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Author Topic: Building the Horror/Thriller 1000  (Read 63162 times)

1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #90 on: November 19, 2016, 03:12:20 PM »
Recommended.
Left me thinking...




Will review later.

1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #91 on: November 24, 2016, 10:39:19 PM »

The Vampire Lovers (1970)
* *
Somebody at Hammer said “lesbian vampire” and the whole room got excited. Too bad that was the end of inspiration. The usual Hammer film production values are there and there’s a lot of beauty for the male gaze to enjoy, but this is a really routine vampire film and not even that perverse about its subject matter.


Scars of Dracula (1970)
* *
Hammer is starting to lower their standards. There are some surprising moments of brutality, but aside from Christopher Lee, the acting is a lower quality and the situations often teeter on unintentionally funny, especially when it involves Dracula’s ability to command some silly-looking bats.
 

Robin Redbreast (1970)
* * * - Okay
Full Review Here


Malpertuis (1971)
* *
Very strange, very surreal Alice in Wonderland type story. I forgot to write about this when I first watched it a week ago and while I remember the imagery being distinct and bold, the only thing that sticks in my brain is Orson Welles lying and dying in a big plushy bed. I’m finding myself less interested in this sub-genre of surreal filmmaking (Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, Eden and After) that falls into Horror on technicality.


The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)
* * * - Good
Full Review Here

« Last Edit: February 11, 2017, 08:53:12 PM by 1SO »

1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #92 on: November 27, 2016, 01:24:25 AM »

Blade of the Ripper (1971)
aka. The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
* * * - Good
A Good giallo film?!? And from the director of the incompetent Torso. Embraces the gimmicky plots of Italian Horror with a twist followed by a double surprise reveal and then another double twist. Obviously, plot logic can’t possibly survive all these turnabouts, but there’s a fun to the boldness of it. Fast moving thriller that’s mostly a series of suspense set pieces in the back half. Film is also gleefully sleazy, which helps in this rare instance.


10 Rillington Place (1971)
* * * - Okay
Docu-thriller that aims for factual information over suspense or thrills, making it more of a dramatic play than a Horror film. Directed by Richard Fleischer and very similar to the way he presented The Boston Strangler back in 1968. Other side of the pond, same type of trouble.
 

Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971)
* ½
Much as I grumble about Mario Bava, he’s an artist compared to Lucio Fulci, who by now I only stumble on by accident. (I like Martin’s generous description that Fulci “shows some admirable – though not exceptional – directorial flair.”) I’ve seen 6 films by Fulci and only one isn’t terrible. He has three more films in this Marathon. I’ll decide in the moment.


The Shiver of the Vampires (1971)
aka. Le Frisson des Vampires
aka. Sex and Vampires
aka. Strange Things Happen at Night
aka. Terror of the Vampires
aka. Thrill of the Vampire
aka. Vampire Thrills
* *
Jean Rollin walks the line between Horror and Softcore Porn. He’s visually more interesting than expected, but in the battle between telling a story and getting characters naked, storytelling doesn’t even put its hands up. They Shoot Zombies has 5 films by Rollin. I’m curious to know how he rates so highly.


Cuadecuc, Vampir (1971)
½
The problem with most any Watchlist is you’re usually not taking a list of titles from someone who knows you but more likely a general list of films considered worthy. That’s how a non-narrative, experimental film like this slips in. It makes me angry that there are genuine sleepers and buried treasure but people like Jonathan Rosenbaum would rather champion something that makes the deliberate choice to have a sound mix that only matches the picture at one point.

verbALs

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #93 on: November 27, 2016, 04:16:57 AM »
10 RP is a lot more like Fleischers Compulsion than Boston Strangler but you only think the films worth a line so who knows what you really mean. If only the film had had dragons, there'd be pages.  :D All 3 discuss real psychopaths and all had a cultural impact; Christie created the same shudder to the psyche in London that those American psychos did. It's very interesting for one director to handle well known crime cases in 3 different ways. So how is a police procedural similar to a film that nails its focus inside one house and stays with the killer, unnervingly so? That might explain the feel of a play but that idea of what wierd things go on behind respectable curtains  ;D is peculiarly appealing. Oh yeah and Richard Attenborough and John Hurt are in it, which is possibly worth mentioning.

Not a horror film, feels like you buried the lead there.  ;D If Fleischer were a schlock director then Mandingo wouldn't be such an unhandleable challenge. He fascinates me. The guy gets blockbuster type movies to make, and laces these examinations of psychology into his work over 20 years like Spielberg popping off to make Zodiac in his spare time or Steve MacQueen making a slavery movie before helming the next JK Rowling movie.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2016, 04:26:42 AM by verbALs »
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1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #94 on: November 27, 2016, 09:04:44 AM »
I deliberately buried the lead. Psychologically, saying a film doesn't belong within the strict confines of the genre gives genre fans a reason not to watch. You'll notice I often say "not a horror film" when it's not and I Don't like it. That said, the Marathon seems to be flooded with serial killers right now, this one just happens to be a true story.

I forgot about Compulsion, which gives Fleischer a trilogy of films I recommend.

