Sissy (2022) horrifyingly cathartic revenge fantasy

Plot summary:

Sissy is a 2022 Australian indie psychological horror film starring Aisha Dee in the title role as Cecilia (aka Sissy), a successful social media influencer who is invited to a bachelorette weekend by her close childhood friend before it turns into a nightmare.

My thoughts:

I found the film disturbingly satisfying. Having faced my share of exclusion throughout adolescence, there were so many moments when I actually winced in pain. Ouch. Those subtle yet strategic stabs, delivered with an air of innocence ... by people one would not immediately suspect of malevolence. You see, it's easy to vilify the skinny, conventionally pretty blonde. That type has been the low hanging fruit for the mass produced teen dramas and comedies. In reality, bullies do not always look like the proverbial Regina George. Sometimes they have a little bit of meat on their bones, are in a same-sex interracial relationship (which automatically scores them moral points), like Emma and Fran, and talk about empathy and tolerance. Sometimes they have physical limitations like Jamie. These are not the typical aggressors that come from a place of bottomless privilege. They position themselves as somewhat marginalized ... which kind of unties their hands to commit acts of relational cruelty. In many cases, people from historically marginalized groups feel almost entitled to cast the first stone. And sometimes the principal bully, who does most damage, does not initiate acts of aggression but stands compliantly. 

Faces In the Water: a smart victim bleeds in all the right places ...

Greetings, commies!

Hope you had a fabulously dark anti-Valentine's celebration. Your queen of disaster and cynicism has a new treat for you. Check out my latest novel Faces In the Water. 

Dr. Sheila O’Neill is a young English Lit professor at a mediocre college, ostracized for her unfashionably right-wing views and crude jokes. Lacking allies in the workplace, she vents to an online friend Jake, a reclusive autopsy technician who shares her cynical worldview. A sinister bond forms out of their virtual banter.

With Jake’s encouragement, Sheila starts writing a historical novel about a disfigured Anglo-Irish noblewoman trying to survive in 17th-century Paris amidst religious paranoia. The novel is intended to boost Sheila’s career and set her apart from her vindictive colleagues. Plunging into the world of her suffering heroine, Sheila becomes enchanted by the idea of victimhood and the hidden perks that come with it. As lines between fiction and reality blur, she discovers that deformity can take you farther than conventional beauty.

Traumatika: a male demon behind the tormented woman

Synopsis:

Touted as "a demonic masterpiece," Traumatika follows a young boy whose night terrors come to life when his mother succumbs to a terrifying possession-unleashing a horror that will haunt him for life and claim countless souls across generations.

My thoughts:

If you enjoyed Pierre Tsigaridis' "Two Witches", examining the demonic feminine, "Traumatika" is a logical sequel, this time adding a masculine demonic figure to the mix. Like David Lynch, the director creates two-part narratives (think "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive"). My primary complaint is that the character of Abigail is turned into a dumping vessel for trauma. Too much at once. Medical complications, facial differences, domestic violence with a resulting pregnancy, self-administered abortion, demonic possession, suicidal inclinations - all too much for one person. After you see Abigail's body channel all that pain, you wonder what was the last straw. At some point you don't see a person. You see one open, oozing wound. And of course, the perpetrator of all that pain is male. Too much is done at once for shock value. That being said, I look forward to seeing this director's repertoire develop. 

Desperate Romantics: raunchy, artsy Victorian punk

 

Synopsis:

In this period drama starring Aidan Turner, Samuel Barnet and Rafe Spall, 19th century London is in the throes of the industrial revolution. Amongst the dirty red bricks and smoke stacks are four young, thrill-seeking artists -- steadfast William Holman Hunt, naive John Millais, mischievous Dante Gabriel Rossetti and budding journalist Fred Walters -- otherwise known as the Brotherhood. Their quest for artistic immortality takes them into some of the lewdest, darkest and funniest corners of the city. Joining them is sassy, sexy model Lizzie Siddal. But is she risking it all with this dangerous bunch?

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) was a secret 1848 group of English artists, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt, who rejected the Royal Academy's academic style by returning to the detail, color, and sincerity of Italian art before Raphael, focusing on nature, literature, and medieval themes with intense realism and symbolism, influencing later movements like Arts and Crafts. 

My thoughts:

Desperate Romantics was included in the list of best British miniseries that most Americans don't know about. You know my penchant for finding hidden gems, so I was absolutely tickled to hear about this series. This is not the first dramatization of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, but this is the most relatable one for modern audiences. 

This is a highly stylized adaptation. You should not expect 100% historical accuracy when it comes to mannerisms and attire. It was not typical for Victorian women, regardless of social status, to wear their hair down. It was impractical and unsafe. The fact that Lizzie Siddal wears her iconic ginger mane untamed is very anachronistic. The choice of coif emphasizes her status as woman outside of social norms. The punk soundtrack is very suitable for the overall ambiance of rebellion. 

Comedy and tragedy, rough sex and death are intertwined in the best British tradition. 

The show explores the painful topic of being "friendzoned". Fred Walters, a journalist and narrator, finds himself pining for the romantic "leftovers" of the brotherhood. He hovers over the models and exploits the opportunities to get close to them. He appears reconciled to the fact that he's never the first choice and makes most of what his position within the brotherhood gives him. 

People of Pleasure: the story of the big little girl

Greetings, commies and art lovers!

For your esthetic pleasure, here is my latest novelette in Bewildering Stories. My first historical piece with a dual timeline - 2024 Philadelphia and 17th century Spain. As far as I know, there aren't any fictional accounts of Eugenia Martinez Vallejo, the big little girl in the painting of Juan Carreno de Miranda, the court painter for the Spanish Habsburgs. I have mustered the courage the tackle the story of the gargantuan child-muse that tickled the fancy and, possibly, stirred the hearts of the Spanish royals. 

https://bewilderingstories.com/issue1116/people_pleasure1.html

No Cherries In This Orchard: a tale of survival under Nazi occupation

Greetings, commies!

It's time a shared one of my recent stories. This one is rooted in family history - specifically the part of family history that was not talked about. Set in the Asmena region (historically Baltic, became somewhat of a disputed territory) "No Cherries In This Orchard" is a tale of survival and moral ambivalence under unthinkable circumstances. 

1941, Nazi occupied Lithuania. Twenty-year old Emilia, a struggling farmer, resentfully collaborates with the new regime - it's the only way to keep her village from being burned down. When Hester, a Jewish teenager turns to her for protection, Emilia must employ her theatrical talent to distract the German officer who has taken over her house. The girls despise each other, but a shared enemy forces them to form a pact. 

https://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue1112/no_cherries1.html

Two Witches (2021) - an antifeminist gem

Synopsis:

Tracing the parallel stories of these two women's confrontations with the supernatural, TWO WITCHES is a roller-coaster ride into a sisterhood bound by legacy and bathed in blood.

My thoughts:

Usually, when there is more than one storyline in a film, the rule of three applies. "Two Witches" takes the approach of almost Lynchean dual narrative with a loose overlap. For some reason I thought of David Lynch's "Lost Highway" when I examined the structure of "Two Witches". 

I am actually thankful that this depiction if witches deviates from the "female empowerment" narrative. There are too many films depicting witches as noble, enlightened rebels against the white Christian patriarchy. Thankfully, in this film, witches are shown for what they are - malevolent, manipulative entities. And no, women "don't stick together". Women harm, deceive and kill other women. If anything, it's a refreshingly anti-feminist movie, and that alone deserves five stars.