October Horror Movie Marathon

[Frankie Teardrop]

FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET – If ever I’m forced to pick my favourite Argento movie, it’s never any of the ones from before ‘Deep Red’. The older stuff obviously has its admirers, but I only switched on to him through all the wild phantasmagoria he brought with the likes of ‘Suspiria’ and best of all ‘Inferno’, and I’d even rather go for something as (relatively) middling as ‘Trauma’ than revisit the animal trilogy. On the other hand, I’m glad I rewatched FFOGV. I’d only ever seen it once before, back when Shameless put it out on DVD, and I remember thinking it was sort of OK but maybe a bit of a yawn in the end. This time was different. I think just absorbing Argento a lot more in the interim as a visual stylist has sharpened my sense of what he was about, and things that I’d maybe passed over before struck me as accented and strange in pretty much the same way as anything from his lauded mid seventies / eighties phase. Most of all, what captivates is what he does with the camera, which seems to sculpt the world in the act of filming; it’s like he reaches into space and remoulds it with a mad cinematographic grasp. FFOGV is full of freakish asides, little flourishes that take you from a phone booth to the landline in someone’s cellar through a labyrinth of wires, or that map a fly’s eye view of a journey around a studio; almost throwaway stuff transformed into mad excess. Yeah, I know that’s generally his hallmark anyway, it’s what Argento DOES, it just never struck me as much with the earlier stuff before. And it’s never just gimmickry. You get a real sense of the uncanny coming through with it all, a warped reality unhinged further by a host of other macabre nuances that stretch for the sublime, like the long shadows and empty spaces near the beginning that could’ve stepped from a painting by de Chirico, right through to the crazed slo-mo theatre of the climactic decap. All these touches add up to a spellbinding panorama of distortion, completely convincing as a wonky cinematic microworld. It’s just a shame the other half of FFOGV is shat on by lame humour, drab digressions and a plot that strains to lay down red herrings and conjure up intrigue but just seems a bit daft. But FFOGV is, for me, a movie of moments and fragments, and there are lots of freaky gems in there.

[Nordicdusk]

30 Days of Unseen Horror

Day 12

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An archaeologists comes to a small island to retrieve the body of his father who died in a mysterious tomb whilst on a dig of his own reported as an accidental death but the locals fear it was no accident. The tomb is the resting place of a vampire that once terrorised the island and in hoping she would never return the locals made sure to seal her in tight so she would never return but some people can't resist poking their nose is things that should be left alone.

The first 60 maybe 65 minutes are a build up to the big showdown with mostly the fishermen telling stories about the island and what will happen if the tomb is open and Hannah is released but it's in no way boring and sometimes I find the telling of the folklore or spinning the yarn is sometimes the creepiest part you can't beat a good old fisherman's tale

There are some great scenes and the island setting is beautiful unfortunately I watched it again on YouTube and the picture quality was pretty ropey but somehow it added to the atmosphere.

It's a slow build up but an enjoyable one the last 20 minutes is where it all comes to a head and we get a nice ending that I really liked.

[Dave Boy]

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THE RETURN OF DRACULA (1958)

Dracula heads off to 1950s America and assumes the identity of a man he kills on a train. Fitting in as 'Cousin Bellac' with the family, Dracula sets about his vampiric ways while hiding his coffin in an old mineshaft..
Good shift in to then modern times. Francis Lederer makes quite a good Dracula fitting in with the times. His eyes do a lot of making the character quite sinister and the opening credits and music are quite scary. Contains one colour sequence of a stake in the heart!


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FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD (1988)

Jason returns from the depths of Crystal Lake, revived by a telekinetic girl..
This Jason looks superb! So rotten his skeleton is showing through his ragged clothes.
I spoke to Kane Hodder and said that this was my favourite looking Jason and he agreed with me.

[Nordicdusk]

30 Days of Unseen Horror

Day 13

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An attorney is called to a castle to settle the estate of the owner who died almost a year to the day. On his arrival he is greeted by the owners wife and his daughter who waste no time informing him of the strange activities in the castle. The villagers and even the friends of the Dr who carried out strange rituals in the castle all hated and feared him for tampering with the occult. The Doctors death is officially reported as an accident but mysteriously the witnesses who signed the report all start dying off rasing suspicion that maybe there are forces from beyond the grave at play.

A great suspenseful creepy film with the beautiful Barbara Steele putting in her usual great performance. While there are horror and gothic element throughout the whole film there is more of a sort of crime investigation through the middle section but the final act it returns more to a full on gothic horror with shadows and a lightning storm illuminating the gorey horrific finale.

[MrBarlow]

The VVitch. 2015.

The Witch is a fascinating glimpse into Christianity as practiced by 17th century Puritans. Satan and Evil are almost tangible presences in the woods and wilderness. The film takes place in such a secluded location that it instantly gives you a feeling of loneliness and dread before it even unfolds its beautifully constructed storyline.

