Black Sunday (1961) Italy
A witch is burned at the stake wearing an awfully painful looking mask and then returns a hundred years
later to exact revenge. The witch is now a vampire and with her servant bid the devils wishes and takes
the form of a princess who happens to resemble her. This film was the first and best of Italian maestro
Mario Bava and with his excellent cinematography and hauntingly shot in black and white, Black Sunday
was both a cult and critical hit. The film was subsequently retitled a number of times for the international
market and was picked up by the American International Picture Company (AIP) who botched it slightly
with some revisions but more or less left a brilliant film. An outstanding first film from one of the great
Italian horror masters who would deliver a number of other horror classics.
Carnival of Souls (1962) US
A Church organist survives a car crash and finds herself followed from Kansas to Utah by a pale faced
stranger. The woman has a hard time relating to people around her and is strangely drawn to a crumbling
pavilion. The film is both haunting and influential, being a low budget shot by an amateur director make
it even more of a horror treasure. Although it was lost in obscurity it has found a whole new audience with
showings at art house festivals and video. A unique and really creepy movie that is best known as an
inspiration for Night of The Living Dead. One wonders what other great creepy movie await a new
audience….
I recently purchased a copy of this wonderful movie for $5. It is such a great film that I must require
each of you to watch it before you go any further.
Conqueror Worm, The (1968)
Vincent Price turns in a wonderful performance as a real life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins. His
accusations would terrorize and bring fear to the citizens of 17th century Puritan England. As the witch
hunter, Hopkins knows what he is doing is wrong but feels his evil and greed are serving a higher
purpose. This was the last film of Michael Reeves and in it he contrasts the beautiful scenery of rural
England with the bloody violence of the very religious inhabitants. AIP retitled the film and tried to
market it under it series of Edgar Allen Poe stories. You know they can never leave a wonderful movie
alone, lord knows what they would have done with Psycho.
Day of the Triffids, The (1963)
As absurd a title as it is this is a classic shocker that carried over from the alien/communist craze of the
fifties. The whole planet is left blind after a comet flies by Earth. In its wake is the blinded population left
to fend for themselves with all sorts of serious implications. An accident victim who was bandaged in the
eyes has his vision and discovers a shocking aftereffect of the comet, spores that create a creeping plant
monster. The plants seem intelligent and he eventually finds a small group of survivors and holes up in a
house. As they try to cope with the recent events the plants converge upon the villa, with only an
electrified fence keeping it at bay. How long will the fence hold up? Will they have enough power?
What sounds like an absurd Saturday matinee is actually a well made movie adapted from the novel by
John Wyndham. I guess a little weed killer might be on store……
House of Usher (1960) aka The Fall of The House of Usher
This was the first of a cycle of adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories by Roger Corman. Vincent Price
plays Roderick Usher, the lord of a crumbling manor who wishes to hold his family together just as long
as he can. His younger sister lives with him and tensions arise when her fiancee appears. The house
literally falls apart around them as the strong wills of Usher and the fiancee clash. As with many of his
later Poe adaptations, Corman would make good use of available sets and shoot great films with such skill
and carefully rework a lot of footage in his later films. Vincent Price is his usual excellent self, even when
he is off camera. Good photography, score and the venerable Price make it a worthwhile feature.
Kwaidan (1964) Japan
With a title translated as "Ghost Story" this Japanese production made use of traditional folk tales to spin
visions of terror and fear. Kwaidan presents four tales featuring a samurai, a minstrel, a runaway husband
and a traveler. Each film gives a great feel of the supernatural and makes great use of atmosphere and
setting to bring the viewer a genuine feeling tale of terror and shock. Although a flop in Japan the movie
would later attain cult and critical success outside of Asia. In its American release they left one story out
to cut down on time as this is a long movie, pity that they cut a movie that is such a masterpiece of horror.
Thanks to the Cannes film festival we can admire this film in its glory.
Little Shop of Horrors, The (1960)
Gotta love those low budget Roger Corman movies and Little Shop is a prime example of what it takes to
make a great movie for such little money. Filmed in a surprising 2 days, this movie is a simple boy
meets girl, boy meets killer plant story. Seymour is a lonely orphan living in skid row, he works
in a flower shop and has a unique hobby in plant hybrids. The result is a Venus flytrap like plant he
names Audrey II, after the pretty girl he works with. Well it seems Audrey II has a craving for blood, and
when Seymour can’t provide enough of his own blood he goes out and commits some klutzy murders to
feed Audrey II. To help move the story along we see a slew of kooky characters including a flower eater
and a young Jack Nicholson as the masochistic dental patient Wilbur Force. The success of this low
budget cult hit would lead to a successful stage show and ultimately a 1986 movie which featured Rick
Moranis and Ellen Green as Audrey. All versions are very well made yet kudos go to the original for the
sheer originality and great production values. Feed me Seymour!
