I do wonder how I missed the Fangoria q & a between Jordan Peele and “Midsommar” director Ari Aster. The quote most outlets are using is Peele’s rave of Aster’s film, which is said to play heavily on pagan cult horror, much like “The Wicker Man.” No surprise then that, given Peele was on-stage with Aster, the “Get Out” director had over-the-top praise for Aster’s upcoming movie: “I think you’ve made the most idyllic horror film of all time. You’ve taken Stepford Wives and shattered the attractiveness of that movie with this one. That alone is a feat. This movie is just so unique. This hasn’t existed yet, and anything after Midsommar is going to have to contend with it. I mean, this usurps The Wicker Man as the most iconic pagan movie to be referenced.
“It plays a weird sleight of hand [in which] it transcends the horror of itself. It is an ascension of horror. I didn’t feel victimized; I felt like I was being put up on this pedestal and honored through the eyes of the protagonist. It’s a very unique feeling for a film to conjure because after it ended, I found myself looking back at the final act like, ‘Holy shit.’ That was some of the most atrociously disturbing imagery I’ve ever seen on film, and yet I experienced it with this open-mouthed, wild-eyed gape. I think that part of how we get there is never reducing the villains to any kind of snarling monsters with an evil agenda.”
Woah there, Jordan. Yes, “Hereditary” was something to behold and announced Aster as a major new young talent behind the camera, but why must Peele be overtly exuberant about it like this? It’s usually a major no-no to do such a thing before a director’s movie comes out, a stroke of bad luck if you will. Regardless, Joe Stemme, a Facebook friend of mine, hinted over at the HE comments that we should, maybe, tamper down our expectations down a notch for Aster’s upcoming movie, which I will, of course, politely not do so. “Hereditary” was just too good.
Stemme: “I know one person who's seen MIDSOMMAR (they were involved in the making; in a major way). I mentioned the similarity of the trailer to THE WICKER MAN. They cofirmed the similarity and added, "Oh, yeah, very much....but, not as good as THE WICKER MAN".
A24, is releasing “Midsommar” on July 3rd