I do love a good anthology series. The idea of many little stories, based on an overarching theme, always appealed to me as if you didn't really like a story another one would soon be up and it might be more your cup of tea. I've watched many Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark? as well as the BBC series such as Ghost Stories for Christmas amongst many other 70s horror anthologies and I can never get enough.
When I first heard of Cabinet of Curiosities I was excited, but when I heard it would be produced by Guillermo Del Toro, one of the best writers and directors of our time and a huge cult horror nerd I was ecstatic. Over the course of a couple of weeks, I watched the entire run of 8 episodes. Here's my breakdown of each episode and my opinions.
Lot 36
When an auction lands a desperate man a storage room, he finds that it's mostly junk. However, there are a few books and accoutrements linked to the dark arts and a collector seems interested in these. To pay off his debts how far will he be willing to go?
This was an amazing episode as the main protagonist comes across as a rude and bigoted man, so when he gets his comeuppance it seems well deserved. The directing is solid and the special effects are excellent with the 'big bad' reveal.
Graveyard Rats
A gravedigger and robber eyes the riches of a deceased man but the rats in the graveyard pose a threat. With debts to pay, will he be able to secure the goods, pay off the debtors and enrich himself? As he searches in the tunnels under the graveyard he finds the black church and creatures from nightmares.
This is a tight episode clocking in at under 40 minutes but it is filled with tension. The moments when the man is crawling through the tunnels are terrifyingly claustrophobic and the creatures are horrendous. A favourite of mine.
The Autopsy
When a mining disaster devastates a community the sheriff calls upon an old pathologist pal to investigate. What they find is unexpected and possibly extra terrestrial so the pathologist starts to carry out an autopsy.
The cinematography in this film is impressive and recalls Friedkin's The Exorcist. The noirish lighting, hues of black and amber gold, lend it an intimate yet unnerving feel. The story is very creative and, even though it is an alien parasite story, the denouement has a big payoff and that is mostly due to the masterful acting of F. Murray Abraham.
The Outside
A bank clerk struggles with her self-esteem and is sold on a beauty product which is apparent transformative. Will it provide the results she wants without any monkey’s paw ending?
This is a curiously quirky episode as it reminds me of the pushy neighbour scene in Edward Scissorhands, where everything is retro stylised up to 11. The story is quite interesting and goes some places but it wasn't one of my favourites as it was look quirky.
Pickman's Model
When an artist encounters a new, more mature college colleague they bond over an appreciation of art. However, when Pickman, the older artist shares paintings of cosmic horrors it haunts the man and his family.
This is a true homage to H. P. Lovecraft with the unnameable cosmic horrors that exist outside the realms of our imagination entering the real world through Pickman's art . This is a dark gothic piece and ratchets up the tension throughout. At points, it reminded me of the classic Nintendo Gamecube game Eternal Darkness. If you get that reference then you'll know that's high praise indeed.
The Murmuring
An enthusiastic ornithological couple go on a work trip to an island to research the murmuration of the local dunlin population. Whilst there, they stay at an old coastal mansion where spooky goings on occur. It brings to the fore the underlying grief felt by the couple at the loss of their child.
This is a moody episode, much in the style of an M. R. James story in that outsiders visit a new place and encounter ghostly goings on featuring an angry mother and a dripping wet child. The sound effects are suitably spooky and the tone is set for a solid haunted house mystery about the circumstances of the previous owners' demise.
The Viewing
Four strangers are requested to meet at a successful but reclusive eccentric businessman's house. They don't know why they are called but they go nonetheless. The astrophysicist, musical prodigy, bestselling author and alternative therapy guru are regaled with their success and are pushed to be even better by their amiable host before being introduced to a mysteriously acquired item. What is it and where did it come from?
This starts off as a typical haunted house mystery in which you think the guests will have to work together to get to the bottom of the mystery and find how they are all connected, like the Saw franchise. But this is different. Peter Weller gives a suitably creepy performance as the drug addled owner of The Sandpiper House who is a wordsmith who craves power and knowledge, but it is the creature that emerges that is pure brilliance. The set design is amazing and the cinematography phenomenal in presenting a late 70s opulence style via 2001: A Space Odyssey. The red light diffusion adds the film an eerie tinge whilst the conclusion is startling and gory as the best body horror is.
Dreams in the Witch House
An adaptation of a Lovecraft short story where a brother tries to reach the other side after his sister's spirit is taken by a ghost when she was young. Growing up, he seeks a way across the bridge between this material world and the spirit Plain to bring her back but it carries a lot of risks.
The story is a bit of a trippy classic and pretty unfilmable in its original form but this version makes it more linear and accessible. Rupert Grint does a great job as the down on his luck brother doing all he can to rescue his sibling. The ending is bittersweet but end with a joie de vivre ditty.
I thoroughly loved Cabinet of Curiosities as, through his short introductions, Del Toro adds a dash of ringmaster to these takes and recalls Rod Serling. Also like Serling, Del Toro is able to disguise his social and political commentary through these short parables. By setting the stories in the past or the future, with sci-fi and fantasy settings, Serling could present his social criticisms without attracting any ire from the viewers or television sponsors and advitisers. Seemingly, the fantastical elements made the content more palatable. In this case, Del Toro doesn't care about any criticism, he is just heading a smorgasbord of horror talent, many of which carry a social commentary. But then, most horror is successful as it amplifies societies fears and often personifies them in a terrifying monster.