Rodney Ascher’s latest work, Primal Screen, ventured deep into the fascination and horror that is ventriloquism. Focusing primarily on the effect lifelike entities can have on children, Ascher and his interviewees pick apart the trailer for Richard Attenborough’s Magic. Utilizing Ascher’s signature reenactments to illustrate his subject’s fears, the film’s dark abyss of a filming set and high contrast imagery pair nicely with the subject matter. Even if you’ve never thought of dolls being scary, this film might make you think otherwise. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, we can only hope that Ascher develops more episodes addressing other childhood fears.
