The Pit and the Pendulum (The Roger Corman Version)

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Vincent Price, John Kerr, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone, Barbara Steele

From: AIP 

Even more so than viewing an Edgar Allan Poe story in October, or a movie made by Roger Corman, or Barbara Steele's presence, Vincent Price is a must this time of year. I knew selecting this was the right choice in the opening minutes... this begins with multicolored gel on the screen, then a creepy score-Les Baxter, who I predominately know for his contributions to the awesome exotica musical genre-then an awesome matte painting as our lead Francis Barnard visits a castle, which of course features exactly the sort of Gothic interior you'd desire for such a chilling tale.

Many know how Mr. Barnard visits the castle upon news that his sister Elizabeth has passed away, or how this is set during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, which no one ever expects... there's ghosts, a torture chamber, cobwebs, and other details that permeated the walls of the castle, the “miasma of barbarity” that was the atmosphere. There's also flashbacks tinted various colors, which show the misfortune that befell on the life of Price's character, Nicholas. 

This isn't the initial time I've thought it a mistake that not all of Corman's Poe Cycle films have been viewed, but the thought has never been stronger in my mind than now. Of course, Price was awesome as the tragic figure yet the rest of the cast also delivered... Steele, John Kerr, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone. There's the great sets and the direction, but it's the Richard Matheson plot (which has little to do w/ the original Poe tale, aside from the titular pendulum) which made this a ghastly delight, the sort of atmospheric horror movie I wish was around today.

 

West of Zanzibar

West of Zanzibar (1928)

Runtime: 65 minutes

Directed by: Tod Browning

Starring: Lon Chaney, Sr., Mary Nolan, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, Tiny Ward

From: MGM

I was glad to have some silent horror to talk about this month, along w/ a film from Lon Chaney, Sr., directed by Tod Browning. This belongs in the category of late silents that featured a score alongside various sound effects (including laughter + applause) but there are still intertitles displaying all the dialogue. 

What an opening act this has. Chaney is a magician who is paralyzed from the waist-down after a dispute with the dude (Lionel Barrymore!) who steals his wife. They flee, but a year later she returns w/ baby... she dies in a church and father/daughter head on over to what is now the country of Tanzania; after a time-jump of 18 years, he rules the “superstitious natives” via his magic tricks.

This is all in the first 10 minutes. To address the elephant in the room, the depiction of Black people is as dated for a 98 year old film as you'd expect. Alas... Lionel Barrymore is now an ivory trader (wild if you only know him as the evil SOB Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. If you want a mind-trip, view Barrymore in Browning's The Devil-Doll. He spends long stretches dressed as an old woman!) while Warner Baxter is Chaney's personal doctor who loves the booze.

What a sordid tale this is, a heated story set in the jungles which involves revenge, prostitution, other taboos, and a tale where Chaney is the true villain of the piece with his behavior. I mean, he truly played the long game with his plan. This was remade a few years later as Kongo; now, that apparently was a really wild Pre-Code effort, with a lead character that was far more vile than what Lon, Sr. presented here.

I dare not reveal more except that a key moment involved a human skeleton. Apropos, given that just a few hours ago when I was on the road, I viewed a first... a random dude in an old Volkswagen Jetta had a human skeleton in his passenger seat! Was he doing it as an HOV scam?

Corpse Bride

Yes, I've finally watched this movie: 

Hopscotch!

This isn't the only request I've had to see a film this Spooky Season (hopefully I'll get to them all) but I chose this first. Everyone will be FLABBERGASTED I hadn't viewed this before... not just for it having over 2 million ratings on Letterboxd, but that I dig The Nightmare Before Christmas. Of course, Tim Burton moving on from just producing Christmas to co-directing Bride & including all his muses (Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny Elfman) meant that this was mainly what I was expecting—compliment.

A plot synopsis surely isn't needed; thus, I'll mention that having romance at the forefront was the most obvious change from Christmas. It was easy to feel sympathy for both Victor Van Dort (at the rest of offending some randos on Letterboxd, resembling Timothee Chalamet!) and Victoria Everglot; they were likable while both having awful parents in a monochromatic Victorian England who are forced to be in an arranged marriage. Emily the titular corpse bride is also a character you like. The colorful Land of the Dead is much more appealing, not just because it's literally more colorful. The undead are much livelier than the drab jerks “upstairs.”

