Dani Buckley
Bio
Pennings of the dark and cinematic. Phantasmagoria abound.
Stories (26/0)
PAUSE: Unearthing 'The Blood on Satan's Claw' (1971)
Set during the uncertain times of pastoral early eighteenth century England, this period piece is folk horror at its finest. Often grouped in the same vein as 'The Wicker Man' (1973) and 'Witchfinder General' (1968), 'The Blood on Satan's Claw' packs a particularly memorable punch for those who have seen it. And its seeds of eeriness have been sewn in recent horror creations, such as 'A Field in England' (2013) and 'The VVitch' (2015). Despite this, 'The Blood on Satan's Claw' exists primarily these days as a movie dwelling mostly in cult status, with few testaments to its hidden brilliance. This is unfortunate, because, against the unfavourable odds of its low budget and aging special effects, 'TBOSC' is one of the few horror films to have truly unnerved me as of late.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Horror
PAUSE: A Look Back at Andrzej Zulawski's 'Possession' (1981)
Mimicked just a few years ago by Massive Attack in their video for 'Voodoo in my Blood', which starred a brilliant but frantic Rosamund Pike undergoing a Satanic attack in a subway, 'Possession' is a film that exists without a great buzz. This is a shame, because it is as deserving of as much praise as any blockbuster horror we've grown to revere nowadays, and contains one of the greatest onscreen performances, I personally, have ever witnessed.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Horror
The Best of Laura Dern
It's safe to say that 2019 was a year in the film industry that belonged to Laura Dern. Starring in two of the most highly-praised films of the year, Dern proved to the world why she continues to be a titan in the acting business and schooling the children in how best to represent strong female characters onscreen. Winning an Oscar on her birthday for her portrayal of no-bullshit lawyer Nora Fanshaw in Noah Baumbach's moving flick 'Marriage Story', Dern's academy award success was deserved, but long overdue.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Geeks
PAUSE: A Closer Look at Bergman's 'Hour of the Wolf' (1968)
Many have heralded Bergman’s films ‘The Seventh Seal’ and 'Persona' for their unflinching look at dark, subjective themes like mentality, death, belief and sexuality. However, there is one film that is seemingly left trailing in the wake of these titans by viewers and critics alike. Exploring the theme of isolation, both mental and physical, as well as other Bergman-esque themes, 'Hour of the Wolf' is nothing short of a forgotten masterpiece. While it is ambiguous, muddled and at times, hard to follow, the film is an enthralling depiction of one man's spiral into madness, and the ineptitude of his wife in knowing how to save him. 'Hour of the Wolf'' has brilliance in its ambiguity; the dream-like feeling of the film adds to the sense of one's sanity crumbling at the foundations. Its imagery, dialogue and cinematography are dazzling in their gloomy, melancholic brilliance.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Horror
Belial
When I was little, we held a séance. Not for any old reason, but because of the hole in our attic. It was the late '70s, and in our house the most advanced form of technology we had was a polaroid camera. Huge thing, it was, with a flimsy strap to hook round your neck so your hands wouldn't tremble with the weight of holding it up. Mum had nabbed it at a car boot sale down by the market. She was pleased with the discounted price she had been able to haggle it down to. I bit my tongue, afraid to tell her the reason why it had been so cheap was because it was just under a decade old. I had seen it on the back of an old catalogue from 1969.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Horror
The Doctor and the Serpent
Doctor Edward Kidder unfastened the buttons on his waistcoat, smiling wanly out of the carriage window, the maroon silk curtains flapping daintily in the breeze kicked up by the horses. He ran a hand over his thinning hair – a once vibrant strawberry blond now waning to a ghostly grey – smoothing back the wisps dislodged from the slight wind slipping in through the open slot.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Horror
Be Kind, Rewind: Why We Can Still Enjoy Classic Movies
In honour of its 40th anniversary of release, ScreenRant decided to release an article detailing why horror classic 'The Shining' (1980) has 'not aged well'. In this article, ScreenRant labelled the movie as one that is misogynistic and flippant towards such pressing and sensitive issues as familial abuse.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Geeks
The Best Alternative Retail Hot-Spots in Central Manchester
1. Afflecks (@afflecks_manchester) Afflecks is no secret. Famous for its seemingly endless floors, poster-clad walls and built-in restaurants (turn the corner and you'll be met with an ice cream parlour seemingly out of nowhere) Afflecks is an indie paradise. To explore it all would take you a good chunk of an afternoon, and even then you might miss something! The arcade hosts a cavalcade of shops all with their own unique quirks. Some of the greatest hits include:
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Styled
Why Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' is a Breath of Fresh Air for Netflix
According to Spike Lee, no Hollywood film studio wanted 'Da 5 Bloods', despite the director's glittering career. It's easy to see why it would appear as an affront to major production companies, as the film is not your average run-of-the-mill action flick. With all of his films, Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' is a thickly-coated in education and politics, all of which appear under the guise of a plot which sees four black veterans return to Vietnam to give their deceased friend Stormin' Norman (Chadwick Boseman) a burial and unearth the gold bullion they left there decades ago.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Geeks
Why 'The Lighthouse' is a Cinematic Masterpiece
One of the greatest travesties in recent film history has to be the fact that, despite career-best performances from both actors, neither Pattinson nor Dafoe were nominated for an acting Oscar for Robert Eggers' second feature film 'The Lighthouse'. Watching it for the first time earlier this year, the film quickly raced to the top half of my all-time favourite films list, and I have spent a good deal of time turning it over in my mind. It is certainly a thought-provoking picture, and one that will stick with you, perhaps because it is unlike anything else put to celluloid. I was therefore outraged when it barely featured in the 2020 Academy Awards' list of nominations, only picking up a measly nod for Sound Mixing.
By Dani Buckley4 years ago in Geeks