Film challenge.

August: Cinema of Africa, Asia and Oceania. 

- The Duplex. (Nigeria, 2015. Dir. Ikechukwu Onyeka). Emeka has been offered a hell of a bargain: a luxurious duplex for a fairly cheap investment --the perfect place for himself, his wife Adaku and their soon-to-be-born child! Sure, they'll have to make a few sacrifices, such as selling her car and take out quite a few loans. And sure, Adaku is more than a little wary about the property. Oh, and there is the curiosity that the previous owner was apparently in a hurry to sell the house and leave the country. Still, it can't be quite so bad, right? 

...Perhaps Emeka should have paid more attention to his wife's sightings of a ghostly figure that roams the house at night...

Nollywood productions, or simply Nigerian films, are a relatively new phenomena, having existed for roughly twenty years (there are quite a few disagreements on this number). As a still emerging movie industry, the offer is quite varied in terms of themes and quality. There are as many highly experimental artistic offerings as there are products intended for a more commercial venture, of which "The Duplex" is one. 

One way in which studying low-budget genre productions intended for a non-centralized population is that they will often reflect those population's concerns and interests. Horror, Action, Romance and the like, intended for very specialized audiences (say, Chicano cinema in the US, Andino cinema in Peru, Ghanian English-language cinema and so on) can offer not necessarily a social critique, but a social reflection. These are movies intended to entertain a large audience while keeping certain popular concerns in mind --social and economic unrest, allusions to assorted wars and conflicts, and so on. 

The reason for these notes is this: Taken at face value, a movie like "The duplex" would seem a completely unremarkable low-budget horror movie except that it's a Nigerian production (and indeed, most online reviews you'll find of this movie hold it in quite some disdain). But when you consider the specific context in which it was created, it can be more than a little interesting. 

Take, for instance, the themes of gender, religion and social responsibility on display: 

We have a married middle-class couple, financially and socially stable at first, but in which the husband is determined to climb up the ladder. He is convinced to buy the titular house with the argument that "you'll become a Landlord" (and given the eventual revelations of just how far some people would go to own a property like this, that's no small accomplishment). Adaku, for her part, not only plays along with her husband's plans despite her misgivings --she hides from him exactly how much money she truly has, and goes so far as to arrange for a friend to pretend that she'll loan them the rest of the money they need. Above all, they want to keep up appearances. 

Then there is Adaku's pregnancy, and her impression that Emeka cares more about the child (and indeed about his position as a father, as a successful family man) than about her. She even mentions that in part they have stayed with each other because they were both thought to be sterile. 

And then there is the conflict of religion and spirituality. Two attempts to reconcile a certain Christian rationality with the situation (praying to God not to "see or hear things that are not there") end in tragedy, while a more traditional ceremony unveils the house's complicated backstory. 

It's this backstory that constitutes the weakest part of the movie. After presenting a successful role reversal (at first, only the woman sees the ghost and her husband dismisses her as crazy; halfway through he is the one haunted, while she has regained her autonomy and makes the decision to leave him to his devices), the third act is bogged down by unnecessary plot twists and complications. The actual ending presents an attempt to reconcile the present with the many sins of the past, but it's hard to buy the amount of coincidences necessary for the story to happen as it does. 

In sort: A flawed (but not quite so flawed as so many reviewers would have you think), yet interesting curiosity. 

Reading diary.

- Land of the lustrous (aka Houseki no kuni), vol. 1. Haruko Ichikawa. In a world inhabited by sentient gemstones, natural contrarian Phosphophyllite, or Phos, is searching for a new occupation. Having tried all sorts of odd jobs except for combat, Phos is deputized... as an historian. With a brittle body that could shatter into dust, Phos is just no match for the lustrous' natural enemies, the lunarians. Phos may not be ready for battle --but this new job might provide a good chance to explore new wonders of the world. New dangers, too... 

A rather unique blend of gritty action and whimsical fantasy --with a generous helping of body horror and stunning illustrations, too! The story has drawn more than a little comparisons with the cartoon "Steven Universe". While it's likely a coincidence, it's actually pretty interesting comparing the two, their similarities and differences in approach. 

Beyond those comparisons, this is a fascinating comic in itself --it's even different from the recent anime adaptation (which itself is worth a look for the gorgeous animation). Recommended for genre fans looking for something original. 

Film diary.

- Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. (US / Canada, 2010. Dir. Eli Craig). A group of college students head out to the woods for a little R&R. If only they weren’t surrounded by creepy hillbillies, the kind who are surely deranged killers waiting to dismember them, just like they say it happened about twenty years ago! At the hands of rednecks like Tucker and Dale, lifelong friends who are heading to the woods for a little R&R. If only they weren’t surrounded by those hysterical college kids, who look like they are planning a mass suicide in the woods! 

Sometimes, misunderstandings can be murder, of the most bloody hilarious kind. 

Horror movies starring evil rednecks (Deliverance; Wrong Turn; Calvaire; Just before dawn; etc. etc.) are a sub-genre as venerable as it’s full of certain, shall we say, problematic subtext. Specifically the recurrent notion of impoverished communities as savage monsters menacing upper- to middle- class citizens (preferably white, with maybe a couple token friends of color, of course!). This movie, then, spoofs those particular genre conventions by inverting the sympathies: A benevolent pair of mountain-folks pitted against a high-strung group of college kids led by a disturbed, proto-Incel-type ringleader. And in the middle, a sympathetic psychology student attempting to negotiate peace (and very much not up to the task, what with her being so injury-prone both groups are seriously concerned for her physical integrity). 

