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(Editor's Note: I apologize.) Dear Mike, Friday The 13th? Jesus 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 Christ! Really Mike? Who the 🍩🍆👌👈 has time to sit around and watch stupid 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 movies anymore? I've got FOUR 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 jobs right now and I still can't make it work! Our mail gets pinker and pinker every day. I owe over a hundred thousand 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 dollars in back taxes for getting my stupid 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 face photographed way back when. I haven't been able to pay my studio rent in months. Our main sewer line is cracked straight through the God$&#% mother🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 foundation! And now we're going right back into another mean ass winter with a 30 year old 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 furnace and a rusted out old oil tank! There's enough mold in our basement to re-floor the Sherwood Forest. Our new washer we bought on Beacon Buy, Sell, Trade, or stick it up your 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 ass, won't drain. Our God$&#% dishwasher wobbles around like R2 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 D2! You think I got time for this 💩💩💩💩 , Mike? Look, I know I know, I didn't have to do this. I could've been honest and just said no. But these days people come up to me and ask me to do something and I'll just respond with whatever gets them the 🍩🍆👌👈 out of my face the fastest. So now it's 5:12 in the 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 morning on the day you said you needed this stupid 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 thing because, believe it or not, I still consider myself a man of my word.... Actually, that's not true, I would've slept in till about 6:00 and blown it off but my 3 yr old yelled in his sleep, "I WANT MY POOP!" and then kicked me right in the 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 nose, the same God#%&@ nose that he dug his sharp little fingernail into the nostril of and sliced a good hunk out of it, right at the tip. The blood was pouring down my lips and chin. "Daddy! You're bleeding, daddy!" he said to me with his cute little voice. "Yeah, I'm bleeding! You just sliced my nose!" That was probably a month or two ago and the damn thing still won't heal. People keep looking at it like I've got a crusty booger hanging there. But I don't give a 💩💩💩💩 . I don't give a 💩💩💩💩 about anything anymore. Seriously, if I didn't have kids, I couldn't care less if a God$&#% nuke landed on the top of my🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 head, or I got my face chewed off by a mother🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 baboon. I've just had enough of this stupid 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 world. I mean, is any of this 💩💩💩💩 really happening? Is there really such a thing as Donald Trump? Is this what everything that has ever happened in the history of mankind has brought us? Is this why all those wars were fought? Is this what science and philosophy and all that great art and literature has done for us? Jesus, Mozart, Di Vinci, Ghandi, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Hemingway, Bob Dylan, Doug Stanhope, Ferdinand🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 Celine, that dude from Cinderella (I have a thing for him. I can't kick it. I'm not proud.)? What the hell was the point of it all? What difference did any of it make? I mean, the only good thing about any of it is that we've all been completely and utterly, hopelessly failed by it all. I mean, doesn't it just totally 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 suck to be anything anymore? I haven't laid eyes on a single human being in decades where I felt the least bit of envy for. It sucks to be a man, it sucks to be a woman, it sucks to be black, white, young, old, rich, poor. It sucks to win just as much as fail. I don't know, man. About all I can say about this world anymore is that we've got to somehow get it together for the children. I 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 LOVE children! I certainly wouldn't recommend having any but they're amazing! My children are the only thing that keeps the gun barrel out of my mouth, the noose from snapping my neck. But listen, man, I DID watch a few minutes of Friday The 13th like you asked me to before I switched it over to about the only thing that I can count on anymore, the only thing that still makes any sense- big booty porn. At first, all I could think about was how nice it would be to be able to go back in time and get a crack at some of that fresh young early 80's camp counselor ass with what I know now. But then I started thinking about the parallels of this dead, young, sweet killer boy named, Jason. Or wait, was it his mother that killed everyone in that stupid 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 movie? I can't remember. But I feel like Jason here in Beacon, ya know, with everything that's happening to Beacon. Those unscathed, un-lived 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 asshole camp counsellors, sittin' around the fire without a care in the world, singing their stupid songs, running off to screw each other in the woods. They're just like all these weekenders that come up here to enjoy themselves while we all 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 suffer for it. They make me 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 sick. And now that The Hop's closed, shit, that was our 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 mouse trap right there! They're gonna start nosing around every God$&%# tasty morsel that's left of this doomed town. What the hell are we gonna do, Mike? 💩💩💩💩 , maybe you're right? Maybe it's best just to check out and watch stupid movies and act like it's not actually happening, that it's not finally, truly, without a doubt, the end of the mother🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 world as we know it? And hey, you should sell Corn Nuts at your screenings. I LOVE Corn Nuts! Always have. They're 🍆🍩🍌👌👈💋💤 awesome! Ranch is my favorite. Love, Phil Phil Bram Phil Bram lives, works, writes, works, makes art, works and works in Beacon, NY. "Like a hardened worm stuck on the sidewalk beneath a burning son." #Articles #Newsletter #Fridaythe13th #PhilBram #HorrorSlasher

