I watched THE DEVIL’S BATH on Shudder. It’s a film that has an air of inevitability about it — especially with its period setting — but it’s definitely in Franz and Fiala’s wheelhouse.
In my house the copy I had was purchased from a clearance sale at a shuttering Hollywood Video or Blockbuster, so it was just a disc in a blank sleeve with "Audition" written in Sharpie. It lent the thing an air of mystery and whenever my kids would ask if they could watch it, I would shake my head and say "You're not ready yet."
A week ago we watched it as a family and the sight of my horror-loving teens covering their eyes and muttering "no no no no no" at the TV is a top-tier movie experience. (Sharing movies with your kids is great.)
The first time I saw AUDITION was one of the greatest filmgoing experiences of my life. During one particularly drawn out scene, the tension increased exponentially but at a relative snail's pace. Every thirty seconds or so, a new audience member would get up and flee the theater. The rest of us masochists would quietly laugh at the cowards but we understood.
Reading this I realized I have only vague memories of it, but that I liked it at the time. I hated THE LODGE. That felt like bummer-for-bummer's-sake. They do seem like a good fit for the Tremblay story so high hopes on that.
As someone who also rarely guesses the twist because I like to watch movies and not solve them (at least the first time), I feel a kinship on that front. My wife is fairly good at it and will pull a "I figured that out long ago" when I react to a reveal. To which I say, "I'm sure your medal will be delivered shortly. Sorry they cancelled the ceremony."
I haven't seen this one since it was on the festival circuit but I remember really enjoying it (I'm a sicko tho). What I didn't remember was the twist which of course reminds me very much of A Tale of Two Sisters a movie I did re-watch this year for Spooky Season. I'm going to try and re-catch up with this one before the end of the year.
Remember being absolutely fucked up by this when I saw it a years ago at Fantastic Fest, and haven't had the inclination to revisit it since. While I found the torture upsetting, I remember being more affected by the sense that nothing in the universe of the film could possibly provide any relief or escape, which is something that kept me away from horror as a genre for a long time - that kind of inescapable oppressive hopelessness really got to me. I enjoyed The Lodge, but I also saw it deep in the pandemic when any decent/recent movie felt like a treasure, and its scenario felt relatable at the time too.
Yeah this is a real banger. A couple of people - critics, no less! - got up and left during the torture scene at the preview screening I saw it at. There's an air of glowering hopelessness throughout that's really oppressive.
I also am usually slow to guess twists, but in this case, near the beginning of the film, when Elias is floating on the lake, and his calls of "Lukas?" go unanswered, I clued in. I'm not particularly happy to have guessed it, as it robbed the experience of some of its mystery.
I watched THE DEVIL’S BATH on Shudder. It’s a film that has an air of inevitability about it — especially with its period setting — but it’s definitely in Franz and Fiala’s wheelhouse.
I’m still trying to work up the nerve to watch AUDITION.
No worries, Bill. It's just about a widower searching for someone nice to share his life with. You'll be fine. To a point.
😅
In my house the copy I had was purchased from a clearance sale at a shuttering Hollywood Video or Blockbuster, so it was just a disc in a blank sleeve with "Audition" written in Sharpie. It lent the thing an air of mystery and whenever my kids would ask if they could watch it, I would shake my head and say "You're not ready yet."
A week ago we watched it as a family and the sight of my horror-loving teens covering their eyes and muttering "no no no no no" at the TV is a top-tier movie experience. (Sharing movies with your kids is great.)
I love that. Maybe I'll wait until the next time my son comes to visit!
The first time I saw AUDITION was one of the greatest filmgoing experiences of my life. During one particularly drawn out scene, the tension increased exponentially but at a relative snail's pace. Every thirty seconds or so, a new audience member would get up and flee the theater. The rest of us masochists would quietly laugh at the cowards but we understood.
Reading this I realized I have only vague memories of it, but that I liked it at the time. I hated THE LODGE. That felt like bummer-for-bummer's-sake. They do seem like a good fit for the Tremblay story so high hopes on that.
As someone who also rarely guesses the twist because I like to watch movies and not solve them (at least the first time), I feel a kinship on that front. My wife is fairly good at it and will pull a "I figured that out long ago" when I react to a reveal. To which I say, "I'm sure your medal will be delivered shortly. Sorry they cancelled the ceremony."
This is one of those movies where the premise is so reflexively uncomfortable for me that I just looked up the plot summary on Wikipedia. No regrets!
I haven't seen this one since it was on the festival circuit but I remember really enjoying it (I'm a sicko tho). What I didn't remember was the twist which of course reminds me very much of A Tale of Two Sisters a movie I did re-watch this year for Spooky Season. I'm going to try and re-catch up with this one before the end of the year.
Remember being absolutely fucked up by this when I saw it a years ago at Fantastic Fest, and haven't had the inclination to revisit it since. While I found the torture upsetting, I remember being more affected by the sense that nothing in the universe of the film could possibly provide any relief or escape, which is something that kept me away from horror as a genre for a long time - that kind of inescapable oppressive hopelessness really got to me. I enjoyed The Lodge, but I also saw it deep in the pandemic when any decent/recent movie felt like a treasure, and its scenario felt relatable at the time too.
I genuinely still cannot believe you didn't realize who Detective Pikachu really was.
I get blinded by movie magic.
Yeah this is a real banger. A couple of people - critics, no less! - got up and left during the torture scene at the preview screening I saw it at. There's an air of glowering hopelessness throughout that's really oppressive.
I also am usually slow to guess twists, but in this case, near the beginning of the film, when Elias is floating on the lake, and his calls of "Lukas?" go unanswered, I clued in. I'm not particularly happy to have guessed it, as it robbed the experience of some of its mystery.