Livide

Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury, the french duo behind the stomach churning (and heart rending) À l'intérieur, are definitely two new genre talents to watch... and if you're a fan, you're gonna want to see this...


They've been hard at work on their sophomore project - Livide - for some time now. It looks to be a major departure in tone from Inside (i.e. less violent), something I was initially torn about when the project was first announced. Inside is one of my most revisited and loved films of the last decade, so a big part of me wanted them to keep treading similar gore-drenched territory, especially if they could find that same perfect balance between all out carnage and strong, sympathetic characterisation. But I also respect filmmakers who don't rest on their laurels after a successful debut.

Livide looks to be considerably less gory... but not entirely bloodless. The production design is steeped in Gothic atmosphere, eschewing the realism of Inside for a dark fairy tale aesthetic that is clearly evident in the few stills that have surfaced (particularly the eerie image at right, which made a big splash when it hit the major horror sites a few weeks ago). I've been scouring French blogs and websites since, looking for fresh news on the production, and my exhaustive search payed off this week when I found a recent 25 minute behind-the-scenes vid on the CANAL+ site.

It's in French of course, but it features an exceptionally detailed look at the film's production design and location. There's also a good look at the creation of some makeup FX, and what appear to be some bizarrely creepy animatronics (see above). Amongst the footage of various scenes being lensed (including a look at the shooting of that eerie "floating girl"), there's a few tantalising glimpses of the film itself. Interestingly, a key point in a lengthy interview with Maury and Bustillo refers to Suspiria, and they seem to be drawing a comparison between their film and Argento's.


Check out my screenshots, and then take a look at the whole video HERE. It briefly shifts it's focus to other films a couple of times, but keep watching as it returns to Livide, and some of the coolest stuff is near the end.