Hammer Scream

 

 (imdb)

SCREAM OF FEAR-1961-Wheelchair bound Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) comes to live on her father's estate with him and her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) after the death of Penny's caregiver. Also there is Robert (Ronald Lewis; in MR. SARDONICUS the same year), the chauffeur. Funny thing is dad seems to be away on business and no one knows when he'll be back. Then at night she sees her father's dead body and falls into the pool! Everyone thinks she's hallucinating. Dr. Gerald (Christopher Lee; same year as TERROR OF THE TONGS) is called in to check on her. Although she talks to dad on the phone, she once again sees his dead body. Something's up but who is to blame? 

Nice suspenseful psychological thriller from Hammer Pictures directed by Seth Holt and written by Jimmy Sangster. Lee has said it was “the best film Hammer ever made”.

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Lorre on the Tube

 

 (mubi)

SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE-"No.5 Checked Out"-1956-Mary, a deaf woman (Teresa Wright; PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, SHADOW OF A DOUBT) left alone by her father (Ralph Moody) in an off-season lodge is unaware that two men she's allowed to stay in a cabin are bank robbers. One guy, Barney (William Talman) was just the driver but his partner Willie (Peter Lorre) killed a man. Barney kind of falls for Mary but Willie has other plans. It ends tragically and a little abruptly. 

But still a nice little suspense drama co-written and director by Ida Lupino. Make up by Jack Pierce. Eastman Kodak presented the TV version Screen Directors Playhouse which ran on NBC for 32 episodes from October 1955 to June 1956 (although the last few episodes ran on ABC). It was produced by the Hal Roach Studios. 

In 1953, co-star Talman played the psycho killer in THE HITCHHIKER, also directed by Lupino. In 1957, he began a long run on TV's "Perry Mason" as prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger.

 (imdb)

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Boris!

 

 (YouTube)

AUTO-LITE THEATER PRESENTS "SUSPENSE" (1949)-"A NIGHT AT THE INN" by Lord Dunsany. Three mugs (Anthony Ross, Jack Manning, Barry Macollum) who stole a sacred Jewel from the head of a Hindu idol hide out at an Irish inn waiting to hear the plan their boss Toff (Boris Karloff) has for them. They decide to take the jewel by force from Toff and sell it in London. However Toffee has a plan which seems to work until something unforeseen happens….

This strange little tale is an interesting look at an early live TV production (shot in NYC) with a creepy atmosphere and Karloff giving a great performance.

 “Suspense” ran on the CBS network for 5 seasons starting in 1948. It's the offshoot of a radio show of the same name that ran for 20 years beginning in 1942. Auto-lite sponsored the show throughout it's run and the on screen narrator was Rex Marshall for many of them (around this time Marshall helped found WPIX TV in NYC. He later did many other TV announcing jobs and after that owned his own radio station in Vermont until his death in 2000). 

Like many early TV anthologies it based it's shows on stories written by well known authors (Edgar Allen Poe e.g.) and many well known stars and characters are were featured. Bela Lugosi appears in an adaptation of Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado”. Many episodes are lost but at least 90 exist. Director Robert Stevens was busy on TV through the 1960's (He directed 44 episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and the first episode of “The Twilight Zone”, “Where Is Everybody?”). He died of cardiac arrest after being beaten and robbed in his home in 1989. Screenwriter Halstead Welles also later wrote for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and much later “Night Gallery”.

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Three Into One

RED LINE-2013-Survivors of a terrorist attack on a subway in LA try to find a way to escape but mostly fight with each other, emote personal stories and torture a guy the others think is a terrorist. It turns out one of them is. But who? (As in “who cares?”) It was directed by Robert Kirbyson and the only actor I really knew in the cast was John Billinsley.

PERFECT CREATURE-2006-This horror film about a human cop and a vampire cop teaming up to fight vampires in New Zealand. Dougray Scott (who almost played Wolverine in the original X-Men movie) is the vampire fuzz. It sucks..really...not good...

THE COOL ONES-1967-Unhip musical comedy about an eccentric English millionaire Tony Crumb (Roddy McDowell) who promotes a young female singer (Debbie Watson) and a washed up rock and roller(Gil Petersen). Phil Harris, Nita Talbot, Mrs. Miller and Glen Campbell are also in it as well bands like The Leaves and The Bantams. It's very dumb. Busy TV director Gene Nelson (also an actor) made this a couple of years after directing Elvis in HARUM SCARUM.

