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HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES VOL 1
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HOME - INTRO - REVIEWS - FEATURES - MYSPACE - BLOG - STAFF - CONTACT HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES VOL 1
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A-C D-F G-I J-L M-O P-R S-U V-X Y-Z
(1968) "I will not give up the work of a lifetime, simply because you think I'm mad." - Dr. Lorca Made in 1969, this was the quick follow up to Hemisphere's BRIDES OF BLOOD. While it's not a sequel to BRIDES, it does feature the famous Blood Island and a different monster called the natives call the Evil One. But those are the only connections, besides the star John Ashley. In this outing, Ashley plays Dr. Bill Foster, who is going to the island to investigate a report of some strange happenings on the island, including a monster with green blood. On the boat ride to the island, he meets up with Sheila Willard, played by the buxom Angelique Pettyjohn. She is going to the island to see find her father that she hasn't seen since she was twelve. They also meet up with Carlos (Ronald Valdez) who hopes to bring his mother home from the island since his father died there a few months ago. But once they arrive, they don't find things as they hoped. Sheila's father is a drunk, and Carlos' mother doesn't want to leave the island. She is working with the strange Dr. Lorca. Lorca, with his cane and tinted sunglasses, is played wonderfully by Ronald Remy. Remy is one of the highlights of the film for me, playing the title character of the film with a great performance, rating him up there one some of the best mad scientists. Playing Lorca's assistants is Bruno Punzalan, who is a very familiar face in these Philippine horror movies. It seems that the good doctor Lorca is experimenting on human subjects with chlorophyll, in hopes of finding a cure for a disease. Unfortunately, the side effects to the experiments have created a green-blooded monster, who rips apart anybody in it's path. Just who exactly was this monster??? Probably the most popular of the Blood Island trilogy, this is actually my favorite of the three, with BRIDES coming in a close second. The movie starts out with a young girl running through the jungle, completely naked. No wonder why Ashley liked making movies there! But then she runs into our favorite chlorophyll-blooded monster and is torn apart. How could you go wrong with that opening? Plus the dialog is great. You get great lines like the one above, or even when one of the native girls is talking about Dr. Lorca and says "The Doctor is not afraid of death. Death is on his payroll." Always trying to top their last film, the film does have a little bit more blood, guts and nudity in here. Some of the victims have their guts hanging out or sprawled out on the floor. Granted, all these are animal intestines, but at least they look real. Then of course, you also have Pettyjohn showing her assets while making out with Ashley, or unless she's about to fall out of her dress. The movie does have a couple of downfalls that might put off a few viewers. One of them, and the most common complaint, is the mega-zoom that is used every time the monster is about to strike. With the quick zooming in and out, it can give one a headache after a while, and does go on a little too much. But as Sherman mentions on the commentary, he thought it was a neat idea and does hide a little bit of the poor makeup. The other is when some real animals are sacrificed during a native ritual. These are obviously real animals being killed and dwelled upon too long. Even Sherman mentions on the commentary that should not have been done, or could be done today. But that was a different time and place. But in my opinion, that is only part of this movie that could be keep one from watching it. Even if you were one of the lucky ones to have one of those Magnum Entertainment pre-records of this movie, the quality still wasn't the greatest. At the time, it was the best you could get. Until now. once again, Image has done a awesome job cleaning up the print of this film. Even all the extras and trailers look great. Like BRIDES OF BLOOD, this disc is also filled with extras, a lot of them being the same as on BRIDES and BEAST OF BLOOD. It does contain the same trailers as the other discs: the three different Blood Island movies, along with BLOOD DRINKERS, BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRES, BRAIN OF BLOOD and RAIDERS OF THE LIVING DEAD. It also has the same 17 minute interview with Eddie Romero. There is also the Blood Island Photo Gallery, which features pics and ads from BRIDES and MAD DOCTOR, which is also on the BRIDES disc. But the essay by William Koenig is different than what is on BRIDES, and is a great read. The commentary by Sherman is once again very informative, but is still just about an hour long. As before, he talks more about the history of all the pictures, cast and crews, than about each individually film . In any case, there is a lot of great information there that you can learn from Sherman, such as what goes on after the film has been made, and now has to be sold to the drive-ins. But one of the highlights of extras, in the 'Drinking of the Green Blood' prologue promo that Sherman came up with. It has a bunch of teenagers taking the "Oath of the Green Blood" which is classic drive-in promotions. I had seen this before, but hadn't known that Sherman was behind it. I was very happy to see that they had included this on the disc as part of the extras. It actually plays before the movie, just like in the drive-ins. A great piece of promotion history that you won't see these days. As Sherman says in his commentary, if you were only going to buy one of these movies, this would be the one to get. Although, if you're really a horror completist you really have to get all three of them. And then, there's the other titles that Ashley and Romero made like TWILIGHT PEOPLE... (1978) I first learned who Anthony Hopkins was from this movie. Long before he entranced the world with his Oscar winning performance as Hannibal Lecter, I was amazed at his portrayal of the magician with a slight case of split personality. I had thought that when Hopkins won the Oscar for SILENCE OF THE LAMBS that this movie would 're-discovered'. But it didn't seem to happen. But now, thanks to Dark Sky Films, this highly underrated film can now be seen, in a wonderfully new high definition transfer from the 35mm original negative. And it looks beautiful. The basic story is very simple. Hopkins plays Corky, a shy magician who overcomes his fears with the help of a ventriloquist dummy, named Fats. As the story progresses, we learn that Fats seems to be the more dominate personality and really is in control. When he gets his chance to make it to the big time, he runs away back to his hometown, hoping to find his long lost love from high school, that he was always afraid to talk to. The real catch of this movie is that Fats becomes a character in the film as much as anybody else. I would like to say that he steals the scenes in most cases, but I think that Hopkins' performance here is incredible and surpasses it. There are times when Corky really does seemed to be a little whacked, while Fats seems to be very calm and very smart, and very much in control. The way that Hopkins interacts with this wooden character is what really gives it as much life as his co-stars. You're really rooting for Corky to come out of his shell and be freed of Fats. That he could break free of Fats' control. And then you remember that Corky is Fats, and realize just how crazy Corky is. All that credit all goes to Hopkins' acting ability. This may not be the typical fare for someone looking for a simple horror movie. Like the ads say, it's a terrifying love story. That is just what it is. Burgess Meredith, looking a little bit like Hunter S. Thompson, plays Corky's agent. And he creates a wonderful old character. He maybe a small guy, but his personality is huge. Ann-Margret plays Corky's high school sweetheart that he was too scared to talk to all those years ago. This is a film that I can watch over and over again. Granted, it's mainly due to the interaction between Fats and Corky. But there are other things that I've notice about the movie the more I watch it. Like the use of shadows. And I guess that if it wasn't for the screenplay, written by William Goldberg, which was based on his own novel, the acting wouldn't have mattered. The dialog between Fats and Corky ranges from being funny, frightening, to some very sad moments, especially near the end. So even if this movie was release with no extras, I would have been all over it. But those lovely folks at Dark Sky Films have done a wonderful job bringing some nice extras. There is an interview with the Director of