As expected from Laika animation, the stop-motion was stunning; also unsurprising was the quality voice cast and catchy songs the audience sometimes hears. Like w/ Christmas, Bride is a ghoulish, macabre delight, featuring mild yet funnily morbid humor. Even the supporting characters were a hoot; my favorite was the maggot who was a homage to Peter Lorre. Thankfully, this charming romantic musical comedy film was a swell recommendation, although it was still something I should have watched many years ago.

 

The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark (Gueules Noires) (2023)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Mathieu Turi

Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Amir El Kacem, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Thomas Soliveres, Diego Martin

From: MANY different French companies

Why not watch a French creature feature set in 1956 at a mine? I noticed it on Prime awhile back but reading a positive review on a Discord server was enough a push for me to check this out.

A Moroccan named Amir is recruited in his home country to work at a mine in France... unbeknownst to him, the most dangerous mine in the country. If the profession, the prejudice, and a scientist's demands to dig dangerously deep weren't bad enough, they discover a creature. Parts of My Bloody Valentine are set in a mine-so is The Boogens-but it was a thrill for a horror pic where the crux of the action is set in subterranean areas featuring a crew of miners. As people presumably more knowledgeable than me about the topic have proclaimed, expect Lovecraftian horror.

After the prologue-set in 1856-it is a long while before any part of the creature is seen again. That was fine under these circumstances; time is spent getting to know Amir, establish the mining setting, meet his fellow miners, show the camaraderie with them, and show that the lead miner (Roland) is an authoritative but fair boss. Once the big bad is shown in full... it is an impressive, distinctive-looking creature, and the effects were practical instead of CG. This is when it becomes exciting, them running away or attempting to avoid detection. For those that enjoy gory, gross moments, this has a few of those.

As I always belly-ache about with the movies I don't like-especially those made in the 21st century-it's the plot and characters which make it or break it for me. Thank heavens that The Deep Dark had a fine story w/ characters I did care about... even the ending I felt was magnifique for the story they were telling. The movie is not a must-see but IMO it's better than the majority of the “modern popular horror” of recent years that just don't work for me.

I'll Post Multiple Reviews on Saturday

Before Sunday hits, I'll be caught up... promise.

Rude Awakening

It's been a few weeks but I'm reviewing an episode of an old British TV show... Hammer's House of Horrors, to be exact: 

I finally saw an episode of the 1980 British TV anthology show Hammer House of Horrors. I had a choice of 13 to choose from; this was selected as it seemed light in tone & I was curious about Denholm Elliott attempting to romance his much-younger secretary Lucy Gutteridge, i.e. the leading girl from Top Secret!

Note that Elliott is a dirty old man who is already married. His wife refuses to divorce him, so he's in a real pickle. This episode's gimmick is that Denholm is a real estate agent who has Gutteridge as a secretary, and he's in a surreal world where he-along w/ the viewer-isn't sure what's real and what's a dream as he is told about an old manor & he does disembodied voices, including one proclaiming, “You shouldn't have killed your wife!” British TV is different from its American counterpart; Elliott referred to his wife as a “bitch”... twice!

Also, the secretary Lolly looks completely different each time she appears; this adds to the surreal nature of the episode, along with such subtle details as camera angles/placement. Props to Peter Sasdy-director of such films as Taste the Blood of Dracula and The Stone Tape. This episode was fun, a macabre delight as Ol' Denholm is in a nightmare, bad things constantly happening to him. Elliott was magnetic as the lead, but I thought Gutteridge nailed it out of the park and was swell as Lolly, especially with the different personas she had in the dream(s).

Who knows when I'll see other episodes of the series (or even if I'll mention they were watched on Letterboxd) but I was happy to have seen something from Hammer House of Horrors.

Play Dead

Play Dead (1983)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Peter Wittman

Starring: Yvonne de Carlo, Stephanie Dunnam, Glenn Kezer, David Cuillinane,  Ron Jackson

From: United Construction Company... yes, a construction company!

Watching a film released by TROMA seemed appropriate for this time of year, especially when you didn't know beforehand they originally put it out. I literally laugh out loud each time an unexpected Troma Team Release is encountered.

Not that long ago, part of the ending of this film was seen-which some animal lovers won't like, let me put it that way-on one of Eternal Family's 24/7 streaming channel. I was intrigued, so why not check out regional horror (Texas, in this case) or something in the Old Biddy genre? The older meddlesome lady here is the only name of note in the cast, Yvonne de Carlo. As a real little kid, The Munsters was watched by me so it was a gas to see her here.

