Category Archives: retrospective

Retrospective: Werewolves on Wheels

19 Friday Nov 2021

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On paper, this flick leaps off the page with it’s fierce title and promise of a pack of motorcyclists like the infamous Hell’s Angels who are consumed with lycanthropy.
It feels like the kind of movie that would be jam packed with ferocity and lascivious behaviour. Unfortunately this proclamation couldn’t be further from the truth as the viewer is presented with experimental filmmaking as was typical of the early seventies, and a meandering of hope in pursuit of the boundaries of humanity. 

In many ways, this could be depicted as a variant of those who challenge authority and question the American Dream through the eyes of outlaws who take up more than they bargained for when they encounter a curious cult.
These hooded priests lead them into a deep, drug infused state, where they lose all senses, and have a curse placed upon them. Once infected, members of the gang start to turn into werewolves at nightfall, rampaging through the vast landscape.

The film escalates as the lead players try to find an end to the curse, only to be thrust into a time loop, throwing everything into question.

I’m usually a big fan of experimental filmmaking but this one left me trailing in the wind like a tumbleweed being tossed around in no man’s land. I really wanted to connect with this film, and there were elements that could easily have drawn me in. Instead though, there wasn’t enough substance for it to pay off, and appeared to focus on resting on its premise, with an Easy Rider’s vibe. A missed opportunity that could warrant another rewrite, with an amped up narrative that lives up to that cracking title.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

24 Sunday Oct 2021

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I didn’t realise that Dark Night of the Scarecrow had been initially released as a straight for tv movie forty years in 1981. The film whenever I first watched it back in whatever time that I had initially stumbled across it, (possibly when perusing through the aisles of my local video store) had always seemed to be polarised by the image of Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) decked out in full scarecrow disguise to hide from Charles Durning’s Otis and his hoodlums, only to be gunned down in cold blood. 

Upon my most recent viewing, there was evidence to support this low-budget style approach to the production values, but this does not belie the quality and impact that the narrative has on its audience. 

This in part is down to the combination of the screenplay by J.D. Feigelson who essentially invented the Killer Scarecrow subgenre, and the direction of Frank de Felitta, (a screenwriter himself behind Audrey Rose and The Entity) who was able to tap into the eerie tone of the film to present a dark look at small town America and the corruption that can occur deep within.

The whole film plays out as a power complex within the community and how Otis exerts his power to dominate the social scene. He also has a troublesome yearning for the young Marylee Williams; feelings he tries to keep buried but he is also harbouring some jealousy over her friendship with the mentally challenged Bubba. Bubba is actually a sweet and gentle giant, misunderstood by the locals who regard his friendship with Marylee as unsuitable. So when Marylee meets with a mishap from a savage dog, ‘naturally’ people suspect the worst. Cue the afore-mentioned ‘witch hunt’.

The rest of the film plays out as a revenge flick, when a curious scarecrow turns up to haunt and kill off Otis’ crew one at a time. But is this an apparition, or has Bubba come back from the dead?

The film is tightly knit together and weaves enough mystery and intrigue out of the confines of a small community that is ripe with foul play, festering at its core.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: The Pit (1981)

23 Saturday Oct 2021

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Mark this one for the curiosity basket, as Canadian Horror film The Pit is something of an odd film.

The film follows the journey of a strange little boy Jamie Benjamin (Sammy Snyders) who is an outcast in society due to his peculiar ways, often the subject of ridicule among the neighbourhood. His only friend is his teddy bear, who he has imaginary conversations with. We actually hear the dialogue between Jamie and the stuffed toy throughout the film serving as an inner consciousness to Jamie’s darkest desires. The movie has also been known as Teddy in some cases due to this component of the film, but it is the pit that is the centre to the mystery and the creatures called Trogs that lurk within. 

As Jamie’s wild obsessions begin to manifest along with his sexual awakening, he is driven to rid those who have tormented him in the afore-mentioned pit. Each time he does so, the manner in which he lures the bullies to their fate becomes even more ridiculous to the point that it starts to abandon the suspension of disbelief. It is such a jarring thing that I found it completely removed me from the film. 

One redeeming feature is through psychology student Sandy O’Reilly (Jeannie Elias) who is the main focus of Jamie’s lust and just so happens to be his babysitter. She provides the hope that maybe Jamie can be sedated through her kindness and understanding but only if this act is not misguided as deeper emotions from our wayward boy.

There is something in the subject matter here that could warrant another look and I’m intrigued by the novelisation that the film is based on called Teddy by John Gault which supposedly allows for a stronger character development (always an important thing for me) and a much darker tone (again, something that as a horror fan entices me in). So it would have been more interesting had they decided to stick closer to the novel and the original screenplay despite heralding a pretty cool ending that switches the focus nicely. As it stands though, The Pit always feels a little out of place and hard to connect with, much like our lead antagonist, Jamie. 

