Director Mark Romanek’s psychological horror movie One Hour Photo allowed Robin Williams to flex a whole new set of acting muscles back in 2002, and it’s one film that has stuck with Kane Parsons as much as it has stuck with us here at Bloody Disgusting over the years.

While Kane Parsons was born three years after One Hour Photo released in theaters, he cites the film as a major influence on the visuals and overall tone of his Backrooms universe.

Parsons tells Letterboxd, “[One Hour Photo] is probably of all the specific films… I feel like it’s the one we referenced the most visually and tonally for Backrooms. I could certainly on a cinematography front and acoustic front, we definitely went to it quite a lot. When you look at it, it inherently is pretty thoroughly in the language of Backrooms.”

Parsons continues…

“It’s a story that focuses on an individual who’s sort of fallen into an isolated place in life where he’s got his profession and he’s got the deal he’s made with the modern world, and the world we live in, and how he uses some very specific technical functions of this modern world to give him a profound feeling of purpose and engagement with his life and his sense of self.”

Kane Parsons also mentions One Hour Photo in chats with Dread Central and Variety, telling Dread Central that it’s a film he loves. He explains to Variety that One Hour Photo specifically inspired the look of “the outside world stuff” that’s featured in the Backrooms movie.

Robin Williams stars in the 2002 thriller as Seymour Parrish, an unstable photo developer who targets an upper middle-class family after he becomes completely obsessed with them.

One Hour Photo‘s inspiration on Backrooms makes sense when you revisit the 2002 film.

Paul Le wrote here on Bloody Disgusting in 2023, “One Hour Photo‘s immaculate and thoughtfully designed aesthetic punctuates Sy’s story from start to finish. In contrast with the warm and saturated palette that gives off a quality comparable to old photos and darkrooms is the film’s centerpiece. SavMart is a hyper-stylized big-box store where the fluorescent lights are brighter than normal, and the shelves are stocked in the most eerily uniform manner.”

“Sy’s everyday environment borders on the surreal, which only adds to his increasing delusions,” Paul’s retrospective goes on to explain. “This sterile setting possesses an almost purifying and celestial light. SavMart runs on monotony, whereas the world outside the store is cluttered and generally uncomfortable to be in. So when Sy is fired from his job, his devastation is to be expected. Banished from his own personal heaven, Williams’ distraught character is forced to live full-time in the ugly reality beyond SavMart’s exit.”

You can rent One Hour Photo on digital outlets including Prime Video.

The post ‘Backrooms’ – ‘One Hour Photo’ Starring Robin Williams Was a Huge Inspiration for Kane Parsons appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After spending April laughing at James Gunn’s horror comedy Slither (listen), revisiting Boris Karloff in The Mummy (listen), and debating M. Night Shyamalan’s “comedy” The Happening (listen), we’re closing out the month with an underseen Robin Williams gem.

In 2002’s One Hour Photo, writer/director Mark Romanek developed one of the darkest roles of Williams’ career. As Sy, the photo technician at a “don’t call it Walmart” style megastore, Williams’ character develops an unhealthy fixation on the Yorkin family. Headed up by absent father Will (Michael Vartan), but kept together by matriarch Nina (Connie Nielsen), Sy envisions himself playing Uncle to the couple’s young son, Jake (Dylan Smith).

As the framing device with detectives James Van Der Zee (Eriq LaSalle) and Outerbridge (Clark Gregg) proves, though, Sy’s interest in being a member of the family has tumbled over into a dangerous – potentially deadly – obsession. Has Sy truly only “taken photos“?

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Episode 384: One Hour Photo (2002)

Prep your photo wall and cancel the room service because we’re talking Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo (2002). C/W: Childhood sexual abuse

Starring Robin Williams, this combination character study/thriller finds the comedian playing against type as an awkward photo technician who fantasizes about the perfect life of one particular family.

Plus: Detective Photographer; 2000s hairdos; early influencer horror; and plenty of debate about when and how the “twist” is used (with comparisons to other texts like Psycho and Mysterious Skin).

Cross out One Hour Photo!

