Binary System Watch Party – Rosemary’s Baby

It’s the return of the Watch Party! We all sat down to watch Rosemary’s Baby, complete with chocolate mousse (though without the chalky undertaste.) This was actually recorded before Halloween, Elizabeth just didn’t have her flim-flam act together to post it till now.

The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kathryn, and Mom. 

Kathryn
I will be typing slower this evening due to a disagreement with my bandsaw.

Elizabeth
Yiiikes

Kathryn
Things were said on both sides, but the bandsaw and I made the grownup decision to move past it and pretend nothing happened.

Elizabeth
One hopes the bandsaw decides to grow from the experience and not use it as an excuse for future bad behavior

Hannah
Ok! We are good to go

Elizabeth
Ready here!

Nathan
Ready!

Elizabeth
Hit play?

Kathryn
Play!

Anyone else read the book this was based on?

Probably one of the most faithful adaptations ever. Moreso than Shawshank Redemption

Elizabeth
Wow

Nathan
Produced by the guy who did House on Haunted Hill.

This theme vaguely sounds like Que Sera Sera.

Kathryn
Husband and wife are just so cute together

Elizabeth
I’d love to have a big indoor herb garden

Kathryn
Me too!

I want a room with stained glass doors

Eep, locked away closet, that would creep me OUT.

Hannah
Dude I have that huge old army heater in my apartment and I am still terrified to look inside

Elizabeth
Another neat apartment

Kathryn
The book was definitely a love letter to New York apartments

Cannibals and mob murder, this is NOT dinner conversation

Elizabeth
Was just gonna say that

Hannah
This is terrible foreplay

Elizabeth
Hee. Interesting editing choice to have the undressing go on that long

Kathryn
Liberated woman, say what she wants.

Hannah
Madam can I advise against the patterned yellow wallpaper?

Elizabeth
Hee, never made that connection before now

Nathan
It was the height of fashion in 1968.

Elizabeth
Comes with a woman hiding in it

Kathryn
Oof, the pregnancy connotations here REALLY tie in with that story.

Hannah
And an unconventional exercise program…

NO THANK YOU

“There’s nothing to see” I BEG TO DIFFER

Kathryn
Yikes yikes yikes. Welcome to the neighborhood

Hannah
Who’s that actor?

Pink suit

“Every three weeks or so” Gahhhhhh

Nathan
According to the trivia, Mia Farrow was married to Frank Sinatra. He wasn’t happy with her doing this film. Ended up serving divorce papers to her on the set.

Elizabeth
Double yiiiikes

Hannah
CLASSY

Bah, she had awful taste in men

Nathan
Seriously!

Apparently, things hadn’t been well between them and that was the last straw.

 

Kathryn
Such effective dream imagery in this movie

I forgot how brash Mrs. Castavet is.

Nathan
She won an Oscar for that role.

Kathryn
It’s an effective performance

Elizabeth
Funny just by the sound of the slamming door I knew he had bad news

Kathryn
“We get friendly with an old couple we’ll never get rid of them.” (Terrified laugh

Hannah
I get John Cassavetes mixed up with John Cazale

Elizabeth
Religious convo at the dinner table, I’d rather the cannibals.

Hannah
Heh this thing with the gestures might be referenced in a great episode of Frasier

Kathryn
Mrs Castavet shoveling her food

Must have been quite a conversation Roman had with Guy, considering…

Elizabeth
Nice that they set up the fact that she’d notice things like empty picture spots because she noticed where the secretary dresser had been earlier

Ugh pushy neighbors

Kathryn
Hee, that head droop

BRASH BRASH BRASH

Now I do like a social occasion with crafts, but it’s pretty damn pushy to just whip em out.

Nathan
Pushy thy name is Minnie.

Kathryn
Guy doing some real “acting” with feeling SO BAD about his competitor’s…misfortune

lizabeth
Yuuup

Hannah
I dunno, I know the story but I have trouble not believing him…

Kathryn
And suddenly Guy is distancing himself from his wife

He’s so charming

Minnie, GO AWAY

Elizabeth
Mousse we have mousse!

Kathryn
“Chalky undertaste”

Hannah
NOT THE CHALKY UNDERTASTE

Nathan
Chalky Undertaste is my band name.

Kathryn
Ha!

Elizabeth
Heeeeere we go

Kathryn
Heeere we I WAS JUST TYPING THAT

Elizabeth
hee

Hannah
Gaslighting buuuuullshit

Elizabeth
I’d completely forgotten about all the dream imagery in this

Hannah
Such effective use of the clock ticking

NOT A FAN OF NIGHTMARE HALLUCINATIONS

Kathryn
Not kidding, this is WORD FOR WORD from the book, right down to the cathedral turning into the underside of the linen closet.

