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By Emily PowerAt the surface, 'The Cabin In The Woods', seems like your average horror film; a group of five friends venture out to a creepy secluded cabin as the viewer watches supernatural forces come out to play. However in this deconstruction of the horror genre, all is not what it seems. Please be warned: Spoilers Ahead. The films eerie opening sequence psyches up the viewer for the following 95minutes of scares they are going to endure. However we cut to two white collar workers chatting on their lunch break. This opening is in place to throw viewers off the horror scent of the film, with the creators hoping the audience would be tricked into thinking that they came into wrong screening. This is the first taste we get of how this film is going to play with the genre of horror. Now enter the group of friends we follow through the film. Dana, Marty, Jules, Curt and Holden; each representing a common horror trope, the virgin, the stoner, the whore, the athlete and the scholar. The film then begins to deconstruct it characters, as at first glance they all seem to fall into the classic horror character stereotypes but just like the overall film, not all is as it seems. Dana, who is the main protagonist, who takes on the virgin trope for this film, however it is alluded to that she had relations with her professor. Marty is the fool of the group and while that fool is portrayed as a stoner, throughout the film we see how smart and quick thinking Marty can be. Jules, who takes on the whore trope is actually in a committed relationship with Curt, the athlete, is shown to be highly intelligent as he is in college due to a full academic scholarship and even recommends books for Dana. Holden, who takes on the scholar trope is shown to be brains and brawn by demonstrating his athleticism. As the friends progress on their journey, they first encounter 'the town crazy' who warns them off their journey, in a throwback to the early Friday the 13th film. On this journey, the group travel through a tunnel in the side of a mountain as the camera pans to a beautiful bird soaring majestically in the sky until it hits an invisible barrier and this sets the tone that everything is really not as it seemed. In a nod to horror classic, Evil Dead, the friends enter this cabin that is, you guessed it, in the woods and read from a book that they most definitely shouldn't have in a creepy basement they definitely shouldn't have gone into. The group is constantly monitored by the white collar worked, Sitterson and Hadley, that we saw at the start of the film, as it revealed there are camera's in every room of the house. They and their team watch for 'scenario adjustments' as they weave their plans into the group. This can be seen in the joke about chemicals in Jules hair dye that will make her act more like a 'dumb blonde'. As bets are placed on the groups fate, we learn that they must transgress in order to meet their punishing fate which is done from their own free will. However, this free will is influenced by chemicals in the house that makes everyone fall more in line with the trope, they have been selected for. In this basement where the group is, we seen that it is adorned with creepy artefacts that all represent a horror that is awaiting them, if they chose it. However, they are interrupted by Dana who reads from that book which unleashes the Buckner family, a family of redneck torture zombies, that makes reference to zombies having their own sub genres. Jules is the first to succumb to the cabin as she fulfils her role of the whore by showing mild nudity which is a a horror genre classic. One by one, each friend is picked off leading to Dana seemingly fulfilling the end girl trope. Possibly one of the biggest subversions of this film is 'The Ancient Ones'. This is a race that roamed the earth long before the human race. The Ancient Ones are a clear homage to Cthulhu Mythos universe created by H.P. Lovecraft. This film is a great commentary the horror genre and the subversion of it. The creators deconstruct and reconstruct their new version of horror which leads to an interesting watch and a definite recommend of a film.
