Friday 5 April 2013

Film: Within the Woods

Fans of the definitive video-nasty horror flick, Evil Dead by Sam Raimi, will be aware that a remake is about to be released. The new version of Evil Dead is not directed by Sam Raimi, it was made by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez.

Raimi has been working on his latest cinematic effort, Oz the Great and Powerful which is also a sort of remake, being a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of how the magician named Oz came to rule the fantasy world.

The original Evil Dead (1981), about a group of young people tormented by demons in a remote woodland cabin, is clearly influenced by the writings of H.P Lovecraft. It even featured the Necronomicon, a book of evil spells and ancient Semitic incantations written by the mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred.

Evil Dead was preceded by a pilot version of the film which Sam Raimi made in 1979 called Within The Woods. The entire movie is available to watch online for free. It's only half an hour long so have look if you want to find out how it all started.

Thursday 4 April 2013

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years



In 1936, a family of Russian Orthodox Christians of the Eastern Catholic Tradition journeyed deep into Siberia's vast taiga to escape communist persecution and protect their way of life. The Lykovs eventually settled in the Sayan Mountains, 160 miles from any other sign of civilization. In 1944, Agafia Lykov was born into this wilderness. Today, she is the last surviving Lykov, remaining steadfast in her seclusion. This documentary sheds some light on how her family were able to survive for so long and  reveals the beauty and simplicity of the Old Believers' way of life.

Film: Dasein



A short film from 1989 in which a man discovers his true nature.

Wednesday 3 April 2013