What must you think of me? Sometimes I am all over you, never leaving you alone, invading your personal space, sometimes three times a week, other times I disappear for ten days with no reason to my absence, bar an inexplicable Facebook status stating: "You all LAUGHED when I started my blog! I'll show you! I'll show you ALL!!! (What's that? You didn't know I had a blog...? And you typically ignore my posts? Well... well... you're a prick!)". Well, to explain my seemingly rash and somewhat excited status update, I can now reveal all.
I am now a contributing writer to a fuckin cool film website!
Don't believe me? Check out the link to see my very first article for the awesome folks of BestForFilm.com:
http://bestforfilm.com/film-blog/top-10-criminally-overlooked-horror-films/
These peeps are just crazy into film, and, thanks to the guidance of my 'little sister' Bev, I am now proud to say I can spread my horror nonsense with them.
Now, don't think for one second that this page is going to be neglected! Every post I do for BFF will also be published here a few days later (probably with slight alterations), and some articles will be exclusive to This Horror Is Your Face, as my style of ranting isn't always compatible with others!
Bless their wee cotton sock,
they don't know what they have got themselves in for.
Now, in line with things I don't normally do, I am going to have a look at a film that is still actually in cinemas! Ladies and gentlemen, I present for your consideration, Black Swan.
I have always been a big Darren Aronofsky fan, even liking the seemingly terminal entry in his catalog, The Fountain, but seeing the hype this film had around it, I was very prepared to be disappointed. I was really in to The Wrestler, and figured he would not be able to top it in terms of a film for mainstream audiences. How wrong I was!
This tale of the precision and disturbing obsession a ballerina goes through to make it to the main stage is not a very original premise (much to-do has been made about a film very similar that should receive more recognition), but, for my money, you can close the book on any more films like this. Black Swan is as beautiful as it is startling, as tranquil as it is grotesque. Natalie Portman and Mila 'I could literally got lost in your eyes' Kunis are stellar, as are all the cast. The script is tight and, though feeling a bit familiar in subject matter, could not have been better. The film seems to be shot on a film stock very reminiscent of the late 70s (though maybe it was just the copy I saw), which is part of an overall juxtapose of beauty and grit (which also includes these petite and picturesque dancers in quite a derelict building).
I went in to the film knowing it was some way a thriller, but this scared me a helluva lot more than Paranormal Activity 2 did. Aronofsky is subtle is his mind-fucking, and knows how to turn on the screw amazingly. I don't know if it's because his big flop The Fountain was noted for feeling quite disassociative, but these characters you care for, even though it is the type of film you could very easily feel the exact opposite about.
Like I say, this film is quite hyped up, and if I had gone in expecting an amazing film, I may have been disappointed. It's that it shocked me with how good it was that has left an impression. I will go so far as to say I think the film should win Best Film at the Oscars (I certainly preferred it over seemingly everyones favourite, Inception) and will be shocked if it walks away empty handed. A friend summed up this film very well: It is The Wrestler for ballet.
Just beautiful.
Other Darren Aronofsky recommendations:
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