Over the next year, I will be showcasing new films and old ones. Color and black & white. Even some silents. Some will be classic works of cinema art, and other will be B-movies that make you want to scratch your own eyes out rather than watch them again. The key is they are all horror films, Period. If you know of a film you want me to talk about, let me know. Now, let's go right into for our first day's movie!
Our first Cinema Du Jour is American Mary, a 2012 film from Jen & Sylvia Soska via their Twisted Twins Productions. The Soska Sisters are well-known for their Dead Hooker In A Trunk, and American Mary is their sophomore effort to that cult classic. Dead Hooker In A Trunk will get it's own feature here in the future.
The plot of American Mary is pretty simple: Mary Mason is a medical student studying to become a surgeon. Unfortunately, as most students are these days, she is struggling financially. Mary decides to try and become a stripper, and goes to audition at a sleazy club owned by Billy Barker. While their, Mary is asked to perform surgery in the back room to save a wounded associate of Barker's, for which Barker pays Mary $5000. Mary does perform the surgery, solving her financial problems of the moment, and goes home. A few days later, a woman named Beatress calls Mary, and then shows up at her home to offer her another surgical job. Beatress offers her $2000 just to talk to a friend of hers who wants a very unusual surgery, an extreme body modification, and another $10,000 if she operates. Mary does agree to do the surgery, and collects her fees. Shortly thereafter, Mary has an experience that makes her drop out of medical school, and she goes into the extreme body modification underground market, becoming a celebrity in the scene. Billy Barker becomes a more permanent fixture in her life, as well. The further into this world Mary goes, the darker her life becomes. Mary finds herself becoming a much darker person, as well. Is this is a movie that can have a happy ending? Watch it for yourself and see.
Mary Mason is played by Katharine Isabelle, who is best known (and loved) for playing Ginger Fitzgerald in the Ginger Snaps trilogy and Margot Verger on the Hannibal TV series. Antonio Cupo plays Billy Barker, and Tristan Risk is Beatress Johnson. Also, watch for the Soska Sisters to make a cameo as patients of Mary.
I have to say, I just recently discovered this film, and truly love it. The originality of the story just caught me up in it, and the darker things got for Mary, the more I wanted to know what would happen to her. Mary has both beauty and strength, but you know that both are also very fragile under the surface. I don't want to give spoilers here, so I have avoided a lot of what happens in the film in my summary above. I mean, the whole idea is for me to make you want to watch the film, right? I will say, though, that American Mary is a film that it seems many people cannot seem to figure out.
I've seen American Mary described as a slasher film, torture porn, and a gore fest. None of those folks got it right at all. While the film has some aspects of gore, this is so minimal, I guarantee you see more in an episode of The Walking Dead. The Soska Sisters were smart enough to imply more than is shown, leaving the viewer's imagination to do the rest. This is a dark journey into Mary's psyche, sometimes humorous, often scary, and always sad. Isabelle's performance in the film is brilliant, and Cupo and Risk give great performances in support, as well. Risk's performance as Beatress is actually stand out, and you will never forget her character.
So, boils and ghouls, grab some popcorn, put a copy of American Mary on, and have some fun. Now, I mentioned wanting to start this blog on November 1st, and I tried. But, internet connectivity issues didn't allow that to happen. So, you are getting this entry on November 2nd, and I will be posting another entry later this afternoon so as to not screw up my 365 movies in a year goal. Come on back now, ya hear?
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