The enigmatic UK collective SAULT are back with a new EP called ANGEL, which they cryptically teased last week. It appears on streaming services as a single 10-minute track, but it contains three distinct songs as well as a spoken-word interlude. It was produced by Inflo and features contributions from Jack Peñate and Chronixx. Listen to it below.
SAULT released their latest album, AIR, back in April.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.
O this week’s list, we have Fever Ray’s first new song in five years, the haunting, nervously defiant ‘What They Call Us’; ‘After the Earthquake’, a jangly, soaring highlight from Alvvays’ new album Blue Rev; the latest single from Winter’s new LP, the enchanting ‘sunday’; Militarie Gun’s fiery, melodic new single ‘Let Me Be Normal’; ‘Often’, the pensive, mesmerizing closer and latest single from Babehoven’s upcoming album; Open Mike Eagle’s ‘Circuit City’, a reflexive, Madlib-produced highlight off the rapper’s new mixtape; and the sullen, softly undulating new track by Midwife, ‘Sickworld’.
Best New Songs: October 10, 2022
Song of the Week: Fever Ray, ‘What They Call Us’
Alvvays, ‘After the Earthquake’
Winter, ‘sunday’
Miliarie Gun, ‘Let Me Be Normal’
Babehoven, ‘Often’
Open Mike Eagle feat. Video Dave and Still Drift, ‘Circuit City’
Midwife, ‘Sickworld’
“You make murder feel cozy.” Amy Schumer, who plays a fictionalized version of herself in Hulu’s meta murder mystery Only Murders in the Building, says this to Martin Short’s character Oliver Putnam at the beginning of the second season. It’s a self-referential quote that accurately describes the tone of the show, which takes a comedic approach to crime fiction that makes it enjoyable to watch.
The series follows Short’s Oliver, Charles-Hayden Savage (played by Steve Martin) and Mabel Mora (played by Selena Gomez in arguably what I think is her best role), three strangers who all live in the Arconia, an affluent Upper West Side apartment building. Oliver is a struggling Broadway director who has an estranged relationship with his son. Charles is a former television actor who longs to return to his former glory. Mabel is a young apartment renovator who largely keeps to herself. They all share an interest in true crime and their interest is piqued when someone is suspiciously killed in their apartment building. They leap at the opportunity to launch their own investigation as well as start a true crime podcast of their own.
One thing I love is seeing how well the three protagonists interact with each other, from seeing the pompous Oliver and Charles brought down a peg or two by Mabel, to the two men trying to understand the references from the young millennial. The series as a whole combines wit, humour and charm. If you haven’t seen the second season, please be warned that some spoilers are ahead (but not a lot!) so please read on at your own discretion.
The first season saw the murder-obsessed trio start their podcast and delve into an investigation of the murder of their neighbour Tim Kono. While they are ultimately successful in identifying the killer, the season ends with a cliffhanger; as Oliver and Charles are in the midst of celebrating the trio’s victory, they find Mabel in her apartment standing over the corpse of Bunny Folger, their cranky neighbour and co-op board president. The season ends with our favourite trio being taken away in handcuffs.
The second season picks up immediately after with the trio being questioned in connection with Bunny’s murder. They are now ready to launch their investigation – and with that, their own “second season” of their podcast – into a murder that they themselves are involved in. There are also other storylines that our heroes have to contend with. Charles grapples with revelations about his late father and also has to cope with the return of his ex’s now-teenage daughter into his life. Oliver further tries to connect with his son; and Mabel explores her past and navigates a new relationship in her life.
Besides the typical “whodunit” motif that the series conveys, what I perhaps like most about this show is how it seems to make fun of itself as a self-aware satire. This is apparent with the podcast’s superfans who follow our heroes around over the course of the series with their own thoughts on the investigation and the podcast within the show. There is also a recurring meta joke within the second season, with the characters constantly commenting that it is a “sequel.”