I should've mentioned Attenborough at least. This is some amazing work, up there with Brighton Rock and Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #95 on: November 28, 2016, 01:28:21 PM »
I forgot about Compulsion, which gives Fleischer a trilogy of films I recommend.

Available to stream from Netflix in December!

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1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #96 on: December 01, 2016, 12:09:27 AM »

The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
* * * - Okay
One of the better omnibus British Horrors, which usually treat the genre like comedy, setup followed by punchline. This one has only 4 stories and takes more than 90 minutes so the characters and situations get to develop. That said the twists are still pretty silly.


They Have Changed Their Face (1971)
* * ½
This one I’m going to remember because it blends several genres – horror, mystery, fantasy, science fiction – into a satire on capitalism, where the CEOs are all financial vampires draining the planet of all its resources, from wealth to mortality. Being Italian, the whole thing barely holds together as logic quickly flies out the window, but the ideas are extremely interesting and it gets through the mess of a plot to deliver its message. Film nerds will also enjoy commercials done in the style of Godard and Fellini.
 

Requiem for a Vampire (1971)
* * ½
My 2nd Jean Rollin film combining sex and vampires (but not sexy vampires). This one is more up front about the sex, with a 7-minute sequence in the middle. It’s also quite a bit goofier, with some New Wave plotting. I hope Rollin goes further in this direction. I almost didn’t notice the more serious “Requiem” aspect with Vampires dying out because of their strict rules for survival.


The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)
* *
I’ll admit, this may be victim of watching too much Italian giallo in too short a time span, but I’ve started becoming more forgiving of the sub-genre’s shortcomings and I still found this very routine within those lower standards. This one has recently started to pop up as a buried treasure, largely due to its precise, Hitchcockian edits, but the mystery doesn’t deepen with each murder, it just repeats the cycle over and over until the predictably surprise finale.


Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
* *
Hammer take on J&H with a gender twist, also throws in body snatchers Burke & Hare and Jack the Ripper. Smart ideas for a good horror film, but it hardly develops the tremendous potential. Is Hyde’s attraction to men an indication that Jekyll might be homosexual? Is her all female murder spree connected to Jekyll’s suppression of sexual urges? The film never even considers what it’s presenting, which is a real shame. 

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #97 on: December 01, 2016, 08:05:50 PM »
The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
* * * - Okay
One of the better omnibus British Horrors, which usually treat the genre like comedy, setup followed by punchline. This one has only 4 stories and takes more than 90 minutes so the characters and situations get to develop. That said the twists are still pretty silly.

Quality box art though eh? Even though I've never seen it before, it's of a style that takes me back to the horror isle at that rental shop, where judging a film by its cover was quite as useful as reading the blurb on the back.

1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #98 on: December 03, 2016, 12:44:38 AM »

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971)
* *
Another routine giallo. It has the interesting framing device of being narrated by someone everyone thinks is dead, so there’s the mystery of how he ended up in such a state, the question of will he be discovered in time and the expected murder mystery. The climactic scene is bonkers, but getting there is bland.


The Third Part of the Night (1971)
* *
Film debut of notorious Andrzej Zulawski is reported to be his most ‘normal’ film, though it was still difficult for me to get through. There are only a couple of screaming fits, but the surreal/twisty plot and dialogue that had me questioning the accuracy of the subtitles left me mostly befuddled. Wanting to get into Zulawski’s particular madness, I focused on some of the interesting imagery, where he can be most memorable. I’ve added his 2nd film, Diabel, to this Marathon, which shows that even if I’m not satisfied, I’m still curious.
 

Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
* * ½
A parade of mediocre giallo is one way to get me to appreciate Dario Argento. You can spot the difference in cinematic skill immediately, even if the script is just as bland, with some terrible comedy. Positives include an interesting mask worn by the killer, a terrific shot following a body falling backwards down stairs with its head banging against every step, and a clever explanation for the title.


Blood Freak (1972)
½ 
A guy does too much drugs and turns into a giant turkey monster. According to Letterboxd, there are 30 worse films in this Marathon, but that would surprise me. It surpasses Terror in the Midnight Sun as the worst I’ve seen so far, though still slightly better than Night of the Lepus, also released in 1972. This barely qualifies as a film with occasional cutaways to a guy sitting at a desk to fill in story gaps. Big laugh for the sound of a turkey gobble to attempt suspense.


Raw Meat (1972)
aka. Death Line
aka. Sub-Humans
* * ½
Donald Pleasence plays a Scotland Yard Inspector investigating a series of disappearances in the London Underground connected to a collapsed train tunnel and an aborted rescue of the survivors. Despite a cameo by Christopher Lee, this is grittier and grislier than Hammer Horror. Also less fun, though I begrudgingly respect bringing a darker tone to U.K. Horror.

1SO

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Re: Horror: The Final Chapter
« Reply #99 on: December 04, 2016, 09:33:12 PM »
After blazing through the first half-century, my chronology appears to be stuck in the mud. Here's how my Watchlist breaks down by Decade.

1910s - 1 film
1920s - 3
1930s - 7
1940s - 11
1950s - 20
1960s - 52
1970s - 106, inc. 21 films from 1972
1980s - 79
1990s - 34
2000s - 75
2010s - 46