Hey ghouls and ghosts! Ghoul Gal is finally back!
It’s been a minute, I know. What was meant to be a monthlong break took a bit more than a month. It was definitely a necessary break and I’m glad for it, but I am so happy to be getting Ghoul Gal back to its regular monthly schedule.
I’ve truly missed writing this newsletter, so this edition will be a bit of a longer one to make up for the past months. I originally began drafting this months ago as love-themed edition inspired by the Valentine’s Day holiday. I even pulled its title from one of Lucille Sharpe’s best quotes in Crimson Peak. Sets the mood so nicely, don’t y’all think?
Love & Relationships in Horror
TW/CW: mention of suicide, homicide, parental death, sibling death, abuse, gore, skinned man mention, sex, sexual content
I previously wrote about Laurie Strode’s evolution from Halloween (1978) to Halloween (2018). Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie is simply one hell of icon in horror and she truly is one of the blueprints of the Final Girl. But what I really loved about the 2018 movie is that we got to explore the aftermath of what it means to be a Final Girl and how that trauma is passed down through the relationships in your life.
While, yes, I do love putting on a gore-filled slasher with no plot, just vibes. I also do love watching well-written movies whose characters I can root for or gleefully wish for their demise. I love it when a movie can make me go “oh thank god, they made it out!” or “wow, fuck them!” Which brings me to this large part of this month’s newsletter where I’ll be specifically looking at Ready or Not, Midsommar, Hellraiser, and Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
Caution: Spoilers for all four of the movies!
“Fuck your fucking family!” — Grace Le Domas, Ready or Not
Let’s start with Ready or Not from 2019. I absolutely fucking love this movie. Samara Weaving is quickly becoming a fantastic Scream Queen for me between this and The Babysitter. She is downright charismatic and so fun to watch in her roles. As Grace, she balances perfectly the humor and absolute horror as the night unfolds. I mean, overall, this is a fantastic movie. The scene where Fitch (portrayed by Kristian Brauun) is hiding out in a bathroom with a crossbow, watching a video tutorial on how to use it always makes me laugh so hard.
But at the heart of Ready or Not is Grace’s worst wedding night ever after having just married Alex Le Domas. Alex is one of the heirs to the great Le Domas games company and boy, can you just tell how filthy rich this family is. But of course…it isn’t without sacrifice. Without going too much into the film’s plot, the general gist is that the Le Domas family’s patriarch long ago sold his sold to a Mr. Belial who provided his family with untold wealth and success. But, in order to maintain this wealth and not suffer an explosive end, they must play a game with the newly married person joining the family. It’s surmised through conversations that, in turn, that new member to the Le Domas family also end up selling their souls.
It’s just absolutely fucked up that Alex didn’t even try to warn Grace about “The Game.” It seems from the comments from his siblings’ partners that they at least had some kind of conversation about it. Despite Alex seemingly being truly in love with Grace, there is no amount of apology or redemption that could counter him not telling Grace about the game. Granted, he was banking on her pulling a card to play any game other than “Hide and Seek.” Regardless of that, he’s still one of the biggest assholes because I do believe that he doesn’t see himself as that way.
“…You can hear it in his voice, he’s working up the nerve to say something.” — Dani Ardor, Midsommar
Speaking of asshole significant others, Christian from Midsommar (2019) is truly an s-tier asshole. Dani Ardor, (played by the amazing Florence Pugh) is an incredible tragic protagonist. Midsommar, in true Ari Aster fashion, opens with a gut punch. Dani’s franticness as she can’t reach her sister. Her panic increasing as she can’t reach her parents either. Then a cut to her parents, dead in their bed, having gone to sleep and never woken up. Her sister dead in her bedroom with an exhaust pipe taped to her mouth. In the midst of Dani’s deep grieving, Christian is barely able to deal with this whole situation and while he was wanting to breakup with her previously, now he feels like he just can’t.
While Dani’s relationship with Christian takes center stage, his own relationship with Josh cannot be overlooked. William Jackson Harper plays a fantastic foil to Christian. You see, Christian isn’t just another run of the mill shitty boyfriend, but he’s also a mediocre white guy who tries to steal a Black friend’s thesis project own midsummer traditions. As Josh and him argue over the thesis, we begin to hate him even more. In a way, some of us begin to rationalize Christian’s fatal ending at the hands of The Hårga.
