Killer Jobs: Lawyer By Beverley Price
For most of us, our jobs are a means to an end, providing us with money to buy a whole load of horror-related stuff. Our enjoyment of the job varies from loving it to tolerating it to flat-out hating it. But how much better off would you be if you did your job in a horror film? Are you a survivor, a victim, or maybe the killer? I will look at a few films in this series and see how we would fare. Next, we will look at lawyers.
Killer Jobs: Lawyer The Seventh Sign
The Seventh Sign is an apocalyptic horror. Seventh Sign is a term that relates to the imminent Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation. The film has scenes of rivers of blood in Nicaragua, simmering seas, an icy desert in Sodom, birds dropping dead, earthquakes, red moons, dark suns and giant hailstones. The film has a young, naive Demi Moore as an expected mother and art conservator, Abby Quinn, who is pregnant again after a miscarriage, fearing losing another child and facing the end of the world; she lives with her lawyer husband Russell (Michael Biehn). We also have secretive David (Jurgen Prochnow), who is on a spiritual journey that sees him seeing the opening of the seven gates of the Apocalypse. He endures the eager message of God and sees oceans dying, villages on fire and snow falling in the desert. He ends up as Abby’s lodger, as they need extra money, and she realises the seven signs of the Apocalypse are coming true and that it is somehow related to her unborn child. We go along with Abby’s nightmarish journey after this stranger enters her life. It seems fitting that a mother is taking on the world, as that is what many mothers feel.
It also seems connected to Russell’s Down syndrome client (John Taylor), who is set to die a martyr’s death by electrocution. Russell is getting nowhere with trying to save his client, only to come home to his irrational wife and her incoherent rambling about the Apocalypse. Father Lucci (Peter Friedman), a creepy priest, wants the Apocalypse to occur. There is a weird scene where a group of cardinals are told that despite the warnings, the Apocalypse won’t be happening that week, where the response is “Good. I’ll tell His Holiness. He’ll be so relieved.” Finally, we have a young Jewish scholar, Avi (Manny Jacobs), who helps Abby decipher the signs.
However, the film has awkward storytelling that stops it from being a great film, but I enjoyed it. It is nice to have characters who believe in good and evil and act as if their actions impact the world around them. Moore is more than capable as a solid dramatic actress, even if she occasionally tips over into exaggerated acting. Nevertheless, she is strong in her role, giving the character a genuine allure, intellect and resolution. It is believable that she has the strength to save the world.
She is the heart of the film. I have not seen much of Moore’s filmology, so I was not sure how she would fare in this film, but she does well enough. However, she has excellent support from Biehn, who is her husband. His hot-headed performance gives the film much-needed unease. Unfortunately, the film tends to forget about him, but he adds much to the role when he is on the screen. Prochnow also appears to be enjoying himself and improves every scene. It is an excellent performance by an outstanding actor. Jacobs goes for comedy, a glorious release from the religious and metaphysic dialogue.
A shout-out should be given to John Heard as a caustic priest and Taylor as the execution victim. Compared to the flood of slashers at this time, The Seventh Sign is a more optimistic film. It was also produced at a time of “Satanic Panic”, where heavy metal, Dungeons and Dragons and arthouse films were driving people into the arms of Satan. Nevertheless, it is a solid thriller, exhilarating and absorbing, even if you sometimes drown in the religious spiel.
Some people would find religious goodness too much. Nevertheless, I was moved by the hope portrayed in this film. However, that is not to say that I understood everything the film was trying to tell me. For example, I wonder if David was good or bad. And why do only the film’s characters realise that an apocalypse is happening? Would someone else have commented on all the weird weather phenomena around them? The Seventh Sign is an excellent religious horror that was the launch pad for Demi Moore. The film is enthralling and charming, even if it does wander a little. The themes of martyrdom and sincere devotion in the world of the catastrophe are entertaining. The visuals are extraordinary but almost out of place as it hits hollow. The niceness of these images does not fill the audience with horror or divine anguish.
Killer Jobs: Lawyer The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Although moved from Germany to America, this annoying “horror” prides itself on being based on an actual legal case. The film follows a Catholic priest who was tried for homicidal negligence since he encouraged a troubled young woman, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), not to partake in medical treatment. At the same time, he performs an exorcism on her after possibly being possessed by demonic forces. “Demons exist whether you believe in them or not” is the main thrust of the priest mantra in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It reminds me of one of the “positive messages” you see all over social media that sounds like it means something but does not when you break it down.