Photography, Victor J. Kemper. He does a great job explaining the technical side of of what a DP does, but in a way that even the most simple fan can understand, and have more of an appreciation of that job. There is also a radio interview with Anthony Hopkins, where he discusses the film. As well as an interview that was done for a Mexican program. Hopkins discusses working on the film and having to learn the ventriloquist techniques. This seems to have been shot shortly after the movie was made. The disc also has a silent make up test for Ann-Margret, trailers, radio spots, and a photo gallery. But the real highlight of the extras is the documentary, Fats & Friends. Dennis Alwood, the ventriloquist consultant, who also operated Fats on the set, starts out with a brief history of ventriloquism. He then goes on to explain how he became involved in this film. When they wanted to use his own dummy for the movie, but also to change it, he refused. And then Fats was born. During the first part of this featurette, Alwood is sitting by himself. Then his dummy Dudley comes out. And once they really start talking about the film, Dudley is replace by Fats. Yes folks, this is the original Fats. And of course, like all ventriloquist, Fats and Alwood talk about the film, where Fats reminisces about working on the film and with the different actors. This is great. But I do say, that I think Dark Sky really missed a great opportunity to promote this DVD release. With all the conventions around, they should have hired Alwood to appear at a few of these, bringing Fats. Can you see Fats listed as one of the guests? They could have done Q&A with him. And then they could have even had the chance for the fans to have their picture taken with Fats. "Buy the DVD and get your picture with Fats!" Talk about a great way to promote it! I know I would have done that. Oh well....we can dream, can't we. It is a shame though. But none the less, this has always been a favorite of mine, so I really couldn't recommend this movie or this DVD enough. For die-hard fans of it, you'll love the look of it, along with the great extras. For those who have never seen it, then now is your chance to see Anthony Hopkins much younger than you've probably seen him, and giving a performance as good as, if not better, than he did for Hannibal Lecter. (2007) We had the opportunity to screen this second feature from John (BLOOD GNOME) Lechago at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors (Chicago) back in February. Having met the 37-year-old writer/director, (his booth was across the aisle from the Krypt’s), I can say that Lechago is a great, amiable guy with his fantasy/horror heart in the right place. His latest effort, MAGUS, has a similarly genial tone in that it never goes for a tone of dread or fear—instead, he offers an engaging tale that borrows equally from Roger Corman’s THE RAVEN and Russell Mulcahy’s HIGHLANDER, with a dash of THE KARATE KID thrown in for flavor. Perhaps assuming his audience versed enough to fill in the blanks, Lechago doesn’t present a lot of background details of the impending wizards’ duels that drive the plot. (No one actually ever utters the infamous phrase, "There can be only one," but the sentiment is understood.) We see our sinister bald baddie, the titular Magus (Ron Fitzgerald), escape from the insane asylum/prison where he was detained, though the hows and whys are left to our imagination. We see our aging spiritual warrior, Felix (Bill Steele), sensing the battle to come, but his link and/or history with Magus isn’t spelled out too clearly. However, the script does impart its fair share of martial arts philosophy in between the zippy zappy scenes of wizard warrior whacking, primarily through struggling ju-jitsu student Claudia (Lizzy Strain). However, while the sketchy storyline (which also juggles in underworld dealings, ageism and teen romance) is easy to overlook, the performances require a bit more effort. Now, it’s understood that we’re dealing with a microbudget feature here, and our burgeoning auteur obviously knows how to get a lot onscreen for little to no money. The visuals are terrific, easily achieving the gloss of more expensive projects. Unfortunately, one often wishes that Lechago had attempted a silent film because his poor cast loses him major points every time they open their mouths. Strain is, to put it kindly, miscast as the ingenue, her clunky martial arts teamed with an "oh my god" shriek that could shatter the strongest eardrums. With her every emotional moment patently false, it becomes impossible for the viewer to empathize with her character. The entire venture suffers as a result, regardless of whatever minor "marquee value" she offers. Steele fares better in his gruff "healer/wizard" role, but hardly has the presence to carry the picture’s emotional center—which is the task given, considering that Strain lives up to her surname in terms of testing audience patience. Lizzy is the half-sister of scream queen Julie Strain, who shows up for a welcome cameo as a fellow magic user who informs Felix that Magus is on his way, then writhes around semi-nude under a see-through chemise when the mean-spirited magic man shows up. Fitzgerald has a great Nosferatu look (and his naturally two-toned eye color is a pretty nifty asset), but lacking an accompanying strong vocal presence, all his villainous power goes right down the drain whenever he speaks. Rather than an all-powerful spawn of Hell, he comes off as a whiny, bullying twerp, even when flinging his lethally crimson waves of wizardry. His familiar Sed, played by Eva Derrek, looks mighty fine in her outlandishly varied wardrobe of pleather outfits (she changes her duds about every five minutes). But this hardly serves to counteract her limited facial expressions, which run the gamut from A (sneer) to B (pout). Likewise, serving as Magus’ enforcer, Derrek’s martial arts "action" sequences are so roughly executed that we cannnot help but remain unimpressed. Without physically adept performers on the roster, these scenes would have benefited from more imaginative cinematography. But shot straight-on as they are, these supposedly epic battles often come off as thrilling and realistic as a university stage combat class. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty to like; it simply requires a healthy dose of audience generosity and empathy for the microbudget elements under which the creative team is toiling. There is an earnestness here that will appeal to many genre fans tired of the ever-escalating pissing contest of grit and depravity on display. MAGUS never pokes fun at itself nor the genre, and it refuses to stoop to nihilism simply because it’s the hot item on the horror menu these days. Additionally, the visual effects (also handled by Lechago) are more than adequate, culminating in a genuinely thrilling (and unexpectedly gory) climax. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Canadian-born filmmaker—especially with an abler cast and a few more dollars at his disposal. Aaron "Dr. AC" Christensen (2004) Usually one of the biggest flaws in low budget filmmaking is the acting, or really the lack there of. I believe that can really kill a film, no matter how good the story or look of the film is. Two good examples of this are 13 SECONDS (which I seemed to be alone on that opinion) and MIDNIGHT MASS. But with MALEVOLENCE, I was very surprised to find the actors in here very well cast, and all doing a great job. We’re not talking Oscar caliber stuff here folks, but they were very believable here, which really brought it above the usual low-budget fair. But one of the biggest problems with the film is that it’s very derivative of John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN, with some nods to FRIDAY THE 13th Part 2 & TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Even the director admits this during the ‘Making of’ segment in the extras. You have a seemingly unstoppable killer. You have a simple, yet creepy musical score. There’s even the musical cues, which Carpenter called “stingers”, used to heighten a jump scare, which are used several times here. Plus, the storyline itself is far from original. In the ‘Making of’ segment, director Mena explains his philosophical explanation of the storyline, where ‘evil begets evil’, which does make sense. The problem is that even though it does make sense, that doesn't change the fact that it still has been done many time before. Mena says that he was using the classic slasher films as inspirations and guidence, and paying homage to them, not parodying them like in SCREAM. So even with the over-done storyline, Mena still manages to deliver the goods when it comes to atmosphere and all out creepiness. The camera shots are set up quite well, giving us the multiple eerie shots of someone standing there watching, or slowly coming up upon a