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Daughters of Darkness (1971)

22 Friday Oct 2021

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Admittedly it’s been a while since I watched this film ahead of writing up this retrospective and as such the cobwebs of familiarity had gathered clouding to the point that i had forgotten which 70s erotic horror film I was about to discuss,

This led me to initially think that Daughters of Darkness had little impact on me but when I came to research the film once more, I was instantly flooded with its striking and stylised images captured by Director Harry Kümel and his cinematographer Eduard van der Enden. I suddenly remembered that feeling of watching an effective European feature that projected a juxtaposition of harsh and fluid scenery and characters that ooze a psychologically unhinged gothic vampire tale loosely based on the infamous historical figure Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

The film is heavily entrenched in surrealism and expressionism with a curiously noir aspect in places. Set primarily in the Belgian coastal city Ostend, a character in itself and a place I’ve been fortunate to visit so there was a spark of physical and visual nostalgia created when I watched the film.

The film follows the misogynistic Stefan (John Karlen), born of aristocracy as he travels through Europe with his newly-wed wife Valerie (Danielle Ouimet) to introduce her to his mother. 

He appears apprehensive about doing this as though his attitude towards women stems from this fear or apprehensive relationship he has with his mother.
What struck me is that the film, despite its aggressive approach to women, who are often the subject of sadomasochistic views, actually is a feminist film, with a strong message about women establishing their own identity in the wake of degradation. This is none more evident than through the character Valerie.

It is with the arrival of Elizabeth Bathory (Delphine Seyrig – The Day of the Jackal) along with her secretary Ilona (Andrea Rau) that this is truly awakened in Valerie. At first cautious about this charismatic Countess, but similarly finding her charms irresistible, Valerie begins to see her husband Stefan in a new light with a brutally sadomasochistic encounter. Furthermore Stefan becomes sexually drawn to Ilona too and in doing so, pours forth his animalistic, aggressive side with fatalistic consequences leading the trio of Stefan, Valerie, and the Countess to clean up the mess, but it doesn’t stop there. In order to really cleanse their souls further drastic actions must occur and bring Valerie into a further awakening.

What becomes apparent by the film’s conclusion is that Daughters of Darkness is not to be judged on face value. It may not be to everyone’s taste but its a visual treat that resonates with the time but there is definitely more going on beneath the surface.  

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

17 Sunday Oct 2021

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The last quartet of movies to be released in October by Hammer Films Production in their 70s evolution would pit their new blood, new generation actor Ralph Bates in the lead for their reinvention of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Their bold approach to the story, especially for its time, would fuse a gender-bending with Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel Murders of the late 19th Century.

It’s setting would combine the gothic themes of yester-year upon which Hammer forged its name with this twist in the tale that was an extremely modern approach to storytelling.

Charged with steering the direction was Hammer regular, Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass and the Pit, Scars of Dracula) alongside screenwriter Brian Clemens (Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter; The Professionals) who between them managed to tread the fine line of humour and horror with what is essentially a delicate subject.

As the title suggests, Dr Jekyll is set on finding the elixir of life using female hormones due to their longer life expectancy when compared with men. In order to do so, much-like Dr Frankenstein looks for fresh cadavers to perform his experiments upon, so employs known grave robbers Burke and Hare (Ivor Dean and Tony Calvin) to carry out the deed. 

When the need for more fresh cadavers arise, Burke and Hare take to killing women in the name of Jekyll’s science.

Things take a drastic turn for Jekyll however when his experiments transform him into a female version of himself who he calls Mrs. Hyde (Martine Beswick). Part of the film’s appeal and one which allows for a stronger sense of believability is that Beswick has a strikingly familiar appearance to Bates. The idea is well executed and the shifts and changes in the narrative are incredibly advanced for its time, marking this film as a significant movie in the Hammer Films canon.

To hook the audience further, there is the potential love interest between Jekyll and Susan Spencer (Susan Brodrick), and similarly the seduction of Susan’s brother Howard (Lewis Flander) towards Mrs. Hyde. Both relationships are predominantly on the tipping point of danger as the murders increase and police start honing in on their suspect.
Can Jekyll find the formula to reverse the transformation, or will it ultimately lead to ruin?

Looking at the movie now, it has admittedly aged but there is something incisive about the way Hammer Film Productions and its creatives chose to deliver the narrative that lends weight to the final product. The performances are on point and direction cutting to the point that this film should be praised and is one of the last great films that the production company released in its final years before they would be resurrected again in the 2000s.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Just Before Dawn (1981)

14 Thursday Oct 2021

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If there was a year of slashers, it would be 1981.

