Possession (1981) is NIGHTMARE FUEL

/ @thehorrorexchange
💀 UTG DEEP DISCUSSIONS 💀
🎥 Topics of Terror from the Rabbit Hole of Randomness
🍿 Possession (1981) is NIGHTMARE FUEL
🎬 In the first NIGHTMARE FUEL episode of 2023, Connor explores the broken relationship between a divorcing couple, with both physical and mental consequences. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani star in this Andrzej Zulawksi production.
👮🏼 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
🦇 Huge thanks to Karl Casey @White Bat Audio on the music!
#NightmareFuel #Shudder #Possession

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

Join our top secret upcoming project... kzbin.info/door/HrajuBG_V1mzJWv38lnoEA

[@michaelmayo]

I read an interview with Ajani where she said she had to go into therapy for a year to recover from the emotional and physical toll of makiing the film. You certainly can believe this would do that to someone...

[@jacobpenrod4450]

It’s a movie…not real life. I don’t see what’s traumatic about pretending

[@michaelmayo]

@@jacobpenrod4450 Oh man, have you ever seen "Possession"? It's got the infamous scene where Adjani freaks out in a subway tunnel. (I think the scene is up on KZbin, btw.) Adjani is screaming and slamming herself against the wall as she beging to miscarry...something. She's just totally in the moment and its disturbing as hell. (Although the movie bombed, she won "Best Actress" at Cannes for it.)

[@jacobpenrod4450]

@@michaelmayoyeah I just watched it last night. Stunning performance by her. I guess I just don’t understand how acting can be traumatic. Maybe I’m wrong.

[@OGMillwood]

@@jacobpenrod4450 Short version: You're wrong. See also: The Shining.

[@michaelmayo]

I did see it. It's actually up on KZbin, which was a surprise since I've been trying to chase it down for years, so yes. It's number one on my completely batshit movies list. It's too bad we don't have any fly-on-wall bts footage of the director explaining to Adjani how she's going to pretend to fuck a man-sized tentacled lump of gooey latex. Boy, she earned that award.

[@xcesarbautistax]

The performance of every actor is bone chilling, visuals are traumatizing, a great movie and actually scary.

[@themedia1271]

I feel so bad for Bob in all of this.

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

Poor Bob 😭

[@russellbrill2386]

Poor lil chavvy, he broke my heart. it’s always the kids who suffer in break up’s

[@karmelodion]

Face down in a bathtub!

[@shuffleboil]

Brilliant film. Surprised you dont mention the setting of the film being East Berlin, at the height of the cold war. This plays into the opressive feel, and perhaps the ending where the sirens can be taken as the very literal end of the world.

[@shuffleboil]

Ah, I mean West Berlin of Course....

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

That's a great point I hadn't considered!

[@xjackisbackx]

It also highlights the theme of separation with the repeating shots of the Berlin wall

[@danlucas344]

It is actually in West Berlin. Big difference. People in East Berlin didn't have thus type of freedom. Not even close.

[@haimona12]

When I saw this film, the wall was still there, and this reinforced alienation, separation etc. It seemed to me the doppleganger were at least partly about BDR and DDR and the end was the balloon going up. The movie came out just before 99 Luftballons I think. As a NZer I was impressed Sam Neil was in such a cool film with the amazing Adjani. This was before he was really big in the dinosaur movies etc.

[@snavs420]

I still don't know how this movie isn't bigger in the collective consciousness of the world.

[@Gerguzalbutzelnikoskech]

Becauae people generally lack good taste in film.

[@Robodude_0528]

It’s a really intense and off the wall movie. Too much so for most, I think

[@CorbCorbin]

Excellent breakdown, in a reasonably short video. Many people can’t get through the acting, especially the body movements that Anna often has. Yet, the acting style was all part of it. There’s also some heavy symbolism about the dread of just over the Berlin Wall, and the constant threat of it spreading or infecting the West. The doppelgängers, I think you are right on the mark.

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

Thank you for your really nice comment Corb!

[@djohns9919]

I feel like I have a different take on what it all means. I agree partially with the manifestation of the perfect partner. But I also feel like the clones are almost how the two of them wish they themselves could be, pretending that everything is fine. It's their desire to repress their emotions and continue the marriage because that would be "easier." They don't like the messiness of the divorce, its pain, and instead wish they were two "perfect versions" of themselves who don't have to face reality. But the clones represent what would happen if they were to stay together, ignoring the broken parts of the marriage and acting "perfect." It would end up hurting the child. So basically it's a metaphor for how if you don't go through the messy bits and deal, you can end up hurting someone else who is an innocent party. In this case of divorce, the child is the innocent party who represents children who are harmed by living with unhappy parents who won't admit to themselves that their marriage is over. This basically insinuates that it's better for them to part than it is to ignore that it isn't working, as this will make the problem worse even if it's how they wish it could be. So again I think the clones are who they believe they would have to be to make it work, but it's fake. This lie and desired emotional repression in and of itself is the monster, and shows the necessity of emotional processing. The real versions get arrested because in a way they become locked deep inside the two clones. I also think she miscarries because she is battling herself internally, which, as a mother, on some level, makes her afraid she could be harming her child. Again making her feel that if she were to repress her emotions, they would be better off. So basically the message is that we have to let ourselves feel our pain, even when it's hard to heal our wounds. Otherwise, if we repress and never heal, we become the monster and bleed on someone else who didn't cut us. So always deal with your shit and be honest with yourself! It's what's best for you and others.

