Summer of Horror

Cuckoo, Longlegs, Oddity & Alien: Romulus

I don’t have a big fancy TV or a sound system. In fact, I don’t have a TV at all. Of course, I have several screens and subscriptions so I can get my moving image fix, but when I really want to watch a movie I usually go to the theater.

As a result, I go to the movies a lot, especially when it’s hot because we don’t have air conditioning either. (Or a microwave oven. That’s a story for another day, but sometimes it feels like I’m living in an Amish condo.)

When I go to the movies, I usually watch horror. I like crime dramas, action movies, thrillers and mysteries, but most of the movies I go to have some element of horror. That’s my jam. I subscribe to Fangoria and keep up with all the new releases. Also, it’s in my blood. As many of you know, my late cousin wrote the Halloween revenge classic Pumpkinhead as well as the slasher Neon Maniacs, which is one of my all-time favorite movies despite (and because of) it’s many flaws.

Why am I drawn to horror? I love that there are no rules. You want to make a movie about a haunted meat slicer? Go for it. I bet you could have a blast setting up the story and carving up your characters (sorry), but the second half? Making me care about the how and the why and resolving the story? That’s much more challenging. It’s like what they say about flying a plane: cruising around is easy, but getting the aircraft safely on the ground again is where pilots earn their money. When I’m watching a horror movie, I’m constantly trying to solve the story, figuring out how they’re going to land the plane.

So here are some horror and horror-adjacent movies I’ve seen this summer. I liked them all but I’m arranging them according to least recommended to must see. There are no spoilers ahead, but I’ve linked to some articles and interviews that you may want to skip until after you’ve seen the flick. I also won’t be posting trailers, for the same reason. Here we go…

Cuckoo

Written and directed by Tilman Singer, Cuckoo is an out-of-the-box horror. A young woman named Gretchen goes to an alpine resort in Europe with her blended family and discovers that things are not what they seem. Strange noises, guests getting sick, unexplained time loops, and a mysterious woman compel Gretchen to GTFO, but is it too late?

What I liked: Gretchen is mourning the death of her mother, but it’s not just a gimmick to generate empathy for the main character. Horror often tackles trauma in a slapdash way and too-often it is brushed aside after it’s been dealt with. That’s not how grief works. In this respect, Gretchen is very believable.

What I didn’t like: Cuckoo has a lot going on—maybe too much—and straddles multiple genres. This makes the first half delightfully moody and strange. But the second half is kind of a mess. The way the mystery is explained is comically clumsy and confusing. Ultimately, I think Cuckoo would have benefited by leaning into one or two genres instead of hopscotching around three or four.

Interview with writer director Tilman Singer

Longlegs

Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, son of Hollywood legend Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame, Longlegs is a slow-moving serial killer thriller. When an FBI agent with psychic abilities is assigned to a string of murder-suicides, she makes a startling breakthrough in the 30-year-old case.

What I liked: It starts off with a bang but is a slow burn with incredible tension. There are lots of scenes with wide shots where the FBI agent is shrouded in darkness and you’re waiting for something terrible to happen. It’s like an anti-jump scare. Also, Longlegs is played by Nicolas Cage, which is worth the price of admission.

What I didn’t like: I generally don’t like stories that center cops. But if you’re going to have a cop as your main character, even a quirky cop played brilliantly by Maika Monroe, then that aspect of her life and the people in it should feel credible. In Longlegs it never does. Many of her scenes as obsessive detective feel like tropes rehashed from TV shows we’ve seen a million times before.

Oddity

This Irish horror set mostly in a renovated house in the countryside was only in theaters for a minute but I’m glad I caught it because it was the scariest movie I saw all summer. This one is tricky to summarize but it’s got intrigue, oddities, twins, supernatural entities, infidelity, and revenge.

What I liked: Oddity is truly unpredictable because it keeps changing into a different kind of movie and kept me guessing until the end. It also didn’t hurt that it’s full of oddities, just like my new book with the creators of the Oddities Flea Market.

What I didn’t like: It’s a minor quibble but this low-budget movie has a small cast so at times it felt like the adaptation of a play.

Alien: Romulus

Set between Alien 1 and Alien 2, Alien Romulus is a worthy successor to the franchise’s early excellence and gives it a much needed boost. It’s a bona fide summer blockbuster with unrelenting thrills, chills, and things you’ve never seen before.

What I liked: I liked just about everything about this movie, but all you really need to know is that director Fede Àlvarez goes for it. It’s gnarly and bold and totally won me over. Most sci-fi flicks make use of an endless series of sets to wow us with effects. Alien: Romulus is claustrophobic and unsettling. It takes the tropes of a haunted house and applies them to a small, derelict space station. I always felt like I knew where I was in the station, which meant the creepy crawlies were never too far away.

What I didn’t like: The opening is a little Star Wars-y but only a little. Alvarez, who was born in Uruguay, comes by his critique of colonial enterprises honestly.

Interview with Fede Àlvarez about getting pushback from Disney.

That’s it! What was your favorite horror movie of the summer? Tell me in the comments.

It’s not a horror movie, but one of my favorite heist flicks, Logan Lucky, was just added to Netflix. You’re welcome.

EnT

Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Education non-Tech Podcast with Matt Stranach. We talked about all sorts of things, but I really enjoyed discussing my haphazard journey through higher education, and how that led to both the creation of and my involvement in Razorcake fanzine. It’s an interesting story that I think you’ll enjoy.

Slumming with the Saint

Not too long ago I mentioned that Joshua Mohr’s new punk rock Viking novel, Saint the Terrifying, is now available for preorder. I won’t give away the plot, but it involves an East Bay punk rocker in the early 90s. Josh wrote and recorded a number of songs while writing the book in Saint’s persona, and Unnamed is offering a limited number of LPs. Even better, you can get the record and a signed copy of the book for the low, low price of $40 bones.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back next week with a few announcements. If you liked this newsletter you might also like my latest novel Make It Stop, or the paperback edition of Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records, or my book with Bad Religion, or my book with Keith Morris. I have more books and zines for sale here. And if you’ve read all of those, consider preordering my latest collaboration The Witch’s Door and the anthology Eight Very Bad Nights.

Message from the Underworld comes out every Wednesday and is always available for free, but paid subscribers also get my deepest gratitude and Orca Alert! on most Sundays. It’s a weekly round-up of links about art, culture, crime, and killer whales.