~🤡🤡~
What is it about the need to push the boundary of where life meets death? What is it about the arrogance of humans to encroach, not just upon one another, but upon nature in all of its facets? We rape, murder, and steal from one another; we bulldoze and plunder the very planet on which we depend; and we leverage the long arm of science to attempt to revive others who have gone from this plane, encroaching upon death itself.
The sci-fi horror sub-genre is filled with scientists who have gone too far, pushing the bounds into realms we really ought not be flirting with. From Birth/Rebirth and Lazarus Effect to the entire Alien franchise, doctors and scientists in horror hold a special place as harbingers of the doom in a myriad of ways.
In keeping with the Classic Horror theme of eccentric doctors and the horrors they unleash upon their communities—with The Electric Chair and The Extraordinary Experiment of Dr. Calgroni—we present to you this rather short list of modern horror depicting doctors and scientists going way too far.
We here at the Calamity hope you enjoy these films and the cautionary tales they represent. In both films, the arrogance of Man to attempt to pierce the veil and bring back someone results in their bringing back something instead. The consequences are, of course, exactly what you might imagine.
You’ll find the review of Birth/Rebirth below, a well-made film whose first half serves as a deliciously, albeit somewhat disturbing, slow burn, building up to the horror ensuing in the latter half of the film. The film is compelling enough to warrant a two clown rating via the Calamity's JEST scale.
*The Calamity Content Rating System is backwards: the less clowns, the better. For a full expository article on this system, direct your attention here.
Find the list on Letterboxd here:
There’s nothing supernatural or fantastical about it. This is good science and hard work over time.
What can we say about our resident pathologist, Dr. Rosaline Casper? She is cold. She is calculating. She is no frills, no nonsense, direct, and insufferable in her pursuit of her research. There is no ethical concern too steep, no legal guardrail too high capable of preventing Dr. Casper from achieving her goals.
In the opening moments of the film, we are fast-tracked through an introduction of Dr. Casper’s character, as we watch her severe and unrelenting interaction with her coworker, and then her cold and calculating performance with a patron of the bar. These are two scenes serving to guide us in our understanding of the pathologist, which include a subtle provision of clues as to the more sinister nature of the doctor and her disregard for ethics. This becomes apparent a little farther in the film, and is something that needs to be looked out for—a passive viewing experience will have you missing such details.
And what about our dear Cecilia Morales? A nurse with a heart of gold, a desire to help and heal, and an empathy that is palpable in just about every one of her interactions with her patients and Dr. Casper—who she comes to call Rose, as they become more familiar. This empathy, we will see, becomes secondary to Cecilia’s insatiable drive to do everything within her power to provide a good life for her daughter.
“Good life,” of course, becoming questionable in its definition as the film unfolds.
Continued after the break
on sale now
The gift of time is, for many, an incredible gift indeed. Unless, of course, it is not a gift at all and arrives with a cost in excess of what one may be willing to pay …A tale from the Odds ‘n’ Endings Boutique.
Spoilers lie within
Cecilia is at once distraught by the news of the death of her daughter, and proceeds to investigate, seeking closure that is not fast in coming. Unwilling to let go, she becomes an accomplice to Dr. Casper’s research as the pathologist attempts to revive Cecilia’s daughter. What begins as a simple matter of observation turns into the active participation of the sabotage of another woman’s pregnancy, all for the sake of returning her daughter to a functional state.
Because I have, every time, with every new variable at the expense of my work! This ad hoc triage I’ve been doing isn’t science.
Cecilia struggles with the ethical ramifications of affecting a patient’s pregnancy, but she doesn’t put up much of a fight. Dr. Casper—Rose—shrugs off the concerns, and Cecilia resigns to following through with the plan, and thus do we see Cecilia begin to slip from staunch humanist to research assistant and accomplice. At first, all is going well, minus the occasional hiccup. This, however, does not last as Rose suffers a severe physiological setback. This leads to questionable actions on behalf of both Rose and Cecilia, terminating any shred of innocence Cecilia may have been holding onto. The web of deception they weave ensnares a third party—unknowing and unwilling—in Emily Parker, a pregnant woman whose vitals match those necessary to keep Cecilia’s daughter alive.
The three women—Rose, Cecilia, and Emily Parker, the pregnant woman caught in Rose and Cecilia’s web—begin falling apart as care for Cecilia’s daughter takes a dark twist. Rose and Cecilia spiral down into madness, with Emily falling first into despair and then succumbing to Cecilia’s panic.
Don’t you walk away from me, you mad scientist, princess bitch!
In the end, Cecilia becomes the antithesis of the person she believed herself to be in the beginning. And Rose? Rose remains rose to the end: cold and calculating. Surely there’s a moral in this? Cecilia’s lack of conviction in a strong, principled foundation led to her general principles crumbling. In the end, she was no less the creature Dr. Casper always was.
Well that was dark, wasn’t it? Of course, this is why you’re here. We read and watch the macabre to be disturbed, to be titillated, and to walk away with just a little greater awareness of ourselves.
Or at least you should, you degenerate. Don’t be like Rose, and don’t be like Cecilia willing to become like Rose.
Anyway, thank you for attending our little cinematic excursion! Please do go watch the movies and feel free to drop your own commentary here or on Letterboxd! We hope you enjoyed the show.
And mark your calendar to return next Thursday for another List!
Please, for the love of all that is unholy and calamitous in this world, please let us know what you think of this content! The buttons below will each take you to a respective survey consisting of two to three questions. Your opinions will help shape the future of Backstage at the Calamity.