"I Walked with a Zombie"

This 1943 film directed by Jacques Tourneur with producer Val Lewton is another favorite of mine. I know it seems I'm only rewatching films I love for this new blog, but then… I guess it is true. I'm looking for films that might inspire my own work and possibly yours.

There are things about this film, I saw this for the first time when I was 11 or 12, that stick with me. This film seems to me, if I were living in 1943 and were to walk into the theatre to see it, to be so out there for that time. I can't imagine another film like it being seen then. I know the Tourneur - Lewton films have that dreamy quality, but there's something odd and special about this one.

I know from some friends of mine and their kids, if they see "Zombie" in the title, they're ready for action. Even a "Night of the Living Dead" type of zombie is too slow for their ADD - MTV sensibilities. Some might find this slow and dull, but not me. I loved this island, I love the people in the story, I love this story, the complex love triangle, the dread, the sacrifice these characters are willing to take for each other.

This movie led me to find one of my favorite filmmakers, Maya Deren because of her book, "Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti" through that I discovered her brilliant films. Through her films I discovered Gore Vidal, Curtis Harrington, Stan Brakhage, Anaïs Nin, Kenneth Anger, Donald Cammell, Marjorie Cameron, Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons…

Funny the paths certain films can lead you down. Sometimes these films walk with you through life. They are the zombies, frozen in time, unchanging, yet they can make changes in you.

"The Haunting"

Check out my other blog for News of, "The Cycle" a horror film I'm making as I type this.

http://jerrylentz.blogspot.com/2011/08/cycle-is-new-film-i-making-now.html

I have an odd but informative collection of videos and links on filmmaking and horror films. I hope you enjoy it.

Tonight's film is Robert Wise's, "The Haunting" and I'm sure you've seen it, and remember it, because if you saw it you would remember it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jackson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_of_Hill_House
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_(1963_film)

I love this movie and I remember the first time I saw it was at 2am in an old creaking house in the woods near a lake. Yeah, not the best idea to watch this film all alone when you are housesitting for an elderly lady whose husband just died and is away for his burial.

I sat on her antique couch that was in the middle of a huge room facing her TV while behind me was a big black empty space. I kept feeling an unseen presence behind me. I knew the ghost of the old dead man was watching me, wondering why I was there…

But enough about me!

This is the perfect ghost story for the believer and the sceptic, too! You gotta see this amazing film!

"History of Motion Picture Special Effects from Georges Méliès to King Kong"

This documentary, while not being feature length and glossing over quite a bit and spending too much time on nonsense... Wasn't bad. In fact, "The Right Stuff" SPFX interviews on their techniques was very interesting and it seemed so possible to do.

It gave me ideas!

And I'm looking for ideas!

I've loved the special effects in, "The Right Stuff" and they've still held up when so many CGI style effects don't after so many years.

That segment reminded me of a documentary I watched about the effects in, "Alien" where the spaceship model was moving down to a planet and the model was so huge and heavy it was being moved by a forklift covered in black velvet in some of the shots! That's just amazing to me!

They even painted big beachball-sized balls to be planets instead of using computers to do such things. I think the effects hold up really well in "Aliens."

Look how great the effects are in a film from just a few years ago like, "Moon" where miniatures were used in similar ways. Hmm... Maybe I'll watch that tomorrow.

What are your thoughts on Special Effects? What are some of your favorite effects in a film? Is there an effect that fooled you and then later discovered it was an effect?

Today's film is "The Devil Rides Out"

I've loved this film since I was a kid and seeing it again was easy. I showed it to my wife (JL2) who was unfamiliar with it or the author Dennis Wheatley, but she loved the film as I knew she would.

This film can show the filmmaker and even the film student how little is needed by way of special effects or wall to wall action when there is a great story with wonderful characters you want to spend time with and will answer your questions as this morality play unfolds.

I was saddened by how little info or videos of him exist on the web. He was a major author and it's a shame more young people aren't aware of him. If you find one of his books, read it! You'll dig it and when you are done with it pass it on to a friend.

Watch the film and let me know your thoughts on this fine work from Hammer, Christopher Lee and Dennis Wheatley.

The Devil Rides Out

Welcome! Today's film is "Blade Runner!"

This is the film I watch repeatedly, 2nd only to "Eraserhead" so it's an easy pick. Also, this is the latest of the Director's Cuts.

The stories behind the film and the creators of it are just as amazing.

This film makes me want to make a film so bad. It's just so beautiful, thick with detail, dark and sad. What are some of your interesting thoughts on the film?