Fatal Femme: Park Circus Guest Picks

 

Loved writing this - got to pick my favourite 'Fatale Femmes' for Park Circus in the lead up to Halloween.

There are so many characters to choose from but I think these women needed a special mention.

You can read the full list HERE.

Eyes of Laura Mars

Last year I first set my eyes on Laura Mars' eyes at Cinema Rediscovered and I absolutely loved it. Its taken a while to write about the film but what better time that the season where everyone writes/talks about their favourite horror films. 

Part of Filmhounds' 31 days of Horror to celebrate Halloween, I contributed one of my favourites, which can be read HERE in full.

Now slam on that Barbara Streisand singing 'Prisoner', get your best 70s fashion on and your camera on standby as we see through the eyes of Laura Mars.

Let's Talk About Greta

Let’s talk about Greta.

Please be aware, there are SPOILERS, but none that would spoil the film.

Earlier this year it seemed that a new trend in psychological thrillers was starting, one involving older women as the villain, the threat but after ‘Ma’ and ‘Greta’, the trend died down. Unlike the former, ‘Greta’ had something different to bring to the horror/ psychological thriller border, it’s all about the women and barely a man in sight.

For those who didn’t watch any of the trailers out there for the film and for those who didn’t see it at all, ‘Greta’ is about a young woman, Frances, who has recently lost her mother and moved to the city to be away from her father who doesn’t show much interest in her. While she stays with her best friend and works as a waitress in a fancy restaurant, she feels as if she’s missing something. This is when she finds a small green handbag and does the opposite of what any old city dweller would do, she decides to take it to back to the owner in person. She meets Greta, a widow, living a quiet lonely existence and who appreciates the kind gesture. The two soon becoming friends, giving what the other seeks, comfort. But with all too good to be true happy coincidences, Frances discovers that Greta actually has lots of small green handbags, each with names and numbers on them as well as fresh ones just waiting to be left around the city.

This isn’t just your basic lonely lady turns stalker thriller horror, there is thought behind the divinely simplistic plot and the three main character triangle. In any other story, there would be a lame half constructed love story somewhere buried and in another type of story, there would a sexual element, especially if Greta was switched for male character instead. But these twists and turns aren’t needed in Neil Jordan’s film, he has two leads and one supporting that make their own impact on screen. Suspense and intrigue are still part of the story, with information about Greta’s past coming to light little by little and it’s not a completely unbelievable one either. She had a ‘difficult’ relationship with her daughter who is now dead so the information is second hand, adding more to the suspense and mystery of what Greta is really capable of and as Greta’s crazy outbursts get worse, you really don’t want to know what she will do, you would think that was enough to never go back to her house again, but Frances doesn’t stop to think about this.  

With Isabelle Huppert as Greta, the mystery and charm that surrounds the character is already built into her persona. Making Greta a piano teacher was also an excellent touch as not only could it be a nod to one of her most famous films but piano is and will always be seen as something you must control. Greta wants to be a mother to Frances but she wants everything her way, she must have ultimate control, much like the piano teacher. Chloe Grace Moretz as Frances is probably having the thankless role in the story, as the kind of person who still holds small town ideals and believes that you can be kind to everyone. Selfishly, she does want a mother figure to be around as she misses that connection but in doing so, she ignores her friend’s very open and obvious warnings. But her role is thankless because she is the victim caught in Greta’s web of madness so has to act accordingly. The ace in the pocket of the film is Erica, Maika Monroe, who continues her scream queen status (sort of). She is the voice of reason, be it from a wealthy family who lives in an amazing loft apartment in New York. She is meant to be the rich clueless party going background noise to Frances’ kind simple values and quiet demeanour, but instead she is the third piece in the character triangle. Refreshingly, Erica takes the place of the ‘love interest’ and is the best friend/roommate/street wise New Yorker who doesn’t hold a grudge and doesn’t let arguments with friends be the end of the conversation, she is the saviour. But the best part of this whole film is that because it’s a very simple plot, with characters that have very obvious motives (to an extent) everything is accepted. There is very little to question apart from why is Frances’ dad so useless and why was Stephen Rea even in the film? Which again, is something so rarely thought about with this type of genre film. The threat of Greta is something to be feared but if you have friends like Erica, they have your back.

Its time to take another look at ‘Greta’ and appreciate what she is.

Better, Scarier, Brainier, Funnier

 In honour of Halloween I have a post from a while ago but it seemed more relevant now. 

At the start of the month I went to a screening of Gremlins 2: The New Batch. It was a special screening, got a goodie bag and got sit in the screening room at Warner Bros. 

The full post can be read on Vulturehound HERE.

I first saw Gremlins back in Uni, which seems to be how quite a few of my stories begin, as it is beloved by one my friends. I think there were quite a few people in the room who I think we invited to watch movies and eat pizza or something. I was kinda bored during the first half of the film and don't remember much. Then I fell asleep. I woke up at the end just as the credits were rolling and that familiar music came on. I'm not too sure but I think people were annoyed that I fell asleep but I can't be certain. Anyway, I never re-watched it as I had no desire to. In a fight over what is better, Gremlins or Ghostbusters, I am obvious a champion of Ghostbusters. I grew up with the gang so it makes sense.

But later on in Uni, my same Gremlins obsessed friend suggested that we watched Gremlins 2 as it’s better than the first because it doesn’t take itself seriously AND it makes fun of the first one. I really enjoyed this one. It was crazy, ridiculous fun and has some seriously messed up moments, girl gremlin anyone? I think I’m going to add this to my Halloween watching collection, along with Frankenweenie, Coraline and Corpse Bride.