Coming Up Next: We’re kicking off May with the Aussie/UK psychological thriller Like Minds (2006) starring Toni Collette and a baby faced Eddie Redmayne (in his film debut!).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 484 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on shark movies Thrash and Dark Water, Hokum, Mortal Kombat 2, Obsession and an audio commentary on Wolfgang Petersen’s Poseidon for its 20th anniversary.

The post Character Study Meets Thriller: Robin Williams’ Villain Turn in ‘One Hour Photo’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sy the Photo Guy remains a defining character in Williams’ career, even after playing another villain in Insomnia that same year. However, to outright label the chronically lonely and dejected photo developer as a total bad guy is an oversimplification. Director and writer Mark Romanek disentangled the profoundly layered Sy — who serves as both the film’s protagonist and antagonist — and submitted an unnerving, not to mention sympathetic character study. 

Once it came “time to add some dark colors to the palette,” Williams was excited. He was not always offered roles like Seymour “Sy” Parrish (no relation to Jumanji’s Alan Parrish). And never sure he would get another chance to portray someone so disturbed and complex, Williams played the part to the fullest. A character such as Sy demanded more physical restraint than Williams was used to at the time; this long-serving employee in a store’s photo department is a deeply repressed man who tended to color inside the lines. Anyone familiar with Williams’ previous work was accustomed to seeing him animated, over the top, and passionate. Mr. Parrish, on the other hand, is an emotional time-bomb just waiting to explode.

For most of his life, Sy kept himself in check for reasons not known until One Hour Photo’s startling conclusion. Before reaching that bleak dead end, Sy looked forward to only one thing in life: developing the photos for one particular family he had come to see as the pinnacle of perfection over the years. The Yorkins are indeed picturesque, but those hundreds of snapshots only captured the best moments in their lives. They did not show the cracks in Will (Michael Vartan) and Nina Yorkin’s (Connie Nielsen) dwindling marriage, nor did they show Will’s neglectful behavior with his nine-year-old son (Dylan Smith). Sy may have nurtured this impractical fantasy of the Yorkins, yet the idea did not appear out of nowhere. The Yorkins presented a specific image of themselves to the world, and Sy did not only take that false impression to heart, he built his whole life around it.

One Hour Photo benefits from Mark Romanek’s experience as a music-video director. The film’s immaculate and thoughtfully designed aesthetic punctuates Sy’s story from start to finish. In contrast with the warm and saturated palette that gives off a quality comparable to old photos and darkrooms is the film’s centerpiece. SavMart is a hyper-stylized big-box store where the fluorescent lights are brighter than normal, and the shelves are stocked in the most eerily uniform manner. Sy’s everyday environment borders on the surreal, which only adds to his increasing delusions. This sterile setting possesses an almost purifying and celestial light. SavMart runs on monotony, whereas the world outside the store is cluttered and generally uncomfortable to be in. So when Sy is fired from his job, his devastation is to be expected. Banished from his own personal heaven, Williams’ distraught character is forced to live full-time in the ugly reality beyond SavMart’s exit. 

While it seemed like One Hour Photo did not go as far as it could have, there is no denying the effect that Williams’ staggering performance had on viewers. No one back then was prepared to see the comic combust in such an agonizing and cheerless way. This was no one-man show, but it was definitely a showcase for Williams’ flair for chilling drama.

The same year that One Hour Photo was released, Robin Williams starred in Insomnia and Death to Smoochy. The latter was another of the actor’s disruptive genre pieces, but the general response to this pitch-black comedy, as well as the 2004 sci-fi thriller The Final Cut, was not especially kind. With his series of atypical roles generating mixed reception, it was only understandable when Williams returned to comedy.

Of all the films that Williams starred in in 2006, The Night Listener stands out as the most aberrant. This adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s novel of the same name — and based on true events — is more conventional than One Hour Photo. And unlike that film, Williams was not playing the role of a villain. On the contrary, Gabriel Noone is a flawed yet accessible radio-show host who falls under the spell of a young memoirist (Rory Culkin). Patrick Stettner’s final directorial feature offers fairly straightforward suspense, however, those thrills are not exactly gentle either.

