• Possession - a surreal apocalyptic horror starring Sam Neill you have probably never seen
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[img]http://www.halloween.co.uk/images/competitions/possession-dvd.jpg[/img] Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 film [I]Possession[/I] is a batshit insane surreal apocalyptic Lovecraftian horror film which utterly bewildered me on my first viewing and became a favourite on the second. It has been compared to Lars Von Trier's [I]Antichrist[/I] but if you did not like that movie do not be put off. The style of this film is totally different - chaotic, malevolent and insane. The actors, including Sam Neill (doing his best James Mason pastiche) and Isabelle Adjani take it in turns to go absolutely nuts at each other - sawing chunks of their flesh off with a carving knife or murdering people seemingly at random. The cinematography by Bruno Nuytten (Adjani's husband at the time) is fluid and almost constantly in motion. The camera spins and swoops around the sets - usually big, minimalist rooms (it's set in West Berlin) or wide streets. Gaspar Noe almost certainly took some inspiration from Zulawski's work when he made [I]Irreversible[/I]. [img]http://fantasticvoyages.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/possession-2.jpg[/img] [b]PLOT[/b] The plot is equally bizarre. Mark is married to Anna. He comes home from business (we don't know what his job is) after a long time and his marriage is clearly in tatters. He figures she is having an affair, and gets a private detective to follow her. He finds out that she is seeing a man called Heinrich - think Roy Batty from Blade Runner crossed with Sting. But German. He's some sort of spiritualist yoga freak who knows kung fu, and alternates between a bizarre, overly sensual (possibly bisexual) manner and a violent, paranoid delusion. Anyway, eventually it turns out that Heinrich doesn't know where Anna is most of the time, and the private detective turns up dead. Eventually we find out there is a fourth member to this bizarre love struggle...and I won't spoil it but...it's [I]not human[/I]. [img]http://www.deep-focus.com/flicker/possession.jpg[/img] The film is difficult to categorise, as it appears to be some sort of collision between a relationship breaking down, some trembling apocalyptic philosophising and a monster movie. [sp]the monster was designed by Carlo Rambaldi, who made Alien and E.T.[/sp]. It is a psychotic film with some very powerful performances by Sam Neill and especially Isabelle Adjani, who also play dual roles (very David Lynch), and the film is also quite Lovecraftian in the way the characters seem to just randomly go completely balls to the wall insane (in one scene, as an apartment block bursts into flames, an old woman passing by begins cheering and screaming). Utterly bizarre, unique movie. Go watch it and tell me what you make of it. Oh and be careful not to get the censored version. It makes no fucking sense and is an insult to film. The film should be around 2 hours long, not 1:20.
This sounds fucking awesome, definitely gonna have to check it out if I can
Well worth it. If you're in the UK a DVD came out recently so it's easy to find. Probably about £10 on Amazon.
Definetly want to see this if Sam Neill is involved.
Sam Neill has a surprising repertoire of horror films. Event Horizon (which I know is very popular around here, although I don't like it much), The Omen III (never seen) and In The Mouth of Madness (amazing). Check them out!
Another film added to my list.
Looks way too arthouse for me.
I would say there is definitely some arthouse to it. But not much. As an arthouse fan (hipsterfag whatever, blah blah) even I often get bored of some films, but this film is entertaining (if perplexing) throughout. After all the director did go on to make L'Amour Braque, often called 'the most pretentious movie ever' but also a huge inspiration for [I]The Dark Knight[/I].
Sam Neill? Fuck it I'm sold.
The cover looks like tentacle rape. Gotta see.
Ch-ch-check it out
If it has a very David Lynch and a Lovecraftian style at the same time, I have to watch that film.
Somebody post a picture of the monster, I wanna see it.
Just watched it twice. After the first, I had to watch it again. I thought it was brilliant.
Glad you liked it. [editline]9th March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=TheBigPal;28491177]Somebody post a picture of the monster, I wanna see it.[/QUOTE] It's kind of a [b]SPOILER[/b] So click here if you wanna see it (top right) [url]http://www.girlsgunsandghouls.com/possession.jpg[/url]
Ohh Sam Neill. I must see this movie. There was another Lovecraft-like film with him in it, In the Mouth of Madness. Loved it.
yeah In The Mouth of Madness is a great film. But this is even better.
Anyone else had the chance to catch this?
i cant find it anywhere
Lovecraftian? Yes please.
It's pretty easy to find. A DVD came out last year.
Bumping this thread because more people should see it.
How about no.
fuck you niger
Antichrist had Willem Dafoe in it but that didn't stop it from being dismally terrible.
That is because Antichrist copied this movie. And not in a stylistic way. Don't pass judgement on this because of a one-way superficial comparison.
I do not like arthouse films. End of story.
What arthouse films have you seen, other than Antichrist?
[QUOTE=niger;30064507]End of story.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I thought so
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