The Seventh Victim

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Runtime: 71 minutes

Directed by: Mark Robson

Starring: Kim Hunter, Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell, Evelyn Brent

From: RKO

A last-minute request. Regrettably, another request made for Spooky Season this year (about two months ago) won’t be fulfilled. Then again, it’s never happened where I view everything I had in mind for this time of year. Specifically, a Letterboxd mutual-I never know if they want their name mentioned-left a comment under my review for Isle of the Dead that they expressed surprise I had never discussed this movie.

This is despite having viewed some of Val Lewton’s famous genre efforts and like this, that was directed by Mark Robson. Turns out, not only did this play on TCM about 3 hours after I read that comment, The Seventh Victim was a prequel to Cat People as both feature Tom Conway as Dr. Judd.

This chiller was as enjoyable as the other Lewton I’ve witnessed. Kim Hunter-long before she became an Ape-made her debut here as Mary; she’s a young adult at a boarding school & discovered that her sister Jacqueline has been missing for months. As both their parents are deceased, the resolve for her to discover where in NYC her sister went is as strong as steel. Turns out, there’s a Satanic cult involved! Unlike the days of the Satanic Panic a few decades ago, there actually is a cult; hilariously, it’s in Greenwich Village, always a counterculture haven.

That said, perhaps I shouldn’t snicker at its location. It is a bleak, downbeat film where homoeroticism is bubbling below the surface, for reasons that won’t be spoiled; this might explain the location. While it is not my favorite Lewton production, the film is still pretty good in its chilling, eerie tale which does not have much in the way of occult elements yet earns its scares via different flavors. If anyone reading this is easily bothered by suicide as a plot point… steer clear of the movie.

For reasons unknown, a few scenes were excised by the director and editor; the story did seem choppy at times but it’s especially clear with an ending I’ve seen many call “anticlimactic”; for certain, “abrupt” is a term to use—this doesn’t mean that a character’s decision lost any of its power & potency to affect me and others. As it featured the expected Lewton mastery of light & shadow, The Seventh Victim (the movie offers a haunting explanation of its title in the final act) is well worthy of being tackled if you’re familiar w/ the producer. In other words, it was a nice recommendation even if the person didn’t specifically ask me to watch the movie this year.

The last picture of Spooky Season-that review will come next evening-will be another black and white effort, but this time from the 1950’s.

 

I Discuss Michael Jackson's Thriller

It's a short film you can log on Letterboxd, so that's exactly what I did earlier tonight: 

Since I can discuss this on Letterboxd and in past Spooky Seasons I’ve discussed cartoon shorts and Halloween safety instructional videos, why not discuss a music video which also works as a short film? This is despite the controversy surrounding the video’s director John Landis-for reasons most people likely know-nevermind the number and severity of the allegations against Jackson. “No comment” on all that turmoil except to say that the video, the song, and The King of Pop’s red/black ensemble are all all-timers.

The full 14-minute version is expertly done: the song, the dance choreography, the Rick Baker effects (whether they be the zombie makeup or a rather gnarly transformation that’s in essence a shorter version of what he did for An American Werewolf in London), the “rap” from Vincent Price*, the creepy settings-forest, abandoned house, cemetery-the atmosphere… I love it all.

The movie theater they filmed at-the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles-is thankfully still around and in fact recently held a Thriller event for charity. Between this and seeing multiple videos paying homage to Thriller (whether they be to advertise an event or just in tribute) it is not a surprise that the official upload on YouTube-originally made 15 years ago and in the meantime receiving a spiffy 4K upgrade-has now had over a billion views.

As it is the sort of horror I prefer to the “elevated” dogma that is inescapable and if you’re tired of the focus being on “trauma & grief”… at least this provides legit scares and the entire Thriller album is something I’ll love as I can divorce Michael the person from Michael the musician.

* Not the first time that Price appeared on record. 1975’s Welcome to my Nightmare from Alice Cooper doesn’t have Old Vincent “rap” but instead in the song Devil’s Food he delivers a soliloquy concerning poisonous spiders which dovetails into his increasing glee over the black widow—yes, that dovetails into the song Black Widow.

Encounters of the Spooky Kind

Encounters of the Spooky Kind (Gui Da Gui) (1980)

Runtime: 102 minutes

Directed by: Sammo Hung

Starring: Hung, Fat Chung, Lung Chan, Ha Huang, Tai-Bo

From: Golden Harvest

In this movie’s world, tofu existed since the early 1900’s. Lest you think this movie deserves vegan points, however… a live chicken is beheaded.