soon-to-be victim. One might argue that making these stylish and creepy shots might be very easy to do, and I would like to agree with that. But the problem is that if it was that easy, how come not too many people are accomplishing it? Certainly not the guys doing all those HALLOWEEN sequels. So I do give Mena a lot of credit for making the film look really good. The basic story is about a group of bank robbers that set out to hook up at their designated meeting place after the robbery. But after a few problems during and after the robbery, which includes a casualty and picking up some hostages, when they get to the meeting place, they soon find out that there are not alone. The makers of the film were very lucky in finding the location used for this movie. It fits perfectly for the story, almost as if it was written for this exact place. This movie will give you yet another reason why you don’t want to just walk into some old and out-of-the-way house or building. You just never know who might be in there. Anchor Bay is releasing this DVD and giving it plenty of extras to give you even more of an insight to low budget filmmaking. The featurette "Back To The Slaughterhouse" is enough to put out any smoldering fire of desire to get into filmmaking. Going through all the troubles that the director went through to get this film made is enough to drive you crazy. You realize that the reason that Mena is the writer, director, producer, composer, editor, and whatever else, is that he simply couldn't afford to hire anybody else to do it. Plus, the stories of 'low-budget' filmmaking never ceases to amaze me how people have the drive to stay in the business when all around them is falling apart. So kudos to Mena for hanging in there. The DVD also has audio commentary by Mena, along with actor Brandon Johnson and Associate Producer Eddie Akmal. This is interesting, but also covers a lot of material that is in the documentary. There is also some deleted scenes, rehearsal footage, trailers, and still gallery. The original screenplay is also available on DVD-ROM. So as long as you're not expecting any new or different, but something that is at least scary and atmospheric, which a lot of the low budget films can not say, than I would recommend checking this one out. (2003) The film’s biggest story
asset is that Van Bebber keeps Charles Manson at a distance. Rather than
glorifying Manson as a savior/leader/head case (as the subsequent decades of
mainstream media attention has done), he is presented as a very small piece of
an intricate puzzle of 60s free love turned burnouts turned murderers. Manson
(essayed well by Marcelo Games) is presented very realistically (as a failed
musician looking to make it into the big time) and the same can be said for the
rest of the characters. Often cast as peripheral characters to Manson, the film
focuses on the lives of Charles “Tex” Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins,
Bobby Beausoleil, etc. and details how they became involved with “The Family” at
the Ranch. Van Bebber has obviously done his homework and presents the story
with astonishing detail (which might aggravate the “Charlie is God” crowd).
With mostly unknowns and amateurs in the leads and the film’s pseudo documentary
style, the viewer is easily sucking into the world of these characters. To
balance things out, Van Bebber also includes contemporary set (well, 1999)
bookends to the film that feature a bunch of punks stalking a TV producer
working on an upcoming documentary about Manson. This works well in
establishing both the idea that the media propagates the myth of Manson and that
murder is always gonna be with us. That is not to say that Dark Sky, the film’s DVD distributor, have left you hanging. The 2-disc Unrated Special Edition is a fitting tribute to the film. I should point out that the film has been released in a single disc, R-rated version as well but this is definitely the one to get. Disc one contains the film, trailers and a photo gallery. The film is presented full frame (as intended) and looks great. It is on disc two where the real meaty extras come forth. First up is “The Van Bebber Family,” a full length documentary chronicling the filmmakers’ 15 year (!) struggle to get this film made. You might think that you know it all about the film’s history but you don’t. There is plenty of new info on hand and interviews with all of the major cast and crew (noticeably absent is Games). The second documentary is the aptly titled “In the Belly of the Beast.” This one follows several independent filmmakers, Van Bebber included, through the 1997 Fantasia film festival in Canada. Familiar faces such as Richard (HARDWARE, DUST DEVIL) Stanley and Mariano (DARK WATERS) Baino pop up and remind us all how making an independent horror film is hell. Sadly, a large amount of this documentary is spent on Fantasia co-organizer and filmmaker Karim Hussain, who is pimping his film SUBCONSCIOUS CRUELTY. While I haven’t seen the film, Hussain comes off as the stereotypical “misunderstood artist” to the point that it ruins the entire feature. Regardless, the film is worth checking out at least once for the other guys. Finally, there is a 10-minute interview with Charles Manson himself. Guys what kids? Charlie is so crazy! This really doesn’t serve much purpose but I guess if people want some real Manson, it is there for them. While 2005 isn’t even over yet, I would be hard pressed to think of a better film this year. THE MANSON FAMILY is many things – a fact based account of the 1969 murders, a statement on the media’s propensity to continue the myths surrounding the deaths and a declaration for independent filmmakers. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take Van Bebber 15 years to make his next feature. Review by William Wilson
(2003) Many years ago, when I used to read horror fiction as much as I watched horror movies (no really, I did...quite a lot actually), F. Paul Wilson was an author that I enjoyed quite a bit. Being the author of The Keep (which is so much better than the movie), he had written this short story called Midnight Mass, that was published in an All-Vampire anthology book. The story just blew me away. It was about a future time when vampires had all but taken over the world, and that humans were now the minority. There was a strong religious aspect, mainly since the main character was a priest who had lost his faith. While it had been a long time since I had read the story, I was very excited to hear that somebody was going to make it into a movie. With a great story to start with, how could it go wrong? Boy, did they show me. I couldn’t have been more disappointed with this film. Now before you say it, I know that you can’t judge a film by comparing to the written story that a lot of the details have to be left out. But that really has nothing to do with my complaints. The acting is just so bad in here that it takes your attention away from anything else that is going on in the movie. One of the main characters is a young girl who is an atheist. She was good friends with the priest (who now instead of loss of faith, had been falsely accused of some indiscretion with a young boy), and would have long conversations about religion. Well, her portrayal of this diehard atheist was just plain terrible. Most of the other acting was pretty bad too, but she really topped it off. I’m all for low budget films. But this one was so obvious of the budget, it really took away from the film. They make it out like there are vampires taking over the world, like it’s some sort of mass invasion. But then you only see a few people, both human and not around. Even with the big battle at the end of the film, there would only be a couple of people fighting at any given time. And when two people were fighting in this small church, you really didn’t see that many more people around. Coming from a makeup background, director Mandile does have decent makeup for the film. The designs were pretty basic, with nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to vampires. But once again, the actors under the makeup really didn’t enhance the makeup jobs. I give the Mandile and the rest of the makers of this film credit for taking on this project, and getting it made. Taking over 2 years, I’m sure they put a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. But unfortunately, for me the acting just kills everything else this movie is trying to offer, and it was really hard for me to get past that. Lions Gate Entertainment has released this on DVD, with plenty of extras. There is production audio commentary, bloopers and outtakes, still gallery, original designs and artwork, and a behind-the-camera featurette which talks to just about everybody involved from the director, author Wilson, the actors, and more. That was pretty interesting, hearing the ins and outs of low budget filmmaking.
