October Horror Movie Marathon

[BAKA]

oct1709.jpg
[09] The Girl In Room 2A
Sometimes it’s difficult to know which language track to watch a film with. Although often considered a giallo, and having been shot in Italy, The Girl In Room 2A was directed by American film-maker William Rose, and apparently shot in English, despite both language options appearing to be dubs. I decided to watch with the English language track, which was the default option on the Mondo Macabro DVD, but soon came to regret my decision, as some scenes were only in Italian, which can make for a jarring viewing experience, especially if those scenes aren’t automatically subtitled, and you need to reach for the remote. This is definitely a title I will be revisiting in the future, with purely the Italian track. The film has an ethereal feel, echoing the work of Franco, it has a listless pace, with glimmers of the underneath sporadically diffused, a masked character reminiscent of Louis Feuillade’s work, delirious dreamlike sequences. The film is a slow burn, only really accelerating in the final act, but the pay-off feels merely glimpsed, never quite as lurid or depraved as you expect it to be.


oct1710.jpg
[10] Eye In The Labyrinth
Eye In The Labyrinth adheres to the typical giallo structure, a parade of morally repugnant individuals, all with secrets to hide that slowly unfurl over the course of the running time, until a final act reveal places the viewer themselves as victims of the deception. The sleight-of-hand interestingly taps into a narrative device that is a trend for popular fiction at the moment, one that can potentially leave the audience feeling a little cheated. The lush coastal setting provides a lavish backdrop, which contrasts with the dilapidated villas, allowing the tone to shift from pleasure to unease. Never would you expect a row of sunbathers to make for a haunting image, but the eye covers make it seem as if their eyes have been removed, a celestial space where they should be, and in complete ignorance of the main character. Alida Valli steals the show, playing a reprehensible scenery-chewing monster of a character. Sadly her part never quite lives up to her indomitable presence.


oct1711.jpg
[11] The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave
We’re firmly planted in inheritance giallo territory for Emilio Miraglia’s The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave, seasoned viewers will know not to trust a single one of the deceptive array of characters, including the director himself, out to pull the rug from under us in the finale. The castle setting gives the film a malleable feel, at times imposingly gothic, contrasting with chic ‘70s interiors. The protagonist is pitched to us as a deviant, with a perverted aversion to red-headed ladies, he’s seen fleeing from a psychiatric institute in the opening, in an arresting visual, an odd choice for a protagonist. The film features one of the most bizarre strip club sequences committed to film, featuring a stripper rising from a coffin, derrière first. The cinematography is sumptuous, night scenes in the castle grounds in particular are striking, feeling inspirited by the supernatural. The titular Evelyn’s rise from the grave is breathtaking, even more so than the stripper's.


oct1712.jpg
[12] The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
Emilio Miraglia’s The Red Queen Kills Seven Times shares an interesting symbiosis with the director’s prior film, The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave. Eveline here too, seemingly rises from the grave, with a slight variation in spelling. The back-story of a Red and Black Queen is an ominous foretelling, a dark seed supplanted in the viewer, which influences, almost taints our interpretation of proceeding events. The film runs the gamut of giallo tropes, an inheritance, a fashion house, a psychiatric institute, and similarly to Evelyn, it suffuses the gothic horror aesthetic of a castle. The visual of the red-caped killer is arresting, most notably in the dream sequence, the cinematography always finding a way to highlight the red, making it seem eye-bleedingly vivid. It’s hard not to compare the relationship between of the two movies to the fable of the Red and Black Queen, here the Red Queen is out for revenge, wanting more kills, creating a better paced, tighter and more rewarding experience than Evelyn.

[Nordicdusk]

images.jpg

A yoga teacher is home alone for the weekend in her New York apartment while her girlfriend heads home to visit her family. Kate already struggling emotionally and mentally feels even more alone and isolated when there is a power outage all across the city. We see Kate going through a whole range of emotions from happy and giddy to playfully trying on different outfits and taking pictures of herself to a more flirty sultry mood where she heads to a local bar seeking out a one night stand with who ever happens to be there. After the deed is done regret sinks in and from there on in it's just a rapid descent into the deepest darkest corners of her mind fear depression paranoia even hallucinations.

Not the horror film i was expecting more psychological horror just watching this young woman slowly losing her mind. I was kept interested right until the end trying to work out was everything going on actually real or just Kates imagination.

6/10

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

@Nordy

I don't know any of these films you are watching and reviewing. Have you bought them all or are they on Netflix or something?

[trebor8273]

While it's not as good as the first two films(or TV show) it's better than the third and a lot of other modern horrors and reboots/remakes. The cast are likable enough which not usually the case with modern horror. On the whole the effects are good, but I do miss the more old school deadites, liked the little Easter eggs to the other films, the locket and Ash's car etc. 7.5/10

Next up

Unhinged (remake)

Red queen kills 7 times

[trebor8273]

Unhinged

Opening sequence of a fat tart screaming and some dreadful acting was enough for me, off it went. Make give it a try at a later date. Also something of with how it's shot, feels like it's shot on a phone or cheap camera.

Maybe I'm horrored out as I can't get into red queen kills seven times.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Halloween viewing thus far:

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Today's carvings:

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Today's carvings:

Nice work, b_e.

the One on the left hand side reminds me of something but i can't place it.

[trebor8273]

With not beng able to get into either red queen or unhinged, going to go with a change of pace and watch the nightmare before Christmas.

[Demoncrat]

That there Halloween thingy
Inside
George & Mildred
ZFE 3
Swingers Massacre
Naked Massacre
Grave Of The Vampire

Thus far .....

I love Unhinged. I take it this is the remake treb??