Hong Kong humor doesn’t always jive with me. However, in this case this wuxia action/comedy/horror picture was rather effective. Sammo Hung-the star and director-is Bold Cheung, someone who claims to be fearless but naturally that’s an exaggeration. Simply, Cheung’s wife is unknowingly cheating on him with a rich guy that Cheung’s a rickshaw driver for. A sorcerer is hired as he attempts to kill Bold w/ such creatures as a Chinese hopping vampire (Jiangshi) but he receives help from an unexpected source.

It takes awhile but kung-fu eventually appears. It’s not particularly scary per se but it’s still a lot of fun. Besides the Jiangshi and the general witchcraft there’s also a random ghoul who has nothing to do w/ the main plot, a zombie, other creatures I won’t spoil and even a possessed body part at one point. It featured horror elements, action, laughs, and is always imbibed w/ creativity. The final 10 seconds doesn’t sit well w/ everyone; other than that, this was more fun than even I expected.

The Tingler

The Tingler (1959)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: William Castle

Starring: Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, Patricia Cutts, Philip Coolidge

From: Columbia

After needing a break from watching films on Saturday-and the late Letterboxd post tonight is because today I went to the Magic Kingdom*-last night the decision was made to view some William Castle. I've witnessed House on Haunted Hill, his bizarre last movie Shanks (Vinegar Syndrome will soon release that on 4K UHD) and even his 1953 Serpent of the Nile which was a Cleopatra story. Yet there should be at least some more horror from late in his career that needs to be experienced. There was no lack of choice but I selected the picture starring Vincent Price. If only it could have been experienced in an auditorium that had the “Percepto!” gimmick where certain seats moved during key moments.

Even if you're watching it at home like I did, there's still an introduction from Castle himself which suggested the gimmick without mentioning what it was. The story of scientist Price and his underling attempting to discover what sends chills down your spine during frightening moments was more sordid than expected; there also were some surprises that I dare not spoil. There is in fact a titular Tingler and it's a creature which will send chills down your spine. Yeah, in the HD era you literally can see the wires, but... that's part of the charm, or at least that's how I'll rationalize it.

Such elements as Price's rich wife openly cheating on him due to his constant time in the lab... unexpected, and one point in my statement that this was sordid. At home, the movie still delivers some jolts and is a rather entertaining tale. One element I have to mention: LSD is an important plot point! This was back before it was criminalized and some doctors attempted to use it as a way to treat patients with a variety of disorders. The movie explains what LSD is for this reason—it was before it became a counter-culture drug. “Vincent Price tripping balls on acid” is an actual scene in the movie and it is rather glorious.

* I have an Annual Pass, which does help make it not so outrageously expensive as it unfortunately is now. The main reason for today's visit: I could FINALLY ride TRON Lightcycle/Run, based only on TRON: Legacy and not the original movie. Sadly, none of the characters from that film appear in the attraction. It's received a mixed reception, mostly due to it allegedly being “too short.” It wasn't that much so compared to other Disney rides and I had a fun time. It was not busy there so I got to ride it twice. Yes, a lot of the fun is the unique ride vehicle where you get to ride it stomach-down prone on what looks like a Lightcycle.

 

Vampire Hunter D

Vampire Hunter D (1985)

Runtime: 81 minutes

Directed by: Toyoo Ashida

Starring: I saw a dubbed version on YouTube, so random English-speaking voices

From: Toho

Talk to the hand… literally.

I’m going by hearsay that it’d be beneficial for me to view this before one day (possibly not until the far-flung future, even if not every movie until Halloween is mapped out) checking out Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, even if it’s for mainly comparison’s sake. Bloodlust is rated even higher than this ’85 film, which raises the expectations for the 2000 film. 

There were some “Only in Japan” moments, to be stereotypical. Why our vampire hero D has a sentient left hand who has a face and talks was rather inexplicable. The number of panty shots-then nudity-of the lead girl Doris… not so much! Doris is a badass lady who’s bitten by the vampire Magnus Lee-nice reference. She finds the hero and what a wild ride it is in the far-flung future of (according to Wiki) 12,090 in a post-apocalyptic world.

It had plenty of vibes for the week preceding Halloween: there’s also werewolves and plenty of grotesque creatures in this world. There’s also cyborg horses, which aren’t scary but were rather bitchin’. It’s a dismal world animated quite well—there’s plenty of purple on display. The copy on YouTube-hey, it was my only option-was dubbed yet at least it looked tremendous. The enjoyable score only enhanced the experience & fit this macabre story which doesn’t have revolutionary plot points but was compelling nonetheless.

Vampire Hunter D is a Gothic horror crossed w/ a space Western and samurai jam that is the sort of old anime I’m interested in. No offense to anyone, but something like Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend… not for me!