Williams was not portraying another sociopath, and he was by no means the center attraction in The Night Listener. No, this was closer to an ensemble pic with Toni Collette ultimately stealing the show — as she usually does — as the nuanced Donna Logand. Even so, Williams did not fade into the background when pitted against Collette’s intimidating character. He was simply placed on the receiving end of things for once; Williams was the one responding to a substantial and often unpredictable personality. Of course, it was not an entirely compliant role for Williams, seeing as Gabriel was investigating the validity of an ailing boy’s trauma-fueled memoir.

With The Night Listener, Williams turned in one of his most subtle performances. His character was snarky and enjoyed provoking shock in certain company, but Williams did it all in the most disciplined fashion. Even Gabriel’s spats with ex-boyfriend Jesse (Bobby Cannavale) are fleeting and frank rather than prolonged and theatrical. Naturally some viewers would have tuned in to see Williams and anticipated something a bit more distinctive from the always expressive actor. Even though his understated approach was certainly unexpected, it fits this type of film. This quietly creepy thriller demonstrated catfishing before the term became more common, and it is best enjoyed on a late, lonely night in a dark room.

After seeing films like One Hour Photo and The Night Listener, it was obvious that Robin Williams was fully capable of being more than just a funnyman. He was hilarious, however, he could just as easily make your skin crawl if given the opportunity. Undoubtedly, this beloved actor is best remembered for his many comedies, but his occasional detours into other genres are also worth celebrating.

The post ‘One Hour Photo’ and ‘The Night Listener’ – Revisiting Two of Robin Williams’ Psychological Thrillers appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That man is Chris Rock, one of the undisputed kings of comedy who made a name for himself not just with his HBO specials, but through his work in film, namely the Madagascar franchise. Known for his iconic energy and recognizable high-pitched voice aggressively commanding the audience to pay attention to his every word, Rock is just about the last person I would expect to not only headline but produce an entry into Saw, mostly known for its elaborate, blood-soaked traps perpetrated by an unknown assailant communicating through a clown-faced doll.

It’s a decision that has been met with some skepticism online, questioning how an actor primarily known for comedy could believably lead an entry in the Saw universe without bringing attention to it. Truthfully, there’s no real way to avoid it in Rock’s case. Whenever people see Chris Rock, comedy comes into mind and it’s almost impossible to not have that in mind while watching Spiral. But within the doubt of Rock proving his worth in horror is a trend bewildering yet intriguing enough to warrant a discussion of the genre’s capabilities. 

The trend is the very idea of comedians in horror in the first place. Horror is a genre that has defined itself as a place for audiences to confront their worst fears or even to ponder questions we might have deeply suppressed in an attempt to protect our idealistic existence. The best horror challenges our preconceived notions on a variety of personal and world topics, having the ability to also take an extra step by playing around with film techniques to achieve this goal. 

The best horror can also transcend genre to become a unique entity that manages to unnerve us no matter how much we try to understand it. It’s why projects like Hereditary, Audition, Scream, The Exorcist, and countless other horror titles have stood the test of time. In a sense, these movies do not restrict themselves to being “just” a horror movie. The genre is at its most visceral when it invades an aspect of our lives that we didn’t believe could be tainted by a type of horror we’ve tried protecting ourselves from. 

Audition and Scream have extra relevance in this particular conversation for their ability to mix a lighter tone with a dark underbelly that helps them carve their respective spots in the genre. Scream is a horror movie for armchair horror fans, playing on slasher tropes and containing next-level self-awareness on the genre’s inner workings, making us feel closer to the protagonists than we would with a by-the-books slasher. It’s that strengthened bond that makes their eventual deaths feel all the more painful to witness; it’s as if we’re watching one of our movie night buddies get slaughtered in cold blood.

Audition subverts in a different way, playing with the set-up of an emotional romantic drama and then flipping everything on its head when the love interest is actually a stone-cold killer. Time is spent developing a widow who has grown lonely and a single father’s attempt to get back in the dating game through an act of deceit masked as an audition for a fake movie. The set-up implies a quirky romance dramedy before hitting us with a harrowing tale of abuse and its far-reaching effects into adulthood. 