Get a taste of the spooky flicks Story Screen has in store for the best party of the year in Beacon, NY. ............................... The Witches (1990) by Bernadette Gorman If intrigue, spookiness, enchantments and general bewitchments are what you are after, look no further than Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 The Witches. Adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1983 novel, The Witches warns to always be wary of women with gloved hands, sensible shoes, scalp itch, and a purple tinge to their eyes. Helga Eveshim has raised her seven-year-old grandson, Luke, among tales of witches who assume a normal, female façade and despise odiferous children. Witches in this reality are bald, grotesque, have purple eyes and no toes. When Helga becomes ill, the pair travel to a seaside resort to recuperate and are plunged into England’s annual witch assembly. Luke discovers the “Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children” are the exact opposite, an English coven finally getting to meet the Grand High Witch herself. While investigating, he overhears their plan to turn the world’s children into mice, knowing the rest of society will do their dirty work and kill off the children population. The witches sniff Luke out as he is hiding and turn him into a mouse to make an example of him and stop him from foiling their plans. With Helga’s help, and another mouse/child friend named Bruno, Luke schemes to use the witches’ potion against them. Upon succeeding, turning the entire “Royal Society” into pesky and bothersome mice, Luke and Helga vow to use their gained knowledge to eradicate the entire world of witches. The Grand High Witch’s own assistant defects and uses her powers for good to transform Luke back into a human child. All seems well, but “I’m warning you. What makes [a witch] dangerous is the fact that she doesn’t look dangerous. You can never be sure if it’s a witch you are looking at or a kind lady – Mysterious things go on in the world of witches.” Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992) by Liz Velez A film that set in motion an unstoppable wave of butt-kicking girl power, Joss Whedon’s, Buffy The Vampire Slayer has a different tone from the beloved follow-up TV series of the same name and is still just as fun. Set in California, our heroine Buffy Summers finds out vampires are all around her and what’s more, her destiny is to stake’em all by herself. A cheerleader fated to hunt vampires that underestimate her in large part due to her gender? Totally speaks to any teenage girl valued more for her looks than her skills. While some may take issue with Whedon’s particular brand of feminism, no one can plausibly deny the indelible mark Buffy Summers continues to make, inspiring women and girl power enthusiasts all over the world on an impressive scale. After watching this movie you’ll wanna slay vamps in a miniskirt, too. Sleepy Hollow (1999) by Emily Sylvester While, admittedly, Sleepy Hollow isn’t normally included on most horror lovers list of favorites, I love this movie, and I do consider myself someone who loves all things horror very much. Yes, it’s a Tim Burton film, so yes it falls prey to a few Tim Burton norms that really need to be put to rest ASAP, but it was 1999, so we weren’t that tired of him just yet. I like this movie for a number of reasons, I remember seeing it when it first came out and being taken aback by just how beautiful it was, full of dark and nightmarish, but at the same time beautiful imagery, drenched in blue and grey. It’s scary, but not disturbing, which sometimes is really nice. Occasionally you want to watch someone be dismembered by a chainsaw or see a child possessed by demons kill his whole family, but sometimes you need to get up early for work the next day and you need to sleep soundly. Sleepy Hollow is great for that; you don’t hate yourself after watching it. It’s sinister, spooky, sensorial, a great reimagining of a classic horror story. There’s also powdered wigs, people who look like they haven’t seen the sun in years, and Christopher Walken with razor sharp teeth. It’s great. #Review #Newsletter #TheWitches #BuffytheVampireSlayer #SleepyHollow #Horror #Dance #ScaryPants

Whispers in the dark, a yearning, a want, we’ve all bargained with the Gods only to be left empty-handed. What if those wants could be manifested, if a power could be harnessed ensuring all desires be brought to fruition? Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle hope for just that when a potential fourth member to their Wiccan circle arrives at school. Sarah comes wielding a dark past and an inherent power that she doesn’t quite understand. Together, they invoke an ancient force allowing them the ability to render wish into reality. Though, lest not forget the most important rule – whatever energy is sent out, good or bad, will return three fold. Considered a cult classic, The Craft remains as relevant today as it was when it first debuted in 1996. Drenched in cultural trend, this archetypal outsiders story comes with a supernatural twist making it both relatable and captivating to watch. The girls do well in individually representing desires we’ve all craved when they wish for love, beauty, retaliation, and power. As their abilities grow ever stronger, sheer will is realized and reality manipulated. Things quickly turn when the gratification becomes addicting and morality begins to blur. Chaos and death ensue as Nancy loses grip on her sanity having taken on the spirit of an omnipotent entity. While the others may realize the consequences, Sarah seems to be the only member of the circle who grasps the gravity of their actions. As tensions rise between Nancy and Sarah, the circle is broken and lines are drawn. Tormented and downtrodden, it takes all of Sarah’s remaining strength to fully accept who she is, understanding her full potential and combating those she once considered friends. “By the power of three times three, make them see, make them see,” she chants, bringing to mind the spiritual principle of cause and effect, akin to karma. A twisted coming of age story portrayed in a raw, dark visual form, The Craft acts as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be careful what we wish for. Stamper A Beacon transplant having moved to town two years ago. With a background in photography, literature, and a fondness of nature she does well in keeping busy in this bustling little community. #KatelynStamper #HorrorFantasy #HorrorDrama #TheCraft #Newsletter #Review

There are countless unknowns to contend with in horror story culture. To name a few: heroes can be up against ghouls, serial killers, haunted houses, spirits from beyond the grave, and more often than not, even themselves. All of these elements are present in Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy-horror Beetlejuice, as recently deceased Adam and Barbara Maitland train to scare away their home’s new living inhabitants, the Deetz family, while also fending off “bio-exorcist” Betelgeuse. After the Maitlands discover they didn’t survive what they thought was a non-fatal car crash, they are stranded in an afterlife with nothing to guide them but a book: The Handbook for the Recently Deceased. This handbook, while reading like stereo instructions, is more helpful than they care to recognize, as all of the characters in Beetlejuice struggle with control over their environments. It isn’t until the end of the film that any of the characters achieve a peaceful co-existence with each other and the hand that fate has dealt them. While various characters encounter invasions, possessions, hauntings, and other-worldly experiences, the real big bad in Beetlejuice is the desire to control one’s environs to the point of despair when faced with a lack of control. The film opens with an introduction to the town of Winter River, Connecticut, but only through Adam’s own construction of a miniature town model, one that he can completely control. At the conclusion of the aerial view of the town, the Maitland’s own miniature house is being overtaken by a seemingly giant spider, one which Adam promptly removes and releases outside. This invasion on the idyllic version of Winter River foreshadows the level of chaos that will soon take place on the Maitland’s true home. The Maitland’s opening conversation is then interrupted by their realtor, who is insistent that she knows what’s best for them and the house, imploring them to reconsider selling the house to a family who would better fit the space than the