Horror films are not everybody’s bag, but there is definitely a market out there, just as there is definitely a market for anything under the sun. In my opinion, most horror films fall into one of two categories: useless (abysmal acting, cheapo production values, ludicrously unbelievable, baaad) and “good fun.” In the latter, one concedes that the narrative is not meant to be real, the acting is usually surprisingly believable, the filming quite expert, and the storytelling suspenseful, quirky, and nominally “scary.”
Warming up to Halloween, Foothills has scheduled horror movies for the entire month of October. The first, “Dead Silence,” was solid entertainment. I did not expect the complete surprise ending for one second. That was good. It was coherent and consistent and moved along nicely. Too bad if you missed it.
The next two selections, “See Jane Run” (October 12) and “Creature of the Night” (October 19), are also good old-fashioned horror stories, just creepy enough to make you squirm a tiny bit. Surprises and twists and sudden shocks abound. Avowed exaggeration, plenty of lipstick without the beeswax (movie blood), sinister angle shots, it’s all there. As Eve said to Adam when she gave him the apple: “Enjoy.”
The final movie in the series, “Martyrs” (October 26, approaching Halloween) is something different altogether. It is the only horror movie I have seen worthy of the name.
“It’s truly disturbing,” the knowledgeable salesperson at Blockbuster told me when I was prowling around the horror section.
“Good!” I said. “That’s what we’re looking for.”
“No. I mean truly disturbing.”
“That’s what we want.”
I was truly shocked, not to mention disturbed. I am still, a week after viewing it, shuddering at the depth and truth of the violence, brutality, suffering, and utter horror.
The difference here is the stark realism. Nothing is done for laughs. It’s dead serious, no pun intended. No tongue-in-cheek whatsoever. This is not “fun.” But it is unbelievably good. It’s art.
Directed by Pascal Laugier and hailed at the Cannes Film Festival as a standard-setting milestone in horror cinema, “Martyrs” tells the story of two young women bent on revenge for the unearthly suffering inflicted on one of them as a young girl. The narrative is baffling, quick-moving, absorbing and breathtakingly frightening. Even when I (repeatedly) reminded myself that “it’s only a movie,” I couldn’t steel myself for my reactions. It makes every other horror movie I have come across seem as harmless as a nursery rhyme. Truly.
Come see for yourself.
And write a response to this assessment. We welcome your views, opinions, criticism, praise…
Sam Goodyear