I also liked how well the latest season humanises the stereotypical cranky tenant board president as we see Bunny’s point of view. Mind you, I don’t know how much about the typical co-op board president, but I’ve visualised them to be cranky, uptight folks who are constantly reminding tenants of building bylaws. And there are times in the show when Bunny actually does this. However, in the third episode of the second season, which focuses on Bunny’s last day before her death (told through flashbacks), we see how lonely she is.
Similarly, I also like how some episodes go out of their way to include the points of view of other residents of the Arconia. One of the first season’s – perhaps of the whole series altogether – best episodes contains no audible dialogue as it is told from the point of view of Theo Dumas (played by James Caverly), the son of murder suspect Teddy Dumas (played by the beloved Nathan Lane) and a building resident who is deaf. The series also explores other minor characters and residents, including cat-obsessed neighbour Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) and loud-mouthed Uma Heller (played by Jackie Hoffman of Second City fame).
Overall, Only Murders in the Building is an absolute gem and I cannot wait until a third season is released.
Gaining the opportunity to spend the festive season with your family is something that simply can’t be missed, as it’s the perfect chance to show your love and appreciation for your nearest and dearest while spending some quality time together.
Fortunately, figuring out how you can celebrate Christmas with your loved ones in the most enjoyable, memorable fashion doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially expect. This guide contains some of the best ideas and recommendations that you can utilize to arrange a fun and exciting Christmas period that your loved ones will remember for all of the right reasons!
So, what are you waiting for? Read ok to discover more!
No Christmas celebration is truly complete without the proper decorations. Indeed, decking the halls is an essential part of the festive season, adding a touch of magic and warmth to your home. Whether it’s hanging up stockings by the fireplace, adorning the Christmas tree with handmade ornaments, or placing a wreath on your front door, these traditions create an atmosphere of joy and togetherness. In fact, decorating both inside and outside your home is not just an activity; it’s a cherished pastime, an opportunity for the whole family to come together and create a winter wonderland of their own.
For indoor decorations, the centerpiece is often the Queen Christmas tree, a symbol of holiday spirit and cheer. You can make this activity even more special by crafting ornaments with your family, fostering creativity and bonding among family members, especially the little ones.
When it comes to outdoor decorations, inflatable figures are a fantastic choice. From classic Santa Claus and his reindeer to whimsical snowmen, custom inflatables for Christmas bring delight to everyone who passes by your home. Paired with twinkling string lights, they create a mesmerizing display that captures the essence of the season. Shaping inflatables into your favorite Christmas figures can be a creative endeavor, allowing your family to express their unique holiday spirit.
So, gather your family, let your creativity flow, and transform your home into a magical space that embodies the true spirit of Christmas. After all, it’s not just about the decorations; it’s about the love, laughter, and memories shared while creating them.
One of the most important aspects of Christmas that many people look forward to during the festive season is a delicious dinner. It’s likely classed as a tradition to host a huge family feast where all of your loved ones can attend, but it’s totally up to you what kind of meal you decide to put on.
You can invite your family to your home and cook a delicious festive meal yourself, as this shows that you have put considerable time and effort into satisfying your guests. Alternatively if you don’t have the time or cooking skills to prepare a feast for your family, then you can choose to go out for a meal instead. Different cultures have different traditional meals around the Christmas season, with British likely to eat a roast turkey. You don’t need to stick to tradition if you don’t want to, however. Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year, and it is important to make sure that the house is properly decorated for the occasion. This does not mean that the home needs to be decked out with hundreds of lights and decorations, but simply putting up a Christmas tree and a wreath can really help to create a festive atmosphere. Additionally, an inflatable Christmas decoration placed outside the front door can help to spread holiday cheer to all who enter. Inflatables may come in all possible sizes and shapes from simple custom inflatable snowmen to more elaborate ones like the Nativity scenes. By taking a few simple steps to decorate before Christmas dinner, you can help to ensure that the meal is truly special.
Planning a delicious dinner with your loved ones is something that might be near impossible to do during the rest of the year, so Christmas provides the perfect opportunity to get together as a family and spend some quality time together. Just don’t forget to ask your guests about food allergies or intolerances, as you won’t want to spend Christmas in the emergency room!