[@chasehedges6775]

💯💯💯💯

[@Starry_Skye22]

DAMN THATS DEEP.

[@OGMillwood]

Excellent take. Works both ways, I think. One of the things I love about this film.

[@i.turn.tables6455]

Good movie. Isabella Adjani killed it.

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

She earned her Cesar award here!

[@nikospapoutsidis2095]

i think the biggest mistake one can make when watching this film is watching it as if it is a horror movie. Yes, the imagery is horrorish and theres the monster creature but noone of this has to do with the plot. Its not like other horror movies, which plot revolves around a monster/demon/entity or whatever, even if it hides a deeper meaning, the creatures have impact on the real plot. In this film the plot is basically a couple having the worst most abusive toxic relationship possible. Before any creatures or anything horrorish happens it is a realistic intense drama that is terrifying because of how real it feels and not because of anything otherwordly scary. I think that the plot is basically everything real we see on screen, their fights, their self-harm, them cheating on each other, neglecting their child, the investigator to follow anna, even annas murders and psyche. The creature and the final sequences i believe them to be a metaphor for what is going through their minds. I believe that anna manages to look and have sex with this creature so calmly because she basically sees a reflection of her evil in it, while her husband of course is immediately sick by watching it as it is somehow a representation of the person hes supposed to spend the rest of his life with. As the director himself said it is about his experience with divorce and i also see massive similarities with eraserhead. Lynch himself also said eraserhead is about his fear of fatherwood which makes the films even more similar. I think they are both genius movies because they manage to show real fears people have through horror imagery and metaphors, which is way scarier than any actual demon/entity movie, even if it is well-written and perfectly made.

[@Sebastian252521]

The monster looks realy scary. Give me the goosebumps i needed right now.

[@chowrites6179]

Never heard of this movie before but I'll have to give it a watch after your amazing review

[@CorbCorbin]

It’s pretty intense, and gets insanely weird with its symbology.

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

If you do watch it, I hope you find something from it!

[@chowrites6179]

@@UnleashTheGhouls oh Im sure I will. I greatly enjoy films that are layered with multiple meaning and ambiguous endings

[@snavs420]

I envy you for watching this for the first time.

[@VictoriaHorvathova]

Same

[@clytnvgl]

This movie looks so good

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

It's worth a watch if you enjoy strange ones!

[@brandonavery133]

One of my all time favorites.

[@0_dearghealach_083]

Hooouuugghh. I watched this film last year, and although I didn't really "get" just what entirely was meant to be going on, I could just feel the uncertainty and dread in each scene. Watching the Possession felt like someone or something was standing just behind you, and slowly dragging their hands down your back- for the entire length of the film. Hell, when I saw the... creature... my mind just went "WHAT", like I was trying to make sense of it, thinking "Am I imagining this? Did I fall asleep watching the film?" It's very weird and very disturbing and I recommend it to anyone who ain't seen it. Speaking of weird surreal flicks, have you ever watched "Luz" by Tulman Singer? It's very good.

[@vuraxis953]

I think your confusion towards the end of this video sums up why I don't really like this movie lol Though it did heavily affect me, I don't think I've been more paranoid after watching a movie, but part of that comes from not knowing what the hell is going on half the time because there's a lot of stuff that occurs that doesn't make much sense from a narrative standpoint

[@quark6766]

I watched this film once, way back in the late 80`s on VHS. The fact that I remember it, tells me I need to purchase the Blu-Ray.

[@MikeFrame]

Still consumed with emotion and interpretations days after watching. There is so much to think about after viewing. For example, the film could be seen as from the perspective of the child. Equally, it could be seen as an anti-communist film. This might surpass, for me, Cure and Lost Highway as my favorite terrifying and interpretive films.