childless couple. It can be noted that this advice hits a nerve for Barbara. Moments later, as the couple drive into town on a quick errand, they discuss “trying again” during their two-week staycation, more than implying that they have intended to make at least one addition to their family and have not yet succeeded. Whether the Maitland’s have had trouble conceiving, or have lost a child during a pregnancy, this loss and lack of control significantly plays a part in Adam’s own desire to have some agency in his life, even if it is only through a homemade replica of his ideal Winter River. After the Maitlands awaken from the car accident that costs them their lives, they find themselves trapped in their home with the new inhabitants, the New York City Deetz’s. The Deetz family members also each have different ideas of what they want the house to provide for them. Patriarch Charles Deetz wishes the house to be a retreat from New York City life after suffering stresses from the city and his workplace environment. Second wife Delia Deetz, although unenthusiastic about the idea of country living, decides to make the house an extensive art project for herself and friend Otho, who believes he has the knowledge to lead in any situation, whether that be decorating, hairstyling, and even leading séances. Lastly, daughter Lydia Deetz, copes with moving into a new home by projecting her desire for the strange and unusual to manifest in any form, so long as there is someone or something with which to finally connect. Each family member’s desire is thwarted when put up against the desires of each other’s. After three months’ time waiting and meeting with their caseworker, Juno, in a bureaucratic office for the dead, the Maitlands return to their home to find Delia has completely renovated their charming country home into a house devoid of warmth and soft corners. Luckily the attic is untouched, and Adam and Barbara use this room as their war room, devising plans to spook the Deetzes out of Winter River, no matter the means. Upon yet another failed attempt to scare the Deetz adults, Adam and Barbara are discovered by Lydia, whose desire to exist on a different plane of existence allows her to see the Maitlands in their seemingly human form. Afterwards, Lydia becomes the envoy between the two families, couriering messages for both parties. The Maitlands and Lydia bond very quickly, but Lydia isn’t enough to change their minds about the Deetz parents. Charles and Delia do not believe that despite Lydia’s proof, their home is being haunted until they host a dinner party the Maitlands decide to crash. All in attendance experience possessions and sing Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O,” singing “daylight come and me wan’ go home.” The song, which chronicles a long day at work from which one wants to retire, does not inspire the Deetzes to return home. Instead it prompts a proposal for a paranormal theme park. Defeated, the Maitlands decide they need professional scaring help, even if it means hiring the titular, depraved Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is the personification (ghoulification?) of greed, only helping others if it better benefits his own situation. At one point Betelgeuse was Juno’s assistant before deciding to go rogue. Not only was he helping the dead achieve happier afterlives, but he took pleasure in the terrorizing of living beings, the more traumatized, the better. He became a liability in his profession and was banished. Now, more desperate than ever to escape, he tempts the Maitlands into hiring him full time to get rid of the Deetz family. Although initially intrigued, within seconds of meeting the “bio-exorcist,” the Maitlands decide his methods are too gruesome for their plan. Betelgeuse is relentless, and even entices Lydia to free him. Upon discovering their interaction, the Maitlands quickly intervene and assure Lydia that Betelgeuse is not one with which to do business. Lydia, dying to escape the confines of her life and parents, wants to join Adam and Barbara in their afterlife, and is saddened to find they don’t want her in that way. Trapped between living parents that don’t hear her, and dead pseudo-parents who won’t allow their union in mutual death to come to fruition, Lydia is at her loneliest. Realizing that forcing the Deetz family out of their house would mean losing Lydia inspires the Maitlands to have a change of heart. Deciding to protect and keep Lydia is a decision that, in turn, begins to settle the Maitlands fear of the unknown of an afterlife. She may not have been the child they planned for, but she becomes the child they accept. In the penultimate scene, the feuding families join forces to banish greed from their lives. In an attempt for Charles to sell an employer on the idea of a paranormal resort, Otho performs a séance to summon the attic shut-in Maitlands. The séance is a success, but Adam and Barbara begin to decay. Panicked, Lydia summons Betelgeuse to save the Maitlands, a feat he agrees to, but with a catch: Lydia must marry him. Selflessly, Lydia agrees. As the wedding takes place, the Deetz parents are rendered powerless by Delia’s sculptures brought to life, while the Maitlands are restored and begin attempts to send Betelgeuse to whence he came. Prevented at every turn, Barbara is sent to “Saturn,” a realm in which the dead roam if out of their restricted bounds. She returns triumphantly on a sand snake, swallowing Betelgeuse whole and sending him back to the waiting room for the dead. Once gone, the families’ growing greed is abolished, and they reach compromise in their shared home. Beetlejuice is a film in which selflessness is valued and rewarded with serenity and prosperity. Delia allows the house to be restored to its original state, and is rewarded with critical acclaim for her formerly unnoticed sculptures. Charles consents to the Maitlands’ request for a private life in their own home and is granted with his initially sought serene lifestyle as well, not to mention a stronger bond with his daughter. Lydia finally finds acceptance at school and thrives, while the Maitlands get to assist in raising a child. In the final scene, Lydia comes home from school and is rewarded for her good grades. Her request is a fun, light, body suspension to sing Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line.” The song speaks to letting your body move to the music as opposed to dancing a routine. Sure, dancing any style of dance can be done, but Harry’s muse inspires him to advise: “you jump in the saddle, hold on to de bridle.” Seeking serenity is a constant treasure hunt, but learning to accept peace comes with the price of autocracy. Bernadette Gorman-White Bernadette graduated from DePauw University in 2011 with a Film Studies degree she’s not currently using. She constantly consumes television, film, and all things pop culture and will never be full. She doesn’t tweet much, but give her a follow @BeaGorman and see if that changes. #HorrorComedy #HorrorFantasy #BernadetteGorman #Beetlejuice #Newsletter #Review