Acolytes of Horror has a nearly half hour video essay detailing how Ari Aster manipulates viewers into siding with the white supremacist cult that has disposed of every character of color and has forced Dani to succumb to their “embrace” and “warmth” in the midst of her grieving and them giving her psychedelic drugs.
The horror of Midsommar isn’t just every shocking scene it has for viewers, but this exact manipulation. Dani’s sobs turned to glee aren’t an empowering resolution. It’s not a feminist moment. Dani has been manipulated by Pelle and The Hårga at every turn at her most vulnerable. Her ending is anything but happy. It is horrific.
“Come to daddy!” — Frank Cotton, Hellraiser
Families are a messy business. And two of my new favorites with an incredibly messy family are definitely Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). The Hellraiser franchise is a new one to me. When I first watched the first film, I was so grossed out. Its special effects are fantastic. On tier with The Thing’s. I finished that movie not really sure of how I felt about it. After I listened to the first episode of Girls, Guts, and Giallo’s 2-parter on the movie, I did a rewatch and began to appreciate the movie a lot more. And according to IMDB Trivia, when the production team and Clive Barker were discussing what the movie’s title should be, “a 60-year-old female crew member offer(ed) up What a Woman Will Do For a Good Fuck.” Incredible!
Julia Cotton, played wonderfully by Clare Higgins, has quickly become a favorite villainess for me. Hellraiser is incredibly kinky and sexy along with its fantastic gore. And Julia’s character arc is all about her coming into her sexuality through her passionate affair with Frank, her husband’s brother. Julia’s relationship begins when he comes by her and Larry’s home one rainy day. She consents to sex, placing his fingers in her mouth. This consent is something that Girls, Guts, and Giallo host Annie Rose Malamet and guest Tina Horne dig into in both podcast episodes. Frank Cotton is a hedonist. Desiring to explore all the pleasures he can, whether on the mortal plane and in the beyond. It’s exactly this desire that leads him to the puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. It’s with this very box that he summons the Cenobites, led by Pinhead, to be tortured to the most extremes of pain and pleasure. Frank is resurrected as a skinless man thanks to his brother Larry dripping blood from a cut on his hand on the floor of Frank’s attic room. It is explicitly apparent that Julia is unhappy in her marriage to Larry. She mourns the affair and passion she experienced with Frank. So when she meets the resurrected Frank, she’s at first disgusted and horrified. But she quickly decides to aid him, once again consenting to him with taking Frank’s fingers into her mouth (Again! He’s skinless! It’s super gross). Julia gets more and more confident, violent, with each man she brings him to Frank. She loyally supports him as they confront Kristy, her step-daughter. But ultimately, Frank betrays Julia with such ease, stabbing her as he pursues Kristy throughout the house.
In Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Julia takes center stage as the primary antagonist, serving Levithan, the Lord of Hell, and her own interests. It was Clive Barker’s original vision to have her be the series’ villain, but that was changed when audiences loved Pinhead and the infamous Cenobite grew in popularity to the major horror icon he is today. While Clare Higgins shines in the first movie, the sequel allows her to revel in delicious villainy as she manipulates her way to a resurrection. What I would give to have seen Julia take her rightful place as Queen of Hell. We deserved it!
One Good Scare — Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
“There are ghosts in the basement!” — Dennis Rafkin
Keeping with the theme of toxic relationships and haunted homes, I recently gave one of my childhood favorites another rewatch. Thirteen Ghosts is one of those horror remakes from Dark Castle Entertainment. At first Dark Castle started out by remaking some classic William Castle horror flicks like Thirteen Ghosts, but it eventually branched out to produce its own original content.
So what’s it about? Thirteen Ghosts follows recent widower Arthur Kriticos who lives with his eldest daughter Kathy and young son Robbie, and is aided by Maggie, their nanny. Following the loss of his beloved wife and home to a tragic house fire, Arthur and the family are struggling financially, living in cramped quarters. Until his long-lost uncle Cyrus Kriticos’ lawyer comes knocking. Cyrus has died, as we see in the film’s opening, and has left his home and all of the riches within it to Arthur and his family. Of course, there’s a catch. The glass-mansion contains 12 of the most horrifying and murderous ghosts that Cyrus could capture. With only locked, sliding glass doors with Latin encryptions keeping the ghosts from the family, they are unwittingly released when Arthur and co. arrive.