Laura Linney, who plays Erin Bruner, the defence lawyer, works well in the courtroom part of the film and could be better at the horror part. I suspect she might have been there to make the film seem credible. The trial shows us the demonic time that was Emily’s life toward the end. She was a devoted Catholic girl in a devout Catholic family; if we know anything about horror films, we know that will not end well.
The main issue of the film is making it a soft PG-13. While you can see nods to The Exorcist, the film is more of a thriller than a straightforward horror. The Exorcism of Emily Rose examines whether the symptoms are caused by epilepsy or being possessed. We have some conventional courtroom drama tickboxes, such as shocking surprises, impassioned evidence and compelling closing arguments from the defence.
There is little here that would please a horror fan. The Exorcism of Emily Rose highlights a war between rationalism and religion, and Scott Derrickson tries to give respectability to a horror film. Paul Harris Boardman’s script uses flashbacks to convey the emotional clout of Emily Rose’s predicament. And it is in these flashbacks that we see most of the demonic possession. She makes weird sounds, scratches the walls, twists herself into all sorts of positions and her eye colour changes. Erin also wakes up at 3:00 am and suspects someone is there. As a pagan, I know this is considered “witching hour”, but the film also tells us this. Carpenter gives the audience an arduous performance as a college student who sees friends and strangers resembling demons. Her nightmares are evocative; she speaks in foreign languages and loses a startling amount of weight.
Finally, she reaches home in tears, but later, her boyfriend can’t get hold of her. Concerned for her, Father Moore is asked to help, and he feels the best course of action is an exorcism. The film is set in a small town encircled by Grant Wood during the Winter period. The film revolves around the connection between Father Moore and Erin. While Erin does not believe in possessions, she does think Father Moore does believe in them.
He tries to tell her that she might be a target herself. The film acknowledges that the priest is either rational and honest or misled and honest. While the film is intelligent, it still has some awkward moments. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a well-executed film, but it did not have the impact that I thought it would. While the film is not terrifying, it is intelligent. If you want a possession film, I suggest you stick to The Exorcist.
However, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is an exciting film from a different point of view and still holds up today. However, the film does lack horror imagination and focuses more on courtroom drama. The supernatural is sprinkled throughout the film, but it is not the reason to see it. This worked better as an episode of Law and Order than an entire film. Instead, the performance’s strength elevates the film, especially in the form of Erin Bruner.
She is a go-getter and has little time to think about divine matters. She informs Father Moore that she is agnostic. However, Erin becomes aware of her surroundings, including discovering a locket with her initials. In one of the better scenes, we are in court with Dr Adani (Shohreh Aghdashloo), an anthropologist who noted that possession and ritual of exorcism are practised worldwide. The ending of The Exorcism of Emily Rose shows what happened at the exorcism and the trial’s outcome.
Killer Jobs: Lawyer The Woman
Hitting a little close to the horrific life of Josef Fritzl’s family, this is a weird, cold film that cruelly gets its points home, but its miscalculated ending only highlights its problems. The Woman is a horrible horror that attempts to impeach male sado-chauvinism. Directed by Lucky McKee from co-writer Jack Ketchum’s novella, it shows the home life of a lawyer, Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers). But, while out hunting, he entraps a feral woman (Pollyanna McIntosh), the last of an untamed family, to make her his prize for sex and torture.
Once captured, the feral woman needs to be made civil. This is achieved by hosing her down and feeding her with a bowl at her feet. It is clear that Chris is the man of the house, and his long-suffering wife, Belle Cleek (Angela Bettis), can only watch in horror as she realises that Chris is doing more to the woman than just civilising her. The woman becomes the catalyst for his already dysfunctional family. Unbeknownst to the rest of the family, the eldest daughter, Peggy (Lauren Ashley Carter), is pregnant by her father, and her son Brian (Zach Rand) begins to treat the woman the same way as her father.
