The Blob (1958)
The Brood (1979)
The Brood is quite simply one of my favorite horror movies of all time. Without a doubt it is the most underrated horror film to come out of the 70s. It's slimy, disturbing, scary, inhumane, and shocking. Cronenberg also takes his usual psychological route, exploring the power of our bottled-up emotions, and the shocking effects that a parent's issues can have on a child. This is one of those rare little surprises that many horror fans may not have discovered yet...and if not, they're in for a deliriously terrifying treat. -
alkytrio666
The Dark Backward (1991)
The Devil Rides Out (aka The Devil's Bride) (1968)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
While the late 50s found England re-inventing the classic horror film with Horror of Dracula & Evil of Frankenstein, in America Jack Arnold & Richard Matheson were creating the ultimate modern horror tale, in which the horror derives from the existential loss of self. Hammer Studios looked toward the feudal past of Barons & Counts and evil monsters. There are no monsters in The Incredible Shrinking Man- just the terrifying fear of the ultimate loss- the annihilation of self.
The Incredible Shrinking Man is a masterpiece of storytelling and a masterpiece of cinematic art. How could it miss- it was written by one of the greatest sci-fi/horror writers ever, and directed by a director who gave us many of the best genre films of the era. Richard Matheson wrote the script from his novel. Matheson may be the most underappreciated writer in the field of horror & sci-fi. While he's generally known for some of his major works- this film, as well as Jaws 3-D and Twilight Zone The Movie, and I Am Legend, which has been filmed several times. He also wrote the best of Roger Corman's Poe adaptations, including Pit and the Pendulum, House of Usher, Tales of Terror and The Raven. He also wrote one of the greatest horror comedies ever, The Comedy of Terrors - the only movie to feature Karloff, Price, Lorre & Rathbone. The movie that launched Speilberg's career- Duel, was Matheson's work. 16 episodes of the Twilight Zone were written by Matheson- more than anyone save Serling himself. He wrote extensively for television, including episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Show, Night Gallery, Star Trek, Amazing Stories, and the TV movies The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. His credits are nearly endless. He may be the single most influential writer of modern horror.
Director Jack Arnold has also given us many films considered some of the best - Creature From the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, Tarantula, It Came From Outer Space, as well as the seminal high school melodrama High School Confidential and cold war comedy The Mouse That Roared. He always directed with a clear naturalistic style that served him well in the myriad of television work he did- directing many episodes of classic TV series of many genres- Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Mr. Terrific (a lost classic that really needs a DVD release), Love American Style, Love Boat, and on and on. Together these two masters gave us that's as clearly a product of its times as is Invasion of the Body Snatchers. While Invasion of the Body Snatchers dealt with cold war fears of invasion from within our society, Incredible Shrinking Man deals with an even more primal fear: What happens when your own body becomes your enemy? When average guy Scott Carey (Grant Williams) is engulfed by a radioactive cloud and later exposed to some pesticides it proves an unfortunate combination, as Carey begins to shrink. Fear of technology, particularly radiation and chemicals, was high in the Fifties- resulting in some iconic films such as Godzilla, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Amazing Colossal Man, Tarantula and Them! In movies radiation or exposure to chemicals usually results in abnormal GROWTH, perhaps a metaphor for cancer. But Carey is shrinking- a doctor in the film even calls his condition an "anti-cancer." This is what makes the film so unique.
Carey's first reaction to his situation is befuddlement- can this possibly be happening? But it clearly IS happening and Carey is forced to believe his own senses. The question is why is this happening to him, but there's no answer to that question, so Carey lashes out at the world around him. There are so many issues at play in this expertly scripted story-body-consciousness, gender politics, an individual’s relationship to the world around him, isolation, power politics and more. Many reviews of this film comment on how mean Scott becomes in reaction to his situation, but I think they're missing a lot. There are shots of Carey that reveal a vulnerability. A simple shot of a diminutive Scott perched on the edge of a couch that is now far too big for him says much. He's alone in a world that once made sense to him- and now he's alone, rapidly losing his power, and nothing makes sense any more. What is seen by some as misogyny when Scott lashes out at his wife, can also be seen as a desperate man seeking some way, any way, to assert dominance in a frightening world.
Scott Carey naturally loses his job, and with that goes even more self-respect, as he's no longer able to do anything to provide for his family. In desperation he finally gives in to repeated requests to buy his story, and then regrets that as it only makes his status as a freak more pronounced. He finds temporary acceptance and comfort with a troupe of circus dwarves, finding a bond with a young female in the troupe. That relief is short-lived however, as he continues to shrink and cannot face the midget who is now taller than he is.
Soon he is living in a doll house inside what used to be his house, his castle. What solace that brought is even shattered when his pet cat discovers him one day and decides the mouse size man might make a delicious snack. What follows is a harrowing flight from the monstrous feline. Scott no longer has the luxury of existential angst- he's now fighting for existence, pure and simple. He escapes to the basement and now he's truly alone - his wife believes him dead and he's incapable of getting back up the stairs from the basement. He's along now in body and spirit, leading a kind of Robinson Crusoe existence, fashioning clothes from scraps of fabric, creating tools from pins and attempting to extricate bits of cheese from a mouse trap. Things only get worse when he discovers he isn't alone in the basement after all. There's a spider. A hungry spider. His battle with the spider is an exciting action sequence on par with other giant insect battles of the time. Much of the basement sequence is done in silence- emphasizing Carey's isolation, and also adding to the tension. Grant Williams' performance is superb, and Jack Arnold's direction is exciting.
I've not told the entire plot here, but enough to intrigue potential viewers, I hope. I have spent a lot of time dealing with philosophical matters in this review but that doesn't mean the film is a dry and boring experience. It's an engrossing, engaging movie with plenty of action to keep you interested.
This is a unique film that deals with the very core of existence- what is existence? Where do we fit into the world around us? What can we do if we find ourselves suddenly in a situation we can't change, and may ultimately result in our extermination? As Scott Carey continues to shrink- into nothingness, as he knows he must, we hear his thoughts, as we have many times throughout the film, a touch that further serves to paint him as an isolated individual with only his own thoughts to sustain him. And so they do, as he shrinks down to molecular level:
"But suddenly, I knew they were really the two ends of the same concept. The unbelievably small and the unbelievably vast eventually meet - like the closing of a gigantic circle. I looked up, as if somehow I would grasp the heavens. The universe, worlds beyond number, God's silver tapestry spread across the night. And in that moment, I knew the answer to the riddle of the infinite. I had thought in terms of man's own limited dimension. I had presumed upon nature. That existence begins and ends in man's conception, not nature's. And I felt my body dwindling, melting, becoming nothing. My fears melted away. And in their place came acceptance. All this vast majesty of creation, it had to mean something. And then I meant something, too. Yes, smaller than the smallest, I meant something, too. To God, there is no zero. I still exist!" -
neverending