Suitable FleshWhat draws people into darkness? The suggestion of power beyond measure? Of immortality, perhaps? Or is it the pleasures of the flesh? Maybe all of the above. Suitable Flesh is a horror movie loosely (very loosely) adapted from the H.P. Lovecraft story titled "The Thing on the Doorstep". A psychiatrist named Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham) has a young patient named Asa Waite (Judah Lewis), a presumed schizophrenic, who seduces her while he's under the influence of an alternate "personality". But while in Asa's embrace, the two swap bodies, and Elizabeth comes to realize that Asa wanted her body in more ways than one...
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Back in the Eighties, a pair of horror movies adapted from Lovecraft's works were made: Re-Animator and From Beyond. Both starred Barbara Crampton--who also stars in Suitable Flesh as Elizabeth's colleague, Dr. Daniella Upton--and both were written by Dennis Paoli, who also writes this film. In essence, Suitable Flesh is a send-up to this kind of unorthodox body horror movie. Suitable Flesh is set in the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts, which has also been featured in Lovecraft's stories. It is a place where cosmic horror always seems to be lurking in the the shadows, and where doctors and scientists always seem to be just a step away from going completely bonkers. Directed by Joe Lynch, Suitable Flesh is a very self-aware movie, drawing a great deal of inspiration from the aforementioned films directed by Stuart Gordon. Sex and gore are replete in Suitable Flesh, yet are presented in a way that is in keeping with that older era of filmmaking; you will hear a saxophone a lot in the steamier moments. Nevertheless, the most graphic aspects of Suitable Flesh are actually the blood splatter and violence instead of any nudity, which is minimal. The violence is often so deliberately over the top that it is frequently played for laughs. A favorite example of this is when Elizabeth repeatedly backs into someone, and the violence is displayed on the vehicle's backup camera, constantly zooming in on the victim. It's impossible not to chuckle at such an innovative yet bizarre way of depicting this brutality. Casting is also deliberate, and not just Crampton's crucial participation. Heather Graham has made a career off of taking daring roles that capitalize on her attractiveness, including Boogie Nights, as well as roles that are decidedly strange or off-kilter, such as the protagonist in Compulsion, and even a throwaway role in Horns. This adds an overtly sexual dimension to her turn as Elizabeth, but more importantly, it also adds something unpredictable and prone to falling into chaos at any moment--a crucial flavor for this movie.
One of the defining characteristics of horror is that it defies logic...at least enough to make the plot remain plausible yet appropriately uncanny. Suitable Flesh--like its predecessors--runs with this idea, even if a bit too far off of the edge of plausibility. It's very odd too think that Elizabeth would suddenly find herself fantasizing about Asa in the midst of making love with her handsome and doting husband, Edward (Johnathon Schaech), not least of all because Asa is a patient. But like with Crampton's Dr. Katherine McMichaels in From Beyond, Elizabeth appears to be predisposed to shed her superficially uptight persona as a good girl and indulge in something more dangerous following Asa's "invitation". If one were so inclined, one could see Suitable Flesh as a metaphor for the eternal struggle between the id and superego, to put it in Freudian terms. Everything is just too perfect for Elizabeth, and Asa's inappropriate advances during their intake session forces her to confront a deeper, self-destructive impulse. Of course the same conclusion could be drawn about virtually all of the cosmic horror from Lovecraft--that is, humanity masks its darker impulses, if only just. And that those impulses originate from a realm beyond our understanding. It's heady stuff, and Suitable Flesh only teases at it's existence--and that's a good thing. I can think of few things more insufferable than listening to a Lovecraft fan explain all of the Elder Gods at me. It's far more exciting to have these shadowy scions of darkness remain undefined, save for what terrors we can imagine. Nevertheless, for you Lovecraft aficionados out there, despite Suitable Flesh taking liberties with the source material, there is a thrill at Asa's incantation to "Kamog"--including the rejoicing echo of "Ia! Ia!", found in works like "The Shadow Over Innsmouth"--getting acknowledged here. Whether you like Lovecraft's writing or not, it's evident that his vivid stories and writing have inspired countless imitators and fans, and Suitable Flesh is a perfect example of how those vintage tales of primal terror can find a home in even contemporary settings.
Recommended for: Fans of the cult-favorite horror flicks from the Eighties by Dennis Paoli, Barbara Crampton, et al, as well as for fans of the Cthulhu Mythos. Splattery horror films come a dime a dozen, but Suitable Flesh is something special--not just as an homage to a style of filmmaking from yesteryear, but as a fevered nightmare given...flesh. Ia! Ia!
One of the defining characteristics of horror is that it defies logic...at least enough to make the plot remain plausible yet appropriately uncanny. Suitable Flesh--like its predecessors--runs with this idea, even if a bit too far off of the edge of plausibility. It's very odd too think that Elizabeth would suddenly find herself fantasizing about Asa in the midst of making love with her handsome and doting husband, Edward (Johnathon Schaech), not least of all because Asa is a patient. But like with Crampton's Dr. Katherine McMichaels in From Beyond, Elizabeth appears to be predisposed to shed her superficially uptight persona as a good girl and indulge in something more dangerous following Asa's "invitation". If one were so inclined, one could see Suitable Flesh as a metaphor for the eternal struggle between the id and superego, to put it in Freudian terms. Everything is just too perfect for Elizabeth, and Asa's inappropriate advances during their intake session forces her to confront a deeper, self-destructive impulse. Of course the same conclusion could be drawn about virtually all of the cosmic horror from Lovecraft--that is, humanity masks its darker impulses, if only just. And that those impulses originate from a realm beyond our understanding. It's heady stuff, and Suitable Flesh only teases at it's existence--and that's a good thing. I can think of few things more insufferable than listening to a Lovecraft fan explain all of the Elder Gods at me. It's far more exciting to have these shadowy scions of darkness remain undefined, save for what terrors we can imagine. Nevertheless, for you Lovecraft aficionados out there, despite Suitable Flesh taking liberties with the source material, there is a thrill at Asa's incantation to "Kamog"--including the rejoicing echo of "Ia! Ia!", found in works like "The Shadow Over Innsmouth"--getting acknowledged here. Whether you like Lovecraft's writing or not, it's evident that his vivid stories and writing have inspired countless imitators and fans, and Suitable Flesh is a perfect example of how those vintage tales of primal terror can find a home in even contemporary settings.
Recommended for: Fans of the cult-favorite horror flicks from the Eighties by Dennis Paoli, Barbara Crampton, et al, as well as for fans of the Cthulhu Mythos. Splattery horror films come a dime a dozen, but Suitable Flesh is something special--not just as an homage to a style of filmmaking from yesteryear, but as a fevered nightmare given...flesh. Ia! Ia!