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Early '50's

CAUSE FOR ALARM!-1951-A woman (Loretta Young) is taking care of her bed ridden husband (Barry Sullivan) who seems to be suffering from a heart ailment. However although she seems to be a dedicated and loving wife hubby believes she and his doctor (Bruce Cowling) are plotting to kill him. He writes a letter to the district attorney incriminating the pair, saying they are poisoning him but in fact he is poisoning himself!  He plans to frame the two of them by over dosing on his heart medicine but for some reason (he's not sane I guess) he decides to shoot his wife. Fortunately for her he dies before he can accomplish this. Unfortunately with the incriminating letter on it's way to the DA and hubby dead circumstantial evidence points at Loretta. What follows is a wild and occasionally annoying "Faulty Towers" like escapade (though serious) with Loretta trying to retrieve the letter and prevent anyone  from finding dearly departed hubby. Familiar character Irving Bacon is the neighborhood mailman and there are bits by Richard Anderson, Kathleen Freeman, Art Baker and Robert Easton. Look quick for Alfalfa himself Carl Switzer!

Director Tay Garnett had started as a gag writer in silent films and made his first movie in 1928. He later directed THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE and A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT. Soon after ALARM he went into TV.

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Brake

BRAKE-2012-A man named Jeremy (Stephen Dorff) is trapped in a glass coffin in the dark. The only light is from some red numbers counting down. Every time they hit zero something strange happens. He talks to another guy named Henry on a radio. He seems to be on a truck and moving from place to place. I like this TWILIGHT ZONE inspired suspense tale enough but I felt it's resolution and far fetched twist ending easy to figure out. Pot bellied Tom Berenger  shows up at the end. The director Gabe Torres had previously directed episodes of TV shows I never heard of.

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Blair Witch Inspired

THE CHERNOBYL DIARIES-2012-Some American tourists in Russia try some "extreme tourism" by visiting an abandoned city near the infamous nuclear explosion area. Of course it's obvious they should'nt go there so of course they do! They trust some stupid local named Uri to take them there even after the army forbids them entrance. Everything goes ok until Uri gets frightened and decides it's time to leave. Then it starts: their van doesn't work when they want to leave, Uri gets a gun and goes exploring, one guy (Pop singer Jesse McCarthey) goes with him and winds up getting gored in the leg, the van is attacked by dogs, then group flounders around in the dark trying to fix the wounded guy's leg. They find Uri's remains and then are menaced by what turns out to be the escaped radiation scarred residents of the area. 

The direction is very good but the explanation and resolution of the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT inspired story are a letdown. Filmed in Serbia and Hungry. This was first (and so far only) film from director Brad Parker who before this was a digital artist on films like THE TIME MACHINE remake and an assistant director. One of the screenwriters Oren Peli wrote PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.

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Nightmare, man

NIGHTMARE MAN-2006-Ellen (Blythe Metz) sends away for a fertility mask because she and her husband (Luciano Szafir, he kind of talks like THE ROOM's Tommy Wiseau) are having “intimacy” problems. She has a reoccurring dream about the Nightmare Man, a devilish looking guy with horns. While they are on their way to “a clinic” their car runs out of gas. Hubby decides to go back to a gas station for help, leaving Ellen alone. After a false scare or two she is terrorized by a hooded killer with a knife who looks a lot like her worst nightmare. 

While she is being pursued in the woods (she has a couple of narrow escapes), two couples play Truth or Dare. When Ellen finally reaches the cabin, they call her husband who tells them she's crazy and there is no killer. It's all in her mind. This proves to be the wrong info. The killer quickly dispatches three of the young people leaving the fourth named Mia (Tiffany Shepis) to fend for herself. Of course it's all a plot by her husband who's hired a guy to kill her. 

Surprisingly Ellen turns into an EXORCIST inspired demon and takes revenge. 

When it seems like she's killed the demon Mia is raped by the evil spirit and tells the late arriving police “it's inside of me”. 

Writer/Director Rolf Kanefsky made his film debut in 1991 with THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE, a horror-comedy which part of this resembles (except this isn't suppose to be funny) but takes a lot from EVIL DEAD. 

