skybridge

esteeb.art · @esteeb.art@bridge.neodb.net

Rated Climax 8/10

<b>LSC Week 2: Anxiety Week <b> <i> "Let's do another Noe movie," I said, "How bad could it possibly be???" I said. <i> I really have to give it to Gaspar this time. Used to be you'd turn on one of his films, naive and blind to the terrors to come, and he would just sort of let you fall into that trap. But our favorite shockatuer seems to have mellowed over the years. Not in content, certainly not, no (though not for nothing this is the tamest I've seen from him so far). No, this time Mr. Noe was nice enough to let you know what you were in for right away. The cold open immediately lets you know whatever is about to go down is about to end poorly for everyone involved, which is nice. But I was particularly tickled that he provided a <a href="https://letterboxd.com/thriftshoptv/list/climax/"> a list</a> as a hint to all of us damned who recognize any of the films. All of this is to say, he tried to warn us. So I watched <i>Hellraiser<i> for the first time recently. I only bring it up because I was particularly struck by how well it was able to really bring you into the feeling of dread that comes with bringing a little slice of Hell to our world. That movie was able to do it with really cool make up and puppets and so much blood and viscera. It brought the full force of its art direction and special effects budget to bear to really put you in that place you really would rather not be. But Noe does something different here. He manages to create a Dante-esque descent into Hell using nothing but colored lights, displays of human depravity and his trademark physics defying camera work. You wouldn't think that a movie about French dancers having the worst trip imaginable would be an exercise in minimalism but for those familiar with the filmmaker in question, it absolutely is. Gaspar with restraint is a very interesting thing to watch, so much so that it sort of makes up for the fact that there isn't a whole lot else to this movie. The camera work rules, the vibes are panic inducing, there's plenty of shocks to be had but there is a case of flash over substance here. Nevertheless this is a dropkick of a movie, not for the faint of heart. If you're like me and have already seen some shit you can't unsee then it's worth a watch. Otherwise there are probably other ways to make yourself grind your teeth for 90 minutes.

#lsc10 #lsc10 week2 #movie

Published 2024-09-11 00:00 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere