The horror genre happens to be one that is really close to my heart. It is definitely one that contains a bevy of portraits of misfits, outsiders, rebels, and other marginalized people on the edges of society. One of the most often overlooked is director Lucky McKee’s 2002 “Frankenstein-like” cult classic May.
Buy May DVDGenre icon Angela Bettis (in a signature role) is May Dove Canady, an incredibly lonely young veterinarian’s assistant who endured a very difficult childhood due to her lazy eye. Even wearing contact lenses still makes her a pariah of society, especially with her extreme awkwardness and behavior. However, she oddly attracts Adam Stubbs (Jeremy Sisto), a young guy who loves to fix wrecked cars. At first, they have an innocent (and strange) meet-cute that develops into something serious, but due to May’s bizarre desires, Adam get spooked and leaves. But then Polly (Anna Faris), a free-spirited co-worker, takes a liking to her, and they become instant friends and lovers. When Polly dumps her, May’s already fragile state turns to violence.
May, once you see it, it is not easy to forget. It’s creepy, nasty, and has a sadness to it. It’s obviously a tale of mental illness (from a woman’s perspective, despite it being directed by a man). During the early 2000s, it was refreshing to find horror flicks that weren’t slashers nor slasher remakes. There was room for deeper and more psychological films about characters suffering inside themselves, frustrated with social isolation and loneliness. May handled this extremely well and contained a haunting performance by Bettis, who you’re instantly rooting for, even when she’s doing horrible things. May definitely joins other seminal genre characters with similar complexity, such as Norman Bates (Psycho), Mark Lewis (Peeping Tom), and Carrie White (Carrie). The film also has a final shot that will really get under your skin.
The new Vestron Collector’s Series Blu-ray exclusively available from Lionsgate is stacked with special features, including three audio commentaries: 1) film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas 2) writer-director McKee, cinematographer Steve Yedlin, editor Chris Sivertson, and actors Bettis, Nichole Hiltz, and Bret Roberts 3) McKee, editor Rian Johnson, composer Jammes Luckett, production designer Leslie Keel, and craft-services guy Benji; interviews with McKee, Sisto, James Duval, Yedlin, Johnson, Sivertson, editor Kevin Ford, and composer Jammes Luckett; and two featurettes: On the Set of May: Bits and Pieces and From Frankenstein to May: Dr. Miranda Corcoran on May.
If you want something more than the usual horror fare and don’t have to own previous edition of the film, then this release is definitely the one to add to your collection. May herself with thank you for it.
Other releases:
The Wind Will Carry Us (Criterion): The late, great filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s tale of an undercover documentarian whose assignment to cover a small village’s funeral rites is continually derailed by an elderly woman’s refusal to die.
Room 666/Room 999 (Janus Contemporaries/Criterion): A two film set featuring insightful documentaries by filmmakers Wim Wenders and Lubna Playoust that ponder the future of cinema and its aesthetics. Read my review.
Daddy Dearest and Juice: Two Classic Adult Films by Arthur J. Bressan, Jr. (Altered Innocence): A new two-film set containing classic erotica from one of the pioneers of gay cinema, the late, great Arthur J. Bressan Jr.
