Boorman and the Devil

Yes, this is the 2025 documentary concerning director John Boorman and the rather disastrous production of Exorcist II: The Heretic: 

Turner Classic Movies played this new documentary last night before screening Exorcist II: The Heretic. As someone who's always been amused by The Heretic and how it's an ambitious failure, learning more about its disastrous production was of great interest. Tomorrow, I'll post a new review of Exorcist II.

It's a standard documentary (which did feature some goofy, silly illustrations to present some moments. At least they weren't made by generative AI, as the end credits proudly proclaimed) where the opening minutes explain the career of director John Boorman before he agreed to direct the sequel to one of the best horror films in history. From there, the production woes were explained... multiple people became quite ill during production (including Boorman himself), the script constantly changed, and it was a complex production requiring many effects that they rushed to meet a hard deadline.

As it dared to be far different from the all-timer of an original, that was a reason the reviews of the time were virulently negative, although its quality was also a factor. Modern commentary is provided by the likes of Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, & Karyn Kusama. At the conclusion, it was striking that they and the others they interviewed were divided on whether Exorcist II was “good” or not.

A huge asset is that they interviewed Boorman himself, along with a number of others involved w/ the productions, from crew to Linda Blair and Louise Fletcher before she passed away in 2022. This helped paint a picture of what went wrong, although it also should help people appreciate such aspects as the Moricone score, the production design, sets, and a slew of different effects. The film recreating Ethiopia on giant sets is impressive in of itself.

For the nerdy sort that enjoy making-of stories (even of movies seen as flawed or flat-out bad), Boorman and the Devil is a fascinating watch, one I'm glad was seen by me. Sure, we do on rare occasions still get bizarre films that are in wide release-look at Digger out now. Many of those aren't of interest to me or they turn out like Megalopolis... shudders. I've willingly viewed Exorcist II a few times in my life; its weirdness and 70's moments are a draw, but there's also the matte paintings of the legendary Albert J. Whitlock, the steadicam of its inventor Garrett Brown, William A. Fraker's cinematography & Dick Smith returning to provide its makeup effects.

This documentary not only spotlights how Boorman's career wasn't ruined due to the film flopping (thank goodness he had Excalibur), but also the disappointment that the cast & crew had that the movie still has an infamous reputation-many tried their best yet making a movie that's at least good will always be an arduous task.

She Killed in Ecstasy

She Killed in Ecstasy (Sie Toete in Ekstase) (1971)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Jesus Franco

Starring: Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Ewa Stromberg, Howard Vernon

From: A few different Spanish & German companies 

A movie I was happy to have finally seen; thanks, Eternal Family. It's been in my mind to do so for years—problem was, a streaming copy unedited w/ English subtitles was nigh impossible to track down, even in the Bowels of the Internet-I'm not someone who torrents, before anyone asks. Thankfully, the esoteric platform Eternal Family added it to their collection, making a viewing a reality.

Concerning Jesus Franco, I know he has many fans but out of the five films I've seen from him, the best were 60's horror early in his career: The Diabolical Dr. Z and The Awful Dr. Orloff weren't nonsense like A Virgin Among the Living Dead and Nightmares Come at Night were. Ecstasy wasn't the most logical picture either-including the dumbest police detective in cinematic history-and the ending made me guffaw in a bad way as it for certain contained the worst depiction of a certain event in cinematic history. It was also quite the decision to have a main plot thread centered on a doctor being banished from the profession because his experiments on bettering humanity and eradicating diseases centered on... human embryos. No comment on that. I will comment that for those who know Franco often used his male muse Howard Vernon in his films—yes he does have a role in Ecstasy.

This Dr. Johnson “unalived himself.” Thankfully for the viewer, his wife Soledad Miranda decides to kill the quartet of doctors who rejected her late husband in revenge, psychosis, and yes ecstasy. She was a highlight, and no, not for her beauty or her frequent full-frontal nudity. Rather, it was the performance-and how she was in anguish due to her husband's death-which was compelling. What a tragic death she had-only a month after the filming of Ecstasy concluded, she perished in a car wreck at only the age of 27.

On a lighter note, I really dug the score, even if at least on one occasion it seemed at odds w/ the action on the screen. Nevermind that, the music from Bruno Nicolai, Manfred Hubler & Sigi Schwab was quite entertaining, featuring more sitar than what I was expecting. The sunny scenery in Spain was also delightful. While the constant zoom-ins and zoom-outs were amusing, it was Miranda & the score which did plenty of heavy lifting, making me like the movie despite all the demerits. I also have to give Franco credit for some interesting shots/shot compositions.

I shouldn't write him off entirely—he made almost 200 films, after all, and he did more than horror. It might be a hoot to check out his “less popular” movies. As for She Killed in Ecstasy, despite not being as entranced by it as many have been these past 55 years, it's a relief to have finally tackled it after all these years.