I Watch An Old Devil-Related Short

It's a 1930 short called The Devil's Cabraret, which has an interesting backstory: 

What an odd, creaky old COLOR short this was. Simply, I did not have the inclination to view anything full-length and as always happens, by the last week before Halloween there’s a big of fatigue in viewing genre entertainment. Someone I follow on Letterboxd reviewed this yesterday and as it was new to me, was 16 minutes long and could be found in the Hades of the Internet…

Charles Middleton plays Satan, who is in the office building of Hades; this is represented by flames outside the window and wacky sight gags. Edward Buzzell (who later became the director of such pictures as Song of the Thin Man & the Marx Brothers film At the Circus) is HOWIE BURNS, a goofball assistant who gets yelled at by Satan due to an increase in souls making their way to Heaven. Howie’s scheme? Interrupting a religious meeting, inviting the congregation to the titular cabaret, and they get to see a musical number involving a giant devil head in the background. Not surprisingly for the time, jazz music was used to augment all the “sin” happening on-screen in this decidedly Pre-Code effort.

In short, the big musical number was to be one of several for an abandoned musical called The March of Time. I can’t list the other examples but this was one which built a story around that number so it wouldn’t go to waste. Burns is a goofball who makes fun of both a plump woman and another dame who stutters; that is “humor” worthy of eternal damnation in 2024. 

It’s a mixed bag aside from what I’ve seen called the Hades Ballet (that can be witnessed separately on Dailymotion) scene yet it’s still a wacky short which has a unique backstory, Middleton as Old Scratch and according to sources, Ann Dvorak as a background player.

Santo in the Wax Museum

Santo in the Wax Museum (Santo En El Museo De Cera) (1963)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Alfonso Corona Blake/Manuel San Fernando

Starring: El Santo, Claudio Brook, Norma Mora, Ruben Rojo, Roxana Bellini

From: Filmadora Panamerica

Not the best film if you want to see the legendary luchador do battle against monsters. It’s been more than two years since I’ve viewed any El Santo movies. Regrettably, those used to be easier to track down in the past, when there was the El Rey Network and some subtitled or dubbed prints were available to stream. Now, good luck viewing most of those unless you speak Spanish. Wax Museum recently became available on Prime; the conclusion will explain which films are better than this but now, why this was a letdown.

It seemed to be painting a rosy picture… at first. It’s a mad scientist who runs a wax museum; sorry for the spoiler but it’s rather obvious, even if it takes Santo and the others a long time to determine this. Think of it as a cross between House of Wax and Island of Lost Souls. The evil Dr. Karol wants to create half-human hybrids to rule the world; it’s not for quite the same reason as Dr. Moreau. Rather, it was because Karol… was a prisoner at AUSCHWITZ. No way could I make up such a tasteless plot point.

That wasn’t even my main issue with this. Rather, it was that this was full of talk, talk, talk. The wax museums have figures of folks like Gary Cooper circa High Noon, Gandhi and Joseph Stalin on the ground floor-figures of famous monsters are downstairs. The half-human abominations literally do nothing until the ending. I’d have preferred them do something before that… or even better, the wax figures come alive. It’d be best if the figures of Cooper, Gandhi and Stalin came alive to do evil! That’d have been more interesting than seeing highlight of three Santo matches in the role that are superfluous to the plot.

The best Santo movie I’ve seen was 1974’s Santo vs. Frankenstein’s Daughter. For monster action, there’s 1970’s Santo and Blue Demon Against the Monsters, which includes The Wolf Man, a cyclops, a vampire, a mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster, who sports a goatee & drives a car at one point! Those are both campier and more entertaining than Wax Museum, a movie that wastes a villain who at least in the English dub delivered some amusing flowery dialogue.

Oh yeah, the print of Prime looks great yet the audio was the old K. Gordan Murray dub from the period where Santo was known as… SAMSON. That isn’t ideal, yet how dull this was sank the picture.

 

The Shadow Strays

The Shadow Strays (2024)

Runtime: 144 minutes

Directed by: Timo Tjahjanto

Starring: Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan, Taskya Namya, Agra Piliang, Andri Mashadi, Kristo Immanuel

From: Netflix

Even if I’ve experienced fatigue with this particular genre, The Shadow Strays is still a pretty good time. It’s another in the John Wick genre, this time featuring a 17-year-old girl killer as part of a secret cabal of assassins. Of course, it is wacky that she’s still in training & a mission in Japan gets flubbed when we later see her in Jakarta with the main plot and she’s wrecking multiple dudes.