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Fright

FRIGHT-1971-A college student named Amanda (Susan George) babysits a small child for his weirdly acting parents (Honor Blackman and George Cole). She gets spooked a few times by noises and a stranger hangs around the house but she thinks it's her stupid boyfriend (Dennis Waterman) who shows up and tries to frighten her with scary stories. Meanwhile we learn why the parents acted strangely. It turns out Mom is the process of divorcing Brian, her husband (and father of her young son) a paranoid nut who has recently escaped from his mental hospital. After she thinks her boyfriend has been bludgeoned to death, Amanda is “befriended” by “a neighbor” (Ian Bannen) who of course turns out to be Brian. Poor Amanda cracks up but soon realizes he's a psycho who imagines she's his wife, rapes her and terrorizes his child. Bannen really goes bonkers in the finale. 

It's a fairly good psychological drama but a little too long and a blockhead comic police officer character seems out of place. Director Peter Collinson (who died in 1980) had made THE ITALIAN JOB and later did remakes of TEN LITTLE INDIANS and THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE. 

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Shark Bait

OPEN WATER-2003-A couple (Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis) leave their hectic life to take a vacation in the Bahamas. While scuba diving they are left behind in the water after a the crew screws up the head count. The rest of the movie has the two trying to survive while sharks draw closer. 

This unusual movie is not really a horror film as it was sometimes advertised. It's also not made like a typical Hollywood commercial release either. The director/screenwriter Chris Kentis (and his wife) financed the movie and filmed it over a period of 2 years. There are no CGI effects. Those are real sharks (much of the budget went to a professional "shark wrangler"). You might find it a little tedious at first but it builds to an excellent climax. And be sure to watch the credits! It's based on a true incident. Kent had made one film before this called GRIND in 1997.

Note: I just found out there is an OPEN WATER 2!(Everyone probably knows that already!)

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Terror Anyone?

THE NIGHT HOLDS TERROR-1955-Nice guy Gene Coutier (Jack Kelly who was in CULT OF THE COBRA the same year) picks up a hitchhiker (Vince Edwards) who turns out to be part of a trio of thugs (along with David Cross and leader John Cassavetes). They take him and his family hostage while waiting over night to sell his car. The future BEN CASEY takes a shine to Mrs. Coutier (Hildy Harris) in the long night that follows similar in plot to THE DESPERATE HOURS (made the same year). When the trio learns Courtier's father (Jonathan Hale) is rich they decide to hold him for ransom. Usual comic actor Jack Kruschen has a small role as a detective.

Strangely, Courtier narrates parts of it ala DETOUR then suddenly another narrator chimes in to explain police procedure. Also with Barney Phillips. Cross later played Pax the clicker in CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS. Writer/director Andrew Stone later made THE RING OF FIRE and THE LAST VOYAGE. Based on a true story they say.

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Short Them

THEM-2006-Excellent suspenseful French production. A man and woman in a country home are terrorized by unknown intruders. It’s very tense and better than anything produced in the US in the 10 years. The filmmakers seem to say it was based on a true story but I don’t know for sure. See it anyway! 

The two directors (David Moreau and Xaiver Palud) later made the US version of THE EYE.

Sorry this review was so short but the year is winding down and so am I!

Happy New Year once again and thanks for reading!

Happy Sunday!

CAVITE-2005-This Philippines based film was filmed on a low budget using mostly hand held shots. It’s been touted as little masterpiece by some but I thought it was very over rated, drawn out and lacking a reasonable resolution.

Adam (Ian Gamazon also the co-director, co-writer, producer and editor) is a Philippine born security guard living in the US. He returns to his homeland because of a family crisis. It turns out to be a hell of a crisis he didn’t expect. His mother and sister are being held hostage by Muslim terrorists who threaten to kill them if Adam doesn’t follow their precise directions. It’s rather suspenseful and mysterious for a while but then it peters out. The ending seems to justify the terrorists’ action.

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I Saw Insidious

INSIDIOUS-2010-This is just a POLTERGEIST/THE EXORCIST/AMITYVILLE HORROR rip-off that critics made a big about because the director of SAW, James Wan made it.