Ms. de Carlo was Hester, an old rich lady who uses “black magic” to control her dog Greta, using her a conduit to either kill or frame her remaining family members. Hester gives Greta to her niece Audrey and this is when the deaths start... via such methods as scaring someone into a passing automobile, electrocuting a woman in a bathtub, and even more cockamamie deaths I dare not spoil! This is original, at least.

There could have been more de Carlo, sure, and I understand why some think the pace is way too methodical. However, for my tastes I was always amused by this oddity, made by a United Construction Company-yes, a construction company; that's a first. There's gratuitous T&A, Greta watching Audrey making out or having sex w/ her boyfriend, and a fun detective duo of older man Otis & younger man Richard investigating the deaths who provide various laughs from their rapport, their repartee.

And of course, Greta was a good girl... a very good girl.

Older movies like this that are slow-paced of course won't be for all tastes; it's in fact the sort of regional horror that was released via Vinegar Syndrome. However, I was charmed by this ludicrous plot, by the decent score, by the usage of several smooth jazz library music tracks, by Yvonne de Carlo's gravitas. That Vinegar Syndrome Blu is now out of print; there is a market for such obscurities.

Puppet Master

Puppet Master (1989)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: David Schmoller

Starring: Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Jimmie F. Skaggs, Robin Frates, Matt Foe

From: Full Moon Entertainment

I had never seen any Puppet Master movie until last night! This admission likely won't shock or offend that many, if at all. At least one film from many different horror franchises have been viewed, but not Puppet Master until now. Will a deep-dive happen in the future? No, yet this first installment from Charles Band was fun in a low-budget fashion, featuring a nice old hotel setting and effective effects bringing the puppets to life, including stop-motion.

Master does have a wacky plot—William Hickley animates puppets via “an Egyptian rite” in the 1930's until Nazi scum are after him, so he “unalives himself” but the puppets are hidden in the hotel. A half-century, various psychics get together at this hotel but one's an evil SOB w/ an insidious plot and they use the puppets to start murdering their pals.

You PERHAPS don't want to scrutinize the plot too hard; be that as it may, there are still colorful characters present that make this fun (including Paul Le Mat, who looked remarkably like Val Kilmer in the last years of his life), a bizarre woman who brought along her taxidermist-stuffed dog, an overtly sexual couple-this had nudity & sleaze-and the dolls themselves are quite memorable, brought to life well by the effects. Which one you'll love of course is personal opinion. Learning that Blade was modeled after real-life villain Klaus Kinski... that was hysterical.

Puppet Master was fun B-horror; the criticisms that there should have been more puppet action is understandable (evidently this was fixed in the sequels, including the next installment)-so is the desire for Barbara Crampton's role to be more than just a cameo-but there's no regrets in finally watching a movie from this long-running franchise.

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth (El Labertino del Fauno) (2006)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Ariadna Gil, Doug Jones

From: Several different Mexican and Spanish companies 

I don't have to ask... everyone will be APPALLED that Pan's Labyrinth had never been watched by me until Thursday night. “Checking out a 20th anniversary screening theatrically (the 2D version instead of 3D)” was the best way to have that first experience, at least. Unlike what's happened on a few occasions in 2026, there won't be any uproar over my review—Pan's was a very good time.

Through cultural osmosis I knew the basic plot plus the faun and the Pale Man. The presumption is that most have seen this already so a plot synopsis won't be necessary. I was a little surprised that more time was spent in 1944 fascist Spain than in a fantasy world... but that's not a demerit when it worked for the plot and the true villains were led by the truly vile Capitain Vidal, undoubtedly one of the most terrifying bad guys I'll see this month.

It was easy to feel sympathy for 10-year-old Ofelia & her pregnant mom as they are forced to live with such a brute. No wonder she becomes enchanted upon hearing from a faun that she's a princess in a mythical world, a world waiting for her return. That faun and the Pale Man were unforgettable creatures-as always, masterfully brought to life by Doug Jones. It was easy to root for Ofelia due to the obstacles placed in front of her and the performance of child actor Ivana Baquero; it was incredibly easy to root for the revolutionaries, particularly (spoiler) Mercedes, the housekeeper.

