Carnival of Souls

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Runtime: 78 minutes

Directed by: Herk Harvey

Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger, Art Ellison, Stan Levitt

From: Hartcourt Productions/Centron Corporation

A movie that happens to prove a point about how lousy modern Hollywood is. Unlike usual, it was conversation on a messageboard seen after watching this for review that gave me the idea to make a comparison. That discussion concerned how bad modern Hollywood is, both in general and specifically how there's overreaction to fan reaction. I agreed with practically everything that was brought up and I chimed in also. Compared with many movies we get from the studios (of all genres), Carnival of Souls shows them up.

Made by a crew that mainly created industrial/educational short subjects, for a low budget and utilizing many guerilla filmmaking techniques, Souls is a unique eerie product that was far from a hit at the time but in subsequent years became a cult favorite. Mary Henry is a young lady who is a passenger in a car that crashes into a river. She is lucky to crawl out & survive yet when she moves to Utah and becomes a church organist, she is followed by spooky figures, a guy at a boardinghouse that would be “canceled” in 2021 & her world in general becomes quite bizarre. There is a literal carnival (abandoned) where part of the film is set at. Candace Hilligoss is great as Mary.

It is a weird surreal journey which is exactly the sort of motion picture that'd inspire David Lynch... as Lynch has actually admitted as such. It has for certain inspired plenty of subsequent genre efforts, some of them outright ripping off major plot points I dare not spoil here. With not a lot of resources the atmosphere is so unsettling it makes Carnival incredibly memorable. As the lead plays organ, it should not be a stunning revelation to hear that this instrument comprises the score-and that is another huge key in the film's effectiveness. It sets the mood perfectly-no way would this be as effective if not for the contribution of Gene Moore-then again, the cinematography from Maurice Prather was also lovely.

At least before director Herk Harvey passed away, the movie received recognition for its unique qualities & chilling atmosphere. This public domain favorite is easy to track down but if you can see a nice print of this, that is preferable. As stated at the beginning, this is plenty more effective at providing entertainment than way too much of the product we have received from Hollywood in recent years.

 

I Watched A Buster Keaton Short...

only faintly connected to the spooky season-1921's The Haunted House-but I did not feel like doing much else last night: 

Yep, this was watched for the “creatures”, even if they were of the Scooby Doo variety.

Last night I wasn't feeling like watching anything full-length, even though there's literally hundreds of horror films I could watch either on various streaming services for free or for the cost of a few dollars via Amazon. As most can be viewed at any time in the future, after a bit I decided not to worry about that, be happy about what I've seen since September-although it will be nice to have more a variety starting in November-and for the first time see this particular short from someone that I love-at least in the silent era-Buster Keaton. The last 40 percent of this occurs in the titular haunted house, which is not actually haunted but rather it's some villains donning costumes as if they were Scooby Doo villains.

In this 21 minute short, Keaton works at a bank which is held up by some rascals. Of course there are funny gags even during the robbery-mainly involving glue. After that, a random performance of Faust nearby goes awry, which is only shown to also bring someone dressed as Satan to the house. Thus, once Buster by happenstance ends up at the bandits' hideout, there is a Devil running around alongside heels wearing sheets (they aren't KKK members... it's to portray ghosts) and a few skeleton costumes. More pratfalls occur there, including stairs that change into a slide.

While not my favorite Keaton short, The Haunted House provided me w/ enough entertainment for me to think of it as “pretty good.” It mainly suffers if you compare it to something like The General or even another short like One Week... their plots, gags & pratfalls are all superior. If you're not as big a fan then your rating may be lower... for me, the surprises that happen-there's a few-help make this a pleasant diversion. If nothing else, a macabre gag involving skeletons & a man being "constructed" made it feel worthy for late October.

Deadly Friend

Deadly Friend (1986)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Wes Craven

Starring: Matthew Labyorteaux, Kristy Swanson, Michael Sharrett, Anne Twomey, Anne Ramsey

From: Warner Bros.

Yes, this is an appropriate movie to watch after a few beers.

Of course, for years I've known of this infamous Wes Craven effort, something that unfortunately was meddled with by Warner Brothers and resulted in no one being happy w/ what was released. Before last night I only knew that fact... and I had viewed “the basketball scene”, which is not something you can ever forget. Earlier in the month it was recorded off of TCM... not TCM Underground-which has shown it before-but regular-ass TCM actually played the movie for some reason one late afternoon. After having experienced this in full... what a mess, albeit an entertaining one.

Originally this was supposed to be a PG sci-fi thriller; that's what Craven wanted to do as he wanted to be more than just “a horror director.” However, test audiences DID want another Nightmare on Elm Street so they weren't happy. Thus there were reshoots that had gory moments and OF COURSE they had to add in a few random nightmare sequences... no wonder this is so disjointed. After all, it's about a tech genius teen on the level of Elon Musk or Steve Jobs who moves with his mom to California, along with his totally 80's robot that is like Johnny-5's more dimwitted cousin and usually speaks gibberish. He falls in love w/ next door neighbor Kristy Swanson but she has an abusive father who actually kills her by accident.

As the abusive father angle was in the original cut, who knows if that version would have been considered “great” by most people... if that wasn't peculiar enough, that OG creation also had Paul be even more problematic than someone like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs! He goes way over the line in installing a computer chip in his girlfriend-including drugging his own mother so she's knocked out for a bit! Deadly Friend does not entirely demonize him for his behavior, either-thank goodness there's at least Paul's friend Tom that serves as both an audience surrogate and a voice of reason in telling his buddy, “WTF are you doing?”

Between wacky moments like the 80's robot (named BB... BB-8 it ain't) grabbing biker bullies by the balls are gruesome death scenes, Anne Ramsey in exactly the sort of role you'd expect her in, and Swanson literally acting like a robot, which does come across as silly due to no fault of Kristy's performance. The entire endeavor as is just comes across as daffy and misguided; that said, it was also perversely entertaining so if you like out-there films like Malignant or the bonkers cinema that appears once at an all-night horror marathon at the New Beverly Cinema, then this could be for you. Heaven knows, the coupe de grace was the finale that is REALLY bizarre-allegedly it was an idea from the executive vice president of Warner Brothers so I guess you can't reject his “suggestion”... then there's an end credits “song” which brought down the house w/ laughter.

The original was supposed to be a more light-hearted affair with the message that “the humans are the real monsters”; all that deleted footage likely rotted away in some landfill decades ago, so instead someone can howl with laughter at this misguided final product, if they so desire.