It’s a basic story where 13-of course they all have codenames-is on timeout in Jakarta when she meets a young boy who has a druggie mom. Naturally, shady characters are a part of mom’s life. 13 becomes friendly with the boy, then things happen… as it’s a Timo Tjahjanto joint, the proceedings become rather bloody & graphic. Not every aspect of the story I loved, to describe some of the CG as “lousy” is my painting it with a kind brush and it did not need to be almost 2 ½ hours long.

However, those watching a Timo Tjahjanto action film are most interested in the carnage and all the bloodletting. In that regard, while it’s not as epic (or graphic) as The Night Comes for Us, otherwise there are several moments where digital blood is sprayed on the camera and there is more than a sufficient amount of graphic moments. The attempts at world-building weren’t always successful but the main story was easier to be enthralled by. I suspended my disbelief & accepted Aurora Ribero wrecking dudes and 13’s personal struggles. In addition, it was incredibly brutal & visceral.

Those that enjoy the Indonesian action-especially from the director-probably will be satisfied by this latest Netflix effort.

 

Door

Door (1988)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: Banmei Takahashi

Starring: Keiko Takahashi, Daijiro Tsutsumi, Shiro Shimomoto, Takuto Yonezu, Masao Ishida

From: Agent 21/Director's Company

Even 80’s Japan hated spam calls and spam mail

I like most people had never heard of this until it played at a film festival in Brooklyn back two years ago. The circumstances of how it was feared “lost” then it was “found” again are unknown to me; nevertheless, Screambox has the movie available to stream on a variety of different platforms.

Some have described it as “a psychological thriller”; the differences between that genre and horror are a road I’d rather not go down. A film where a vulnerable woman is harassed by a creepy dude will be terrifying to some. In this case, Yasuko lives in a Tokyo apartment w/ a work-weary husband and a high-spirited young son. She’s fed up with spam; thus, she’s rankled when a pushy salesman shoves something through the door; she accidentally slams the door on his hand. He does not take this faux pas well.

As the neighbors choose to ignore and the husband is away, she can’t do much about his attempting to kick down the door and the harassing phone calls when she didn’t get a good look at his face. Then it escalates… the film takes its time to set up the final act and establish the two leads. The claustrophobic design of the apartment and the odd sound/score buttress the feel of the movie. Once the final act begins, the insanity begins; what occurs of course won’t be spoiled by me.

Even if you don’t love the measured pace or any other aspect of the first two acts, people should stick around for the final 25 or so minutes, where the inclusion of some wild camera angles are now part of the mix. There’s plenty of blatant phallic imagery, which shouldn’t be a surprise from a former pinku director who once gave us such efforts as BONDAGE SEX MANIAC and THE WOMEN’S PRISON LESBIAN HELL. However, this was done to enhance the sleaziness of Daijiro Tsutsumi as Yamakawa.

Tsutsumi and Keiko Takahashi as Yasuko also helped make this more than worthwhile for those genre fans.

 

Murder by Death

Murder by Death (1976)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Robert Moore

Starring: Many famous faces, including the late Maggie Smith

From: Columbia/Rastar

RIP Maggie Smith

As someone who has never watched any Harry Potter nor Downton Abbey, I haven’t viewed much Maggie Smith in my life, let alone discussed here. After I heard she passed away several weeks ago, a search was done to see if any of her films were on television. Turns out, by happenstance this played on Turner Classic Movies the 1st of October and I finally had the inclination to press “play” on the DVR after recording it that night.

This Neil Simon spoof features caricatures of Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple & Charlie Chan. They’re all invited to the mansion of Truman Capote… no, I mean Truman Capote acts as a fictional character! As an actor, he’s a great writer. He promises a murder and dares the detectives to solve the case.

To address the elephant in the room, many on Letterboxd don’t like the film mainly due to Peter Sellers portraying the Chan spoof. Well, it was designed to be cringe-inducing! Warner Oland then Sidney Toler famously portrayed the literary character on screen as white dudes in yellowface. This movie recreates that aspect along with the stereotypical “Wise Asian” phrases; thus, I will not knock Murder by Death for that role. I can’t speak for Sellers portraying Dr. Fu Manchu in 1980’s The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu but I understand the movie’s terrible and it unfortunately was his last film role. I also wasn’t offended at Not Sam Spade’s racism & homophobia as he was supposed to be a gruff ogre of a character.

Sometimes the film is just plain goofy and silly; after all, Alec Guinness played a blind butler and the house has a deaf-mute cook. Yet, there were plenty of chuckles and what a cast it has. Smith and David Niven are Not Nick & Nora & were quite entertaining. There’s also Peter Falk, Eileen Brennan, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester, and James Cromwell. It is successful in the task of poking fun-without being malicious-at the detective genre & its tropes. Its unique ending also made me realize why they cast Capote in the role.