The effects were swell, effectively bringing that fantasy world to life; furthermore, the rural mansion in the woods with a great stone labyrinth were an evocative setting. This world was one I was happy to have finally visited.

 

The Foreigner (Unfortunately, the Steven Seagal Movie!)

The Foreigner (2003)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Michael Oblowitz

Starring: Steven Seagal, Harry Van Gorkum, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna-Louise Plowman, Max Ryan

From: Tri-Star/Franchise Pictures

Why did Netflix add THIS to their platform?

Besides mentioning that no review was posted yesterday-I was busy, including a theatrical viewing of a movie that will be reviewed tomorrow afternoon-the reason why I am subscribed to Netflix again... technically, there was a two month pause. A few days ago, there was a “Oh yeah, the pause is over, the service better be used again by me.”

The Foreigner not only served as a respite for all the horror films viewed in October, there's been a desire for years to view a truly terrible Steven Seagal film from his DTV era, mainly out of morbid curiosity. Foreigner featured many (though not all; I didn't hear anyone attempting to dub his dialogue because Seagal couldn't be arsed to do ADR) of the hallmarks emblematic of this era: dreary European locations, a portly Seagal too lazy to show off his Aikido martial arts, and a convoluted plot. That last point was the Achilles heel of The Foreigner.

This is not like The Big Sleep in having a complex story, or the work of an auteur, a virtuoso presenting a detailed, layered story involving thought-provoking characters that result in film scholars admiring the picture as if they were a sommelier appreciating a stellar Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rather, the film does not present its tale in the most cogent fashion. The main plot throughline, the viewer can comprehend... Seagal's JONATHAN COLD is a badass who used to be “an operative” who now freelances, including delivering a package. He's more than a simple courier... the viewer eventually learns the contents of the package, and why many wish to have it for themselves. However, this is full of incident, of too many characters, of dialogue that's boilerplate to this sort of picture, of poor storytelling that makes this too much of a headache for most people.

The Foreigner at least filmed in luxurious mansions, featured a few hilarious early 2000's moments-including the period techno soundtrack-a helpful explanation to everyone what asphyxiation is (?!) and used real squibs. Otherwise, this nonsense stinks. Seagal-as typical-sports his typical “constipated” face, which also described his performance! Aside from some unintentionally hilarious moments, the film isn't even all that exciting. Most people shouldn't even bother w/ this crap. There's also a sequel (!!), 2005's Black Dawn; I won't be bothering w/ continuing the adventures of Jonathan Cold.

Climax

Climax (2018)

Runtime: 97 excruciating minutes

Directed by: Gaspar Noe

Starring: Sofia Boutella & a bunch of randos

From: An absurd number of different companies

My first Gaspar Noe film... and my last!

I know everyone will be APPALLED by this admission, but the only reason why I even gave this movie a chance... late Monday night, there was discussion between several people in the comments of my review for Resident Evil (the new one), of all things. It concerned the need for likable protagonists-it's not always necessary, of course-and this movie was specifically mentioned. There are reasons why I avoid certain antagonistic European directors, but more on that later. Irreversible alone was good enough to avoid—at the same time, perhaps people would prefer I at least give directors a shot instead of blindly rejecting them... had I had known this was full of edgelord material (including moments of self-harm. There's a word of warning for those that would be triggered), no way this would have been streamed whatsoever.

I knew there was trouble right away... no, not at seeing A24's logo! Rather, it was realizing that they were showing what seemed to be the film's ending them started playing the END credits in reverse... only to stop then show what felt like an hour where we get intros to the numerous characters, which are modern dancers that I soon learned do preposterous modern dances. Then, it was seeing the modern pretentious trend of the movie presenting chapter titles on screen. Then, we hear pretentious prattle about random things, and I couldn't have cared any less! Oh, and we get the opening credits 45 minutes in; how rebellious... rolls eyes incredibly hard.

You can imagine my thrill at seeing a whole slew of characters you either couldn't possibly care about or were utterly detestable (some just loved saying the most vulgar comments concerning women & sex) even before they drink sangria spiked with drugs act once they are high on drugs, but not before a dance segment that felt like it was 5 hours long! Note that the kid I'll call “French Jonathan Lipnicki” is exempt from this criticism! I didn't give a damn how most of this was improv or the long takes or the camera placement/angles (most of which were “try hard” anyhow) when the movie is full of repugnant behavior.

