Mermaid -- or more accurately, "Rusalka," the original title --  is a Russian import, a beautiful, whimsical and ultimately dark tale of a girl who is born with a magical sense of life and luck.

Alisa (or Alice, depending on subtitles) reveals that she was born from a mythic mating of a sailor and a Venus-on-the-half-shell version of her mother in ( Read more... )

I watched a movie tonight called Left Bank -- a gothic horror thriller, basically, disguised at first as a sexy tale of love and mystery. I say "sexy" because the lead actress is naked through a lot of this movie -- and she and her boyfriend practice various positions before the movie's half over. Yet...it's tastefully done.

And integral to the ( Read more... )

Watching the recent movie version of Brideshead Revisited, with Emma Thompson as Lady Marchmain. This is much better than the '80s television miniseries. The script is sharp,  the acting is perfect.

Click to view

http://shocklinesfilms.com/index.html

My friend Matt Schwartz and his company Shocklines present a film series with very cool horror movies on the big screen in Manhattan. Next one up:

A Tale of Two Sisters.

I've seen it, and it's worth the watch if you love gothic horror.  If you're in or near Manhattan, here's the information from Matt:

I can't vouch ( Read more... )

Anyone here read this one -- or see the movie?

Friends on vacation decide to have a brief day's adventure -- away from the fun and sun of the beach -- and wander into the jungle to find a nearby archaeological dig where more fun might be had.

That's the basic set up of Scott Smith's novel and the script he drew from it, for The Ruins.

Something ( Read more... )