MIMIC
(1997) "Evolution has a way of keeping things alive." Guillermo del Toro is one of those directors that you don’t see too often in the genre today . . . one with some true talent. While he has only made two films, it’s what he has shown of his ability with these two films that really makes him stand out. In 1992, del Toro gave us a very different tale of vampirism with his first film, CRONOS. I don’t think you could compare this with your typical horror movie, because there was so much going on in the movie. This story of an ancient device that allows the owner to live forever, but with the price . . . the taste for blood. After hearing of many different projects with his name attached to it, some of them making me want to cry (such as the adaptation of a John Saul novel), and some of them making my mouth water (a suppose remake of THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE), it seemed that the next project that he would helm would be the film MIMIC. The film was to deal with some genetically engineered cockroaches that kind of get out of hand. Yes, folks, I know what you’re thinking. Gee, that hasn’t been done before, has it? Well, in the hands of del Toro, one might hope that the end results would not only be different but also be worth it. And after seeing the final result, the answer is yes on both counts. The story is about a deadly disease that is killing the children of Manhattan. Similar to the Black Plague, this time the disease is carried by cockroaches. An entomologist creates a new breed of cockroaches that would wipe out the disease and then die. It works and all is happy. Except . . . as one character in the film says, "Evolution has a way of keeping things alive." The film stars Mira Sorvino as the ‘bug lady’ who is held as a hero for finding a cure for the disease. The film also stars Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Charles Dutton, Giancarlo Giannini, and also in a bit part, F. Murray Abraham. While the effects of the film are pretty damn outstanding, they are not the main stars of the movie. The creatures, which were designed by Rob Bottin are pretty incredible looking monsters. But the story and the characters really take center stage in this film. To make a comparison to another ‘bug’ movie, STARSHIP TROOPERS is the exact opposite of MIMIC, even though it tries not to be. The main stars of STARSHIP are the giant bugs. Yes they are done quite well, but the plot and story line leave much to be desired. Another thing that I really like in this film was the way the death scenes were handled. First of all, there are some characters that killed that you wouldn’t think would die, especially in an American movie, unless it was some major plot point. Also, when someone is killed, there is very little gore. But what really make it effective are the sound effects during the killing, with the sharp, pointed arms of the creatures slicing and stabbing their victims, with quick whipping motions. You don’t need to see the gore in this case, with the sounds that you hear the images come to your mind on it’s own. Now I’m not saying that as a cop-out. I for one happen to like gore, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. About the only thing I could really complain about his movie would be the video poster artwork. They also seemed to jump on the SCREAM bandwagon and throw away any sort of originality, like the original theatrical poster art. Will they ever learn? But anyway, if you want a very effective and creepy movie, definitely check out MIMIC. THE
MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS
(1959) A small coastal town has become the home of a few unexplained and grisly deaths. Two fisherman are found a drift in their boat, with their heads missing. The heads were ripped clean off, and their blood sucked dry. Definitely not a boating accident. But as the local sheriff and doctor try to discover just who or what is doing the killing, the owner of the general store is telling of the legend of the title creature to anybody who'll listen. But why is the local lighthouse keeper so mean to everyone, and wants to make sure that nobody is around his property. Could he be hiding something? Or protecting something? And just how could this creature waltz right into town to kill someone and nobody happened to see it wandering through the streets? Guess that will teach you not to be working late in one of these movies. Made in 1958, this low budget rip-off of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON gives us a little bit more in the gore department than it's predecessor. Though this gore is really just a severed head that the creature is carrying around the first time we get to see it. But remember, that's way more than what we see in CREATURE. The design of this creature is a little bit more monster-like, than the original Creature was more to look like a fish-creature. For me, the real standout of the film is Les Tremayne. He has done a lot of voice work, as well as playing in some low budget classics like MONOLITH MONSTERS, THE SLIME PEOPLE, and Larry Buchanan's CREATURE OF DESTRUCTION. Plus, he was also in WAR OF THE WORLDS. But in whatever he played in, I've always found him entertaining. If you are expecting anything that an old-fashion creature feature type film from the 50's, then you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for one of those types of films to watch, then this isn't half bad. Granted it would have been nice to see the creature a little bit more than we do, but that would given the viewer a better chance at seeing how bad the costume might have looked with a longer viewing. THE
MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED
THE WORLD (1957) "HORDE OF GARGANTUAN VAMPIRE SNAILS!" With those words in the description, it was enough to get me to pickup this title. Of course it didn't hurt that it was another one of those $10 titles that MGM have been putting out under their Midnight Movies moniker. This is another one of those great little sci-fi / horror films from the 50's. After a recent earthquake under the Salton sea, people are being attacked by these giant creatures, which actually look more like giant caterpillars than snails. The navy is trying to find out just what these things are, as well as how to stop them, without letting the public know what's going on (for safety reasons of course). You know, they don't want to start an unwarranted panic or anything like that. The main man in charge of the local navy (Tim Holt) seems to have as about as much personality as one of the killer snails they're looking for. But that doesn't stop him from developing a love connection with a local secretary, played by Audrey Dalton, who also was in William Castle's MR. SARDONICUS. Once again, I have to give a lot of credit to the guys who designed and created the creature. For something made back in 1957, the monster is done pretty well. While it doesn't go sliding across the set or anything, they do seem to have quite a bit of movement, including a bunch of pincher arms. Hell, it even spits out this gooey slime everywhere. Gotta love that. This was released by MGM under their Midnight Movies moniker, with a small price of only $10.00 (at Best Buy).
