Home Video Picks & Passes 10.27.19
Stop-motion Caroline gets a thumbs-up.
Coraline (2009) — PICK
The Devil Rides Out (1968) — PICK
Christopher Lee has a rare heroic role in The Devil Rides Out (new on Blu-ray; also known in the U.S. as The Devil’s Bride), Terence Fisher’s best film and the clearest expression of his moral and theological vision.
A high-church Anglican, Fisher made groundbreaking horror films that he called “morality plays” depicting “the ultimate victory of good over evil.”
More, Fisher’s films depicted the triumph of the cross as a spiritual weapon over the powers of hell.
Lee plays a Van Helsing-like Christian occult expert battling a Satanic cult with an arsenal that includes crosses, holy water, Scripture and prayers in Latin.
Streaming on Netflix, Coraline is the best film from stop-motion director Henry Selick and stop-motion studio Laika.
A dark fantasy about a young girl who discovers a magical portal to an alternate world, this tale of changeling parents and imprisoned souls comes closer to the spirit of the traditional European fairy tale than any film in recent memory.
CAVEAT SPECTATOR: Coraline: Scary scenes, creepy imagery and menace to a child; brief depictions of divination (dowsing, tea leaves); a scene of mild burlesque-style humor. Older kids and up. The Devil Rides Out: Occult theme and depictions of occult rituals; some creepy images; mild sensuality. Teens and up.
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