The Babadook

The Babadook is a 2014 Australian-Canadian psychological horror film, written and directed by Jennifer Kent as her directorial debut, in which a woman and her son are tormented by an evil entity. The film stars Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman, while Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear appear in supporting roles.

The Babadook was produced by Causeway Films (Kristina Ceyton) and is based on the short film Monster (2005), also written and directed by Kent. The film was shown at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and received critical acclaim.

Plot

Amelia is a troubled widow who has raised her six-year-old son Sam alone after the death of her husband Oskar. He begins displaying erratic behavior: he rarely sleeps through the night and is preoccupied with an imaginary monster, which he has built weapons to fight. Amelia is forced to take her son out of school due to his behavior.

One night, Sam asks his mother to read from a mysterious pop-up storybook he finds on his shelf. The story, Mister Babadook, describes a monster, the Babadook, who torments its victims after they become aware of it. Amelia is disturbed by the story and Sam becomes convinced that the Babadook is stalking them.

Essie Davis

Esther "Essie" Davis (born 1970) is an Australian actress.

Early life

Davis was raised on the outskirts of Hobart, Tasmania, the daughter of a local artist, George Davis. She was educated at Clarence High School; Rosny College; the University of Tasmania, where she was a member of the Old Nick Company; and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, where she graduated in 1992.

Career

Her acting career began with the Bell Shakespeare company when, straight out of NIDA, she was cast as Juliet in the 1993 production of Romeo and Juliet.

Her film career started with her role in the all-Australian 1995 movie Dad and Dave: On Our Selection, which starred Geoffrey Rush, Leo McKern, and Joan Sutherland. Her biggest movie roles are in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, director Richard Flanagan's 1998 Tasmanian film The Sound of One Hand Clapping, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

In 2003 she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her UK performance in the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. In 2004 she starred in a Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, for which she earned a Tony Award nomination. In 2005 she appeared as Mrs. Nellie Lovett in the BBC production of Sweeney Todd with Ray Winstone.

Jennifer Kent

Jennifer Kent is an Australian actress, writer and director, best known for her horror film The Babadook (2014), which was her directorial début.

Background

Kent was born in Brisbane, Australia. She says that she put on her first play when she was seven and also wrote stories. In her late teens, she chose acting as she “wasn’t really aware at that stage that women could direct films.” She graduated in 1991 from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) for performing arts. In a promotional interview for Kent's 2014 film, The Babadook, lead actress Essie Davis explained that Kent was in the year above her at NIDA and was "[an] eerily phenomenal actress ... the girl that was obviously the best girl at the whole school."

Career

Acting

Kent began her career as an actress, working primarily in television. She was a main cast member of Murder Call, from creator Hal McElroy, playing Constable Dee Suzeraine in all 31 episodes of the series. She also appeared in several episodes of other Australian TV series such as All Saints, Police Rescue and Above the Law. Kent also had a small role in Babe: Pig in the City. She has also been an acting teacher for 13 years at major institutions such as NIDA and the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

Drag racing

Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles (usually specially prepared for the purpose) compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most commonly ¼ mile (1,320 ft (402 m)), with a shorter 3/16 mile 10 feet (1,000 ft (305 m)) used by nitromethane powered Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars along with some bracket races, while 660 ft (201 m) (1/8 mi) is also popular in some circles. Electronic timing and speed sensing systems have been used to record race results since the 1960s.

Drag racing has existed in both street racing and regulated motorsport forms since automobiles and motorcycles were developed. The street racing form, which is usually illegal, is covered elsewhere; this article covers the legal sport.

Basics of drag racing

Before each race (commonly known as a pass), each driver is allowed to perform a burnout, which heats the driving tires and lays rubber down at the beginning of the track, improving traction. Each driver then lines up (or stages) at the starting line.

RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV. The show documents RuPaul in his search for "America's next drag superstar." RuPaul plays the roles of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. RuPaul's Drag Race employs a panel of judges, including RuPaul, Michelle Visage and a host of other guest judges, who critique contestants' progress throughout the competition. The title of the show is a play on drag queen and drag racing, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme.

RuPaul's Drag Race has spanned seven seasons and inspired the spin-off shows RuPaul's Drag U and RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race. The show has become the highest-rated television programme on Logo TV, and airs internationally, including in Australia, Canada and the UK. The show won Outstanding Reality Program at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards, has been nominated for 4 Critics' Choice Television Award including Best Reality Series – Competition and Best Reality Show Host for RuPaul, and was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic). In 2015, RuPaul's Drag Race was renewed for an eighth season and RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race was renewed for a second season.