Hosting a few bonding activities during the Christmas season can be such a fun way to spend your time, as you can play all kinds of games, watch a ton of movies or shows, and even have some peaceful faith reflection by reciting a few family prayers for Christmas as a group.
Consider the ages and preferences of your family members who are planning on visiting you during the Christmas season, as this way you can make sure everyone no matter who they are can enjoy themselves this festive period. You can also wear matching sweaters, like a grateful dead sweater.
Sign up to a movie subscription service so that you can watch a few festive films or shows, put the radio on to dance to some Christmas songs, and look online to find inspiration for holiday games such as pin the tail on the reindeer that will help to get you in the spirit of Christmas!
Celebrating the festive season with your family can be such a fun and exciting time when you know what steps to follow.
Willow was the musical guest on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, making her solo debut on the show. She performed two tracks off her new album <COPINGMECHANISM>, which came out on Friday. Watch it below.
Last year, Willow Smith appeared on SNL as a surprise guest, joining Camila Cabello for a performance of ‘Psychofreak’. “I’m nervous obviously, because being with Camila – a really, really good friend of mine – there’s that feeling of comfortability there where you can look across the stage and be like, ‘Girl, we’re in this together. We’re doing this,'” Smith told Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe earlier this week. “I’m not baring my soul alone on the stage. But now it’s going to be me baring my soul alone on the stage, and I’m just so grateful and so excited, but also shitting my pants slightly.”
The quest for success in FIFA 23 career mode has never been more exciting. Yet, developing a well-rounded team that fits your tactical plans can be difficult. In this guide, we’ll look at some of the most exciting right-back and right-wing-back wonderkids and young footballer players in the game and examine how they can fit within your preferred formation.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is certainly no newbie to the spotlight, having won the Champions League with his career club, Liverpool, back in 2019 over the Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Likewise, Trent is well-established for Liverpool, having played over 168 games and scoring 11 goals. Internationally, Trent still has trouble getting selected on the regular due to the excellent players filling that position for England, like Kyle Walker and Reece James — to name a few.
When it comes to the game, Trent is a very well-rounded defender that starts with a robust overall rating of 87, making him a solid starter at any Champions League-level side. Potential is also pretty sweet for Trent as it’s set at 90, making him a world-class defender even in the eyes of his most prominent critics. The downside to Trent comes to those with a limited budget looking to build a solid team that doesn’t just excel in a single position but all over the field. The market value of Trent starts at €100.5 million, making him a pricey acquisition and only feasible to the top clubs in Europe.
Reece James is another superb defender in the right-back position for England. The 22-year-old currently plays for the London club Chelsea, though has been on loan to Wigan Athletic back in 2018 and 2019. Having made over 15 appearances for England, James is a close competitor for Trent in Southgate’s England side.
Potential-wise, James isn’t far from Trent, with a potential rating of 88. James has an overall rating of 84 and a market value of €57 million, which is nearly half of Trent, making him more suitable for mid-level teams across the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Ligue 1. As a well-rated Premier League player, James has a real face scan within the game. It should be mentioned that James also has a release clause which you may want to pursue in the game. However, it will set you back €109.7 million.
Pedro Porro, the Sporting CP right-back and winger, is a solid player who is steadily becoming a force in his position, having made his first team appearance for the Spanish national team back in 2021. As a club player, Porro has made over 59 appearances for Sporting CP while on loan and being a full-club player.
In FIFA 23, Porro is quite an exciting player with solid movement stats that highlight in the sprint speed and acceleration departments, making him a solid for relatively fast-paced sides looking to break down their oppositions on the counterattack. With a transfer value of €38.5 million and an overall rating of 81, Porro certainly is an achievable acquisition for most decently rated sides in the game, even those not playing top 5 league football. Potential-wise is there Porro becomes so attractive with a potential rating of 87 — genuinely world-class level.