I'm Dangerous Tonight

I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Starring: Madchen Amick, Corey Parker, Daisy Hall, Dee Wallace, Anthony Perkins

From: Several different companies 

This is exactly what I expected of “An ancient red Aztec cloak ends up at a California university, Madchen Amick stumbles on it, turns it into a dress, and anyone touching the material becomes corrupt.”

For years I've known of this made for television movie (basic cable, but it's not premium cable like HBO; rather, it was the USA Network) yet it wasn't until last night that I finally figuratively put on the red dress and gave it a shot. Besides Amick, there's also Dee Wallace in a refreshingly atypical role, a subdued R. Lee Ermey as a police detective, Mrs. Howell from Gillian's Island (Natalie Schafer) and college professor Anthony Perkins. The assumption is that plenty have viewed this already due to the director: Tobe Hooper.

Yes, Tonight is a silly movie where multiple women don the dress and they all behave badly. This even has Cinderella themes; Amick's Amy has deceased parents so she lives with her aunt, her daughter, & her grandmother—the aunt & daughter treat Amy poorly. Of course, she also has a love interest. This world is in a tableau where the constraints of basic cable meant there's no language or gore, the most gruesome moments told rather than shown.

Some may take issue w/ that; me, those constraints aren't a big deal in this case when I had fun w/ seeing people behaving badly & Amy attempting to deal with the ramifications of possessing such a dress. The film always remains fun with its escalation & scenarios. Amick made Amy a likable character, plus she did look great in the red dress... this is not top-tier Hooper by any regards nor is it as good as Salem's Lot. That said, if your expectations are in check & you aren't immediately turned off by period slut-shaming dialogue, you might enjoy this silly motion picture as well.

 

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966)

Runtime: 126 minutes

Directed by: Norman Jewison

Starring: Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint (RIP), Alan Arkin, Brian Keith, Jonathan Winters

From: The Mirisch Company

RIP Eva Marie Saint

In this special early Wednesday upload of a review, I mention how after hearing late yesterday afternoon that this Oscar winner had passed away at the age of 102 (!), it felt right to not even delay a day tipping my cap to who was one of the last surviving links to the Golden Age of Hollywood. I haven't watched too many of her films but her two most famous (North by Northwest & On the Waterfront, the latter her Oscar-winning role) have been viewed & reviewed on Letterboxd. Russians was selected due to... my knowing of the film for years, knowing several of the main cast, and the plot description making the movie sound wacky yet amusing, a comedy of errors.

A Soviet sub runs aground on a small Massachusetts island; this is an obvious problem, because the Cold War. 9 of the crew (led by Alan Arkin!) are tasked w/ finding a boat to dislodge them, but they stumble upon a family of Saint, Carl Reiner, and two small children. It's not long before the plan to sneak around clandestine & steal a boat goes awry and not only does most of the island know, great exaggerations occur and dozens are running around w/ firearms ready to start a war on their island.

Coming is rather funny as this absurd scenario escalates, different characters reacting to this differently, and plenty of conflict among the island's residents. There's puns, slapstick, foolish characters getting humiliated, etc. I enjoyed the Norman Jewison direction and the Johnny Mandel score. Now, this movie treated the Russian characters more fairly than you'd expect for a big Hollywood production; much of the Russian dialogue isn't translated, the crew aren't too terribly harsh to Reiner's family, and the conclusion was an unexpected & welcome twist.

While Saint was sidelined for long stretches of the film, she still did swell in a film that was one of those 60's ensemble comedies w/ a big runtime and even bigger cast. After all, it's always nice to see the likes of Brian Keith & Jonathan Winters. Russians is one of those loud, boisterous comedies which aren't always my thing but in this case the film was quite amusing & not a bad way for me to pay tribute. Note that the exterior of the cottage the leading family is residing in certainly looks like the cottage seen in 1941-the bucolic New England island was actually locations in the northern half of California... now there's a loud, boisterous comedy where the comedy often didn't land.

Ninja Scroll

That's right, this is the famed 1993 anime, which was seen theatrically last night: 

I was happy to have seen a Yoshiaki Kawajiri film theatrically last night. In the past, I've discussed the OVA Cyber City Oedo 808 along w/ the films Wicked City and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. All were enjoyed so Ninja Scroll being 4K restored & playing on cinema screens was something I was glad to have tackled last night.

A badass ninja named Jubei is followed during the feudal days of Japan. He teams up with a pair of unlikely allies as he not only deals with an old foe but also ninjas with supernatural abilities. Much of the story seemed relatively realistic for a standard tale set during the Tokugawa Shogunate but then there's a dude who releases wasps from holes in his back (a word of warning for those w/ trypophobia) & another dude made out of rock who sexually assaults a lady after he rips her clothes off... whether or not the reader believes that is stereotypical of Japan is up to them. Thankfully, those weird sexual moments are rather infrequent.

