NOCEBO (October 2022)

    

NOCEBO

(October 2022)

“Something is hidden inside of you, Christine. Something you hide from yourself. It is invisible to you, and you must see it. It makes you sick. I will draw it out of you and show it to you.”

A children’s fashion line called Tykie comes to a screeching halt after a distressing phone call, and the disturbing “encounter” that accompanies it (one of the creepiest dog scenes I’ve ever seen; at one point in the film’s runtime, that dog is described as “a hideous thing”).

In the aftermath, fashion designer Christine (Eva Green) suffers through a debilitating months-long ordeal, broken only upon the sudden arrival of Diana (Chai Fonacier), who hails from a “very special place” in the southern area of the Philippines, and who claims to have been hired by Christine, though she has no memory of it at all.

“It’s very pretty.”

“It is?”

“We will make it pretty.”

Meanwhile, the other members of the household, daughter Roberta (Billie Gadsdon) and husband Felix (Mark Strong), need to acclimate to this stranger suddenly living under the same roof. One is initially rude, the other, increasingly suspicious, while Christine becomes more trusting and dependent on Diana.

“This is just different medicine, Christine.”

That’s the basic set-up of Lorcan Finnegan’s latest, Nocebo.

If you’ve been paying attention, Finnegan landed ‘round these parts previously for Vivarium, and this film, like Vivarium, ends up being a potent title with a very singular, unsettling vision, proof positive that Finnegan continues to be a name to look out for.

Nocebo is also of particular interest to me since it’s an Irish-Philippine co-production, significant portions of which were shot on location in the Philippines.

Also noteworthy are Fonacier’s commendable performance, and the film’s score, courtesy of Jose Antonio C. Buencamino. This seems to be Buencamino’s first feature film credit, and it’s an impressive one.

“This is so much better than a cure.”

There’s also a particular scene in Nocebo--during Diana’s recounting of her past--that should be a treat for any lovers of Philippine folklore out there.

The term Diana uses may not be the one that might be expected, given what unfolds onscreen, but it’s a nonetheless familiar image to a folklore lover, and that scene’s imagery goes off like gangbusters.

Ultimately though, while the horror in Nocebo is shudderingly effective, it’s the tragic underpinning of the narrative* (scripted by familiar Finnegan collaborator Garret Shanley) that serves as the iron-hard core of this film.

It’s been a long, long, looooong while since I’ve seen a Filipino horror movie that’s this effective.

And sure, it’s a co-production, but still…

So, hopefully, that’s piqued your interest enough to seek this one out…

“You must allow me in, Christine. I will prepare you to face it. You will know it when you see it. You will understand what must happen. And you will be free.”

* An incident based on an actual tragedy in recent Philippine history. To say any more at this juncture would be to spoil a key plot point.

There is a prominent statement though, during the end credits roll that will acknowledge and shine a spotlight on that tragedy.

(Nocebo OS’ and quad courtesy of imdb.com, twitter.com, and themoviewaffler.com.)

CANDYMAN (August 2021)

CANDYMAN

(August 2021)

“Are you ready for the sacrament?”

The early ‘90’s pre-Scream period saw cinematic horror do some interesting things, like masquerade under the guise of tragic, inevitably doomed romances, its darker, malevolent streak secreted beneath the more palatable facades of love stories.
One such notable title is Francis Ford Coppola’s exquisite phantasmagoria, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).
Another from the same year, is Bernard Rose’s Candyman.
 
“It was the projects. Affordable housing that had a particularly bad reputation.”
“You would never know.”
“Yeah, because they tore it down and gentrified the sh!t out of it.”
“Translation: White people built the ghetto, and then erased it when they realized they built the ghetto.”
 
Adapted from Clive Barker’s Books of Blood short story, “The Forbidden,” Rose’s Candyman transplanted the narrative’s action from England’s council estates to America’s housing projects, grafting themes of racism and gentrification (among others) onto the source material, like wallpaper of a very particular pattern laid over the original story’s structure.
Nia DaCosta’s Candyman has these same preoccupations, serving as both a deeper exploration of the original adaptation’s thematics, as well as a continuation of its central narrative.
 
“Some of the things that have happened in Cabrini over the years, violence just so extreme, so bizarre… It’s almost as if violence became the ritual.
“The worst part… the residents are afraid to call the police. A code of honor perhaps, fear of the police themselves…
“The easy answer is always, ‘Candyman did it.’”
 
