A new filmaking star is born

I am not one to go see horror movies, supernatural or otherwise.  In my lifetime, there have been two distinct eras of horror films and their relative success rate.  The first, of course, was the 1980s.  The most recent era started in earnest around 2003 or so; initially as a tonic for people still reeling from 911.  It has since devolved into sequels of no importance, prequels of no importance, creepiness for the sake of creepiness, and stupidity ad infinitum.

However, a movie independently released last year when it premiered at Cannes has now been picked up for distribution by the Radius division of The Weinstein Company.  This movie, written, directed and co-produced by an up and coming filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan, David Robert Mitchell; has the unassuming title It Follows.  Virtually no one involved with this movie is a known face: possibly excepting Kier Gilchrist.  And yet; this stands out already as one of the better movies I have seen this year.  This is coming in the form of a supernatural thriller, which is rather surprising. 

Since there are many of you fellow readers that may not have gotten a chance to see this movie, I will not spoil it for you and urge you all to see this movie when you can.  I do however want to discuss an important aspect of this movie that I believe David Robert Mitchell wanted to show.  That would be the idea that sex equals eventual self destruction.  You see, the premise of this movie involves teenagers in Detroit becoming rebellious by dating someone without, I think, the expressed consent of their family.  Apparently, once the act of consent occurs, both partners begin to see an apparition of a person walking towards them.  If they are not careful, the apparition begins to physically and sexually attack these teenagers, leading to death or personal destruction.  Mr. Mitchell implies that the apparitions these teenagers see are that of a family member, and usually it is one of their parents.  That of course is when the real horror these teenagers have begin. 

Yet what exactly is this real and true horror?  Is it the act of having sex? Perhaps the disapproval of a family member?  Getting a disease?  The realization that children will need to grow up and do their own thing?  Maybe it is calling out the old man or woman on their own shit?  I am still trying to figure these interpretations myself.  It is likely all of these feelings and much more. 

Now again, I know a good deal of you have yet to see this movie: so any deeper analysis and explanations of this film would be needing to delve into spoiling almost everything.  That might work when pretty much anyone knows the movie in question.  It Follows is not one of those movies.  None the less, I think David Robert Mitchell is on his way to becoming one of the more Interesting filmmakers of independent cinema, with a very unique voice regarding the new teenage culture and lifestyle.  As it is, It Follows for me is more of a character study on psychological fears and urges than a supernatural horror film.  This movie needs to be seen. 

I want to finish by stating an important development.  Last Friday, I deleted a post regarding the German wings aircraft crash that I had initially published just prior to newer information coming out that negated my initial ideas as to what happened on the plane.  I do apologize for this, and for anyone that may have been upset at this conflagration.  One of the passengers on the flight was Oleg Bryjak, a noted opera singer that had recently performed as Siegfried in a production of Richard Wagner's The Ring Cycle.  Here below is an excerpt of a recent performance he made.

I will have more to say on what needs to be done for flight travel as we move forward.  None the less, what we say will not change the fact that 150 are now dead for no apparent reason.

Talk to you all later,

Robert