There’s something just oh so simple about Thirteen Ghosts that plays to its fun and rewatchability. On the surface level, it’s your run-of-the-mill haunted house story. But there is an immense amount of world building for the so-called “Black Zodiac” and its ghostly representations that have been captured for the house. If you seriously haven’t watched the special features from the dvd where F. Murray Abraham narrates each ghosts’ background, you need to. Or you could also read the histories on the movie’s Wikipedia page (CW/TW: for ablelist language, violence against women & sex workers).
Out of the cast members, Matthew Lillard and Rah Digga are two of my favorites. Lillard is fantastic as psychic Dennis Rafkin. Dennis is Cyrus’ old associate who helped him capture the ghosts. Now, he is desperately trying to help Arthur and his family out of the dangerous situation. Meanwhile Rah Digga plays Maggie. She is hilarious and has the absolutely best reactions in the whole movie.
“This is my design.” — Finding a Pandemic Comfort Watch in Hannibal (2013)
CW/TW: cannibalism mention
In an issue about relationships in horror published just days after Pride Month, y’all know I couldn’t not talk about Hannibal! After seeing too many gifsets to count on Tumblr years ago and constantly seeing friends talk about the show online, I had to make Hannibal one of my pandemic watches.
Will Graham and Hannibal Lector’s relationship is just one of the best that I’ve seen from TV. The way it builds, the tension it creates, and how it just was always going to go where it went. *chef kiss* I mean, overall the show is just really well done. Its cinematography is immaculate. The writing is solid. The murders horrific. And the dinner scenes with Hannibal preparing food are beautiful until you remind yourself, “yeah that’s people!” Like so many fans of the show, I’m so upset that we didn’t get the season 4 that the season 3 finale teased to. Hannibal and Will finally together. Murder boyfriends!
I also really do love the costuming in the show. Hannibal’s suits. Will’s attire that goes from English professor vibes to outdoorsy dog-dad. Bedelia’s whole wardrobe. Alana’s wardrobe in season 3 when she goes full DarkAlana! The immense bi panic this show provides.
As a latecomer to the show, I was surprised to see that subreddit dedicated to Hannibal was pretty active, always welcoming late bloomers, and holds a collection of fascinating essays by fans, which I do recommend digging into if you’re a fan as well.
New Release Review — Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Back in January, I talked about my love of the Saw franchise. The first 3 movies are so solid and my favorites, but the rest are ehhhhhh. However, I always get so excited to hear “Hello Zepp!” in its various iterations during that last pivotal and plot-twist minutes of the films.
When I heard that Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV, The Devil’s Carnival & Alleluia!: The and Repo! The Genetic Opera) was coming back to direct a Saw film, I was over the moon. I really enjoyed Saw II under his directorial vision and with the casting of Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson together! in a horror movie!? I was already there.
After over a year of not going to the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse because of the pandemic, I finally saw Spiral on the Thursday night of its release.
The thing about Spiral is that it felt fresh while still being part of the franchise. I wish we could’ve stayed on the scenes with the traps a smidge longer, but at an hour and a half runtime and with Chris Rock’s unhinged energy, I had a blast!
I’ve seen a lot of reviews from horror fans who just absolutely did not enjoy the movie and those who did. Like any Saw movie, I’m here for the traps and the gore. But Spiral has a solid cast with Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Max Minghella. All I’m saying is don’t go in to your viewing expecting a fantastic movie. Have fun and let the games begin!
What’s Next for Ghoul Gal?!
I’m currently writing this as we’ve just come out of a week of high 80 to mid-90 degree weather in the city. And all I can think of is that I prefer having SAD and not feeling like I’m going to melt on the subway platform. I’m yearning for cool nights, cozy blankets, and yes, pumpkin spice lattes. The fall is also giving us so much movie wise. Between The Night House, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, and Halloween Kills, it’s going to be a good fucking time.
To hold us over until then, at least Netflix is providing us with some content for a summer of fear thanks to its new Fear Street trilogy. The first part: 1994 just dropped on Friday with Park 2: 1978 and Part 3: 1666 to follow on July 9th and 16th, respectively.
I’ll also be returning to Halloween Horror Nights this year to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Nearly a year ago, I wrote about my love of HHN and my past trips to the event amid its cancellation. But the event is back on this year and Jack the Clown, my favorite Icon, is back! To say that I’m excited is an understatement.
So stay tuned for my review of the full Fear Street trilogy movies, my hopes for HHN 30, and more horror goodness!
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