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Runtime: 108 minutes

Directed by: John Fawcett

Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Jesse Moss, Mimi Rogers

From: Quite a few different Canadian companies, along with Lionsgate

This is yet another revisit of something from way back when-thankfully, this was as good as I recalled from all those years ago. Back then it definitely felt fresh; unfortunately, many werewolf films are not that good so it was nice to see one that was different... it connected lycanthrophy w/ “a girl turning into a woman”, sisterhood, & followed a pair of rather morbid teen sisters in Ontario; presumably it's all of Canada and not just Ontario where in high school PE, field hockey is apparently played on a daily basis. Much to my relief, the enjoyment and impact of this film has not diminished any.

Another concern was my memories of how some things could have aged poorly... the opening has discussion of the two wanting to “complete suicide” (as the youth like to say it now) and in addition a photo essay done of the two in grisly mock death poses. In my opinion it wasn't too tasteless or out of line. They are just immature teens. The only word of warning is this this should NOT be seen by anyone who thinks that a dog dying in a film is a deal-breaker. Anyhow, it was still quite the journey to see these two outcasts and what happens to Ginger after she's bitten by a werewolf. Thankfully there's the friendly neighborhood drug dealer to try and help Ginger's sister Brigitte.

As stated, Ginger Snaps still feels fresh; besides offering some new ideas on lycanthrophy that does not crap on the standard mythology, there's plenty of gore and practical effects for genre fans. Plus, there are plenty of laughs and for the most part it is still pretty funny. The cast that mostly had unfamiliar faces at the time was fine; it was an amusing role for Mimi Rogers although of course it was Emily Perkins & Katharine Isabelle who stood out the most as the sisters. While it is not a surprise that Isabelle has gotten solid work since this (whether horror or not) it's a shame that the same did not happen to Perkins-both are not only captivating, they are key to the success of this film, especially when it comes to the dramatic moments. The courage for the movie to have some rough moments also is a plus.

Neither sequel has been watched by me-AFAIK they are typical sequels and it's the law of diminishing returns there. The biggest impact that the first sequel probably had was connecting Tatiana Maslany to Orphan Black... Ginger Snaps director John Fawcett also created Black and Maslany had a key role in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed.

 

Death Ship

Death Ship (1980)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Alvin Rakoff

Starring: George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso, Sally Ann Howes, Kate Reid

From: A few different UK and Canadian companies

Pro tip: Never eat peppermint candies that are around 40 years old, especially if you are on a Nazi ghost ship.

Believe it or not, this was a motion picture I had seen before-albeit back in the VHS days. As far as I can recall, its memorable poster act-used for the VHS cover-was what attracted me. My memories were that it was mediocre but as there were only a few things I even recalled, why not give it a whirl when the stream was for free?

After the titular ship causes a cruise vessel to sink-it was peculiar that both the movie and the surviving characters say not even one word concerning all the lives that were lost-the few that did not die end up on the death ship, not knowing it caused the wreck and it is a haunted vessel formerly used by Nazi A-holes. Those individuals are mostly a few crew members of the cruise ship and their significant others. Of course, you have to accept that these characters are too dumb to figure out right away that the ship is trying to kill them off... it's blatant at times but perhaps they're all delirious from floating on sea for who knows how long... also, one of the big name people in the cast turns evil-now, it's implied that the ship drove him crazy—yet to me it seemed like it only took a little push for this person to turn evil!

It's easy to criticize this nonsense-after all, a memorable moment was rather blatantly ripped off from Psycho. Yet the movie is not something I hated. Famous names such as George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso & Saul Rubinek are nice assets to have. Another bonus was that the Nazi vessel was successfully portrayed as being rather creepy-wherever they found that random boat, they selected the right one... the visuals/sounds attached to it also helped. The at times bizarre editing that includes such things as flash forwards: I have conflicting feelings. But, at least this had one character press-slamming another off the ship as if they were The Ultimate Warrior-to paraphrase another review-and for all its technical mistakes, this was at least not bad... more mediocre overall than anything else.

Death Screams

Death Screams (1982)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: David Nelson

Starring: Susan Kiger, Martin Tucker, William T. Hicks, Jennifer Chase, Jody Kay

From: ABA Productions 

Featuring references that only a few will understand.

Recently, I somewhere heard that Arrow was releasing this on Blu-that was the first I heard of this North Carolina regional slasher—just a few days ago they put this on their streaming service. There were laughs that someone better known in the past directed this. In the United States, either your parents or grandparents likely will be familiar w/ the 50's/60's television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, starring the real life Nelson family. I've never seen an episode yet I understand it is the expected wholesome family entertainment. One son was Ricky, who had some big hits that you still hear on the 50's or 60's Sirius XM stations; another son was David, who did not have many directorial credits but amazingly this was one of those. Him directing a movie starring someone that not only was a Playboy Playmate but appeared in at least one XXX feature: hilarious.

The plot: in a rural North Carolina town, some “youths” hang out right before college begins. Even though they are supposed to be the age where they are attending university, more than one looks as if they are at least 30 years old! After a cold open where a couple are strangled to death, there are long stretches where it's just the group of protagonists chilling with each other or dealing with minor problems. I did laugh with and at the movie; it was at times so goofy I rolled my eyes yet I was also entertained by such aspects as the lead's grandma being a cantankerous character, one woman being promiscuous-by today's standards, she was “slut-shamed”, unfortunately-and the town sheriff is a large bearded man who always wore a hat and from all appearances should have been in a Charlie Daniels cover band! There's also a mentally handicapped character who is either the killer or a red herring; he was involved in one of a few dangling plot threads, unfortunately.

Most of the slasher action is reserved for the final act and at least there you'll get to see some adequate gore effects. This also has the expected nudity and some dialogue that hasn't aged so well. The finale feeling rushed is one of its issues and I wish that would have been done better. That said, for all its faults this managed to entertain me mainly due to the front half and all its characters/silly moments. The local North Carolina flavor also helps; as for a score I saw accurately described as “overwrought”... that provided more laughter. As for the cast/credits, it mainly has names that most won't know. However, I recognized the name Worth Keeter; to me, he's the director of the wildly entertaining The Order of the Black Eagle, where the sheriff here plays a baron character... some people I know described him there as “fat old Orson Welles.” As for Blood Screams, I am glad someone restored this oddity even if it has various low-budget flaws... at least there were such moments to counter-balance as a 12 year old trying to steal a Hustler, a redneck failing at trying to smooch w/ a cute blonde at a kissing booth, or an important character having the name NEIL MARSHALL.

Scream Of Fear

Scream of Fear (1961)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Seth Holt

Starring: Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd, Ronald Lewis, John Serret, Christopher Lee

From: Hammer

If this is the only Hammer movie I see this month, it was a wise choice to see one that Christopher Lee said was “the best they ever did.”

