October Horror Movie Marathon

[MacBlayne]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Film No.6

Attachment 183319

I only watched this as Russell Mulcahy was meant to direct. Not sure whether he saw the writing on the wall and bailed, or if he was forced out.

Either way, I thought this was a dud too. Good idea. Lousy execution.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by MacBlayne

Good idea. Lousy execution.

Thats a perfect review

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Having watched the uncut region 1 dvd late Saturday night (I didn't bother with a review as i've done one in the past and you all know if you like it or not) i decided to watch the old UK Sanctuary dvd which has minor cuts to violence which whilst annoying is more than made up for by the highly informative and entertaining commentary from horror experts Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.

Some of the things i picked up on which will enhance my next viewing went into detail about the background of the film.

British science fiction writer Nigel Kneale wrote the first script and there's a lot of his treatment visible. From the irritating Halloween song to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down to the absurdities of the Stonehenge elements which are typical Kneale and reminiscent of his television mini series Quatermass (1979) before turning into an Invasion of the Body Snatchers clone in the final third. Which begs the question at which point did Stacy Nelkin become a robot?

The dynamic duo also tell why it's called Halloween III. It's not due to it being the third film as it's in no way connected to the previous entries, the III signifies the number of mask styles being produced by the Silver Shamrock company.

I guess it helps for chat tracks like this when the two talking were both close friends of Nigel Kneale.

Oddly Newman and Jones also destroy the Blade Runner - Deckard is a replicant - theory. Deckard is definitely not a replicant. Stacy Nelkin was originally cast as the final replicant but was cut before filming began due to budgetary reasons.

[MacBlayne]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Which begs the question at which point did Stacy Nelkin become a robot?

On the Scream Factory commentary with Tommy Lee Wallace, he says that when Carpenter saw that scene go on and on, he laughed and told Wallace that he should have had the headless robot chase Tom Atkins all the way.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The dynamic duo also tell why it's called Halloween III. It's not due to it being the third film as it's in no way connected to the previous entries, the III signifies the number of mask styles being produced by the Silver Shamrock company.

I'd love to tell Carpenter that. I imagine his eyes would roll faster than a slot machine.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Black Death (2010)



Before watching Black Death, Christopher Smith was either a hit or miss director with me.

Creep I found to be derivative nonsense, whilst Triangle a work of art which gave me chills - and still continues to do so on re-watches. Black Death sits somewhere more towards the Creep end of the Spectrum unfortunately.

I would have expected a film about the bubonic plague and witchcraft to be both more plague-y and witch-y, although I am a little bit of a sucker for medieval tales with horror-ish undertones, so with that in mind I did take to the overall aesthetic quite nicely.

However, the bitter pill to swallow in this for me is not only the lack of witchiness but the puritan nature that the film is put across. Our 'heroes' (read: mercenaries and a monk) being nothing more than tools of the church and the villagers who have used 'magic' (read: medicinal techniques) to be free of plague along with keeping outsiders at bay who may aid to spread the disease being painted as ignorant savage cultists. The plague-spreading mercenaries on the other hand who blindly follow their god are cast in a more just light and whom we are encouraged to feel empathy for. Perhaps the point in some ways, but the tone was just a little too 'off' for me to ignore... that and the ending (which I won't spoil) does leave a bit of a nasty aftertaste. Luckily I had some witches' brew on hand to wash it away.

41/100

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MacBlayne

I'd love to tell Carpenter that. I imagine his eyes would roll faster than a slot machine.

Again it's all from Nigel Kneale, the info that is. I'm sure Carpenter has listened to the commentary anyway.

There was an idea floating round it pre production that this film would be the start of a new series all offering brand new unconnected stories but under the Halloween banner.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Black Death (2010)



Before watching Black Death, Christopher Smith was either a hit or miss director with me.

Creep I found to be derivative nonsense, whilst Triangle a work of art which gave me chills - and still continues to do so on re-watches. Black Death sits somewhere more towards the Creep end of the Spectrum unfortunately.

I would have expected a film about the bubonic plague and witchcraft to be both more plague-y and witch-y, although I am a little bit of a sucker for medieval tales with horror-ish undertones, so with that in mind I did take to the overall aesthetic quite nicely.

However, the bitter pill to swallow in this for me is not only the lack of witchiness but the puritan nature that the film is put across. Our 'heroes' (read: mercenaries and a monk) being nothing more than tools of the church and the villagers who have used 'magic' (read: medicinal techniques) to be free of plague along with keeping outsiders at bay who may aid to spread the disease being painted as ignorant savage cultists. The plague-spreading mercenaries on the other hand who blindly follow their god are cast in a more just light and whom we are encouraged to feel empathy for. Perhaps the point in some ways, but the tone was just a little too 'off' for me to ignore... that and the ending (which I won't spoil) does leave a bit of a nasty aftertaste. Luckily I had some witches' brew on hand to wash it away.