Frimpong of Bayer 04 Leverkusen is another player who has great potential in the game, and it’s reflected in his real-life performances. Frimpong started his youth career back in the respected Manchester City academy back in 2010 and stayed there until 2019 when he moved fully professional for the Scottish side Celtic. Frimpong made 36 appearances and scored three goals for the SPL club. In 2021, Frimpong signed for the Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen solidifying himself in the starting eleven ever since. Frimpong has currently made over 43 appearances and scored three goals for the German side. Internationally, Frimpong is still making his way to the senior team, having played for the U21, U20, and U19 Netherlands sides.
Game-wise, Frimpong has a few specialities, including being a speedster and acrobat. Indeed, when it comes to speed, he is much faster than the players mentioned above. Frimpong has an acceleration of 96 and a sprint speed of 93, making him a terrifying player when he goes on attack or when he is protecting his net defensively. Despite being rated at 86, Frimpong’s potential is a little low. With solid movement, skill and defensive stats, he certainly can become an embedded player within a top-tier team. If you’re a fan of players like Trippier, Carvajal, or Mendy — you’ll like Frimpong within your team.
The RB list of players within this list wouldn’t be valid without the Dutch rising star Timber, who currently plays for the Youth-driven Ajax. Timber is an excellent prospect within the world of football, having already made over 59 appearances for the first Ajax team and ten appearances for his national side. Timber has also won several awards, including a few individual ones, such as the Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award) back in the 2021-22 season.
As a player to sign within FIFA 23, Timber will be a suitable player for those looking for a player seriously driven on the defence rather than attack. With a finish of 41 and free-kick accuracy of 31, Timber won’t be scoring many goals for you. Nonetheless, Timber can play right-back and can favourably switch to the centre-back position. Within the game, he starts with a rating of 80 but can quickly reach his potential of 88. At a starting value of €44.5 million, Timber is a thrilling possibility for your ultimate career mode project.
With so many great right-backs coming through, it was difficult to make this list. So, we went a little sideways and found a hidden gem within a game — Juan José Mina. This Colombian youngster has played for Colombia’s U16 side and plays for Deportivo Cali. Within the game itself, Mina starts with a measly rating of 64, which doesn’t seem that attractive, especially when you can find a regen within a season or two with better ratings. Yet, the potential of 84 and a transfer value of around €1.5 million makes Mina a highly suitable player for League 1 sides in England and the lower league clubs across Europe that wants someone with great growth potential. Mina is an outstanding value-for-money player within a game.
The last player on this list of the best RBs in the game is Malo Gusto, the French player who currently plays in the right-back position for Olympique Lyonnais. As a pro, Gusto has made over 40 appearances for Lyon and has featured across several of the French Youth National teams, including France U21. Gusto is a highly-attacking defender, suitable for those German-like sides. As a player in FIFA, Gusto begins with a rating of 75 and has the potential to reach 85, putting him on the premium list of right-backs in the world. Gusto is an affordable player as his market value begins at €11.5 million.
The Maiden, Graham Foy’s hypnotic feature debut, is an intimate fantasy about teenagers grappling with the limits of mortality. Set against Calgary high school halls, sunny backroads, and under graffitied bridges, the movie treats its quiet landmarks as gateways into the fantastical, where borders between life and death dissolve. Anchored by a trio of performances by non-professional teen actors, the movie fuses raw, documentary-like aesthetics with a meditative curiosity towards the sublime. It’s a tender séance, probing into afterlives and other worlds, and also an exciting first feature.
I spoke to Graham Foy about The Maiden, his hometown of Calgary, his two-year casting process, and some of the movies which helped him craft his representation of youth.
I grew up in Alberta, specifically in Calgary. And so, I was really excited to make my first feature film about a place that I had a lot of history in and specifically spaces that brought back a lot of memories. It was really helpful to have personal material to draw from in the making of the script. It was also interesting as somebody who doesn’t live in Alberta anymore. The project was based on this idea of memory and how memories change as you get further away from them. I wanted to make something that was personal, but the film isn’t completely autobiographical. There are a lot of things that are embellished or made up. But it was helpful to have those pieces as a starting point.
