One of the things about living in a country not your own is how aware you become of your own cultural identity and homeland, and how the distance works to allow you to see your country from a different perspective. For instance, one of the first things I had to stop doing when I moved to Poland is stop using “How are you?” as a greeting. In America, the question is often used as a substitution for “Hello” with no particular emphasis on being answered. In Poland, I discovered that when I was walking down the street and used “How are you?” as a greeting, often the people would stop and then proceed to explicitly answer the question: “Not so good, not so good, Christian,” one would begin. This, of course, would never happen in the States, because we are always in the perpetual state of “fine” and “okay”.

This week I’d like to look at some of the movies that have affected me in ways which would’ve been impossible if I hadn’t the experience of living abroad for the last six years.

Take Lost in Translation, for instance. I have yet to meet an expat who doesn’t appreciate this movie. While the love story is perfectly entertaining in its own right, it’s the little details of watching Bill Murray’s character acclimate himself into a clearly-overwhelming culture that makes the movie so effective. The way he holds out his open hand with change for the bartender to pick the correct amount, or the Russian roulette way of ordering from a foreign menu, are good honest examples that make you grin with recognition. Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in Paris does a spot-on job of exploring the strengths and precariousness of a multi-cultured relationship, its opportunities for miscommunication and the joy of defying two overpowering forces of cultural conditioning, that had me and my wife simultaneously laughing and cringing throughout the film’s run time. (more…)

When I started writing TOO SOON, one of my goals was to revisit some of the movies from my childhood to see how they hold up years, sometimes decades, later. I did it once already with Alone in the Dark, with mixed results. I always had one particular movie in mind when I began; however, locating the movie has been particularly challenging. It’s amazing to me how certain movies slip away without so much as an IMDB entry, and others just won’t go away, like that last – and almost certainly uninvited – guest at your birthday party. And while I’ve been more than happy to be that guest over the years, none of it comes close to the happiness I felt this week as I was finally able to sit down and watch the 1987 classic The Video Dead. 

Instead of simply reviewing the movie, I wrote a commentary while watching the movie for the first time in fifteen years. Even if you’ve never seen The Video Dead, you’ll be able to follow along just fine, as this piece is not only a blow-by-blow look at this forgotten zombie classic, but possibly one of the most in-depth pieces ever written about all things TVD. In fact, if I put the same amount of energy I put into writing this piece into my PhD work, I probably would have finished it years ago.

Despite the international entries into the genre, there is something deeply American about zombie stories. You can see how Edgar Allan Poe flirted with the idea in his work, and how H.P. Lovecraft hesitantly embraced it in his stories. Sure, at its most basic level, the zombie represents our fear of death and how we need to confront it, sooner rather than later; however, there’s something deeply troubling about fighting an enemy that is us, and no matter how hard you fight, inevitably, you will become one of them. And its lack of ideology makes it even more horrifying; the starkness in its complete lack of ambiguity is disconcerting for a culture who believes “there’s always a way.” There is no way to reach an agreement with a zombie, and they will not compromise; to end the nightmare, you must either become the monster philosophically or become the monster physically. This is why the best zombie movies are such downers, because by winning, the heroes of the story must lose, whether it’s their sanity, their honor, or their principles. This sort of resolution is what truly horrifies us Americans, and it is what good zombie stories do better than other kinds of horror stories.  

The Video Dead effectively manages to completely piss on all of the aforementioned ideas. Normally this would bother me; however, the movie is so nonsensical and reckless, I can’t help but love it, flaws and all.  (more…)

Being an American in Poland has a lot of advantages. For instance, as an American, I’m allowed to murder up to three people with my bare hands without being charged. I have unlimited access to free coffee and donuts. I can cry in public without fear of being humiliated. I can freely stalk all my favorite pop singers. And I get the opportunity to see movies I’d probably never see living in the States, like Pora umierac (Time to Die); one of those movies where the synchronicity of acting and writing comes together so effortlessly that the experience of watching the movie borders on euphoria. Writer-Director Dorota Kedzierzawska has crafted one of the quietest movies I have seen in years, but thanks to the film’s star, Danuta Szaflarska, its impact is one of the loudest. (more…)

After writing about some of the scariest short stories last time, I thought it would be fun to take a look at a few great American short stories. In these burst cultural times, people are starting to notice (again!) how wonderful a short story can be, and what it can accomplish when done right.

Not only will I discuss the stories – all of which I consider to be classics – but I’ve provided links for you to read the stories yourself. When does Matt give you such a plethora of free entertainment? Never, I say!

Let’s get started, shall we?

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Since it’s Halloween, I figured it would be fun to take a look at some of the moments that have scared, frightened and unnerved me, either in a book or a movie. We’ll be looking at two short stories, two novels, and some movies. Let’s get started.

“BEST NEW HORROR”

I’ll start with this one since I’ve mentioned this short story by Joe Hill once or twice already, and I’ll try not to repeat myself too much here. ”Best New Horror” is the story of a jaded horror editor who receives a terrifying short story submission that renews his faith in horror stories. The editor’s interest in the story leads him to seek out the author, a meeting that fans of horror will see coming a mile away, followed by a twist they won’t. (more…)