This week we’ll be taking a look a couple of classics that deal with paranoia. This is a great theme for a film to explore. When done well, it can be a great way to heighten the mood and play with the audience’s perception of reality. So, strap on your tin-foil hat and keep one eye peering through the blinds because in all likelihood, everyone is actually out to get you.
This week’s first film is Roman Polanski’s classic “Repulsion” (1965) starring Catherine Deneuve as Carol, a Belgian girl living with her sister in London. Her sister’s married boyfriend seems to bring out the worst in Carol. She finds herself in a trance, unable to associate with the outside world. Her sister leaves on holiday and Carol has to deal with being all alone in her apartment. As the catalepsy mixes with the hallucinations, she very quickly digresses into a state of madness that she can’t find her way back out of.
After “Repulsion” it really wouldn’t be a bad idea to cleanse your palate with something on the lighter side. I suggest Joe Dante’s “The Burbs” (1989). Tom Hanks stars as everyman, Ray Peterson taking a vacation at home when some new neighbors move in. Nobody sees them, their house is trashed and very strange noises are heard all through the night. Ray’s pretty sure something fishy is going on, plus Walter’s (old man on the block) missing. “……I'm going over that fence, and I'm not coming back until I find a dead body.”….. That seems reasonable… right? This movie’s a hell of a lot of fun. I love Joe Dante comedies. This Master of Horror has also made both “Gremlin” movies,” Innerspace” and one of my personal favorites, “Matinee”.
Enjoy.
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