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by Emily PowerIn honour of Spooktober, I will break down the origins of one of the most terrifying villains to grace our screens: IT. The first question to ask when looking at this entity, is what is it? Simple answer, no one really knows apart from the mind of Stephen King. From the two films and miniseries, there isn’t much background information on his origin, and this is a case where we must look to the source material. IT is an ancient cosmic being that originates from a different dimension known as the ‘Macroverse’ which is referenced in other King works, such as the Dark Tower series. When looking at this series there is evidence that IT, is the creation of an autonomous omnipotent creator, known as ‘The Other’. However, IT is not the only creation of ‘The Other’, ‘The Other’, also created Maturin The Turtle who is seen as It’s mortal enemy as it represents all that is good. In this universe that Stephen King created, Maturin unlike IT, is a being of creation and vomited up the universe in which we live in and It crash lands on. It came to earth through an asteroid and landing in the place that millions of years later would be known as Derry. It hibernated until human began to populate the area and then It began its first cycle in 1715, where it would awaken every 27 years and feed on them. The second question you might ask now, is why every 27 years? This question is a bit easier to answer. While the films stay rigid to this 27-year cycle, the book gives It more breathing by saying approximately every three decades. 27 years simply gives the viewers a more concrete answer, but the number 27 wasn’t chosen randomly. According to The Secret of the Tarot, “The number 27 expresses a love for and interest in the well-being of humanity and one who is diplomatic and wise. This number is about non-judgement, compassion, and tolerance of others and their beliefs,” this statement is the complete opposite for everything It represents and quite ironic. Many physicists estimate that 27% of the universe is made up of Dark Matter is a force detectable only from its gravity. Just like dark matter, IT is an invisible force. Being this other worldly entity, IT has several powers which include shapeshifting, telepathy and mind control. With the knowledge of these powers, we can see how terrifying IT truly is as it can read our minds and see into our deepest darkest fear which It in turn will use against us with his shapeshifting abilities similar to villains such as Freddie Kruger. IT does this because, it must eat humans to survive and IT likes to eat human flesh, ‘that has been seasoned with fear’. This explains firstly, why it targets children more as they are easier to scare and it also explains why It enjoys stalking its victims as this prolongs the terror until the person is well and truly terrified of IT. Like Kruger, IT has a ‘preferred’ form which is it reveals itself as most often, in this case it is ‘Pennywise the Dancing Clown’ as clowns are a common fear of many children. Mind control is also a major factor when looking at how terrifying IT is and the destruction it loves to cause. This can be seen in multiple ways, most notably with Henry Bowers, the town bully who on his own has terrorised the main group of protagonists known as the ‘The Losers Club’. IT controls Bowers by making him do its evil bidding. Within this power of mind control, IT also influences the whole town. Firstly, by creating this cloud of amnesia which always hangs over the town and is why no one is appalled by the amount of murders and missing people cases that occur in this small town. It’s evil influence also contributes to how the adults in this town remain quite oblivious and in ways are then turned into monsters too. There is also a rise in violence and hate crimes, in his awaken after his 27 years, which is shown in the opening seen of IT Chapter Two (2019) when a homosexual couple are targeted by a group of thugs. Another power It has is the use of Deadlights. Deadlights which Beverly Marsh witnesses in the 2017, IT Chapter One film, are glowing orange lights that blind his victims and keep them ‘fresh’. Deadlights are meant to be so powerful, we cannot comprehend with our brains and it will drive the person looking at them insane, although Beverly is only rendered unconscious by them. IT is a truly terrifying villain who not only taps into our deepest fears but creates new ones. by Aisling O Connell I've been in this game for years, it made me an animal
It's rules to this shit, I wrote me a manual A step-by-step booklet for you to get Your game on track, not your wig pushed back - The Notorious B.I.G This piece of writing will use and abuse the lyrics of ‘Ten Crack Commandments’ by the Notorious B.I.G, in an adaptation geared towards selling the sweet, sweet, slip into a full-blown addiction to the creative process. This process, a deeply personal practice, should be something every creative individual pays very close attention to. The privilege and outrageous luxury of attending third level education, is that this observance is often a requirement, and you sometimes get rewarded for it. This is my opinion only, and I hope it does not read as prescriptive. We all know how dangerous it is to mess around with other people’s prescriptions! (Still though... MR PHARMACIST!!)