Horror. My first love of a genre. I read Stephen King’s Cujo when I was 8 years old. The cover intrigued me while I was snooping through my parents’ bookcase. The cover even made me uneasy, before I knew it, that was what I craved most when it came to horror. That pure, uneasy feeling. The voluntary loss of comfort. ​My niche when it comes to horror has always been the slasher sub-genre. I couldn’t tell you honestly if it was the gore, the outright campiness or its gratuitous nature in general. A Nightmare on Elm Street was one of my first favorites, followed by Friday the 13th which ultimately became my go-to for years to come. It wasn’t until I was close to becoming a teenager that I finally discovered a horror film that once again brought me back to that uneasy place that I so very graciously volunteered to traverse: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. ​ From the opening of the film (voiced by a young, uncredited John Larroquette), a journey is set in motion that is, in no small words, a sensory overload. The sounds of old camera shutters snapping pictures, the slow pan and zooms that have the most slight unnatural feeling, the scenes that seem void of sound until one trivial noise is personified, to the very real and discomforting dialogue prior to our group's arrival at the dilapidated farmhouse followed by their latter fate. While watching this film it becomes apparent that most scenes, how they’re framed, shot and executed (no pun intended), will leave you wondering if they were indeed intentional or just a beautiful mash-up of low budget (mind you; shot for less than $300k), inexperienced actors and a hefty emphasis on not only the soundtrack but the sounds and visuals that accompanied each scene. Almost every scene in this film feels genuine and natural. The first few times I watched this movie it became abundantly clear why it intrigued me so much. This film is the grandfather of the slasher genre. The timing, the placement, the group of young twenty something's, the relentless, unstoppable killer. ​Any movie can invoke at least a feeling or two, here or there, but for one supremely unexpected film to hit every mark again and again until its absolute, abrupt ending there is no wonder why this film has solidified itself in the annals of American history. ​ Can you hear that generator? Michael Vierra He can't be bargained with. He can't be reasoned with. He doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And he absolutely will not stop... ever, until you watch more movies! #Newsletter #Articles #MichaelVierra

(WARNING: This article contains spoilers for “THE GUEST”) A super soldier makes it his mission to help a fallen comrade’s family, but ends up becoming the Michael Myers of Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard’s genre mash up, “The Guest.” A void is left in the home and hearts of the Peterson family after the death of their son, Caleb, during his time serving overseas. The film jumps right into it with the arrival of David (Dan Stevens) at the Peterson’s doorstep. He claims to have served with Caleb and was present to hear his dying wish: “…To check on ya’ll, you and your whole family here. He wanted me to tell you that he loved you. Specifically wanted me to tell each one of you…that he loved you and was thinking about you till the very end”. By the end of the film, David succeeds in communicating Caleb’s dying wish, while also leaving a trail of bodies, some of them being the Peterson's. David quickly (almost comically) fills the void left behind by Caleb. Throughout the film's first act, he begins to infiltrate the multiple tiers that make up the Peterson family by appealing to each character individually. First it’s Laura Peterson, (Sheila Kelley), the matriarch of the household. At the beginning of the film she is staring teary-eyed at a photo of the late Caleb, communicating to the audience that perhaps she is taking his death the hardest. When David arrives to tell her Caleb’s wish, she is overcome with emotion, refusing to let David stay at a motel, instead offering up Caleb’s old room as a place for him to stay the night. Next it’s Spencer Peterson, (Leland Orser), the father of the family. Spencer is originally the most resistant to David spending the night, afraid David might have “the PTSD.” But after a few late night brews with David, Spencer warms up to the idea of him staying not just the night, but a few nights. Luke Peterson, (Brendan Meyer), the youngest son of the family, is your typical anti-social, bullied high school student. David picks Luke up from school one day and follows the group of hooligans who have harass Luke to a local bar. Once there David entices the crew into a brawl, in which he beats the ever-loving shit out of them, in very over-the-top, action-hero-esque fashion. Finally, there’s Anna Peterson (Maika Monroe), the twenty year-old daughter of the family who eventually becomes the hero of the film. Anna’s parents coax her into inviting David to a party she’s going to and while there, David's basically the coolest dude at the party: bringing in two full kegs with his inhuman strength, smoking the Devil’s Lettuce (marijuana), hooking up with the host and winning another fight. On the ride home from the party, David is also a shoulder for Anna to lean on, post fighting with her boyfriend earlier in the scene. And by the end of the first act, there is seeded sexual tension between the two of them. At this point in the film David has filled the void left behind by the death of the Peterson’s eldest son. The second and third acts of the film are far more different: David becomes the antagonist, while Anna takes the position of the protagonist. It’s during the second act that we see David murder in cold blood, becoming a somewhat typical horror villain. It’s in the third act that we see David commit monstrous atrocities: stabbing Laura Peterson in the chest, shooting Spencer after hitting him with a car, murdering Anna’s best friend, then blowing up the diner they work at with frag grenades. David becomes the Anti-Action Hero, the evil Tom Cruise. This however is not fully David’s fault because of one key plot point: his neurological condition. Anna’s first red flag that David may not be who he claims to be is when overhearing a phone call he’s having one early morning. David’s talking to a plastic surgeon, asking for a new face and the erasing of his finger prints. Anna looks into his past, learning that David Anderson Collins died months prior in a military hospital by way of an oxygen tank accident. We eventually learn that David is one of the failed test subjects of ‘Project Aegolius," a secret military experiment designed to create super soldiers. Major Carver, (Lance Reddick), the man who was in charge of Project Aegolius, tells Anna of David’s condition: “David has a neurological condition, Miss Peterson. Designed to protect him and the experiment. If he feels like his identity may be compromised he… he’s programmed to clean up all loose ends. I doubt he could stop himself now even if he wanted to.” This brief paragraph of heavy exposition reveals that this horror film's monster is indeed self-aware. David can essentially be broken down into two distinct characters in the film: the version of David in an environment where he feels safe, and the version of David where his programming is triggered. But both types are hidden under his beautiful, monotone face. In the very beginning of the film when Laura tells David he should spend the night at the house, David tries to say no, claiming he wanted to stay a night at the motel up the road then catch a bus to Florida in the morning. It is revealed that the surgeon that would do David’s identity-altering procedure works out of Florida, implying that staying with the Peterson family for any amount of time more than keeping his promise to Caleb is time he wasn’t planning on, essentially making all the time he spends with Peterson’s, and all the acts of kindness he does for them, genuine. David is a