Heck, a pregnant woman is kicked in the stomach then she HITS HERSELF in the stomach, and evidently-judging by a mutual's review-this is a Gaspar Noe director trademark! If I wasn't worried about people really hating me, I'd proclaim how much I despise Gaspar Noe as a human being given this film, Irreversible, and things I've heard about his work. I was reminded why there are good reasons why I've avoided such things as movies from directors that force their actors to act all monotone, or directors like Noe, von Trier, and Haneke. The virulently strong negative reaction I had to Climax is why I was right w/ my instincts concerning Noe as a massive edgelord.

Letterboxd members won't like that certain directors now most assuredly won't be given a chance (even if they've been recommended in the past or in the future) but honestly, my logic is... I hope my life will be a long one, but you never know. There's still way too many movies likely to be rated as “good” or better in my eyes that haven't been viewed yet; sometimes it feels like a real waste of time checking out aggravating cinema such as Climax. Perhaps it's better that I don't give some a chance rather than giving them a chance and some getting mad that my negative opinion is an outlier.

God Bless everyone who is a fan of Gaspar Noe; no shame there. He's just one of many 21st century directors & films whose popularity utterly eludes me. Hopefully it's a long while before I violently reject a movie like this; my rating would have been the lowest possible if not for.... some great songs on the soundtrack, no lie.

 

The Brain That Wouldn't Die

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Joseph Green

Starring: Jason Evers, Virginia Leith, Anthony La Penna, Adele Lamont, Bonnie Sharrie

From: AIP

I've known of Virginia Leath's disembodied head on the table for years; about time I finally saw The Brain That Wouldn't Die.

We open with a pair of doctors arguing with each other over a patient dying on the operating table. A few minutes later, we discover they are father & son! The son (Bill) is possessed w/ the desire to reanimate the dead & keeping body parts alive. Wouldn't you know it, he is in a convertible with his fiancee Jan and a lethal crash occurs... well, he saves Jan's decapitated head and revives it on a table. Jan is NOT happy with this arrangement and wishes for her brain to die, but Bill refuses. That is utterly horrifying.

Despite the multiple voices of reason, Bill's quest to find a new body won't be reasoned with. If the viewer didn't already loathe Bill, he not only visits “seedy joints”-one of which has an amazing painting on the wall of clothed dogs sitting upright on chairs drinking beer!-and constantly leers at young ladies to find the right bod, Bill also has a “failed experiment” literally locked in a room, portrayed by giant actor Eddie Carmel.

Of course the movie's outlandish, but in this ghoulish tale, it does comment on the autonomy of a woman-going against his love's desire to die-and other creepy plot points that unfortunately are still relevant in 2026. It's mostly competent in a B-movie fashion while attempting to explain how the mad doctor could medically succeed, while uttering dialogue sometimes more thoughtful than expected, while a jazzy score plays throughout.

Leith was quite sympathetic, and delivered a pretty good performance while we mostly only saw her cranium. The Brain That Wouldn't Die was bloodier, more graphic, and yes, sleazier than expected. Don't let its MST3K status make you automatically think the movie's utter tripe.

 

Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty

Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty (2025)

Runtime: 77 minutes

Directed by: Dutch Marich

Starring: Suziey Block, David Morales, Laurie Felix Bass, the voice of John Davis Walker

From: Luminol Entertainment

I still enjoy these movies. 4 is still like 2 and 3 in only presenting more lore and only minimally advancing an explanation as to the origin or further details on those weirdos are that are living in the rural desert of Northeastern Nevada... implied to be supernatural in nature.

There's even fewer characters than typical; Gal Roberts & Bill Salerno return but otherwise, it's just an older woman named Dolly (introduced in the last installment) who discusses the contents of a box. It's like the TARDIS in the amount of items it holds... it's all the records compiled by her late father Beau concerning the spooky events on the family's ranch, known as Majesty. This was from decades past, meaning notes on a typewriter, faux film footage-which didn't quite look the part-along w/ VHS footage, which was filmed on a SWEET RCA camcorder, so that did look the part.

The presentation is slicker, more polished than in the first three; this and and increased focus on the found footage are the only major differences... along w/ Beau not appearing on camera, just the footage from his POV. Otherwise, the scares are the same. It's the anticipation of seeing or hearing something in the dark... something subtle suddenly moving far away, a twig snapping, steps on gravel. With the VHS footage and its naturally blurry nature, that only increases the anticipation-the viewer is unsure if it's just the low-quality footage or something is moving.

