Filmsane

So I saw Unsane yesterday. And I loved it. The Steven Soderbergh IPhone directed psychological thriller/horror movie is everything I hoped it would be after watching the official trailer (a few months back).

Scary, nerve-wracking, claustrophobic, paranoid inducing and generally well made. Claire Foy was brilliant and it actually inspired to look for similar awesome movies. You know the ones that depict stalkers regardless of age, sex and color.

They are more a study of one’s deep dark psychosis, and obsessive thoughts that most stalker have, but they are also cautionary tale as what to do in case you experience such bereavement. Stalking is not always portrayed truthfully and accurately in Hollywood movies, but there are some that are pretty decent at that.

And sure there are plenty of stalking film for sure, but these are some of my favorites.

The Cable Guy (1996)

Director: Ben Stiller
Stars: Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann…
Fun fact about the movie: During filming of the scene in which the Cable Guy (Jim Carrey) plays basketball, it was discovered that Carrey could barely dribble a basketball, much less make a basket. Director Ben Stiller had Carrey mime the action without a ball and visual effects technicians added the basketball in postproduction.

The Crush (1993)

Director: Alan Shapiro
Stars: Cary Elwes, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Rubin….
Fun fact about the movie: Alicia Silverstone became an “emancipated minor” at age 15 during the shooting of the film meaning she was legally on her own and not a dependent of her parents. This way she could avoid child labor laws, which would have restricted how many hours she could work on the film.

The Fan (1981)

Director: Ed Bianchi
Stars: Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Michael Biehn…
Fun fact about the movie: This movie was controversial upon theatrical release due to the recent number of stalkings, harassment, shootings and even assassinations of celebrities. Stars at the time who had become victims of fan obsession included Jodie Foster, Jane Seymour, Larry Hagman, Persis Khambatta, and Jacqueline Bisset. The Pope and Ronald Reagan had been shot at, whilst Sharon Tate, Dorothy Stratten and John Lennon all had been homicides. Paul Wilson wrote of The Fan (1981) in England’s ‘Photoplay’ magazine stating “When The Fan (1981) was released in America there was, not unnaturally, a public outcry for it echoes the killing of John Lennon.

The Gift (2015)

Director: Joel Edgerton
Stars: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton…
Fun fact about the movie: When Rebecca Hall’s character is in the hospital, she stays in Room 237 – a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980).

One Hour Photo (2002)

Director: Mark Romanek
Stars: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan…
Fun fact about the movie: After the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Robin Williams overheard viewers say that they forgot it was Williams in the lead role 15 minutes into the film. An observation that made Williams proud.

Remember My Name (1978)

Director: Alan Rudolph
Stars: Geraldine Chaplin, Anthony Perkins, Moses Gunn…
Fun fact about the movie: The San Francisco Chronicle gave the film 4 out of 5 stars. They praised Perkins and described Chaplin’s performance as “extraordinary”, and that she “adopts a unique speech pattern as Emily.

Cherish (2002)

Director: Finn Taylor
Stars: Robin Tunney, Tim Blake Nelson, Brad Hunt…
Fun fact about the movie: As revealed in the DVD commentary, there was originally a scene that would have had her character masturbating out of boredom, ‘but Robin Tunney”s father nixed that idea quickly.