Saturday is Horror Day #7 - The Woman in Black (1989), The Dentist

 The Woman in Black (1989) 

Grieving widower Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent on business to a remote region, leaving his son Joseph with the nanny. He promises Joseph they will be reunited in just a few days when the nanny brings him on the train to meet him. Arthur is a solicitor who has to go through all the papers left on an estate, which is a tall order indeed. On his arrival, Arthur gets the distinct impression that no one wants him there. His room reservations suddenly don't exist, and everyone seems determined to put him on the next train back to London. But Arthur isn't one to give up quite so easily.

On the train, he strikes up an acquaintance with a man from the village, Sam Daily (Ciaran Hinds). Hitting it off, Sam invites Arthur to dinner the following night and Arthur agrees. The estate where Arthur is to work is sadly neglected and very desolate. And yet Arthur spies a woman on the property, one dressed entirely in black. On his return to the village, he happens to be at the constable's office when two young boys bring in a girl who is in a bad way, having apparently drunk lye. Before Arthur can even think what to do, the girl dies in his arms. And now the villagers are more adamant than ever that he must go, that it's his fault the girl died.

When he goes to dinner at the house of his new friend, Sam warns Arthur not to talk about children, if at all possible. He and his wife (Janet McTeer) lost their son, Nathaniel, and he doesn't wish to distress her. But Arthur learns there is more to that story when, at the dinner table, Mrs. Daily talks of how her son liked to draw and still does and then proceeds to jab a knife into the wood table, gouging it severely before her husband calms her down.

Sam doesn't believe in the supernatural, but since his wife's death, Arthur isn't so sure. And now he's seeing and hearing things that make him wonder who is the woman in black, and what does she have to do with the deaths of the children?

I have to admit I wasn't sure what to expect of this film, or of Daniel Radcliffe. I was just beginning to think it a run of the mill gothic when suddenly it wasn't. And yes, I'll admit I jumped at least once. The premise has been used before. We saw it in Dracula with Jonathan Harker going to Dracula's estate in order to discuss legal matters with him. But this version sees Radcliffe as a grieving widower trying to deal with the loss of his wife while raising the son he loves more than anything.

This film has a definite Gothic atmosphere, and a rather creepy vibe as we watch Arthur become sidetracked from his duties by the mystery of the woman in black, whom he has seen more than once. And every time he sees her, another child dies. I really liked it, and definitely didn't see the ending coming. Definitely worth the watch, I give it a pretty solid 4 stars.

The Dentist

Dr. Alan Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) is a successful dentist with more than just a cleanliness fetish - he absolutely abhors anything that is even a little dirty. Finding out that his young blonde wife is cheating on him, with no less than the pool man, who is filthy and dirty by the very nature of what he does, sends Alan careening over the edge, spiraling into madness... and revenge.

While spying on the pool man at his neighbor's house (she's also carrying on with the man), the good

doctor is attacked by her dog, whom he dispatches with cold efficiency. Long overdue at the office, his 

patients are growing impatient, and his loyal office staff is trying to placate them. When the doctor is finally in, he starts to keep his appointments, including that of a budding starlet, April Reign (Christa Sauls) who has been brought by her manager, Steve (Mark Ruffalo). Upset over the perfidy of his wife, the doctor hallucinates and begins to molest the poor woman while in the chair. He comes to himself to find her panty hose on the floor, her bra undone. He hastily tries to make repairs, but ends up shoving the panty hose under the table, and telling her manager to take her out for fresh air as she's had a bad reaction to something.

As if things weren't difficult enough, the doctor has been dodging calls from an IRS agent, until the agent shows up on his doorstep and can't be ignored any longer. How will he deal with him, with so much on his plate?

Luring his unsuspecting cheating wife to his office under the pretext they are going out, he introduces her to a new chair he's had installed at his office, and to a rather unusual producedure. Later he takes her home and wreaks vengeance on the hapless pool man.

The doctor can't seem to catch a break, and people are catching on. So, like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going and...

