SCREAM YOUR ENTHUSIASM (3)
By:
October 9, 2024
One in a series of 25 enthusiastic posts, contributed by 25 HILOBROW friends and regulars, on the topic of favorite horror movies. Series edited by Heather Quinlan.
M3GAN | d. GERARD JOHNSTONE | 2022
See the movie M3GAN? Grown-ups and kids live in different worlds. While adults are busy doing adult things—like smoking a weird drug that makes your skin peel off, to building crude sky-monsters in Brooklyn—kids are up to activities of other sorts. And because kids are often ignored by their parents, for good and bad reasons, the license to do whatever the hell they want is granted without notice.
And who cares? When you’re young, that’s the time to try things out. Grown-ups ruin the carefully created social space. Think about the kid on your block who wasn’t allowed to cross the street. Or the mom who went to the principal every time her kid was accused of cheating (and was, by the way, guilty). They were like giant monsters, stomping on Kid’s World and practically inviting a beat-down.
Long preface, but what I’m working up to is the film M3GAN. Yes, M3GAN is the AI star of a horror movie so camp and frightening that it really does capture the psychedelic weirdness of childhood. Because, surprise, those golden sunsets we may remember largely sucked. Remember the bullying? Remember rope day in gym class? Remember being last pick? And I’ll bet even if you were first pick there’s probably some unbearable anxiety in you somewhere.
And this is where M3GAN comes in.
Grown-ups generally hate AI. “It’s going to take over the world, blah, blah, blah.” AI will soon do stuff we can’t do, we’ll feel bad, and then walk around with a frowny face. Not to mention the fact that we will be walking around shackled to bossy robots and forced to do all the shit work.
But what if you’re a kid and AI sidles in and you don’t have to go it alone on the playground? What if there’s someone sticking up for you who is pretty, smart, and low-key threatening? Hello, M3GAN.
Everyone has a good side. M3GAN does. She’s loyal, fun, and can run on all fours when going in for the kill. Think of M3GAN more as a protector, a Julie Andrews with sharp, pointed teeth. Because she’s here. She’s not leaving. So make friends.
SCREAM YOUR ENTHUSIASM: INTRODUCTION by Heather Quinlan | Crockett Doob on THE SHINING | Dean Haspiel on TOURIST TRAP | Fran Pado on M3GAN | Erin M. Routson on THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT | Adam McGovern on THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER | Michele Carlo on THE EXORCIST | Tony Pacitti on JAWS | Josh Glenn on INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) | Kathy Biehl on HALLOWEEN | Annie Nocenti on ROSEMARY’S BABY | Carolyn Campbell on WAIT UNTIL DARK | Marc Weidenbaum on DAWN OF THE DEAD | Amy Keyishian on SHAUN OF THE DEAD | Gabriela Pedranti on [•REC] | Mariane Cara on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY | Trav SD on FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY | Colin Campbell on EVIL DEAD (2013) | Lynn Peril on NIGHT GALLERY | Heather Quinlan on THE CHANGELING | Kenny Simek on REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA | Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons on IT (1990) | James Scott Maloy on CONTAGION | Nick Rumaczyk on THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF | Max Alvarez on THE INNOCENTS | Michael Campochiaro on BLACK CHRISTMAS.
JACK KIRBY PANELS | CAPTAIN KIRK SCENES | OLD-SCHOOL HIP HOP | TYPEFACES | NEW WAVE | SQUADS | PUNK | NEO-NOIR MOVIES | COMICS | SCI-FI MOVIES | SIDEKICKS | CARTOONS | TV DEATHS | COUNTRY | PROTO-PUNK | METAL | & more enthusiasms!