Terror in the Aisles

This documentary essay (rather than a traditional expository documentary) focuses on certain aspects of horror used in film (i.e. not a recounting of the history of the horror genre) from the perspective of viewers (the materialisation of our dark fantasies) and filmmakers (Hitchcock’s distinction between surprise and suspense). The film works outstandingly with associative editing, especially during several brilliantly built-up montage sequences (the best of which ends with an exploding head). The basic building blocks comprise horror movies and thrillers from the 1970s and ’80s (including several that are so obscure that you can test how big a horror fan you really are by guessing their titles), though older works, starting with horror movies from Universal (silent films have unfortunately been ignored), are also included. The filmmakers do not in any way go into great depth, but they touch on so many thought-provoking themes that remain valid today (women as the most frequent victims of psychopaths, the close relationship between violence and sexuality) that open-minded viewers are guaranteed to have something to think about and discuss after watching Terror in the Aisles. 75% (12.09.2016)