I can’t speak for how faithful this adaptation of Marquis De Sade’s Justine (aka Cruel Passion) is, but if it doesn’t stick directly to the text, I have to imagine it sticks to the author’s intent (the best it can, that is, without being pornographic). Under the direction of Chris Boger, and the lens of Coen Brothers stalwart Roger Deakins, Justine is an erotically-charged, bleak little number about a girl (Koo Stark, supposedly playing a pre-teen, though she’s obviously and thankfully in her 20′s) who clings desperately to her innocence while ricocheting from scene to scene where that chastity is put to the test in harrowing ways.
The film doesn’t skimp on the depravity, featuring rape, necrophilia, mother-son incest and more, but before you draw the conclusion that this is some despicable sleaze-fest, it really isn’t. Boger, perhaps limited by the censors, picks his battles, and when he does, he always chooses sexual frankness over outright titillation. Many things are discussed or implied without being directly shown. There’s not much nudity in here for an “erotic” film from the 1970′s, and Boger chooses to construct the entire film as little episodes of trouble for Justine, building up to its nihilistic, tough-as-nails conclusion.
Dark Shadows fans, worried that Tim Burton has turned your beloved TV show into something funny? Don’t worry. He hasn’t. Welcome to Collinsport, a sleepy Maine fishing town, home of the supernaturally troubled Collins family and their long lost vampiric relative from centuries ago, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp). In his younger days, Barnabas made the mistake of fooling around with a jealous witch (Eva Green), and it cost him his humanity and the life of his one true love. He’s back now, and ready to take on the 1970′s fishing industry with gusto! Such is the plot of Dark Shadows, a hopeless mish-mash of weak comedy and even weaker melodrama, chained by the leg to its source material and tossed into a sea of gothic set dressing and meaningless, non-stop talking.
Barnabas Collins is presented on the written page (by screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith) as an insatiable cad, desired by nearly every woman he meets, and unable to control his own lustful urges. It feels appropriate of his soap opera character roots, where passionate sexual trysts are a near-daily activity. What Grahame-Smith may not have counted on is that Burton doesn’t have any interest (or possibly doesn’t even understand) sex at all. Through Depp and Burton’s interpretation, Barnabas is another cartoon character brought to life, influenced simultaneously by German expressionism and the Groovy Ghoulies. Many key scenes, in which Green’s Angelique is able to manipulate Barnabas’s carnal nature into situations that he immediately regrets, end up not making a lick of sense when deflated into an embarrassed rush of special effects and rimshot-ready dialogue.
First things first, I can almost guarantee you’ve never seen a film like Bill Gunn’s 1973 effort Ganja & Hess. Perhaps incorrectly labeled as “blaxploitation” because of the time period in which it was released, this vampire movie is about as far from something like Blacula as you can possibly get. Kino Lorber, along with the Museum of Modern Art, has restored the film from its abbreviated 78 minutes to the director’s 110-minute vision, and in doing so, has presented us with a soulful, difficult film that’s more of a loose collection of atmospheric sequences than a 1970′s shocker. The movie it reminded me of the most was Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, but even then, that film is more concerned with its narrative than Gunn’s avant garde take on horror.
Duane Jones, recognizable to horror fans everywhere as Ben from Night of the Living Dead, plays Hess Green, who we’re told is cursed with vampirism by being stabbed with a cursed dagger before the film begins. Hess treats his curse a little bit like one might treat a compulsive secret – with personal fulfillment and privacy. He meets Ganja (Marlene Clark), the widow of one of his victims, and she’s unusually tolerant of his vampirism (such is love). Soon, his private activity becomes a shared one.
For a little while, I was fascinated by Mill Creek Entertainment’s 12-in-1 DVD horror sets. The movies were, by and large, pretty terrible, but every now and then, you’d come across one that had just enough production value and narrative interest to compel you to actually finish it. Those watchable films were rare. If you know what I’m talking about, then you’ll understand when I say that Virgin Witch is like one of the better movies in a Mill Creek set. Which is to say, it’s terrible.
Real-life sisters Ann Michelle and Vicki Michelle play a couple of wannabe models who fall under the spell of a lesbian modeling agent and are quickly seduced into her coven of witches. One of the sisters is especially attractive to the witches, her being a virgin and them needing a virgin for their ritual, but they don’t count on her burgeoning psychic powers to throw a kink into their plans.
We’re obviously big Roger Corman fans here at HorrorsNotDead, and, even though we can’t personally party with the legendary filmmaker on his birthday (April 5), we can still celebrate with him from miles away in Austin, Texas! Thanks to Tugg.com, we’ll be hosting a special birthday screening of his 1961 Vincent Price classic THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. This was the second Edgar Allen Poe film from Corman, a series that eventually came to represent his peak as a director. Each of the Corman/Poe/Price team-ups are expertly paced, visually exciting, and full of genuine menace and thrills, so we can practically guarantee you’ll have a great time.
