December Christmas Holidays: Movie Picks

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I can’t believe that it took me so long to watch these movies, but finally, I did, and I have to say, even though those movies were shot 50+ years ago, they are still holding up with ease.

I am not religious at all, but even I can’t resist the Christmas spirit. I have the tree, the lights on, the comfort food. All I needed the last couple of days are some good Christmas movies to add to the enjoyment.

It hit me that my two picks are considered top cinema; both have IMDb scores over 8 (Absolute cinema) and good Rotten Tomatoes scores. So, we gladly first went through 'Rosemary’s Baby', and we finished yesterday with 'The Exorcist'. Now, hear me out, even though those two movies are surrounded by controversy, we went in blind, as you should. Most of the time, I believe in separating the art from the artist, so if you feel comfortable doing that, find where you can stream them.

What is interesting is that both of those movies are kind of meta because they deal with the life of actors. You can see a lot of similarities between them, the cinematography, the way they were shot, but that is not something new. When Hollywood sees something that brings money and prestige, they tend to milk it until it is no longer profitable.


'Rosemary’s Baby' (1968)

I am impressed by the way this movie was made and how easy it is to watch it after all of these years and problems surrounding it. It is a dynamic film, and the characters feel real. It deals with a lot of themes, but overall, the movie dives into the love of a mother for her baby in the strangest way possible. I will not spoil what I witnessed here, but if you are a horror fan like me and you still haven’t had the chance to watch it, I suggest that you take your time for it because the story is intriguing. The film itself is not jump-scare, although it has some really saddeningly creepy moments that sent shivers down my spine. Some of the horrors that the main character deals with here are masterfully shot, and after you watch it and observe the cinematography and the ideas, you can see how many of today’s horror movies took a lot from it — the evolution of Hollywood.


'The Exorcist' (1973)

Some of the things I saw in this movie were generally disturbing, and I can’t believe that it took me so much time to watch it. I am only annoyed that I saw its parody (‘Scary Movie’) so many times before, which kind of diminishes the experience from yesterday, but I was still able to separate that feeling from the horror that this movie is. It is a supernatural horror after all and is even more disturbing than 'Rosemary’s Baby'. I was shocked by the things that they were allowed to include and how this movie revolutionized the horror genre back then, holding it fresh until now. And I’ve seen so many films with demons, but I can’t recall anything close to this.

Both of these horrors pushed the line of how far you can go; I am pretty sure they even crossed it. Some of the things I saw are still brutal, and we are 50 years ahead of them. I can only imagine the pure shock that came out of the general public watching them back then. So, brace yourself and find those Christmas gems, press play; it will make for a hell of a Christmas-themed horror night with not one but two of the greatest there are.

Iliya Badev

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