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19]
Salem's Lot
Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot succeeds in its world building; the small suburban town feels authentic, intricately weaving the complexities of many characters, their standings in the town, their relationships and desires. The sound design is immensely effective in creating atmosphere, conveying intrigue, ambiguity, and building suspense, but also in knowing when to be silent. Barlow’s shriek is genuinely chilling, and the character is such an imposing presence, taking design inspiration from early European vampire films, rather than US contemporaries. Rarely on screen, but when he is you can feel his monumental stature. The gothic cinematography is gorgeous, particularly during the scenes in the Marsten house in the latter half of the movie. The dilapidated manse decorated with mounted stuffed animal skins, floor covered in feathers, it almost bears a resemblance to the house in Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a sort of higher class version, as if seen through a fun house mirror. There are so many haunting moments, the scene with Barlow in the jail, and those bedroom window scenes will forever be indelibly etched in my psyche. There are minor issues, but none of them really lessen the impact. Even with the longer made for TV format the adaptation looses some of the most poignant moments from the book, and some of the more terrifying. The epilogue feels hugely redundant. It’s not the best film based on a Stephen King novel, but it is my personal favourite.
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Psychomania
Don Sharp’s Psychomania is one of those films that is completely unique, even now decades after release there isn’t a single other film quite like it. Slotting into the wave of eerie folk horror that permeated Britain in the ‘70s, Psychomania is British exploitation at its most absurd. There are so many things to love about the film, the frog worshipping religion that hold the secret to reincarnation, the aptly named ‘The Living Dead’ biker gang who terrorise the local town, who have the best designed biker helmets I’ve ever seen, a series of suicide scenes that range from breathtaking to hilarious, and the most spectacular resurrection scene ever committed to the screen, featuring a motorbike bursting out from a grave. The progressive rock meets folk music vibe really sets the tone. Psychomania is one of those films every cult enthusiast needs to see; there are so many disparate pieces that combine together to form such an entertaining film. Perhaps the film offers some intriguing mediation on religion and the afterlife, but every time I watch it, I’m too busy having fun to care.
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Blood Rage
The music in John Grissmer’s Blood Rage is so overwhelming, it almost feels retroactively scored, like so many modern films it occasionally masks what’s actually being said, giving an emphasis on aesthetic over narrative. The mix of synth and organ is reminiscent of Goblin at times, but the soundtrack also features some typically ‘80s rock fare with the aptly named ‘Gonna Get You’ and its inventive chorus ‘I’m gonna get you, I’m gonna get you, I’m gonna get you’. Besides the music, the film’s other biggest asset is undoubtedly the practical special effects; aside from one inept twitching hand they all deliver the goods that slasher fans come to expect from a late-eighties slasher film. The film also sadly delivers many of the faults from slashers of the period, notably the abysmal acting. One can’t help but wonder if the music drowning some of the characters out is to purposefully mask their incompetent performances, of particular note is the mother, frequently toting a glass of red wine, and at one point regressing to a toddler sitting on the floor eating out of the fridge. But in all honesty the poor acting is part of the film’s charm. Blood Rage frequently crosses over into so-bad-it’s-good territory, but occasionally is actually very good, the opening at the drive-in a highlight, setting the mood so perfectly.
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Cat People
The first of Val Lewton’s productions at RKO, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People, would be an important film, not just for the struggling studio, but also for the medium. One of the early examples of low budget horror, the film reused assets from more lavish productions, famously Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons, and would go on to earn substantially more. Cat People feels very much a precursor to Tourneur’s Night Of The Demon, the craftsmanship and techniques visibly trace back. It’s such an interesting film, the iconography and ominous tale of Irena’s ancestral curse are heavy handed, but the actual horror of the transformation and Irena’s true form are completely shrouded from the viewer. The use of shadows and sound to build suspense is breathtaking, particularly a series of scenes culminating in a swimming pool, the dread continually mounting. It feels like a grim folk-tale transported from its rural setting to the city, with blank stone walls and shadowy streets aiding to make it all the more sinister.
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Blue Sunshine
There’s an interesting article by Steven Morowitz, in the booklet accompanying the recent Blu-ray release from Film Centrix, comparing Jeff Lieberman’s Blue Sunshine to those educational scare films they forced you to watch in high school, for drink driving, or unprotected sex, suggesting Blue Sunshine is the ultimate drug scare film. I can honestly say if I saw this film as a teenager it’d certainly scare me off drugs for life. Blue Sunshine feels as if its been engineered to mirror the after effects of drug consumption, there’s an oppressive feeling that pervades, paranoia, conspiracy and an overwhelming feeling of dissonance. It feels at times as if set in an alternate reality, characters seem bizarrely obsessed with hair before the film fully discloses the connection. Those LSD abusing bald husks of humanity are genuinely terrifying, but Blue Sunshine’s effectiveness lies in conveying an experience, emoting beyond the physical. There are some glorious scenes in a mall too; horror in a mall is instant gratification.
On track to finish my schedule! I was intending to watch Rob Zombie's 31 at the weekend too, but weirdly it was not available to rent any more on Amazon. Which was bizarre, as it was listed in their top 10 and was still available earlier in the week. My first foray into digitally renting movies, can't say I'm impressed. Was tempted by Baskin and Fender Bender, but spent so long trying to figure out why 31 didn't have an option to buy, and deciding on a replacement I no longer had the time.