I don’t agree with everyone’s opinion on the film-although some of its humor is for certain dated-but its similarity to 1985’s Clue going beyond Brennan’s role in both is something I can agree with. If you understand context, are familiar with the characters that are spoofed and can accept the humor of this time, you may enjoy this if you’re a mystery-comedy/Clue fan. As is, it was a nice way to tip my cap to the late Maggie Smith.

In Search of Darkness III

In the first of two posts for tonight, I discuss the horror documentary: 

For those that have seen and loved the first two In Search of Darkness documentaries, this conclusion of the trilogy is a must. For those unaware, the series have covered horror movies from the 80’s, in chronological order w/ people involved w/ those films and/or genre experts giving their commentary. It’s mainly surface-level commentary yet it’s always nice hearing comments from the participants.

In III, a few well-known films like Manhunter and Possession but after the well-known films discussed in the first two installment, the focus is on such pictures as Witchboard, TerrorVision, Happy Birthday to Me, The Video Dead, and Dream Demon. Like in the previous installment, whom was interviewed determined what was covered. It was interesting to hear Caroline Munro discuss several obscure entries on her filmography, along w/ a bit of discussion on Asian & Mexican horror. The guests ran the gamut… everyone from Geretta Geretta and Felissa Rose to Lloyd Kaufman, Adrienne Barbeau, William Lustig and Dee Wallace.

Between each year a few minutes is spent on a separate topic. In III, this included a spotlight on such people as Wallace & Screaming Mad George, the VHS boom, representation in horror and Satanic Panic. Each in the trilogy is over 4 hours long; III is the longest at 5 hours 15 minutes before the end credits! They’ve all been crowd-funded, necessitating extended credits to thank everyone. Those that like 80’s horror should at least have those on your radar; they’re all on Shudder.

The next project from this collective: covering horror in the early 90’s. That should be fascinating; I’ll be waiting with baited breath.

House of Wax (The Remake)

House of Wax (2005)

Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert, Brian Van Holt, Jared Padalecki

From: Warner Bros…. and Village Roadshow Pictures… and Dark Castle Entertainment

You know, my stance on Paris Hilton has softened since this film was released almost two decades ago. Even back then, I loathed “reality” TV so there was no time for that phony, staged persona that held zero appeal for me. That was why I never gave this film the time of day. In essence she was forgotten about for many years. Now, I realized she’s done plenty of activism so even though Hilton had some legal problems way back when, there was no pushback when someone recently recommended that I see the film. The fact that “reality” TV has become WAY worse and everyone in the Kardashian-Jenner family is a totally irredeemable repugnant human being…

On a lighter note, I always knew that this shared little in common w/ the Vincent Price House of Wax nor the 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum that the original House of Wax was a remake of. A variety of goofballs-some of whom were at least designed to be gigantic A-holes-drive to a big college football game but end up stuck in a po-dunk Louisiana town which has the titular house. In the first act, I did laugh that several not-so-subtle allusions to Hilton IRL were made, including yes, her being filmed having sex… although I shouldn’t have laughed at that unless she secretly leaked that tape herself instead of some gross person revenge-porning her.

The film does take its time to get going. It wasn’t dull to me but others may feel differently. As far-fetched as it became, it was still entertaining nonsense. After a relatively staid first hour, the rest becomes rather graphic at times. It was nice seeing familiar faces like Chad Michael Murray, Elisha Cuthbert & Jared Padalecki. Hilton as an actor wasn’t terrible, at least. As this wasn’t a bastardization of a famous genre effort and did its own thing to a satisfying degree-featuring some decent setpieces in a distinctive setting featuring nice wax statues-this gets a passing grade, more than one preposterous conceit & idea aside.

I hope director Jaume Collet-Serra isn’t in Director Jail due to Black Adam flopping both critically & commercially; without having seen it, The Rock’s influence on the project may be to blame. He’s done at least alright with horror, Liam Neeson movies, and Rock’s films. He did a fine job w/ House of Wax.

Monstrosity

Monstrosity (1987)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Andy Milligan

Starring: Hal Borske, Carrie Anita, Michael Lunsford, Joe Balogh, David Homb

From: Filmworld International/Jaylo International Films

The most “demented genius” film I see this Spooky Season. Via request from a relatively recent mutual, this is my second Andy Milligan film. Clarification is in order: this person left a comment on my review from this past May of The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! It was a film selected due to my knowing its ludicrous title for literal years; big mistake. In my eyes it was an insufferable bore w/ acres of dialogue that ceaselessly droned on. It also was said to be not among his best according to that Milligan fan. Alternatives were listed instead. It necessitated visiting The Bowels of the Internet to track down a copy but that journey was successful.

