Horror: Do Not Watch Alone

After viewing all 15 movies on this set, it was definitely worth the $5.00 I spent on it at WalMart. Yes, there were some down moments, but in the end, there were more winners than losers. My only major complaint is that there was no true theme togroup the films together, but then again for 5 bucks does that even matter?  The best films on the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone  set are:

Dementia 13
The Ghost
Fangs of the Living Dead
Bloody Pit of Horror
Night of the Living Dead
Dominique
The Undertaker and His Pals
Carnival of Souls
I Bury the Living
The Last Man on Earth
House on Haunted Hill
Nightmare Castle
The Satanic Rights of Dracula

Dementia 13 (1963)

Well, I thought I was done with the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone set when it dawned on me that I have not wrote a review of one of the first horror movie I have ever seen (not to mention watched a few times over the past 30 or so years). So, I watched it again last night. That movie is Dementia 13.

Plot/ John Haloran has a fatal heart attack, but his wife Louise won't get any of the inheritance when Lady Haloran dies if John is dead. Louise forges a letter from John to convince the rest of his family he's been called to New York on important business, and goes to his Irish ancestral home, Castle Haloran, to meet the family and look for a way to ensure a cut of the loot. Seven years earlier John's sister Kathleen was drowned in the pond, and the Halorans enact a morbid ritual in remembrance. Secrets shroud the sister's demise, and soon the family and guests begin experiencing an attrition problem.

Ironically Hollywood Icon Francis Ford Coppola's made his debut with this one (it is amazing how many greats start in Horror). This combination Thriller/Mystery/Horror is one of the first entries in what became the slasher boom, this flick is pretty good featuring a solid storyline, great atmospheric build-up with the use of sound effects and some shocking scenes especially for that era. Unfortunately, the flick is far from perfect and does suffer some minor flaws with the killers identity too easily discerned throughout the film, which tends to take away from the overall feel. In the end, this is a low budget gem backed by Roger Corman and one that is easily found and a must see.

Blood Tide (1982)

As the hurricane came and went, it was finally time to put the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone set to bed. The last flick in the set is the 1982 snoozer Blood Tide.

Plot/ An adventurer hunting for treasure in Greece accidentally frees a monster that forces local villagers to sacrifice virgins.

Let me start by saying, if this was the first flick from this set I watched, I may have stopped right there. It is just that bad! The premise and storyline are interesting and some of the acting is alright, but in the end, it was just a BAD movie. Even worse, it was so boring that I could barely pay attention to it. The special effects are nothing spectacular, there is little to no killings or gore, and it just seems to plod along. Hell, I nearly missed the scene with the monster because I just could not get into it because of boredom. With that all said, I could not recommend anyone searching this out to watch it. If it is part of a set like this, then watch only to complete the set, but only if your options are limited.

The Ghost (1963)

Saturday has gone, another day gone by, and another few hours of counting down until Hurricane Irene makes her presence known (although, I expect more rain than anything). As I sit here thinking of my blog (and the vintage wiggling hand I picked up earlier). I decided to finish up a review of the underrated 1963 Italian Horror flick The Ghost starring the lovely Barbara Steele.  

Plot/ A woman and her lover murder her husband, a doctor. Soon, however, strange things start happening, and they wonder if they really killed him, or if he is coming back from the dead to haunt them.

Man, I love Barbara Steele! She is a true horror icon and is captivating on screen. This movie is no different as she is at the top of her game.  This rather bland and clichéd story is something of a quandary. Yes, it features some great atmospheric elements, some solid cinematography, sound and Steele,, but the overall feel lacks depth. The acting is so-so and the plot is fairly common, really nothing spectacular. In the end, if you are a fan of Italian Horror, you will definitely enjoy this one and really it is worth watching at least once.  

Fangs of the Living Dead (1969)

After watching some classic 1970s occultism, I decided to move onto something a bit more horror themed, vampires. My selection for the evening in the land of the undead was Fangs of the Living Dead from 1969.

Plot/ A beautiful virgin inherits a castle, but when she arrives at it, she finds that the inhabitants include a strange nobleman and a bevy of beautiful women she suspects may be vampires.

This was a decent example of Italian Gothic Horror, featuring the trademark vibrant colors, awesome scenery, a solid soundtrack and an eerie atmosphere that brings the gothic elements to light. Unfortunately, the sound quality and dubbing are so poor that it drags the flick down a touch. Yes, the acting is uneven, some of the effects are poor and the pace drags a bit, but that is sort of to be expected.  In the end, this rather unoriginal film is not all bad and if you love Italian Horror, than you should check it out. If you don’t, there is nothing here that will truly excite you!

The Pyx (1973)

As I sit waiting for the hurricane to come, I decided to take a break from packing and watch a couple of flicks last night. While, I have a bunch to choose from, I decided to finish off the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone set. My first flick was Karen Black in The Pyx from 1973.

  

Plot/ A detective investigating the death of a heroin-addicted prostitute uncovers evidence pointing to the existence of a murderous devil cult.  

This was a decent combination of detective thriller, horror and occult.  While the storyline was interesting, the atmosphere OK and Black performing amazingly, this flick seemed to just plod along with nothing special jumping out. Yes, some of the scenes are interesting, but knowing what the outcome is from the outset truly takes away from the story. Sure, the other performances are not terrible and the plot is ok, there just really isn’t anything for the flick to hang its hat on and the flashback sequences start to get old. In the end, I would not watch this again. But, if you are like me and buy a lot of the multiple movie packs, you can at least watch it to complete the set. Other than that, I would not waste my time (and this is coming from someone who loves stories of Satanism and the Occult).

Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)

Packing and cleaning, packing and cleaning, that seems like all I have been doing for months. Finally, I decided to settle in an enjoy something more my speed. My selection for the evening was the Italian camp classic Bloody Pit of Horror.

