By Mark Mawston
With Halloween fast approaching I thought I
might recommend some films that seem to have found themselves, bar one or two,
languishing in DVD dungeons like forgotten prisoners.
There are many recognized classics of the
genre from The Omen and The Exorcist to The Haunting, as well as the Universal
classics such as Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy but some of what I humbly
call classics seldom, if ever, get a chance to shine. To try and set this
straight before the witching hour strikes, I like to recommend a few films, 13
to be precise, that you may have missed or could perhaps re visit during this
spookiest time of year.
13) Night Of The Eagle:
This superb British Witchcraft tale (known
under the more lurid title Burn Witch Burn in the U.S.) is a minor monsterpiece.
Starring Jason King himself Peter Wyngard it shows the consequences of marrying a witch in a way
that Darren and Samantha never had to deal with on Bewitched. Taking its subject matter very seriously, this
is a superbly acted little film with a, quite literally, killer climax. A Stone
Cold Classic you could say.
12) Night Of The Demon.
This genre classic would make a superb
“Night†time double bill with its predecessor in this list. Based on the short
story Casting Of The Runes by M.R. James (and known as Curse Of The Demon In
The States) this is a terrifying film whose dark atmosphere is backed up by superb
and believable performances and a classic storyline. Dana Andrews was never
better but the star of the show is Niall MacGinnis as Dr. Julian Karswell who
can switch from children’s entertainer to demon conjurer quicker than the extinguishing
of a flickering candle flame. The chase through the forest by the unseen demon
is a masterpiece of subtly which is disregarded in the climax for the full on
view of the film’s title creature. Many say this spoils the Val Lewtonesque
feel of the film but I rather like it.
11) The Devil Rides Out:
Quite simply one of the best Hammer films
ever made, with Christopher Lee acting against type, very successfully, as the
hero rather than the monster. Based on the novel by Dennis Wheatly and brought
to the screen by the superb Richard Matheson, this is Hammer firing on all four
cylinders and has some of the most memorable set pieces of the studio’s superb
output. Future Blofeld Charles Gray is excellent as Macata. One of Terence
Fishers best, a director who was to Hammer what Terence Young was to the Bond
films.
10) The Wicker Man:
One of the key films to watch over the
period is Robin Hardy’s cult classic about a cult. Is it a musical? Is it a
horror film? Is it really a classic? Well it’s a simple yes to all of them.
When I talked to producer Michael Deeley
about this he still seemed a bit bemused about this film’s well documented past
and pointed out that the only way it could be released at the time was for it
to be trimmed and released as a double bill. Many films have had that happen over the years
(Ray Harryhausen’s Valley Of Gwangi coupled with Marianne Faithfull in Girl on
a Motorcycle (a.k.a Naked Under Leather ) but few films who’s trims ended up as
motorway landfill have such a following. The ending is still up there with that
of Planet of the Apes for those who have yet to see it. Unlike The Sixth Sense,
I had no idea of the “twist†until the shocking climax. It remains a unique
cinematic experience. The soundtrack by Paul Giovanni is as unforgettable as
the naked dance of Britt Ekland’s character Willow in the film.
9)
Chinese Ghost Story
This film really has to be seen to be
unbelieved. Its use of wires and superb aerial fights pre dated Crouching Tiger
and CGI- laden epics by nearly a decade. As with all great horror films, at its
centre lies a story of unrequited love. It’s hard not to recommend any film that
has a tree spirit/witch with a 400 foot tongue but it’s Ma Wu as master
swordsman Wu that seals it as a classic for me. His song, which comes across as
a medieval rap, is nothing short of wonderful. Although its main star Joey Wang
sounds like he’s a character out of a Fistful of Yen from John Landis’ Kentucky
Friend Movie, this film had a huge effect on me when I first saw it back in
1987. I believe it boasts as much if not more pathos than Karloff’s portrayal
of the Monster and that’s saying something!
The Vampire Lovers
My favourite adaptation of Carmilla, this
is one of the last great Hammer films and possesses a sultry dreamlike feel
that few of the studio’s other movies have bettered. The female stars were at
their peak (Ingrid Pitt on a roll with this and Countess Dracula) and Maddy Smith
as the personification of an erotic, yet chaste, English rose. With this and
Vampire Circus, Hammer pushed the boundaries and the tight productions have a
value all their own. Peter Cushing is superb in this and the follow up Twins Of
Evil.
7) Blood on Satan’s Claw
One of the key horror films of the 70s
(along with Deathline a.k.a Raw Meat) this, like Witchfinder General (a.k.a. The
Conqueror Worm) was more of an historical nightmare than an out an out horror
film. Both counterbalance the beauty of the autumnal British countryside to the
horror of some of the (lost) souls that occupy it. The opening scene of the un-human
skull with livid eye staring at the viewer after being exposed by the ploughing
of a field was as memorable (and shocking) to my pre- teenage self as the full
frontal nudity of genre sweetheart Linda Hayden as Angel Blake (the name contrasts with her evil deeds). This again is a superbly scored, acted and
directed film crying out for a place amongst the great horror titles by those
ploughing through the Tigon, Amicus and Hammer classics of the 70s over the
Halloween period.