This was an interesting role to see Corbin Bernsen play, as I mostly known him from his stint as the sleazy divorce lawyer Arnie Becker on LA Law. I think he was already not too tightly wound from the beginning with his compulsions and his visions, but the discovery of his wife's adultery caused him to snap. I think the strength of this film lies in trying to figure out just how far this crazy dentist will go to get revenge, no matter who gets hurt. Not a great film, but I do intend to watch the sequel. I'll give it a solid 3 stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #5 - Unearthed, Thirst, Hereditary

 There's nothing quite like a good horror film, am I right? Sadly, the first film on this list is not a good horror film. I didn't even finish watching it. I'm only including it on this list as a warning to those who might be interested in watching it to watch at your own risk.

Unearthed (2007) - This movie takes place in the desert, where something is attacking cattle. Let me think, what else? The lady sheriff likes her liquor.. And something strange is going on. I can't really tell you much beyond that because it bored me so much, I turned it off within half an hour. Bad acting, bad writing, and nothing to hold my interest. The only name I recognized in the cast list is M.C. Gainey, who played Bo Crowder in Justified. Nuff said here.

Thirst (2009)

Father Sang-hyum (Kang-ho Song of Parasite) volunteers to be part of a medical experiment, in order to

help people, despite the fact that most of the volunteers before him have died. Although he lives, he requires a blood transfusion which transforms him into a vampire. Returning home, he is looked upon as something of a miracle, and people look to him to help them, unaware of his true nature. They only know he suffered for them.

Going to the hospital to perform his priestly duties, he encounters a childhood friend, Kang-wood (Shin Ha-kyun) and the friend's mother, as well as the adopted girl who grew up to marry the friend, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin). On leaving the hospital, the priest becomes a part of their lives once again, finding himself drawn to the girl he knew so long ago. Tae-ju is less than happy with her dumb husband and his controlling mother, and it isn't long before these two begin an affair. Once Sang-hyun reveals to Tae-ju what he really is, she is shocked at first, and more than a little disturbed, but it isn't long before she embraces her lover's vampiric nature and revels in the potential power they can wield. 

Too bad she has such a dumb husband and a controlling mother-in-law.

Thirst was directed by Park Chan-wook, the same director who brought us The Handmaiden, The Vengeance Trilogy, and Stoker. It is a very well-made and erotic film, an unusual take on vampires, and is not without its humorous moments.

 Although they are both vampires, the priest and the wife are different in temperament. Sang-hyun 

attempts to keep his appetites under control, only taking from those who have already expressed a desire for death in the confessional. One person he feeds from is a kindly man in a coma, whom he says would gladly agree to feeding the priest if he were able to do so. Tae-ju, though, is the opposite. Her new conditions seems to have brought out the cruelty in her nature, and she is more than happy to do away with her husband. Although, ironically, he becomes like a third wheel in their relationship, even after death

This film was well done and very interesting. I enjoyed it and would give it a solid 4 stars.

Hereditary (2018)

Annie (Toni Collette) is an artist who designs and builds miniature rooms, taken directly for her life. She is currently in the middle of working on pieces for her next showing when her mother dies. The death of Annie's mother is a tragic event for her entire family, especially for Annie's daughter Charlie, who was close to her grandmother. Charlie is a bit different, not given to being very communicative. Like her mother, she is an artist, both mother and daughter being compulsive in that regard.

The family attempt to pull together and move on with their lives, but tragedy seems to follow them. Annie tries to secretly deal with her grief by going to a survivor's group meeting, but she isn't sure that is helping. And her son, Peter, feels the weight of what has happened.

But the worst is yet to come.

This film was definitely more than I expected, to be honest. Not your run of the mill horror movie by any means. Gabriel Byrne plays Annie's husband Steve, trying to hold his family together in the midst of so much tragedy. Annie herself is conflicted about her role as a wife and mother. At the beginning we get a glimpse of the controlling nature of her mother, who practically considered Annie's daughter Charlie as her own.

