Editorials
Remember the David Lynch-esque ‘Alan Wake’ Prequel “Bright Falls”?
In 2010, Remedy Entertainment developed Alan Wake, a psychological action horror game for the Xbox 360 and, eventually, for PC. The game follows successful author Alan Wake who, in the midst of a serious bout of writer’s block, travels with his wife to the quaint and picturesque town of Bright Falls, a delightful hamlet with charming residents and gorgeous scenery. Upon arriving, Wake and his wife, Alice, fall victim to a surreal darkness that steals Alice away and robs Wake of one week, a time during which he seemingly wrote a manuscript that portends future events, most of which are life-threatening to anyone involved.
The game was, in my opinion, a masterpiece of brilliant design and wonderful writing, creating a world that was engrossing and engaging while at the same time making something so fascinating that I couldn’t stop playing it. In fact, I think I’ve went back and revisited the game at least five or six times, relishing every moment with each playthrough.
A marketing ploy that was utilized before the release of Alan Wake was a series of short episodic films under the title Bright Falls, named after the aforementioned town. These six short episodes told the story of journalist Jake Fischer who travels to the town of Bright Falls to interview Dr. Emil Hartman, a psychiatrist who owns the Cauldron Lake Lodge, about his new book.
I bring Bright Falls up because I just rewatched all the episodes and I was struck by how well the shorts captured the feel that players would later feel when playing the game. Directed by Phillip Van, the show is beautifully shot, creating a world that feels mysterious and real. And while Twin Peaks, which was obviously an inspiration, may have been a charming town, seeming like a place that one might actually want to visit, Bright Falls is the opposite. It’s imposing, eerie, and unsettling.
The characters are just as intriguing as the town. The writers give just enough hints as to relationships to make things interesting but leave the details out, allowing us crave more or, perhaps even better, create our own backstories, as many of these characters are not a part of the game.
Each episode unfolds offering new mysteries while answering previous ones. However, if you think that by watching all six episodes that you’re going to know everything, you’re sorely mistaken. There are clues that are meant to be followed, threads meant to be unravelled, and paths meant to be journeyed.
As I rewatched this series, I was struck by a feeling whereby I wished this were fully realized into an actual TV series or even potentially a movie. The Alan Wake universe would allow for some truly amazing opportunities to tell captivating and compelling storylines, either via Wake or the inhabitants of Bright Falls. Perhaps a TV series could be created that is almost like “Night Springs”, the Twilight Zone-esque show that players could watch on random televisions scattered throughout the game.
Alas, I realize that these are dreams that will always see me wake up saddened by reality, but I choose to cling to these hopes anyways.
No matter what, Remedy is still actively entertaining the concept of a full-fledged sequel to Alan Wake, so one can only hope that a return is seriously in the works. The two DLC titles and one stand-alone game aren’t bad, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I find them to be exciting additions that embraced the lack of reality to really expand Wake’s purgatory. But they were appetizers and I’ve been craving the main course for a long time now.
No matter what, I still strongly encourage you to set aside approximately 30-45 minutes and watch Bright Falls. All episodes are below.
Episode 1: “Oh Deer”
Episode 2: “Time Flies”
Episode 3: “Lights Out”
Episode 4: “Local Flavor”
Episode 5: “Off the Record”
Episode 6: “Clearcut”
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
!['Rosemary's Baby' - Is Paramount's 'Apartment 7A' a Secret Remake?! [Exclusive]](https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Rosemarys-Baby.jpeg?resize=740%2C416&ssl=1)
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.
Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ Is Now Available to Watch at Home!
Five Underseen Vampire Horror Movies to Stream This Week
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Stream’ – Horror Movie from the Team Behind ‘Terrifier’ Sets August Theatrical Release
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
You must be logged in to post a comment.