About time I went to my giant physical media pile to view something. In this case it was via my portable Blu-ray player and the disc was a Mill Creek release of 5 Hammer films on two discs-the quality wasn't 4K by any means but it wasn't awful by any means. The rave reviews I've seen for this was enough for me to select it in particular-not a rookie mistake on my part. The fact that the plot description alone reminded me of two great motion pictures was also rather enticing.

The story sounded simple enough: a young lady named Penny who is wheelchair-bound visits her father for the first time in 10 years at his French Riviera mansion; however, he is not around. Instead it is her stepmother she barely knows and a handsome British butler. She starts seeing dad's dead corpse around, only the corpse vanishes by the time other people come to Penny after hearing her hysterical screams. As no one believes poor Penny, everyone should recognize that it sure sounds like she's being gaslit. However, not everything is as it seems...

Besides Gaslight, another blatant inspiration was Diabolique; those are two quality motion pictures to be reminded of. Truly, there is more than one surprise, and they weren't ones that I predicted-I'll say no more about those except that they managed to work for the tale rather than being those stupid “subverting expectations” plot twists we get too often these days. As the cinematography was from the legendary Douglas Slocombe, of course the black and white picture always was a visual delight-also, the lovely Susan Strasberg (Penny) never looked poor. This has a small cast so it's thankful that all the main players delivered w/ their performances: Strasberg, Ann Todd, Ronald Lewis, John Serret, and the icon Christopher Lee in a small yet critical role-you get to hear him speak in a French accent. Plus, a moody score also is a big asset.

This is a genuine delight, something that should be seen by all Hammer fans even if it is different from their typical horror output. It is a thriller that has some genuine chilling moments and was an easy watch at only 82 minutes. Whether you know it under its original Taste of Fear title or its US release title of Scream of Fear, hopefully you can track it down. Of course, if you love Hitchcockian mysteries, Scream/Taste of Fear is a must-view.

Dune (The New One)

Dune (2021)

83% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 314 reviews)

Runtime: 155 minutes

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: An amazing cast

From: Warner Bros.

Perhaps Part 2 will have someone milking a cat...

Early in 2019, I finally saw and reviewed the David Lynch version of this property... discussed was both the theatrical version and a 3 hour fan edit I found elsewhere-which wasn't exactly the 3 hour fan edit that's on YouTube as of this moment. The 1984 movie was fine to me-I've never read any of the Frank Herbert novels-as it was not as impenetrable as I had always heard it was. Virginia Madsen floating in space delivering a hell of an info dump in the opening did help there. Via Twitter you can actually see the glossary of terms that some places handed out to people before they saw the film. Maybe it's just me but it was not so incomprehensible that such tools were needed.

Yet it was heinous that Lynch did not get final cut and this was not what he want released. As director Denis V has not always been a hit with me (Prisoners was a ludicrous piece of work, while I liked more than loved Blade Runner 2049 while Blade Runner is something I love) so it's not a guarantee this would knock me off my feet despite an amazing main cast-Lynch's movie also had a quality lineup of talent, after all-and trailers that looked promising but we've been mislead by trailers many times in the past.

The general story isn't the most revolutionary: an emperor sets up a royal family to fail as they now mine an important substance called Spice on a desert planet only to be thwarted by someone named Paul who happens to be The Chosen One... yet the details and the unique universe help make it breathtaking. It is understandable for someone to take the HBO Max option if they are still cautious about their health or their finances are tight; heck, you could be like me or at least one of my mutuals and have a bad crowd experience. I had to move seats to a not as appealing row because there were two Troglodytes right by me who wouldn't shut their cakeholes... and yes I stared them down as I left even though their BB-sized brains likely couldn't process WHY I reacted this way. That said, if you can see this on a PLF screen like IMAX or Dolby Cinema (I was the latter) it greatly enhances the experience. The movie just looks majestic in scope, an epic where there is no shortage of gorgeous settings and shots filled w/ grandeur. The unique score from Hans Zimmer isn't quite like what Toto and Brian Eno did back in the 80's-however, both fit what was on screen and unless my ears were playing tricks on me, the new score did at least once pay tribute to the original film.

Also critical in making this such a good time for myself was that for the most part, the illustrious cast full of famous faces delivered-along with expert direction from Denis V. The movie takes its time to slowly unfurl its story and at least for me the plot never became boring-the exposition dumps were also handled in a logical manner. Timothee Chalamet thankfully was able to deliver as Paul, but so did Rebecca Ferguson as his mom (they were the two most important roles) and I finally understand why everyone loves Jason Momoa. When there are action scenes, they are pretty badass. It's just a shame that this and Part 2 weren't filmed concurrently; theoretically, the sequel isn't even confirmed as of now although it is doing better than expected box office wise-and most importantly the general public in general seem to dig it-so there should be one... in a few years. The ending here wasn't a cliffhanger yet of course it's sort of cinematic blue balls that the rest of the story won't be viewed for so long, then you have to hope that Part 2 was done with the same amount of skill as Part 1.

All that said, for me there have been some 2021 theatrical disappointments—so it was a giant relief to view something that people love and I agree that it is great.

 

The Mummy (The Universal Movie From The 30's)

The Mummy (1932)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: Karl Freund

Starring: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan

From: Universal

 RIP Halyna Hutchins. That is off-topic but it is still something I wanted to address. While I've never seen any film that had her involvement, it is a tragedy that there was an accident on a movie set, especially one involving guns. After what happened w/ Brandon Lee, there have been strict rules & protocols concerning prop guns on set and how they were handled. I won't “dunk” on Alec Baldwin's involvement because of his brash political beliefs (as many have been doing online the past 24 hours)--however, if the rumors are true that conditions were so bad on set that “a scab crew” was brought in to replace those raising concerns... and he is one of the producers... no matter the circumstances this should have never happened. To reiterate, RIP Ms. Hutchins.

As I've seen some other mummy movies, why not this Universal classic? In particular, the Hammer one from '59 and the Brendan Fraser films which I have not reviewed here because they haven't been watched in more than a decade. To add variety for the spooky season, watching this on the Criterion Channel seemed like a swell idea. The rest of the month I hope to see the likes of another folk horror, something regional, a Hammer picture, something involving werewolves, something on a train... not everything promised in recent history that will be viewed will actually occur... that's life. One day I'll get to those.