These two examples extend horror beyond its genre trappings to capture a new sense of fear and dread that we wouldn’t feel in a set-up that “prepares” for us to experience a horror story. Accessible as these films may be, there’s a healthy dose of taboo in crafting horror around concepts that we wouldn’t want horror to have anything to do with. Once it enters territory we deem “too much” for horror, an opportunity is presented to create something truly horrifying.

Now let’s talk about comedy.

Comedy, much like horror, is far more versatile than we give it credit for. It’s often seen as the type of art armed with the sole purpose of making the consumer laugh at a joke, humorous observation of life, etc. It’s what we look for in stand-up comedy, right? Comedians stand on stage and riff on a variety of topics, sometimes inching close to home for us, and we form a bond – an idea of our preferred comedian providing a safe haven for us.

It’s primarily why comedians straying away from that safe haven and stepping outside of their – and by extension, our – comfort zone can sometimes be met with a mixed reception. Audiences generally have a rough time accepting a face of comedy being lit in an unfavorable or grim light. Drama is slightly more palatable on account of the stories being grounded in a firm place in reality for the most part. But a shift to horror can be overwhelming for audiences hesitant to make the jump.

Chris Rock’s decision to lead Spiral is only the latest example of this trend, one that has been around since the usually comedic Tim Curry opted to sit in a make-up chair and transform into the infamous killer clown Pennywise for the It miniseries in 1990. Curry’s legendary performance helped establish him as one of the most frightening, yet engaging actors of his time and it all came with a performance that was still considered somewhat against-type for him.

The concept of a comedic actor playing a demented clown may not sound like a huge leap for audiences to comprehend, but the terror of a dancing clown secretly being a child murderer – raising a direct comparison to John Wayne Gacy – plays into the idea of horror thriving in the world of taboo. Casting a comedic actor for this only adds an extra layer of realism that digs into our psyche whether we like it or not.

Comedians like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams have often been praised for the smiles they’ve put on our faces over the years, so seeing them take up roles that veer closer to horror and psychological thrillers just feels…off. Carrey’s frenetic comedy style is an ace in the hole for strict comedies, but that same style can turn around and make us feel uncomfortable in something like The Cable Guy. We see Jim Carrey the way we normally see him, but the context now switches to his behavior being indicative of a larger personal problem that can become deadly before we realize it.

The late Robin Williams was no stranger to serious roles even in the late 80s and 90s, going back-and-forth between his fast-paced improvisational style and a sweet sincerity that garnered him millions of fans around the world. When we see that same man stalk a family in One Hour Photo, the level of terror exceeds the same idea if it were performed by an actor we are used to seeing in these roles. Against-type casting has been a thing in Hollywood for ages, but a comedian switching gears in this manner always feels as though we’re seeing it for the first time.

But however odd it may be, this trend manages to succeed in its job of surprising audiences more often than not. Even critically mixed performances such as Vince Vaughn in Psycho ’98 or Jim Carrey dabbling in horror a decade after The Cable Guy with The Number 23 feel like spirited attempts at playing with the minds of the audience in a horror setting. We may not hold all of these performances in equally high regard, but their mere existence still work as good jumping-off points for times when horror tried to get under our skin through the art of against-type casting.

We have even seen a prominent example of this win an Oscar in the case of Jordan Peele’s creation of Get Out. We had long known Peele as the comedic actor from madTV who rose to prominence with Keegan Michael-Key in Key & Peele. So a genuine horror effort felt off-putting, especially with a trailer that seemed to imply a healthy mix of horror and comedy. Peele does provide a handful of laughs here, but the comfort we got from his work in sketch comedy was replaced with a scathing horror satire that felt as though it came out of nowhere.

But it didn’t. The point is that none of this pops up out of nowhere. Comedians surprising audiences with darker and dramatic roles isn’t a new phenomenon by any means and Chris Rock’s contribution to the Saw series isn’t breaking new ground. But it’s still noteworthy enough to make headlines whenever it does happen. Skepticism aside, there is excitement to be had over what Chris Rock could potentially bring to a serious horror franchise.

