I'd heard of this short film mentioned on a Facebook Group I'm a part of, Incredibly Strange Films, but I was not prepared, dear reader, for what I watched.
I've seen many musicals like The Umbrellas of Cherborg, Oliver, Hello Dolly and Bugsy Malone but this film defies simple categorisation, being a avant-garde feminist piece that defies simple categorisation.
Cecelia Condit's 1983 short film, Possibly in Michigan, is a truly singular and unsettling cinematic experience about two women who, during a seemingly mundane shopping trip for perfume, become the targets of a predatory man in a chilling mannequin mask. What follows is a surreal, unsettling chase through the mall environment.
It's all very weird and mesmeric - intentionally so. It reminding me of a fever dream of shows I might have watched or possibly imagined watching at home on Channel 4 in the daytime whilst sick and in a fugue state in the 80s. What Condit successfully does is tap into the primal sense of feminine vulnerability and resistance, reframing the common trope of the female victim or final girl from horror films. The film’s strange structure and tone may be confusing but in its way it is a potent feminist commentary on gendered violence and agency.
The film’s aesthetic choices are deliberately grating, contributing greatly to its overall sense of unease. The lo-fi, synthesized score is highly distinctive, employing sounds reminiscent of an old Casio keyboard, lending a jarring, almost juvenile soundtrack to the unfolding horror. The farty two keys are also comedic when contrasted with what the film is talking about - Violence against women and cannibalism. Similarly, the earnestly naive sung dialogue, delivered by Karen Skladany and Condit, possesses a raw, unpolished quality that purposely avoids traditional vocal refinement. This intentional amateurism, combined with the over-saturated video effects in the chase sequences, creates a stylized, dreamlike atmosphere that is both chilling and compelling.
So, overall I'd give Possibly in Michigan a hard recommend. It is a weird but effective horror that has a unique soundtrack and abrasive visual style that is undeniably effective and unforgettable. It is an intriguing piece of avant-garde horror which has a hypnotic and experimental quality, guaranteeing it cult classic status.
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