The HORROR REPORT has been taken off guard by the review roundups for the movie BABADOOK.. The film has been heralded by typical horror sites.. but what made this unprecedented in my opinion was the shear love that mainstream media and entertainment sources showered on the Jennifer Kent film..
Now the director of the EXORCIST is increasing the abundant amount of hype being bestowed on the movie about childhood horrors: William Friedkin stated that he has never seen anything more terrifying that BABADOOK.. He said it scared the hell out of him..
Proof here from the page snap of his Tweet:
But the fanbase of horror has not welcomed this movie with open arms as much as mainstream sources of the lame stream..
What took me off guard even more than the positive reviews was the not so positive statements I have seen on various horror sites and message boards.. People who undertake the grim reality of eating up every bit of horror movie and delving into the devilish details don’t have an over-enthusiastic agreement with Friedkin or others who have given the movie high praise.. Some seem to suggest that, while Kent delivers with a sound film, the movie is far from the scariest film of all time and quite the opposite in many regards.
But there may be something more at play with Friedkin that goes beyond just a mere movie review.. Friedkin has been very critical of IFC Films for their failure to secure movie screens for BABADOOK–Friedkin was so moved to help the film that he also offered to host a screening of it.
And I am surprised by that, too..
Movie companies throw abundant amounts of pure garbage our way throughout any given year, especially summer movie cycle.. It adds up. Sometimes you need to dodge the excrement that pop culture sells.. But when a refreshing horror movie like BABADOOK has the chance to do something different, nothing much is done about showing it to a wider audience..
As for the audience who has seen it? Seemingly positive and glowing reviews still abound. But there is also an underbelly of “sighs” about the attention the movie is getting, and now the hype presented by Friedkin..
Perhaps the best user comment I’ve seen: “Babadook should be renamed Babapuke.” Simply as that.