Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop  IMAGES – Robert Altman film from the seventies has a heavy ‘Repulsion’-esque vibe to it. Susannah York features as a writer whose identity seems to fragment as her tangled relationships catch up with her. I’m only really used to the director’s canonical works, so this was a first watch for me. I really liked it, it has an atmosphere not unlike ‘Symptoms’ in some ways – stylishly oppressive scenery, cramped locations, heady undercurrents and lots of second guessing. Excellent.
SWEET, SWEET LONELY GIRL – Arty indie-horror about a young woman looking after her agoraphobic Aunt in the latter’s vast mansion. Her world takes on a sinister sheen after she meets a noir-ish goth sophisticate who appears to manipulate, then seduce her. A really great little film whose atmosphere of foreboding unreality seethes into a cascade of vague supernatural surrealism by the end. As musky as a mildewed photo of a creepy nineteen-twenties dame. Well worth seeing (probably via Amazon prime).
NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN – Some loser gets off with a cultist with an agenda – namely, fertility ritual involving virgin sacrifice. Didn’t think I’d like this because of all the P Jackson ‘Brain Dead’ comparisons it seemed to be getting (unpopular opinion, but I can’t abide the latter film). Whilst I can understand the reference to some extent, it’s really not that kind of movie - arguably it’s a ‘gore-comedy’ and there’s a splattery birth scene, but the humour is sharp and carefully placed rather than knockabout, and the vibe is pretty dark overall. Works up a claustrophobic atmosphere through use of its single set and two lead performances, both of which are good. Overlong, but worth seeing.
BLOOD HARVEST – The world needs more Bill Rebane on HD. I can’t imagine that happening to any great extent, but I like his movies. Most people find them boring. ‘Blood Harvest’ is probably one of his most audience-friendly flicks in that it tallies broadly with what most people expect from a low budget indie from the tail-end of the slasher boom. It still feels as awkward and clumsily contrived as the other Rebane movies, but at least the pace is there, along with some exploitative elements… and Tiny Tim! Inspired move on Rebane’s part, snaring ‘Blood Harvest’ a cultural / historical niche. Curiously, TT’s presence doesn’t overwhelm, although you kind of want it to. Anyway, an interesting off-beat regional schlocker which might have today’s hot and horny horror fans tiptoeing through the tulips yet.
SAM WAS HERE – Wow, really loved this one. It’s about a travelling salesman who tangles with an ill-defined mystery affecting an arid dustbowl town and ends up on the run from angry people wearing masks. It has something to do with UFOs (or not), creepy dolls in motel rooms (which are not really relevant) and a radio talk show host who seems to be the controlling, god-like presence at the centre of an unfathomable conspiracy (or might not be). You’ve probably guessed that ‘Sam was Here’ doesn’t make much linear sense, so anyone expecting a well-defined plot with a definitive resolution can wave goodbye. What it does provide is atmosphere, vibes, style and aesthetics – the desert is an overpowering visual presence, the counterpoint to the conceptual flux in the background, and the whole thing seems infused with the still, unnerving presence of a William Eggleston photograph. Maybe not easy to like, but I definitely recommend it to lovers of weird stuff. |