Ninja Scroll has those spooky elements & a dark fantasy romance mixed in but primarily this is an adventure where Jubei attempts to stop an insidious plot to overthrow the government; the movie is punctuated with bloody scenes where blood sprays out of bodies to a degree that even surpasses a Lone Wolf & Cub film. It's a very entertaining yarn buttressed by stunning animation that looked great 4K restored and a varied soundtrack from Kaoru Wada that even included a sitar yet it all fit what was seen visually.

Multiple sources have proclaimed that this alongside Akira and Ghost in the Shell were the most popular anime in the West during the 90's and helped that artform become popular here. I never have followed that scene (let alone during my childhood in the 90's) but I can say that while this isn't as deep or thoughtful as an Akira or Ghost, Ninja Scroll instead was a dark fantasy action picture, and at that it succeeded as entertainment. As someone who rarely dips his toes into this world, it was the right decision to check out Ninja Scroll.

I Discuss an Old British TV Program... or as They'd Call it, Programme

It's Thriller, and I discuss 1974's A Coffin for the Bride: 

I discuss an episode from an old British TV anthology show. As sometimes occurs, discussion elsewhere sparked this viewing. In addition, Prime recently added Hammer's House of Horror-an episode of that will be reviewed later this month-and they recommended the show Thriller, which ran on ITV from '73 to '76 and evidently featured episodes (each a little more than an hour in length) that were horror, mystery, or yes, thriller. I knew less about that than House but I was intrigued to give an episode a shot. Thriller's Wiki page was examined and this was selected, not just due to its enticing title.

Many of the episodes featured at least one recognizable UK or American actor; this had Michael Gwynn, Tony Steedman (i.e. “So-Crates” from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), and... a young Helen Mirren! I know some eyebrows were just raised & a few will find that appealing. Coffin is more a thriller than anything else although the idea of a dude who disguises himself & has aliases for the purpose of marrying rich women for the sole purpose of drowning them in a hot tub or bathtub & staging it to look accidental-that will be horrifying for some people.

Not everyone is oblivious to the guy known as Mark Walker for the majority of the episode; a solicitor is suspicious. Meanwhile, Walker meets both a loud, brash woman and a much more subdued Mirren. It'd be a crime to reveal much more; I can say that the production values were comparable to a Doctor Who from the period, which is a compliment as it's cozy and high production values aren't needed in either case. The plot isn't the most realistic but that wasn't the goal; the goal was to deliver a devilishly fun production, a story w/ multiple twists & surprises—in that regard, A Coffin for the Bride succeeded.

It is unknown if I'll view additional episodes of this show or if I do, they will be discussed here... however, I was happy to mention that show elsewhere to someone that was making a query about television horror anthologies... as I am happy to mention this on Letterboxd to anyone that would be interested in such programming.

 

The House that Dripped Blood

The House that Dripped Blood (1971)

Runtime: 102 minutes

Directed by: Peter Duffell

Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Jon Pertwee, John Bennett

From: Amicus

It's been too long since any horror anthologies have been viewed, especially from Amicus. For the newer readers, I enjoy most of the anthologies I've seen made before 2000, while the only one I've ever liked made in the 21st century was Trick 'r Treat... and some famous efforts were seen by me, including those terrible V/H/S movies and The ABC's of Death. Amicus made the likes of the 1972 film Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror (both were also based on the 50's EC Comics that the 90's show was inspired by) and The Monster Club... all of which I enjoyed like I enjoyed The House that Dripped Blood.

The framing story: a Scotland Yard detective is in a police station, to investigate a missing horror actor-Jon Pertwee in a part designed to be hammy, and he delivered! That was my favorite story. Overall, an officer regales him with a quartet of tales set at the eponymous house. What happened to Pertwee is the final tale-there's also Denholm Elliott being driven batty while attempting to write a horror novel in the house, recent retiree Peter Cushing being unable to enjoy a life of reading & gardening due to a wax statue, and the weird interactions Christopher Lee has with his young daughter... don't worry, it sounds gross but the scenario is frightening instead of upsetting.

One reason I tend to enjoy these older anthologies: they are usually fun, light in tone. Each segment here isn't dour or miserable; instead, while they have their chilling, frightful moments, they are also quite entertaining. As always with these, some segments are better than others but I enjoyed all four plus the wraparound segment, the expected variety that you expect in all anthologies. To my delight, not only did one segment feature some Bava lighting, the film is imbibed w/ an interesting, fitting score from Michael Dress.

The house (a mansion out in the middle of the woods) is appropriately moody, totally early 70's in that the interior is full of green. While The House that Dripped Blood ironically does not feature any blood on screen, that was irrelevant to me with the presence of a nice cast-there's also the likes of Joss Ackland & Ingrid Pitt-spooky figures associated w/ this time of year, deaths, and the macabre vibes throughout. My opinion is likely an outlier but I'll forever be salty that the 21st century anthologies are so dark & miserable, instead of being delightful like the 70's movie Tales from the Crypt or even something like Tales from the Hood.