man who was broken and put back together, which explains his unusual, monotone demeanor. Is beating up high school freshmen at a bar a true act of kindness? Not really, but in his eyes it might be the only solution he understands. This mindset is further explored with Spencer. In the scene where Spencer first begins warming up to David, he explains that he’ll never get a promotion at his current job because he doesn’t have a college degree. Fast forward a half hour in movie-time and Spencer nervously explains to his family the mysterious suicide his boss committed, making Spencer the new regional manager. In a scene where Anna tells the family that she’s been looking into David’s past, he corners her afterwards and makes a plea of sorts: “I promised Caleb I would do anything I could to help your family. I’ll be moving on in a couple of days, so you don’t need to put up with me much longer.” David’s basically saying, “if you continue to look into this, I’m going to have to kill you.” David knows full well what his programming can make him do. He doesn’t want an identity change to go a vengeful murder spree; he wants it because he will be liberated. Without his old face he will no longer be recognizable, and if he’s unrecognizable his programming cannot be triggered. It is once the military tries to take out David at the Peterson household that he becomes fully triggered and the events that turn David into a villain begin. Once David’s identity is compromised he has to erase the evidence, that being in this case, the Peterson family. In a similar fashion to how he infiltrates the family, he begins to take them out. During the seize of the house, Laura is hiding in the kitchen and yells at David, “Did you even know my son?” “I did…yes, we were in the same program, and he would understand what I have to do here.” This implies that Caleb was also a brainwashed super solider, and after this quote he murders Laura. He then takes out the entire military squad chasing him (sans Major Carver, naturally) and goes on to kill Spencer, then Anna’s best friend, all the witnesses, and eventually Major Carver himself (naturally). The only reason Luke and Anna survive is because David fakes his own death. The film ends with Luke and Anna, sitting in the back of an ambulance outside the wreckage of the high school gym, where their final stand-off with David took place. The last scene of the film contains a limping fireman exiting, who is revealed to be David. Anna notices but it doesn’t matter. With all of the military personnel who knew David’s secret now deceased, along with the Peterson elders murdered, David is free, and the children survived, but at a very, very high cost. Robert Anderson Robert has a degree in Screenwriting and Playwriting and works in multiple genres. He's just your typical man-child who enjoys most things nerd culture. You can follow him on Twitter @RoBaeBae #Newsletter #Articles #RobertAnderson #TheGuest #Perspective

The first thing that one could realize after watching, The Babadook is that it is not a horror movie. One could view it as a subversive, deep dive into ideas of grief, loneliness, troubled desperation and an inability to cope with reality. But, as most horror movies go, both are true, you silly movie watcher you. Using the titular character as an allegory for the deep-seeded, unnerving emotions rattling around our protagonist’s brain, it is never revealed whether said monster is in fact real or not. The audience is left to their own devices (and past understandings of the evidence shown) to answer the question the film so subtlety asks: how do you rid yourself of something you unknowingly let in, be it a monster of doubt or an unstable emotion that threatens to destroy everything around you? The answer presented to the audience for consideration at the closing moments of the film, is that you never rid yourself of it. You fight to kill it, you try to distance yourself from it, but you’ll never be rid of it. It stays with you forever, for it is a part of you and you are just as much a part of it. The best you can do is to lock it in a basement, feed it from time to time, and take the bad days as willingly as the good ones come. Jennifer Kent’s film is paced with the surgical precision of just that: slowly slicing away at the obvious to reveal the meat and the bone of the underlining story. Our protagonist’s journey ventures from docile and weak to overly paranoid and extremely dangerous, only to fall back, after acceptance to a more comfortable docile and stronger sense of what she thought was weak. Mike Burdge Founder of and programmer for Story Screen. Lover of stories and pizza in the dark. When he isn't watching movies, you can find him reading things about people watching movies. He lives in Beacon, NY with his cat who is named after Kevin Bacon's character from Friday the 13th. #Newsletter #Review #MikeBurdge

All October long, we'll be bringing you an awesomely curated selection of horror flicks from the past 50 years! Quinn's, Harry's Hot Sandwiches, More Good, Stock-Up, Dogwood and Ella's Bellas have all donated their spaces for screenings, so whether you want to revisit an old favorite or check out something new, join us for some scary movies! One year ago, Story Screen moved from showing the occasional awesome flick to something far more desperate, far more careless, far more monstrous, to the point of straight-up-fool-hardy nonsense: we decided to show two horror movies a week, all throughout Beacon, for free. No set screen. No set location. If you love horror movies this month - the way we love them all year round- you’d come. And it worked, far more than we ever could have “nightmared.” Because of the success of the Beacon HorrorShow, Story Screen was able to move out of the solitary (yet, still, totally cool) confines of certain settings throughout Beacon and into the larger audience we so desperately wanted to entertain. After a year's worth of awesome programming, genuine crowd appreciation and head-first experimentation, we arrive back at the beginning. Horror movies. We screened 9 timeless scary flicks last year. This year we bring you 13. Last year we hoped to spread the love of both little known horror films, as well as some classics we all wanted to see on the big screen with a crowd screaming around and with us. This year we curated our schedule around a more specific question: what makes horror movies so damn interesting? Our answer (at least for this year) is metaphor. The greatest of the horror flick icons are those immortalized by mask and name: Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Charles (Chucky) Lee Ray, Freddy Krueger, etc. These movies all share a metaphor for the loss of innocence: doing something you shouldn’t, breaking the rules, in a sense, being an asshole, in one way or another. Drugs. Sex. Alcohol. Whether you’re babysitting or running a camp, for goodness sake, will you just do your job?!! Because if you don’t, a guy shows up and kills you and all of your friends. A good metaphor lies right in plain sight but is clouded by the story, characters, setting and tone of the film you are watching. When it comes to horror films, any of those attributes can be highlighted or buried to express the intended “lesson” you are meant to learn. Like all ghost stories, even horror films have a lesson. Each and every one. Even those super weird ones on Netflix. This month we delve into metaphors for grief (THE BABADOOK, PET SEMETARY), obsession (SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE, SLITHER), isolation (THE GUEST, THE CRAFT) and much, much more. We hope you’ll join us for these screenings of classic and new films from the horror world for our month-long BEACON HORRORSHOW PART II. Mike Burdge Founder of and programmer for Story Screen. Lover of stories and pizza in the dark. When he isn't watching movies, you can find him reading things about people watching movies. He lives in Beacon, NY with his cat who is named after Kevin Bacon's character from Friday the 13th. #Newsletter #MikeBurdge