A family seems to be terrorized in their house by some unknown force after their young son goes into a coma He's really possessed by a demon in a place called "the further" and the further I go with this review the further I can think of bad things to say about this derivative nonsense. I've read comments calling it the scariest horror movie ever but it's just talky shit with some loud noises thrown in. Parts of it, especially when 3 psychic researchers appear seem unintentionally funny.

I will give director Wan credit though. He tries using suspense and shock rather than the usual blood and gore associated with most modern horror films. Maybe I'm just a jaded old foggie but for me it didn’t live up to it’s hype!

Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne are the parents and Barbara Hershey (apparently with a new face) is his mother. Lin Shaye is the main psychic and screenwriter Leigh Whannell has a role.

Thanks for reading! Happy Fourth of July!

Why Are They Scared?

13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS!-1965-This talky, innocuous drama shows the decline of once popular "gimmick" director William Castle. 

13 girls from a Swiss boarding school (all daughters of diplomats) get into trouble while on vacation. The story focuses on one girl Candy (Kathy Dunn) who's diplomatic father is played by Hugh Marlowe (EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS). Khigh Dhiegh (in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE the year before) is the Red Chinese diplomat who's niece Candy befriends. Murray Hamilton and Joyce Taylor are the special agents Candy helps. Despite the violence and espionage this almost seems aimed at teenage girls!

Emil Sitka has an un-billed role as the school's care taker. Castle made the comical remake of THE OLD DARK HOUSE the same year. Screenwriter Robert Dillon also penned Corman's X-THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES the same year.

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Late Castle

LET'S KILL UNCLE-1966-Shock/gimmick director William Castle was nearing the end of his long career when he made this weird talky mystery that takes place mostly on a secluded island.

A bratty kid named Barnaby (Pat Cardi) is the heir to his deceased father's fortune. He goes to the island to meet his only other relative, his uncle Kevin (Nigel Green who was in KHARTOUM the same year). Accompanying Barnaby is a police sergeant (Robert Pickering) and the same aged Chrisse (Mary Badham) who's going to visit her aunt (Linda Lawson) who lives on the island. Before the uncle arrives the kids get into some trouble at an abandoned hotel who's only occupant is Ketchman (Ref Sanchez) a legless, scar faced fisherman who has a shark in the hotel's swimming pool. Once the uncle arrives it's obvious he wants to do away with his nephew but since the kid is a braggart and liar no one believes him. He and Chrissie decide to kill "Unk" first.

There's a lot of false scares and talk and the ending is kind of idiotic. Also with Nestor Paiva as a ship captain. Cardi was a busy child actor on TV in the '60's and starred in the low budget horror film TWISTED BRAIN in 1974. He later created Moviefone.

Badham was nominated for a Academy Award in 1962 for her role as Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD but never did much else. After a almost 40 year absence she returned to the screen in OUR VERY OWN in 2005. Lawson was later in MRS. STONE'S THING with Ed Wood! Castle made 4 more movies after this and died in 1977. Sometimes called LET'S KILL UNCLE BEFORE HE KILLS US.

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From France

HIGH TENSION-2003-Two college students Marie and Alexia go to stay at Alexia’s family’s country home. At night a truck driving killer breaks in and slays the family taking Alexia hostage. Marie manages to evade the killer and sets out to get Alexia back. This is a violent and suspenseful French thriller but the POV camera work and climax are a cheat with several plot holes that made the whole thing disappointing (at least for me).

Director Alexandre Aja did the remake of THE HILLS HAVE EYES in the US 2 years later and made another remake PIRANHA 3-D in 2010.

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Darkness

DARKNESS-2002-Interesting little horror film that never got the big screen attention it probably deserved (especially considering the state of horror films these days).

An American family moves to a house in Spajn that turns out to be haunted. The mother (Lena Olin) and the daughter (Anna Paquin) fight a lot. The father (Iain Glen) has a psychotic episodes and the young son (Stephan Enquist) draws weird pictures. It turns out the house was built by some devil worshippers decades before in a failed attempt to end the world with the murders of 7 children. Yep, you guessed! They’re going for round 2! Giancarlo Gianni is their grandfather.

This not a typical gory horror film and uses suspense and good acting to carry it. Not for everyone I guess. Director Jaume Balaguero made another horror film I'd like to see called {REC].

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