Thankfully, the youngest daughter, Darlin (Shyla Molhusen), seems ignorant of the events. Genevieve Raton is an opinionated teacher who has a genuine concern for Peggy. However, her meddlesome ways result in the catastrophic ending, revealing an even darker secret that the Cleeks are concealing. The Woman tries to debate who are the barbarians and who are cultured. But unfortunately, this is not approached with a form of intellect but with brutal violence. This film was entirely of torture, rape and extreme abuse; McKee’s dour film had been dabbed as one of the most scandalous films at the Sundance Film Festival.
While that makes sense, The Woman is nothing more than a series of horrific violence. Soon, this family succumbs to wickedness as the abused woman in the barn tries to escape her agony. At one point, the father has his wedding ring finger bitten off in a cruel attack. The Woman is a cold film with much gore, a disturbing climax, and McKee’s eccentric direction. We know that the woman will get revenge for Chris and Brian’s malice at some point, but it comes too late, too suddenly and too randomly, meaning that both victims and offenders are killed. The soundtrack is ironically upbeat. McKee’s film is not a true horror and not a mockery but a near-realistic look at modern families. However, the film hints at the accusation of the patriarchy that does not happen.
Bettis, a standard in McKee’s films, gives us a convincing performance but is low-key. It is a shame that none of the cast gives such a performance, especially Bridgers, whose unappealing nature sometimes ventures into parody. Baker’s sympathetic teacher to Carter’s teen does not work within the context of the film. It is a film that I think was created to cause surprise, anxiety, sadness and hatred, which could have worked if we had just stuck to the story of the abductor and the imprisoned woman; it could have had some psychological clout.
Too much of the film looks at how Chris treats all women, his wife and daughter, but his secretary and Genevieve. We don’t need all this to understand why Chris treats the woman like he does. The doubts about who is the civilised one are lost in the violence and sexual abuse. The Woman, unsurprisingly, has a 70s grindhouse feel of films such as I Spit on Your Grave. Still, seditious symbols and motifs assist in crafting a violent critique of our constant embrace of the heteronormative which demands the continually accepted oppression and abuse of women, even if a masculine perspective tinges it.
Some people see this as a feminist piece, but it does not sit like that for me. The male gaze is still too pronounced in the film, with the woman being tied spreadeagle and naked, and Genevieve, who dresses and acts like a tart for reasons never explained. Technical-wise, the film is acceptable, but the direction is often in the audience’s face, conspicuous, extraordinary shots with the scenes of torture contrasted against the setting of home life.
The soundscape and constant rock-metal songs with apparent lyrics about suffering add to the unsubtle nature. The theme is: who is the real monster? The ones that admit they are one, or the ones that hide its horrific nature? While the idea is nothing new, McKee does bring something fresh to the theme. Taking the woman away from the tribal past, she is a sympathetic character. It is not until the end that we realise how threatening the woman truly is. When she finally chooses violence, it is a relief for the audience. The death of Chris and Brian is the gore-soaking nightmare that they deserve. But she is a hunter who wants a family and takes Darlin with her. We now know that the woman is just as violent as Chris. By the film’s end, neither character is a victim; however, in a way, one is more accessible to an audience. The Woman is not enjoyable, even if I admit it is a wonderfully told tale.
Conclusion
How is life as a horror lawyer fair compared to life as an average lawyer? It depends if you are a dick or not. Trying to stop your clients from martyring themselves, which will create the world’s end, makes you a good person; even if your wife has to sacrifice herself, you will be instrumental in stopping the Apocalypse. Again, if you are using your lawyer’s powers against the forces of evil, even if you do not honestly believe in them, things will end up well for you, too. However, if you use your position of power as a battle axe to cut down all of those around you, especially women, you are destined for bad things to happen to you. We hope that it is true in life.
Beverley Price
Beverley Price is a writer from a small town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, a three-time winner of the title “Chief Poet Skald of Suffolk”, a local eisteddfod.
She has had a poem published in an E-book called “Poems from Beyond the Grave” and “Serial Killers – A Pizza Eaters book”. Beverley has her poetry books, “The Flowering of the Black Petal” and “By Ink, By Pen, by Paper: A Tribute to Black Petal” under the alias Stormy and two novels “Blood Bound” and “Blood Brother”.
Beverley is a feature writer for the London Horror Society, looking at “so bad, they’re good” films, Hammer Horror and banned films in the UK.
Beverley is always open for conversations about horror, and the weirder, the better @stormywriter2. Also, check out my website at The-Poet | Vampire Novel (blackpetal82.wixsite.com)
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