Original Post Date: 05.02.18
Hello friend! I hope things are doing well on your side of the planet. Over here things are A-OKAY! I am writing this entry tonight from my home in North Hollywood, accompanied by cool air coming from my air conditioner [to my left] and a cold cup of freshly brewed iced coffee [to my right]. It is always sunny and warm here in Southern California and I love it always yes you bet, but man, did I feel the 90 degree weather today or what? I was not prepared for it, hence the amazing feeling of having cool air and a cold drink with me at this moment.
Warning! Warning! This is the part where I tell you there will be spoilers ahead: There will be spoilers ahead!
The Lure (2015) is a very ambitious horror fairy tale musical from Poland. Let me say it again, it is a Horror Fairy Tale Musical… A HOOOORROR MUUUUSICAL. (I KNOOOOW!!)
I stumbled upon a clip of it on Instagram a couple of weeks ago but at the time I did not know what its title was, or any other identifiable information for that matter, so I asked around in my horror community but none of us knew about it, and none of us spoke Japanese either so that wasn’t helpful. The video clip that made me fall in love with the then-mysterious movie was this one, go ahead, click HERE and go watch it, I’ll wait for you.
*sips iced coffee*
What did you think? Wasn’t it extravagant and big and loud and colorful and fantastic and human and sexy and frightening all at once? Didn’t your mind explode with questions and demanded more? Weren’t you aroused by it just a little? Nope? Just me!?
*sips iced coffee awkwardly*
So, where was I? Oh yeah, me not knowing the title of the movie. So yes, days passed and I kept coming back to the clip until—don’t ask me how—I finally found it on Monday and I was so happy and wanted to watch it right then and there but I had to put a pin on it because I had stuff to do that evening (my man had returned home from out of town and I was thrilled to have him around again). So Tuesday came and I rented online Corki Dancingu (aka The Lure) and OMG I couldn’t even. Wednesday arrived and I re-watched it again and this time I took notes, like, literal notes, five pages worth of notes, I am looking at them right now, I am touching the pages right now, the point being, it got super intense. (When I obsess about something I fucking devote myself to it with every fiber of my being, do you know what I mean?)
*sips iced coffee smugly*
On Thursday I took a wellness class and also had a massage so I was super chill by the time I arrived home so I was like, nah, I ain’t talking about no movie tonight, hence you reading this on a Friday evening. Welcome, to THE LURE!
So the story is about two mermaid sisters, Gold and Silver, who are making a stop in a small town before they go to America. The sisters have beautiful voices so they sing, and I mean they sing sing, like, in a band, like in a get-your-wardrobe-ready band. The sisters are so different from each other, Gold sees humans as food and Silver as beautiful creatures to fall in love with and this, my friend, is the reason why they get into trouble. Gold is trying to protect Silver from destruction because if she falls in love with a human and he marries someone else, she will turn into seafoam. So romantically dramatic! Gold loves her sister too much and can come across as overprotective and insensitive. You, as the viewer, can develop certain animosity towards Gold because, come on girl, live a little and let everyone be happy, am I right?
Gold definitely has some low points, not only does she alienate Silver but also acts out by going out and hunting humans, using sex as a gateway –she seduces, gets intimately close, and attacks her prey by ripping out their hearts. Gold has a dark past and it shows. Gold is my favorite.
This was my favorite song sequence from Gold. Even though she was surrounded by the whole gang, she was lonely in her own world:
Man, I have so much to say about this movie that it is overwhelming for me to continue gushing about it, after all, I have five pages worth of notes for heaven’s sake. I’ll tell you what, I will list ten things I loved about it, no explanation, just a list:
1. Mermaids’ bizarre anatomy while on their human form (no anus, no vagina)
2. Their ability to communicate telepathically
3. The lesbian sex scene between the detective and Gold (omg so hot!)
4. Silver trading her tail for “real legs and a pussy”
5. Triton! (so badass!)
6. The dream sequence where the human leader of the band sees herself as a mermaid, breastfeeding Gold and Silver
7. The musical acts, not too cheesy, but Broadway ready (The Lure would make for a great play)
8. Random moments of the film score that reminded me of Bjork’s Vespertine album
9. Anytime the sisters transformed into their mermaid form (those snake-looking tails!)
10. The eerie sequence from song “Czy to Juz” (dude, I have re-watched it, what, fifty times now? Like I said, I fucking commit)
To be fair, not everything was perfect and, honestly, there were a few things that were not clear to me, such as:
- Was the human trio a family? Mom, dad, and son? If so, why did they show the mom giving head to, nope, cannot finish that sentence
- Did the owner of the club sexually assault Gold and Silver? Was that the reason why they were almost dying on their human form after they were left alone with him?
- What happened to Gold’s face? One moment her left cheek was fine, the next she had a long thick cut on it
- If water turned their legs into tails upon contact, why did they not transform under the rain?
- What was the poison that almost killed the human trio? They all had some sort of sexual interaction with the sisters so, was that it? (so many sexually inclined theories!)
- On the end scene, once Silver died and turned into seafoam and Gold killed the guy and ran toward the lake, on that last scene, what did it mean when the camera took us to the bottom of the lake and zoomed into rocks? Was that Gold? Did she also die and dissolved into nothingness? I mean, what was that all about?
I am exhausted, not only because it’s almost midnight but because my brain capacity is maxed out thanks to the wonderful, fascinating, intoxicating, and confusing world of The Lure.
I am going to bed now, I hope I get to have sexy dreams with mischievous mermaids who break into dance and song every time something exciting happens. Good night everyone, until next time.
- Marath