6) Halloween 3: Season of The Witch
Although the first John Carpenter classic
is rightly recognized as one of the greatest horror films of all time, this
third entry as nigh on forgotten by the public and is much maligned by many fans
of the series as a whole. This is mainly because it doesn’t feature the cult
iconic character Michael Myers. Instead we have a stand- alone film, originally
penned by Nigel Kneale of Quatermass fame (who withdrew), that revolves around
a wicked toy and mask maker (a sort of demonic Willy Wonka) called Conal
Cochran (the superbly sinister Dan O’Herlihy) who aims to bring the true wrath
of the aligned planets, via the transmitter that is Stonehenge, to the children
of America on All Hallows Eve. The extremely effective speech Cochran gives to
our hero (genre favourite Tom Atkins) as he’s tied to a chair about to watch it
all on TV is one of the most memorable in horrordom and the Invasion Of The
Body Snatchers-like ending is a shocker. This really is a hugely undervalued
film that is only now starting to get the recognition it deserves. Had it
simply been called Season of The Witch it may have a better standing, although s
it’s still far more original than any of the Halloweens that followed.
The first film is also essential viewing
and has lost none of its impact, from its amazing use of the then unique
steadycam shots to the relentless pursuit of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis)
by “The Shapeâ€. The scene where Michael finds Laurie hiding in a bedroom wardrobe,
the one place you thought was safe as a child is a highpoint in horror history and
the film’s soundtrack is to the Halloween season what Jingle Bells is to
Christmas..
5) Horror Express
Made because the director owned the model
train from Fanny & Alexander and had the standing train carriage sets left
over from his previous film Poncho Villa, this plays like a Spaghetti Western
horror film and is all the better for it, too. It’s a genuinely creepy film
with a great monster, very frightening make up and its one of the few times we
get to see Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee fighting side by side of the side
of good. “I say- were British you knowâ€! Another Blofeld, this time Telly Savalas,
has a great part in this, hamming it up to his heart’s content. As this film is
in the public domain, simply download it for your I Pod (RIP Steve Jobs) and
watch it under the covers- you won’t be disappointed.
4) The Wolfman
Although there have been many great Lycanthrope
movies over the years such as American Werewolf In London and The Howling, this
is still the best film version. It’s hard to believe that it was so powerful
and effective that the poem written by Curt Siodmak specifically for the film
is now mistakenly regarded as a true gypsy legend “Even a man who is pure at
heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane
blooms and the autumn moon is brightâ€. Lon Chaney Jr. relishes his favourite
role and Claude Rains brings gravitas to his role as Lawrence Talbot’s father.
A monochrome classic.
3) Asylum
Although there have been many great
anthology films in horror such as Ealing’s Dead Of Night, the 70s saw a slew of
films that linked 4-5 stories in and around a central premise (and where most of the characters were already dead).
This was brought about by the success of Dr Terror’s House of Horrors in 1965
and the company that produced that film, Amicus, became a viable rival to
Hammer. Amicus brought us such delights as Vault of Horror and Tales From The Crypt
but the best film they ever released was this gem from 1972 that was reissued
at one time in the States under the demeaning title House of Crazies in the States. It links
several stories together using the premise that a young doctor has to find out
who his insane predecessor was by interviewing some of the inmates of the said asylum.
Dr. Starr does reveal himself at the climax but before we get there we have at
least two of the best short stories in horrordom, written by Psycho’s Robert
Block in The Weird Tailor and Frozen Fear. After cutting up his wife and
putting her grease paper- wrapped limbs in the freezer in the latter tale, Richard
Todd utters the immortal line “rest in piecesâ€. The use of Night on Bald
Mountain in the film and its credits is nearly as memorable as its use in
Fantasia.
2) The Black Cat
Although best known for the slew of classic
monster films made in the 30s and 40s, it’s some of Universal’s other rarely
screened shockers from this period that need to be seen to be appreciated. Some
of these titles, such as Dracula’s Daughter, Ghost and Son of Frankenstein,
should be more famous than they are. The best of this bunch is the incredible
The Black Cat. Made on a shoe string budget by the amazing Edgar G.Ulmer, this
film has a look and feel like no other (its deco set designs are extraordinary)
and has some truly shocking scenes for the time (the women in glass tombs
standing upright like exhibits at a museum is the stuff of nightmares). Superb
use of classical music adds to the atmosphere of the piece and it’s great to
see Bela Lugosi given a role of equal worth (and billing) as that of his co-
star Boris Karloff. It was two different directions on the spooky hill of
horror for both stars after this point with Karloff maintaining star billing
while Lugosi sadly ended up in Monogram poverty row shockers . However, his performance
here represents some of his best work.
1) Salem’s Lot
In my humble and subjective opinion, this
is still the best horror film (albeit a mini- series) ever made and one of the
best adaptations of Stephen King to ever hit the screen. Its production values
are superb, as is the acting, especially that of David Soul and James Mason,
although the entire cast adds gravitas to the film. Given the fact that the
original version was spread over two
parts on its initial broadcast, the film has ample time to develop the characters in a way that teen
slasher films never would or could.. The Marsden House mansion, built specifically
for the film, is a character in itself and Reggie Nalder is quite simply the
most terrifying vampire ever to grace the silver (or small) screen, especially
since he is clearly inspired by the great, original fanged fiend as seen in the
classic Nosferatu.
Well, happy viewing kids and,in the words
of PJ Soles character Lynda in Halloween, “See something you like�
(See Cinema Retro issue #21 for Mark
Cerulli’s in-depth look at the making of the original Halloween.)