Nik McGrath
This article concludes Nik’s 10 stand out films from 31 Days of Horror last October.
American Mary (2012)
Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska wrote, directed, produced and acted in their body horror American Mary (2012). They wrote the role of Mary Mason for Canadian horror queen Katharine Isabelle. Mary is a med student, who desperately needs money and falls into the world of body modification surgery.
Soska Sisters wrote American Mary about their experience in the film industry. “I feel very naked with this new story - which is silly because very little of the script is literal from our lives, but I feel after watching this movie, you will know everything about us” - Sylvia Soska
American Psycho (2000)
“There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... I simply am not there” - Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, American Psycho (2000)
Based on ‘American Psycho’, a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991, screenplay by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner, directed by Harron. Set in 1980s New York, it highlights a shallow, vain and narcissistic world of investment bankers, and the hollow entrapment of their lives. The cut-throat lifestyle attracts sociopaths, and masks a serial killer in their circle.
Among Friends (2012)
Among Friends (2012), directed by Danielle Harris, screenplay by Alyssa Lobit, who also played one of the lead characters. This indie film is raw, gripping, had me from a few minutes in, then I couldn’t look away. The tagline, ‘This dinner party’s gonna be KILLER’ says it all, really.
Blood & Donuts (1995)
Canadian vampire love story with the sweetest kooky characters, Blood & Donuts (1995) is about a vampire, Boya, who meets taxi-driver Earl on a ride to the cemetery. Later they bump into each other again over coffee and donuts where the bookworm Molly works.
Boya is extremely sensitive and nostalgic for the past, he also protects his new friends Molly and Earl from the local bad guys. Molly doesn’t need protecting. She is not only smart but ready to defend herself with a baseball bat or flick knife... Molly is one cool character.
Canadian director Holly Dale has since made a whole lot of TV, which has kept her consistently in work since the 90s. Sadly Blood & Donuts was the last feature film Dale made.
Suspense (1913)
Lois Weber wrote, directed and starred in short silent film Suspense (1913). Weber was the first American woman to direct a full-length feature film. Phillips Smalley co-directed.
Weber’s character ‘the wife’ is home alone with her baby and notices a man trying to break into her house. Wife calls her husband at work, an early example of split screen is used effectively. Then a car chase, another early example.
A print of the film is held at the British Film Institute archive.
Weber has been credited as having made between 200 to 400 films, however sadly only 20 have survived.