Editorials
Doctor Strange Is the Selfless Superhero America Needs Right Now
We often talk about villains here on BD, but let’s shine the spotlight on a hero.
Why? Simply put, we need one.
On the morning of November 9th, 2016, America changed. We can’t yet be 100% sure if it’s for the better or the worse, and at this moment in time, we really have no idea at all what to expect from a Donald Trump-run America. But needless to say, things aren’t looking very bright. Millions of Americans are worried. They’re scared. They feel that the wrong choice, if there even was a right choice, was made. The country feels darker this week than it was at the start of last week, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeking comfort, as I always do, at my local movie theater.
Inside the theater, the real world washes away and fictional, oftentimes magical experiences take its place. The movie theater invites men, women, and children of all sexes, races, and political beliefs to gather together in a dark room and, if only for two hours at a time, feel unified by the power of cinema. But as much escapism as they provide, movies aren’t all distraction. Some of them, like Arrival, can teach us a thing or two about ourselves; the incredible sci-fi film ponders an alternate reality wherein all of us, literally all of us, communicate and deal with world problems together, as one powerful force. The message of Denis Villeneuve’s latest is a timely one here in the present, and so too is the message of another film dominating the box office at the moment: Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
In the first act of the Scott Derrickson-directed hit, title character Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) isn’t exactly painted as the most likeable hero we’ve met in the Marvel Universe. A surgeon who’s as self absorbed as he is brilliant at his job, Strange is the kind of guy who’s 100% sure that his shit don’t stink, and in many ways, he’s the perfect representation of the privileged white man in America. He (dangerously) drives a ridiculously fancy car, doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself, and when he’s presented with the option of helping others with his expertise, he’s only really interested in the cases that personally amuse him. The accident that results in him becoming a superhero, well, it’s one that is directly caused by his lack of consideration for the world around him.
At the very least, Strange is initially the kind of guy you’d expect would vote for Donald Trump.
But the most compelling thing about Doctor Strange, brilliant visual effects aside, is the character arc that plays out in the wake of Strange’s debilitating car accident. Despite his own unwillingness to change, the once-selfish man has, by the end of the movie, become perhaps the most selfless superhero we’ve yet seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, Doctor Strange is another superhero origin story, and no, that’s not something that any of us can really relate to on a personal level; but at its core, the film is just as much the story of a man becoming a better man. And the message is crystal clear: We all need to start putting others above ourselves.
In the epic finale of Doctor Strange, the good doctor finally makes a decision that he was presented with earlier in the film. He’s told by the Ancient One that he can use his newfound, mystical powers to help others or, if he chooses, he can use them to heal himself and return to his old life of being one of the best surgeons in the world. While Strange’s whole reason for trekking to Kamar-Taj was to heal himself, he eventually decides to put the greater good ahead of himself.
Once Dormammu’s destruction of Earth begins, Strange uses his powers to trap the villain in an infinite time loop inside the Dark Dimension: with Dormammu trapped in that single moment forever, he cannot carry out his complete destruction of the planet. And the heroic act comes at a huge price to Strange himself: in addition to trapping himself in the unpleasant moment, he also resigns himself to a fate of quite literally being brutally murdered over and over again, in increasingly creative ways, for the rest of time.
It doesn’t get much more selfless than that.
Ultimately, at the promise of the loop being broken, Dormammu agrees to leave Earth. By putting himself directly in the line of fire, Doctor Strange has saved the entire planet. He has cast aside his own privileged life because he has finally seen the bigger picture. It’s not about him.
It’s about EVERYONE.
What can those of us who aren’t superheroes with special powers learn from Doctor Strange? The same thing Strange himself learned, of course. The decisions we make must not always be motivated by selfish desires, and that’s a message that needs to be heard loud and clear in America RIGHT NOW, more than ever. The reality is that a lot of people in this country voted this year on the candidate who seemed to have THEIR best interests in mind, in the process completely ignoring the millions upon millions of Americans whose lives have directly been made a whole lot less pleasant as a result. As humans often do, far too many of us put our needs and desires above the safety and well-being of others, and what Doctor Strange stresses is that this way of thinking, well, it has the power to destroy the world.
But like Stephen Strange, we also wield the power to save it. We must use it wisely.
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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