There are certain notes of social critique regarding established genre clichés, especially concerning classism and related social prejudices. Even so, this movie is ultimately not so much concerned with social commentary as it is with gleeful mayhem —it’s a very gory romp populated by some of the most jaw-dropping, astoundingly cartoonish cast I’ve seen since “Scream Queens” (and to be honest, that goes for both groups here). But it’s that anarchic spirit, the refusal to take anything too seriously, that lets this movie accomplish the most over-the-top visuals (case in point: What can be described as the ultimate “smoking kills” advertisement —as a character manages to blow herself up along with three other people just to get one final cigarette lit!). 

In short, a recommended romp for fans of genre movies with a sense of humor. 

Film diary.

- The voices. (2014. Dir. Marjane Satrapi). Optimistic Jerry is making the most out of his factory job. He still has to see a court-appointed psychiatrist; still, things are good. He has a cushy apartment on top of a bowling alley, has two loving pets who regularly talk with him and he’s just met a co-worker he’s sweet on. Maybe he should be taking his medications; but, what for? They only make the world less lovely, not to mention bring back bad memories. Now, if only he hadn’t accidentally hit that deer, and if only it hadn’t begged “Kill me!” to Jerry…

A dark (very dark) comedy / horror / tragedy that successfully accomplishes a very difficult feat: That of crafting an horror tale centered on a mentally ill character, but that instead of feeling exploitative (“Split”, anyone?) is genuinely thought-provoking. Director Satrapi (incidentally the author of the infamous “Persepolis”, as well as other notable comics) displays a very clever use of colors and compositions to draw us into Jerry’s world —his charming hallucinations being less a scare tactic than a character trait. The candy-colored fantasies are Jerry’s attempts at copping with the very real horror in his past and present. And the titular voices are not the perhaps-supernatural entities so many movies would be tempted to make them (again, “Split”) —it soon becomes evident that they are further attempts from Jerry himself to make sense of what is going on. All of which makes the inevitable story turns more than a little impacting. 

Very recommended, for genre fans and those looking for an off-beat tale. 

Film diary.

- The ritual. (UK, 2017. Dir. David Bruckner). Four long-time friends take a hiking trip through King’s Trail in Sweden to honor the memory of a recently murdered fifth. Seeking a shortcut, they wander into a forest off the trail. Big mistake. This seemingly endless ocean of trees has quite a few surprises in store for them —like the mysterious symbols carved on a few trunks, the eviscerated animals hanging from high branches, the effigies that bring eerily prophetic nightmares… and a certain supernatural entity…

SPOILERS AHEAD! 

Terrific chiller based on a novel by Adam Nevill. Drawing inspiration from assorted tales of pagan horror a la Arthur Machen or Algernon Blackwood (and indeed the novel opens with a quote from Blackwood), this movie is also a nicely downbeat tale of guilt and betrayal. Luke, who organized the trip, is wrestling with his guilt over his friend’s Rob death —he was killed in a robbery gone bad, while Luke hid, too afraid to act in time. And as he comes to discover, at least two of his friends blame him as well. 

Then, the creature that is hunting them down, apparently a Jötunn, can grant certain privileges upon people in exchange for being worshipped. At one point the men come upon the remains of camping site, including a photo of the family vacationing back in the 70’s. Later, the woman in the photo is revealed to still be alive and to be one of the creature’s worshippers —apparently she traded her family for functional immortality. 

By the end of the movie Luke is once again the sole survivor, now with so many more deaths hanging on his shoulders and the knowledge that he was only spared because he actually did bow down to the monster in a moment of sheer terror. 

All in all, very recommended for horror fans. 

Reading diary.

- Insufficient direction. Moyoco Anno. Semi-biographical comic about the Anno marriage —manga author Moyoco and anime director Hideaki, respectively represented by the avatars of Rompers and Director-kun. More than the usual trials of marriage, their main challenge will be finding a way to balance out their respective geekiness… or combine it to become something of a power couple! 

Wonderful comedy that tears down quite a few preconceived notions about artists (or confirms them, depending which ones you had). Both are regarded as ‘serious’ artists (being a lead author of Josei manga and the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, respectively), but if anything their characters are endearingly dorky. And then there is the real heart of the story, which is simply the way in which two oft obsessive people can learn to work together —perhaps even improve each other’s lives in subtle ways. 

The story is filled with a ton of genre in-jokes and references, to the degree that the annotations are nearly as long as the story itself. Said jokes aren’t essential to following each chapter, however. 

In general, recommended, particularly for fans of either or both artists. 

Reading diary.

- Love is love. An anthology of short comic book stories (all from one to two pages long) in response to the Orlando Pulse shooting of 2016, with all profits donated to assorted LGBTQA charities. Includes contributions from dozens of artists and writers. 

The stories are immensely varied. From deeply personal anecdotes to reflective essays to one-shots using licensed characters (DC, Archie comics, Harry Potter, and a few others) to illustrated poems and think-pieces. 

I found this entire comic powerful and very impacting to read. Enough so that it took me much longer to read than I thought —I had to read a very small number of entries at a time. Some of them *will* make you cry. And most of them will make you think. 

Truth be told, most of the stories using licensed characters were my least favorite —it’s hard not to feel that using fictitious characters to talk about a real life tragedy is a little inappropriate. And there are at least two entries that, while definitely well-meaning, they… well, they come across as the work of a straight person still struggling to understand Queer culture in general. But even those entries feel sincere —all are honest attempts to make sense of both tragedy and history. 

It’s a book I especially recommend, both for the stories themselves and for the humanitarian gesture.