I grew up in the suburbs that surround that ravine featured in the film. And the suburbs always felt very void of imagination and claustrophobic. There were always construction sites around. We lived at one of the furthest suburbs outside the city limits at the time. The ravine, the bridge, and that landscape were very magical to me as a kid. And there was a lot of mystery to it in comparison to some of the more built landscapes around me. I spent a lot of time down there as a kid. And with memory, as I get older, the place also transforms into a sort of liminal space in my mind. It’s also a place where a lot of people just walk their dogs, so it’s probably not this way for everybody. But it was a space of small transformations or pieces of magic to me as a kid.
Yeah, it was shot in Calgary and Cochrane, which is just outside of Calgary. But Cochrane’s slowly been being eaten by the city limits of Calgary. But it’s a separate municipality.
When I remember my own experience of being a teenager, there’s this sense of mystery towards the world or a sense of the unknown that I was really excited by. But I was also interested in the extreme emotions of being a teenager. I wanted to create a film that represented teenagers in as realistic a way as I could, in terms of performance, but also in terms of how the film represents a teenage experience psychologically. I wanted it to never look down on them, condescend, or treat them like cartoons. So I wanted to try to honour and learn from that teenage perspective as a slightly older person.
We cast for about two years. My wife Daiva [Zalnieriunas], who is a co-producer on the film with Dan Montgomery, and I spent about two years doing workshops at high schools in and around Calgary. We also cast at skate parks and skate shops. It was a really rewarding process. We met a lot of amazing kids along the way who are also featured in the film in background roles, some of whom volunteered on the production. But it was a long process to try to find the three lead kids. But for each one, we knew almost instantly when we saw them that we wanted to cast them in the lead roles.
We did some acting workshops. A lot of the theatre programs in high school don’t do camera-specific acting training. So we offered some hour-long mini-lectures and Q&A sessions where we could explain our experiences working in film and acting in film.
The kids that we ended up casting were so specific, and they had such unique personalities that I really wanted to give them agency in the film to represent each character in a way that felt natural to them. I also wanted to salvage the words that they use in daily life and how they communicate to one another, instead of putting my words in their mouths. And so, I really tried to allow for flexibility and freedom within each scene while giving a really pointed direction for where the scene should go.
Between my conversations with a lot of kids and also the time that we’re living in, I was interested in creating a world where it feels as though bad things can happen at any time and in a casual way. That’s been my experience in the past. But I also feel that we’re living in a time with so many kinds of anxiety-inducing things externally in the world: pandemic, global warming, school shootings, and all these really loaded and heavy topics. I think there was something about creating a space that had this anxiety where something bad could happen in at any time, while also creating a peaceful bed for those experiences to sit at.
Yeah, I think so. I went to high school in the early 2000s. And so, I wasn’t that interested in creating a period piece. But I also recognized that my perspective was from a specific time, so I wanted to embrace what was here and now. So, there’s scenes where kids are on cell phones. That’s not something I wanted to exclude from the world. But I also didn’t want to be too specific about when, or even where, it was within the narrative of the film. So I don’t think Calgary is ever mentioned in the film itself, even though it’s a really important part. I was really inspired by the way that certain writers create stories or worlds that are based on a place, but then the place that the story lives in is kind of lifted above, or it’s some place slightly separate from that real place (or time).
Yah. [laughs]
A little bit. I think there were certain things like the stoner circle scene. I thought there’s something funny about doing the kind of That 70s Show rotating camera trick but in a really slow, methodical way and in completely different contexts where it’s more anxiety-inducing than fun weed-smoking. But certainly, I think one of the films I was thinking about a lot was Frederick Wiseman’s High School and how we show the spaces and the kids who are in the high school. I really wanted to show the world that surrounded Colton as much as showing Colton’s experience within that world. But I guess I wasn’t thinking that much about more traditional high school films.
Absolutely, yeah. I really love Apichatpong. It wasn’t a reference for the film specifically, but I think it’s made its way in there subliminally. Definitely a filmmaker I admire very much.
