Eisoptrophobia
In the run up to Halloween I usually give you a scary music selection, but this year, something a little different.
What really terrifies you at the cinema? The Exorcist? The Blair Witch Project? Showgirls? Jim Carrey being Jim Carrey again and again?
I can handle those, no problem, no sweat. However, the sense of creeping dread I get from this black and white classic of the genre made over sixty (count em) years ago (when I can part my fingers long enough to watch it, that is) is immense. The film has a cunning narrative that leads from sequence to sequence, each character has a macabre story to tell and it’s all linked together by.. aw, but I’m telling you the plot!
Sure, the supposed centerpiece of the Ealing Studios Dead Of Night (1945) is a little over-hysterical, but if you don’t like ventriloquist’s dummies, it’ll throw a few wobblies into you just the same.
But the classic vignette that has me wishing I was young enough to hide behind the back of the sofa is the ‘mirror’ sequence, starring Googie Withers and Ralph Michael.
So here it is. Make sure it’s night time, turn the lights down. I’ll.. er.. just pop out to make a cup of tea while you watch. Gulp.
If you’re ready for Part 2, here it is. Happy Halloween!
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