Furthermore, comedians dabbling in horror may never feel commonplace in mainstream horror, but the shock factor in seeing them step into new territory is a cursed blessing. Horror has already been labeled as an outcast of Hollywood in spite of its immense profit margins, but witnessing the unlikeliest of celebrities embracing the genre is the inclusive spirit that comes (or rather should come) with such a twisted world. 

The post Killer Comedy: The Mismatched Appeal of Comedians in Horror appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Williams’ publicist has stated:

Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.

Williams’ career has spanned nearly four decades, with appearances in film and TV as well as live comedy shows. He was known to horror fans for his roles in 2002’s One Hour Photo and Insomnia.

A .PDF posted by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division has been found and corroborates the news. It can be viewed here.

We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends in this terrible time of loss.

The post R.I.P. Robin Williams Has Passed Away At Age 63 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There was a lot of excitement over Mark Romanek’s feature-length directorial debut. First, it was a milestone for Robin Williams’ career. Instead of playing his typical comedic or traditionally dramatic role, he steered more towards a creepy villain-esque character work. Despite also playing a villain in another film of the same year (Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia remake), it is in One Hour Photo where Williams’ performance finds greater success.

Secondly, Romanek might be responsible for directing the greatest music video ever put to screen (Johnny Cash’s Hurt cover plays as almost a perfect eulogy by the man himself). So who wouldn’t be excited to see what this guy could create in theatrical setting?

Seymour Parrish (Robin Williams) is a lonesome photo lab technician working out of a rather large department store. He isn’t the sort of character you would imagine as having a big set of friends in the outside world. It’s clear that his life is rather dull and empty. His apartment contains no real decoration, outside of some rather plain furniture pieces clearly picked out of necessity instead of creativity.

He has worked in the photo lab for over a decade and in that time became overly dedicated to printing the perfect photo, even if his customers don’t really notice the difference. One of the more notable things in Seymour’s life are his customers who he has watched grow over time by studying the pictures they bring in to develop.

His favorite customer is Nina Yorkin (Connie Nielsen), wife of Will Yorkin and mother of Jakob. Nina is a regular and Seymour lights up every time she walks into the store (especially when Jakob is with her). Through his work, he has watched this family bloom from couple-hood to parenthood. Sy the Photo Guy, a nickname given to him by Jakob, has even had the glory of watching this boy grow up over time.

One Hour Photo begins with such an intriguing premise but ultimately hinders on problematic pacing and writing issues. Romanek’s script can’t seem to decide whom or what it’s more interested in – the Yorkin’s transition from perfection to broken, or Sy himself. By the latter half of the film, when the Yorkin’s perfect family image is shattered by infidelity, Parrish’s mental state swings for the fences. It all happens so sudden but without any real surprise. The film rarely provides clues as to who Parrish really is and when it decides to finally reveal his true past, it’s a tad too late.

And that is the true dilemma. There is plenty to compliment about One Hour Photo and it certainly does more right than wrong. Romanek’s direction and Williams’ restrained performance walk hand-in-hand with each other, complimented further by Jeff Cronenweth’s (Fight Club, The Social Network) cinematography.

This recently released blu-ray contains a ton of special features that are more geared towards film students than anything. There is a section dedicated to the rehearsal process, where you can see how Williams really started to shape his performance as Sy. There is a commentary track with Romanek and Williams, of which the latter is more reserved and thoughtful than you’d expect. They both discuss many of the film’s themes (some of which simply get lost in the writing’s shortcomings). Regardless, it is a pretty solid track, which again, aims more towards students or scholars more so than the casual audience.

The disc also includes a storyboard gallery of almost the entire film, a Cinemax promo, a feature on Sy’s nightmare sequence, and a location featurette. It also contains a Charlie Rose Show episode with the director and star, a Sundance: Anatomy of a Scene segment that breaks down the scene in which Sy meets Mr. Yorkin in an aisle of the store.

Overall, this is a pretty solid disc packed with enough special features to keep you busy for a while. However, the worst part of the disc comes from the transfer itself. The look of the film is almost ruined with grain and jitters, that at times, feels like you’re watching a DVD. You have to wonder if Fox even consulted Romanek himself about the transfer or if the film has an audience or following strong enough to warrant another release to fix the picture issues.

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