In the meantime, I thought this was pretty good. Not to spoil a near 90 year old movie, but there was less “member of the undead covered in bandages walking around” than I expected-which was OK (I understand the entire outfit wasn't pleasant for Old Boris to have on... or have it all taken off) as what they did instead was still interesting, even if it a little improbable how certain characters accept certain fantastical scenarios as fact. A mysterious Egyptian known as Ardeth Bey does some weird rituals and due to Zita Johann being “half-Egyptian” (the white people portraying that nationality is a little silly yet it is of course common for the time) that unnaturally attracts her to him. Oh, and there is an (off-screen) dog death-I know that will be a deal-breaker to some.

I've seen some say that this is old and creaky—I can't even say that is 100% untrue. Be that as it may, I thought it was a pretty good time. The quality performances from Karloff and Johann definitely are assets, but so are some nice sets that bring Egypt to life, a story that is fun even if it's hokey at times, & whether it be mood or atmosphere, both are presented rather well. While Dracula (either in English or Spanish) and Frankenstein are better, this is still a Universal horror classic from the past I was happy to finally give a shot.

The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail

The Case of the Scorpion's Tale (La Coda Della Scorpione) (1971)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Sergio Martino

Starring: George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, Alberto de Mendoza, Luigi Pistilli, Evelyn Stewart

From: A few different European countries

A stylish giallo mainly filmed in Greece? Sign me up.

Last night I returned to Arrow's streaming video site to see another giallo, one that had a catchy title. As Sergio Martino is famed for his genre efforts yet the only one I had seen before was Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key. An added bonus was that the opening section was filmed in London and the rest in Greece, a lovely country I have never seen much of on film before. I suppose some could say it was more a mystery than a horror picture... then again, this does have a killer dressed in black (including gloves) that uses a knife and there is a gruesome death so it fits for October.

This follows an insurance investigator who follows a lady into Greece to cash in on a policy after her husband dies in a plane crash. Of course the actual circumstances are much more complicated & there are many surprises along the way. Overall, this was a stylish movie from Martino which had some lovely scenes to look at (and not just the foreign scenery; one key moment was bathed in green light), the expected gratuitous moments-such as random nudity-some familiar faces in George Hilton and Luigi Pistilli, nice foreign settings & an interesting message of “everyone is cheating on everyone else.” It is trashy fun, in other words. Of course, it's not the most probable scenario, but...

 

Ban The Sadist Videos!

Monday night I watched a documentary on Arrow's streaming site, as explained below: 

Note: This review is of both parts of this documentary; originally they were released separately but for streaming on Arrow's site, they were combined into one feature a little more than 90 minutes in length w/ nothing taken out.

On rare occasions in the past when I've done lists for the spooky season there have been documentaries concerning the genre watched. As a change of pace it was decided to view something (which isn't even the only documentary on Arrow concerning the subject) about a topic which I've only heard a few things about... as a dumb Yankee movie fan I of course have heard of the Video Nasty era in Great Britain back in the 80's where various horror movies were banned and the hysteria became so extreme, various videostore owners/video distributors were prosecuted just for possessing something like The Evil Dead or Cannibal Holocaust... but until last night not all the important details were known.

This has the look and feel of something made for video; after all I discovered that this was made by Blue Underground and Anchor Bay. That is irrelevant when it comes to content as it's a standard history piece where various talking heads explain why there was a panic over children possibly seeing graphic horror movies and this resulted in the BBFC being incredibly strict for a Western country and how often all sorts of movie had “controversial” moments cut, with a narrator occasionally present. The people interviewed were on both sides of the issue & included videostore owners, distributors, a psychologist with the last name Cumberbatch, and a member of law enforcement. This and the vintage footage is augmented by some graphic film clips. Not to get political here, but I was not shocked that both the British tabloid media and Margaret Thatcher were involved in this kerfuffle.

Ban does successfully present the point that it was a moral panic which resulted in such an absurd situation. A moralist named Mary Whitehouse led the efforts to have various movies deemed obscene-like I said, absurd. Bills were passed and that resulted in the censorship board (the BBFC) viewing all movies-not just those that were first released in cinemas-and being cut-happy. Some of the talking heads (including Mr. Cumberbatch) explained how there was misleading evidence that was used in the hysteria—not to mention there is rather weak evidence as that viewing graphic footage is so bad for people in general. Of course I wouldn't want my little nephews to see The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Cannibal Ferox or Fulci's Zombie... but it's the job of parents to try and make sure that doesn't happen. In addition, there are brief clips from the likes of Craven, Argento and Franco where they provide their opinion about having their films be censored or banned.

Ban demonstrates how flawed the whole system was; a gentleman named James Ferman was in charge of the BBFC and he was rather stringent in what he cut out yet ironically he was the one who prevented real extremists to have even stricter controls. Believe it or not, in the 90's Child's Play 3 of all movies was erroneously noted as inspiring a horrible case of two boys murdering another, and thankfully that overreaction did not cause even a worse situation. Ferman stepped down in the late 90's and many previously banned/cut films were released in proper form yet plenty are still not allowed in the UK (at least according to Wikipedia). Yet I can't shake my head or laugh at those across the pond as in the United States, there were similar panics over alleged Satanism being prevalent, heavy metal music containing dangerous hidden messages, and videogames from the likes of GTA to Mortal Kombat being “horrible” for kids... anyhow, it was nice to learn some new things last night.

V/H/S/ 94

V/H/S 94 (2021)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Various people

Starring: Various actors, most of whom I have never seen before

From: Various companies that should be embarrassed for themselves

Why do I do this to myself?

The only reason I saw this was that I've seen the previous three-nevermind that I did not like the first one, its first sequel, and like most other people thought that Viral was rather atrocious. The initial two at least had a segment or two that wasn't bad-unfortunately, the rest of it was either bad or so damn putrid that it sank the entire enterprise. Unlike most people, the Safe Haven segment in V/H/S 2 was not something I liked at all. I did not give a damn about how “violent” or “gory” it was when the characters were all not just A-holes, but incompetent A-holes. I was hoping for something better here-unlike what the majority seems to think, this was also rather intolerable.

It is rather amazing how the franchise is 0 for 4 on creating framing stories that are NOT total abominations. The old anthologies did those so much better than this modern crap. This time, a SWAT team does a raid on a suspected drug lab, only for it to get out of hand... of course, all the law enforcement are jerks and drop the F bomb way too often. Only afterwards did I realize it was a sign of what was to come: segments full of unpleasant, stupid people who are foul-mouthed and made for people I did not want to see whatsoever.

