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[REVIEW] ‘Crimson Peak’ Conjures A Perfect Spirit of Gothic Drama With Hauntingly Good Directing  

Crimson Peak is the perfect film if you want to dissect and break down exactly how skilled a filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro is. Early in the film, Edith meets with a publisher, where she describes her novel as less of a ghost story and more of a story with ghosts in it. It’s very clearly a kind of unsubtle way for Del Toro to have an actress look at the camera and deliver his ethos on the film directly to you (there’s no way to make a meta line that verbatim says “the ghost is a metaphor” not sound kind of corny).

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There are only a handful of directors that I would say have a truly all-encompassing grasp on the films they make. Panos Cosmatos comes to mind, as does Dario Argento; no matter what you pick from their catalog, they have a total tonal cohesiveness. There’s something that bleeds through every ounce of their film’s cinematography, a signature on every frame. Guillermo Del Toro is one of those directors, possibly the preeminent among them, and Crimson Peak is certainly the film that embodies his cinematic signature best.

Discriminated against by publishers and rejected by socialites for her ambition, Edith Cushing can find no peace. But when a bold and charming inventor named Thomas Sharpe whisks her away, Edith’s troubles grow deeper. She’s taken to the Sharpe ancestral home, Allerdale Hall, a sinking mansion seated over a clay mine. Thomas and his quiet sister Lucille tend to its dusty halls. But as visions of grotesque red spirits begin to terrorize Edith, the manor’s history and who the Sharpes are, becomes clear quickly—and dangerously.

For the longest time I was told that Crimson Peak was a “slow-burn horror film”, but this is where language when describing movies is sometimes lost in translation for me. Crimson Peak isn’t what I would consider slow burn just because it’s quiet and not as frenetic as your typical supernatural horror. It’s briskly paced, there’s a mystery that unfolds at a steady rhythm, and there are quite a few encounters with the horrific ghosts of Allerdale Hall throughout the film (which are some of the best designed in film history, Mr. X Inc delivers when it comes to effects).

But in between all the phantasms and frights, there is a dark and uncomfortable romance unfolding that takes precedence. The film is far from unpredictable storywise, but it doesn’t really matter because the roughly 100-minute runtime breezes through, keeping you clung to the drama going on between Edith, Thomas, and Lucille. And when the tension between all three of them is relinquished, it feels less like waiting for a noise to sound off and more like the end of a high-strung violin performance.

If you’re a fan of gothic literature at all, this film has homages to it in spades, the most vocally beloved and represented here being Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Del Toro has said as much, describing the film as “a cross between a classic gothic romance, like Jane Eyre […] and The House of Usher in interviews. There are quite a few direct references to the events of Usher, including the mansion itself literally sinking into the earth, and its story elements like those that are incorporated which show you Del Toro’s love for gothic romance and his love for this film.

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More visible signs of careful planning and execution are to be seen…well, in every other facet of the film. I’m about a decade late and a dollar short when it comes to clever analysis of how everything in this film is beyond gorgeous. But I will highlight that it won a Saturn Award for Best Production Design for a reason: Allerdale Hall is a breathing place, not breathing air but pure death. It’s not full of life, but a wispy, smokey unlife. There’s atmosphere pouring off its walls and stones like heavy bromine vapors. It’s up there as one of my favorite settings in all of horror, alongside the Overlook Hotel and Haywood Ranch.  

It’s genuinely criminal that this film didn’t win any of the costume design awards it was nominated for, because they can be downright mesmerizing. They’re a key part of the film’s language, making many of the characters more visually striking and memorable. Chastain’s character, Lucille, arrives on the screen hailed by an outfit of deep red fabric that’s as rich and powerful as the classical music she plays on the piano. In this film, the costumes are a dramatic tool in and of themselves instead of just dressing for the performances, and I will always laud the ridiculously talented costume designer Kate Hawley for what she did here.

But of course, what is a stage without its players? I really can’t picture anyone else besides Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain in this film, since they make the perfect duo; they both have so much gravity on screen it’s difficult to pull your eyes away. The movie belongs to them, given the kind of bombshell line deliveries they achieve. However, that’s not to discredit Mia Wasikowska, who shows off quite a bit of range as she goes through emotional torment after emotional torment.

