The inspiration of Meir Zarchi’s debut film was a real-life incident. While driving with his daughter, he came across a naked woman running from some woods. She had been raped. Shocked, he took her to the police, who then looked after her. This occurrence gave birth to Day of the Woman, a hard-hitting, disturbing, and powerful film that is in no way an easy film to watch. Its initial engagements in the US were in the drive-in market, where it didn’t make its budget back. It wasn’t until the Jerry Gross Organisation picked it up for distribution in 1980 and forced a retitling to the much more exploitative I Spit on Your Grave that it became a cause célèbre, particularly when it hit the burgeoning home video market. The story follows Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a writer, who has taken herself away to a small town to work. During her stay, she is subjected to arguably the worst sexual abuse seen on the screen up to that point. While that is not something to be proud of, it does repel and disturb the audience enough to accept the third act of the movie, in which Jennifer takes her revenge on the men who raped her. It was remade in 2010, and that film spawned two sequels. A direct sequel finally arrived in 2019, with both the original director back behind the camera and Keaton back as Jennifer.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Starburst Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Starburst Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Memoirs Of The Dead
It’s over 40 years since George A. Romero’s seminal zombie sequel DAWN OF THE DEAD first terrorised the planet, forever changing our demeanour when visiting the local shopping mall. On the eve of its latest disinterment - this time in 4K - we spoke to two actors who lived to tell the tale…
STAND BY FOR SHADO
This autumn marks the 50th anniversary of Gerry Anderson’s evolution from producing Supermarionation to live-action TV shows with UFO. We take a fond look back on a complex, mature series that took Century 21 Productions to new creative heights…
SHORT AND TO THE POINT
Short films have become a popular staple of film festivals but SHORT SHARP SHOCKS, the 41st release from BFI Flipside, shows us that the format has been used for much more commercial means previously…
ROAD TO OTAKU
YOUR GATEWAY INTO THE WORLD OF ANIME......WITH YOUR NAVIGATOR, JAMES 'MAGIC PERKINS' PERKINS
INDEPENDENTS DAY - FC RABBATH
Born in Alexandra, Egypt in October 1986, director/writer FRED ‘FC’ RABBATH has been an inventor, author, comedian, journalist, and all around entrepreneur. He’s also hugely well-travelled thanks to his father’s work, which required Fred to live in several countries before he was even 16. Tirelessly prolific, he has written and directed a string of acclaimed short films and a number of features including Scarlet’s Witch (2014), The Hum (2015), The Movie Extra (2015), and especially A Brilliant Monster (2018), which we described as ‘quirky and highly watchable… a psychological horror/thriller that examines the nature of creativity and the obsessions which drive the creative mind’ He’s back later this year with THE WAITING, a highly unusual and unpredictable ghost story that turns slowly into an unusual romantic fable. We spoke to Fred about his background and his approach to his work in the independent movie sector.
HEART and SOUL
Known for re-shaping the landscape of movies as we know it (not just animated ones), Pixar has respectfully raised the bar with delightful, heartfelt aplomb. From the intense opening segment of Up where no matter how lacking in emotion you think you are, tears will still come running, to the joyous Randy Newman-scored Toy Story moments, to the roaring, superhero family dynamics in The Incredibles, there’s an endless array of remarkable Pixar memories. Even in just these highlighted animated spectacles alone, Pixar has imprinted many sequences into our brains that we will never, ever forget. Everyone has a favourite Pixar character, scene, quote, song, and catchphrase that still evokes something nostalgically magical in them. So, what’s yours?
TRUTH BE TOLD
Following on from our TRUTH SEEKERS set-visit last issue, we speak with the driving forces behind Prime Video’s excellent new supernatural comedy series, SIMON PEGG, NICK FROST, and SAMSON KAYO...
Telephemera
ALAN BOON DELVES INTO THE TELEVISION ARCHIVES TO UNEARTH ANOTHER LONG-FORGOTTEN CURIO...
AN EYE FOR AN EYE
The controversial 1978 film I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE has just been released as part of a 6-disc box set that includes the reboot trilogy, the UK debut of the direct sequel, DÉJÀ VU, and a feature-length documentary GROWING UP WITH I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. We managed to speak with actors CAMILLE KEATON and JAMIE BERNADETTE as well as the son of the original director, TERRY ZARCHI to find out more about the legendary revenge films…
telephemera
ALAN BOON DELVES INTO THE TELEVISION ARCHIVES TO UNEARTH ANOTHER LONG-FORGOTTEN CURIO...