Masque of the Red Death, The (1964)
Roger Coman best known for cheap and quickie movies used his influence to put out a number of well made stories based on Edgar Allen Poe tales. Vincent Price stars in this one as the evil Prospero, an Italian prince who worships the devil. With the towns people dying of the "red death", the king seals himself and his folowers in the castle and ride out the plaque. While thousands die outsdie, a lavish masquearde is held complete with music and costume. Prospero notices an odd charcghter and when confronted the red stranger reveals a most frightening form as his followers fall to the deadly plaque. Roger Corman made good use of the standing set from Beckett to produce this film in a mere six weeks. The productions values are top notch and acting is quite good for its budget, espicailly Price. As with many of his Poe production this film actually combines a number of Poe stories (Hop Frog, Red Death) and with this film Corman would deliver his best of the Edgar Allen Poe series. Acting nods
to Hazel Court who almost upstages Price. A recommended delight!
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Horror Fans of the sixties had some pretty great horror movies from the likes of AIP, Hammer and
Hitchcock. Yet what if a movie could be made using very little money, no name stars, simple sets and a
daring set of producers who wish to make a really creepy movie. Shot entirely on location in Pennsylvania
a young Director by the name of George Romero would forever change the name of horror. Night of The
Living Dead starts out with a brother and sister visiting a grave of their mother. Both seem preoccupied
with other matters and we get some great teasing from the brother to his sister. Just then they are attacked
by a stranger who seems to be in a dazed state. Barbara soon runs away and heads to a lonely farm house.
Here she meets Ben and a small group of stragglers. No one is aware of what is occurring and there is a
lot of confusion at hand. Ben takes command and has everyone board up the house, yet he has friction
with the family man who is more concerned with saving his own hide. That night is filled with every
imaginable horror, many die ands there is very much gore and such not seen out of a HG Lewis movie.
The climatic finale is both intense and disheartening, yet that’s life! Never in the annals of movie history
has one movie made such an impact on the horror scene, not really released in o the mainstream Night of
the Living Dead existed on the art house and cult movie circuit until it was discovered and put into major
release. Even to this day it still remains one of the best and scariest movies ever made. Followed multiple
sequels, countless Italian copycats and whole generation of remakes. This is the quintessential zombie
movie and we are quite pleased to have had the pleasure.
Onibaba (1965) Japan aka Devil Women
Like the engaging Kwaidan, Onibaba is a Japanese period piece that uses eerie scenery to spin a creepy tales of terror. It seems that there is a terrible thing happening to deserting samurai warriors. The coward samurais yield a bounty for a pair of women who sell the armor for profit, while they dump their bodies in a nearby pit. Yet when the young woman falls for one of the intended victims her mother in law devises a scheme to scare the young man away. She takes a demon mask from one of the dead soldiers and puts it on, however the plan horribly backfires and the mask is permanently attached to the woman. The attempt to smash the mask reveals the real terror underneath….. Onibaba is an engaging and well made film that uses good imagery and eerie plot to spin a tale of sinister dealing and the price one pays for their evil deeds. The marshy plains, overgrown weeds and sharp moonlit evenings lend heavily to the well staged ambushes by the two women which are filmed with absolute mastery. Well worth the trouble in locating this obscure Japanese chiller.
Its a shame we don't see too many of these foreign films at Blockbuster.
Pit and the Pendulum, The (1961)
Vincent Price plays a Spanish lord who is visited by his brother in law and told of his sisters death. The
sister is actually alive and schemes with her lover to drive her brother mad. Well Price has the upper hand
and makes good use of the torture devices built by his father who was an inquisitor during the Spanish
Inquisition. All three actors seem out of water as Price is somewhat hooky, John Kerr very wooden and
Barabara Steele is underused. What save the film is Corman excellent use of creative sets, great
photography and some decent special effects that make the film look more expensive then it was.
Kudos go to the title scene, gotta love that swinging blade and Prices sinister taunting.
