What's left for 2013...?

Can you believe it – its October already? 2013 has been a somewhat promising year for the horror genre, with movie successes such as The Conjuring and You’re Next, fantastic televisual debut’s of The Returned, In the Flesh and Bates Motel and the gaming success of Outlast. So, is there anything left to look forward to before we embark on 2014? Abso-bloody-lutely. 

Returning to the world of gaming, recent installments from survival horror juggernauts including Silent Hill, Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3 led this particular gaming genre into an era of disappointment. However, all was not lost. The Last of Us was of course a colossal hit, combining raw emotion, true scares and beautiful scenery into a proper action-horror hybrid. Yet it is the recent influx of indie horror games, or the investment from organisations such as Red Barrels Games, that have resulted in survival horror becoming well... truly horrifying again. The two that spring to mind are of course Outlast and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Both are psychological in their approach but the latter relies less on jump-scares and more on atmosphere. Either way the success of each game has got us pundits scared and excited for the next big release – The Evil Within. 

Okay... admittedly this won’t be released until 2014 but recent promos are enough to keep our chins wagging until then. For those of you who don’t know, The Evil Within will be a third-person survival horror, created by Shinji Mikami – a video game designer and the man who brought us Resident Evil 4. In the past few days, gameplay footage has been released which you can catch below...

To me, this feels a little awkward and incredibly similar to the Resident Evil series but... there is no denying it looks pretty grim. Stay tuned for more information regarding The Evil Within’s release. 

In the world of film, the rest of 2013 is looking relatively average for horror fans. It feels the big-hitters have perhaps come and gone in the form of The Conjuring, Insidious: Chapter 2 and You’re Next. Regardless, upcoming releases include Bad Milo and Dario Argento’s Dracula. The biggest release is of course the remake of Carrie that will be hitting our screens in October. Trepidation is undeniably felt by many, as the original feature by Brian De Palma is a much loved classic, although we may be surprised... only time will tell. Until then, check out the trailer below.

Finally, focusing on television, there are two big series to watch out for in the remaining months of 2013. They are of course The Walking Dead (Season 4) and American Horror Story: Coven. The Walking Dead will air in the UK on October 18^th (13^th in the US) and will follow Rick and the gang as they attempt to rebuild a strong, thriving community. As ever, nothing will be easy for the survivors, with Walkers still looming large and the group’s tumultuous, ever-changing dynamic.

American Horror Story: Coven is the third season of the anthology horror series set both in the modern day and 300 years after the Salem witch trials.  Due to air on October 9^th, with an impressive cast and increasingly intriguing promos, it looks to promise many thrills, chills and an air of ‘evil glamour’ as described by one of the show’s creators Ryan Murphy.

So there we have it - one or two exciting things coming our way to ease us in to 2014. Have I missed anything? Or is there anything you're particularly looking forward to in the next upcoming months? Post a comment! 

Blog Update

Hi all,

Just a post to say that all blog posts will be on hold for a few weeks as I am on holiday! I will return at the very end of September and from then on, Wise Words... will resume as usual - news updates, more reviews and more articles! 

Until then here are a few points to leave you with...

Breaking Bad is still awesome.

Season 8 of Dexter still stands as the weakest yet.

Outlast looks to be a brilliant psychological horror game.

and October is promising to be a very busy month indeed with the return of American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, the DVD release of V/H/S 2 and cinematic releases of Carrie, Bad Milo... to name but a few. 

Until then, have a great September! 

Review: Breaking Bad: Season 5, Episode 12 – Rabid Dog

Spoilers! 

“Mr. White, he’s the devil...". Wise words from Jesse there as this week’s episode of Breaking Bad showcases the extent to which Walt's surrounding friends and foes have transgressed to the dark side, let loose their inner-monsters he has unknowingly created.

We begin Rabid Dog in the aftermath of Jesse’s rage-fueled, gasoline dousing of the White residence. As Walt approaches his house, gun in tow, ready for an emotional and aggressive confrontation, he soon realises Jesse is not there. Although the lingering gasoline smell sure is. Before determining Jesse's whereabouts, the priority is to hide this slight mishap (and stench) from Skyler and Walt Jr. In an atypical Walt fashion, he weaves an all-too transparent lie, blaming the fiasco on a bad day and a gas pump malfunction. For their safety from toxic fumes, he then suggests they keep away from the house and stay in a hotel for a while. 