Yeah, Gus Van Sant’s collaborations with Harris Savides were something that me and Kelly Jeffrey, the cinematographer, talked about quite a bit in terms of how to represent spaces visually. But also the pacing of those films: Jerry, Elephant, and Last Days. We were inspired by the way that those worlds feel extremely naturalistic and the way that they’re lit or not lit primarily with natural lighting. But we also wanted to make sure that we broke away from that and tried to capture motion in a way that nodded to those projects but was also new for us as well.
Yeah. [laughs] The skateboarding and stuff. That wasn’t an influence for us but I have seen that movie and I can see how there are parallels for sure.
None that I can talk about, but definitely some new features projects in the works for sure.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Graham Foy’s The Maiden has screened at the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and will screen in Montreal at the Festival de Nouveau Cinema on October 12th and 15th.
Gladie – the Philadelphia band led by former Cayetana vocalist Augusta Koch and featuring members of Spirit of the Beehive, Tigers Jaw, and Witching – have announced a new LP. Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out will arrive on November 18 via Plum Records, and its lead single, ‘Nothing’, is out now. Check it out below.
Discussing the new album in a statement on Bandcamp, Koch said:
I’m so excited to share this first song and announce our new record Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out. We’ve been working on this record for a while now and to finally get to share a song from it feels exhilarating.
This first song “nothing” came from a thought experiment based on what ended up being the chorus of the song “What would it feel like to want Nothing?” Basically, in all aspects of life, whether it’s relationships, consumerism, or any other constant desire, there is always this push from external and internal forces telling you, “More, More, More” but is that really a healthy way to live? Maybe it’s more fruitful to actually want less to make you appreciate that what you do possess is greater than it seems.
The full record comes out November 18th via Plum Records. (The label I started with my soul mates Kelly Olsen and Allegra Anka.) The vinyl should ship out in early spring due to all the supply chain issues (fingers crossed it will show up at my house sooner) but you can pre-order it now and get the digital release as soon as the album comes out.
Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out was recorded at The Bunk in early 2022 with Matt Schimelfenig (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Pat Conaboy (guitar), Dennis Mishko (bass), and Miles Ziskind (drums) and Me, Gus (vocals and guitar). Matt also recorded and mixed the record, while Ryan Schwabe mastered. Mark Glick (cello), Mike Park (saxophone), and Brian Lockerm (trumpet) guest across four tracks on the album.
When I sent the record to my best friend she said “I can hear your roots and your branches” which quite honestly is the greatest compliment I could hope for. I hope as long as I share music I can grow some new branches. We all deserve to grow. I really hope you guys enjoy it and from the bottom of my heart thank you for listening to our music. <3 Augusta
Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out Cover Artwork:
Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out Tracklist:
1. Purple Year
2. Born Yesterday
3. Mud
4. Hit the Ground Running
5. Nothing
6. Soda
7. Heaven, Someday
8. Fixer
9. Smoking
10. For a Friend
11. Something Fragile
Caroline Polachek has shared an aria written for Oliver Leith’s opera Last Days, a new Royal House Opera stage adaptation of Gus Van Sant’s 2005 film dramatizing Kurt Cobain’s death. It’s titled ‘Non Voglio Mai Vedere Il Sole Tramontare’, which is Italian for ‘I Never Want to See the Sun Go Down’. Polachek recorded it with frequent collaborator Danny L Harle. Listen to it below.
Earlier this week, Polachek revealed that she will be releasing a new song called ‘Sunset’ on October 17. She recently covered Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ for the Jack Antonoff-helmed soundtrack to Minions: The Rise of Gru.
This time last year, I recommended five horror films for your Halloween line-up. Suffice to say, I’m at it again. For 2022, I’m pulling from television as well as cinema to mix up the list and to provide some perhaps unfamiliar monster gems. So, from ghostly adaptations to backwoods cryptids, here are five more horrors for Halloween.
