Decade of Decay: MARTYRS / INSIDE

Has it really been 10 and 11 years respectively since MARTYRS and INSIDE turned the world of horror cinema, kicking and screaming, on its head? And 9 years since I was gushing and ranting about both films on this blog? Unbelievably, the answer to both questions is yes.

In that time we've seen the watered-down, sanitised US remakes come and go (into much deserved obscurity), as the careers of Pascal Laugier and Maury/Bustillo have sadly failed to live up to the promise of their early masterpieces (but I'm still rooting for Laugier's new one, GHOSTLAND).

Regardless of those negative observations, the impact of these two modern classics hasn't diminished a bit. In the decade since they were unleashed on the world, have we even seen another truly comparable film? Their blend of feminism and arthouse sensibilities, colliding head on with pitch black, extreme gore was, and still is, pretty unique.

To celebrate the occasion, here's a pulpy Spanish one-sheet for INSIDE that I don't think I've ever seen (above), and some nice MARTYRS tributes from Gary Pullin (top), Nathan Thomas Milliner (middle) and Trevor Henderson (bottom).

Livide

Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury, the french duo behind the stomach churning (and heart rending) À l'intérieur, are definitely two new genre talents to watch... and if you're a fan, you're gonna want to see this...


They've been hard at work on their sophomore project - Livide - for some time now. It looks to be a major departure in tone from Inside (i.e. less violent), something I was initially torn about when the project was first announced. Inside is one of my most revisited and loved films of the last decade, so a big part of me wanted them to keep treading similar gore-drenched territory, especially if they could find that same perfect balance between all out carnage and strong, sympathetic characterisation. But I also respect filmmakers who don't rest on their laurels after a successful debut.

Livide looks to be considerably less gory... but not entirely bloodless. The production design is steeped in Gothic atmosphere, eschewing the realism of Inside for a dark fairy tale aesthetic that is clearly evident in the few stills that have surfaced (particularly the eerie image at right, which made a big splash when it hit the major horror sites a few weeks ago). I've been scouring French blogs and websites since, looking for fresh news on the production, and my exhaustive search payed off this week when I found a recent 25 minute behind-the-scenes vid on the CANAL+ site.

It's in French of course, but it features an exceptionally detailed look at the film's production design and location. There's also a good look at the creation of some makeup FX, and what appear to be some bizarrely creepy animatronics (see above). Amongst the footage of various scenes being lensed (including a look at the shooting of that eerie "floating girl"), there's a few tantalising glimpses of the film itself. Interestingly, a key point in a lengthy interview with Maury and Bustillo refers to Suspiria, and they seem to be drawing a comparison between their film and Argento's.


Check out my screenshots, and then take a look at the whole video HERE. It briefly shifts it's focus to other films a couple of times, but keep watching as it returns to Livide, and some of the coolest stuff is near the end.

Horreur Française

The unwelcome prospect of a US remake of Martyrs has reared it's ugly head again, with Bloody Disgusting reporting recently that a screenwriter is attached who will no doubt do what he can to dilute and castrate Pascal Laugier's nihilistic, brutal masterpiece.

Meanwhile, what's going on with the burgeoning French horror new-wave? From '02 - '08 France produced a small handful of horror films that towered above the far more prolific output of most other major markets. While Hollywood greedily devours itself (and the film industries of the rest of the planet) like Ouroboros; Malefique, High Tension, Inside, Martyrs and the Belgian/French co-productions Calvaire and Vinyan proved that horror can still be artful (and beautiful), original, intelligent and genuinely shocking & disturbing. Even "second tier" French productions like Ils and Frontière(s) were better than 95% of the swill pouring out of the US.

In the wake of this recent legacy of great films, has the French horror juggernaut stalled? Recent entries have certainly failed to impress - from the underwhelming (Mutants), to the downright shitty (La Horde). So, what is the next great film screening at Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol? It could be writer/director Franck Richard's French/Belgian co-production The Pack (La Meute). Richard's debut (as both writer and director) has looked interesting and promising from the outset, and recently scored a very positive review over at Twitch that you can read here. Let's hope it delivers!

Outside...

...INSIDE!

Have a listen to the OST for Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's damn-near perfect shocker À l'intérieur (Inside). It is by genre regular François-Eudes Chanfrault, whose other horror credits include High Tension, Vinyan and some work on Aja's The Hills Have Eyes. When I first listened to this soundtrack it didn't really grab me, but hearing it again later in a more patient and receptive mood I was hypnotised by it. It's a subtle, understated horror score (a rarity in this age of in-your-face bombast), drenched in gloomy, sombre atmosphere and menace. As with Seppuku Paradigm's haunting soundtrack for Martyrs, this score is filled with a melancholy sense of pathos that perfectly mirrors the tragic destiny of the films characters... in this case: The Woman, Sarah and both their unborn babies...

trempée dans le SANG!