So where did Jesse go? In a flashback format we discover that Hank barges in to the White residence just before Jesse sets it aflame. In an emotional confrontation, once again boasting a powerful performance from Aaron Paul, he screams in despair "he can't keep getting away with this", to which Hank declares that if they work together, he wont. Both he and Jesse then return to the Schrader household. 

So, this episode once again presents us with two camps. The White family, residing in a glitzy hotel for their safety, and the Hank-Jesse pairing in which an attempt to incriminate Walt is officially underway. What both sides show however, is the extent to which each character has truly become a metaphysical extension of Walt’s criminality. 

Returning to the White family, in a wonderful piece of characterisation, Skyler sits on the bed sipping vodka. Her role as Lady Crystal Meth is highly reminiscent of Lady Macbeth as, after discovering the truth about Jesse, requests Walt to kill him - "We've come this far for us, what's one more?". Saul, who uses the brilliant metaphor of Old Yeller, posits the same suggestion. Walt’s abhorrence at such a thought arrives hand in hand with the startling awareness of the monstrous tendencies surfacing in those surrounding him – all of a sudden, his nearest and dearest are suggesting the almost unspeakable. How can Walt possibly kill Jesse, a young man with whom he shares a surrogate, paternal relationship with?

Of course, it is this relationship that just so happens to be the inning for Hank and his investigation. Jesse’s whole confessional story is videotaped by Hank and Gomez. At the risk of being totally pedantic, I am a little disappointed that we did not witness Hank revealing the identity of Heisenberg to Gomez but trepidation is nevertheless apparent. Both Jesse and Gomez rightly point out that this confession will not be enough to put Walt away – after all, it’s the word from a drug-abusing young adult against those of a cancer-ridden ex-chemistry teacher. So what can they do, what’s the next step? Thankfully Walt, in an attempt at reconciliation, has organised a meeting between he and Jesse – creating an opportune moment for an undercover operation to gather some crucial evidence. Jesse refuses at first, declaring this is a set up for Walt to kill him. However, after going through each detail of Jesse’s story, Hank denotes the evidence of just how much Walt cares for Jesse – using this as persuasive detail for Jesse to finally comply. 

Rightly so, Gomez questions – what if Jesse is right? Hank could well be sending him to his death. To which he essentially responds "I don't care, either way I get my evidence". Nice. So whereas previous episodes have elicited a sense of empathy for this shell-shocked DEA agent, it is now evident that any genuine desire Hank had for justice has been overrun by a personal vendetta to salvage his pride and manhood. He has developed into a selfish, manipulative man, using Jesse as a tool to orchestrate a personal mission... sound familiar? 

We already know the extent to which Walt has corrupted Jesse over the years, but his role throughout these latter stages have caused him to transgress from a loyal puppy to a rabid dog - acting on rage, irritation and impulse. We've seen it throughout each season and even this episode, when he foregoes Hank’s plan and threatens Walt again, “Nice try asshole...I’m not doing what you want anymore... this is just a heads up to let you know I’m coming for you. See I decided that burning down your house is nothing, next time I’m gonna get you where you really live...”. So, will Jesse be put down? Despite genuine care and paternal association felt by Walt, this threat is a sure fire sign that Jesse won’t let up. A fact we too become aware of as he reveals to Hank that he has thought of a better way to 'get him'. So there we have it, in a moment of regrettable realisation, Walt is aware of the true threat Jesse now poses. This leads to the end of the episode and an all too enigmatic phone call – “Hey...Todd... I think I might have another job for your uncle...”. 

Rabid Dog is another intense affair (a repeated sentiment I know) in which we see how Walt’s lies, manipulation and criminality has corroded the souls and integrity of those surrounding him. Those he once cared for and protected have been devilishly lured to the dark side and now possibly pose the biggest threat of all. 

What were your thoughts on this week's episode? Post a comment! 

HFX and the Monstrous: Part 2 - "You've gotta be fucking kidding"; The Monstrous Body in John Carpenter's The Thing

In Part One of this HFX feature, I explored its origins and intertwining relationship with the horror genre. In this second part, an in-depth exploration into how HFX constructs the monstrous body shall be conducted, using a specific example - John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). This was a film that, upon initial release, suffered a less than favourable reception. Hindered by the success of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), it appeared evil aliens were just not fashionable in film anymore. However, over time The Thing has garnered an incredibly powerful cult following, especially for Rob Bottin  and his HFX. Showcasing visceral lunacy, mind-boggling effects are implemented to distort the human body, forever placing a mark on the history of HFX and the horror film. 