Hannah
NOT THE ONES ON SAILBOATS

Kathryn
Something about the homey pattern on the mattress makes that so much more believable.

Hannah
NO THANK YOU

Kathryn
God, still effective

Such a jerk, even knowing what he put her through

Elizabeth
Oooooh this is SO yuck

Hannah
EW

EW EW EW

Elizabeth
Had sex while you were passed out you ain’t sore aintcha?

Hannah
Also given Mr. Polanski’s preferences, EW

Kathryn
This movie should be used in classes about gaslighting.

Hannah
Omg stop with the Fur Elise already, that alone makes the lady in the wallpaper mad

Congratulations! It’s a demon!

Kathryn
Aw, she’s so happy

Wonder what the blood test showed

Elizabeth
Hee putting the appointment on the calendar as BLOOD is telling

Hannah
Heh BLOOD

Elizabeth
Jinx!

Nathan
Her midiclorian levels were off the chart!

Hannah
Congratulations! It’s a Skywalker!

Nathan
More like a Vader.

Hannah
Still a Skywalker!

Elizabeth
ooo wanting to tell the neighbors is even MORE yjck

AND brining them back to the place

Hannah
Congratulations! It’s your husband’s future wife!

Kathryn
ACK

Apparently a carefully planned shot to make the whole audience lean to the side to try to see what Minnie is doing.

Hannah

Heh effective

Elizabeth

Yup

Kathryn

Guy trying to cringe away in his sleep

Elizabeth
Heh, when he first said “please don’t read books” I thought it was more like “it’ll give you uppity ideas”

Hannah
His advice is both good and terrible

I love it! Stfo, guy

You and your darn books

Elizabeth
More gaslighting ugh

Kathryn
This bit with the pregnancy pain is more unsettling than the black sabbath

Hannah
Also mom’s back here yelling about taking aspirin

OMG WTF IS YOUR PROBLEM, GUY

Elizabeth
The hair comments you MONSTER

Nathan
That’s about how my grandmother ate her steak.

Kathryn
It’s like he wants to punish her for the pregnancy

Hannah
I didn’t remember how dead on I was gonna be with the steak tonight…

Elizabeth
Right??

Kathryn
Rosemary’s Baby Potatoes, ultra-rare steak, mousse. We’re doing it RIGHT.

Pierced ear? OBVIOUSLY a Satanist

Hannah
“Probably far too much” these men can fuck off

(Except hutch)

Kathryn
HAVE SOME CANCER STICKS

Elizabeth
Smoking right by the pregnant lady, different times.

Nathan
Very.

Elizabeth
“Good ol hutch, spreading sunshine.” Dude you told your wife her haircut was the worst decision she ever made, shut it.

Kathryn
Guy, your wife looks like death, turn down the damn TV

Hannah
… why does it blow my mind that you can unplug a landline and plug it in in another room and not lose the call?

Elizabeth
I was just thinking that

Nathan
I was thinking that’s too!

Elizabeth
I wondered if maybe there’s another extension in the house and that one was still live

Nathan
Probably.

Hannah
“That haircut is the worst decision you ever made.”

Elizabeth
hahahah

Got it’s just claustrophobic watching her go through all that with nobody listening

Hannah
Isn’t Sapirstein the doctor in In the Mouth of Madness?

Kathryn
I think you’re right!

Elizabeth
Holy crap I just looked it up and you’re totally right!

Had to be intentional

Kathryn
Gotta be

You tell him, Rosemary!

Hannah
God she’s trying so hard, that’s what’s terrifying

BACK. OFF. MINNIE.

Elizabeth
UGH she’s awful

Nathan
No, that actor died in 1991. In The Mouth of Madness came out in ‘94.

Hannah
No no just the character name

Elizabeth
Yep, the doctor that does the intake on same neil is Saperstein

Nathan
Oh, gotcha!

Hannah
SAME NEIL is MY metal band

Kathryn
Everyone’s so believably shocked at how she looks

Hannah
That woman should be played today by Sarah Paulson

Elizabeth
THAT’S who she reminded me of

Hee, I love the ladies all “NOPE, out you’re not welcome”

Hannah
Like a record scratch with the music going off there

Kathryn
Yes, close ranks, girls!

“You have been in pain since November?” Right?

Hannah
FUCK OFF, GUY

Kathryn
Gaaaaahhhjj

Elizabeth
“I won’t let you do it” OH REALLY

Kathryn
Not fair to Saperstein??

