Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)

There are times when I really want to watch something from the classic era of horror cinema and take a stab at something different. That was the case tonight when I picked the 1967 cult classic Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (AKA Cannibal Orgy).

Plot/ A caretaker devotes himself to three demented siblings after their father's death.

This low budget Lon Chaney Jr. gem is quite different than what I would have imagined considering the era. A true cult classic, this one features a unique storyline that spans many taboo subjects including cannibalism, necrophilia, and inbreeding (as well as murder). The performances from the stellar cast, the cinematography, and the characterizations are all outstanding. Yes, there is some humor that may or may not have been intentional and there are a few directorial choices that seem a bit off, but those elements do not really damage the overall feel of the movie. In the end, this film is well worth finding and watching. Sure, it is a touch odd, but it is also an enjoyable 80 minutes of relaxation in a grim world.

The Cat o'Nine Tails (1971)

Tonight was an awesome night as I finally was able to see Not Always What It Seems performed in front of an audience, and it was an amazing experience. This was an amazing moment and one that left me wanting to write more things for the stage. After a great dinner with PJ and AJ, I decided that it was time to review the one movie I did watch last week before all of the craziness started with the schedule. That movie is the 1971 giallo The Cat o’Nine Tails.

Plot/ A newspaper reporter and a retired, blind journalist try to solve a series of killings connected to a pharmaceutical company's experimental, top-secret research projects and in so doing, both become targets of the killer.

As a fan of Dario Argento, I often view this movie as one of his more overlooked films. While I do understand, why people overlook it, I don’t necessarily agree with them. Sure, it does lack many of the more memorable attributes of a typical Argento giallo, but it does offer an intriguing (albeit sometimes incoherent) storyline that is quite entertaining. Besides that, the performances are solid, the atmosphere is heavy, and as usual, the soundscape is outstanding. Yes, the film does lack the typical violence of an Argento flick, the camera work is not as crisp, and the surrealism that became an integral part of his later works just is not there. Plus, the scripting does seem to be all over and at times unfocused and the character development is uneven, but those elements would not be a huge issue if this wasn’t one of his films. In the end, while this is nowhere near Suspiria, it is a memorable giallo that would definitely be viewed differently if it wasn’t part of the Argento catalog. If you have not seen it, give it a shot. You may be surprised.

Split (2016)

It is nice to be back home after a trip to North Carolina. While it is nice to visit with family, that it a long drive and I often return exhausted and worn out. Plus, I usually miss my typical horror fix. To get back into the swing of things, I went to Family Video and picked up the 2016 thriller Split.

Plot/ Three girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities, they must try to escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th.

As many already know, movies by M. Night Shyamalan can range from awesome to terrible, and honestly, you never know what you will get. I was relieved that Split fell closer to the good productions. While not a perfect film and it does have a few clichéd moments, the performances within the storyline (especially James McAvoy) make it easy to overlook those. Besides McAvoy, the performances are solid, the story is engaging, and the direction was solid. This one was definitely an atmospheric thriller that was better than I expected. Unfortunately, it was somewhat predictable and the twist ending was not needed. In the end, there was a lot to like about this movie and it appears that Shyamalan has again put together of entertaining thrillers. Hopefully, he keeps up this trend with his next entry.

Darling (2015)

I had to take a couple days away from movies after suffering through Ghostbusters. Even my wife apologized at the end for picking it up, yes, it was that bad. Over this time, I decided to watch People vs. OJ Simpson (which is tremendous). For my next review though, I decided to watch something a little different, the 2015 horror/psychological thriller Darling.

Plot/ A lonely young woman descends into madness when she becomes the caretaker of a mysterious New York mansion that has a troubled past.

Before I dive into specifics, I have to say that this film is exactly what Hollywood should be producing instead of the overdone reboots and lame attempts at horror they are coming out with. Shot in black and white, this film has both a style and substance that pulls a viewer in. While it does build slowly, the cinematography allows the tension to build and grow throughout. The minimalist cast is tremendous and the performances fall perfectly within the storyline. Even the editing and soundtrack feel wholly immersed within the overall film. In the end, I am sure that this film will fall into the love/hate category as it may be too artsy for the hardcore gore fan. However, if you are into watching something different, especially viewing it with an open mind, than you should definitely enjoy this one. Check it out!

Children of the Corn (1984)

After diving into something that was somewhat out of my normal selections last night, I decided that it was time for me to go back into some of the films from my youth on Shudder. After some thought, I decided on the 1984 horror flick Children on the Corn.

Plot/ A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believe everyone over the age of 18 must be killed.

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Growing up a huge Stephen King fan and loving horror movies during the 1980s, I clearly remember this one from when it came out. At that time, I was a touch disappointed by the lack of blood and gore, but I also did not quite grasp the intricacies of atmospheric horror. All in all, this movie is quite tame (although there are some creepy moments sprinkled it). The performances are solid, the storyline works well with some suspenseful moments, and the soundtrack is perfect. Yes, it does lack the blood, guts, and nudity that were staples of most 1980s horror, but it is an entertaining trip into the occult/religious cult ideologies that saturate some parts of society. In the end, this may be one of my favorite King adaptations and a movie that struck a cord with me (I grew up next to a corn field). If you have not seen it, give it a shot you could do much worse.

The Visit (2015)

After taking a couple days off to work on an important project, I decided it was time to get back at it and found something different to help fuel some of what I was writing. What was that movie? It was the 2015 independent thriller The Visit.

Plot/ Two siblings become incredibly frightened by their grandparents disturbing behavior, while visiting them on vacation.

Sometimes it is hard to figure what will come from a M. Night Shyamalan movie, some are awesome and some leave such a miserable impression that you do not want to ever go back. Fortunately, this is one of the better entries from him and it has a lot going for it. While it does feel forced ay some points, overall it has an interesting dynamic going on with some solid performances, a touch of comedy, and just enough tension to make it watchable; even some of the shaky cam moments come across in a sound manner. Unfortunately, mixed in with some of the forced moments, the twist ending is somewhat expected and is not a huge surprise. In fact, it was rather predictable the deeper you went into the movie. In the end, this movie will likely be polarizing and viewers will either love it or hate it. Personally, I went in with low expectations and found it rather refreshing. If you follow that path, you may enjoy it as well.

Psychotic (2013)

As I continued to work on the rewrite for my short film script, I decided to get my mind clearly inside the sanitarium. I found just the flick at Family Video, when I grabbed Psychotic from 2013.

Plot/ A psychologist is trapped inside a mental institution where all the patients have escaped and are on the rampage.

Psychotic was a much better film than I originally imagined when picking it up off the shelf. In fact, there was so much to like in this low budget flick; it is hard to believe that this was Johnny Johnson’s directorial debut. The atmosphere is heavy, the score drives the tension, the performances are decent, and the cinematography was varied enough to keep you interested. Yes, there are some dialog issues, and likely, because of the lower budgeting, there is not a lot of blood or gore, but those issues are to be expected in any film with these restraints. In the end, this entry released in the states by Midnight Releasing was an entertaining trip into insanity. Give it a shot!