The first segment involved an urban legend of a RAT MAN; at first that started off fine but devolved into something lame, with a dumb “shocking” climax. The second was in a funeral parlor and while an interesting setting, it ended up being a cure for insomnia before having an even worse conclusion. The longest section was again the one directed by Timo Tjahjanto; it was the least worst I suppose. Unfortunately it also had law enforcement which were foul-mouthed jerks and it devolved into OOT nonsense. The last involved a militia and look, those right-wing loonies deserve condemnation. But, they were portrayed as utter buffoons to the point of utter unbelievably they could do any semi-complicated task correctly; it was lame. This does have variety and different ideas, yet the way they were executed almost made me wish for the filmmakers to be executed!

Ultimately, this was just no fun for me. From the very beginning this was just unpleasant and no amount of over the top gore will disguise that fact. As bizarre as Malignant was for example, there was much joy to be had in its wackiness. This in contrast had stupid characters that were thoroughly detestable, was crass with all its foul language and squandered good or unique premises. I wish I could see what most others see that is “good” in this franchise but I suppose it will never be comprehended by myself... alas.

Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Runtime: 131 minutes

Directed by: Mike Nichols

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

From: Warner Bros.

I've never seen a piece of art that better delivers an anti-alcohol message!

It was not even the plan last night to watch this off of a DVR recording I recently made when it played on Turner Classic Movies. Originally I was going to watch something action-oriented made from HDNet Movies. I hit play and after a minute... screen freezes and that was it. I've only had a DVR since May of this year (no, really) & that was my first problem with it, although naturally there are memories of stories told concerning others having issues w/ their device. It is a popular film easy to track down so no worries there. If it had been a rare screening of something on TCM or elsewhere I otherwise couldn't track down-yeah, I'd be peeved, not to mention miffed.

Instead, due to recent praise I finally gave this movie a shot after having known of it for ages. Giving this the highest possible rating was not expected from me but this blew me away. It also made for a nerve-racking two hours plus! I'll explain how that can be the case when this is clearly based on a play (a famous one where everyone from David Harbour and Patrick Stewart to Elaine May and Imelda Staunton has appeared in) & for the most part only features four characters exchanging acres & acres of dialogue. Lead couple George and Martha are an incredibly toxic couple; she is the daughter of a college's president & George happens to be a history professor at said college. The plot takes place during the course of a VERY long night and they returned from a soiree; as a pair of invited guests come over, at first Martha comes across horribly as an incredibly shrill and loud harpy. But soon it is apparent that George is a condescending manipulative A-hole so they are a couple destined for each other despite their constant bickering.

That young couple (George Segal and Sandy Dennis) suffer from their hosts being agents of chaos and causing problems between them. The way it is shot and the haunting subtle music you sometimes hear helps set a mood that got under my skin, but of course it was all the caustic and biting dialogue which was unrelenting and if I was another party at the house I would have fled rather quickly no matter all the booze I was given! You have to accept the conceit that the guests don't leave themselves much sooner than they did. Indeed, the demon drink exacerbates everyone's problems so if you ever wanted to see a brutally honest reason to put down the bottle... heck, presumably many know that in real life Burton-like many throughout history-have had problems with alcohol.

What a roller coaster ride of emotions this was. Woolf was a rare movie that was nominated for every Academy Award which it was eligible for, winning several including for the performances of Taylor and Dennis-IMO Segal and Burton were just about as good. Also, holy crap at this being the directorial debut of Mike Nichols. It's always a pleasant surprise to view something that was even better than expected-while this may be too stressful to ever view again, it was great as a possible one time only experience. Hopefully this was not a true to life portrayal of the incredibly real life turbulent relationship between Burton & Taylor.

A Day Where I Am Happy For Silent Shorts...

 is today as the past two days have not been great by any measure. 

It was not in the cards for me to watch any movies last night... or anything else for that matter. Thus, earlier today was a 6 minute short from influential Spanish filmmaker Segundo de Chomon. From all appearances, he and legendary French filmmaker Georges Melies were not only contemporaries but influenced each other.

The plot as it is: incredibly basic yet that's all that was needed—several travelers on a dark and stormy night go into a haunted house where said house trolls them by doing some humorous things. There's even time to see stop-motion animation in action as an invisible figure prepares a table for dinner including cutting food & pouring tea. A terrifying-looking demon (which at least as of now is seen in the poster for the movie that Letterboxd has posted) also appears.

This deserves high marks-aside from a creature that will probably give you the heebie-jeebies and that's noteworthy for something over a century old, the effects still work—also impressive for a movie filmed in the first decade of the 1900's. Presumably, this was rather effective for the time. Thus, at least for me this was perfect viewing w/ Halloween just around the corner.

Halloween Kills

Halloween Kills (2021)

38% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 134 reviews)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: David Gordon Green

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Dylan Arnold, Anthony Michael Hall

From: Universal/Miramax/Blumhouse

Surprisingly gory for a Michael Myers movie. That was one of the things I thought when this was seen theatrically yesterday. There was no film watched Thursday night as Friday was a busy one for me... and what a rotten day it was. Nothing life-altering but there were so many little bad things that it was the worst one I've had in at least a year. Even if yesterday was filled with lollipops & rainbows, my opinion of Halloween Kills would be the same. Halloween (2018) I thought was fine at the time, even with PEANUT BUTTER PENIS and a really stupid plot twist I thought was a misstep at the time. If you thought the “humor” would be better here-or that there'd be less of it, you will be barking up the wrong tree. Wait until you see some of the new characters... anyhow,

Like Halloween II (the one from '81) it begins right after the previous installment ends and part of the action takes place in the Haddonfield hospital. Several of the characters from Halloween '78 are brought back, including Anthony Michael Hall as Tommy. As there are fears Myers will go to the hospital, mob rule happens as the town's citizens want to become vigilantes (“a town full of beer bellies w/ shotguns, so to speak) as unlike what I recall of Halloween '18, the town is still scared s***less of Myers & is incredibly haunted by his actions.

As I left the auditorium yesterday, I thought this was meh overall. A lot was wrong with it but at least the score is cool, there is some nice nostalgia and I can't fault the performances of the three women who portrayed the Strode women. Then later I thought about how Myers seemed more like another classic slasher villain, how the general idea wasn't too bad yet it wasn't executed all that well, and how knowing the immediate future of this franchise sort of ruins the stakes that are present in Kills. Plus, some mutuals helped me realize this was even dopier than I first realized after reading their reviews. Also, as someone noted, the movie's themes are made in EPIC PROCLAMATIONS so often, it might as well have been written by Christopher Nolan...

Even more than most horror franchises, it's a complete mess of a timeline where the majority of the sequels aren't all that good. It isn't the worst one, either-that doesn't mean this was not disappointing as to reiterate, the general idea I can't really carp about. No hate on anyone who loved this; it's just personal preference that made me think this was rather lackluster. At least some of the other entries in the franchise still have their charms.