“Civility is not saying negative or harsh things. It is not the absence of critical analysis. It is the manner in which we are sharing this territorial freedom of political discussion. If our discourse is yelled and screamed and interrupted and patronized, that’s uncivil.” -Richard Dreyfuss Politics. You used to be able to say it was boring. Ho boy, you definitely can't say that today and be considered a person who does not, in fact, live under a rock. The political world today is a fiercely alive animal, and a revolutionary one at that. Change is happening, regardless of who is winning or profiting. For better or worse, after November 8th, 2016, our country will be changed for the foreseeable future. Who wants to watch some movies? This September, Story Screen has partnered up with People for Beacon, as well as a handful of other intelligible, local businesses and organizations, to bring a sweeping political series that covers the problems and key points that are most relevant to our country's current political and public system. We call it Poliflicks. Because we like puns. And pundits. See? Join us all month long as we present political documentaries and dramas screened in Beacon, NY that we hope will not only entertain, but inform. From political scandals to false democracies to media manipulation to racial profiling and more, our programming this month hopes to touch on as many important topics as we can. To help us fill this roster, Howland Cultural Center, Harry's Hot Sandwiches and Stock-Up have offered their spaces for screenings throughout the month, as well as our normal operating schedule at More Good every Sunday. Guest speakers and surprises abound, as usual. We'll even be offering some Free Screenings all month! Please, check out our screening schedule for September and join us. -Mike Burdge of Story Screen The thrill of citizenship; existential crises and their possible remedies; the promise of collective action. These films are love letters to the struggles of our age, and seeing them gives us not only the chance to learn something useful, but to do so together, as communities hold the power to shape their destinies. -Alex Reed Kelly of People for Beacon We’re living in a society where we have been afforded access to information right in the palm of our hands, and yet knowledge and understanding about the laws and systems that govern and affect our lives most seem to be less known among the general population. IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT! There’s a lot going on out there. A lot of pages to visit, things to read, opinions to consider, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information being thrown at us and to feel that we simply do not have enough time to weed through and digest it all. Enter Poliflicks, a politically charged documentary/drama film series tackling a number of different themes and issues through the month of September. I do believe that documentary films can help to drive social and cultural change through their use of storytelling and so help widen our access and depth of information in ways that other forms of media cannot. I am certain that the documentaries we have selected for this series will not only leave you feeling more informed, but inspired and motivated for change and to take action. Did I mention there’ll be popcorn? -Sarah A. Salem of People for Beacon #Politiflicks #PeopleForBeacon #Newsletter

What indignities can one endure to survive? What is the true strength of young girls and women? Is it their resilience in the face of a world trying to break them, or something else entirely? What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom? There is no style of storytelling more engaging than a coming of age story; a character faced with the reality of a world both indifferent and actively hostile towards their realization of selfhood, encountering the honest few willing to aid in that struggle. Gaining the strength to be self-possessed, while not allowing others to destroy that sense of self, creates a unique opportunity for an audience to learn not just about a character, but to learn something about themselves. Even more so, if it’s the story of a young girl. Add complex relationships between women and you have the trappings of a feminist’s dream film. “Spirited Away,” directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and “The Diary of A Teenage Girl,” directed by Marielle Heller, demonstrate the resonance and necessity of young girls’ stories. In “Spirited Away” Chihiro’s mission to rescue her parents from the spirit world she finds herself trapped in transforms her from a typical ten year old into her own savior. Similarly in “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” Minnie is the master of discovering herself and her relationship to sexuality while overcoming the judgments of those who would shame her for it. “Mustang,” directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, delivers on all these aspects and more. Told from the view of Lale – played wondrously by Günes Sensoy – the youngest of five orphaned sisters; the experiences of joy and love she shares with her sisters comprise the heart of the film. Skipping off after school to play games at the beach comes into stark contrast with facing down an armed farmer in an apple grove. This ability to shift moods in a moment, to go from warmth and light to cold isolation, to create life & death tension and fear in these girls, keeps the audience on edge early on in the film. “Mustang” portrays coming of age in its characters’ confrontation of harsh realities. When the girls’ uncle, Erol, takes them to have their chastity validated by male doctors their discomfort and tension in the waiting room is palpable. Sonay, Selma, and Ece, as the eldest sisters, are subjected to a physical examination while Lale and Nur are spared as they have not yet reached sexual maturity. While they are out, their grandmother confiscates their “corruptive” belongings and cuts off their communication with the outside world in an effort to stymy their free-spirited exploration of self. Trapped in a house with not even school as an escape, the girls revel and sneak out to a soccer match all the village girls are attending. As they sneak past their guardians, fear of punishment is mentioned and dismissed: “At least something will happen.” When they return home, their grandmother’s punishment is to arrange marriage for Sonay and Selma. On the night of their wedding, Lale comforts a depressed Selma and encourages her to run away if she does not want to go through with the marriage. Selma understands it is not so simple, “Istanbul is 1,000 kilometers away. And I can’t drive.” Warren Ellis’ score is by turns beautiful and haunting. It falls away imperceptibly and reemerges without fanfare, serving and elevating a scene all at once. There are echoes of scenes throughout the film, shots framed in the same way that serve in sharp relief to the joy experienced early on. Early on in their captivity the girls “swim” in their bed