Deja_Vu

After a long silence, during which the Media Librarian was furiously ordering, entering, and booking media resources, the blog has resumed . . .
Since it's October, the magical month culminating in Halloween, Deja Vu will focus on horror. After all, there is something downright spooky about the Media collection. First of all, there's that skeleton we keep in the back room. And there's the ongoing mystery of disappearing video--we think a certain title is on the shelf, but no!

Then there's our cryptful of horror films, ranging from classic monster movies to more contemporary slash and gore.

Which brings the Media Librarian to the burning question: what exactly IS a horror film? Is it a ghost story? Does it feature vampires, evil clowns, zombies? Must it contain elements of the supernatural, or will any old ax-wielding psycho do the trick? What about science fiction? Does that count?

The Media Librarian concludes that horror is in the eyes, ears, and pounding heartbeat of the individual viewer and in that spirit encourages all you horror fans out there to share your favorite scary movies. Until and unless someone does, you'll be treated to my personal picks, starting tomorrow. Beware!

As promised, Deja Vu will look back at movies that have scared the bejesus out of the Media Librarian over the years. Though relatively fearless now, she was a timid child. The Innocents was the first movie, apart from Darby O'Gill and the Little People (very frightening banshee scene) to terrify her cinematically.

It's a ghost story, adapted from Henry James' Turn of the Screw.

It is still scary today, thanks in part to cinematography by Freddie Francis. We have it on a crummy pan and scan VHS version, but the DVD is on order--

The Media Librarian has returned from the National Media Market, where she viewed many excellent films, and got to meet Media Librarian celebrities like Gary Handman and Randy Pitman. Maybe they are not household names to most, but trust me, it is like meeting Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, if you are a Media Librarian!

Upon her return, the M.L was delighted at the news that Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize! Surely his truly scary movie, An Inconvenient Truth (DVD 1358) played a part in this achievement.

So forget the Grudge and Night of the Living Dead--this film is much more horrifying, because it's true.

Within these restrictions, Lewton and film director Jacques Tourneur created a masterpiece of horror. It's the story of a Serbian artist, who is obsessed with cats and believes that if she becomes sexually active, she'll turn into a murderous cat woman. Thus, her marriage to a nautical engineer is in trouble from the start. When the husband turns to another woman, and Irena (artist/cat lady) starts seeing a psychiatrist, things go from bad to worse.

Check out the swimming pool scene, and the Central Park bus scene--

On the same DVD is the sequel, The Curse of the Cat People. It is also an excellent movie, but sad, not scary at all.

This DVD of Korean director Bong Joon-Ho's creature feature just came in--and seems to fit our Deja Vu theme for October. It's not a horror movie per se--it IS a monster movie, but not like any you've seen before. It IS scary, on many levels.

Here's a good review by Ed Symkus (my neighbor!) who sums it up nicely.