 

White Zombie

White Zombie (1932)

Runtime: 67 minutes

Directed by: Victor Halperin

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron

From: UA

More Human Than Human. Yeah, it was about time to watch the motion picture that gave its name to a popular rock band. Besides, while it doesn't happen every year it seems appropriate to watch a Bela Lugosi film during this time of year. While there's some hammy acting, overall this was a chilling good time. For the record, I watched the movie on Shudder; that is mentioned as from what I understand, the print on Amazon is rather frightful, as in of dire quality.

Because of George A. Romero, there is not much variation when it comes to cinematic or televised versions of zombies for the past 40 plus years; the speed of the undead seems to be the one element where there is room for interpretation. However, that was not the classic depiction of this idea. As demonstrated in this movie, in places like the West Indies (the setting here is Haiti) there is the myth of the dead rising again to be slaves or servants of a master. The plot is that a guy who looks like Liberace desires a young blonde; as he owns a big plantation in the Caribbean, he invites her and her fiance to get married at his digs. Via Lugosi and his menacing stare, he starts an insidious plan to “own” the dame, only of course the end result isn't quite what he desired.

Some creaky moments aside, this was pretty good; Bela's presence is typically a nice asset but I also enjoyed the critical role played by Joseph Cawthorn of a priest who helps the poor sap that was the male newlywed. Even if of course not filmed in the tropics, the West Indies setting provided plenty of flavor as the spine-chilling atmosphere percolating below then right on the surface. Plus, it was an easy watch at only 67 minutes. Whether or not you're as fatigued with the zombie genre as I am, it seems fresh due to it not fitting into what is now considered the ground rules that so many have followed in just the 21st century.

Eyes Of Fire

Eyes of Fire (1983)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Avery Crounse

Starring: Dennis Lipscomb, Guy Boyd, Rebecca Stanley, Sally Klein, Fran Ryan

From: Elysian Pictures

I now know the upcoming Blu-ray release of this will be marvelous.

If you're wondering how I am able to make this proclamation two months before the Severin release All Our Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror is out... it'd be a dream if they somehow gave me an early release of the box set. Instead, late last week a mutual here noted that he saw the 4K restored movie via an online horror film festival known as Nightstream. Of course, it don't benefit anyone reading this now that this festival is ending tonight... it best fit my schedule to delay watching until yesterday, late in the evening. Even paying a premium theatrical ticket price to stream it on my laptop, I was happy to finally watch the movie. Waiting to view it in better than VHS quality was a real peach.

Like most people, my knowledge of Eyes of Fire only began once people online compared it to The Witch... or The Vvitch. After all, its plot is that a 17th century preacher in Colonial America is too radical for the village he lives in—so he and his followers go out into the woods to try and form their own settlement, only there are Native American ghosts to deal with. Besides the initial premise of religious extremists being forced to leave a colony a few hundred years ago in what is now the United States only to be victim to supernatural happenings and at least one witch being present, this shares little with the Robert Eggers movie. That's alright as both are great at doing their thing in the folk horror realm. While the former only goes wild with the presence of Black Phillip, this has many nutty elements. Dirt is eaten, bizarre visions are seen... The Witch is a better film overall—then again, The Witch doesn't have someone that looks like Carrot Top, a synth score-from Brad Fiedel-or the mute grandfather from Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Eyes takes its time unfurling the story in front of the viewer. The group's banishment is shown then there are teases throughout of evil in the woods before the fit hits the shan. It has a thick atmosphere of dread, unique moments I haven't seen in any other folk horror, low-fi effects that (mostly) still work in these modern times, psychedelic bits, and more. While I've been interested for years in checking this out, waiting until the print could be viewed as intended was a fortuitous decision on my part.

The Mad Doctor

To clarify, I am talking about a Disney cartoon that I watched on YouTube last night: 

In the past, for the Halloween season I have reviewed some spooky cartoons; it seemed like the right time to do it again this year. You may have heard of this as “the one where Pluto is captured by a mad scientist who wants to cut off his head and put it on a chicken's body”; this is decidedly more morbid than typical for a Disney cartoon.

It starts off on a dark & stormy night and right away a figure cloaked in black kidnaps Pluto for transport to what is in essence Castle Greyskull. There's the expected iconography (besides the stormy night, inside the castle is skeletons, spiders, bats, etc.) and also some unexpected moments, such as a horror cliché ending that isn't so great-although understandable considering the target audience-and what can be best described as a 3D maze scene.

To reveal much more would be a shame; this black and white cartoon that has lovely animation can easily be found streaming on various websites; it is more a macabre delight than you might expect from something starring Pluto & Mickey Mouse.

Here Comes Hell

Here Comes Hell (2019)

Runtime: 75 minutes

Directed by: Jack McHenry

Starring: Jessica Webber, Margaret Clunie, Charlie Robb, Timothy Renouf, Tom Baily

From: Trashouse Films

Or: When you suddenly notice that you now have 1,500 followers on Letterboxd.

As I've stated many times before, the number of people that follow me here is flabbergasting; sure, I can be overly critical of myself but the number of times I've gone back to look at a previous review and notice a mistake... it's embarrassing. All that said, I'll thank everyone. As this was not noticed until today the film I watched last night wasn't something that figured to be a 5 star classic, or even some popular modern picture I had avoided until now. Instead, I was happy to get the Shudder app working again on my Roku TV (at least from my understanding I am not the only one who has had this problem) so while scrolling through my queue, something I've known of for the past two years was finally watched. Shame on me for not pulling the trigger on something that can be described as “a 1930's British version of Sam Raimi directs The Evil Dead.”

It apes the 30's style pretty hard; aside from the black & white film and the fullscreen aspect ratio, it is set in that decade, it's the acting style most sport, and the music is for something you could have heard in something of that vintage. Yet there are also Deadites-that's what they blatantly were. The first half of this 75 minute piece introduces the main characters (in essence the only characters) and brings them to an old abandoned mansion. All are rich tools except for one working class girl, Elizabeth. The style-including dialogue-is totally from the Great Depression era. A séance is done-which is a bad idea considering the mansion's previous owner has vanished. There is a demarcation line about halfway through; after a certain moment, the film changes and in comes such things as graphic gore, modern filmmaking references and some F bombs. Is it a spoiler to note that the rich folk are the ones who are gone after by the spirits and Elizabeth is the heroine?