Plot/ A photographer and his models go to an old, abandoned castle to shoot some sexy covers for horror novels. Unbeknownst to them, the castle is inhabited by a lunatic who believes himself to be the reincarnated spirit of a 17th-century executioner whose job it is to protect the castle against intruders.

To me, the combination of Something Weird Video and the legendary Marquis de Sade (albeit loosely) should be enough to draw anyone in and I was sold. Yes, this is camp at its finest with over the top performances, a nice combination of horror and exploitation, and an unbelievable storyline. It has it all, near naked chicks, an erotic feel, crazed torture devises and the cinematography boasts a great color pallet. Yes, the acting is all over the place and most of the ideas a ludicrous, but it is what it is, a great blast of Italian exploitation horror. While not for everyone, it is definitely worth watching.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Some 30-years ago I witnessed Night for the first time on Pittsburgh’s Chiller Theatre hosted by Chilly Billy. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, the movies and shows created by Romero were a constant conversational piece. Hell, I used to go Christmas shopping at Monroeville Mall and remember the talk when Dawn of the Dead was filming. However, at the heart of all of those thoughts and conversations was Night of the Living Dead.

I am sure everyone knows the plot. The radiation from a fallen satellite might have caused the recently deceased to rise from the grave and seek the living to use as food. A group of people penned up in an old farmhouse must deal with this situation.

To me, there is no other zombie film that stands the test of time or has as much influence as this classic movie. Every movie fan knows of it and can probably quote it, “They're coming for you, Barbara!” It is history, plain and simple. Before Romero’s masterpiece, Zombie films were a different breed, caught up deep within their supernatural roots vice the plague infested flesh eaters that we enjoy watching devour society.

Today, Night of the Living Dead is a classic in every sense of the word. What Romero created is still being duplicated, or should I say attempted to be duplicated by filmmakers across the globe. Every part of that movie was perfect especially considering timeframe and limited independent budget. The isolated setting in the remote farmhouse, the unknown and diverse cast, the script, plus being filmed in black and white created a tension that plants the seed for lasting terror, unlike the FX driven movies of today (including Romero’s subsequent films) that are mostly forgotten in a few weeks or months.

For this film, the influence it has had on cinema (especially Independent Cinema) does not just stop with zombies. Without it opening the doorway for filmmakers to explore the terrors in suburbia, the slasher genre may never have come to be. Many of the fundamentals in classics such a Halloween and Friday the 13th use the basics Romero created to instill fear and terror on a larger scale.

History has shown that you cannot even remake this movie without the results turning out far from stellar even using the original script (the same cannot be said for Dawn of the Dead, the remake was actually pretty good). That puts Night of the Living Dead in line with the likes of Hitchcock’s Psycho, which also failed miserably as a remake. Thus, reminding Hollywood that some groundbreaking movies should always be left alone. As a fan of Romero and of this classic, I know that zombie movies may have evolved since this was made, but they will never be better or more influential. That is why; Night of the Living Dead should stand as the most definitive film of the genre!

Dominique (1978)

After some debate with the voices in my head, I decided to continue with Horror: Do Not Watch Alone. Tonight’s entry, the 1978 entry Dominique

Plot / The wife of a greedy man comes back to haunt him after he scares her to death in this horror-thriller. He is after her money and must try several times before he finally succeeds. Because she is mentally exhausted from being frightened all the time, she commits suicide, but soon the husband begins experiencing her ghostly presence.

This was an interesting little film. While a bit slow and maybe a tad too long, definitely a creepy element permeated throughout. The plot was common with at least an attempt at a twist ending and the acting and direction were average. Yet, even with the flaws it made for some decent entertainment with my daughters on Scary Movie Night. Will I watch it again? Probably not for a while, but I am definitely not throwing it away.

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)

After suffering through Zombie Armageddon, I figured it would be a good time to change gears and watch something else. I picked the last flick on disk one of the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone Collection, The Undertaker and his Pals from 1966.

Plot/ An undertaker and his two friends, who are restaurant owners, drum up business by going out on the town and killing people; the restaurant owners use parts of the bodies for their menu, and the undertaker gets paid by the families to bury the remainder. Their racket goes awry when 2 detectives suspect that something isn't quite kosher.

Yes, this little gem is not a lost classic. However, it is a lot of fun and much better than the Zombie Bloodbath stuff that I have been suffering through. While not great by any means, with poor acting, a so-so plot and next to no horror qualities, this film offers quite a bit of subtle humor and a decent soundtrack. Who would have thought that you could get trading stamps that funeral home? There are also some very unnerving aspects to the film that come across pretty well within the fabric of the comedy. Overall, this enjoyable film is full of cheesy b-movie fun!

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Time to continue with some of the classics I have on hand. Today’s choice was Carnival of Souls, the 1962 Herk Harvey entry that has influenced greats such as George Romero and David Lynch.

Plot / Mary Henry is enjoying the day by riding around in a car with two friends. When challenged to a drag, the women accept, but are forced off a bridge. It appears that all are drowned, until Mary, quite some time later, amazingly emerges from the river. After recovering, Mary accepts a job in a new town as a church organist, only to be dogged by a mysterious phantom figure that seems to reside in an old run-down pavilion. It is here that Mary must confront the personal demons of her spiritual indifference.

Like the movie in my last review,I Bury the Living, this classic is also more of an episode of the Twilight Zone than “B” Movie horror, and it also remains a great example of what can be done on a limited budget. This movie cries atmosphere, with some great locations used throughout. Yes, there are some low points with some average acting and sub par editing, but overall, this remains a very influential flick. One that took a thin story, and made something that has stood the test of time rather well.