26 of 31 Horror Films I've Never Seen 2016: The Other (1972)

Is there anything quite as creepy as children?  The idea that underneath the innocence of youth could exist a malevolence beyond comprehension is quite honestly terrifying.  While it's certainly been explored a number of times over the years, it probably was at it's height in the 70s and into the 80s.  While mostly relegated to the realm of Grindhouse exploitation films there were a number of efforts in the more mainstream studio medium that made it through.  Films like The Omen and The Exorcist are perhaps the most renown, but Robert Mulligan's The Other deserves a special recognition for it's more psychological, albeit slightly spiritual, take on the subject.

Set in a small southern community in 1935, The Other follows twin brothers Niles (Chris Udvarnoky) and Holland Perry (Martin Udvarnoky), enjoying an idyllic summer playing and getting into mischief.  Something isn't quite right, however, and strange (often fatal) accidents seem to be happening to members of the community surrounding something that the twins grandmother, Ada (Uta Hagen), taught them called 'The Game.'  Niles, the naively innocent, is the 'good' child of the two, while Holland seems intent on a more sinister darkness.  But why are the boys hardly ever found together at the same time?

The Other is a slow paced film, but the pace is deliberately slow in order to show the fraying mental state of the characters.  With each 'accident' that befalls the secondary and tertiary characters, it becomes more and more clear that something is not right.  This is incredible effective at stirring tension and even causing dismay at the truly shocking conclusion to the story.  Mulligan doesn't quite pull his punches, but he is so careful to portray the nature of childhood and the secrets that children keep.  It is not until it is too late that action can be taken and it is very ambiguous as to the effects.

The drawback of the story is that it's a little bit too tame.  While Mulligan isn't afraid to tread some dark territories, he does so in a suggestive manner, hoping that the horror of the situation will come through.  While this is effective in a few places, on the whole it feels too restrained.  On the other hand, by practicing restraint throughout the first 2 thirds of the film, the final 30 minutes and chaotic climactic ending hit the audience in the gut like a true sucker punch.  An oldie, but a goodie, and a truly underrated classic that belongs in the canon of great psychological horror films.

 

09 of 31 Horror Movies I've Never Seen 2016: The Sacrament (2013)

I should probably start this with the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of "fount footage" genre.  It's not that I don't find the device amusing, but I have serious issues when the line is broken.  By the line, of course, I mean when shots start showing up looking too seamlessly edited.  If the gimmick is that the film is made up of "found" footage than it should look that way.  While the film itself is definitely creepy, Ti West's The Sacrament somehow managed to engage me and enrage me at the same time.

Imagine if the Jonestown Massacre had been caused and then covered by a VICE team: Jake (Joe Swanberg), Sam (AJ Bowen), and Patrick (Kentucker Audley.)  That's The Sacrament, just change the name from Jonestown to Eden Parish and Jim Jones to The Father.  Not really much else to tell about it story wise.  What I thought worked very well though, even knowing exactly what the outcome had to be, was the build up to the massacre.  Using the docudrama method we get to see a little bit of the VICE team's thoughts behind the scenes of their interviewing and experiences at Eden Parish.  West paces these moments very well creating a false sense of security so that when things start to get unsettling it's sudden and startling.

What drove me crazy throughout the film were too many moments where the camera impossibly cut.  With found footage the number of camera's is dictated by the character cameramen.  In the case of The Sacrament there is only one cameraman, Jake, and for ONE scene, we find out that Patrick's DSLR can shoot video.  However, before the aforementioned scene there are numerous cuts that looked good for film, but not good in terms of found footage.  Good meaning that they would be impossible to achieve with only one camera.  If the viewer is capable of conveniently forgetting this, it's not a problem, but otherwise it takes the viewer out.  It's jarring.

Otherwise, I thought the actors were all very convincing.  AJ Bowen's well meaning subjective observer who feels compelled to get involved was very empathetic and believable.  Amy Seimetz, as Patrick's cultist sister Caroline pretty much embodied the brainwashed psychopath.  No one, however, holds a candle to Gene Jones as The Father.  The only other person I can even think of that could play the character that way is John Goodman.  The man was so damn creepy and yet so charismatic that it made me kind of understand how so many people fell for Jim Jones' trip.  All this said, the film is worth watching, it just might be a very frustrating viewing.