Dialing up the Terror

I was watching Don’t Hang Up and I began wandering what makes telephone calls so creepy? I think the most obvious reason for this stems from the fear of the unknown as you do not know who or what is on the other end of the line. Most of the time in horror films the voice is distorted (Scream) so the horror stems from not knowing who is making the call as you can only hear the voice. The fear is doubly worse when the caller knows precise information about you and your whereabouts. Another aspect of pure terror stems from the sheer helplessness of hearing something on the phone and being unable to do anything about it, especially when you hear someone being hacked to death on the other end of the phone (think Halloween and Sorry, Wrong Number).

Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen are and were a big deal. The Beetles claimed they were more popular than Jesus, well, Queen are more popular than royalty. Their range of music was diverse, each album was a step into another genre but was always rooted in rock and roll. Like many bands of the era, the critics didn’t always get Queen but among the public they caused quite a storm. This is the Queen that Queen wants you to know. It’s one of the film’s merits as well as a detriment. 

Sunset

 

Set in Budapest 1913, a year before The Great War, the film follows Írisz Leiter (Juli Jakab) as she tries to get employment at an upmarket hat store that was previously owned by her parent until they died (the shop still bears her family name). Her arrival to Budapest has sparked murmurings and mutterings among the people of Budapest as her brother is wanted for murder. Irisz was previously unaware she even had a brother, having been adopted at the age of two following her parent’s death, and she seeks to find him but it proves to be difficult.

Les Guardians

There aren’t a great deal of films about the experience of women during the First World War, however the one that instantly springs to mind is Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) - a drama about a woman who tries to find her missing fiancé. Even historiography about women in war time is a little thin on the ground, but its perhaps because more people are interested in the military history aspect than the social aspect.

A Simple Favour

Paul Feig has built an entire career making movies that see women dominating the screen. With Ghostbusters to Bridesmaids and The Heat to Spy all featuring women in the main roles, it’s no surprise to see his latest film is also female led. 

Venom

Apparently, Lady Gaga fans have been going so gaga for her movie that they have taken drastic action by tweeting disparaging tweets about the Venom movie which just so happens to release on the same week as A Star is Born. This came to light when a series of identical tweets about Venom were reported. In a world of fake news and political meddling on Twitter, it’s not a surprise that is the latest tactic employed to take down a film and boost another.