Rob Munday
A family drama about a 16yr-old girl’s relationship with her mother, at first glimpse Jessy Hodges’ Every Part of You doesn’t seem like a film that fits easily into our spooky season programming – usually a series of creepy, unsettling shorts to get you in the mood for Halloween. However, what makes this short an interesting choice, at a time dominated by genre movies, is that at the core of this story is a girl discovering that her mother had once starred in an uncompromising position in a legendary horror film.
“When I was 15, I discovered that my mom was the star of a 1980’s X-rated cult horror classic called The Evil Dead”, director Hodges reveals as we discuss the real-life inspiration of her short film. “Many of us can point to a moment when we learned something about our parent that reframed them as a person. Finding out about The Evil Dead – and the fact that my mom had been violently raped by a tree in it (classic, right?) – was that moment for me”.
Harlow Jane stars as James, the 16yr-old about to make a startling discovery.
Growing-up in the ‘80s myself, I can’t remember that particular moment when I saw my own mother in a new light, but what is burnt into my memory from that period, and what changed my perspective on the world, was the discovery of “video nasties”. Introduced to these films by older brothers, when I was far too young to watch them, these often bootlegged video cassettes were secretively shared without parents ever knowing what was on them.
One of the most discussed and controversial of these was Sam Raimi’s feature debut The Evil Dead, which was released in UK cinemas (with cuts) in January 1983, before being made available on VHS just a month later, where “UK audiences embraced it and made it a big hit”. A year later, the film was then banned as part of the Video Recordings Act in 1984, adding to its cult status at the time. Rereleased on video again in 1990, with more cuts – including that aforementioned tree rape scene – it was around this time the film first slipped into my orbit and although many of these other video nasties came and went, Raimi’s stuck around.
What I’m trying to get to here – in my own long-winded, slightly fanboy way – is that The Evil Dead is no “ordinary” film. It has a history, it has a devoted fan-base and it’s even hailed (in certain circles) as a “classic” and that context is vital in understanding Hodges’ reaction to her discovery. She hadn’t just found out that her mother had starred in some low-budget soap opera, she had been the main character in one of the most controversial scenes in Horror’s long-running battle with censorship. You can only imagine the emotions and questions it must have raised in a 15yr-old girl.
“I’m interested in the male gaze of the horror genre and how to engage with exploitative films as a woman when sometimes… I like them”
“It hit me hard and tipped our otherwise close relationship into new and uncomfortable territory”, Hodges admits. “I was plagued by questions: why didn’t she tell me she was in a movie? Was she ashamed of it? What does it mean to be raped in a movie? Did the men making it take advantage of her? Why didn’t she become an actress? Where was her story in this story? These questions continue to haunt me because they are fundamental questions about what it means to be a woman. I’m interested in the male gaze of the horror genre and how to engage with exploitative films as a woman when sometimes… I like them. This short is the beginning of that journey”.
We have a belief here at Short of the Week that the story behind a short should never make it more interesting, it’s what’s onscreen that counts. However, in the case of Every Part of You, Hodges’ situation and the questions that arose from it (see quote above) are just too unique and thought-provoking to ignore when discussing the film. Her situation is so specific its bound to be a draw for many, however, if you can look beyond The Evil Dead link (hard, I know after I’ve just talked about it for multiple paragraphs) her film is a simple tale with a universal message – always listen to your mother! your parents are flawed human beings too.
We used all practical effects to mimic the original” – Hodges discussing recreating that scene from The Evil Dead
That universality isn’t just restricted to the storytelling, however, with the film sporting a familiar aesthetic, one that instantly places you within the comfort of this family home. However, there’s an unnerving undercurrent rippling through the early part of the film, leaving you with a feeling that this domestic setting could be invaded at any point. And it is invaded, but not by a serial killer or a demonic presence, but instead by the truth about this mother’s past.
There are points where you think Every Part of You will slip into horror territory itself, especially in the scene where the young daughter and her concealed boyfriend are watching the video nasty (expertly recreated by Hodges and her team to mimic that original Evil Dead scene) and it so easily could have. However, that’s not Hodges’ aim here, as she keeps things grounded to focus on the real-life impact of the scenario and leaves us with more questions than answers. As the film ends with mother and daughter sitting at the dinner table, late at night, trying to address what has just happened, we’re left wondering if the film has helped Hodges answer any of those questions she had about her mother’s involvement in that renowned scene and what skeletons our own parents might have in their cupboards.
I shudder to think what my own children will find out about me when they’re older, maybe social media clips will become this generation’s video nasties?