Annie's actions seem rather psychotic at times, and one has to wonder if she's got mental issues going on, or if there is something seriously strange happening to this family. When Annie is approached by a member of the group, Joan, she latches onto her as though she is a lifeline for the drowning mother.  Joan has known grief too, having lost her husband and son.

Peter is suffering his own guilt and torment over what has happened to Charlie, and his mother's actions

are not happening, as the tension grows among them, until he begins to see and experience odd things as well.

I will admit to having some wtf moments where my jaw dropped. Director Ari Aster did a great job with this film, the cast was wonderful, and the story is far from average. I won't give any spoilers, but pay attention, particularly to the opening.

I think by the end of the film, you'll be ready to scream too. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Well worth the watch.

Saturday is Horror Day - Black Christmas (1974), The Axe Murders of Villisca, The FInal Girls

Good morning everyone and Happy Sunday!  Julie here. Hope you're having a great week and staying safe!

 I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I am very fond of horror films, and I'm always looking for more to watch. I keep a list of movies that I've picked up from various sources. Some are movies they say are too hard to finish, some are unknown gems. And there are some that turn out to be not worth watching. But I like to make Saturday my day of horror when I can. Last night I was watching one movie for the second time, thinking what a little known film it is and underappreciated. So I decided to review the movies I watch, to let my readers know what's out there, in case you're looking for something to watch.  I'll start with yesterday. I watched three films - Black Christmas (1974), The Axe Murders of Villisca, and The Final Girls.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) - From what I was reading, this film became the start of the slasher genre. Considering that back then, you could barely swear in movies, this one breaks that barrier for sure. It takes place in a college sorority where someone is hiding in the attic and killing co-eds. Other than being the first of the genre, there are some surprising people you would not expect to find in a horror movie. Olivia Hussey is best known for her portrayal of Juliet against Leonard Whiting's Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. At least that's all I know her from. Keir Dullea was in 2001: A Space Odyssey. And most surprising is Andrea Martin, whom I primarily know from SCTV. She's a great comedian, who knew she did horror too? I guess a lot of actors start out in different genres than they end up in.

Oh, did I forget Margot Kidder? She's there too, mostly known for having played Lois Lane to Christopher Reeve's Superman, and for her later mental and emotional difficulties. Kidder is one of the sorority sisters who seems to be going for the record for drinking the most. She is a drunken mess most of the time. In fact, there seems to be a lot of drinking going on here. The sorority sisters are being harassed by a series of disturbing phone calls that no one else takes seriously. More than heavy breathing, there are assorted voices and strange sounds which are unnerving the girls. But the police don't seem to take the calls seriously. Besides, they have a missing child case on their hands.

One of the girls is pregnant and planning to have an abortion, but her boyfriend is adamantly against the idea. The story starts as Christmas break is about to begin. One of the girls' fathers was supposed to meet his daughter but she never showed up. And the fun has just begun...

Although a little dated now, this is worth a watch, although the genre has come a long way since then. The alcoholic house mother is so ridiculous she's hilarious, with stashes of booze hidden in the strangest places. One of the policemen's prank on one of his fellow officers is hilarious, if a little dated (you have to realize that at one time the first two digits of a phone number actually stood for something). All I'll say about the joke is that you have to know what fellatio is (which the cop didn't, obviously) in order to fully appreciate the humor.

I guess I rate this at three out of five stars. I did notice there is another Black Christmas, done in 2006, which also takes place in a sorority house. Not sure if it's intended as a reboot or remake or what, but this one has a few people you might know too, such as Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Lacey Chabert. Also, Andrea Martin is in this too, which lends credence to the reboot theory. Also look for Oliver Hudson, son of Goldie Hawn and brother to Kate Hudson.

THE AXE MURDERS OF VILLISCA - 

This film is based on a true story. In 1912, someone broke into a house in Villisca, Iowa and killed the eight people sleeping there. I did some digging. While they call the case unsolved, there was a confession, although the man wasn't convicted because of a mistrial. To me, that's just a technicality.

