A Real Scream

The current trend in horror movies might charitably be described as shock and awe — a caustic blend of whiplash editing techniques, extreme gore and “gotcha” moments designed to make you jump in your seat. The art of the creepy, tension-filled build and skin-crawling reveal has been neglected, all but forgotten.

That’s all the more reason to cherish those rare films that embrace the old school, such as Fear(s) of the Dark, the 2007 French film that brings together the work of a number of skilled graphic artists and animators to create six vignettes of horror. Working in stark black and white with rare splashes of color, these vignettes build an oppressive atmosphere of dread and terror in tales of body horror, surreal nightmare visions and predation. Like any compilation of vignettes, some work better than others, but there’s not a bad piece in the bunch. And don’t let the subtitles scare you off — the narrative plays second fiddle to the gorgeous, varied art and animation styles and you can get most of the impact even if you don’t read a single word of them.

Catch it tonight or tomorrow at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Muenzinger Auditorium on the CU campus in Boulder. Tickets are $6 or $5 for CU Boulder students with ID. For more info, visit www.internationalfilmseries.com or call 303-492-1531.
Feb. 20-21, 7 & 9 p.m., 2009