Pamela Voorhees had just set the tone and formula for which all slasher films would inherently adopt and with her own offspring Jason carving up the screen halfway through 1981, it was inevitable that other killers would walk in his shadow and dominate.

It says something though that it’s not just about a token killer roaming the woods or alternate location killing promiscuous teens left, right and centre. There is another magical ingredient, that when struck right will bring the audience into the cinema and generate a cult following.

The 80s was ripe with this dedication to the genre with a no-holds barred approach to filmmaking that would provide creatives with free license to explore their craft. 

In steps Director Jeff Lieberman who had already made waves with his eco-horror film Squirm in 1976 and his experimental drug horror Blue Sunshine in 1978 to add his own twist on the sub-genre.

Unfortunately, whilst the ingredients are there, it is missing that magic to hook you into the fold. 

Set in the mountainous range of Oregon, there are the usual teen victims who take no heed of warning from Forest ranger Roy McLean (George Kennedy) to venture into the mountains. Of course, they come a cropper from some The Hills Have Eyes style hillbillies who pick off the characters one by one. You can clearly see inspiration for future films here though, especially in Wrong Turn which uses a similar plot device.

What it does boast though is some stunning cinematography by Dean and Joel King who manage to capture the remote landscape and activate some disturbing scenes into the mix. And the musical score by Brad Fiedel (The Terminator, Fright Night) using the haunting whistling motif from the movie with an unsettling effect.

If like me this one passed you by and you’re a fan of slasher films, definitely check it out but don’t expect too much as it does wander of the path too much, sticking too a very mediocre approach to sub-genre.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb (1971)

14 Thursday Oct 2021

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October would prove to be a prolific time for Hammer Film Productions as far as output goes as they looked at ways to reinvent themselves and draw in a younger generation of audience. The month had already seen the release of double feature Twins of Evil and Hands of the Ripper and for their third release the British film company would look again to the movies that shaped them, inspired by the Universal horror films that were so successful in the 1930s.

In spite of three previous films released based on The Mummy, Hammer would once again look to the source for creativity in Bram Stoker’s The Jewel of the Seven Stars shaped for a modern audience courtesy of screenwriter Christopher Wicking (Scream and Scream Again).

The film itself would be seeped in tragedy with its initial star Peter Cushing stepping aside to play the role of Julian Fuchs (replaced by Andrew Keir) after one day of filming to be by his wife’s side, following her diagnosis with emphysema. Furthermore, the film’s director Seth Holt (Taste of Fear, The Nanny) suffered a heart attack five weeks into the shoot and producer Michael Carrerras would step in to complete the shoot.

Despite all this, there is a visual style to the narrative that is in keeping with the direction that Hammer was hoping to achieve which stands up. Despite its obvious deviations from Stoker’s novel, there is a level of tension that is successfully established with the dispatch of the archaeological team (consisting of great actors in James Villiers and Aubrey Morris) who unearthed the tomb of evil Egyptian queen,Tera (Valerie Leon).

Throw in the added component that Julian Fuchs’ daughter Margaret bears a striking resemblance to the villainess, then we’re presented with a body possession flick into the equation too. Coupled with an ambiguous ending that leads us to question which personality survived as the closing credits roll

There may be questions around a potential curse surrounding the films’ production which clouded peoples’ perceptions. There are also glaringly obvious misbeats in the muddled storyline strung together by Carreras in an attempt to fill in the blanks not yet captured in the films shoot, but for me Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb climbs above Hammer’s previous two Mummy outings for its bold and and visual approach to an age-old tale. 

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Full Moon High (1981)

09 Saturday Oct 2021

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Director Larry Cohen was renowned for directing and producing exploitation movies such as The Stuff and It’s Alive, often with a satirical edge to grip the audience.
I was looking forward to watching Full Moon High coming in with high expectations, especially with the casting of both Alan and Adam Arkin in the mix but there were a few things that didn’t click into place for me. The movie is filled with that zany mad-cap humour that is typical of American filmmaking back in the day, but it feels strangely offbeat in this setting.

Adam Arkin plays teenager Tony, who is drifting aimlessly through life and disconnected which feels in large part due to his father, Colonel Walker, a man who is brash and ego-centric. When Tony is forced to accompany his father to Transylvania, he is left to his own devices, which unfortunately leads to him being bitten by a werewolf and gifted with the curse of an ever-lasting life. What he does with his life is the question though. Will he learn from his ways or be doomed to repeat the same mistakes all over again?