As a remake of The Thing from Another World (1951), based on the novella Who Goes There (1938), written by John W. Campbell, Jr, the basic premise of John Carpenter’s The Thing surrounds a research base, Outpost 31. In an isolated Antarctic setting, the all male crew are infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien. It imitates the form of individual crew members one by one, subsequently causing an onslaught of chaotic paranoia and un-imaginable bodily destruction. 

The 1951 original production deleted ‘all references to the alien’s shape shifting skills out of necessity... the state-of-the-art in make-up effects in 1951 simply could not accommodate what Campbell had written’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 49). Equally, Carpenter made it clear of his wishes to avoid "another guy in a rubber suit", which, as explored in Part One, was characteristic of HFX in the 1950s. Consequently Bottin decided that ‘since it had been all over the galaxy, [the Thing] could call upon anything it needed whenever it needed it’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 54). In other words, the Thing could be anything, thus granting creative license and freedom for Bottin to construct a form of the monstrous that had never been seen before.

Bottin collaborated with storyboard artist Mike Ploog to establish initial concept artwork, an example of which can be seen below.

Each design was then brought to life and created by ‘pushing the state-of-the-art make-up effects to the limit’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 54). The scene in which this is most evident is the Norris sequence, where said character suffers an apparent heart attack and is urgently rushed to a table for medical assistance from Copper. Whilst using a defibrillator, Copper’s hands become engulfed in Norris’ stomach, which miraculously opens imitating a mouth with sharp teeth. Following this an alien bursts outward and a cavalcade of bodily disintegration and transformation ensues. Words will never do it justice so you can experience it below...

So how does HFX construct the monstrous practically here? To begin with, to achieve the opening of Norris’ stomach, a duplicate of his body was created with fibreglass and covered in foam latex skin. The body cavity (filled with latex organs and membranes) was opened and closed using a hydraulic ram controlled by a technician. Charles Hallahan (Norris) also lay underneath the table, apart from his head and shoulders, giving way to the duplicate body. To achieve the amputation of Copper’s arms, replicas were sculpted using blood-coloured gelatine, blood tubes and dental acrylic bones. An amputee extra was used, whose arms were scored at the intended points of separation.

For the alien being that thrusts vertically from Norris’ torso, the overall movement was controlled through a hole in the false ceiling, yet the face was operated mechanically via radio control to achieve individual movement. To separate Norris’ head from his body, a manually-operated push-rod was hidden within the inner neck of the sculpted head (that in turn had radio-controlled facial expressions). The operator of the effect was once again placed out of shot. The ineffable ooze was concocted using multiple ingredients such as bubble gum and melted plastic. To achieve the effect in which Norris' tongue attaches itself to the adjacent desk, reverse printing was used as the action was shot in a backward sequence, whilst HFX technicians pulled on cables and mono-filament fishing line.

Arguably one of the strongest images to emerge from this sequence is the protrusion of eyes and spider’s legs from the head of Norris. To achieve this, three tiny holes were drilled in each side, from which thin-gauge aluminium tubing sprouted. The extension of the legs were radio controlled however the movement of the head in its entirety was achieved through the use of a custom-built car. The head was mounted on said car and as it drove forward, the legs would also move creating the illusion of independent motion. Thus a ‘horrible, yet ultimately entrancing’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 68) finale to the visceral manipulation of Norris’ body, as six tiny legs transport a severed head across the floor. Palmer’s line, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding...”, is a piece of dialogue that boasts the utmost resonance here, as the relentless lunacy comes to a climactic close, having just showcased all manners of bodily monstrosity and HFX innovation.

Altogether, various manifestations of the Thing were sculpted in clay, moulds were taken from the sculptures, foam latex pieces were made and the necessary mechanics were installed. Additional materials were used when needed including the unconventional use of heated Bubble Yum gum, strawberry jelly, mayonnaise, cream corn, melted crayons and food thickener. Overall, this combination of mechanics, prosthetics, amputee extras, unlikely materials and wild imagination, enabled Bottin to achieve a tangible deconstruction of the human body, a believable depiction of bodily abjection.