Crimson Peak is the perfect film if you want to dissect and break down exactly how skilled a filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro is. Early in the film, Edith meets with a publisher, where she describes her novel as less of a ghost story and more of a story with ghosts in it. It’s very clearly a kind of unsubtle way for Del Toro to have an actress look at the camera and deliver his ethos on the film directly to you (there’s no way to make a meta line that verbatim says “the ghost is a metaphor” not sound kind of corny).

And while I would have disagreed with it in the past, Crimson Peak really is a perfect story about people where the ghosts serve the drama. I can honestly say this film could work without its more horrifying elements, that I can imagine a version of this film divorced from the supernatural, is a testament to the pure amount of craft Del Toro put into it. Unlike Allerdale Hall, Crimson Peaks is on solid ground and is some of Del Toro’s best directing yet.

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Luis Pomales-Diaz is a freelance writer and lover of fantasy, sci-fi, and of course, horror. When he isn't working on a new article or short story, he can usually be found watching schlocky movies and forgotten television shows.

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[REVIEW] ‘The Dead Thing’ Takes Ghosting To A Whole New Level

The Dead Thing follows Alex (Blu Hunt), a young woman who works late hours, lives by the rays of a sunlamp, and is looking for the one connection that will make life seem less cyclical. When Alex meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Peterson), it seems like things will finally be going in her favor. But all that glitters is not gold. As quickly as he came, he vanished. Hurt, confused, and pissed, Alex tries to get to the bottom of why Kyle disappeared from her life. Some stones are meant to be left unturned.

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Elric Kane has been a prominent voice in the film and horror space for a long time. One of my fondest memories of Kane is his longtime hosting gig on the Shock Waves Podcast. The amount of film knowledge and obscure films I learned about from him and Dr. Rebekah McKendry singlehandedly fueled my interest in collecting physical media. Hearing how passionate and intense they were with their love of the genre is also what started me down the path of writing. While Dr. McKendry has previously dipped her toes in the feature filmmaking game, it’s now time for Elric Kane to do so.

Cut to: The Dead Thing.

The Dead Thing follows Alex (Blu Hunt), a young woman who works late hours, lives by the rays of a sunlamp, and is looking for the one connection that will make life seem less cyclical. When Alex meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Peterson), it seems like things will finally be going in her favor. But all that glitters is not gold. As quickly as he came, he vanished. Hurt, confused, and pissed, Alex tries to get to the bottom of why Kyle disappeared from her life. Some stones are meant to be left unturned.

Writer/director Elric Kane’s (and co-writer Webb Wilcoxen) singular debut feature film is a superbly crafted supernatural spectacle. The Dead Thing starts slow and deliberate; rather than rushing into an overwritten plot with underwritten characters, Kane and Wilcoxen allow the audience to sit with Alex in her neverending love life. One aspect of Alex that I, and hopefully many will, appreciate is how Alex is written. Rarely does Alex feel written from the perspective of the male gaze. Her life may not be going in the exact direction she wants, but the film never makes it out to be a her problem. At no point do they try and make Alex out to be a floozy or condemn her for the life she’s living, instead they make those who live the same kind of lifestyle feel seen. The film asks the audience if they ever feel like there’s no escape; too many of us can relate to that.

It doesn’t matter how a character is written if the acting doesn’t deliver, and Blu Hunt delivers. Set aside the fact that she has one of the most badass names I’ve ever heard, Hunt provides an astounding lead performance. Whether she’s walking alone down a Los Angeles street, or playing off of her longtime friend Cara (Katherine Hughes), coworker Chris (John Karna), or the mysterious[ly handsome] Kyle, Hunt gives it her all. It helps that Ben Smith-Peterson and the supporting cast all give overwhelmingly brilliant performances.

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Supernatural stories aren’t usually my go-to. They can be too overwritten, too style over substance, too “elevated”, or just plain boring. The Dead Thing quickly finds its footing and lets the audience accept it or not. Kane and cinematographer Ioana Vasile (who was a still photographer for Pontypool!!!) wonderfully capture the sometimes-solitary, sometimes-overstimulating beautiful hellscape that is Los Angeles. It should also be noted that one of my favorite actors in the world, Matt Mercer is a producer on this film.

The Dead Thing hits the perfect blend of claustrophobic loneliness and endless yearning. Just like Dr. Rebekah McKendry, it’s clear that Elric Kane doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. For his debut feature film, The Dead Thing doesn’t need resuscitation. I’d say run, don’t walk, to check this one out, but if you do…look left and right before crossing the street.

