Two nights ago, I curled up in bed and watched Amer (French for "bitter"), a giallo-inspired nightmare with very little dialogue and stunning visuals. The film is broken into three sections, one for each stage of the protagonist's life. We meet Ana as a girl of about 8, living a terrified existence in a sprawling estate with her mother, father, the mysterious Graziella...and two corpses. We meet her again in adolescence, walking into town with her cold-blooded mother, as her awareness of sexuality awakens. The second half of the film concerns Ana's return to the family estate, now fallen into disrepair, as a black-gloved figure begins to stalk the grounds.
From the above description, I wouldn't be surprised if you underestimate this film. The story is almost nonexistent, and the lack of dialogue only enhances the dreamlike, unnerving qualities. Bright colors, extreme closeups, muddled motivations, zero exposition - Amer is not like any other film, though it does pay homage to the best of giallo cinema. The oversaturated colors of Argento, the woman who knows too much of Bava, the too-close closeups of Fulci (including a knowing wink to the razor murder of Daniela Doria's character The New York Ripper). It's well worth seeking out, a truly unique cinematic experience.
Around the same time I was enjoying Amer, we lost a great artist. Musician and actor David Hess passed away October 7, 2011 at the age of 69. Star of two Video Nasties (The Last House On The Left and House On The Edge Of The Park), Hess began his career under the name David Hill, his first single was "All Shook Up", a year before Elvis Presley scored a #1 hit with the same song. This was not the only time in his career that Hess would originate a song that found later success with another artist: Pat Boone landed near the top of the charts performing "Speedy Gonzales", a track first recorded and co-written by Hess (this time under the nom de rock David Dante). He continued to record music for the rest of his life, composing and performing the music for Last House, and contributing to the soundtrack of Eli Roth's Cabin Fever, as well as non-soundtrack work, his most recent release being Caught Up In The Moment. He was slated to appear in Ruggero Deodato's sequel to House On The Edge Of The Park next year.
Here's a sample of his work, "Now You're All Alone" from The Last House On The Left soundtrack:
David Alexander Hess: 1942 - 2011. May he rest in peace.
It's been a while since I've had time to screen a Nasty and I'm starting to get the itch. I'll write more soon, I promise. Until we meet again, it would be wise for us all to sing. It might keep the darkness away, so I suggest we do it as much as we can. Because my name's Justin. JustinCase.
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