Within a spate of gritty and retro horror films, it’s thrilling to see cinema return to the weird lushness of Gothic traditions. Oozing atmosphere, phantasmal storylines, and grotesque characters populate our screens again, though sometimes the melodrama of this category gets in the way of its art. A fascinating example has begun its creep through the festival circuit, however, as production designer Elizabeth Schuch makes her feature-length cinematic directorial debut with The Book of Birdie, a contained psychological fantasy that uses the confines of genre to spin a genuine character study.
In the snowy wastes of Wisconsin, the titular protagonist finds herself abandoned at a convent. The only youth amongst a collection of gossipy, nervous nuns, she soon faces weird visions that make her question her faith. When she meets the charismatic groundskeeper’s daughter, Julia, she falls in love; but her period (or miscarriage?) brings her visions to a spiritual height,...
In the snowy wastes of Wisconsin, the titular protagonist finds herself abandoned at a convent. The only youth amongst a collection of gossipy, nervous nuns, she soon faces weird visions that make her question her faith. When she meets the charismatic groundskeeper’s daughter, Julia, she falls in love; but her period (or miscarriage?) brings her visions to a spiritual height,...
- 10/20/2017
- by Ben Larned
- DailyDead
Not even a year has passed since The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival emerged as a must-attend genre festival, but year two is already looking to cement such talk. We Got This Covered reported from the trenches last October, where I served as one of the festival’s inaugural judges. The films were strong and the drinks stronger, only increasing excitement for year two. Fast-forward to September 2017 and the countdown clock has just about run out. Something we couldn’t be happier for.
Birth.Movies.Death. was lucky enough to announce Brooklyn Horror’s first wave, including buzzed-about highlights such as Tragedy Girls (one of my favorites from SXSW) and Sequence Break (a Fantasia Fest favorite for me). You’ve also got Housewife, Baskin director Can Evrenol’s sophomore feature, among other notable selections. Be sure to peruse Wave 1’s sacrificial offerings, but that’s old news – are you ready for Round 2? I know,...
Birth.Movies.Death. was lucky enough to announce Brooklyn Horror’s first wave, including buzzed-about highlights such as Tragedy Girls (one of my favorites from SXSW) and Sequence Break (a Fantasia Fest favorite for me). You’ve also got Housewife, Baskin director Can Evrenol’s sophomore feature, among other notable selections. Be sure to peruse Wave 1’s sacrificial offerings, but that’s old news – are you ready for Round 2? I know,...
- 8/31/2017
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
UK writer-director Elizabeth E. Schuch makes her feature debut with The Book Of Birdie, a dark trip into the mind of a fragile girl. When, Birdie, fragile teenager with an overactive imagination is placed in an isolated Midwestern convent on the brink of closure, her strange and in some cases grotesque obsessions begin to consume her attention. Outside life beckons when she meets Julia, the confident, spirited maintenance girl, inspiring a growing infatuation. But privately, Birdie can’t turn away from her fascination with the gory and whimsical hallucinations that plague her. Birdie sets off on her spiritual quest to discover if the source of her visions is something saintly or a dark heresy. The convent itself holds ghosts of nuns who’ve met untimely deaths. Are...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/10/2017
- Screen Anarchy
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.