Film Shorts // February 24-March 3, 2021
Night of the Kings (R) This film from the Ivory Coast stars Bakary Koné as a young man sent to a prison deep in the jungle, where he’s forced to tell fanciful stories to the other inmates to avoid being killed. Also with Steve Tientcheu, Jean Cyrille Digbeu, Issaka Sawadogo, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Macel Anzian, Abdoul Karim Konaté, and Denis Lavant. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Photo courtesy of YouTube.com
OPENING
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry (R) R.J. Cutler’s documentary follows the teen pop star on her world tour in 2018. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
CinemaBlend
Copy to clipboard
When it comes to religion in horror films, Christianity unquestionably has the market cornered. From demonic hauntings, to exorcisms, to every vampire movie where a cross is used to ward off a monster, there is no denying the link between the faith and the genre. But have you ever wondered why Jewish horror movies arenât really a thing?
The Sam Raimi-produced 2012 feature
The Possession, which has a dybbuk box at the center of its plot, is certainly an example, and I would personally make an argument (and have) that Joel and Ethan Coenâs
A Serious Man also fits the bill, but itâs not easy to find much beyond that â particularly in modern cinema. That being said, the canon is actually expanding this week with the release of Keith Thomasâ
Spirits and Scares in âThe Vigil,â a Horror Movie with a Hasidic Twist
Weâve seen plenty of Jewish horror movies, mostly having to do with the atrocities of the Holocaust. âThe Vigilâ has an element of that, too, but itâs mainly a scare-filled psychological thriller steeped in Jewish ritual and lore. Set in the Brooklyn, N.Y. Orthodox community of Boro Park, itâs about a former Hasid named Yacov (Dave Davis) who, strapped for funds, accepts a rabbiâs request to serve as a shomer, watching over a deceased member of the community overnight. Suffice it to say that itâs a very haunted evening.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the film industry. Movie theaters continue to operate with enhanced health and safety measures, following CDC recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines. Some
Rolling Stone ‘The Vigil’: The Dybbuk Stops Here
A former Hasid agrees to watch over a recently deceased member of the community and who may have been haunted in this subculturally specific supernatural thriller
By
They are called s
homers, folks who sit by a recently deceased family member or loved one, often in shifts, to watch over the body before burial. It’s a centuries-old Jewish tradition, designed to keep the soul of the dead safe from harm. Should a relative be unwilling or unable to perform this duty, it’s possible to pay a professional to sub in. It’s an honor and a calling, though there are some pitfalls in the shomer-for-hire business one needs to be aware of. The likelihood of extreme boredom is high for those who aren’t comfortable with silence, corpses, or a lack of company. The hours can be unusual. And there’s always the possibility that you may run into a spirit that, having been previously feeding off the anima of the person who’