Repulsion (1965)
This was the first English language film by Roman Polanski and it would be a memorable one at that. The
story is a unique and powerful tale of isolation and intense sexual repression. A woman is left alone in her
flat and the paranoia that develops leads to massive delusions and psychotic tendencies. Her
hallucinations are marked with paranoid fantasies that lead her to homicidal tendencies. When she is
visited by friends her fear transpires into actions that are quite shocking. She is met by her boyfriend and
landlord and both fall to her paranoid delusions. When her sister returns she is found catatonic, the flat a
mess and laying next to her two victims. Repulsion is a cinematic triumph for director Roman Polanski,
the movie is stylish and creative in its portrayal of a maddening paranoia. The result is one of shock and
utter terror. Considered by many to be the best psychological terror film next to Psycho. A must see for
those who demand quality terror!
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
What price is someone willing to pay for fame and glory in the film industry. Well it seems that Guy is
willing to give up the soul of his first born. A young and pre-Woody Mia Farrow plays a lovely housewife
who finds her hubby hanging around a spooky collection of people who are awaiting her baby’s arrival.
Rosemary does a little research and is shocked to discover that her child is to be the anti-Christ. Gimmick
filmmaker William Castle produced this film which was based on the novel by Ira Levin and directed by
Roman Polanski. In the course of the film we watch Rosemary’s delight turn into utter shock as her child
is taken from her and told it has died. Strangely her maternal bond leads her to the coven of followers and
it is here her worst nightmare is made even more unimaginable. Her child is alive and has the eyes of his
father, Satan that is. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for her role as on of the coven. A classic that predates the
more gore infested Omen and Exorcist in the demonic possession genre.
Targets (1968)
Peter Bogdanovich would make his directorial debut in a film that would wonderfully blend old world
horror with that of the modern horror. Boris Karloff plays an aging horror star who is disgusted with the
way horror has changed and how the real world seems even scarier. At the same time a young man goes
on a crazy shooting spree, he is indeed the very real monster that Karloff fears. The climax has the mad
killer shooting up the premiere of Karloff’s last film. Peter Bogdanovich delivers what may be his best
film and creates a masterfully suspenseful film that carries a strong anti-gun message while giving Boris
Karloff and excellent send off. Karloff is both heartbreaking and quite funny in his portrayal of an aging
horror star of the golden age. The parallels to Charles Whitman with the killer seem all too real in a
movie that speaks out on the real terror that await us in a world with sicko nut cases running free and
loose.
Village of the Damned (1960)
Excellent adaptation of John Wyndham novel The Midwich Cuckoos. One night a whole English town is left unconscious for 12 hours, shortly afterward it is discovered that a large number of women are pregnant. When the time comes all women give birth at about the same time to blonde, emotionless children. They are raised as normal children but they soon display superior intelligence and telekinetic powers. Who knows what evil plans lurk in their twisted little blonde heads??? Very sharp, engaging and eerie thriller which proves that little blonde children should not play together, followed by the equally engaging Children of The Damned.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)
One wonders what become of those child stars of the early days of cinema, yet with today’s tales child
stars gone bad this film seems so much more in touch. Betty Davis and Joan Crawford appear very much
against type in a film that would forever change our view of these two cinema queens. Baby Jane was a
darling child star who delighted many fans with her cute looks and wonderful singing voice, yet in her
home life we saw a spoiled brat who deserved no attention. Her sister was the real star, an early screen
queen who played a few memorable roles until a horrible accident crippled her for life. The two sisters live
together and both seem sardonic about the mistakes of the past. Jane cares for Blanche but her grasp on
reality seems to fade as she commits cruel acts of terror on her sister. It is then learned that Blanche plans
on putting Jane into an institution, yet Jane is wise on this and plots to torture her sister. The results are
quite shocking and intense. Jane has really fallen off the deep end and seems obsessed with making a
comeback as Baby Jane…..Go figure! Her rapid fall into delusion would lead to her committing a number
of brutal acts, then we are told the truth of the accident by Blanche and we the audience are set back in our
sympathy for Blanche. The intense jealousy of Jane ultimately leading to her final act of murder. Although
the movie at times seems cliché it still maintain a air of terror and wild paranoia. From its graphic scenes
of physical abuse to its strange finale, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane takes its audience down a creepy
road of fear and revelation into a world where Hollywood success can drive one to complete insanity. A
must see.