Immaculate, The First Omen, and the World of Nunsploitation
Don’t think of a white bear.
You’re probably thinking about a white bear, huh?
Let’s try another reverse psychology test.
Suppress any thoughts of nuns doing anything sacrilege or blasphemous. They’ve given themselves to God. They’re holy. They wouldn’t do stuff like that.
And yet, you’ve probably thought of some pretty heretical images.
This is pretty much the primary reason why I think nunsploitation movies are a thing. Nunsploitation films are films involving nuns where the central plot involves something horrific, perverse, and otherwise sinful. Placing nuns in these situations immediately creates narrative conflict as well as striking images. Whether its nuns going mad because of how horny they are (such as The Devils (1971) and Black Narcissus (1947)), nuns doing horrible things to people (like Killer Nun (1979) and Dark Waters (1993)) or nuns getting horrible things done to them (in Alucarda (1977) and Nun in Rope Hell (1984)), seeing them in these scenarios puts their faith, represented by their instantly recognizable habits, in contrast with the lurid proceedings. Its somewhat of a miracle then that this year, within the span of one month we get two nun movies that fit that last category; Immaculate and The First Omen.
Both films feature a young woman traveling to Italy to join a convent in hopes to take the veil and become a nun. While she is there, she slowly discovers that there is an unholy plot to impregnate one of the convent’s residents with something profane. Thematically, the two films touch on the friction between church and body autonomy. Is it still wrong to get an abortion if you were impregnated by an evil sect of the Church and the baby is going to be a monstrosity? Both films seem to draw horror from the fact that these women have lost control of their own bodies due to the demands of a larger organization who see women as disposable, so, yeah, I think they have beef with “pro-life.”
But I don’t think both films are of equal quality. While Immaculate had an incredible marketing campaign (one highlight: taking a psychotic Twitter user’s bizarre rant about Sydney Sweeney, the film’s star, and the “Satanic” film and putting it on a t-shirt), the film does not live up to the outsized reactions. Immaculate takes some pretty strange turns involving a mad scientist living in the catacombs beneath the convent, but the film keeps the tone pretty reserved and the color palette pretty muddy. Instead of playing up these weirder aspects in a colorful over the top way, it keeps a modest atmosphere with little visual flair. Its boldness is to be commended, but it is just not all that interesting looking of a movie.
Surprisingly enough, The First Omen, a legacy prequel to The Omen (1976), was the one that captured my heart. How much did I enjoy it? Well, I saw it four times in the theater.
Why I Saw The First Omen Four Times in Theater
Lets backtrack a little to nunsploitation. In my exploration of this subgenre, I have found that the most effective entries are the most expressive ones. The inherent conflict between placing a pious figure who lives an orderly life into a chaotic and hellish situation is inherently exciting, but what makes The First Omen so much more exciting than Immaculate is just how much further it goes with it. So I guess the short answer is just that I like looking at The First Omen. I like looking at it a lot.
The First Omen’s protagonist, Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), is introduced when she arrives in a 1971 Italy and the film takes a great deal of effort to incorporate the film’s setting into its visuals and storytelling. Much like the 2018 remake of Suspiria, The First Omen ties the film’s plot into the political movements of its setting and in this case it’s 1970s Italy. The protests and riots from the Years of Lead, specifically the far-left protests by college students, tie directly into the motivations of some of the characters and set the stage for some of the horrific encounters Margaret has throughout the film. Strange and unstable camera movements and zooms (like the ones the 2018 Suspiria evokes) are utilized throughout the film as well as bloomed out lighting and vibrant color palettes.
Featured throughout the film is a cadre of horror influences from across time. The original 1977 version of Suspiria is evoked several times throughout the film as is, appropriately enough, Rosemary’s Baby (1968) (a line similar to “This is no dream! This is really happening!” echoes throughout the film.) The 1981 horror masterpiece Possession is directly referenced toward the end of the film in one of the most harrowing scenes. Even a shot from Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) is recreated when Margaret crosses the threshold into distrusting the convent. All these references do not serve as easter eggs, but rather as a way to inform the audience of the film’s place in the great tapestry of art. Those familiar understand the shorthand of these references and can see it as an indication of what certain sequences imply. Those unfamiliar see them for just what they are, striking images.
