A Chronicle of Corpses

Although the title sounds like one of the Pixies' more uplifting songs, Chronicle of Corpses is actually a cultivated psychological Gothic thriller. Set in the 19th century, the story takes place at the Elliott family estate, where someone or possibly something has been picking off the members of the household. At a loss over what to do about -- excepting, most obviously, putting the place up for sale and leaving the neighborhood -- the estate's remaining inhabitants cope in the ways they know best: drinking, eating, and coupling in excess. All sorts of sordid things occur and even more sordid relationships are revealed: in addition to the dodgy doings between patriarch Mr. Elliott and his brother-in-law, Elliott's wife is having her way with the stable boy, his son is an alcoholic, and his mother is insane. Touted one of the Top Ten Films of 2001 by both the New York Times and the Village Voice, A Chronicle of Corpses was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema.