Gruesome
For those interested in filmmaking, Gruesome is a fine example of what can be done on a very low budget with an excellent idea. The film labours at times under a barrage of horror film clichés and painful dialogue, but these oddly add to the dreamlike feel. The scenery and characters are bland but again work because at no point do they dominate the suspense and dread which saturates the film. While it lacks the special effects, jokes and the beautifully plastic people of mainstream horror, Gruesome makes up for with originality and a realism that give the feeling that this could actually be happening. Nothing is over-explained but events jar, creating a sense of unease that is exploited throughout, until the film is tied together by a satisfyingly neat ending.
Tagged: horror movies
RELATED
Who wouldn’t want to see a scene where a dismembered head is re-animated using electricity, then smokes a cigarette? It’s awesome, and belongs to an hilarious middle section of this film, which is done in three parts, each with a different director. The other sections are still gripping, the conclusion especially full of tension and is one of the best I’ve seen for a horror film. Read more
Dario Argento’s 1982 film Tenebre isn’t a typical Argento film. Shot in icy, pastel colors, the film remains rather subdued throughout, saving the real over-the-top craziness for the very end, which is worth waiting through the ridiculous twists and improbable plot for. The soundtrack by ex-Goblin members is also worth checking out.
Also by XAVIER TOBY
Australian movie A Few Best Men
With all the gross out jokes and silliness of the common comedy romp, you’d think making them would be easy. Well, it’s not. It’s actually really difficult. Writing a joke is one of the hardest tasks anyone can undertake. Read more
Melancholia: a film by Lars von Trier
I wish there were a lot more of the types of films made by Lars von Trier. Each is very different but still distinctly von Trier, and each is superb. Melancholia is the follow up to the wonderfully confronting Antichrist. This is all about the end of the world, and told with an honesty and pacing that is probably much closer to the actual end of the world than all the Hollywood crap would have you believe. Read more
We Need To Talk About Kevin: based on Lionel Shriver’s novel
A delightful uncomfortable film, told from the point of view of a broken woman. Kevin’s just not right, and that’s obvious from the outset as mother Eva battles to bring him up in a world where the onus is put squarely back on the mother. The intensity is poured on throughout, as tragedy seems imminent. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (0)
No comments yet.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Ben Grasso creates some of the most exciting paintings I have ever seen. He depicts exploding (or imploding, or disintegrating, I can’t decide) natural and architectural structures, often at surreal angles or amongst clouds. For me though, there’s something quite calming about the considered way in which these subjects are broken up. It’s all very beautiful. Read more
Austin-based photographer William Hundley loves juxtaposing completely absurd and unrelated objects. Whether it’s fabric-draped people in mid jump or chihuahuas and Easter Island heads standing on cheeseburgers, Hundley takes an almost Dadaist joy in making random, giddily puzzling images. Read more
Welcome to the street where originality lives: the adidas Originals neighborhood. This is where athletes, musicians, skaters, artists, entertainers and more all come together to show their colors, their style and their originality. Join Snoop Dogg, Agnes Deyn, Jeremy Scott and more at the adidas Originals street party to end all street parties. Celebrate Originality.
Yes it may be cliched to acknowledge it, but having lived for some time now down the barrel of the loaded gun that is New York, it really is difficult to be cynical — as the folk laureate Rufus Wainwright is — about this city. Read more
Knuckleheads is a pretty fun little side scrolling game where you’re a pair of Mexican-wrestler-looking things attached to each other by a chain. You swing each other around to move and hit floaty capsule things for points, and you can change the length of the chain to get over various obstacles, but watch out for the bats.
Despite their jarring name, British noise duo Fuck Buttons are surprisingly palatable. The band’s long, droning tracks are infused with sweet twinkles and sunny synth, but dark shards of ominous guitar overdrive and distorted screeches pierce the shimmering surface just when you’re ready to zone out. Danceable beats occasionally draw everything back together, creating a stormy, pulsing, and disorienting atmosphere.
Yes, Karen O wears it. And we don’t blame her. Launched by make-up artist, Mike Potter, Knock Out Cosmetics nail polish is a little Victorian, a touch art deco, and a lot of rock n’ roll.
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
The return of the Brionvega rr226
Italian brand Brionvega has resurrected the classy Radiofonografio piece first created in 1965. The updated version is just like the original turntable/radio unit, but also has a CD/DVD player.
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
Francoise Nielly’s Yellow series
Parisian visual artist Francoise Nielly brings technicolour to the forefront in her latest series, Yellow. Featuring thick impasto palette knife strokes and trippy neon hues, Nielly captures the vulnerable expressions of her muses to a tee. Read more
Christoph Niemann illustrates a nightmare flight
New York Times illustrator Christoph Niemann has created a brilliant visual diary outlining the peril and pitfalls that beset the everyday passenger based on his recent experience flying from New York to his home town of Berlin. Read more
How ’bout this Jose Manuel Hortelano-Pi guy, huh? Quite the illustrator, yessiree Bob. From Spain, too. Spain is great! Read more
In the Little Companions Rebelling Against the Magician t-shirt, label The Balletcats capture everything that we love about the holiday season: rebellion, flames, and striped pants. Nothing short of a classic family gathering! While everything that The Balletcats do is genius, this shirt has an extra bit of zip: it’s an exclusive for Lost At E Minor, and available to buy at our online store.
Read more
If you have a Twitter feed that focuses on cool pop cultural things and you’d like to swap Tweets with Lost At E Minor and other like-minded Twitterers, drop us a note (with Tweet Swap in the title). We have a system in place and we’d like to have you in on it! [illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick]
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it's not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