[1] I have chosen ‘Ten Crack Commandments’ as an example of what it is, I think we should be chasing when it comes to what influences, excites and informs the/our work. Chase the attitude that excites you. Don’t limit yourself to your own discipline. Let your influences and references be as varied and sprawling as they want to be. Find the ethos you believe in. Punk, hip-hop, 70’s protest images, Debenhams sit ins, Joe Strummer, Ben 10 on repeat on your kids iPad, rise of fascism, the constant drone of lockdown, Francis Bacon, a lone man protesting outside CUH, teenagers wailing in the night, Irish wakes, Brendan Behan, neighbours playing classic hits through the walls, drunk people playing hurling in your driveway, grime, Vivienne Westwood circa 70’s in her SEX shop, Vivienne Westwood TODAY, Emily Dickinson, originator of outsider ethos, speedcore Techno-outsider ethos, getting lost, Rebecca Solnit, Joseph Beuys gilted gold, True Crime magazines, shotgun weddings, 90’s Playboy covers, trashy is classy, Maya Derren, Jeff Keen, opiate queens, a long, slow scrape of a hand through the earth. If you are a filmmaker, don’t always look toward film to inform your work. Get the richness and the layers from everything else that surrounds you. Embrace the chaos and approach it systematically. Rule Number Uno, never let no one know How much dough you hold cause you know The cheddar breed jealousy 'specially If that man fucked up, get yo' ass stuck up In terms of budget, just don’t have one. Just have no money, no resources, and no equipment. Any limitations, circumstantial or personal, will perfectly be putting out the fire with gasoline.[2] Necessity is the mother!! And your films will be the beautiful babies! You will recognise ‘the one’ when you begin to acquire equipment. You will develop real, legitimate connections to these devices, especially if you’re working from a low budget. Think about and question these relationships often. These devices are an extension of you and your thought process. Number 2, never let 'em know your next move Don't you know Bad Boys move in silence and violence? Your creative arena, I believe, is the only place you don’t have to let anybody know your next move. It is a place of total freedom. The decisions you make, in terms of composition, colours, subject matter are your choices and yours alone. In the ‘real’ world, we all have so many responsibilities and people to consider. In this creative space, you decide what gets in and out. You decide what lives there. You decide who you want to talk to. And nobody else really cares what you are up to in there, which is liberating. Moving in silence and violence lends itself well to the discipline of filmmaking. Don’t explain everything, and a violent approach to cutting, editing, and shooting has always been my personal favourite. Number 3, never trust no-bo-dy Your moms'll set that ass up, properly gassed up Hoodied and masked up, shit, for that fast buck She be laying in the bushes to light that ass up To talk about trusting anyone or anything in these bizarre times would take too long. Trust your instinct and that is all. Number 4, I know you heard this before Never get high on your own supply I strongly oppose to this, in this context. Get so high on your own supply. Use that addict spirit to create! Channel it into creating, chase the adrenalin rush that comes from it. In my mind, nurturing a creative practice, presents itself like addiction. There is insane highs and severe lows. You think you have it under control, then control is dead. You think it’s gone, then it’s back, devouring everything in sight. Pay attention to this process, let it happen. Don’t let any amount of sitting in beige and brown walled, plastic chaired, damp carpeted rooms kill this addiction. This is the addiction that will triumph over all others. The others will starve and erase you. This is the addiction that feeds you, nourishes you, reaffirms your identity, and you just get a huge buzz off it, let’s be honest. Number 5, never sell no crack where you rest at I don't care if they want a ounce, tell 'em bounce! Let’s say crack in this instance is your work, where you rest at, is your story. Visit your own stories, things you know. It is up to you if you want to embellish these stories or keep them hidden away. I believe an individual’s creative practice is a process in which you are getting closer to who you are and what you believe in. In times of great uncertainty, housing, unemployment and now pandemics, your creative practice can be the one place of certainty you can return to. It’s the only solid thing, and its not solid at all. It’s slippery and unpredictable and delicious compared to all these other unstable elements that make up daily life. When we talk about these unstable times we are living in, there is often a pressure that we should be making art about it. Art as activism, a site for politics and protest. I do believe that art, film, and literature should reflect on and be critical of what’s going on around us. However, I would be very cautious about trying too hard to say something of great political importance. Go back to your own stories. Nobody really has an easy ride of it. In this way, the personal becomes political, and then you know what you want to say, and why. Number 6, that goddamn credit? Dead it You think a crackhead paying you back, shit forget it! I will take from this, the idea that you will start to recognise other ‘crackheads’, or slaves to the creative process. Gravitate towards them. This will make it easier to begin to identify yourself as an artist, a filmmaker, a writer. This is a hard step to take coming out of your