(1961) The groundbreaking doctor, Sir Robert, receives a strange message from an old love, asking him to come to her home in a distant land for some dire help. Once he arrives there, he meets the husband of his long lost love, the Baron Sardonicus. Sardonicus had acquired his wife after paying off the gambling debt of her father. But the strange part of Sardonicus is that his face is hidden behind a mask. He tells his story of how he acquired his wealth, and the terrible secret he is hiding behind the mask. He blackmails Sir Robert into curing his affliction or his wife will come to great harm. This is a great traditional gothic horror story, and has always been my favorite of Castle’s films. It is filled with great performances from the entire cast. Guy Rolfe plays the title role with such style that even though you don’t see his face throughout most of the movie, only seeing the expressionless mask, his evil just seeps out of his character. His voice is perfect for the role. Another awesome performance is given from Oscar Homolka in the role of Krull, Sardonicus’ faithful assistant. When he is questioned by Sir Robert about him being a doctor, Krull’s reply is "I'm a man of all work, Sir. When my master says 'Krull, do this thing.' I do the thing. Whatever it may be." The last time he questioned his master's wishes, he lost an eye. A great character, played by a great actor. William Castle came up with one of his best gimmicks for this film. When you went to see the film, you were giving a “Punishment Poll”. Near the end of the movie, Castle came on the screen and asks you to vote for the ending of the movie. Did you want Sardonicus to suffer for his actions, or would you rather show him mercy? Well, knowing that everybody would want him to suffer, there was only one ending ever made. Once again, this was pure genius from Castle. It was great to finally see this film get a release on DVD, especially since it was never released on video here in the states. The movie is presented in widescreen format (1.85:1), and has been digitally re-mastered, both the audio and video. The disc also comes with a documentary (approx. 7 minutes long) about Castle and the making of the film, which features comments by film historian David Del Valle, director Fred Olen Ray, and a few others. The DVD also has the trailer. I couldn't recommend this film enough. It's a must for all Castle fans, but also fans of the gothic horror films of the 60's. If you're not familiar with Castle's work, you couldn't pick a better title to start with. This movie comes highly recommended.
As many of you know, Kitley and I headed off to HorrorFind back in August to experience the sights, smells and tastes of the Baltimore suburbs. While mixing with the fans and fanatics, we met up with local filmmakers Robert Harari and Jason Contino, the creative duo behind a new independent film, THE MURDER GAME, now being released on DVD through Warner Bros./Lightyear Video. Having chatted with them via MySpace and knowing a little bit about the movie, I was curious to check it out. The plot is nothing groundbreaking, a tried and true slasher recipe: A gaggle of thrillseeking teens head off to a deserted locale to get away from it all and engage in their chosen activities without any outside interference. The novelty in Harari and Contino’s screenplay is that this group likes to play what they have dubbed as “The Murder Game.” The rules are simple: Each member draws a playing card and whomever comes up with the queen of spades is designated “The Killer” and must stalk the others to their mock deaths before they figure out who the bad ‘un is. With every single one of their parents’ houses declared off limits to their “sick” game, one of them hits upon the idea of playing (after hours) in a local storage facility. This, they argue, will also add an extra element of danger to the game, as they will be electronically locked in until 6am the next morning. Of course, this being a horror movie, things go horribly wrong and the participants soon being bumped off for real one by one, leading the audience down a familiar but enjoyable path of guessing who the killer is and taking bets as to who will be the last stragglers standing by daylight. Harari and Contino have assembled an attractive, well-scrubbed cast that would not seem out of place on the latest CW drama (right down to the fact that these are obviously twentysomethings playing at being teenagers). Unfortunately, all of the characters are thoroughly unpleasant types, with not even a likeable Final Girl (or Guy) to root for. Things simply get shriller and shriller as the minutes tick by and believe me, about a half hour in, I was definitely watching the clock. Is it really that hard to create appealing and enjoyable characters? Or were the writers not concerned about it, knowing that their audience would most likely be tuning in just to see them get bumped off? Heads couldn’t roll fast enough as far as I was concerned – at least that would freaking shut them up. To the film’s credit, the storage facility setting is well-utilized as anyone who has been inside one will attest to the aura of desolation and gloom within, along with the fact that one hallway of lockers looks decidedly like another, lending a labyrinthine quality. The man-made landscape, with its tactile sounds of sneakers slapping on concrete and metal sliding doors squeaking open then clanging shut, provides a nice diversion from the clichéd lost-in-the-woods setting. However, the lack of diversity is a detriment after a while, with the monochromatic visuals just as one-note as the performances. When a character ventures into a stairwell late in the film, the change of scenery is startlingly welcome. This being a slasher flick, audience favor often rises or falls based on the gore content, and in the case of TMG, it is best to be patient. Much of the sanguinary mayhem, at least early on, happens just out of frame or is merely indicated by blood trickling from victims’ mouths. But, as we head into the final reel and discover the killer’s identity, viewers are treated to flashback sequences of great splash and splatter. (The best of which is a “death by fire extinguisher” that is both amusing and shiver-inducing.) In the final analysis, this is a relatively enjoyable time-waster for genre fans that don’t mind being served the same old meal in a new dish. The acting is not going to win any awards, but it rarely offends and while there’s a fair amount of padding and misdirection that could have been trimmed, there are several novel twists and turns with things taking a decided upswing in the final 25 minutes. I could have stood for fewer snippets of generic pop-rock songs and more shots that lasted longer than five seconds, but that could just be personal taste. For more information, including TMG’s numerous festival awards, go to www.murdergamemovie.com. Review by Aaron “Dr. AC” Christensen LOS
SIN NOMBRE
(aka THE NAMELESS)
(1999) This film is based on the novel by Ramsey Campbell. Back in my fiction reading days, I was never that big of a fan of Campbell’s work, but after reading about the film, and seeing the trailer, I was interested in seeing it. The film is very dark and very atmospheric, with a lot of inspirations from David Fincher’s SEVEN and even some from JACOB’S LADDER. Even though it is a color film, there are several sequences where due to the lighting, it’s in black and white, which gives it a great feel to it. But not only does the film look very dark, the subject matter is very dark as well. The film opens with the body of a five-year-old girl being found by the police. They believe it is the body of a young girl that was kidnapped recently. The body has been tortured, burn, with all types of identification being removed or destroyed. The parents are called in to identify the body. And all this in the first five minutes of the film. So if that alone is pretty unsettling for you, you might want to avoid it, since it really doesn’t let up. After several years go back, the parents have separated. The mother is still feeling the pain of the loss, when she gets a phone call…from her daughter. The story moves in such a way that it is crossing between a crime thriller and then possibly might have some sort of supernatural element to it. You hear about experiments that were being conducted by the Nazis and that some people were continuing that work, trying to reach a new level of consciousness through the practice of evil. So you’re never quite sure what to expect, which does keep you on your toes. But the film is done really well, and the acting is also very good. If you were looking for a way to really bring down a sunny day, this would be the film. If you can deal with the dark subject matter, it’s worth watching for the style alone. Being a parent, it hits a little bit more closer to home.
