Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Experimental Film
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
Fired at almost the same time as her son Clarks Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, former film critic turned teacher Lois Cairns is caught in a depressive downward spiral, convinced shes a failure whos spent half her adult life writing about other peoples dreams without ever seeing any of her own come true. One night Lois attends a program of experimental film and emerges convinced shes seen something no one else hasa sampled piece of silver nitrate silent film footage whose existence might prove that an eccentric early 20th-century socialite who disappeared under mysterious circumstances was also one of Canadas first female movie-makers. Though it raises her spirits and revitalizes her creatively, Loiss headlong quest to discover the truth about Mrs. A. Macalla Whitcomb almost immediately begins to send her much further than she ever wanted to go, revealing increasingly troubling links between her subjects life and her own. Slowly but surely, the malign influence of Mrs Whitcombs muse begins to creep into every aspect of Loiss life, even placing her son in danger. But how can one increasingly ill and unstable woman possibly hope to defeat a threat thats half long-lost folklore, half cinematically framed hallucinationan existential nightmare made physical, projected off the screen and into real life?
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
blurb
TheSpineView
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

#Movie2BookRecs @Klou
Movie: What Lies Beneath

dabbe Oh, man was that a scary movie! 😱 1y
Klou I so need to watch this movie! It's on Disney+ atm. Great job! 1y
TheSpineView @dabbe @klou I have not seen it. 1y
dabbe @TheSpineView @klou It's excellent! Scary but not Exorcist-scary. 😃 1y
43 likes4 comments
review
khooliha
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
Pickpick

My horror book club's next pick, I enjoyed this one, though it sort of felt to me like it spun off of its emotional core towards the end. Still, it's good!

blurb
khooliha
Experimental Film | Gemma Files

If this book were written now (as opposed to a handful of years ago) Arthur Whitcomb would rightfully be called a Wife Guy. Sorry your wife is likely haunted by the Fair Folk, Arthur!

review
WhatWouldJaneDo
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image
Pickpick

Night Film meets Hereditary/Midsommar. After seeing a clip from an old silver nitrate film at a screening, struggling film critic Lois Cairns is driven to solve the mystery of who the filmmaker was, and why she made her film in the first place. Complicating Lois' one-track obsession, she also has a young autistic son who may be more affected by her quest than she realizes.

JSW This sounds really good. How was the autistic son portrayed? I have pet peeves with how many authors write autism. 5y
Leftcoastzen Interesting,stacked. 5y
WhatWouldJaneDo @JSW I felt like he was a lot more individualized than a lot of more stereotypical autistic characters. He mostly speaks with echolalia and has different relationships with each of his family members. The book is first person from the mom's perspective and is very raw with her feelings about not being a good enough mom for him. 5y
JSW @WhatWouldJaneDo thanks! That sounds sensitive and thoughtful. ❤️ 5y
29 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Angitron
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

Here are my planned reads for October! My reading hasn‘t been as on target lately, so hopefully I‘ll be able to get through all of these, and maybe even add a few more! #screamathon

Tonton Hope you enjoy the Library at Mount. Char、fabulous ❗️ 5y
25 likes1 comment
blurb
MinDea
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

I got up to get the mail, came back and #Shadow stole my spot! Little stinker. 😆 But I got #BookMail! Thank you so much @GarthRanzz !!! Can't wait to buddy read it together! Anyone read this one?

#ThankYou #LitsyFriendsAreTheBest #Caterruptions #CatsOfLitsy #ScottAndMindyvsMonsters #Shippy @Zelma

rubyslippersreads #Caterruptions is my new favorite hashtag. 😹 (edited) 7y
CrinolineDream What a beautiful fur baby! ♥️ 7y
Soubhiville Pretty kitty! 7y
See All 7 Comments
ladym30 Beautiful kitty!! 7y
MinDea @rubyslippersreads it's the only way to describe it! 7y
Zelma Story of my life. What a cute little stinker. 7y
89 likes7 comments
blurb
Conservio
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

Blaming ReadingEnvy for my current binge on adding books to my TBR. She linked a quiz on Goodreads to see what indi publication you should check out. I got Chizine publications. #quiz #toomanybooksnotenoughtime #blameReadingEnvy

ReadingEnvy Ooh anything good? I'm still working through my Curbside Splendor pile! 7y
Conservio @ReadingEnvy Yep! I ended up adding about 30 to my TBR list. There were two that involved Russian Folklore Unfortunately only 3 are available through my local library.. so I guess I'll be doing some early "Christmas" shopping for myself. 7y
6 likes2 comments
review
leftoverjen
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image
Pickpick

There are so many things I love about this book
✔female protagonist who is an imperfect wife/mother
✔obvious devotion to film and film history
✔internal mythology
✔set in Toronto
✔spooky-scary!
#experimentalfilm #gemmafiles #canadianhorror #horror

quote
leftoverjen
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

"This is where something important happened to me, and since I am the protagonist--not the hero, never that--of this story, it matters that I tell you."

Already very excited to be reading this book #experimentalfilm #gemmafiles

review
Curley_Bender
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image
Pickpick

The structure kept me at a distance, but the weird creativity makes this worthy of discovery. A unique little ghost story steeped in film and folklore.

Plus, any narrative that utilizes silver nitrate film stock to explosive effect is fine in my book!

CherylDeFranceschi 👏🏻👏🏻for the IB shoutout! 8y
6 likes1 comment
quote
SGJ
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

What I see over the top of this book on a fine Sunday afternoon.

Nuwanda How's the book? I have this one on my Kindle. The premise sounded a little House of Leaves-ish or Night Film-ish. 8y
SGJ I'm liking it a whole lot. It's got the horror goods, and it's got these academic "history of Canadian cinema" kind of non-sidebar'd sidebars. And lots of epistolary and found-footage fun. Find myself going slow just so it'll last longer. 8y
zsuzsanna_reads Love your Don Quixote! 8y
49 likes3 stack adds3 comments
quote
SGJ
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

Started this one this morning. So digging it. Want to just turn the world off, so I can inhale this story, this writing, this horror.

51 likes1 stack add
blurb
Reggie
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image

I feel like reading books can be like having relationships. Some, you are sad are over. Others you were happy just to have them in your life. And some just grind you the fuck down. I'm sorry Experimental Film!!!! It's you, it's me, I'm just not ready for a book like you. Maybe I'll be ready someday, maybe that day will never come. Goodbye. Readers, be careful what you wish for..........

review
jgarrigan
Experimental Film | Gemma Files
post image
Pickpick

A slow burner for sure, but always with a hint (or more) of menace in the background. And with a great ending the pays off all the waiting.

1 like1 stack add