. Intolerance -- not only extrapolates the earlier film's eerieness into full-blown horror but also features one of its stars, Sacha Pitoëff. I'd be interested to know what other Ligottians make of Last Year at Marienbad . . . I think that, as films go, it's an enigma and a marvel.

We'll I just saw Marienbad the other night. I was blown away by this picture. It was one of the wildest rides that I have experienced in the theatre in a while. The stark elegant Black and White photography reminded me of old Hollywood. The lavish chateau setting reminded me of the words of Poe and Radcliffe. The editing and camera shots of this fim were amazing. i definitely believe that both David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick are fans of this film as well. I could not help but, think of how much the tale was in relation to Thomas Ligotti's work. The mannequin quality was very disturbing. Sacha Pitoeff was a terrifying presence with his sunken cheak bones. The Girl was very chic and beautiful in that French New Wave style that I love just like Anna Karina or Bardot. One other film that I was reminded also was Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls from 1962. I am still contemplating the film and also would love to hear from others thoughts if they have viewed Last Year at Marienbad.

[Mr. D.]

One of my all time favorite films is very Ligottian in a subtle way. I am thinking of "Dr. Strangelove." (The full title is "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.") Any comedy about the end of all life on earth due to an Air Force general going nuts and lanching a first strike against Russia is my kind of comedy. Great cast, too. George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Sterling Hayden and Peter Sellers in three roles (including Dr. Strangelove himself). The real kick is realizing what you were laughing about. I wonder how many viewers really understood this film at the time.

[the_havoc_man]

Quote Originally Posted by Mr. D.

One of my all time favorite films is very Ligottian in a subtle way. I am thinking of "Dr. Strangelove." (The full title is "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.") Any comedy about the end of all life on earth due to an Air Force general going nuts and lanching a first strike against Russia is my kind of comedy. Great cast, too. George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Sterling Hayden and Peter Sellers in three roles (including Dr. Strangelove himself). The real kick is realizing what you were laughing about. I wonder how many viewers really understood this film at the time.

I love the Black humor of Strangelove. It is one of Peter Sellers greatest moments as an actor.
"Hey you can't fight in here this the war room."
I think that it is one of the funniest movies of all time.

"A fella could have a pretty good time in Vegas with all this..."

[paeng]

Re: Strangelove, great film! I used it as a supplement for Goethe's Faust. Also, check out The Loved One. Here's the IMBD link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059410/