We explore “The School Duel” as a grounded character study of violence and “Animale” as a haunting feminist plunge into myth and madness.
School Duel
We thought The School Duel would be a much rougher watch. It does deal with school shootings, and the depiction of a bullied teenager will affect some audiences, but it did not have the out-and-out carnage we were worried about. Instead, it is a well-told character study that sucks the audience in.
So, why didn’t we care that much for it?
The last third of the film feels like it is spinning its wheels. The part that should be the most exciting feels tacked on and pointless. It gets a little too much like a video game. And the ending undermines all the good that the earlier parts of The School Duel had carefully built.
Animale
Animale is a confusing French horror movie.
The storytelling is straightforward, and there is a lot of good here. It is atmospheric, dark, and has one of the most unique settings we have ever seen. The plot is very engaging, and the writing does an excellent job of providing character depth.
The final moments feature some amazing imagery that will stay with anyone who sees it. It is disturbing and will make anyone who sees feel something. The delicate subject matter is treated with sensitivity and ties everything together.
It is what happens after that that leaves us unsure how to feel.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
Episode 372 ‘Ebola Syndrome (1996)
It has been a bad week for people who enjoy physical media. ‘GTA VI’ is not getting a physical release, Playstation games are not getting physical releases after next year, and Sony deleted over 550 movies from user libraries. We also talk about the awesome summer box office.
Sometimes it seems like the days of good old fashioned extreme horror are gone. It was fun to look for movies that everyone talked about but few people had actually seen. In today’s world, it is easy to find any movie that you have heard about. And the worst offenders are nowhere near as bad as they are supposed to be.
At least that is our opinion. But can you blame us? When we hear that movies like ‘Terrifier’ are supposed to be extreme horror, it is hard not to think this way. We decided it was time to take a look back. We literally went to a category that have previously made us feel uncomfortable.
‘Ebola Syndrome’ is a Category III Hong Kong movie that checks off all the boxes for extreme horror. This movie has all the trigger warnings. Despite the constant racism, misogyny, and assault, there is a shockingly good film here. It is funny, creative, and well-done. But is it worth watching?
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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