Its not just a 70s throwback with a bunch of horror references though, it is striking in its own right. Director Arkasha Stevenson’s work before her film debut with The First Omen was extremely stylish television. Her credits include the first episode of the excellent Brand New Cherry Flavor and the entirety of the third season of Channel Zero, an anthology horror show that valued moody visuals and experimentation. With The First Omen, she deploys impressive cross-fades, strobe lights, and upsettingly asymmetrical compositions to create a distressing atmosphere. Unlike Immaculate, which featured a “realistic” color palette, The First Omen uses light and shadow to create colorful and high contrast visuals, so that, even when it is just two characters talking, every moment adds to the spooky atmosphere.
Unfortunately, despite my great admiration for The First Omen’s visuals and themes, it does have a fault. It is burdened with the fact that it is part of a major studio franchise. The final moments of the film in particular are so clunky because of how much the films strives to connect itself to the original The Omen. Frustrating as it is, it doesn’t ruin the movie for me. I just hope that Arkasha Stevenson is free to express herself in a wholly original work next time.
The First Omen is in theaters now
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Stray Observations
Forgive me followers for I have sinned. It has been two months since my last issue. Sometimes the juice just isn’t there. That doesn’t mean I haven’t seen anything worth writing about. Far from it! There’s been plenty.
Love Lies Bleeding, a lesbian crime thriller starring Kristen Stewart came out and I absolutely adored it. Many comparisons to the Coen brothers were tossed around considering the plot becomes a clusterfuck of mistakes, violence, and twists, but I found it had more in common with David Lynch films. Films like Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet, and Lost Highway where Americana, noir, and desire mix together in a stylized and surrealist stew. Leaving the theater felt like leaving a rock concert. It rules!
Speaking of rock concerts, I saw Otoboke Beaver, an all girl Japanese punk band, perform at St Andrew’s Hall. They rocked the house, but I was really taken with the two bands that opened for them: Killing Pixies and Drinking Boys and Girl Choir. Killing Pixies is a Detroit group that were a lot of fun to listen to. Their feminist anthems and showmanship were right on my frequency. Drinking Boys and Girl Choir was something else though. They’re a Korean group that had a similarly loud sound, but, halfway through the set, in an emotional moment, the lead singer revealed her grandmother had passed away that day. It really connected everyone in the venue for a really passionate performance.
One of the biggest movie events of this year happened during my break; the release of Dune: Part Two. I got to see it several times in the theater and, since I had read the book, my experience was very different than the sublime awe I felt when I saw the first movie. It was still exhilarating and, like the first film, it inspired me to read the series. Within a week I got through Dune: Messiah, the second book in the series and, oh boy, I’m pretty excited to see certain aspects get adapted.
During one of the screenings of Dune: Part Two, my friends and I had a strange encounter. An encounter where our very lives were threatened. Seating in front of us was an older man who was getting stinking drunk throughout the film. He would make loud comments and gesticulations. After telling him to be quiet multiple times, be it the “shush” or the “quiet” or even the harsh “shut up”, he turned around and shouted “fuck you” at our group. An unacceptable reaction, so I went to the theater staff to complain and, of course, they did nothing. He continued to be disruptive until the end of the film. Once the credits rolled, he stood, placed his hands on his hips, turned to us, and smugly proclaimed “Detroit City Karate. Are we going to have a problem?” We laughed and told him to get lost, but one of his friends approached him. A shorter man in a leather trench coat and a tight ponytail. “This is not the way. Sit down.” he commanded. “But they started it!” “No. You did. Sit down.” And the drunkard sat down. We escaped into the lobby and discussed what the hell just happened. After some time, the man in the leather trench coat found us and approached us to apologize for his friend’s behavior. “That is not the way of Detroit City Karate. We are about resolving conflict, not starting it. I will make sure he learns this lesson.” Ever since, these two characters have not left my mind. This wise sensei came in and saved what would have otherwise been an experience ruined by his inebriated pupil. What a world we live in.
Talked to a friend of the newsletter a few weeks ago and she offered to pay for an article/issue about a subject of her choosing. Although it didn’t materialize, I thought the idea was fun. If you’d like me to write on a subject of your choosing, please shoot me a message privately (nick.dauphin@gmail.com) and maybe we can work something out!
Thank you and best regards to all my followers! Hope you like, share, and enjoy this newsletter! Amen.