Annie Kapur

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we are going to explore some of the films that have changed our outlook of the possibilities in cinema in some way, shape or form. These can include, but are not limited to: revolutionary cinematography, narratives that challenge the social structure and the common view, trademark styles of auter cinema, brilliant adaptations of novels and other works, films of philosophical value and films that touch our hearts and souls with their incredible underlying messages and morals. Within each of the films in this chapter there is a certain something that makes them special and a certain something that makes them linger long after we have watched them for the first time. Lasting impressions are difficult to create, but I think that the films we will briefly touch on in this chapter are some of the films we will never ever forget.

“The Devil All the Time” (2020) is the much-anticipated film starring Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson with a supporting cast that includes the likes of Riley Keogh, Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska and others. A Southern Gothic Romantic Horror is the best way to describe this film. It is something set in the times of the deteriorating Southern Places and the newer age of on-coming listlessness. Between World War Two and the Vietnam War, there are many other tragedies, each unfolding in different subplots that converge upon each other as the protagonist gets closer and closer to his mark and his mark gets closer and closer to his doom. As the story unravels, generations of family unfold into these tragedies, unable to cope and nowhere to turn, they prove in madness and terror that their God cannot save them now. As wives perish in cancers and murders, as men grow older and as husbands lament their wives to death, this film is gathering the conscience of everyone who ever saw the South disappear into roads and roads of emptiness and spewing it out into a violence against dishonesty. The grim and lifeless atmosphere beats in the heart of anyone who dares re-watch this modern classic of the Southern Gothic tale of love on the run, murder gone wrong and a resurrection attempt most foul.

A dinner party was something I had always wanted to hold as a child. Being a girl, I grew up respecting the tea-party tradition seen on “Alice in Wonderland” in which all of my favourite teddy bears and barbie dolls were present and yet, tea itself was imaginary until I was about twelve. Slowly, as the dolls turned to acquaintances at university and the ‘tea’ turned to vodka, I knew by the age of twenty that I was never going to get my decadent Victorian England dinner party and serve a range of delicate seafood and freshly cut salmon. However, I can always have that dream and share with you the six people I think I would want at said party.

Most of the time, I think that a mixture between horror and action would be a complete and utter disaster and that is why when I was at university and a friend of mine mentioned this film to me when it first came out - I chose not to watch it. It remained on my watchlist for six years and so, I have now given it a go and, as far as entertainment goes, it is entertaining. Unfortunately, it is not really much more at all. Meanings were not established deeply and cheap cuts of the Iraqi Supernatural themes found more prominently in “The Exorcist” (1973). The performances, though very good, were met with some shoddy dialogue and over-explanations that I felt took away some of the depth, meaning and tension/anticipation from the film. Thus, the film’s main section in which Santini is exorcised, becomes something almost boring, lengthy and unfulfilling. It walks the fine line between entertaining to watch and completely meaningless. Maybe it is better if you don’t think about it too much because then it really will be quite entertaining.

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we are going to explore some of the films that have changed our outlook of the possibilities in cinema in some way, shape or form. These can include, but are not limited to: revolutionary cinematography, narratives that challenge the social structure and the common view, trademark styles of auter cinema, brilliant adaptations of novels and other works, films of philosophical value and films that touch our hearts and souls with their incredible underlying messages and morals. Within each of the films in this chapter there is a certain something that makes them special and a certain something that makes them linger long after we have watched them for the first time. Lasting impressions are difficult to create, but I think that the films we will briefly touch on in this chapter are some of the films we will never ever forget.

I had been meaning to watch this film ever since it had first come out but was cynical about the premise because I had heard somewhere that a sea monster and some cult-like shit was involved. I decided to pass on the film for over a year and so, when I did get around to watch it I became surprised by the fact that this was not something I was concentrating on in the film. What I was concentrating on, in fact, was the slowly declining sanity of the two men in the lighthouse and the splicing of various scenes together that, without the context of the drinking, the loss of food and the lack of human contact, would make little sense. In order to see the decline of their sanity, you have to really take it all in. However, this film does have its disadvantages as well and we will discuss the pros and cons briefly as we go through this review.