It was more polished than Rats-a relative term-and avoided many of its demerits. In Los Angeles, a trio of street thugs are on a reign of terror. After a sexual assault (and worse) to lead guy Mark's girl, the movie makes a HARD pivot around 20 minutes in. You see, it becomes a comedy; Mark... creates a GOLEM along with two of his buddies after one of his pals casually mentions this idea & the trio celebrates this genius plan! No lie, the trio looked to be So Cal surfer dudes in their 20's, only one of whom "is in medical school," yet they sewed together “Frankie” and after much experimentation, he comes alive. In fact, he's more Frankenstein's Monster than an actual Golem.

I have no idea what genre fans in the late 80's thought of this patently bizarre picture. One of the trio shows posters of Rambo: First Blood Part II and Commando as a way to convince Frankie to kill the thugs. He saves a girl and while he is incredibly grotesque, she doesn't care that “he's no Bruce Springsteen”! Then the final twenty minutes become even stranger! I had zero expectation that this would be one of the strangest pictures ever viewed by me, but it was. To be Frank(ie), the script is a total mess, the editing was apparently done w/ Frankie's hatchet, and there are day/night continuity issues as frequent as Plan 9 from Other Space.

Yet, this was perversely entertaining. The score was omnipresent but still interesting; no spoilers on what orchestral music randomly gets used in a few scenes. Now, this doesn't mean that I'll plow through the rest of Milligan's filmography; after all, hearsay tells me that most of his movies were like Rats in the constant presence of yelling & arguing—thankfully Monstrosity featured it less frequently. However, this vulgar auteur is now looked at a little more favorably by me. It likely will be months before I see something else from him—with any luck it'll be as unforgettable as Monstrosity.

Castle of Blood

Castle of Blood (Danza Macabra) (1964)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Sergio Corbucci for one scene... the rest, Antonio Margheriti

Starring: Barbara Steele, Georges Riviere, Margrete Robsahm, Arturo Dominici, Silvano Tranquilli

From: Several different Italian & French companies

An Italian Gothic horror picture set in England featuring Edgar Allan Poe (!) as a minor character and cult hero Barbara Steele as the lead girl--yes, please. There needed to be at least a bit of Gothic in October so I streamed this picture-its original Italian title Danza Macabra-via Arrow's streaming site.

At a tavern in England, a journalist encounters a Lord in discussion w/ Poe. He joins in and after a few minutes, journalist Alan agrees to a bet to stay at the Lord's abandoned mansion for a night. Literally, no one's survived the bet before, but Alan doesn't believe in the supernatural or any of that hoodoo voodoo nonsense. Unfortunately for him...

The original idea for the film came from Sergio Corbucci; unfortunately for him, his schedule only allowed him to film one scene. The rest was from famous (or perhaps infamous) genre director Antonio Margheriti. What a Gothic delight it was between the eerie story, the spirits, the large tremendous set that set the mood, the fog, the cobwebs the dark castle constantly lit perfectly... then of course Steele seems to be an apt fit for a Gothic tale in terms of appearance. The movie was also more erotic than expected; the copy I saw had an opening praising the restoration work done on the print, & also noted that a few cut moments were added back in. Does this include the scene of a supporting female character going topless?

The story has a measured pace although with the setting, the mood, the classical score from Riz Ortolani & the black and white cinematography, the vibes were strong and I loved being enveloped in this world. I enjoyed it more than most yet genre fans may at least like the film, even if the story isn't the most surprising.

Purana Mandir

Purana Mandir (1984)

Runtime: The version I saw was around 139 minutes

Directed by: Shyam Ramsay/Tulsi Ramsay

Starring: Mohnish Behl, Arti Gupta, Puneet Issar, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Anirudh Agarwal

From: K.R. Enterprises

This sure was an 80’s Indian horror film. The hope was to see something in the genre from India this year; it’s a shame that none of the titles in Mondo Macabro’s Bollywood Horror boxset (devoted to the films of the Ramsay family, who were dominant in this genre for about 20 years) are available for legal streaming anywhere. It took a random YouTube account uploading a version w/ subtitles for me to check it out.

It features various horror hallmarks. A king beheads a demon and separates the head far away from the torso--but not before the demon curses the family for time immemorial that all the women die during childbirth. In modern times, this is why dad doesn’t want daughter to date, although her lover is of a lower class anyhow. She and her beau go to the haunted palace (the movie’s title in English) as they feel the legend is poppycock. However… there are jump scares, frightening-looking images, a black cat, dark foggy nights, a ghostly painting, a buff mustached shirtless pal of the beau that does one-armed pushups by a lake… OK, that last part you can only find in cinema from this country. I was utterly delighted that even this featured a buff macho man who beats up multiple foes at once… & on more than one occasion.

