Evil Dead: The Original Trilogy Revisited

by Cláudio Alves

As tentpoles falter and prestige fare fails to perform, horror continues to prove a safe investment for Hollywood. You won't find me complaining about that last bit, for scary movies have long won my affection. And yet, while celebrating box office success, it's distasteful to meander in mercenary matters. Instead, let's consider a new sensation in Evil Dead Rises, the fifth film in the horror franchise Sam Raimi birthed at the dawn of the 80s. Indeed, while these deadite-infested movies have strayed away from detailing the adventures of Ash Williams – check out the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead for more of that – the original trilogy continues to have a special place in fans' hearts.

So, join me as I revisit Raimi's first ventures into gory horror, horror comedy, and medieval fantasia…

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Antiviral @ 10: The Beginning of Brandon Cronenberg

by Cláudio Alves

It's been a decade since Brandon Cronenberg came into the scene, with Antiviral as his feature debut. That film was preceded by a couple of shorts, succeeded by various music videos, Possessor, and this year's Infinity Pool. Common themes reverberate through his oeuvre, linking him to his father's cinema. Like David, Brandon Cronenberg works within dimensions of horror, often considering transcendence through the body and the body transcended, altered, made a dream cum nightmare. Yet, despite similar interests, shared names, linked blood, father and son feel like unique auteurs, their connections superficial. One would expect the nepo baby to forever live in his patriarch's shadow, but maybe not…

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The haunting beauty of "Kwaidan"

by Cláudio Alves

This month, in the Criterion Channel, there's a spotlight on Kwaidan, the Masaki Kobayashi classic that became the first significant example of Japanese horror to reach international audiences. You can find critic Grady Hendrix exploring the 1964 anthology on the streaming service, but that's far from the only reason you should check it out. Kwaidan collects four ghost stories that, together, form cinematic poetry of ravishing beauty. No wonder Kobayashi's film has entranced The Film Experience for years. Dancin' Dan once wrote about Kwaidan for the Oscar Horrors series, Nathaniel and Juan Carlos discussed it in podcast form, and I highlighted its costuming for an idealized Oscar ballot. 

Still, it's never a wrong time to re-consider Kwaidan, to get lost anew in its visual splendor...

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In defense of Jamie Lee Curtis

by Cláudio Alves

Yes, I know that title is ridiculous. After all, nepo baby extraordinaire Jamie Lee Curtis just achieved the highest form of recognition in her industry, winning the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award after having already nabbed a SAG in the same category. Moreover, Everything Everywhere All At Once, the film she's been championing ever since it premiered at last year's SXSW, became a sweeping sensation, our latest Best Picture champion. And yet, if you love the actress or have some fondness for her performance, social media has proved a hostile environment. It started way before the Oscar nominations when the possibility of Curtis making the lineup to Stephanie Hsu's detriment angered multitudes…

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SXSW: Probing Identity in "Bloody Hell"

by Abe Friedtanzer

From the sound of its title, you might think that Bloody Hell is a violent horror film. But in fact it’s a mostly (and significantly) blood-free exploration of what it’s like to be a teenager that doesn’t quite fit in. It’s described as a “traumedy” about a sixteen-year-old girl shaken by the news of a reproductive condition that will play heavily into both her sex life and her potential to become a future mother... 

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