DaCosta’s story (the screenplay is credited to her and co-writers Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld) revolves around Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Anthony, an up-and-coming artist badly in need of inspiration, which he finds in the gruesome urban folklore tale of the Candyman.

“I am the writing on the walls. I am the sweet smell of blood on the street. The buzz that echoes in the alleyways.”
 
Now, as is usual ‘round these parts, I’ll refrain from saying anything more in terms of the plot.
What I believe I can say though, is, just as Rose’s Candyman, despite appearances, didn’t play the way a “regular” slasher film does, neither does DaCosta’s.
And though there is a romantic component to the narrative, it isn’t as central as it was in Rose’s original, which was decidedly a love story, about the love between man and woman, between killer and victim, between deity and worshipper.
DaCosta’s take is more interested in community and legacy and who has ultimate control over society’s grand narrative, pulling its camera back so its lens can take in more of the macro, as opposed to the personal intimacy Rose’s dark love story evinced.
 
“When something leaves a stain, even if you wash it out, it’s still there. You can feel it, a, uh, uh, uh, uh, a thinning, deep in the fabric.
“This neighborhood got caught in a loop! The sh!t got stained in the exact same spot over and over ’til it finally rotted from the inside out!”
 
Ultimately, this new Candyman is a worthy successor to Rose’s original adaptation, and like it, is the kind of horror I treasure, the kind that has Something to say.
And DaCosta and company say it very well indeed…
So if this all sounds like horror to suit your tastes as well, then by all means, check it out…
 
And, oh yes…
Say his name…
 
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, who can take tomorrow,
Dip it in a dream,
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream?
Dip it in a dream,
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream?
The Candy Man…
The Candy Man can…”
--“The Candy Man”
   Sammy Davis Jr.

Parting Shot: Since the art world also plays a central role in its narrative, Velvet Buzzsaw makes an excellent double feature with this particular Candyman.

  
(Candyman OS’ courtesy of impawards.com.)

THE BLACK BESTIARY: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium

Okay, below is a list of the National Book Store branches where you can pick up a copy of The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium now!

Click to embiggen! ('Coz, you know, otherwise, it's teeny...)

Please feel free to repost the images or to link back here, so we can spread the word about The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium (the follow-up to The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo).
It contains a new batch of creature entries (written by Budjette Tan), and a whole lot more narrative stuff, written by yours truly, with illustrations by Kajo Baldisimo, Bow Guerrero, and Mervin Malonzo.
(A closer look at the Table of Contents can be found here.)

If you haven't picked it up, please do so.
And if you've already got a copy, please tell your friends and family to pick up their own copies as well! Get extra copies too, if you can!
Spreading the word about the book will not just help with the chances for more future Alejandro Pardo compendiums, but will also serve as a rallying cry for the printed word.
I don't know about you, but I definitely prefer a world where people aren't just reading tablets or their phones, but are actually holding books, with covers and pages (and that awesome new book smell!), in their hands.
Power to the Printed Word!*

For more on The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium, an article can be found here.

My complete and unedited answers to the Q&A used as a basis for the article can be found here.

A 15-second video can be found here.

Another article can be found here.

Brief glimpses of some of the new creature entries (art by Mervin) can be found here.

And, for those of you seeking out copies of The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo, these are the NBS branches that currently have the title in stock.

Happy hunting, and remember, if you don't see it on the shelves, please ask for it.
And please spread the word, people!
The sooner we get those copies flying off the shelves, the sooner Summit will look at getting another Alejandro Pardo compendium out there...

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

* Neil Gaiman makes some excellent points about printed books (and libraries) here.

THE BLACK BESTIARY: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium

Okay, check this graphic out to see where you can pick up a copy of The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium now!

Click to embiggen!

Please feel free to repost the image or to link back here, so we can spread the word about The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium (the follow-up to The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo).
It contains a new batch of creature entries (written by Budjette Tan), and a whole lot more narrative stuff, written by yours truly, with illustrations by Kajo Baldisimo, Bow Guerrero, and Mervin Malonzo.
(A closer look at the Table of Contents can be found here.)

