Editorials
‘Communion’ is the Bizarre Christopher Walken Alien Abduction Movie You Need in Your Life [Aliens Scare Me]
I stumbled upon Fire In The Sky as an eight year old one night on HBO and was unwittingly plunged into a lifetime fear of aliens. For example, we used to have a window halfway down our staircase. After that fateful Fire In The Sky night, I would literally duck underneath that window when walking past it at night for years. Each and every night.
We used to have a long driveway in a semi-country setting in Kentucky and one of my chores was to take the trash cans to the curb. When this particular chore took place at night, I would race those sons of bitches to the curb and then book it back to the house like my life depended on it. The way I saw it? I was alone, outside, at night in the country. The absolute perfect specimen for aliens to abduct and then drop back off in some kind of time warp like nothing had ever happened. This kind of fear has driven me, a lifelong horror fan, to have a deep seeded love for alien horror. Even today, at the age of 36.
You see, not many horror films truly scare me these days. But alien horror? Even the ones substandard to most send me into a fear frenzy. That’s why I’d love to take a dive with you into alien horror. Movie by movie. Welcome to “Aliens Scare Me”. A deep dive look into alien horror films on a case by case basis…
Communion (1989)
Where it started: Communion is based on the alleged real life experiences of Whitley Strieber. A fiction writer who experienced “visitors” while staying with his wife and son in a cabin in New York. Strieber had written several fiction horror novels before diving into books about environmental apocalypse and nuclear war. This was all before his true life experiences truly began, which he wrote about in multiple books including Communion and Transformation. The film touches on both of these alleged non-fiction accounts.
What it’s about: As far as the film is concerned (which is far different from the book, as most are), Whitley (played by Christopher Walken) is an eccentric writer living in New York with his young son and wife. They, along with two friends, venture off to their secluded cabin in the woods where they are subsequently attacked by visitors in the night. Whitley receives the worst of it when a needle is inserted into his brain by an alien creature that’d been hiding behind his dresser. He’s then given visions of the world exploding and his son dying. In the book he mentions this could have just been his worst fears playing themselves out in his brain more so than a threat or premonition from the aliens.
Whitley doesn’t remember this at first. All he knows is something is very wrong. And he’s spiraling down fast. He becomes frightened by the smallest of shifts in the air, concerning his wife and friends. He fears he’s losing his mind and all he can remember is that possibly one night there was a bright light accompanied by a dream of an owl in the house – the book points out that this is a regular occurrence for those who experience this kind of trauma; they often block their traumatic memories with events involving animals for whatever reason. Fans of The Fourth Kind will remember this happening there as well. Specifically, a white owl.
Eventually Communion takes us on a wild and semi-trippy ride as Whitley undergoes hypnotherapy and begins to recount being abducted by small blue creatures and experimented on by alien-like figures. Meanwhile, he is contending with the fear that he is merely losing his mind as he struggles to keep his marriage together.
Why it’s scary: Look, this movie is wacky as shit. It just is. According to IMDb, the real life Whitley Strieber actually approached Christopher Walken to complain that he thought he was playing the character “a little too crazy”. To which Walken responded: “If the shoe fits”.
This is a movie that many will watch and write off as simply “weird as shit” and maybe even just plain bad. Nobody could blame them. However, for those like me that alien abductions scare the living hell out of? There are moments.
In the vein of Fire In The Sky (which we will no doubt get to in this series), the horror lies mostly in the abduction sequences. There are two types of “visitors” during these sequences. One of which looks like strange blue trolls more so than aliens. These do not frighten me as much as they remind me of the small ghouls in Phantasm.
However, once Whitley is taken to the ship he encounters something that more resembles the scary ass aliens we all imagine in our minds. The effects and “aliens” are Dollar Tree quality but it somehow adds to the freakiness of it all. Their bodies are the size of pencils, their movements just fucked up enough to freak you out even worse.
The film at one point realizes that maybe, just maybe, Walken in a gonzo performance is just as scary as the aliens probing him; In a final sequence the “visitors” toy with him by having a doppelganger (played by Walken) participate. It’s just as off-putting and weirdly awesome as you could imagine.
The scariest part of the whole film however isn’t the aliens. It’s the idea of a man who loves his family dearly but is simply losing his mind. For a while, you even get the sense that the filmmakers don’t believe Whitley and are simply telling the sad tale of a man losing everything to mental illness. One of the few things just as frightening as aliens with bad intentions.
Where it lands: Communion is one of the strangest movies I’ve ever witnessed. Amidst the aforementioned frightening abduction sequences are moments involving Christopher Walken high fiving and dancing with small troll like aliens. The whole film is full of classic Walken-isms which are as entertaining as they are derivative. For example, there’s a moment where the aliens decide to rectally probe him quite violently (I told you it’s strange). He looks square into the alien’s face and says “I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you” in a completely calm manner as though he was ordering a sandwich. Only Christopher Walken could get away with this performance and he does.
Through all the laughably batshit sequences here are multiple terrifying scenes for those of us with the disposition of being unreasonably scared of alien encounters. The movie’s biggest weaknesses are the same moments which will make it one of a kind to others. It’s a 6.5/10 for me but definitely a movie that will depend on the eye of the beholder. Communion will be especially interesting for those who enjoy stories they can take a deep dive into, as there’s an endless supply of books and wild stories by the film’s subject; Whitley Strieber.
He even has his own paranormal podcast titled Dreamland. Check it out.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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