Not everything the movie tries is successful-this includes the moments where CG had to be used. The flaws being acknowledged, personally Here Comes Hell was a pretty good time. Me loving the conceit & the filmmakers not botching the premise will go a long way. The practical effects do look good for the minuscule budget. If my context clues were not clear enough, this is a horror/comedy light in tone which has garnered a mixed reaction from even people on Letterboxd, let alone the general public. Personally, it was a relief to see some people get together and try something different from the norm that isn't yet more zombies, something trying to rip off The Conjuring universe, cheap jump scares, or worst of all, haughty pretentious nonsense I find to be tedious. It's a silly movie which has chuckles, blood and best of all, no winking at the camera foolishness. A welcome addition to Shudder, I say.

 

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (Yokai Hyaku Monogtari) (1968)

Runtime: 79 minutes

Directed by: Kimiyoshi Yasuda

Starring: Shinobu Arai, Jun Fujimaki, Ryutaro Gomi, Jun Hamamura, Tatsuo Hanabu

From: Daiei

Spoiler: This has quite a bit less than 100 monsters. Yet that is alright as I understand the other two movies in this series from the late 60's-plus the 2005 Miike film The Great Yokai War are the ones that have more creatures. For years I've known that Japanese folklore has spirits and monsters known as yokai; they can look like animals but there are also critters that look like inanimate objects, which is why we get the incredible image of a sentient umbrella who has two arms, one leg, and at times a giant tongue that licks the mentally handicap adult it befriends. Ahhh, Japan... there is also a woman who has a Stretch Armstrong neck.

Much of this movie is actually drama which revolves around some evil D-bags that want to tear down a shrine and surrounding buildings so it can be replaced by a brothel. Some heroes attempt to stop this travesty from happening but the villains are effectively ruthless... except for when they fail to complete a ritual that will keep away the yokai. Those critters end up saving the day as they cause the bad guys to soil themselves with fright. Sure, an umbrella monster is lol and some of the monsters look straight from the world of Sid & Marty Krofft, but apparently the rest in this series were lighter in tone so there are some chilling moments, such as the haunting images of human beings w/o a face.

In the future I'll at least view the other two from the late 60's; for now this was an amusing diversion where the monster action was the true highlight and even if there should have been more of that, overall this was still fine.

 

Angel

Angel (1983... or 1984)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: Robert Vincent O'Neil

Starring: Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, Rory Calhoun

From: New World Pictures

No, I don't know either why this was on Joe Bob's Halloween Hoedown. Then again I guess it was on me for extrapolating and just presuming it would be two horror films.

This was watched as it aired on Shudder last night during that special. Of course, beforehand I had no idea if one or both of the films Mr. Briggs would be airing I had seen before, or would WANT to see for the first time. Even if I watch exclusively horror the rest of the month-which I won't be-it is clear I won't be able to see everything that I'd like to. But enough about my worries and quirks; those can always be seen after this month barring streaming availability. At least now I've created a list of prospective motion pictures.

OK, so a “necrophilia hooker killer” is pretty scary and the finale is on Halloween. But that won't go on my big list for this time of year... even if that list in the past has had such things as Halloween cartoons and even trick or treat PSAs. Be that as it may, I don't mind seeing this for the first time as I've known about this sleazy picture for years and I figured it would at least provide me laughs, which it did at times. After all, it's a story of a 15 year old girl who's an honors student yet at night she is a prostitute who walks the streets of downtown Los Angeles & her friends include an old time movie cowboy in Rory Calhoun who appears as if he's a cosplay Sam Elliott and Dick Shawn as “a trans hooker” which is 80's stereotypical yet to a dumb straight guy like me wasn't offensive or aged as poorly as it could have. The same goes for Susan Tyrrell as a lesbian painter who has some garish painted-on eyebrows.

Plus, we're supposed to like this 15 year old because she's only ho'ing on the streets so she can afford to attend a private high school and she has a tragic backstory. Yep, this is sleaze. “That guy” actor John Diehl is the serial killer and yeah he actually is into necrophilia. It's a film where the titular Angel was played by Donna Wilkes, who was 24 playing 15 while the rest of the high school students must have been at least 24 and did look their age. This is not as good (or grimy) as Vice Squad, yet at least this did try to give these characters personality and paint them as more than just one dimensional. Diehl as the villain was the highlight; like the killer in Fear City-a REALLY sleazy picture-it is a silent character who obviously has issues with women considering they figuratively or literally (like Diehl did) have an O-face whenever they murder a member of the fairer sex. He is never not creepy, whether or not he engages in some implausible things.

Then again, this isn't the most logical motion picture even for something involving a 15 year old honors student who does tricks to earn money. Then again, if you watch something with such a premise, you should know what you're going to get. I imagine a triple feature one night of this, Fear City and Vice Squad would be one hell of a trashy night. This movie is still fine as it was amusing while having some heart and having nice performances/cool interactions between experienced actors. As for why I did not watch the second movie that Joe Bob showed, I knew there'd be trouble when I saw the Halloween Hoedown was scheduled in a SIX hour block. During this movie there were several L-O-N-G breaks where David Gordon Green was interviewed. It wasn't uninteresting, yet to be blunt it was absurd that this started at 9 PM Eastern and the second film (Terror Train) did not begin until after midnight. Later this month Terror Train will be watched, promise.

The Perfume Of The Lady In Black

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Il Profumo Della Signora In Nero)(1974)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Francesco Barilli

Starring: Mimsy Farmer, Maurizio Bonuglia, Mario Scaccia, Jho Jhenkins, Nike Arrighi

From: Euro International Films

Just barely a giallo, but that is OK. Technically the idea of a giallo is a loose one and does not always require something like spooky witches or a black gloved killer to be one. This is more a psychological thriller where lead Mimsy Farmer starts hallucinating/seeing visions and she does not know what is real or what is just in her head. Some things are definitely just fabrications, such as her deceased mother, who actually is in back and actually does have perfume at one point. There's also hints of a conspiracy going on concerning various people she's connected with, whether it be friends or people who work at her apartment.

This will be a briefer than usual review; that's no slight against the film. It's just a case where I don't want to give much away, especially an ending I heard was shocking (that came from a Letterboxd mutual; said ending wasn't what I was expecting). There's nice music, an increasing disorientating feeling and a quality lead performance from the only name in the cast I recognized-Mimsy Farmer. While this isn't as great as Perfect Blue, those that like such a thing... also note that this has a blind supporting character, which seemed like a requirement for most Italian genre fare of the time. It's as ubiquitous as a bottle of J&B in the same world, which of course does also appear here.

No Time To Die

No Time to Die (2021)

Somehow,it has 83% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 224 reviews)

Runtime: A bloated 163 minutes

Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Starring: Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes

From: Several different entities

Dou Dou
Yakov Smirnoff
Cuban Cigars
Heracles

All these vague terms can be applied to No Time to Die.

