#Danvers demons song series

Though only tangential to the plot, MikeвЂ™s story of Patricia Willard (a fictional story created to illustrate a real trend) makes an important thematic point. The real stories of Danvers are woven into the fabric of Session 9 вЂ™s plot, giving a sense of semi-documentary to elements of the proceedings. Mike is also a fount of information, letting us in on some of the history surrounding Danvers, institutions, and the deinstitutionalization movements of the early 1980s. He notes the various personalities exhibited on the tapes and analyzes them for meaning throughout the film. He often sneaks away from the job at hand to listen to the tapes labeled Session 1-9.

#Danvers demons song series

In the course of the week at Danvers, he becomes obsessed with listening to a series of reel-to-reel tapes of psychiatric sessions with patient #444, Mary Hobbes, a patient from the early 1970s with what was then called Multiple Personality Disorder. He studied to be a lawyer but chose to work as a laborer, removing asbestos for GordonвЂ™s company instead. He is incredibly intelligent and, because of that, a distant and cold man. But it is an absolutely paralyzing fear.ДЄnd then thereвЂ™s Mike. His flaw is a simple fear: nyctophobia, fear of the dark. Jeff, GordonвЂ™s nephew, is just young, brash and inexperienced.

In an early moment, we see that he is not happy in his relationship with Amy, but he stays with her simply out of spite toward Phil. Hank is greedy and takes what isnвЂ™t his even if he doesnвЂ™t really want it, even if it makes him miserable. Before the events of the film, PhilвЂ™s girlfriend Amy left him for Hank and his rage seethes constantly within him. Phil is filled with anger, particularly at Hank. Even in the end, it is debatable whether or not the responsible party acted alone. For so much of the film, we have no idea which, or if any of them, are responsible for the chaos that will ensue. His unravelling may be the most extreme, but all five men on this crew are gradually being picked apart. Though his actions are the most shocking, he is not the only one affected by Danvers.

The building itself is an outward expression of the erosion occurring within his mind, heart, body, and soul.Д«ut Gordon isnвЂ™t the only one we need to talk about. Just as Danvers has decayed over time, so has he: slowly, quietly, practically imperceptibly. Unlike them, the inside of Danvers is rotting, and the cracks are beginning to show.

Like its spiritual cousins Hill House and The Overlook, Danvers вЂњstood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more.вЂќ But like those other landmarks on the landscape of horror, there is something вЂњnot saneвЂќ about the building itself. On the outside it is an impressive sight-a massive architectural marvel and not lacking in structural integrity. The Danvers State Mental Hospital is a lot like Gordon. As Hank ( Josh Lucas) tells Jeff ( Brendan Sexton III), Gordon is вЂњthe Zen master of calm.вЂќ But thereвЂ™s something about this job. Sure, his business has hit a rough patch-there is less and less need for asbestos removal-but he seems to have kept his wits about him. Gordon, played by Peter Mullan, is a quiet, apparently unflappable man with a lovely wife and a brand-new baby daughter, Emma. Needless to say, it is a film whose cult I hope only continues to grow. I wouldnвЂ™t normally issue a spoiler alert for a twenty-year-old movie, but Session 9 has only slowly gained its audience in the ensuing years since its release. Д«ut before we do, I should mention that this will not be a spoiler-free review but a deeper look into this unnerving cult film. вЂњWe need to talk about Gordon,вЂќ as Phil ( David Caruso) tells Mike ( Stephen Gevedon) not long before all hell breaks loose in Session 9.