undergraduate course. It always felt embarrassing to me to think of myself as an artist and a filmmaker. Now I am clearly past caring. Lol. 7, this rule is so underrated Keep your family and business completely separated This is a luxury most of us can’t afford. I think I’ve always been trying to balance being a parent with trying to establish a creative practice. Both things started at the same time, and this has been my main experience of adult life so far. My studio must be my kitchen. Acknowledge your circumstances, never be defined by them. Or just ignore them totally! Listen to BbyMutha if you want some guidance about being creative while parenting. Punk ethos!!! Also, Patti Smith writes beautifully about it in the even more beautiful book, ‘Antonin Artaud, Works On Paper’ (MOMA, NY). Or just read Artaud all day for a few years. As we’ve heard one million times, the pandemic has meant we are all working from home. This is important. You must know you can survive without the support of an institution, or the company of friends, or a shared studio space. You must know you will continue to create, without the deadlines of college, or the chance of a group exhibition. Taking time out of education to establish your own routine, your own process, strengthens your resolve to carry on even if there is a real possibility nobody might ever see your work. And then, you can go back to the warm safe space of the institution and focus on your studies! Number 8, never keep no weight on you! Them cats that squeeze your guns can hold jums too So, to paraphrase Biggie, don’t get caught. A mistake I have made many times, is proclaiming I have a film nearly made, or an essay nearly finished, and then realising I don’t really have anything done at all. Say nothing!! Number 9 shoulda been Number 1 to me, If you ain't gettin' bagged stay the fuck from police In terms of potential creative inspiration, engagement with any kind of state services is usually very beneficial. Generally, anger, frustration and desperation are hugely important components to making great art. Don’t totally rule out getting arrested. Number 10, a strong word called consignment Strictly for live men, not for freshmen If you ain't got the clientele, say "hell no!" 'Cause they gon' want they money rain sleet hail snow The consignment, the crack – your work, should always be coming in, even if you don’t have the clientele. Don’t worry about who will consume it. Just keep making, no matter what. Don’t be afraid of it. Imagine somebody’s dad shouting and spitting from the side-lines of an under 12’s GAA match, roaring, his face red and contorted from the pull of his hands in his thinning hair, and he is pointing at his child, DON’T BE AFRAID OF IT!! DON’T BE A AFRAID OF IT!! This is your guardian angel, you are his child, and if you are lucky, he will sit on your shoulder and scream this in your ear every time you stare at a blank screen, a white canvas, or stand behind, or in front of a camera. [1] Mark E Smith, The Fall, Mr Pharmacist [2] David Bowie, Cat People (Putting Out Fire) https://aislingoconnell.com/ by Emily PowerSat in the Cork School of Music on a cold March morning, the faint whispers of a virus called Covid-19 suddenly became a harsh reality when my lecturer walked in and explained that this was the last time we’d be meeting face to face. My classmates and I all parted way that evening, naively saying, ‘See you in two weeks’ not understanding what was to come. As a soon to be graduate, my life was completely halted and through into chaos. The ‘plans’ I had so meticulously made were now non-existent and everything in the world just seemed to stop, including the film industry.
This ‘new normal’ saw the halting of several television and film productions with large amounts of production staff who typically work freelance being laid off. For other areas of the industry, the easing of restrictions did allow work to resume such as smaller productions and animation but as the restrictions eased and work slowly trickled back, the industry faced new issues such as social distancing and securing adequate funding. Considering this, Screen Ireland announced that it would be offering new support measures that would hopefully cushion the blow of Covid-19. Production isn’t the only area being affected, with production halted and less film being released, cinemas are now struggling with the next James Bond film and big budget productions like Dune (Denis Villeneuve) being pushed back and less than satisfactory ticket sales for Tenet (Christopher Nolan, 2020). Cinema chains like Cineworld are now considering closing all its cinemas in the UK and Ireland causing mass job loss. Adapting is the new norm in today's society, with events such as the Academy Awards and Golden Globes pushing dates back and extending the period of eligibility. Other festivals such as the BFI and Slam Dance have created a type of hybrid festival with viewing available in cinemas and online. Many films that were slated for theatrical release such as Lost in Russia or Mulan have now moved to online streaming platforms. Television productions has also had to adapt and a prime example of this is EastEnders and how they’ve managed to create a ‘covid free zone’. The studio has turned into a one-way system and actors have Perspex glass between them to keep them safe during scenes. These new tricks will have to be the way forward for productions to continue running in this uncertain climate. |
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