On Dangerous Ground (1951)A film noir directed by Nicholas Ray (and Ida Lupino, who stepped in when Ray became ill). Robert Ryan plays a cop known for getting criminals to talk by using brute force, which is even wearing down his police peers. He gets sent to literally cool down while investigating a murder in … Continue reading The Angle of Eternity: Recent Viewing
Originally written for The Terror Test episode grading The Fireman, Baskin, and Southbound. Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas! or Repetition In Heaven and Hell “I think this story is about Hell. A version where you are condemned to do the same thing over and over again. Existentialism, baby, what a concept: paging Albert Camus. There’s an idea … Continue reading From the Eunoia Archives: The Terror Test: Test Prep #6
My thoughts burn with snow–the hazards of Alabamasummer haiku. Continue reading Little Billboards #4
Sometimes I can’t tellif she’s eating yogurt ortubes of clown makeup. Continue reading Little Billboards #6
I wrote earlier about Sertorius and his white fawn. Another aspect of Plutarch’s Sertorius that I find striking is the introduction that has correspondences to both Jung’s synchronicity and Freud’s uncanny. With Jung’s notion we get meaningful coincidence and pattern detection which are here in Plutarch’s opening. With Freud’s uncanny, we get doubling and doppelgängers, … Continue reading The Land of One-Eyed Men: More of Plutarch’s Life of Sertorius
Wild Guitar (1962) is part of a series of movies that Arch Hall, Sr. produced for his son, Arch Hall, Jr. It at once criticizes the nature of celebrity, but also attempts to capitalize on it. I can’t tell when it’s meant to be funny–or earnest, for that matter. Not knowing much about the production, … Continue reading The Wholesome Surreal Swing of Wild Guitar
This was originally written for Terror Test episode 26 on The Green Room, The Invitation, and Antichrist. Existential Horror from Kaufmann to Breillat This week’s trio of terror is different from the horror films I generally watch. “Existential horror” came to mind as a way to describe them, so I researched the term. After some searching and a brief … Continue reading From the Eunoia Archives: The Terror Test: Test Prep #5
Her hand cups the rain,while my ears cup her laughter.Then–daylight thunder. Continue reading Little Billboards #9
Eating the TaleStrategies of foodshould be read by anyonewho likes a long, cold burnimpassioned with clarity. This is eating the tale. Pay homage to disease,obesity, abuse, corruption, danger,to math, to Schwarzenegger. Research something to chew:the lid, the tradition, the landscape. A fierce investigative narrativeis just about perfect. Continue reading Little Billboards #77
Stephen McClurg 