This is a horror that doesn't rely on jump scares, blood, guts being ripped out or a a total gore fest, it relies more on mood and atmosphere and decent acting from a small cast that take direction well especially from the young actors involved.

Having the film set in the 17th centuary makes it a ideal setting on small community where banishing of the members for many reasons sets the film up nicely where evil was mentioned alot with the elders. I will say the 4K release is a great with picture quality and i'm sure you can hear alot more that earlier releases or did i just become so emeresed in this that my hearing was playing tricks on me

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Friday the 13th (1980)

So which film does one watch on a Friday the 13th? Why Friday the 13th of course. The original, but not the best.

The one where it all began, the film that kick started the slasher genre. Despite lacking the iconic killer - Jason Vorhees - of the other films in the series this isn't actually a bad little slasher in it's own right but it stumbles a bit in having a middle aged woman as the killer, in fact the most memorable lines of dialogue come just before a kill when the intended youth councilor victims all seem to say "Oh, it's you" as she approaches them. This may not actually be true but it seems like it.

Tom Savini's gore sequences still stand up today, especially the harpoon twisting it's way through Kevin Bacon's neck. Savini's bloody FX remain the best in the series by a long way. Meanwhile the final scene will still shock if you are that one person reading this who hasn't seen Friday the 13th..

Harry Manfredini's score remains memorable all these years later and it's famous "ki ki ki, ma ma ma" motif would become legendary, in fact the score here is the best of the series with Manfredini seemingly reworking themes from Bernard Herrmann's Psycho into the mix.

The film itself, surprisingly, given the theory that all sequels get worse the further along they go, isn't the best in the series by any means, nor is it the worst.

The UK Blu-Ray version from the eight film set looks and sounds very good.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Edge of Sanity (1989)

Anthony Perkins plays Henry Jekyll, a doctor whose experiments get out of control and transform him into his alter ego Jack Hyde. Hyde prowls the streets of Victorian London, visiting opium dens and brothels. The madness taking over his body turning Hyde into a ruthless cold blooded killer.

A must see film for Anthony Perkins performance alone. Taking his Psycho turn and cranking up the crazy exuberance to give an overwrought performance that is indeed on the edge of sanity. Director Gerard Kikoine, best known for erotica rather than horror, gives Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde a more offbeat decadent tone than in previous adaptations. The film has plenty of perverted Victorian sex and bloody violence and gaudy colours galore, to the effect that it seems like an evolving mutation formed from previous Perkins films Psycho and Crimes of Passion.

The screenplay incorporates the Jack the Ripper murders into the film with the obvious suggestion that Hyde is the ripper. This adds to the sleazyness which the director throws around with an almost reckless abandon whilst in no way trying to hide his erotic film past.

[MrBarlow]

V/H/S 2. 2013.

This one always seem to land on my October list unexpectedly and still enjoy it, even though the segments are good, a guy gets a new artificial eye after a accident and begins to see ghosts. A afternoon cycle becomes a battle of survival with zombies. A news crew goes to film a cult that takes a turn and a slumber party isninterupted by extraterrestrials. The Safe Heaven segment with the fanatic cult is always my favourite, even the leader is a bit creepy during the first meeting and everyone seems to be possessed and then becomes a "Rosemary's Baby" twist and turn with plenty of blood splatter.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

A vampire, Louis, (Brad Pitt) relates his 200 year story to an inquisitive reporter (Christian Slater). Telling of his relationship and introduction to vampirism by Lestat (Tom Cruise).

A take on the vampire myth via novelist Anne Rice that is almost unique in the way it portrays the bloodsuckers. It's very non-traditional in the way it lets it's metaphors of the daily struggle for survival and the need to search for a mentor to lead them out of the darkness play out.

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are excellent. You really feel for them as their desperation and hungers are evident from the off. Yes there are scenes of vampiric decadence especially when Cruise's Lestat plays and teases with prostitutes before eventually killing them, but the reek of desperation is always in the air.

Everything about Interview with the Vampire is stunning. From the production design to the acting. Tom Cruise has never been so seemingly ill suited in a role and yet he shines and makes the part his own whilst Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas also excel.

As Jordan's camera leaves the confines of the Golden Gate Bridge, as the newly rejuvenated Lestat takes the wheel of reporter Slater's car, and the camera lens takes in the beautiful San Francisco skyline with the sun coming up it always feels like a near perfect evening is coming to an end. Although Lestat had better put his foot down. The sun and vampires don't mix. Dunst will attest to that.

[MrBarlow]

Cannibal Ferox. 1981.

Cannibal Ferox is another brutal Italian film of cannibalism extremely realistic. The story is not bad and the special effects are very impressive; however, the cruelty with live animals can be a tad upsetting to some but hey ho we got a film maestro at the helm.

Giovanni Radice rips through his role with almost gleeful bug eyed abandon, Zora Kerova is the obligatory slutty blonde whom meets a nasty end, with Lorraine DeSalle playing straight woman to the other leads hamming it up and becomes the leading heroine of the film looking for the existence of cannibals.

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