Now it's years later, as we meet the protagonists of our film. Caleb, Denny, and Jess. Jess is the new girl at the high school, who has a "reputation" due to an unfortunate video of her. Caleb and Denny are best friends, each with his own troubled past. They have a video blog that deals with the supernatural and paranormal. They are going to take a tour of the house in Villisca for their blog, and Jess ends up going along, to Denny's annoyance. 

At the murder house, mannikins take the place of the murder victims, killed in bed by the axe-wielding fiend. The owner of the house takes the three on the tour, only to cut it short when Jess goes where she shouldn't. Denny is pissed until Jess suggests they come back later, since obviously the man and his wife don't sleep there as the beds are all taken with mannikins.

Back inside the house, trouble begins when they discover they are far from alone, and the spirits of the deceased are very much with them. Add to that two other students who like to make life hell, and you have a recipe for disaster.

This film was made in 2016 and has much greater production values than our first film. But in all fairness, it's forty years later and technology has greatly advanced since the first one was made. The acting is decent for the genre. I didn't recognize any of the cast other than Conchata Ferrell, who plays the principal of the high school. Everyone has a troubled back story, and these all come out as the movie progresses. Sometimes a little hokey, with the spirit possession and all, but nonetheless entertaining enough for a view. I've seen a lot worse.  I think it's a worthwhile watch, and I'll give it 3.5 stars.

THE FINAL GIRLS - This is the film that got me thinking it deserves more attention than I think it has received. This was actually my second time watching this one.

Max's mother is a a struggling actress, who is only remembered by her peers and her adoring fans for a teen slasher pic she made twenty years before, Camp Bloodbath. In a tragic accident at the start of the film, she is killed and Max goes to live with her aunt. Three years later, Max is still grieving her mother's loss when she is approached by her best friend Gertie's stepbrother, Duncan, to appear at a film festival that night to mark the anniversary of the Camp Bloodbath films. Max is reluctant but agrees to show up when he promises to do her homework for the rest of the year. It doesn't hurt that the guy she likes, Chris, offers to go. He's the ex of a former friend of Max (I know, complicated teen lives).

At the film showing, an accidental fire erupts, and Max and her friends are trapped by the screen, the only way out being to cut through it, which they do, and step into... the movie? Suddenly they find themselves inside the film Camp Bloodbath, along with all the cast from the movie. Despite their best efforts, they can't get away from the place. It's like a living nightmare. The only way out is to survive the killer, and the only way to do that, from a logical standpoint, is to stick with the final girl. (For those who don't know, the final girl is the one who survives the killer and ends up killing him in order to do so).

But how well is this plan going to work?

This film is so good, I just loved it. The premise is unique among horror films, and it's actually very funny, but also has its touching moments, primarily with Max and her mother, who is part of the cast and very much alive within the context of the film. Max gets to experience her again, even if her mother doesn't realize who she is. But they bond nonetheless. Taissa Farmiga plays Max, and Alexander Ludwig is Chris. If you have seen Vikings, you'll recognize him as Bjorn Ironside, son of Ragnar Lothbrok. And appearing as Max's one time friend, Chris' ex, is Nina Dobrev of Vampire Diaries fame. While I don't like her in that, she acquits herself well in this film.

The characters in Camp Bloodbath are definite stereotypes, such as the overly horny busty female, and her male counterpart, the quiet brilliant student, and the shy quiet girl. But that's what also makes it hilarious too. I guess that makes it a horror comedy. Kind of like the Geico commercial that's a spoof on horror films that shows the teens making all bad choices and the chainsaw-wielding killer shaking his head at their stupidity. This is my favorite of the three I watched yesterday.

I hope you enjoyed my reviews, I hope to do more of these, maybe go back and cover ones I watched before, such as The Autopsy of Jane Done (another little known gem which has Brian Cox in it!).

Enjoy your day and be safe!