41/100

I thought the whole thing was way too pessimistic and downbeat.

[MacBlayne]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Black Death (2010)



Before watching Black Death, Christopher Smith was either a hit or miss director with me.

Creep I found to be derivative nonsense, whilst Triangle a work of art which gave me chills - and still continues to do so on re-watches. Black Death sits somewhere more towards the Creep end of the Spectrum unfortunately.

I would have expected a film about the bubonic plague and witchcraft to be both more plague-y and witch-y, although I am a little bit of a sucker for medieval tales with horror-ish undertones, so with that in mind I did take to the overall aesthetic quite nicely.

However, the bitter pill to swallow in this for me is not only the lack of witchiness but the puritan nature that the film is put across. Our 'heroes' (read: mercenaries and a monk) being nothing more than tools of the church and the villagers who have used 'magic' (read: medicinal techniques) to be free of plague along with keeping outsiders at bay who may aid to spread the disease being painted as ignorant savage cultists. The plague-spreading mercenaries on the other hand who blindly follow their god are cast in a more just light and whom we are encouraged to feel empathy for. Perhaps the point in some ways, but the tone was just a little too 'off' for me to ignore... that and the ending (which I won't spoil) does leave a bit of a nasty aftertaste. Luckily I had some witches' brew on hand to wash it away.

41/100

I loved this film. A frightening portrayal of the hate that religion can inspire.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

To The Devil a Daughter (1976)

Christopher Lee plays a defrocked, devil-worshipping Catholic priest who convinces a man (Denholm Elliott) to sign over his daughter (Nastassja Kinski) so she will become the devils' representative on earth on her 18th birthday. As the time draws near the two become locked in a deadly battle over possession of the innocent girl's soul.

The final horror film from the studio that dripped blood. To The Devil a Daughter is one of Hammer's unsung great films. Based on a Dennis Wheatley novel, as was 1968's The Devil Rides Out* also starring Lee but this time as the heroic Duc de Richleau rather than the worshipper of the occult he portrays here.

As with The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter has strong occult influences, but this films modern day setting takes it out of any fantasy story and as with The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976) the contemporary setting makes it all the more believable and indeed terrifying. Unusually for Hammer the film sports strong gore and is often unsettling, - see the sequence of the hallucinating Catherine running across Tower Bridge - as well as sexual scenes in a satanic orgy meaning for once the 18 certificate or X as it was back in the 70's is just as relevant now.

The film sports a fine cast. Joining Lee, who exudes true malevolent evil, and Elliott are American legend Richard Widmark who's fine performance steal the film from under Lee's nose, and former Avenger Honor Blackman as well as Colditz star Anthony Valentine. Also appearing in one scene is Brian Wilde, best known as Foggy from Last of the Summer Wine, acting out a scene with Richard Widmark was definitely something to tell the grand kids about.

To tie in nicely with watching it in October, the film is set during the run up to All Hallows Eve when the satanic ritual will take place. The final showdown between Lee and Widmark is unfortunately a bit of a let down and it passes by in a blur of wildly coloured film stock, however there's plenty of occult nastiness before hand to make up for it including a naked Lee (probably a stand in) taking the virginal Catherine on the altar and a frankly disgusting sequence with a demonic baby literally giving her head. These sequences are genuinely grim and should have inspired Hammer's direction into the 80's but alas it was not to be.

To the Devil a Daughter is one of those films that gets better and better the more times i watch it.

*Wheatley's story Uncharted Seas was also adapted by Hammer but wasn't a horror film.

[platostotal]

[QUOTE=Demdike@Cult Labs[/QUOTE]

"Blade Runner - Deckard is a replicant - theory. Deckard is definitely not a replicant."

In all the versions of BR I've seen he certainly IS a replicant IMHO (which is why the 'narration' in the original version seemed so daft) the origami clue is a blatant pointer as is the final "She won't live, But then again who does?" line at the end...

And ponder on this, as I recall you never see any children in the film either, so maybe all but the very, very wealthy have been replaced by replicants so the workforce of the world is now just robots who's 4 year lifespan is short enough that they expire before gaining awareness and are simply replaced, which is why a rouge like Batty is so dangerous and could bring the whole scheme and what's left of the human race to an end. Even if that's tosh I still prefer Deckard as a replicant...