sheets in bathing suits; they find joy and comfort in each other’s company. As the elder girls are ritually married off, Lale is left alone with Nur. Though they play the same game, their distress is palpable. As Lale’s experiences of loss pile up, so too does the visual isolation. The first time we meet the girls’ grandmother she berates them for playing with boys. It is not until later when their uncle Erol arrives home that it becomes clear her wrongdoing towards the girls is her way of trying to protect them from his violent temper. Erol locks the girls away and keeps them from attending school. His disdain for their “disrespectful” existence under his roof and the expense he has incurred by taking them in, is the catalyst for their grandmother’s wife training and matchmaking. If she gets them out of the house in an honorable way, they have some hope of escaping his abuse. What is clear is that she does not realize how much harm she is causing the girls in turn by attempting to marry them off to strangers. The girls sneak out to attend a soccer match that only women are permitted to attend – the men have rioted so much they’ve been banned. They miss the group van to the match and stop the next vehicle headed in the same direction; a transport truck driven by a young man named Yazin. Yazin refuses to help them at first, fearful of losing his job if they are discovered. The eldest sister, Sonay, wears him down and Lale uses her argument against him later in the film – they are both taking an equal risk in spending time together. It is this friendship forged in mutual risk and trust from which Lale gains the skills and assistance she needs to escape her confinement. The girls’ aunt Emine is in charge of their cooking lessons. She appears docile and meek, but she is the one who teaches Lale how to make homemade gum; something that her uncle would surely disapprove of given his reaction to his niece Ece chewing gum early in the film. It is she who protects the girls from certain corporal punishment when they sneak out to the soccer match and she spots them on television. Emine cuts power to the entire village so the girls’ secret is not exposed. In her own way, she is rebelling too, showing adaptability and strength in quiet insubordination. At the beginning of the film Lale bids a tearful goodbye to her teacher, Dilek, who is moving to Istanbul. The role of a teacher in a student’s life is one that borders on and crosses into the territory of a parent-child relationship. The closeness and nurturing nature of their relationship is evident when Dilek gives Lale her personal address. Lale guards this information in what seems at first to be a typical child-like forgetfulness, but is truly her desire to put off acknowledging the reality of her absence. When things become dire for her and Nur she digs it out again; it is her one hope for escape and survival. Lale’s indomitable spirit, toughness and smarts, make you root for her. As the stakes get higher, she works even harder and formulates a truly daring, dangerous, and brave plan to change her and Nur’s circumstances. Not until she has soundly defended her values does she allow a moment’s weakness. As a friend skillfully put it: “If you don’t cry while watching this film, you just might not have a soul.” Liz Velez Liz has a background in film & television production and has worked with NBC, Comedy Central, VH1, and Spotify. Her interests include diversity/representation in media, gender & sexuality politics, social justice and the impact of pop culture in shaping popular opinion. She also slays at drunken karaoke. You can follow her on Twitter @telitlikeitliz #LizVelez #Mustang #Newsletter #Review

Let's get some full disclosure out-of-the-way: I've been doing Story Screen in Beacon, NY now for about 2 years. I don't know if that “about” means less than two years or a little bit more, I just know that I've been doing Story Screen for a while now, and I've talked to a lot of people about it. There's always been the question that goes along with having a name like Story Screen that begs to be asked, “What is it?” Story Screen is a bunch of different things to everybody, mainly me. Every time I get asked the question, I always think about the person I'm talking to before I answer. What kinds of things do they like? What kinds of movies do I think they would enjoy, what are they into? That's what makes answering the question so odd. Very simply put: Story Screen is a screen that tells a story. Story Screen is a love project of what it feels like to sit in a room and have a story told to you where the light is not from a fire, but from the images projected in front of you, whether it's on LED screens, 30mm or digital projectors, anything. Story Screen is about bringing people together to watch a story, not just to listen or learn, but to watch. It’s about giving yourself the opportunity to learn and feel and possibly even grow as a person from the story you take part in. I’m not saying every person is going to have a moral breakthrough when they watch, “Transformers 6: The Silent Army,” but it is possible to learn something even from a film you don’t agree with or do not even necessarily like. Story is defined as an account of imaginary or real people and events, told for entertainment. Story is important. To this humble little writer, it’s the most important thing that has ever and probably will ever exist. Story is who we are as a person, as people, as things. Our memories are our own stories, and we get to build upon and hold back whatever we choose, to whomever we choose, to paint a picture of it. From books to music, paintings and poetry, to sculptures and buildings and bridges and signs and roads and phones: an artist’s job is to tell a story. That’s what all art is; any medium, it’s a story. Film connects with a story through a combination of multiple mediums of art to form one cohesive display, and it is one of the most beautiful art forms that has ever existed. One of the greatest attributes that film has is that the imagination is specific. Film allows you to look at a gigantic, fantastic, wonderful world, seen through the eyes of one person: the director, bringing together hundreds to thousands, to even millions of different people, who work together to bring that one single vision to life: the story. As Story Screen grows to showcase films from all backgrounds, genres and varieties, we hope it will become clearer to everyone (including me) just what Story Screen can be. We can’t do it by ourselves and honestly, we don’t want to. We want to construct a film culture in the Hudson Valley that can be a beacon for those to come and immerse themselves in the art form that they love. Because what’s the point of sharing some of the most wonderful, imaginative tales of our world if the light and sound of our screen only hits empty chairs in a dark room? Mike Burdge Founder of and programmer for Story Screen, Beacon native, lover of stories. When he isn't watching movies, you can find him reading things about people watching movies. #MikeBurdge #Newsletter #Articles

