what do your a-leaf eyes see

Review of The Kirlian Witness (1978) by screenqueeen: 👍 3/5

the thirteenth night in the lonesome hooptober day 16 film 11 cats: 0

61/100

a sleepy murder mystery. doesn't go too deep into anything it covers except perhaps some aspects of kirlian photography. there's something vaguely CHILD'S PLAY-esque about how Rilla confides in a singular houseplant (actually quite a rare type of plant and explained better in the film) knowing that others would think her unstable if she were open about that, except this plant couldn't suddenly act on instinct and run around spouting profanity. this is a quieter type of movie but still can go into schlock territory when it pleases.

things between Rilla and the plant witness evolve to the point where a polygraph becomes a stand-in for the photography. i don't understand why you would move away from such a rich new vocabulary of imagery, even on purely a visual level. the images that are introduced & defined as to their meaning regarding suspicion could have been rested on more and added to, making a new point of suspense purely through this albeit convenient device to confirm the investigation and mistrust towards those who had access to Laurie's space. the polygraph gives way to some "translation" of mostly inaudible monochromatic footage in slow motion near the end of the film and even though it dissolves into dreck by the credits there is something really interesting stirring in the first couple portions. the score is interesting and appropriately "experimental" for someone like Manfredini. once or twice his sustained strings stick out like a knife, invoke something melodramatic in pure sonic texture he would become forever known for just a few years later. i've always like Manfredini's sound from the 80s horror films he's worked on. it's always a treat, even if the movie turns out a complete dud.

if this ever gets remade i want it to be scored/partially scored by philadelphia shoegaze band they are gutting a body of water. "houseplant" would go especially hard over the credits but only if it was more of a downer ending.

worth a gander!