The cyclical theme is well in abundance here, as Tony returns to his old stomping grounds to reinvent himself, and finds that he wants to rekindle his school years.

Easier said when done, as he is doomed to get his lycanthrope on every full moon, and constantly trapped inside the body of a highly sexualised being.

That and the need to hide his identity from past friends and girlfriends is a constant issue for Tony.

The energy of Full Moon High doesn’t let up however it never feels like there are any downbeats in the movie to take a break from the relentless humour or attempt there at on display. If it wasn’t for the aforementioned Arkins, I may have been inclined to turn off, but they at least are engaging enough to bring you to the logical conclusion.

Maybe it’s just me and that Full Moon High simply isn’t my humour, but the struggle remained throughout the film and I have to mark this down as one I could have easily let pass me by and I would have been content to have let that happen.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Destiny (1921)

06 Wednesday Oct 2021

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My first experience of the German expressionist movement came from the classic films, Metropolis and M. It was a highly influential period of filmmaking that had a deep and lasting impact on the craft through various lighting techniques and camera techniques.

Released a century ago Destiny is a great example of Lang’s work. It is evidently inspired by an Indian folktale called Savitri and Satyavan and is essentially a story that questions where love can triumph and win over death? In this case, it focuses on a young couple who inadvertently pickup a “Death” who is posing as a hitchhiker, only to have the male partner taken from the female. Distraught, she pleads with Death for the return of her lover, and being the good sport that he is, Death acquiesces on the provision that she prevents one of the three candles (representations of life in balance) from being snuffed out.

The tale is told across three distinctive sections: The Story of the First Light; The Story of the Second Light; and The Story of the Third Light, all of which play out the female lovers’ attempts to save a life in the name of love. Unfortunately she fails on all three accounts.

Once again though, Death proves he’s not such a heartless bastard and give the female lover one last chance in what ends up being the most riveting and complex moments of the film. With the power to win back her lover, the young woman is conflicted about the actual charge of ending another’s life in order to do so. This age-old predicament sees the woman honing in on the elderly to see if they would be willing to end their lives in the name of love, and even at one point she contemplates murder when brough to drastic measures. When a fire breaks out in a local building, a baby becomes trapped, and in doing so becomes a potential soul that could be taken in exchange for love. But can the young woman bring about the end of such a young life for the sake of her own happiness?

It is these questions that elevates Destiny onto a higher critical plane, which is remarkably well received among its homegrown German audience. It would only be when accepted by the French film-going community, that it would become more accepted. It has since become earmarked as an early pioneer in film-making and embraced for its bold, stylised visuals. It is noted in particular for having a profound effect on both Luis Bunuel and Alfred Hitchcock respectively and evidence of this can be found in a number of their films.

It also further cements my own passion for Fritz Lang’s work and German Expressionism.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Hands of the Ripper (1971)

03 Sunday Oct 2021

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While Twins of Evil ignited a certain visual style and direction as spearheaded by Hammer Horror film producer Michael Carreras, (who was also the son of the British production company’s founder, James) Hands of the Ripper, which was released as part of a double feature struggles a little under the weight of its premise.

It’s actually a pretty cool idea, presenting Angharad Rees as Anna, the daughter of the notorious Whitechapel murderer Jack The Ripper. As an infant, Anna witnesses her father’s brutal attack on her mother. Years later, we’re introduced to her again aiding a medium trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the paying customers. Unfortunately, it is also discovered that her trauma can be awakened by a flickering light followed by a kiss on her cheek, igniting a menacing steak that lies deep within and turning Anna inot a psychotic killer.

Hammer were fortunate to cast acting veteran Eric Porter in the role of John Pritchard, a doctor and psychiatrist who believes that he can cure her of her ailment, unaware of just how deep her psychological scars go. He also doesn’t anticipate how enraptured he would become with Anna, falling for her charms and in doing so, makes ill-judgement to cover up her misdeeds in the hope that he can steer her back on the path of sanity.

By the time the film’s climax comes around at the famous London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral, we are destined for tragedy. Pritchard, already mortally wounded, rushes alongside his son Michael to rescue his son’s fiance, Laura (Jane Morrow) from the hands of evil.

It acts as a slow burn much like Director Peter Sasdy’s earlier feature Countess Dracula starring the brilliant Ingrid Pitt. Both films prove hard to connect with due to its pace, but are equally well composed and directed making them strong films as far as production is concerned, but ultimately prove hard to connect with and may turn some people off.

Of all the original features that Hammer produced though, Hands of the Ripper could easily be remade with a different lens today, if it were to immerse itself into the gothic time, place and setting. 

  • Saul Muerte