The Pocket Film of Superstitions
Carnie Films newest offering, The Pocket Film of Superstitions, is a light hearted fun romp through a variety of superstitious beliefs and practices. It is shot in black and white and has the feel of old silent films with title cards and exaggerated facial expressions from the actors along with crackling sound and visual effects reminiscent of films from the early 20th century. The score by Craigus Barry and the Stained Glass Whisperers sounds like music from long ago and is in parts creepily haunting and in other parts whimsical and upbeat, depending on the folklore being examined. They refer to the film as a “moving picture presentation” and the costumes have an old timey feel to them without being from any specific identifiable era.
However, it is not truly reminiscent of a silent film, as there is the fabulously irreverent narration by The Shend. All of the superstitions featured here are real and are told in a fairly straightforward way, but his commentary on the stories is anything but somber and scholarly. He refers to people as “an odd bunch of matter blobs” and the wearing of crosses as “The most popular form of bling”. He tells us that if you step on a crack that a fairy will die and then immediately tells us he actually made that up. In a section about putting shoes on the table, he offers the following sage advice: “Don’t”.
The visuals are fancifully supportive of this narration with various ridiculous images such as a rubber bat jerking on a string, a recurring devil with over the top makeup and fairy hunters in pith helmets and safari clothes. Some of the only dialogue in the film comes from these intrepid adventurers hunting the fae. The professor that is leader of this team shrieks “Eureka” when making an important discovery and then breaks the 4th wall a few moments later when the narrator starts to explain things and in an outrage asks “do you mind?”.
It’s not all whimsical, though. The cinematography can be unsettling in a variety of ways that lend to the creepy feel of much of the film. Often the tops of heads are maddeningly cut off, the camera has jerky movements, it is filmed from odd angles and there is a striking circular cropping. All of this adds to the feeling of being off balance, which only increases the fun.
The sound effects are masterful, with many common sounds being highlighted such as a scraping broom, an apple being eating and a cradle rocking. These audio effects draw you in and then tells you to take a seat and enjoy where this weird journey is going to take you next.
My only criticisms are that in the first few minutes of the film, I had great difficulty hearing the narration over the music, but that did resolve quickly. Also, I didn’t feel like I learned any new superstitions that I had not heard before, but as a primer, this is solid gold!
Ultimately, I think that the Carnie team and Tom Lee Rudder have found a magical mix between their previous films with the creepiness Bella in the Wych Elm and the utter campy delight of The Midnight Hour. It is fun, informative and utterly delightful.