While he was more known for his experimental work in horror and science fiction, where he intended to push the medium to its literal breaking point (including employing the use of practical effects in the cinemas themselves to make the experience all the more immersive for the unsuspecting audience), William Castle did do his fair…
Category: dark comedy
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
It takes a lot of courage – and even more skill – to unsettle beloved myths, presenting them as unique and daring works. We tend to gravitate towards what we find familiar, and it can therefore be tricky to embrace those which attempt to redefine what particular concepts mean. This is the foundation on which…
Babysitter (2022)
While it may seem counterintuitive, social and cultural outrage is one of the most important aspects of human development, since without the ability to recognise when something is amiss and respond to it accordingly based on the combination of social conditions and visceral instincts, we’d be running amok as a species, unable to control ourselves…
The Roses (2025)
“Till death us do part” – a phrase embedded in the global culture, almost to the point of becoming a cliché. Yet, it ends most conventional wedding vows, a continued choice that highlights the lifelong commitment two individuals make to each other at the altar, whether proverbial or physical. Yet, that’s not all that interesting,…
Ex-Husbands (2025)
Family does not always consist of the people we would select given the choice, but it’s undeniable that many of us would not trade them at any cost. Art loves family, since it’s a concept that is both universal and unique – we all know how it feels to belong to a group (whether consisting…
A Private Life (2025)
The bond between a psychiatrist and their patient is a sacred one, particularly since they tend to be the people with whom we share our most intimate thoughts, feelings and even the occasional secret. Strict confidentiality cannot be negotiated, and it has always been good practice to maintain trust in one another. Yet, there are…
Bravo Bene! (2025)
I’ve always been fascinated by public figures who are extremely famous in certain parts of the world (particularly in their home countries), but remain entirely obscure to outsiders. Not only does this allow us to make some fascinating observations on the nature of fame and celebrity (indicating that geographical and temporal borders are often much…
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025)
Being a parent is not easy, and anyone who says otherwise is either the recipient of some unusually good luck or completely unaware of the challenges that come with raising children. It doesn’t even require having children of your own to recognise that this is not a particularly smooth journey, since it is almost universally…
Twinless (2025)
We all grieve in our own way – there isn’t any predetermined guidebook on how to navigate the loss of a loved one, which can make the mourning process excruciatingly difficult for many people. It is easy to feel lost, adrift in a sea of emotion in which all the rudder cables have been cut….
A Poet (2025)
Living the life of a creative person is not always easy – for every world-renowned artist, there are a thousand who genuinely believe that they have the potential to make it in the industry, but remain in obscurity for their entire lives. The reasons for this are complex – it could be a matter of…
The Postmodern Pelican 