NECROMANCY (aka THE WITCHING)
(1972) Pamela Franklin and her husband move to the small town of Lilith, which is basically run by Orson Welles, the owner of a local toy factory. She realizes that something is strange right from the beginning. She soon discovers that the whole town is a coven of witches, led by Welles, who needs her help to bring his son back from the dead. Made in 1972, the film has a lot of scenes with Franklin walking around with a new wave-ish soundtrack pounding away, that really never seem to go anywhere. Welles is entertaining as the coven’s leader and does seem like he’s really enjoying himself, especially when there’s a bunch of naked women wandering around him. It does have quite a bit of nudity, and some pretty interesting black masses and the likes, but besides Welles that would be the only recommendation for the movie. It just seems to fall flat of any real eeriness or anything really scary. While it’s still a hell of a lot more entertaining than something like THE VIRGIN WITCH, it’s still hardly worth the effort, which is a shame with the some of the cast involved.
NIGHT
CHILD
(1972) After working as a cinematographer for many years, including working a couple of westerns like A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, Massimo Dallamano moved onto directing. He directed such films as DORIAN GRAY starring Helmut Berger, and WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO SOLANGE?, before moving on to this film. I had come across the poster for this movie years ago. I had never heard of the film, but it had Richard Johnson in it, so I added it to my collection. Recently, while at a video store closing, I came across the pre-record of this film. Once again, it has Richard Johnson in it. It’s got to be good. Richard Johnson is making a documentary on famous works of art, that all have a connection to demons and devils. He travels to Rome to do some more research and start filming. One painting in particular that he’s interested in, apparently has some sort of a haunted past. Along on his journey are his young daughter and her nanny. Her mother had died in a fire some time ago, which is still causing emotional problems with her. The nanny is secretly in love with her employer, but is afraid to act on these feelings. Nicoletta Elmi plays the daughter. Fans of Italian horror films will definitely recognize her face, if not her name. She is the freckled red-headed girl that has appeared in such classics like BARON BLOOD, FLESH FOR FRAKENSTEIN, DEEP RED, and making her last appearance in Lamberto Bava’s DEMONS. But unfortunately, Johnson and Elmi could not save this movie. It is simply awful. Nothing happens, other than Elmi wandering around the countryside with this hip 70’s music playing. The mystery behind the girl and the painting is not even that scary or even interesting for that matter. Very disappointing. The only highlight of the film, and this being only that the rest of the film is so bad, is when a women falls from a cliff and you get this incredibly terrible background projection when she’s falling. It was enough to get a chuckle out of me. But that was the only entertaining part of the movie.
(1967) I had seen this one a long time ago, under the title ISLAND OF THE BURNING DOOMED, which I actually a lot better…more exploitive sounding, isn’t it? Anyway, I don’t believe this was ever released here in the states on videotape, let alone on DVD. So when it was released in the UK, with extras(!), I added it to my ever-growing DVD list. Made in 1967, this features a few Hammer regulars. Terrence Fisher was behind the camera with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in front of it. While some would call it more sci-fi, I say that if you have alien monsters running (or crawling as the case may be) about killing people, that sure sounds like horror to me! This film is also a kind of change of pace than the normal Cushing / Lee films. Here, Cushing is really a supporting role as the local doctor. The main characters are Patrick Wayne, who runs a pub / boarding house on the island, and Lee as a mysterious tenant of his. Lee almost starts out as another villainous role, but we find out later it’s quite different. Although, he is playing his usual uptight authority figure that he does quite well. Set on a small English island, where the temperature seems to increasing to the 80's and 90's, even though it's February. As the locals try and figure out what the cause is, as well as what the sneaky Hanson (Lee) is doing, there are mysterious deaths happening about. The bodies are found burnt to a crisp. While several people are attacked by the invading aliens, we never seem them until the end. If you're a fan of the old Dr. Who series, then you'll enjoy these creatures, since they look like they were extras at one point. I think that's the biggest problem with this film: the creatures. Since they are not shown until the very end, when we do see them, they are a little less than frightening. ISLAND OF TERROR, made a year earlier and is pretty much as the same basic story, was a lot more effective as a monster movie. But Fisher does do pretty good job building suspense, where the audience is finding out what's going on the same time the characters are. The cast also holds up really well, making this film a lot better than it really is. Especially when you get to see the lovely Jane Merrow in a bikini. It's a shame that they couldn't come up with something a little bit more frightening for the creature than a big glowing rock. This was released in the UK in a PAL, region 2 DVD that has audio commentary by Christopher Lee, screenwriters Pip & Jane Baker, and film historian Marcus Hearn. The commentary was very interesting since most of it is reminiscing about the film, the people involved both in front of and behind the camera. Granted, Lee does have to give his obligatory speeches on how he hasn't made a horror film since the 70's, and that he is not typecasts as a horror actor. But other than that, I found the commentary very interesting, giving a insight to British filmmaking in the middle 60's. The disc also comes with some Hammer trailers, such as THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, CAPTAIN KRONOS, and FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. There is also a photo gallery, and a very nice 24-page booklet that is filled with information about the making of the film, the book it was based on, and much more. (2004) Some of the reviews that I have read about this movie compares it to THE MATRIX and/or UNDERWORLD. And they are right to some degree. But to think that the movie being about vampires, demons, and shapeshifters doing battle, isn't what you'd expect. Nothing like UNDERWORLD. And while there are similarities to THE MATRIX, I feel that there's so much more going on here. Some reviews have complained that there was just too much 'eye candy', with all the slow motion and other camera tricks. I do agree that there was a lot of this, but I wouldn't consider that a negative. First of all, it shows that this director has some cinematic style, something the horror genre is greatly lacking in this department these days. And while he does use a lot of slow motion shots, I think the difference is that here the slow motion shots are not used just so the character can pose with their guns for the camera as if saying, "Damn, am I cool!", as THE MATRIX does quite a bit. The film does introduce a lot of different characters right away and it does take a little bit to figure out who's on who's side. But once you realize that there are vampires and