So since I\u2019m me, I took the time during this Octave of Christmas to watch \u201cHolidays,\u201d a horror anthology in which every tale takes place on some sort of celebratory day. It\u2019s surprisingly good!<\/p>\n
The thing that makes the movie so powerful (esp its first half), I think, is that most<\/em> of the directors\/writers took the time to ask what each holiday is actually about. What are the underlying emotions called up by each day\u2013the longings, beliefs, fears, dreams to which each holiday responds? And then they went and made horror flicks about those things. A quick rundown:<\/p>\n Valentine\u2019s Day<\/strong>: Story is fairly standard tale of bullied girl in love with her PE teacher\/swim coach. She\u2019s just a fool for love! (shiver<\/em>) What made this piece stand out was its look. It\u2019s all sharp, unexpected cuts and intense color. Very very enjoyable. And by the people who did Starry Eyes<\/em>, which should be an enticement.<\/p>\n St Patrick\u2019s Day<\/strong>: Whaaaaaaat did I just watch?! This is a super tale of paganism in actual Ireland, like, it is in fact about St Patrick vs the snakes, as played out in the life of a contemporary schoolteacher with a very<\/em> strange problem. The ending is a bit cute\u2013it needs to balance on the edge of weird love\/horrifying violation, and I think it sways too far into the first thing\u2013but this was a great idea.<\/p>\n Easter<\/strong>: Starts off with a ferocious promise to actually explore the Jesus\/fairy tale\/zombie tale thing. Why isn\u2019t the Resurrection horrifying? Will Daddy ever come back? Is the Easter Bunny\u2026 you know\u2026 real?<\/em> Doesn\u2019t totally live up to this strong premise but it\u2019s a sharp twist on the idea that parents tell their children comforting versions of the truth.<\/p>\n Mother\u2019s Day<\/strong>: Probably the strongest concept. A woman who has had countless abortions because she gets pregnant every time she has sex is sent by her doctor to a hippy-dippy \u201cfertility ceremony\u201d for women who suffer from infertility. We don\u2019t control our bodies or our futures, and that\u2019s heartbreaking\u2013and it divides people, as women turn against one another, how dare you reject something I\u2019d kill for. One side here is overly villainized\u2013they should be a lot more parallel, since both<\/em> abuse their power in an agonized response to their powerlessness\u2013and the final twist is dumb. But this is a wrenching little thing.<\/p>\n Father\u2019s Day<\/strong>: About absence and a lack of answers, because men can leave. Spooky but maybe a bit slight.<\/p>\n Halloween<\/strong>: Porn camgirls torture their pimp. Literally, find out how long this short is and skip it when it comes up. It is Kevin Smith and I wanted to give him a chance but it\u2019s repulsive both morally and aesthetically. I think it is supposed to be shock humor? Generally for that it helps to be funny<\/em>. People throw around the term \u201ctorture porn\u201d and I think if that term means anything it should mean gleeful, self-righteous reveling in a character\u2019s dehumanization, pain, and degradation. The fact that the abuse is \u201cdeserved\u201d as punishment makes the thing worse, not better.<\/p>\n