The story of a small-time potter who is bullied by a giant, disembodied hand to glorify the hand through artwork. To me, it immediately called to mind coercion under capitalism, the invisible hand made manifest to force people into production for others. However, given that this was made in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, it was likely originally intended as a criticism of repression under Communist rule. Joshua Dysart probably got it right when he described the message in this little…
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The Curse of Frankenstein 1957
It's hard adapting a novel for which there is already a very famous adaptation. The Curse of Frankenstein is, of course, the Hammer Horror adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, previously turned into an icon of gothic cinema by Universal Pictures.
Director Terence Fisher takes advantage of that fact that this film, unlike the Universal version, has color by filling the set dressing and costumes with frippery. The monster's make-up is good, and probably closer to the source material, but…
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Asparagus 1979
My take: The protagonist (maybe every woman, maybe the filmmaker herself) stays in her home, wrapped up in whatever strange comforts she can find there. Her imagination runs riot. Outside is a world of the crassest, most phallocentric sexuality. Instead of facing it directly, she allows her imagination to reshape it. When she does have to venture forth she guards herself with a mask, hiding her true self. However, by collecting symbols of her experience and sharing them with others…