I should have suspected that there’d be more than one random subplot involving completely random characters that had little to do with do w/ the main plot; regrettably, the most egregious one involves a rather rape-y dude and thankfully he only appeared in a few scenes. What I did accurately predict: the broad comedy & the musical numbers! Oh, those were a hoot. The first number was done in a club featuring posters of Elvis and Christopher Reeve as Superman.

The film’s demerits weren’t enough to prevent me from giving it a nice rating. Bad “comedy” aside, the horror scares were done well enough and the “Indian cinema” moments usually landed. From hearsay, this picture was a massive hit and in fact propelled the careers of the Ramsay family. It also added variety to Spooky Season this year.

 

Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: George Cukor

Starring: An all-star cast

From: MGM

I needed more variety this October. Thus, a visit to the Criterion Channel and their current section on women writers of ‘30’s films (Frances Marion for Dinner at Eight) was in order. For literally years, I’ve put off giving this film a shot despite knowing it was a highly-regarded MGM picture w/ an all-star cast. After finally pulling the trigger, it was a delightful motion picture.

Admittedly, its stage origins are obvious. There are plenty of LONG scenes featuring two or three characters talking to each other. It was mostly irrelevant to my enjoyment. Billie Burke is going to hold a big dinner party where the guests of honor are “the richest couple in England” visiting NYC and the other guests are distinguished types. The film is not flaunting the lives of the rich & famous. Rather, they are presented as experiencing plenty of difficulties during the Great Depression. Afterall, Burke’s husband Lionel Barrymore is a shipping magnate but his company’s in dire straits. Furthermore, there’s the likes of affairs, squabbles and washed-up actor John Barrymore that the viewer experiences even before the day of the titular dinner.

What a cast. Among others, there’s also Wallace Beery and Jean Harlow as a rather “earthy” couple, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, Jean Hersholt… but a highlight was finally getting to view stage/silent star Marie Dressler in one of her last roles. She was delightful as a haughty stage & screen star. It was a comedic drama which has at least one shocking dark moment but also delivers a nice amount of chuckles and laughs.

The ending felt abrupt at first, then on contemplation the conclusion made more sense for the overall plot and all the subplots. It was still an entertaining yarn which juggled the panoply of characters rather well. It does conclude w/ an amazing dialogue exchange between Harlow and Dressler that I dare not spoil. Starting in November I might view more Pre-Code than I have the preceding few months.

 

I Finally Viewed Mr. McMahon

In my first of two posts today, I discuss last month's Netflix 6 part series: 

My rating is based on my viewing this as someone who is a massive fun of pro wrestling’s inner workings. I haven’t seen the modern product in MANY years (for a variety of reasons) but I still follow the behind-the-scenes drama so yes I’ve known for years that Vince McMahon had done many bad things. That said, the accusations that Janel Grant made against McMahon-the court filing can be easily found online-are WAY too graphic and triggering to mention here-but it’s mentioned in Episode 6-and it certainly made me look at him in a worse light.

As I figured even before this was released, this documentary (which originally had WWE involvement before they left) would be more for the casuals than the nerds who already knew everything in the six episodes, like I did. It was nice to hear Vince present his version of the truth-believe me, it’s not always what actually happened-and hear from the rest of the family, not to mention all the photos and behind-the-scenes footage that hadn’t been made public before. Ultimately, there were few surprises or revelations in the six episodes, each around an hour long. Perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise, especially given the announcement earlier in the year that the WWE’s stalwart program (Monday Night Raw) will move to Netflix come January, 2025.

That said, it was a blast from the past reminiscing about what I watched in my youth and seeing that footage from “the good old days.” For those not as familiar, it will be an eye-opener; some jaw-dropping comments were made, but those were stories I heard long ago. It’s not a surprise that some things were alluded to that were never addressed in detail by McMahon, such as some alleged horrific abuse suffered as a child. For a long time now I’ve wished for a biography on him where all the rumor and conjecture about him was addressed, not to mention a detailed chronicle of his bizarre life. The dream is always there…

A Bucket of Blood

A Bucket of Blood (1959)

Runtime: 65 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson

From: AIP

I’m usually down for an evisceration of the pretentious art scene. I can’t say “always” because while I’ve never seen Velvet Buzzsaw, the reviews plus the lead character’s name MORF VANDEWALT… no thank you, I’ll pass. On the other hand, a Roger Corman film that plenty say is among his best, has a rare starring role for the legendary Dick Miller and is only barely an hour long: yes please. It shouldn’t have taken until late 2024 to tackle this but better late than never.

