Contributions from Anton Bitel | Little White Lies

Contributor Anton Bitel

A woman in a black outfit lying on the floor, surrounded by smoke.
Home Ents

Discover the retro camp charm of this Razzie winning comedy horror

by Anton Bitel

In 1988’s Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Cassandra Peterson’s heroine proudly display her two best assets.
Two figures in traditional Japanese costume, one embracing the other, against a backdrop of smoke or flames.
Home Ents

Discover the erotic grotesquery of this Japanese triptych

by Anton Bitel

The prolific filmmaker Teruo Ishii invented a whole new subgenrre with 1969’s bizarre Orgies of Edo.
Man with long hair and eyepatch, set against a blue background.
Home Ents

The bleak futurism of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York

by Anton Bitel

The genre maestro’s dystopian thriller feels eerily prescient in its depiction of a broken police state.
A woman with long, auburn hair and green eyes wearing a grey top.
Review

Suspiria

by Anton Bitel

Luca Guadagnino puts a bold allegorical spin on Dario Argento’s baroque horror classic.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman with long dark hair wearing a grey hooded top looks directly at the camera with a serious expression.
Festivals

Lulz and Luz at the Soho Horror Film Festival 2018

by Anton Bitel

Tilman Singer’s intense psychodrama was among the highlights of the inaugural genre showcase.
Two men engaged in conversation in a dimly lit interior setting.
Review

Overlord

by Anton Bitel

Two US soldiers make a surprising discovery behind enemy lines in this World War Two horror from Julius Avery.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Close-up of a man and woman's faces, illuminated by blue light, in an intimate moment.
Home Ents

How Candyman reflected the fears of urban society

by Anton Bitel

Bernard Rose’s cult 1992 horror, based on a Clive Barker short story, tackles sex, class and race in inner-city Chicago.
A man performing on stage with a microphone, with a dark background.
Home Ents

Discover the animalistic terror of George A Romero’s first studio movie

by Anton Bitel

The genre maestro’s 1998 Monkey Shines was dubbed ​‘An Experiment In Fear’ – and with good reason.
Young woman with blond hair and blue bow, looking directly at camera with arms raised.
Festivals

Programmers Picks from the 2018 BFI London Film Festival

by Anton Bitel

Personal recommendations to seek out during the upcoming edition of the UK’s biggest film event.
Silhouette of a figure in a surreal forest landscape under a large full moon.
In Praise Of

Cheap Thrills: In Praise of The Evil Dead

by Anton Bitel

On the envelope-pushing effects work of Sam Raimi’s hand-tooled gorefest, set for re-release this Halloween.