Shocktober 2024: The Oracle (Roberta Findlay, 1985)

Jennifer and Ray, a young couple, move into an apartment in Manhattan (and before you shout ”movie magic”, this takes place in the 80’s when that was possible!). Turns out the old lady who used to live there — the landlord says she just vanished one day, oh well, probably nothing suspicious — left behind a bunch of stuff, including a planchette, a kind of ouija board that uses a porcelain hand and a quill to convey messages from the spirit world via automatic writing. Ray, an asshole, scoffs at the thing, but Jennifer is intrigued. She soon makes contact with the other side, and is drawn into a bizarre murder mystery.

This is a grimy, gory horror-thriller directed by Roberta Findlay, who primarily made exploitation movies and pornography, first with her husband Michael, then solo following his death in 1977. This movie is a stab at mainstream fair, but it’s still very much a product of Findlay’s universe — it sort of exists on the fringes of exploitation without ever diving in; it’s a genre movie with a clear structure, but it features lots of charming aspects from the exploitation world: the cast is a mix of amateurs, real weirdos and character actors, it’s got an erratic pulse and energy, likely shot quick and dirty, on location in NYC (and it leaves in shots of civilians spiking the camera). The actors are hit and miss but Caroline Capers Powers is really good and believable in the lead — her one and only imdb credit! Great outfits too.

In addition to all the supernatural stuff, this is a movie about gaslighting and minimizing womens’ experiences. Critics at the time weren’t really hip to that, but it’s impossible not to see it today. Ray, Jennifer’s husband, is truly awful — belittling, whiny, calls her hysterical — and I think it’s clear the movie is telling us this not as an endorsement but as a warning.

The fact that the main muscle turns out to be a male-presenting butch lady is a fun, gender-bending twist. We get some references for movie buffs, including Kiss Me Deadly, Poltergeist and Repulsion. 100 % of the men in this movie are mustachioed. Dr. Runtime approved (93 mins).