Specifically, this takes the piss out of beatniks. Miller is Walter, a square busboy in a café where bizarre paintings and even more bizarre beat poetry is heard. He attempts to create sculptures of his own, chiefly to impress an attractive regular. Then, a cat enters the scene… yes, a feline death occurs. It does kick-start the plot; Walter’s “art” becomes increasingly macabre and he’s copping a bit to impress those hipsters.

For a horror-comedy that’s a satire, it’s key that a movie delivers plenty of laughs; thankfully, this did just that. The skewering of those ostentatious fools was successful. It was well-directed for a shoot that only lasted 5 days in length and appropriately for the setting, contained a jazz soundtrack worthy of going ape for. However, Miller as the cool cat is for certain the standout. He’s always sympathetic even when he’s committing some rather dark acts. Oh yes, A Bucket of Blood becomes grim at times.

If you aren’t a jive fool and think that life is more than an obscure hobo, the movie’s worthy of viewing on YouTube.

 

Poltergeist... Both the Original & the Putrid Remake

I revisited the 1982 classic Thursday night, and last night the remake that was even more awful than anticipated:

I’m so old, I remember when TV stations used to go off the air late at night.

Last night I revisited this film on Turner Classic Movies; it was reviewed before way back in 2017. Poltergeist has been experienced a few times before in my life, including once at a revival screening presented nationally for one night via Fathom Events or a similar entity; thankfully its enjoyment & its impact has not diminished.

A key aspect in being enraptured w/ Poltergeist: it’s incredibly easy to root for the likable Freeling family that are the leads-even the children of the family delivered quality performances… and had the misfortune to live in a house built on an unfortunate spot. The supporting characters are all interesting, including the parapsychologist and especially the medium portrayed by Zelda Rubinstein; talk about a colorful role. The effects still hold up-obvious animation at times notwithstanding-and the movie is never dull despite taking its time because you’re invested from the beginning.

It's not fair to the movie to either dwell on “the curse” allegedly attached to the trio of films (the tragic deaths of two of the kids are nothing more than that, tragic happenstance) or even who authorship of the movie really should be tied to. Spielberg’s fingerprints are naturally over the film but as even those who worked on the film don’t agree (at least publicly) who directed what… it overshadows an effective horror blockbuster that was a hit at the time & the ghostly tale still has the power to terrify in 2024.

As there’s also a great Jerry Goldsmith score, I’m glad to have had that theatrical experience oh so long ago. It did not need to be graphic (the scene w/ the mirror excluded) or R-rated to satisfy genre fans.

Poltergeist (2015)

Runtime: I saw the extended 100-minute cut

Directed by: Gil Keenan

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris, random child actors who weren’t directed well

From: 20^th Century Fox/MGM

Did people in the Amish community write the script?

There is no logical explanation as to why I decided to view this crummy remake when the average rating/general opinion of this picture was that of putrefaction. If there’s any solace in my lousy decision-making, the warning can be spread to avoid the film. BTW, it was decided to view this before revisiting the OG Poltergeist the previous night.

The Freeling family in 1982 were effortlessly charming. They were typical and the parents smoking pot was not a big deal, as they must have started during the hippie era of the late 60’s. It was a loving bunch and no one was irritating. The Bowen family here, in contrast… the very first scene was them in their minivan, driving to their new, shabby home that was a downsize purchase because dad lost his job.

Immediately, they were proven to be abrasive, annoying people who were created as such by both the typical bad modern “writing” we unfortunately have received in recent years and modern “humor.” I was appalled to hear the parents bemoan their own children late in the first act. I’m supposed to enjoy them like I did Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams in the 1982 movie because…? It did not take long for me to be fed up with them.

If that wasn’t bad enough, compounding the problem is that all the scares echoing the original are pale imitations, and the original scares are also pathetic unless you feel that jump scares are the piece de resistance of the genre. The usage of electricity as one of the physical manifestations of these spirits didn’t do much for the story, either—except to make me guffaw at imaging this as the ultimate horror for the Amish!

You know, I don’t know of too many horror films involving that sect of people (or knock-offs) aside from Deadly Blessing; speculating about films involving the Amish and electricity would have been a better usage of my time than focusing on a pathetic pastiche of a movie that proved to be awful if it was needlessly updated for “modern audiences.”

Not even the most highly-regarded members of the cast-Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris-could do much to save this disaster. There’s no further need to dwell on a film that likely will disgust those that love the 1982 original.