The Shuddering

Episode 2: The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) & Lisa and the Devil (1974)

Episode Summary

We've got a couple of possession-themed movies (well, sort of) to talk about on Episode 2 of The Shuddering, and as huge fans of The Exorcist, we've definitely got some strong opinions about this sort of thing. First up is 2014's The Taking of Deborah Logan, a found-footage take on the demonic-possession subgenre that has earned its share of critical and audience appreciation in its years on steaming services -- and launched a promising directorial career along the way! And then, we continue our deep dive into the filmography of Italian horror legend Mario Bava with 1974's Lisa and the Devil, a movie that Shudder itself describes as the director's "most unusual" work. The film, starring the always entertaining Telly Savalas (that's right, Kojak himself!), was later re-edited and partially re-shot for release as The House of Exorcism, but, since only the original version is available on Shudder, we decided to go with the O.G. cut -- and we think Bava himself would have approved of that decision! As always, we've got in-depth reviews of both films, as well as some discussion of found-footage as a subset of the post-millennial horror genre, thoughts on surrealism and dream logic in horror films, and Nick's rather embarrassing story of almost meeting Patrick Wilson (sort of relevant, but, feel free to skip if you want!).

Episode Notes

We've got a couple of possession-themed movies (well, sort of) to talk about on Episode 2 of The Shuddering, and as huge fans of The Exorcist, we've definitely got some strong opinions about this sort of thing. First up is 2014's The Taking of Deborah Logan, a found-footage take on the demonic-possession subgenre that has earned its share of critical and audience appreciation in its years on steaming services -- and launched a promising directorial career along the way! And then, we continue our deep dive into the filmography of Italian horror legend Mario Bava with 1974's Lisa and the Devil, a movie that Shudder itself describes as the director's "most unusual" work. The film, starring the always entertaining Telly Savalas (that's right, Kojak himself!), was later re-edited and partially re-shot for release as The House of Exorcism, but, since only the original version is available on Shudder, we decided to go with the O.G. cut -- and we think Bava himself would have approved of that decision! As always, we've got in-depth reviews of both films, as well as some discussion of found-footage as a subset of the post-millennial horror genre, thoughts on surrealism and dream logic in horror films, and Nick's rather embarrassing story of almost meeting Patrick Wilson (sort of relevant, but, feel free to skip if you want!).