shape-shifters on the good side, or Night Watch, it makes it a little easier to understand. I think that is what through me in the beginning, automatically thinking that the man vampire character was on the bad side. Plus, there were a couple of characters that I wasn't sure just what they were suppose to be doing. At least the main plot of the film is simple. Centuries ago, the forces of good and evil met in a great battle. But each of the leaders realized that it was an equal match and that no one would win. So they called a truce until one day, a boy would be born that would sway the power to whatever side he joined. So each side formed a team to watch over the other...a Day Watch, and a Night Watch. The characters range from vampires, to shape-shifting tigers and owls. Their talents and powers are not overused throughout the movie, so it doesn't turn into a super hero movie or something more along the lines of MATRIX or UNDERWORLD. I think that is the main thing that sets it apart from those two. Plus, another part of the film that I liked was the whole mythology that they created. There is something called 'the gloom' which seems to hide these creatures from the real world, or shows their true nature. As we said, these aren't your normal monsters from countless other movies. So don't expect your traditional lore and legends. This is something very new, and it's great to see something original come out for once. Not to set this up as the greatest film ever, but it has been a long time since I've been this impressed with a film. With all the awesome camera work, the characters and their little 'talents', and very interesting storyline, this is a film that I could sit down and watch again and still be entertained. And since this is the first film in a trilogy, this segment has more of a chapter ending, rather than a regular ending. But that just leaves us wanting more.
(1969) Made in 1969, this was supposed to be the next film for Michael Reeves to do after WITCHFINDER GENERAL, but he declined due to a supposed illness. A few months later, he was found dead of an apparent suicide. That was a real shame and a great loss to the horror genre. At such a young age, and showing great talent for filmmaking, one can only imagine what else he could have shown us. But…back to the film at hand. This movie could have been pretty enjoyable…if only maybe it had a major rewrite. Or maybe it had too many to begin with, and that was the problem. It seems that there is really too much going, like they came up with a subplot just to get Lee’s character involved in the story. But instead of keeping your attention, you keep trying to figure out just where this movie was going, or if it was going anywhere. The main plot of the movie is about Vincent Price’s character and his brother Edward after their returned from Africa. The film starts off with some sort of voodoo ritual, with Price breaking into the ritual but not before his brother is tortured. But now his brother is now kept hidden, locked in the upstairs room, away from society. The tortured and mutilated brother final escapes and plans his revenge against the people who wronged him, including his brother. His face is kept hidden by a crimson red mask, as he seeks out his vengeance. Price talks of being cursed, and having to pay for their sins. We finally find out at the end of the film what really happened in Africa. That is the real plot of the movie. Everything else, like Lee’s character, is just filler. And unfortunately, that’s just what it seems like. Price is good as always, but just seems that there could have been so much more for him. Lee is completely wasted as a doctor, somewhat modeled after the famous Dr. Knox, who is buying bodies for study from a couple of shady characters. The film should have either eliminated Lee’s character altogether or done something a little different. Rupert Davies has a small role as an artist friend of Price's. Another highlight of the film is the artwork during the opening credits. I’m not really sure who did the paintings, but they look like something from the NIGHT GALLERY TV series, and definitely give off that feeling of Edgar Allan Poe…though these paintings are probably the closest thing to Poe in this movie… The music was composed and conducted by a couple of familiar names if you are a fan of Hammer films. It was composed by Harry Robinson, who was responsible for the scores for films like DEMONS OF THE MIND, TWINS OF EVIL, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, COUNTESS DRACULA, VAMPIRE LOVERS, as well as other British horror films like FRIGHT and LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF. Robinson’s score was conducted by Philip Martel, another well-known name in the horror genre for his skills as the music supervisor on tons of great British films. Released by MGM on a double bill DVD with SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN for a mere $10-15 (depending if you have a Best Buy near you), and for that price, you really can’t go wrong with buying it. It isn’t one that I would be breaking out every now and then. But with Price and Lee in both titles (along with Cushing briefly in SCREAM), it wouldn’t be a bad addition to any horror collection. THE OMEN
(1976) THE OMEN is one of those films that truly is a “classic” in every aspect of the word. Every part of this film is done incredibly well. There is great acting. The storyline is excellent. There are some truly frightening moments in the film. The whole element of “what if Thorn was crazy and his son wasn’t really the Anti-Christ” is great. And the downbeat ending probably wouldn’t happen today. In fact, I’d doubt that this movie would never of gotten made today. If it did, there’s no way they would let Satan win at the end of the film. The music adds so much to the feel and atmosphere of the film. This is a great example of what a great score can do to a film. No wonder it won composer Jerry Goldsmith an Oscar for the score. It’s often been said that with Gregory Peck in the lead role, it brought seriousness to the movie. His portrayal of Thorn couldn’t be better. The torment that he goes through while discovering little by little just what the child he is raising really is, makes an incredible impact on the audience. There’s always that sliver of doubt that maybe it’s not true. It’s too bad that we, as the audience, knew right from the beginning that Damien was in fact the Anti-Christ. It would have been interesting if it never really said one way or another if he really was the Anti-Christ. The rest of the cast were great. Billie Whitelaw was a true find for the role of Damien’s nanny, Miss Baylock. She definitely had the look of evil in her. She was also in the classic film MANIA (aka FLESH AND THE FIENDS), with Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence. Lee Remick also adds so much to the film, with her tortured role of Damien’s mother. Of course, a genre favorite of ours, David Warner, as the photographer who helps Peck uncover the truth. And then there’s the troubled priest, played by Patrick Troughton, who gives another outstanding performance. The movie was released on a special edition DVD that is a must for any horror fan. The movie is presented in widescreen format (2.35:1) and comes with the original theatrical trailer, and an all new 46 minute documentary “666: The Omen Revealed”, which talks to many of the people behind the camera, such as the writer, producers and director. There is also an interview with composer Jerry Goldsmith. The DVD also features audio commentary by Richard Donner and Stuart Baird.
