Lights Out
January 18, 2015 7:27 AM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: Double. -- mathowie
VERY good. I am a horror aficionado, though I tend to stick almost exclusively to Asian horror, because I find they are more thoughtful and plot or character-driven. And they are scarier.
In Thailand, for instance, there is a recent film tradition of three or four or five horror shorts combined into one feature-length film. Typically there's little connection between the episodes, and they range up to 30 minutes. One of my favorite horror formats.
Some of my faves, and some of the best-selling movies in Thailand, where horror is a national sport -- Phobia, Phobia 2, Heaven & Hell, 3 AM 3D. Plus the classic pan-Asian Three Extremes franchise.
The classic "dumplings" segment in Three Extremes by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan is excellent, plus the full film is just....wow. Shows what intelligent horror can be.
(Premise: an unhappy woman procures tiny aborted fetuses rolled in dumplings, over several months from a renowned specialist, in a struggle to retain youth and beauty as her cold husband cheats on her as her life falls apart.)
I will have to look into this competition.
(I have a whole theories for horror cinema laid out in my head)
posted by niphates at 8:13 AM on January 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
In Thailand, for instance, there is a recent film tradition of three or four or five horror shorts combined into one feature-length film. Typically there's little connection between the episodes, and they range up to 30 minutes. One of my favorite horror formats.
Some of my faves, and some of the best-selling movies in Thailand, where horror is a national sport -- Phobia, Phobia 2, Heaven & Hell, 3 AM 3D. Plus the classic pan-Asian Three Extremes franchise.
The classic "dumplings" segment in Three Extremes by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan is excellent, plus the full film is just....wow. Shows what intelligent horror can be.
(Premise: an unhappy woman procures tiny aborted fetuses rolled in dumplings, over several months from a renowned specialist, in a struggle to retain youth and beauty as her cold husband cheats on her as her life falls apart.)
I will have to look into this competition.
(I have a whole theories for horror cinema laid out in my head)
posted by niphates at 8:13 AM on January 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
I am a little surprised they didn't use a child actor in this for the lead. It would have been even scarier.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:20 AM on January 18, 2015
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:20 AM on January 18, 2015
Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink.
posted by howfar at 8:20 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 8:20 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
The director's YouTube page has other pretty good horror shorts, too:
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:27 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:27 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
If she had just stayed under the covers she would have been safe.
posted by Nevin at 8:28 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Nevin at 8:28 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed it, although I would have preferred not seeing anything at the end. It sacrificed nicely (if quickly) built atmosphere for a jump scare. An inexplicable and upsetting event would stick with me longer.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:30 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:30 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm about the same age as the lead; I had a weird incident last night where I was up late and my roommate went to bed early, and about 2 am - right as I was getting ready to get to bed myself - I thought I heard something knocking around in his room, like something knocking against his closet door, WELL after the time he would have fallen asleep.
I made it about thirty seconds into this clip before saying NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE and turning it off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:33 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
I made it about thirty seconds into this clip before saying NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE and turning it off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:33 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
That being said, they did a really good job building unease in 2 minutes.
As for horror anthologies -- there are a ton of horror films that work best at short length (with a sharply limited cast and setting) and too many of these get made into mediocre full-length movies.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:34 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
As for horror anthologies -- there are a ton of horror films that work best at short length (with a sharply limited cast and setting) and too many of these get made into mediocre full-length movies.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:34 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I knew exactly what this was upon reading the title. NOPE NOPE NOPE.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:38 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:38 AM on January 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have those sheets! (They're from IKEA)
posted by sexyrobot at 8:44 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by sexyrobot at 8:44 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
Our political system is still WAY scarier.
CSPAN was the ultimate nightmare machine.
posted by Quasimike at 8:44 AM on January 18, 2015
CSPAN was the ultimate nightmare machine.
posted by Quasimike at 8:44 AM on January 18, 2015
I am a little surprised they didn't use a child actor in this for the lead. It would have been even scarier.
I had the exact same reaction. It was definitely an effective, creepy little short, but the age of the lead seemed a bit incongruous with their actions. Not only would it have been scarier, it would have made more sense with a child (e.g. the lights on/off scene at the start felt almost comedic with an adult).
posted by tocts at 8:52 AM on January 18, 2015
I had the exact same reaction. It was definitely an effective, creepy little short, but the age of the lead seemed a bit incongruous with their actions. Not only would it have been scarier, it would have made more sense with a child (e.g. the lights on/off scene at the start felt almost comedic with an adult).
posted by tocts at 8:52 AM on January 18, 2015
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posted by bstreep at 7:43 AM on January 18, 2015