If you haven't picked it up, please do so.
And if you've already got a copy, please tell your friends and family to pick up their own copies as well!
Spreading the word about the book will not just help with the chances for more future Alejandro Pardo compendiums, but will also serve as a rallying cry for the printed word.
I don't know about you, but I definitely prefer a world where people aren't just reading tablets or their phones, but are actually holding books, with covers and pages (and that awesome new book smell!), in their hands.
Power to the Printed Word!

For more on The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium, an article can be found here.

My complete and unedited answers to the Q&A used as a basis for the article can be found here.

A 15-second video can be found here.

Another article can be found here.

Brief glimpses of some of the new creature entries (art by Mervin) can be found here.

Again, check the graphic out to see where it's currently available.
I've been informed by the grapevine that in at least one instance, in one branch of a bookstore chain, they already had the book in stock, but the copies were still boxed and had not yet been put on display.
So, if you don't see it on the shelves, please ask for it.
And please spread the word, people!

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

THE BLACK BESTIARY: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium

Okay, a new article on The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium can be found here.

My complete and unedited answers to the Q&A used as a basis for the article can be found here.


The Black Bestiary: An Alejandro Pardo Compendium (the follow-up to The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo) contains a new batch of creature entries (written by Budjette Tan), and a whole lot more narrative stuff, written by yours truly, with illustrations by Kajo Baldisimo, Bow Guerrero, and Mervin Malonzo.
A closer look at the Table of Contents can be found here.

For more odds and ends:

A 15-second video can be found here.

Another article can be found here.

Brief glimpses of some of the new creature entries (art by Mervin) can be found here.

If you haven't checked it out, please do so!
And if you've already got yourself a copy, please recommend it to whoever you think may like it as well.
As per the Summit announcement, it's out now in bookstores, newsstands, supermarkets, and convenience stores nationwide.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

THE LOST JOURNAL OF ALEJANDRO PARDO

In case you haven't seen the interviews the mighty fine Jordan Clark of The Aswang Project conducted with THE LOST JOURNAL team (click here for the Writers interview, and here for the Artists interview), I had this to say at the tail end of our talk:

I imagine the possibility/reality of a Volume 2 (and, fingers crossed, beyond!) will lie in the public reaction to the first JOURNAL. (So, if you guys want to see more, then get your friends and your family to pick up their own copies and not mooch on yours!)

That still holds true, so, if you've been thinking of eventually picking up the JOURNAL, do us a solid and pick it up now (or, at the very least, ASAP).
And if you've already got a copy and have faith in our creative voices, then convince friends, family, and complete strangers to get their own copies!
Go!
Spread the Truth!
So we can all go beyond the JOURNAL!   

Thanx again to Jordan, for helping get the JOURNAL word out.

THE LOST JOURNAL OF ALEJANDRO PARDO: Creatures & Beasts of Philippine Folklore is now out (P295).

For those outside of the Philippines, it's available as a PDF from the Buqo Bookstore.

Once again, thanx to all you mighty fine folk for the enthusiasm and support.

Please feel free to spread the word and the love…

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

THE LOST JOURNAL OF ALEJANDRO PARDO
(Interviews!)

The mighty fine Jordan Clark of The Aswang Project interviewed THE LOST JOURNAL team, and the interviews have just gone live!

Click here for the Writers interview, and here for the Artists Interview.

Thanx to Jordan, for helping get the word out!

THE LOST JOURNAL OF ALEJANDRO PARDO: Creatures & Beasts of Philippine Folklore is now out (P295).

For those outside of the Philippines, it's available as a PDF from the Buqo Bookstore.

Once again, thanx to all you mighty fine folk for the enthusiasm and support.

Please feel free to spread the word and the love…

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

THE LOST JOURNAL OF ALEJANDRO PARDO
(With April Fools' Day Update below!)

Okay, very quickly (stuff to do... stuff to do...), I'd just like to direct your kind attention to these two links, here and here.

I'm particularly proud of the work I did on this book, and I hope you check it out when it's unleashed upon the world.
I've not been made privy to any release plans at the moment, but if you're curious, I imagine you could make your inquiries at the Summit Books Facebook page.

AND!
To commemorate April Fools' Day, go here.
(My personal favorite: In Case You Come Bakunawa.)

Once again, thanx to all you mighty fine folk for the enthusiasm and support.

Please feel free to spread the word and the love…

you can’t drink just six,

Dave