Those wondering in the United States how I saw this last night when it “officially” came out this afternoon at 4, across the country at 7PM yesterday there was an “early access” showing on IMAX screens. As it fit my schedule to watch it then anyhow, this is what I did. Now, the Daniel Craig Bond movies have never felt like the rest of the franchise (and after this one I don't know if the idea to have them be interconnected was ultimately a wise decision) yet most were at least fine and Skyfall was great. I thought that Craig should have bowed out after Spectre as it seemed like time to do something different. This being 163 minutes also gave me pause—turns out, it WAS too damn long. But that is not my main criticism.

I wish I could have loved this like many international audiences on Letterboxd already have; however, a lie can't be told by me. The first two acts were enjoyable, even if sometimes the humor seemed misplaced and more minor quibbles could be made, such as how this especially did not seem like a classic 007 adventure. Yet, the story was engaging enough, the cast was (mostly) capable and it had sweet-if not revolutionary-action scenes so I was along for the ride. That even takes into account someone having what sounded like a comically bad Russian accent to my ears, not to mention elements that suddenly made it clear to me why there were the first last March to delay releasing the movie once "The Black Plague" happened.

As for the Billie Eilish title song—at least it was better than whatever it was that Sam Smith did. But, it may be the first Billie song I've ever heard and I'd rather not hear any more.Then the final act happened... when one of the first things I did when arriving home was rush to Wikipedia to try and figure out some of the baffling aspects of the finale-and was not entirely successful at piecing it together-that is a major problem. So is me subsequently coming across disagreements over key plot points in the last 20 or so minutes.

Besides thinking it all fell apart by the end, the villain's motivations were ultimately a mystery to me-even more so than the fashion stylings of Ms. Eilish; hell, besides learning on Wiki that his name was spelled LYUTSIFER SAFIR (that sounds more like the lead bad guy for the upcoming The Expendables 4) I learned more about his alleged motivations there than what was presented on screen. At first he wanted revenge for something and that was certainly logical. After that-he might as well have been a Snidely Whiplash sort of bad guy who tied some woman to the train tracks. We learn more about 007 as a person and his struggles than before-was that really needed? That's not even taking into account ::redacted::, which allegedly has caused some in the fanbase to in essence rage quit the entire franchise. It did not make me that mad; it was more a puzzling decision than anything else. But to be frank, this is not even the franchise which has soiled the bed the biggest in recent memory.

I'm not mad; after all, it's not even the worst picture in the 007 canon. However, I am just disappointed this crashed and burned so late and I was not wooed by its charms like thousands have here on Letterboxd. Note that Ana de Armas in IMAX WAS something that wooed me-just don't expect her to have a huge role. All that being said, at least there are plenty of Bond movies for me to revisit-and not discuss here.

La Strada

La Strada (1954)

Runtime: 115 minutes

Directed by: Federico Fellini

Starring: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani, Marcella Rovena

From: Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Only my second Fellini—but not the last.

Before checking this out last night on Turner Classic Movies, the only Fellini I had watched was 8 ½, which was great. As he's a legendary director it seemed like the opportune time to further discover why he has this reputation. Thankfully this was also a worthwhile motion picture, even if it's another one as of late which has women be abused, or has women weeping, or has serious drama where characters are in difficult situations so they're in agony.

On the surface the story seems to be simple but appearances are deceiving. Anthony Quinn is a strongman street performer who literally drives around and entertains audiences; he needs someone to literally pass around a hat and collect money so he buys a poor young woman from a poor family to be his assistant... not to mention a way to release his carnal desires. He bullies her and treats her like crap which is upsetting as she's a nice meek girl-but it is complicated as this is an abusive relationship so she still has developed feelings for him. It becomes even hairier once another street performer, known as The Fool as he's a clown... not in real life but he dresses up like one for performances.

I do not want to give away much else of the story except that it was incredibly compelling; of course it was filmed expertly by Fellini and among its many assets were the Nino Rota score, the devastating ending and the performances from the leads. Quinn and Richard Basehart were quality but new to me was the director's real life wife Giulietta Masina. She went through all the emotions: tears, laughter, the joy in her entertaining random children, anger at the brute she has a difficult partnership with, etc. She was tremendous in her part. Just note that this isn't a happy motion picture.

Afterward I read about how difficult the shoot was for Fellini-so bad that he had a nervous breakdown by the end. When La Strada was first released it was not universally acclaimed-it took time until it found the love that I think it deserves. While I know that some of the director's work may be too fanciful or odd for my tastes, but there are some things I imagine will be to my tastes.

Shogun's Joy Of Torture

Shogun's Joy of Torture (Tokugawa Onna Keibatsu-Shi) (1968)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Teruo Ishii

Starring: Teruo Yoshida, Masumi Tachibana, Fumio Watanabe, Reiko Mikasa, Miki Obana

From: Toei

A.K.A. Watch Women Get Abused, The Movie.

I took a day off on Sunday to do other things; last night was something different: via Arrow's streaming service was a Japanese horror anthology (not the only anthology I'll view this month) that appeared to be on the trashy side—if only I knew. This does not help dispel the stereotypes concerning the Japanese and their sexual proclivities... the movie is full of women being tortured and abused, right from the opening where several random women are killed in graphic ways then there's a trio of segments where this continues. Yeah, there's an underlying message of “Punishing criminals shouldn't be so harsh” but it comes off as cynical and trite.

Those segments are: 

* A woman has to sell her body to help pay for care for her injured brother... oh yeah, there's also INCEST.

* There are bald lesbian nuns-no, really. A love triangle happens with a monk and the end result is poor for everyone involved.

* A lady is kidnapped by a great tattoo artist so he can create his masterpiece. Unlike the other bits, at least there are elements that play out differently than expected and feel more like the horror anthology moments I've seen frequently where there are sardonic moments.

It is not poorly made between the filmmaking craft behind the camera, the music, the 17th century Japanese setting brought to life, the performances, and the gory moments. Yet this did feel gross to me as it could accurately be considered “torture porn” between all the abuse shown and how many ladies are shown in states of undress. Lord knows I've seen trashy cinema before and plenty of moments in motion pictures where the opposite sex is treated awfully; it doesn't always bother me yet in this case it seemed like a shower was needed afterwards... and I don't mean a cold one. Some will find this more appealing than I do-as always YMMV. At least it gets an “eh” reaction rather than pure revulsion, at least.

Oh, and my eyebrows were raised when during the final segment, it was white women who are tortured; they were in Japan to try and convert people to Christianity. Never did I think before hitting “play” on the stream that a valid comparison could be made to Silence!