Saturday, October 03, 2009
The 31 Days of Horror: Day 3
Ah, Val Lewton. As a producer at RKO, this quiet unassuming man redefined the horror genre by creating taut psychological masterpieces in which inference plays a much bigger role than gore or special effects. Although not a household name (a fact that blows the mind), Lewton left an indelible mark on the horror film genre, influencing everyone from William Friedkin and Martin Scorsese to George A. Romero and the great Alfred Hitchcock.
Lewton's first production, Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942), is a perfect film that delivers its creepiness via menacing shadows, off screen noises and psychological chills. The beautiful Simone Simon is perfectly cast as a frigid young bride who fears that her blood ties to an ancient tribe will turn her into a deadly panther.
Observe Lewton's mastery in all its glory tonight at Facets FRIGHT School! Writer and editor Stephen Reginald will present "It's All in Your Head: The Genius of Horror Producer Val Lewton," a lecture looking at Cat People and its producer's influence on the horror genre and filmmaking in genre.
A screening and post-screening Q&A follow the lecture. For only 5 bucks, this can't be beat. The action begins at MIDNIGHT!
See you there.
- Phil Morehart
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2 comments:
I discovered Val Lewton about 4 years ago and absolutely love his films, as you can tell by my "identity."
As good as "Cat People" is (and it is very very good), I have always felt that "I Walked With a Zombie" is a superior film.
The scene in the sugarcane fields in "Zombie" should be studied in film school -- it is a model on how to create tension through some effective lighting and natural sound effects. No need for music to "tell" you how to feel when the images "show" you. It shows how great cinematic power can come from cinematic restraint.
Also, like the best genre films, there is some social commentary behind the horror trappings. "Zombie" strongly suggests that the sins of past generations are visited onto the present. (Echoes of Lovecraft?)
In "Zombie," however, it isn't just tinkering with the dark arts that leads to a family curse, but the social-economic sins of slavery and imperialism. There is a strong implication that the white landowners will always suffer because their wealth and power was built on the backs of slaves.
To me, "Cat People" lacked some of that punch. Maybe I'm a sucker for social-message movies in genre clothing. "Cat People," however, seems like a much more e r o t i c film than "Zombie."
apologies for typos, etc.
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