October Horror Movie Marathon

[MacBlayne]

THE ENTITY

A single mother, Carla Moran, is violently attacked and raped in her own home. And again and again. She is unable to report her attacker because it is invisible.

Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity is based on a real-life case involving Doris Bither, who claimed to be have been sexually assaulted by a demon. While the real-life case has been blamed on delusions based on Bither’s history of sexual abuse and poverty, Furie’s film has the demon. And while that pushes it in danger of being tasteless, The Entity is surprisingly thoughtful about the way society handles abuse towards women.

The film is defiantly unambiguous – Moran is being raped by a demon. But nobody believes her. All the people she reports it to are men, and they brush off her cries for help as delusional. They go for the quick, easy solution – checking her into a mental clinic. Even Moran’s family are dubious until they get attacked.

It's a credit to Barbara Hershey’s performance that the film is quite as effective as it is. Hershey’s Moran is not fodder for the camera, but a living, breathing woman pleading for help that never comes, and possibly representing the fears and frustrations of many women who suffered under real monsters. The Entity is more alarming film post #MeToo.

But if one were to just watch The Entity as a horror film, it is a damn scary one. Furie was a journeyman filmmaker, but he’s firing on all cylinders with this one. His camerawork (cinematography by Stephen H. Burum) is one that creates unease. He very slowly tracks in on his subject, before suddenly employing rapidly-edited Dutch angles and loud crashing sound effects when the terror hits. He throws the audience into a state of mass-confusion during the assault scenes. We want to help, but cannot. Where is this thing striking from. We do not know.

My only main complaint is the climax. It goes into action film overdrive, and feels like something out of The Blob. But it does provide the film with a sad note. Even though the proof is undeniable, the doctor pretends to claim they saw nothing. They don’t deny it happens. They say they didn’t see it. For denying it would require an equal amount of proof as Moran had to provide. Acknowledging it would mean having to help this woman. Easier to say they saw nothing, and move on. That way they can fool their conscience.

The final scene is brilliant. One of the most terrifying sounds you will ever hear. It is the voice of a million abusers, and will send a shiver down your spine. But this final moment is not one of pessimism, but one of hope. Moran walks past it defiantly. This thing will not control her. It will not define her. She is her own free woman, and she will live out her life no matter what.

[MacBlayne]

OUTER SPACE

If The Entity was an assault on Barbara Hershey’s character, then Peter Tscherkassky’s avant-garde short is an assault on the viewer. Outer Space is ten minutes of punishment, and I mean that in a good way. After Hershey enters the house, the film literally collapses into the “outer space.” Ghosting, distortions of Hershey’s screaming, film sprockets flickering across blinding white light, and audio hiss pulverise the audience into submission. Tscherassky destroys the fourth wall, and The Entity attacks us now.

Definitely worth a view.

WARNING: This could trigger epilepsy.

[MacBlayne]

TERRIFIER

Uh… Man in a clown costume kills people. That’s it.

Well, the sequel is doing great business, and getting raves from the critics, so I decided to give the first one a go. I ignored it as I threw it alongside the other low-budget horror throwbacks from that time period. I was perhaps too hasty.

Anyways, long story short – I rather enjoyed this. It is poorly acted by some. It is very, very slight on storytelling, never mind plot. And although it looks better than its $35,000 budget would suggest, you can tell that many shots were lit with only one key light.

However, director Damian Leone possesses some true talent. He knows how to craft suspense. He knows how to appal without crossing into obscene (how one murder scene passed the BBFC uncut is beyond me). He can use the frame (no cramming everything into the middle) properly, and his use of colour is effective.

But his most powerful weapon is David Howard Thornton’s performance as Art the Clown. Art is, well, terrifying. Silent like Jason and Michael, but as playful as Freddy, Art scared the hell out of me with his intense stare and yellow-toothed grin. One scene alone (the bit in the basement tunnel) freaked me right out.

Terrifier is not a major leap forward for the genre, nor does it have anything beyond a scary new monster to offer. But if the new Halloween films have left you feeling unsatisfied, Terrifier may scratch that itch.

Roll on the sequel (whenever it comes to Japan)!