In March 1957, Allied Artists released a Roger Corman double bill: Attack of the Crab Monsters and Not of this Earth. The former is a wildly entertaining creature feature in which irradiated crabs eat people to consume their consciousness. The latter is our focus, an intriguing alien visitor narrative that uses its budgetary constraints to great effect.
Paul Birch plays an alien whose race is afflicted with a fatal disease, victims of a terrible atomic war. He’s on Earth seeking human blood, hoping to cure his people. Under the guise of a “Mr. Johnson”, he hires a nurse (Beverly Garland) to look after him while goes about his mission. Immediately, there are some similarities with Toho’s The Mysterians (1957), which also sees aliens exploiting humanity following a nuclear war that’s ravaged their biology. But whereas Toho’s film has the benefit of colour, high production values, spectacular special effects, and an international scope, Not of this Earth makes do with a smaller, domestic sphere. Yes, it’s often flatly composed and there’s little in the way of action, but the ideas are framed well by the setting.
There’s a particular moment in which another of Johnson’s race meets him. The pair discuss their planet’s grim situation while flicking through pages at a magazine stand. The fate of an entire species, an entire planet, communicated in such a trivial setting. It’s fascinating.
Of course, I’d be a fool not to mention the marvellous Beverly Garland. Genre fans will recognise her from another Roger Corman science fiction picture, It Conquered the World (1956), as well as the cinemascope creature feature, The Alligator People (1959). Unsurprisingly, she’s wonderful and sells the story.
The sad state of this film on home video – and its appearance on Mystery Science Theater 3000 – has severely hurt its reputation. Released by American International Pictures in 1958, The Screaming Skull is an entertaining ghost story that’s much better than what you may have heard.
Eric (John Hudson) and Jenni (Peggy Webber) are newlyweds arriving to their new home – the home where Eric lived with his now-deceased former wife, Marion. The house – a monster of a building – oozes menace and discomfort, and it’s not long before Jenni believes she’s haunted by Marion. However, Eric’s past is far from spotless, and what initially seems to be a faked haunting designed to drive a poor woman to her death becomes something much more sinister.
From its fabulous poster art to its terrific title, The Screaming Skull is a picture that truly reaches its climax in shocking horror – as promised by its sensational opening narration. Several scenes of Jenni all alone in the house are very effective; Peggy Webber’s frightened look sells the horror as she listens to footsteps outside her door. If you can, track down Scream Factory’s recent blu-ray release to see the film in the best picture quality possible. Leave the MST3K quips behind and sink into what is often a very atmospheric and unsettling ghost story.
The film also features Mozart’s famous Dies Irae melody, oft associated with horror cinema thanks to Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind’s unforgettable rendition for The Shining (1980). Along with The Return of Dracula (also 1958), The Screaming Skull effectively uses the piece to set the right tone for its ghastly delights. Mention should also be given to cinematographer Floyd Crosby, whose photography of the film’s house serves as a forerunner to his work on the gothic mansions in several of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allen Poe adaptations.
And now we turn to television. The Outer Limits (1963-1965) needs no introduction. Like Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), The Outer Limits is one of the most influential science fiction television shows of all time, tantalising viewers with stories of the unusual and the frightening. While Serling’s series showcased greater variety in its delivery of science fiction, The Outer Limits leaned into monsters, aliens, and weird beings.
One of its most memorable episodes is undoubtedly The Zanti Misfits. In the middle of a deserted town, the US military awaits the arrival of a spacecraft. Inside it are the titular Zanti misfits, criminals of an alien species sent to their new penal colony: Earth. Meanwhile, Bruce Dern and Olive Deering play two bank robbers who’ve unknowingly driven into the landing site. When the pair find and disturb the Zanti spaceship, the Zanti misfits are soon loose and on the rampage.
The episode raises questions about carceral justice. As its opening narration asks, “what is society to do with those members who are a threat to society, those malcontents and misfits whose behaviour undermines and destroys the foundations of civilization?”. But just what is “civilisation”? Whose definition are we following? The US military will gladly receive the Zanti misfits in exchange for Zanti technology, and is therefore embroiled in perpetuating carceral systems on an interplanetary scale – and all for technological advantage.
