Experimental Film
Ratings18
Average rating3.5
The award-winning author of the Hexslinger Series “explores the world of film and horror in a way that will leave you reeling” (Jeff VanderMeer, author of the Southern Reach Trilogy). Former film teacher Lois Cairns is struggling to raise her autistic son while freelancing as a critic when, at a screening, she happens upon a sampled piece of silver nitrate silent footage. She is able to connect it to the early work of Mrs. Iris Dunlopp Whitcomb, the spiritualist and collector of fairy tales who mysteriously disappeared from a train compartment in 1918. Hoping to make her own mark on the film world, Lois embarks on a project to prove that Whitcomb was Canada’s first female filmmaker. But her research takes her down a path not of darkness but of light—the blinding and searing light of a fairy tale made flesh, a noontime demon who demands that duty must be paid. As Lois discovers terrifying parallels between her own life and that of Mrs. Whitcomb, she begins to fear not just for herself, but for those closest to her heart. Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel “One of the standout horror novels of 2015 . . . From an author who has already established herself as one of the genre’s most original and innovative voices, Experimental Film is a remarkable achievement.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “Experimental Film represents the next, significant contribution to what is emerging as one of the most interesting and exciting bodies of work currently being produced in the horror field. Every film, Lois Cairns writes, is an experiment. The same might be said of every novel. This one succeeds, wildly.” —Locus “Experimental Film is sensational. When we speak of the best in contemporary horror and weird fiction, we must speak of Gemma Files.” —Laird Barron “[Experimental Film is] truly unnerving. This is a too-often overlooked postmodern gem.” —Esquire, “The 50 Best Horror Books of All Time”
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This book was so long guys... Not really, it's about 300 pages, but it felt so long. There's a good story in here, this just isn't quite it.
Some things are so over-explained, others aren't explained enough. No one is super interesting, but I still wanted to find out how it worked out, but even that was pretty anticlimactic.
We're given things out of order so we can make connections between things, but then its like “psych! That's not actually connected”. Why have one of the characters weirdly spelled name be almost like another's last name if it doesn't mean anything? Also, lots of weird missing words/letters that I think was supposed to seem conversational?, but just felt weird. I feel like this really needed an editor to tighten up the story.
I will say that I found the whole Lady Midday thing really interesting and I'm interested in more of the Eastern European folklore, and the whole early filmmaking in Canada angle too!, but this was just... meh.
It is quite clear that Gemma Files is intimately aware of the Experimental Film output of Canada. An interestingly niche topic, she has managed to create a fascinating and creepy tale based on the potential for truth behind myth and the power of belief and knowledge whilst giving an interesting overview of this weird and wonderful bracket of filmography.
The story focuses on the search for some old films made at the dawn of cinema in Canada by a pioneering women cinematographer who had a fascination with obscure Slavic mythology and occultism. Dealing with obsession, mystery and jealousy this tale packs a decent punch, all playing out against the background of research into historic films.
This was my first read of Gemma Files work, and I was impressed by its erudite but readable prose. Her interest in the subject matter comes across well and you cannot help getting caught up in her enthusiasm. The Wendian myth that forms the basis for her horror plays out in an almost Lovecraftian way - the horror behind the veil as it were. An impressive creepy and educational tale
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