American Mary

This was sent to me by the Soska sisters (@twisted_twins), thank you... I guess.

I say, "I guess" because the trailer for American Mary taught me something about myself as one, odd as it may be, who truly enjoys viewing movie trailers.  It taught me that when it comes to viewing certain types of "gore," I have become a bit of a lightweight.  So, Jen and Sylvia, it's not you, it's me...

That said, can I say that sometimes gore can be tastefully presented?  There's a story here and while I grimaced a few times I didn't look away.  So, in this case could tasteful mean, not too gratuitous?

What interests me more than the actions of a - let's not pull punches here - butcher, is what motivates such a human creature.  The teaser trailer for American Mary tells the story of a medical school drop-out who has found another use for her surgical skills.  Devo were medical school drop-outs but they chose to play music as an outlet for their.... um... creativity.

Mary is a cold and calculating beast, clearly.  Mary, however, is more than that. There is icy precision in her actions throughout the trailer and the question I ask myself is: Does this madness stem from an almost artistic, psychotic obsession to practice "body modification" or is there something inside Mary that stems from personal shock or trauma that has manifested into a need that she must fulfil?  Ain't pop psychology, fun?

The other question for me is a simple one: are the people that she practices her "art/butchery" on, willing or perhaps "deserving" in Mary's eyes?  Eyes which are frighteningly cold, by the way - nice casting.

The trailer closes with a "Mengele" reference. Dr. Josef Mengele, known as the angel of death, was a nazi surgeon who performed bizarre experiments on concentration camp prisoners during World War II.  Sick shit, look it up.

While this blog, in a tongue-in-cheek way (and not sewn to the cheek, Jen and Sylvia :), judges a book by it's cover - movie by it's trailer - sometimes there is more to the cover than meets the eye.  The teaser trailer for American Mary gave just enough information and posed enough questions, for me anyway, to be interested.

And while I don't know if I have the stomach to actually watch it, I trust that this cover is more than one-dimensional.  Open at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zua8vbLLqU