Of course, the real stars are the Zantis themselves. Their design is brilliantly horrifying: ant-like creatures with horrible humanoid faces, their expressions contorted into revolting grins. Their image has unsurprisingly become one of the series’ most enduring. So, sit back, ask yourself some difficult questions, and enjoy one of The Outer Limits’ best episodes.
The ghost stories of M.R. James are some of the most haunting ever written; Lawrence Gordon Clark’s BBC adaptations are some of the best put to film. Though broadcast at Christmas in keeping with the oral tradition of ghost stories for the season, I’m recommending one for Halloween.
In all honesty, there are too many Clark adaptations to suggest – A Warning to the Curious (1972), Lost Hearts (1973), The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974), etc. Almost all are masterclasses in the macabre, perfectly capturing James’ written language and imagining it for a new medium. However, for its sheer unpleasantness and deliciously grotesque ideas, I must recommend The Ash Tree.
Sir Richard (Edward Petherbridge) inherits his deceased uncle’s manor in the country. In its grounds stands an ash tree; its hollow interior hides the cruel past of Sir Richard’s uncle, Sir Mathew (also played by Petherbridge). In his time, Sir Mathew was a sheriff, and had sentenced a woman, Mrs. Mothersole (Barbara Ewing), to death for witchcraft. She, however, ensured that something of hers survived. “Mine shall inherit”, she cries before her execution. And from this promise, something crawls in through Sir Mathew’s bedroom window – or rather, some things. Small creatures with many legs, that wail like babies, whose withered faces are distinctly human. Much like the grim-faced monstrosities of The Zanti Misfits, the children of The Ash Tree are wonderfully frightening. They prompt revulsion and sorrow in equal measure, the terrible offspring of a doomed woman and an awful act of cruelty.
Though it loses some of the more disturbing details of James’ original tale (including an unnerving moment in which a cat falls into the tree), Clark’s adaptation captures its horror with precision. In particular, the few but significant interactions between Sir Mathew and Mrs. Mothersole are skin-crawlingly effective. Petherbridge’s effete, aristocratic portrayal sells the hideousness of the witch trials superbly – a profoundly unserious man wielding deadly serious power. Barbara Ewing is marvellous as the convicted Mothersole, her silence and burning stare saying more than words ever could.
Check your windows before heading to bed.
Released four years after what is arguably the best Bigfoot movie ever made (1972’s The Legend of Boggy Creek), Creature from Black Lake captures much of the same charm and appeal of its predecessor. When I was a child, I caught bits and pieces of this film on the Horror Channel. Despite the poor-quality pan-and-scan print that was used, the few scenes I saw stuck with me.
Rives (John David Carson) and Pahoo (Dennis Fimble) are two anthropology students who’ve travelled from Chicago to the backwoods of Louisiana to find a Bigfoot-like creature. Most locals seem hesitant to discuss their encounters until Rives and Pahoo meet a family who’ve been repeatedly terrorised by the monster. This brings me to the scene I remember most from my childhood. In a chilling flashback, we learn how the family encountered the creature when changing a tire on a lonely stretch of road. The youngest of them, a toddler, wanders off into the brush and comes face-to-face with the titular creature – seldom seen on screen but felt with effective use of point-of-view shots.
The film has a leisurely pace but never loses its appeal thanks to the charisma of its leads. It’s fun spending time with them and their believable friendship. Of course, this makes it all the more frightening when the monster appears, and the climactic encounter is unrelenting. The film also showcases the Louisiana swamps with a similar visual flare to Boggy Creek (thanks to master cinematographer, Dean Cundey), inspiring wonder and unease in equal measure.
And so, my friends, that concludes my suggestions for your Halloween viewing. I hope they’ll make your own line-ups more fun, exciting, and frightening. I think they will thrill you. They may shock you; they might even horrify you. So, if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now is your chance to…well, I warned you…
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