An egotistical CEO, a naïve computer programmer and a trapped artificial intelligence are the major players in Alex Garland’s critically acclaimed film, Ex Machina. The film begins with Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) winning the adventure of a lifetime, a week-long retreat to the estate of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), the illustrious CEO of Blue Book, a software company with a powerful, Google-esq, search engine. Upon Caleb’s arrival, he learns his “prize,” is to be the human component of Nathan’s Turing Test of a “living, breathing artificial intelligence,” Ava (Alicia Vikander). Over the course of the film, Caleb develops sympathy for Ava, seeing her as a damsel in distress, while she views Caleb as a means of escape. Ex Machina constantly begs the question, “What does it mean to be human?” As Caleb’s sympathy for Ava grows, he goes as far as to cut open his own skin, making sure it is flesh and blood instead of circuits and gears. Ava, the focal point of empathy throughout the entire film, is trying to convince the audience that she is not all that different from a human, as well as convince Caleb she is not all that different from a woman. The least human character in the film seems to be Nathan Bateman. Sharing a last name with famous film sociopath, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Nathan is just that. A man embodied so much in his ego he has become distant from humanity. In the latter half of the film, we find ‘skeletons’ in Nathan’s closet, the previous AI models, now deactivated and strung up in cabinets like vertical android coffins. Regardless of how human Nathan’s creations look, he is so desensitized from them that he can only perceive them as machines. Nathan, one of the most colorful characters in the film, juxtaposed against his shallow, inhuman actions, really makes up his character: a genius sociopath with a God complex. It is pure dramatic irony to have Nathan be the one to test Ava’s consciousness. The Turing Test, developed by Alan Turing in 1950, evaluates a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Ava’s physical form is very distinguishable from that of a human, the only ‘skin’ she has is on her face, while the rest of her body is visibly mechanical. During her sessions with Caleb, she actively flirts with him, which eventually wins over his sympathies. Nathan later reveals that the real test was to evaluate Ava’s attempt to escape his facility, using all the resources she has at her disposal. “Ava was a rat in a maze, and I gave her one way out. To escape she’d have to use self-awareness, imagination, manipulation, sexuality, empathy...and she did. If that isn’t true A.I., what the fuck is?” Nathan reveals this to Caleb after his coup d'etat was seemingly a failure. Ava’s escape tools were turning the tropes of being human into the spoon that would slowly chisel her way out of a cell. She passes Nathan’s test with flying colors, not only does she escape the facility, she fully assimilates into human life by the end of the film. The last few moments of the film harken back to a quote by Caleb in an earlier scene, when he describes a thought experiment called “Mary in the Black and White Room.” Caleb describes a scientist named Mary, who studies color and lives in a room that is black and white, where she can only experience the rest of the world through a black and white monitor. She knows everything there is to know about color, but has never experienced color herself firsthand. While in the room gathering data on color, she is a machine. When she leaves the room and experiences color for the first time, in a way, she is human, she is conscious. Ava’s black and white room is the idea of humanity. Nathan tells us in the film that Ava’s ability to interact with other humans is the product of him hacking every cell phone camera and microphone across the planet, giving him the data he needed to give Ava believable facial and vocal interactions. She is born knowing everything there is to know about being human. She is born being able to communicate, she is aware of customs like romance and and is capable of making works of art, but while in her cage, with the less-than-human Nathan as her creator and overseer, she is still a machine. Just as Caleb is the human component of the Turing Test, he is also the ‘color’ of the Mary thought experiment. Caleb is Ava’s first real experience of human contact; it is in their first session that she is awoken with consciousness and the first thing she does with her new found awareness is to attempt to escape Nathan’s cage. In Judith Butler’s essay, “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution,” she quotes Simone de Beauvoir as saying: “One is not born a woman, but, rather, becomes a woman. In this sense gender is no way a stable identity or locus of agency from which various acts proceed.” While Ava is in the confines of Nathan’s home, her gender - an umbrella that includes her sexuality and femininity - is only another tool at her disposal. In the film when Caleb asks Nathan why he assigned Ava a specific gender, Nathan argues that she would have no imperative to interact with anyone without gender. This however, is not true. If Ava is a conscious, captured creature, whose only goal is to escape captivity, then THAT is her imperative to interact. For the entirety of the movie Ava is genderless and not human. Her flirtations with Caleb are a tactical escape plan that involve the utilization of her assigned gender. It is only AFTER her escape, during the film’s denouement that she becomes human and a woman. It is after Nathan’s death that she takes the skin from the other failed A.I. and constructs her feminine body. It is only after she walks out of Nathan’s estate for the first time and experiences nature, that she becomes truly human. The driving forces that facilitate Ava’s escape are the male egos of Caleb and Nathan. Nathan’s estate is a small-scale patriarchy kingdom, with an entourage of robotic female slaves. He has a God complex and his mind is clouded by his own intellect. Nathan has no intention of releasing Ava; even if she proves to have complete consciousness, he will never view her as anything more than a machine. This is Nathan’s downfall. By invalidating Ava’s status as a living consciousness, he is blinded to her ability to succeed in escaping his facility. He never suspects that she would be one step ahead of him. Caleb facilitates Ava’s escape by falling for the classic ‘damsel in distress’ trope. He belittles her intellect by seeing her as a victim. Ava understands this immediately. She puts herself in the role of the romantic victim, knowing full well that it will be the only way she can escape. Leaving one with the question of, “Why does Ava leave Caleb for dead in Nathan’s facility at the end of the movie?” Perhaps just as Nathan would never validate her as a being with consciousness, Caleb will never validate Ava as an independent woman. In the post-escape world of Ex Machina, if Ava were to bring Caleb back to civilization with her, her escape would not be her own, it would be a product of Caleb’s ‘heroics.’ Ava is independent and conscious enough to have desire, a desire to make her escape HER design, not Caleb’s, nor anyone else’s. Ex Machina masterfully injects feminist theory and design into an already tried and true genre. As the audience we are constantly rooting for Ava’s escape. While we are not calling for the death of Nathan (at first) or the trapping of nice guy Caleb, by the end of film we understand their fates. Without either of them, Ava lives in no man’s shadow, she steps out into the world and experiences what it means to be human, victorious and for the first time. Robert Anderson Robert has a degree in Screenwriting and Playwriting and works in multiple genres. He's just your typical man-child who enjoys most things nerd culture. You can follow him on Twitter @RoBaeBae #RobertAnderson #ExMachina #Theory #Articles #Newsletter