Those that have seen & liked the first three should hopefully like it too—I did. Evidently, there will be a 5th and final installment in the Horror in the High Desert franchise, titled Mantis-no, not after the Guardians of the Galaxy character but rather it's the name of a mining company shown to be nefarious. Other reviewers have expressed concern that not all the plot points from the first four will be resolved before this story is wrapped. Understandable, but I'll be optimistic that creator Dutch Marich won't let everyone down.

No matter the outcome, these simple stories made on a low budget centered on people in isolated locations far from humanity discovering there's something mysterious but it's probably otherworldly... those scares are effective. From hearsay & what I've viewed with my own eyes, many found footage horror pictures aren't nearly as effective in delivering such scares. The format won't be for everyone—thankfully it is for me. No word on when the 5th installment will be released.

Exorcist II: The Heretic, Revisited

“It was horrible... utterly horrible. And fascinating.”

- Father Lamont (Richard Burton) describing a sight he saw, not describing Exorcist II: The Heretic... although it also fits!

I've reviewed this film before, and have now willingly seen it a few times in my life. While this should be Exhibit A in the dangers (right or wrong) of making a sequel to a beloved film that is far different from the original, it's always a movie that I found weird & fascinating, full of bizarre 70's touches. Locusts are a key plot point, them directly tied to evil. Psychiatrist Louise Fletcher has an institute full of glass walls that can be made opaque via lighting... a “synchronizer” that links two minds together via tones and flashing lights... Regan tap dances for a stage show... there's talk of humanity reaching a stage of collective consciousness in the future... Regan now has supernatural healing powers & seemingly cures Dana Plato of autism by making her speak...

It's all so wacky; no wonder audiences that made the first film a gigantic hit were all “WTF?” when this released in June of 1977. The numerous production problems for what was an expensive (for the time) production did not help-Boorman and several others falling seriously ill, constant script changes, etc.-were issues but a movie that wasn't as frightening as the first & was far more metaphysical, of course even back then many would want “more of the same” instead. Hiring a director who didn't even like the original movie and admitted he wasn't that concerned with satisfying the audience-again, no wonder.

The Heretic is now a difficult movie for me to rate; the story is an absolute mess and you shouldn't scrutinize it too hard. Yet, I've always been bemused by how strange it is. Father Lamont's trip to Ethiopia to talk to Kokumo-someone that survived possession by Pazuzu-was a serious subplot yet the advice sort of seemed, “That's it?” It's a shame the plot is so scattershot and doesn't coalesce (IMO) as some ingredients make sense... Father Lamont is someone else struggling w/ his faith-and knew Father Merrin-Regan still has the demon inside him, her caretaker Sharon (Kitty Winn) is damaged from the experience, etc.

Plenty of talent is in front and behind the camera. Morricone-delivering a rather bold score that naturally will be polarizing-Dick Smith, Albert J. Whitlock, and steadicam inventor Garrett Brown were all involved-those contributions were appreciated by me. In this day and age, all the practical sets and matte paintings created were cool. The Heretic isn't as enjoyable as Zardoz nor is it as good as Exorcist III by any regard... yet it is FAR better than a bizarre boondoggle like Megalopolis and is also FAR better than The Exorcist: Believer. Believer's “original” ideas is to have TWO young girls become possessed & presenting awful militant Christians.

I also haven't viewed the trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs; evidently, it looks like the first season of True Detective... I haven't viewed a second of ANY True Detective show! Regardless, I hope Martyrs isn't bad. Many aren't like me in having such peculiar tastes (including enjoying many things 1970's) so you might not enjoy this wacky film that even I can admit is tremendously flawed. At least The Exorcist III is a sequel that has a strong reputation & despite its own production woes, many do like or love the second sequel.

Boorman and the Devil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She Killed in Ecstasy

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

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Jesus Franco

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

From: A few different Spanish & German companies 

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

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

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

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

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

I'm Dangerous Tonight

I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

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

From: Several different companies 

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

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

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

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

 

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

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

Runtime: 126 minutes

Directed by: Norman Jewison

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

From: The Mirisch Company

RIP Eva Marie Saint

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

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

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

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

Ninja Scroll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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