[Frankie Teardrop]

MAD GOD – I was just waiting for someone to invade the world of Wallace and Gromet, annihilate utterly the fabric of its wholesome whimsy, then incubate and mutate the slurry left behind until the point of emergence of its final form, a vast panorama of hell after the fashion of Ligotti, Bosch and Giger… and along comes ‘Mad God’! It’s by Hollywood stop motion effects guy Phil Tippet, and it took ages to complete. You can see why – there’s some painstaking, intricate stuff here, all of it grotty, grotty, grotty. It’s basically a long trawl through some underworld region Dante never spoke of, and follows a guy in a snorkel as he wanders around doing some stuff that probably has quasi-mystical overtones. Meanwhile, a lot of monsters devour, shit, and, in one instance, have a depressing wank in a filthy corner. The thing about it is that it sidesteps the tendency of very weird films to overwhelm to the point of boredom, and somehow manages to stay captivating and entertaining… if your idea of entertainment is watching a five minute rummage through someone’s stomach which culminates in the retrieval of a spine that wails like an infant. OK, well maybe I’ll just say that it’s never less than fascinating. And even though the grimy surrealism stretches endlessly, it’s not without humour – at one point some dude with massive clawed hands pops up, and he’s a dead ringer for Alex Cox… wait on, it IS Alex Cox! The only way you could top that is by substituting Peter Sallis. Phil Tippet is in his seventies so I’m impressed that he’s still got the mindset of a gore obsessed sixteen year old pothead.

[Demoncrat]

Was wondering what you would think about that one FT. Kudos as always!!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I enjoyed Black Water: Abyss.

I've never seen it but, from your recommendation, have ordered it from Music Magpie

[trebor8273]

Watched the directors cut which adds more too the story and characters. Danny has never gotten over the events of the overlook and as an adult he has more of less become his father minus the insanity and murder. He also has stopped using the shining.

While trying to get clean he is contacted by a young girl who also shares the gift and has come to the attention of the true knot a group who feed on the fear of those with the shining and other gifts.

Danny joins up with her leading to a confrontation at the overlook.

While not as good as the shining it's still highly enjoyable . The last third set in the overlook is probably my favourite by far of the film. The scene in the bar between Danny and Jack was powerful stuff.

Pretty close too the book mains changes more with the cat, Danny is actually her uncle and he doesn't die at the end. So we could potential get a third book as they are more like Rose the Hat out there and probably things even worse.


Now watching

[Nordicdusk]

Halloween Ends

Let's digest this for a while but yeah day 16

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Seven Deaths in the Cats Eye (1973)

When Corringa (Jane Birkin) returns to her family's ancestral home she is unaware the rooms will soon be filled with unspeakable evil and depraved desires, as someone is slaughtering the castles demented guests. Deaths that don't go unnoticed by one member of the household. Meeow.

A mini masterpiece from Antonio Margheriti directing here as Anthony Dawson. The camera work is exquisite, often beginning shots from behind objects such as candelabras or wine glasses before gently approaching his main subjects. Framing his scenes in such a way as to keep the viewer interested even during times of lesser importance to the overall story. Very Bava-esq in fact.

Seven Death's in the Cats Eye is part Giallo thriller and part Gothic horror film. An unknown killer murdering victims using a razor give the film a Giallo edge whilst the rest of the film takes a distinctly Gothic trip thanks to it's old castle setting beautifully decorated with grotesque gargoyles glaring from the walls, bat infested crypts, fog enshrouded graveyards, and memorable scenes of Jane Birkin clad only in her white negligee wandering the castle's corridors with only a candle for company.

One of my favourite Italian Gothic horrors and a delight to see for the first time in HD via 88's Blu-ray which i managed to grab a copy of last week.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Don't Let Them In (2020)

The third year in a row for this film and it really stands up. Its a British low budgeter about a couple of social workers who on Halloween visit an old hotel to see their client recently released from prison on a charge of child murder.

This takes it's time to set the scene but the acting and dialogue is excellent and the two leads both extremely engaging. I suppose those who want to bracket a movie will say it's Purge like but for me Ben Wheatley's Kill List is as much of a reference point in the way the plot twists and turns and basically morphs into a totally different movie about ritualistic Occult murder during the final twenty minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this once more. As a movie from a first time director it's remarkably competent and has clearly become an October Horror Marathon favourite with me.