The Dead Thing hits Shudder on Friday, February 14! Watch it with your partner if you can, or watch it alone with a tub of ice cream and an overflowing glass of wine. I won’t judge.

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[REVIEW] ‘Bride of Chucky’ Takes The Franchise In A New Direction

Bride of Chucky follows two groups of people who inevitably meet up for a final climactic finale. Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly) procures Chucky’s (Brad Dourif) body following the events of Child’s Play 3. Her goal is to perform a voodoo ritual to put his soul back into a human’s body. Through a questionable series of events, Chucky kills Tiffany and puts her soul into the body of a doll. The side story follows Jade Kincaid (Katherine Heigl) and Jesse Miller (Nick Stabile) who elope, with a thousand dollars, from Jade’s overbearing police chief uncle Warren (John Ritter). After Chucky kills Warren, Jade and Jesse are fingered for the murder. That’s when hijinks ensue.

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The Child’s Play franchise is all over the place. What started as a [fairly] serious slasher series surrounding a killer doll would morph into a Nightmare on Elm Street-like horror comedy before self-correcting to find a solid middle ground. I’ll be the first to admit that I have never really cared much for this franchise. Child’s Play frightened me when I was a kid, and it wouldn’t be until my college years that I decided to watch Bride and Seed–this altered my overall opinion of what the franchise stood for. Watching Child’s Play 2 and 3 back in college left me wondering how a franchise as culturally impactful as this one fluctuated in style and substance.

Bride of Chucky follows two groups of people who inevitably meet up for a final climactic finale. Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly) procures Chucky’s (Brad Dourif) body following the events of Child’s Play 3. Her goal is to perform a voodoo ritual to put his soul back into a human’s body. Through a questionable series of events, Chucky kills Tiffany and puts her soul into the body of a doll. The side story follows Jade Kincaid (Katherine Heigl) and Jesse Miller (Nick Stabile) who elope, with a thousand dollars, from Jade’s overbearing police chief uncle Warren (John Ritter). After Chucky kills Warren, Jade and Jesse are fingered for the murder. That’s when hijinks ensue.

Before the comments start, let’s return to the opening comment regarding Child’s Play turning into a horror comedy. Chucky was always one for quips. Like Freddy Krueger, Chucky would hit a one-liner shortly before or after his kill. These jokes worked to help cut through Chucky’s horror. It gave some momentary relief from the kills. Bride of Chucky is just one long gag, and for me, it’s frustrating. Like Nightmare, Bride of Chucky has lost the plot. Every scene seems to exist to facilitate a setup for the next bit or one-liner, rather than having moments of comedy flow naturally. The doll sex scene and swinger couple bits are just poorly thought-out filler.

I know this is going to anger some of you, but Bride of Chucky is a seriously awful movie.

There are a few moments that I do truly enjoy and work well in the overall Child’s Play universe. Tiffany kills the officer she buys Chucky’s body from with a nail file and then uses it to file her nails. The moment Tiffany stabs Chucky in the back at the cemetery is a great character moment, but it makes everything that led up to it pointless. With the exception of a few moments here and there, Bride of Chucky ends up being a chore to watch rather than entertainment. For a genre that has always been political, gay representation has been lacking for quite some time. The character of David Collins (Gordon Michael Woolvett) is a welcome addition to the story, but he feels underutilized in the grand scheme of it all.

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While I may not care for the franchise much, I’ve done some research on it over the years. Bride of Chucky features many recycled bits from other Child’s Play scripts and you can really feel it. The kills are few and far between and feel overly forced. Child’s Play 4 was initially put on hold after the abysmal box office of Child’s Play 3 and maybe writer/director Don Mancini should have taken another year or so to really flesh out the canon of Chucky. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of Tiffany becoming a doll and becoming pregnant with Chucky’s baby. But I don’t think the ends justify the means.

Cult and Curse of Chucky, thankfully, take the series back to a more grounded and to-the-roots nature of what Child’s Play was, and I’m glad it took nearly a decade after Seed for it to come to fruition. Mancini is an excellent voice in horror, but time and constraints are necessary for his vision to be fully realized. Those who are Child’s Play die-hards will probably disagree with everything I’ve said, and that’s okay. As a casual Chucky fan, Bride of Chucky feels nothing more than a nu-metal, Hot Topic, try-hard entry into the franchise. The kills look solid, and Dourif gives an incredible vocal performance (as always) but there’s little to no substance to Bride of Chucky.

No wonder half of all marriages end in divorce.

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