The Cinema Corner – June 17th

Screening at the Lighthouse late Saturday night is Brian Yuzna’s 1989 horror satire Society, an ’80s riff on the Bodysnatchers theme in which a high school kid discovers the rich members of his community are secretly engaging in murderous orgies. Boasting incredible practical effects by Screaming Mad George, this is allegorical horror at its best.

It’s another poor week for new releases (blame the Euros). The only one I could come close to recommending is Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story), in which bored French teens establish an orgy society. What begins as an interesting look at teenage individualism ultimately descends into conservative scare-mongering, but the direction and performances are noteworthy.

Cemetery of Splendour is the latest from Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Set in a military hospital where soldiers are struck by an inexplicable sleeping illness, the film explores Eastern spirituality. I have to say much was lost in translation for me with this one, but those of a more religious bent may find it rewarding.

There are more things going bump in the night in horror sequel The Conjuring 2. All the clichés are rolled out in this cookie cutter fright fest based on the ‘true’ story of a London council house whose residents claimed it was haunted in the late ’70s. Watch the TV mini-series The Enfield Haunting for a better take on this.

Gods of Egypt sank on its US release back in February and is being smuggled into cinemas here while viewers are distracted by the Euros. It’s an awful, CG laden non-epic with Aussies and Brits playing Egyptians, but it does have some moments of unintentional comedy.

Italian director Matteo Garrone makes his English language debut with Tale of Tales, which adapts three of his country’s folk tales. This one can’t settle on its tone, veering between medieval drama and Pythonesque comedy and failing to succeed at either.

By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com