ONE STEP BEYOND Much like The Twilight Zone, Beyond was a little different in that each one of the stories told, were supposedly based on actual facts. Now, compared to today's standards, this series would not hold up to someone who is used to watching HBO's Tales From The Crypt. But for those who like the older, more subtle atmosphere to their shows, you might want to take that One Step Beyond. The series ran from January 1959 to July of 1961, running a total of 94 half-hour episodes. Each episode was directed and hosted by John Newland. Like much like The Twilight Zone, Beyond also had it's share of it's up-and-coming stars. People like Susanne Pleshette, George Grizzard, and Dennis Patrick. One of my favorites on the disc, which happens to be the very first episode on the disc is entitled Delusion, which stars Norman Lloyd and Suzanne Pleshette. Lloyd plays an accountant who has a rare blood type but refuses to donate any when a young girl needs a transfusion. He says that he can see the future of the person he donates to, and some of the time the future is too much for him to bear. Lloyd is gives a great performance as the older gentleman who is just trying to save his sanity. Pleshette plays the young woman who is need of the rare blood. VCI Entertainment has released 12 episodes from the second season of One Step Beyond, on either a 2-disc DVD set, or there are also available on VHS as well. The retail price for the DVD set is $29.99. The episodes on the discs are below. For fans of these early sci-fi/horror/fantasy shows, this is a great way to spend a few hours, reliving some of these great shows. Because of shows like this, and Twilight Zone, is why we got Night Gallery and Ghost Story. DELUSION (9/15/59)
(1964) When you're talking about classic Japanese horror cinema, you can't help but mention this film. That image of the demon mask has been in so many reference books, that you may not have seen the movie, but you've most likely seen that mask. Based on a old Japanese folktale, an woman waits for her son to come home from the war. Waiting with her is her daughter-in-law. Since their farming isn't going so well, they have come to killing wandering samurais and stealing their clothes and equipment to sell for food. They get rid of the bodies by dumping them in a large and deep hole near their straw hut. Then one day, the friend of her son arrives home from the war...alone. When it looks like he is trying to take away her daughter-in-law, the woman tries to stop her. And when he meets up with a mysterious samurai with a strange mask on, it seals her fate. Now if you're expecting some over the top action or horror like some of the modern day Japanese horror films, then you will be very disappointed. This is not BATTLE ROYAL. What you do have instead is style. Shot in beautiful black and white, in 2.35:1 ratio, this film is just like the old samurai movies. The way it was filmed, and just the look of the movie is entertainment alone. And the story, a very old story, is a very simple and still a very effective one at that. The images of the demon mask is a haunting image. Even though the face is in a big smile, the evil is still there. If this would have been filmed in color, I do think it would have lost a lot of the power that is there. And while some people out there don't like to have to 'read' films, the story is so straight forward, you could watch this without the subs and still get a pretty good understanding of it. Criterion has once again done an phenomenal job with their release. They give us a new high-definition transfer of the film, with restored image and sounds. It also comes with an interview with the director Kaneto Shindo, which is about 20 minutes long, that was conducted in 2003 for this release. It's very interesting to hear the director talk not only about this film, but also his induction to filmmaking and the rest of his career. It also comes with an essay by Chuck Stephens about the film, as well as an English translation of the original Buddhist fable that the movie was inspired by. Add to all that, it has some actually super-8 film that was taken by actor Kei Sato during the filming of the movie. The footage is in both color and black and white. While there is no sound, it does show some interesting things as how the movie was made. There is also a still and poster gallery, along with the original trailer. So if you are a fan of the classic horror, this disc is for you. It does have an SRP of $29.95, but like all Criterion discs, it's worth every penny. This movie is one of the foundation blocks for the Japanese horror cinema. OPERA
(1988) Probably the most memorable image in Daria Argento’s OPERA (aka TERROR AT THE OPERA) is that of actress Cristian Marsillach, mouth taped shut with needles taped right under her eyes, forcing her to keep her eyes open. This is a very strong and intense image, one that always will be thought of when discussing this film. This idea of the needles comes from the fact that Argento doesn't like it when people cover their eyes while watching his movies. "For years I've been annoyed by people covering their eyes during the gorier moments in my films. I film these images because I want people to see them and not avoid the positive confrontation of their fears by looking away" Argento says. "So I thought to myself, 'How would it be possible to achieve this and force someone to watch most gruesome murder and make sure they can't avert their eyes?' The answer I came up with is the core of what OPERA is about." One of the reasons that this film stands out to me is the classic Argento cinematography. OPERA is filled with slow, panning shots, sometimes it’s a POV shot, and sometimes it’s just slowly creeping along. From the opening close up shot of the raven’s eye, to the long tracking shot of the opera lead singer leaving the theater. There are several other interesting things Argento does with the camera, such as the raven’s POV shot as it’s circling the opera audience, or when you hear the heartbeat of the heroine the screen thumps with each beat. But one scene that really stands out is when Daria Nicolodi gets shot in the eye while looking through the peephole. From the camera’s view looking out the hole, to the bullet coming down the chamber, this is simply a fantastic cinematic moment. At one point in time, Argento was to direct a version of Verdi’s Rigoletto for the stage. This apparently never got off the ground. It seems that Argento did the next best thing and make a movie about an opera. Plus there are the obvious similarities between Argento and the character of Marco, the director of the opera in the film. Marco is best known for his horror films and his opera directions, according to the critics, leaves little to be desired. One critic stated that "He should go back to his horror films". In another scene, Marco’s girlfriend calls him a sadist and that everybody who knows him says the same thing. Argento has always gotten blasted by the public for the violent acts in his films, especially the ones towards women. I did like the how Argento used the way the killer tried to bring out the character of Betty’s sadist nature by making her watch these brutal murders, which in the end doesn’t work. Could Argento’s main point of the film is to show that just because a person could watch brutal and violent things, such as horror films, doesn’t mean that they’ll turn into some sort of sadistic deviant? Whatever point Argento was trying to make, if he even was, this film stands out as my favorite of his films. |