[@LynetteMarie43]

I watched this film yesterday after reading about it in a list of movies that stay with you long after you've watched them. They were NOT kidding about this one. it's not an easy watch at all. There's so much happening in every frame of the film. It was horrifying for many reasons. For me, the first half where Mark is constantly at Anna for explanations and reasons for her disenchantment of their marriage had me wincing more than the creature. He gave her no space at all; always in her face and grabbing her to look at him. The entire experience felt surreal and more than just a voyeuristic view into an unstable and toxic relationship. I can't believe I've never heard of this film before especially since I have an affection for foreign movies. Although I'm glad to have seen it, it's not one I'm willing to rewatch again -- not because it's a bad movie, but because it's a frantic, over-the-top but all too real emotional toll of a relationship that deserves to die.

[@chasehedges6775]

It’s a frantic, over the top but all too real emotional toll of a relationship that deserves to die Beautifully said 💯

[@meredithr9824]

That's the jurassic park guy.

[@7feetunder]

Nice, gonna have to check this out

[@TrupimOkiemTV]

I was so hyped to watch it and I finally did during last weekend. Holy fuck what a piece of work. It was very engaging most of the time, but had no problem switching gears to nightmare fuel without warning. Pink socks, I mean, what the fuck. Also I'm kinda proud that movie made by polish director (im polish) made it to became video nasty on foreign land! Pure mindfuck and quite difficult movie. Difficult to process, to stomach, to maybe enjoy even. I can't stop thinking about it and tbh I don't want to. But as horror buff and cinema nerd in general I love it and def rewatch it in the future.

[@ilovesal64]

I think Mark admitted first that he was unfaithful. And that’s where Anna felt the downhill which lead to everything.

[@chasehedges6775]

Interesting.

[@AdAstra78]

It was made clear that she'd been cheating for months/years from when the film begins.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@AdAstra78 Another good point

[@bobbressi5414]

Was this remastered because the film quality is amazing.

[@ckotcher1]

6:30 there was no influence. The same man designed both the creature in this movie and “the thing”

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

Found this out much later and blew my mind!

[@as52343]

No he didnt! Rob Bottin designed and made the creature/alien in "The thing" and he wasnt involved in this film. However the designer and creator for the creature here in "Possession" is the same man that designed and created "ET"

[@princekrapaud1451]

Mon film préféré sublime images musique unique

[@user-pz1kg8ny7g]

❤❤❤ Hare Krišna 🍀🔥🎉🦚🪷💥🪷🦚

[@bladedragon8733]

I understand why this got a video nasty. Neat!

[@MannyTheMan316]

That’s why you don’t commit adultery

[@joseluisfuentes]

Porque no traducen al idioma español?

[@thomasdoubting]

Sam Neil has been in som strange flix! 🫣

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

He certainly has!

[@johnyzero2000]

Isabelle Adjani playing herself.

[@korancebland]

I liked the film even though some of the dialogue was unintelligible. I couldn't find a version with subtitles. But i wanna know what was up with the guy with the pink socks and why did the dude go in Anna's shopping bag and lift a banana.

[@VictoriaHorvathova]

Do you know what? Never mind I’m not gonna watch this I like weird and Hosta films, but this is too weird and I thought this movie was about like a crazy woman but she’s crazy.

[@ninatellier9995]

i cannot comprehend the hype and love for this movie, i went in it with high hopes and could barely sit through the cringe and stupidity of it all

[@brandonavery133]

Have you, dear sir, contemplated ordering one of our Rob Schneider-signed, limited edition prints of Deuce Bigalow?

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

These kinds of films certainly aren't for everyone! Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@ilovesal64]

Uneducated and closed mind. It’s ok not for everyone

[@GetterOfPussy]

It was bad, fell asleep

[@wiredtardis]

Skipping on Margit's role might fool some people into thinking that Mark was faithful while Anna was cheating. Otherwise, great work! I'm glad more and more people are looking into this movie as it seems like a horror genre unto itself: divorce horror.

[@christianmalick]

Movie doesn't make any sense....Where and what did the clones come from??? The clones have nothing to do with the main characters and their entanglement...Its just like "hay, we're clones, cloning people for the clone of it"😕

[@cL-bf2ug]

I’ve seen some people explain it as Anna and Mark’s desires for the perfect partner were willed into existence through their unconsciousness. They had such an intense breakdown that they manifested their own perceived notions of each other

[@christianmalick]

@@cL-bf2ug That's an interesting take,...so maybe through their love-making they birthed these clones,...the clones being a product of their underlying issues with each other🤔

[@GetterOfPussy]

Movie made me fall asleep so I watches this video

[@AdAstra78]

That's surprising. A complex psychological film goes over the head of someone called 'getter of pussy". Shocking... Ps. This is based on the assumption that you don't work for a cat rescue charity however.

[@bloodorange6713]

@@AdAstra78I can smell the reddit leaking off of your comment

[@AdAstra78]

& I can smell the dumb generalisation coming off yours. Never once posted on Reddit. Don't even know what you're alluding to for that matter.

[@winstonmarlowe5254]

@@bloodorange6713 That was my fart. I farted in your face.