Hannah
she made eggnog. The baby needs eggnog.

Elizabeth
hahaha

Kathryn
And sherry I think

Elizabeth
Hee, the way he jerked his hand back from her stomach

Kathryn
He can’t even be relieved for her.

Hannah
“Unbeknownst to Rosemary, Guy joined Scientology and now she’s having Tom Cruise’s baby…”

Elizabeth
Hee, that’s the remake
Shoot I was hoping Hutch made it out alive

Nathan
And it’s the reincarnation of L.Ron Hubbard.

Hannah
That was very effective

Kathryn
I feel like modern movies wouldn’t take enough time with this

Oh Guy, stuff your flowers

Elizabeth
They do a really good job of making it perfectly plausible that she’s losing her mind

Hannah
Exactly

Kathryn
Gaslighting gaslighting gaslighting

Elizabeth
“Don’t get excited.” Ohhhh shut up

Hannah
THE LIGHTS ARE DIMMING

FUCK. OFF. GUY.

The friendly acceptance here is so horrifically convincing

Elizabeth
Lord yes

Hannah
I do feel like a contemporary movie would make it more one way or the other throughout, this really straddles the line

Elizabeth
Someone throws you a tiny bit of reassurance and you grab it like a lifeline

Hannah
“Yeeeeaaah good bye” fuck off for good, minnie

Elizabeth
I’ve forgotten a lot of this movie but I distinctly remember her dropping the pendant down the drain

Nathan
“I wasn’t thinking.” Guy on any given moment.

Hannah
SHE’S DOING EVERYTHING SHE CAN

Kathryn
Apparently those are real NY drivers in that scene

Not included in the production, the director told her to walk into traffic

Nathan
Said no one would hit a pregnant lady.

Hannah
MIA. HONEY. TALK TO SHELLEY

Kathryn
She’s such a good investigator

Elizabeth
Ticking clock again

Hannah
A contemporary horror movie about what 1960s and 70s male directors did to women to make horror movies

Elizabeth
That’d almost be too scary to watch

Nathan

Oh, the days everyone kept their phone numbers written down in books and used payphones.

Hannah
The only thing at this point is i start wishing she wouldn’t use her name

Elizabeth
Such great acting of a woman doing bad acting

Hannah
And then back to being terrified

Ack yeah it’s hard to sound sane here

Kathryn
And back to her sounding crazy.

Hannah
God effective misdirection there

Nathan
The guy waiting at the phone booth is the producer, William Castle.

Hannah
Haha that’s awesome!

So the thing is, even if she were just rambling, SHE’S OBVIOUSLY TROUBLED. SHE NEEDS HELP

Elizabeth
I was JUST saying the doctor was awfully patient, but yeah even if she was crazy something is really wrong!

Hannah
I remember someone saying once how terrible it is to dismiss something as “a cry for help” because a cry for help is a thing you’re supposed to respond to

Elizabeth
Right??

Kathryn
Exactly!

Hannah
There were times when I was in the hospital it was so terrifying to think I couldn’t trust anyone, and I just wanted someone to believe me and get me out of there. But even when I got to another room I had trouble believing it was real

NO, LIKE THIS

Elizabeth
Nighmarish

Kathryn
I vividly remember this from the first time I watched this

Elizabeth
Dr Hill can go all the way to hell

Hannah
And then when I’d go to appointments I’d think this kind of thing would happen

Elizabeth
The very definition of PTSD

Kathryn
She’s so resourceful

Elizabeth
The crazy music ramping up

Hannah
Horror jazz

By Sam Neil and the Sapirsteins

Nathan
Dear God, they made a sequel to this.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074815/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Nathan
Sounds horrible!

Kathryn
3.2, damn

Nathan
A TV movie, no less.

Kathryn
Oh jeez, having to race to unlock the door!

Hannah
Haha Look Who’s Talking to Rosemary’s Baby, Too starring Bruce Willis as the voice of the baby

And Kirstie alley for some fucking reason

Kathryn
Look out behind you!

Elizabeth
hahaha the people tiptoing in the background

Man my palms are sweating

Kathryn
They used to do labor like this, just drug the mom and wake her up when it’s over.

Elizabeth
I mean I wouldn’t say no

Kathryn
Why did they stop doing that?

Elizabeth
I guess any time you put someone under there’s a risk?

Kathryn
Mother can’t tell you when something is wrong I guess.