The mysterious passing of a nobleman’s wife is placed under scrutiny by her suspicious brother-in-law. As he investigates her death, he uncovers the castle’s secret past as a place of torture during the Spanish Inquisition and its lingering influence on those who live between its walls. The film stars Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr, and Luane Anders.
This rare opportunity to see a Corman classic on the big screen will take place at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar on Thursday, April 5 at 9:45pm. Tickets are available here. As with all Tugg events, the screening doesn’t happen until their minimum attendance is met, so please spread the word on the screening to anyone and everyone you know, and we hope to see you on April 5!
From Jacob Hall–“This is one wacky movie. I’m not sure if it’s a good movie, but man, seeing this with a packed audience in a real movie theater was one hell of an experience. This movie is like bad dream: incomprehensible, driven by ludicrous jumps in logic and sanity instead of story and filled to the brim with alien worm rape. It also features Sid Haig as a man who really, really loves his knives, so there’s no way it can be all bad.”
Galaxy of Terror felt like a punishment. What did I do? Maybe this was because I liked the recent remake/prequel of The Thing (it’s not great, but I didn’t hate it). Surely, if I liked one cheap, crappy cash-in, I’d like another?
From Jacob Hall–“Contrary to popular belief, Hitchcock didn’t make many true horror films. However, two of the three horror films that he did make are undisputed classics that threaten to overshadow the rest of his career. Unlike PSYCHO, THE BIRDS is a very traditional horror film in structure, only paving new ground with the unsettling, open-ended conclusion. It’s the epitome of the ‘animals attack people for no apparent reason’ subgenre, a film that has the patience to spend its first half introducing its characters before putting them through a living hell. The effects are top notch, the performances genuine, and the film’s final thirty minutes are one of the most harrowing siege sequences put on film. This is a horror masterpiece if one ever existed. I’m surprised that John, the ultimate fan of old school horror, hasn’t seen this, but I’m incredibly excited to finally introduce him to it.”
Oh my god, this movie had, like, a lot of birds in it! Mostly seagulls and crows, but there were also a pair of lovebirds too, and you just knew they were going to snap any second, ‘cause these birds be crazy up here in Bodega Bay! “What did you think of The Birds?”
So, FRIGHT NIGHT PART II picks up right after the first film, with Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale) changing his memories of the events in the first film (vampires move in next door) through therapy, and keeping an arm’s length relationship with TV horror host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), who’s still convinced they killed vampires together a couple of years before. Everything’s hunky-dory for approximately fifteen minutes of this sequel, until Julie Carmen shows up as Regine, with her entourage of monster movie weirdos (including audience favorite Jon Gries as a sleazy werewolf).
She’s got her sights set on Charlie, wanting to turn him into a vampire, for a reason that feels too obvious despite it being the film’s only surprise. Fright Night Part II is energetic and amiable enough, but it almost literally can’t find a good reason to exist. Too light on both scares and comedy, the film mostly consists of Charlie sneaking around once again and peeking at vampires through windows, trying to convince the one character who shouldn’t need any convincing (Vincent) that the bloodsuckers are back.
» Dave in Top 10: Horror Film Bloodbaths
Yikes. Outside of TCM everything is modern. Have you not seen any Lucio Fulci films?? Ruggero Deodato?? Umberto Lenzi? Love your site, but this list was a little weak.
» Samantha in Terror Tuesday Report: The Stepfather (1987)
I am disappointed that DVD to the Stepfather did not include deleted scenes that were seen on TV. Some of these scenes included Stephanie investigating the burnt car her counselor was killed in Susan walking to...
» Horror Movie Medication in Review: MARTYRS
I like what you said about wishing the story could go on and offer some more explination to all the torture. I watched this movie and it felt like a two act play. It could have ended with Lucie and been a short story, or it...
I can’t speak for how faithful this adaptation of Marquis De Sade’s Justine (aka Cruel Passion) is, but if it doesn’t stick directly to the text, I have to imagine it sticks to the author’s intent (the best it can, that is, without being pornographic). Under the direction of Chris Boger, and the lens of Coen Brothers stalwart Roger Deakins, Justine is an erotically-charged, bleak little number about a girl (Koo Stark, supposedly playing a pre-teen, though she’s obviously and thankfully in her 20′s) who clings desperately to her innocence while ricocheting from scene to scene where that chastity is put to the test in harrowing ways.
