Sean Parker
In our Best of 2022 podcast at the end of last year, myself and co-host JP Nunez ran down a list of our favorite films of last year. I tend to lean more indie when ranking my favorites because, as I have said before, they just seem to have more heart. There’s just something about a film operating on a small budget that can bring all of the elements together, like story, characters, and atmosphere, that fervently and evocatively surpasses studio films and makes me feel more connected to these excellent indie films. The Ones You Didn’t Burn was my favorite horror film of 2022, and having the opportunity to speak with the film’s creators about Ari Aster’s Midsommar, one of the films that inspired their movie, is likely going to be one of my highlights in 2023.
When I first saw director Elise Finnerty and Assistant Director Estelle Girard Parks’ The Ones You Didn’t Burn during Chattanooga Film Festival last year, I had no idea how bewitched I would be by it, nor did I know how charmed I’d be by the filmmakers. Over the past year, I’ve promoted their film on Instagram whenever I see it headed to festivals because it absolutely deserves to be seen. Hell, it’s one of a limited number of films that JP and I both agree on. So, as the film gears up to screen at Salem Horror Fest in two weeks, it seemed like the perfect time to have them on the podcast.
In this episode, JP and I discuss our last two weeks. I tell JP about my experience at The Boston Underground Film Festival, specifically noting Enys Men as my number one upset of the festival, Moon Garden as easily being in contention for the best movie I’ll see all year, and our opposing views on Jeffery A Brown’s The Unheard. JP talks about revisiting Evil Dead for his definitive ranking of the films and his enthusiasm over the UK release of George A Romero’s Martin that he imported. We then discuss how Screambox has started to emerge as a heavy-hitting streaming service, denoting the imminent release of the J-horror remake of Cube, among other attractive titles in their library.
Finally, it’s time to put on your favorite flower dresses and bear pajamas and join us for Midsommar as Elise and Estelle discuss the pieces of Aster’s film they were drawn to in crafting their hypnotic tale of chauvinism vs. witchery and the parallels and differences in both film’s characters. As always, we tend to go a bit off the rails, discussing our views on the community in Midsommar against cult beliefs and practices, the dangers of tradition, and how the film may skew the view of elder care and death… I promise it’s fun, though.
Please join us for Midsommar, and if you’re in the Salem area, buy tickets now to see The Ones You Didn’t Burn at Salem Horror Fest on April 21.