So... does this have any symbolic inference? Does this construction of the monstrous transcend beyond the figure itself to say... the films’ narrative and protagonists? Keep your eyes open for Part Three to find out.

Sources:

Hogan, D. J. (1982). The Making of The Thing. Cinefantastique, 13(2-3), pp. 49-58

Review: Breaking Bad: Season 5, Episode 11 - Confessions

Spoilers!

This week’s installment of Breaking Bad showcases yet another hour of gripping, intense, near-flawless drama. Aptly titled Confessions, it’s an episode full of just that, where truths (some more liberal than others) are finally unearthed.

Following a pre-credit sequence in which Todd recalls the train cargo heist to some neo-Nazi thugs, we rejoin the interrogation room where a mentally clouded Jesse resides. Hank enters and so begins his appeal for a confession. If Vince Gilligan and co. were to abide by the title of this episode, Jesse would oblige and reveal everything right then and there. However, we are reminded of the history both share, filled with hatred and violence, so naturally, their conversation is not smooth-sailing. Nor does it last very long, as Saul enters hindering any further progress for Hank. 

Outside the interrogation room it seems quite the opposite is occurring. Set up in their bedroom, Skyler turns on a camcorder and Walt begins...“I am Walter Hartwell White, and this is my confession”.  But is it? After a dinner meeting between the White and Schrader couples (passing on the table guacamole but settling for a side order of relentless intensity), the DVD recording is handed over and it is not long before Hank rushes home to watch the expected confession. 

It’s a confession of sorts... but one that places Hank as Heisenberg and overlord of the Crystal Meth empire, and Walt as his abused servant. It’s a genius plan and one that royally screws Hank in every which way. This is of course further emphasised when Marie reveals Hank’s medical bills were paid for by Walt’s drug money. Oops. 

As both are watching the recording, their reactions of somewhat disbelief and abhorrence are a true testament to the criminal that Walt has become. Not only does this master plan grant him with a firm lead in the Hank-Walt showdown, but it is a reminder that his presence, as Heisenberg, extends beyond mere physicality. His smart, manipulative and abusive actions posit him as an elicitor of sheer torment, which infiltrates the privacy of a family home, the privacy of an individual’s mind.

No one knows this more, nor has suffocated from this particular kind of hold, than Jesse. Later in the episode, both he and Walt meet in the desert. Walt adopts the atypical concerned father-figure approach that suggests Jesse flee the city and start anew elsewhere, with a new identity, a new life. Of course, what he’s really saying is leave otherwise if you stay here, I may have to kill you. Refreshingly, and at last, Jesse totally calls him on this pleading that for once, would he stop toying with him and just be honest, treat him like an equal. Regardless, Jesse ultimately breaks down and falls into his arms. It’s a heart-wrenching moment and one of enigmatic brilliance – does Walt genuinely care for Jesse? Does Jesse welcome this fatherly embrace or has his energy to fight back completely dilapidated? We may never know but either way, it’s a moment emblematic of the inescapable hold Walt can possess. 

Nevertheless Jesse opts for a new identity and makes plans to move to Alaska. As Saul is making the necessary phone calls, Jesse attempts to relax a little with his beloved dope, which is ultimately lifted from his pocket when leaving Saul’s office. Waiting roadside for his ride to Alaska, Jesse reaches once again for his dope only to realise its missing. Opening his cigarette packet, he realises something else is missing too – a certain poisonous cigarette – and just like that it all becomes clear, Walt did poison Broc. Shaking with uncontrollable rage, Jesse bails on his Alaskan taxi and rushes back to Saul’s office. Threatening him with a gun and beating him to a pulp, he shouts “you stole the ricin cigarette... he poisoned Broc – and you helped him” – finally drawing a confession from Saul. Arguably Jesse’s revelation is a bit of a leap, but Aaron Paul’s performance is so strong, which, teamed with some aptly erratic editing, enables the whole process to feel seamless and almost unquestionable. 

So with Jesse’s cloud of mental torment replaced with revenge, he hot foots it to the White residence, armed with gasoline. Is this the moment the house gets destroyed? Naturally, the episode ends before we learn the result but one thing is for certain, Jesse’s discovery will undoubtedly incur some explosive consequences. 

What were your thoughts on this week's episode of Breaking Bad? Post a comment!