We won't be dealing with Emily tonight. *
Aug. 30th, 2009 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bending_sickleYesterday I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005 ; imdb, Wiki). Despite being discouraged when I realized it was primarily a courtdrama, the ample and extended use of flashbacks ensures that it is, as advertised, a horror movie at its core.
The title role of Emily goes to Jennifer Carpenter, whom I've never seen before. I was utterly delighted to note that Laura Linney forms part of the cast, as I've loved her ever since her sad little smiles in Love, Actually. Also in a leading role is Tom Wilkinson of The Full Monty fame (although I always merge him with Edward Hermann, the father Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls). Colm Feore pops up as a Senior Partnerof Wolfram and Hart, having moved up the ladder from Ontario cop and still a few backstabs away from his trip to the Underverse.
I actually liked the movie quite a lot, although it wasn't a non-stop shock-horror-gore extravaganza. (I'd been subconsciously expecting it to be, thanks to my vague memories of the trialer.) It's initial depictions of possession are tame enough - or maybe watching Supernatural has made me somewhat immune to gaping and distorted faces. While the scene of Emily's first full-blown run-away-screaming-from-the-visions scene is alright, despite the oogle-boogly faces, I thought the movie's second attempt at this flight of terror, with another character, much better pulled off. Most of that, I think, was the position and blurring of the camera. The actual exorcism is riveting, although it stops abruptly like a dropped puppet and there is a notable lack of pea soup.
There were a number of the more common horror tactics - the flickering lights, opening doors, falling objects and caped figures - which I find work better. Give me that kind of trick and I freak right out for days. One of the first scenes made me shudder under my blankets later that night: invisible, but heavy, something crawls onto a bed and holds down the struggling Emily. That is the kind of scary you see repeated in many a ghost story.
A few other things truly stuck with me from the film, in the "Oh gods, I'll never sleep again!" sense. The simplest is the use of the witching hour as 3 am, which they describe as the sort of nightly Halloween where demons find it easiest, or most tempting, to freak us out. (Curiously, it's described as the opposite time of 3 pm, when Jesus supposedly died.)
Apart from the above described bed-scene, the other bit that terrified me was one of Emily's contorsions. Sure, she contorts a lot (and damn can Jennifer twist herself up freakily) but there's one scene where she's on the floor, terribly twisted up, and completely still, staring upwards. *shudder*
As for the plot, it's interesting - both the flashbacks and the courtroom parts. It's almost like a modern witch-trial in reverse, where you are rooting for the court to decide it is a possession, and not a medical condition.
A final note on the film subject. It's based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, although this film takes quite a few liberties. Apparently the German film Requiem (2006) is more true to the story.
So that's my two cents on the movie. I had a thought that I might do this weekly - watch a horror film, slip two pennies into the critique piggy bank - but I know better than to make promises.
Links of the Day
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
glaudaily's Good Mornign Rabbit teaser trailer
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lucylou's Summer Pickle Recipe
mocksock's metaquotesed Retort to "You're doing it wrong!" where "it" is role-playing a character of your own race
greygirlbeast's shares music
mata090680's SPN Icons
emily_reich's SPN Season 4 Fanmix: Apocalypse Please, Season 4 Movie-style trailer
roachpatrol's Fanficrants, let me tell you about nipples
Rec - Spanish horror film
The Scole Experiment, Wapedia Entry - An investigation (193-1998) into mediumship and the afterlife
Rituale Romanum - The exorcism rite is withheld.
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argues About - Mil Millington
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel - Not the actual music video, but a picture for each reference. Finally, it all makes sense!
* The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The title role of Emily goes to Jennifer Carpenter, whom I've never seen before. I was utterly delighted to note that Laura Linney forms part of the cast, as I've loved her ever since her sad little smiles in Love, Actually. Also in a leading role is Tom Wilkinson of The Full Monty fame (although I always merge him with Edward Hermann, the father Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls). Colm Feore pops up as a Senior Partner
I actually liked the movie quite a lot, although it wasn't a non-stop shock-horror-gore extravaganza. (I'd been subconsciously expecting it to be, thanks to my vague memories of the trialer.) It's initial depictions of possession are tame enough - or maybe watching Supernatural has made me somewhat immune to gaping and distorted faces. While the scene of Emily's first full-blown run-away-screaming-from-the-visions scene is alright, despite the oogle-boogly faces, I thought the movie's second attempt at this flight of terror, with another character, much better pulled off. Most of that, I think, was the position and blurring of the camera. The actual exorcism is riveting, although it stops abruptly like a dropped puppet and there is a notable lack of pea soup.
There were a number of the more common horror tactics - the flickering lights, opening doors, falling objects and caped figures - which I find work better. Give me that kind of trick and I freak right out for days. One of the first scenes made me shudder under my blankets later that night: invisible, but heavy, something crawls onto a bed and holds down the struggling Emily. That is the kind of scary you see repeated in many a ghost story.
A few other things truly stuck with me from the film, in the "Oh gods, I'll never sleep again!" sense. The simplest is the use of the witching hour as 3 am, which they describe as the sort of nightly Halloween where demons find it easiest, or most tempting, to freak us out. (Curiously, it's described as the opposite time of 3 pm, when Jesus supposedly died.)
Apart from the above described bed-scene, the other bit that terrified me was one of Emily's contorsions. Sure, she contorts a lot (and damn can Jennifer twist herself up freakily) but there's one scene where she's on the floor, terribly twisted up, and completely still, staring upwards. *shudder*
As for the plot, it's interesting - both the flashbacks and the courtroom parts. It's almost like a modern witch-trial in reverse, where you are rooting for the court to decide it is a possession, and not a medical condition.
A final note on the film subject. It's based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, although this film takes quite a few liberties. Apparently the German film Requiem (2006) is more true to the story.
So that's my two cents on the movie. I had a thought that I might do this weekly - watch a horror film, slip two pennies into the critique piggy bank - but I know better than to make promises.
Links of the Day
glaudaily's Good Mornign Rabbit teaser trailerlucylou's Summer Pickle Recipemocksock's metaquotesed Retort to "You're doing it wrong!" where "it" is role-playing a character of your own racegreygirlbeast's shares musicmata090680's SPN Iconsemily_reich's SPN Season 4 Fanmix: Apocalypse Please, Season 4 Movie-style trailerroachpatrol's Fanficrants, let me tell you about nipplesRec - Spanish horror film
The Scole Experiment, Wapedia Entry - An investigation (193-1998) into mediumship and the afterlife
Rituale Romanum - The exorcism rite is withheld.
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argues About - Mil Millington
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel - Not the actual music video, but a picture for each reference. Finally, it all makes sense!
* The Exorcism of Emily Rose
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 10:30 pm (UTC)*goes to read about this Anneliese person*
*pauses for a cuddle along the way*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-31 08:59 pm (UTC)*snuggle extravaganza*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-31 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 06:31 am (UTC)