Elizabeth
“We could’ve done something in a hospital but you wouldn’t listen” Saperstein can FUCK OFF

Kathryn
Gaslighting gaslighting gaslighting

Don’t eat her breakfast you jerk

Hannah
Yeah, so many reasons, and also better to have someone’s cooperation and consent throughout the process

Plus now they can do epidural so people can be awake

Nathan
My neighbors had a TV remote like that.

Elizabeth
I was just thinking that’s a brick of a remote

Nathan
Their grandson and I used to use it as a phaser. 😄

Elizabeth
The idea of all this nightmarish stuff going on and it’s so hot to drive you insane

Hannah
God, yeah

Elizabeth
I also remember that line about the spoon in the milk

 

Kathryn
Nice passage of time thing with all the pills under the shelf

Elizabeth
Checkov’s linen closet

stopping the cradle from rocking with the point of her knife is a subtle touch

Kathryn
I wanna know more about those paintings

Elizabeth
“Shut up you’re in DeBruvnik I don’t hear you”

Absolute chills at this point

Nathan
Yeah, I’ll bet he can’t look at her.

Kathryn
Apparently there are people who are CONVINCED they show the baby.

Hannah
They must be confused with the conception

Elizabeth
Even after all these years I remember they never showed the baby

Nathan
I’d be stabbing everyone in sight at this point.

Hannah
RIGHT?

Kathryn
That they think she wouldn’t have any problems with this

Elizabeth
Oh, she HASN’T been hurt Guy? Apart from pain and terror for 9 months?

Kathryn
I do wonder if Guy ever regrets that he gave his wife away and now she hates him.

Elizabeth
I bet he gets over it.

Hannah
Regret? We’ve Got A Spell for That!

Elizabeth
Laura Louise is the WORST

Hannah
Hahaha

Kathryn
I think it was slightly clearer in the book that everyone in the coven was just a few petty disagreements away from turning on each other.

Elizabeth
And she looks calmer than she has all movie

Hannah
Well that was more horrific than the first time, happy spooky season, everyone!

Elizabeth
Whoooooo

Kathryn
Ira Levin wrote a sequel. Apparently it wasn’t very good. Best to leave it with that last image.

Elizabeth
Yes I’m good with leaving it there

Kathryn
It’s so weird that I grew up thinking that the Satan stuff was the scary part, and now I’m just unsettled by the big conspiracy and no one listening to Rosemary and everyone convincing her that SHE was the crazy one.

Nathan
You mean you don’t want to see the TV movie sequel? 🤣

Elizabeth
Hee, the one they made in 2022? It’s pulling a 5.5 on imdb. I think I’ll pass 😃

Nathan
No, the one from 1976 I posted earlier.

It only got a 3.2.

Kathryn
There was a sequel in the 70’s wasn’t there? I think that was the one with the 3.3 rating.

Elizabeth
Yes I remember thinking everyone was being awfully dismissive of how much pain she was in the first time I watched it, but it’s so much worse than that

Nathan
Maybe we’ll watch it for our podcast. 🤔

Elizabeth
Heh

Apartment 7A started up automatically, a prequel to Rosemary’s baby that came out THIS YEAR

Also pulling a 5.8, I’ll pass

Kathryn
Good grief, I haven’t even HEARD of that one.

I think this movie was kind of lightning in a bottle, nobody predicted how good it would be, so it’s hard to just do that a second time.

(also there’s a joke about the screenwriter for this film, that it was his first job and he didn’t know he was allowed to make changes from the source material, which is why so much of it is word-for-word from the book.)

Nathan
The plot summary on IMDB for the sequel: “Having been adopted by the madam of a southwestern brothel, a now adult Adrian must cope with the fact that he’s Satan’s kid, and not living up to his expectations.”

Elizabeth
Ick, sounds dreadful

Funny thing though, I have a clear as day memory of a woman running screaming through a dark hallway, with a demon like creature running after her, you can only see it’s silhouette but when it turns around you see its horns and two glowing eyes

I could’ve SWORN it was this movie, but I guess not. Wonder what it’s from

Oh holy cow, the Apartment 7A movie? The prequel is about Terri, the girl Rosemary befriends at the beginning of the film

Marian
Didn’t Roman Polanski write the screenplay and direct it? Too bad he liked young girls. You should watch another of his movies, Repulsion. It’s in French with Catherine Deneuve. Look it up. His first movie that got attention is, Knife in the Water.

Hannah
Found some of the insane jazz

Elizabeth
I’m not much of a jazz person but I like that

One thing’s for sure, the true heroes of the movie are her girlfriends comforting her in the kitchen and telling her husband to fuck off