THE DARK SIDE OF NOSTALGIA “THE BLACK PHONE”
Cinema Writer/Film Critic Efe TEKSOY; wrote the thriller and supernatural horror film “THE BLACK PHONE” for America’s Los Angeles based Internet Newspaper @alaturkanews.
SUPERNATURAL HORROR
The Black Phone, produced by Universal Pictures in partnership with Blumhouse Productions, one of the leading production companies in the horror genre, is based on the award-winning short story by Stephen King‘s son Joe Hill from the New York Times bestselling 20th Century Ghosts. American actor Ethan Hawke, he has been nominated four times for the Oscar Award for his leading role, appears before the audience in the most terrifying and horror role of his career. American film producer Scott Derrickson, known for his films Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel‘s Doctor Strange, gives the good news that he is returning to his horror roots with this production he directed. The story, which takes place in 1978 and feeds on the elements of supernatural horror, tells the terrifying narrative of a cold-blooded serial killer. Although it basically evokes Stephen King’s horror classic novel It, we can say that it is a simpler version of it as a story. There are already references to It novel in the movie. Namely; We see that the yellow raincoat that Gwen wears while cycling in the rain is the same one Georgie Denbrough wore when she was to kidnapped by Pennywise in It. However, it is worth saying that genre lovers should definitely not miss it. Because the film contains a great cinematographic work behind the camera. In the production consisting mostly of warm tones to reflect the 1970s aesthetic; Anamorphic lenses with softer vintage features were used to achieve the look of the period, and the nostalgic dream scenes of the Gwen character were also shot with Super 8mm film, providing an aesthetic appearance to be perceived as dreamy. Also, the scary masks The Grabber character wears; It was designed by famous American make-up artist Tom Savini, known for his special effects makeup in cult horror movies such as Friday the 13th, Day of the Dead, Maniac and Living Dead. Director Derrickson wanted to reflect a period of anti-bullying initiatives in America in the 1970s, especially for the X generation. Focused on the traumas and dangers of being a child growing up in those years. The master director, the leading serial killers of the period; The Manson Family states that the likes of the Hillside Beast, the Zodiac Killer, Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy dominate national news and horror the entire country as they reshape American nightmares. He also adds that he loves the undeniableness of the genre and has always considered looking into the eye of something unspeakably terrifying as a deeply purifying experience, both as a viewer and as an artist.
PLOT OF THE FILM
13-year-old Finney, a shy but intelligent teenager, is kidnapped by a serial killer targeting children. Enclosed in a soundproof basement where screaming doesn’t work, the boy sees a disconnected black phone on the wall. Interestingly, when the phone rings, Finney realizes that the killer can hear the voices of his previous victims. They are determined to make sure that what happened to them does not happen to Finney.
Stars; Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, E. Roger Mitchell, Jeremy Davies, Troy Rudeseal, James Ransone, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Rebecca Clarke, J. Gaven Wilde, Spencer Fitzgerald, Jordan Isaiah White, Spencer Fitzgerald and Jordan Isaiah White.
A TERRIFYING PRODUCTION
Director Scott Derrickson lived in Denver as a child, where the movie is set. That’s why so much of the set design inspiration was taken from his memories of that period. The black dial telephone in The Grabber’s basement has important meaning in the movie. This phone acts as a link between the metaphysical and physical worlds. After a long search, production designer Patti Podesta and her team found a phone that appears to be from the 1970s. The production team took several of the same phones and made them look like they’ve been outdated for years. To reflect the seventies mood in the film, costume designer Amy Andrews and her team focused on a mostly warm tone style of clothing. In addition Hair designs, on the other hand, were created by the makeup teams, taking into account the dry Colorado climate, a fluffy and more comfortable style. The overall aesthetic of the film offers the viewer a heightened naturalness, but to further enhance these, the camera crew chose key scenes that were not overly stylized and tried to convey a dynamic visual supremacy and an immersive experience to special moments. Combining supernatural horror and psychological-thriller genres, The Black Phoneis an unforgettable production with its gloomy atmosphere and depressive scenes.
EFE TEKSOY
