THIS FRESH BLOOD: Salem’s Lot (1979)

Original Post Date: 08.27.17

I just watched Salem’s Lot (1979) and all I can say is that it was too goddamn long. Three hours of my life, gone. But hey, just because it did not meet my 1 hour 20 minutes desired length it doesn’t mean I hated it. Granted, it was slow as hell and not scary at all but it was visually pleasing. If what you need is to satiate your hunger for 70’s nostalgia, this is your film. But like I said, it was three hours long.

I have to mention that the director of the film, Tobe Hooper, passed away one day ago at the age of 74. May he rest in peace. (Sir, if you are listening to me, please forgive my irreverence, it was nothing personal, but come on, three hours?)

Okay, enough screwing around and let’s cut to the best part of the movie – the vampires!

I hereby give you my favorite screenshots of the vampires:

Three hours!?

- Marath

Keep Going and Push Forward aka As Above, So Below (2014)

Original Post Date: 08.04.17

Hallelujah sweet lord baby jesus, thank you! Oh thank you. I wish I could put into words what I am feeling right now, this flood of good happy energy, of hope, of peace. It has been at least one solid month since I last felt motivated and emotionally available to sit down and do one of my favorite things – writing about horror movies.

[Side note: People do not talk about it -and certainly not online- because if there is one unspoken rule in life is to put our best foot forward, to present only our best side, to appear okay and in control at all times. I call bullshit on that. Even though life is full of great things, it is also full of uncertainty and sad moments, so we as adults do our very best to deal with the good and the bad, but sometimes, goddammit, we simply cannot deal with it all and that is okay. It is okay to fall and stay down for a little bit while we try to figure out (by ourselves, with the help of family, friends, or a trained healthcare professional) what the hell was that dragged us down… and my time to get up has finally arrived. Today I felt like myself again, and it happened suddenly yet smoothly while watching a horror movie I half-wanted to watch (for the past few weeks I had barely watched any horror). I am back. I AM BACK!]

Today I watched for the second time As Above, So Below (2014) and yes, I remembered I liked it but man, today it made my brain radiate and burst with admiration and gratitude. Admiration because the story was original and done really well even though it used the [often hated] first person point of view/handheld camera technique, and also because the horror moments were unique and oh my fucking god, so scary! [the piano? the phone? are you kidding me! *mic drop*] Gratitude because it was refreshing seeing a female as the main character, a well written character, that is.

Enter Scarlett. She was everything I admire in a woman: brave, strong, persistent, smart, humble, adventurous, resourceful, caring, supportive, resilient (hella resilient!), but like any woman, scratch that, like any human, she too had flaws such as being stubborn, manipulative, and a little reckless. But hey, good and bad, remember?

Scarlett made me care for her. I wanted her to succeed at finding that which she had dedicated her whole life to and, in the process, reinstate her late father’s good reputation in the academic community. I knew she had many positive attributes on her side, what I didn’t know was that life had planned to throw many curveballs her way, and guess what, her being the badass human that she was she kept going and pushed forward.

Thank you, Scarlett, for letting me ride with you in your journey. Thank you for letting me see that it is possible to get to the other side. Thank you for letting me feel there is a way out.

“As above, so below. As I believe the world to be, so it is.” -Scarlett

Love you today, always, and forever,

- Marath

Half Adam, Half Eve - ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (2013)

Original Post Date: 05.30.17

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) is a movie that makes me feel good, that gives me hope, that reminds me I have someone to lean on when I am down, just like Adam has Eve.

I watched the movie in a small theater by myself back in 2014. I had patiently waited for it and did not mind going to the only place playing it around me, the place was (still is) my only option for alternative/artsy/foreign/non-blockbuster films available nowhere but there… I hate the place as it is overpriced and small, but I digress, the movie, oh the movie! I still remember clearly the opening scene as I watched it for the very first time, or rather, I still remember how the opening scene made me feel in my own body: elated, peaceful, aroused.

This was the opening scene:

But why did I have such a, ehem, interesting physical reaction to the opening scene, you might ask? Well, I had patiently w-a-i-t-e-d for it for so long that the anticipation was running high, plus, the place was relatively empty (as always) so I felt comfortable as if in my own house with the lights off and stuff, so when the image of the turntable appeared on the screen and the loud speakers started humming and playing the song, performed in this unique and sensual voice accompanied by perfect hypnotic music, which by the way, felt as if it was going around in circles, meaning, you heard it coming from the screen moving to the back of the theater, then returning to the front  of the screen and going back again (it did happen I swear! you can even experience this with the dvd if you have surround sound speakers at home), all that along the slow and rhythmic introduction of the two main characters, Adam and Eve, as they move along with the turntable as if dancing with the music while sleeping. Perfection.

So that was that. Now, let me tell you about the movie as a whole. Only Lovers Left Alive is not your classic vampire movie, it is more than that. It is smart, sophisticated, dark, lighthearted, human, and, believe it or not, has love at the core of it all. Yes, Adam and Eve are a married couple who happen to be vampires, but as such old immortals, they gave each other space from one another.

During this time Adam made his life in America, in Detroit, Michigan to be exact, and Eve made hers in the Mediterranean, in Tangier, Morocco. Both apart but still connected by the feeding ritual, both apart but thriving, both apart but content, until not. This is when Eve video calls Adam to check on him and she decides to go see him to keep him company. Adam is depressed.

The following is a deleted scene (included in the dvd bonus content) that perfectly embodies the mental state of Adam, unable to sleep during the day (as all vampires should), as he lays awake mindlessly watching tv:

[ YT video removed ]

Unfortunately, Adam is even contemplating suicide via gunshot to the chest with a wooden bullet.

When Eve accidentally discovers Adam’s plan, she confronts him and tells him: “How can you have lived for so long and still not get it? This self-obsession is a waste of living that could be spent on surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship….and dancing!”

Of course it takes more than just words to get Adam out of his head and this is where the beauty of the movie comes along. It is just a human tale told by vampires who love each other.

I wholeheartedly recommend you watch Only Lovers Left Alive. Hope you enjoy it while you still can.

Love you now and forever,

- Marath