Movies
Amer (limited)
“In many ways it’s more arthouse than an actual horrorfilm, but whatever Amer goes for in a standalone sequence, more often than not it hits with impressive accuracy.”
It’s been a month now since I caught Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s Amer at the EFM in Berlin and a lot of that time has been consumed by deciding whether I like the movie a little or a lot. It basically boils down to deciding if the fact that the movie purposely annoys the fuck out of you is a cool thing or not. I don’t mean annoy in the sense that it’s bad, mind you, no Amer is a piece of great innovation and awesome craftmanship. But the film continuously builds up expectations in it’s viewer only to stray completely of path and deny the audience of any release. And goddammit does it work! Amer is a film that’s rumbled around in the back of my head for a longer time than Von Triers Antichrist and Fabrice Du Welz’s Vinyan. I’ve decided that not only do I like Amer a lot, I truly consider it a technical and narrative gem.
The fact that Amer is more of a filmtechnical excersize than a traditional thriller is obvious from frame one. After serving up a deliciously corny 60’s inspired intro, Cattet and Forzani almost top Argentos Suspiria in a sustained suspense sequence very much inspired by that very movie. And then they leave you hanging. After serving up a prolonged sense of absolute suspense the likes of which we only see en French and Spanish horrorfilms these days, the directing duo abandon traditional horrific tension almost for the remainder of the film. I was baffled, annoyed, enraged even. But just like interrupted sex, the seance leaves you on edge and highly receptive to the hour of sensual and sensitive filmmaking that ensues.
Devoid of horrific imagery and content, the second act slows down, at times almost to a standstill, and dwells on sexual tension instead. The plotless film moves from one tableau to the next, following a quiet little girl who grows into a quiet young woman, and showing us how fear of the old woman in the basement is somehow related to the silent sexual tension in a cabride or having to pass a bunch of leatherclad bikers. There’s a Freudian undertow here that not only keeps the movie together but also connects it to the Giallo-brethren that Cattet and Forzani continuously pay homage. This is far from a Giallo in any traditional sense, though, and most would say that only the opening and the final reel, which finds the woman fearing for her life at the hands of a razor-wielding, shadowy figure, truly belong in the yellow company.
Amer is a little film that I’ve come to appreciate more and more, the more I’ve thought about it and right now I hope I get the chance to see it again soon. More than anything it’s the fact that the Belgians actually pull this movie of, that’s impressive. In a single film they demonstrate complete control of thrilling suspense in one scene, deliver colourful, psychedelic imagery in the next and then manage to make wind convincingly sensual in two of the most sexually tense sequences I can recall having ever seen. There are some small hickups from time to time, with the stylistic psychedelia sometimes leaving the narrative hanging, but through most of the film the photographic excess is wellmeasured, underscoring the emotional tension and rendering the movie certifiably engrossing.
For once I’d say it might actually be a good thing to know a little about the film before watching, because that way you won’t spend the entire second act waiting for the film to go into horror-mode again. You might just be open to the sensibilities of a movie thoroughly charged with emotion, that I’ve only come to truly appreciate in retrospect. In many ways it’s more arthouse than an actual horrorfilm, but whatever Amer goes for in a standalone sequence, more often than not it hits with impressive accuracy.
It was almost one year ago that Warner Bros. brought the entire original A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise to 4K in one massive 7-movie collection, with the limited edition SteelBook version of the set quickly selling out and becoming highly sought after. But we’re happy to report tonight that the SteelBook set is currently back in stock over on Amazon!
While supplies last, grab the Elm Street SteelBook collection for $154.99 right now!!
Orders placed for this re-release are scheduled to begin shipping out September 15, 2026.
[Related] Freddy’s Back: New ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Movie in the Works at Paramount
From New Line Cinema, the collection includes the original seven films – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) – along with the uncut versions of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Dream Child.
Two BRAND NEW SPECIAL FEATURES for this set include:
- Boiler Room Confessional: The king of slashers, Robert Englund, takes us on a journey through the dream world, sharing what inspired Freddy Krueger, his rise as a cultural icon, and the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street, plus his favorite kills, scenes, and more.
- Freddy’s Footnotes: Robert Englund and original A Nightmare on Elm Street filmmakers revisit iconic scenes, revealing the movie magic and chaos behind our favorite nightmares. Pull back the curtain and relive epic moments through the eyes of those who made them.
Here’s the full breakdown of included Special Features for each movie…
A Nightmare on Elm Street
· Ready Freddy Focus Points
· Commentary with Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Ronee Blakley, Robert Shaye, and Sara Risher
· Commentary with Wes Craven, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and Jacques Haitkin
· Alternate Endings – Scary Ending, Happy Ending, Freddy Ending
· The House that Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror
· Never Sleep Again: The Making of A Nightmare on Elm Street
· Night Terrors: The Origins of Wes Craven’s Nightmares
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
· Freddy on 8th Street
· Heroes and Villains
· The Male Witch
· Psychosexual Circus
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
· Behind the Story: Burnout
· Behind the Story: Fan Mail
· Behind the Story: The House that Freddy Built
· Behind the Story: Onward Christian Soldiers
· Behind the Story: Snakes and Ladders
· Behind the Story: That’s Showbiz
· Behind the Story: Trading 8’s
· Dokken Dream Warriors Music Video
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
· The Finnish Line
· Krueger, Freddy Krueger
· Hopeless Chest
· Let’s Makeup
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
· Behind the Story: Womb Raiders
· Behind the Story: The Sticky Floor
· Behind the Story: Take the Stairs
· Behind the Story: Hopkins Directs
· Behind the Story: A Slight Miscalculation
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
· 86’D
· Hellraiser
· Rachel’s Dream
· 3D Demise
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
· Commentary with Wes Craven
· NEW – Boiler Room Confessional
· NEW – Freddy’s Footnotes
· Becoming a Filmmaker
· Filmmaker
· An Insane Troupe
· The Problem with Sequels
· Two Worlds
· Welcome to Prime Time: It Really Happened
· Welcome to Prime Time: A Childhood Memory
· Welcome to Prime Time: Sometime in the Early 80s
· Welcome to Prime Time: So It Began
· Welcome to Prime Time: Beauty and the Beast
· Welcome to Prime Time: Making the Glove
· Welcome to Prime Time: Shapeshifter
· Welcome to Prime Time: The Shoot
· Welcome to Prime Time: The Revolving Room
· Welcome to Prime Time: All’s Well that Ends Well
· Welcome to Prime Time: Talalay’s Tally
· Welcome to Prime Time: It Couldn’t Have Happened
· Welcome to Prime Time: Alternate Ending Version
· Conclusion: Where Gothic Plots Come From
· Conclusion: Why We Like Gothic
· Conclusion: Sadomasochism
· Conclusion: Freddy vs. Pinhead
· Conclusion: Freddy’s Manic Energy
· Conclusion: Creating Lasting Characters in Horror
· Conclusion: No More Magic Tricks
· Conclusion: Monster with Personality
· Conclusion: Freddy as Sex Machine
· Conclusion: Campfire Stories
The Elm Street collection is available in this collectible SteelBook packaging (exclusive to Amazon) and as a standard 4K collection that’s also available now over on Amazon.
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