Tag Archives: horror movie reviews

Saturday is Horror Day #221 – Venom (1981)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Venom (1981)

Philip Hopkins (Lance Holcomb) is the ten-year-old son of a well-to-do family. His asthma keeps him mostly indoors among the pets he loves and collects. When his mother Ruth (Cornelia Sharpe), goes to join his father in Rome, Philips is left in the care of his grandfather Howard Anderson (Sterling Hayden), a world famous hunter, and the family maid Louise (Susan George) and the chauffeur Dave (Oliver Reed). Philip and his grandfather concoct a little scheme to enable Philip to sneak out of the house long enough to pick up his newest purchase from the dealer – a gray snake. Unknown to them, Dave and Louise have their own plan that is going to go down while the mother is away, one that involves a third man, Jacmel (Klaus Kinski) – they plan to kidnap the boy and hold him for ransom.

Meanwhile, at the Institute of Toxicology, Dr. Marion Stowe (Sarah Miles) discovers that a snake that was

recently purchased by them is not the one they ordered, it’s a common domestic snake. To her horror, she realizes that the purchaser of this domestic snake actually has the black mamba they expected to get – the most dangerous animal in the world. A policeman is sent to the boy’s house to inquire about it, but the nervous kidnappers assume they have been discovered, chaos ensues, and now they are all trapped in the house with a black mamba that is loose and the police are just outside the door – between a rock and a hard place!

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect with this 1981 film (not to be confused with the Tom Hardy film of the same name). I was very pleasantly surprised. This is definitely no cheap horror film, and the snake is not CGI or cartoonish – and something to be legitimately scared of. There are some well-known actors in this film – Oliver Reed, Sterling Hayden, Susan George, Klaus Kinski, Sarah Miles, and Nicol Williamson as the police commander who is determined to rescue the boy and his grandfather. The acting is wonderful, as is the writing and direction. I had no idea what was going to happen, it is far from predictable. I loved Nicol Williamson’s performance as Commander Bulloch – he commands any scene he is in. You may remember him from the film Excalibur where he played Merlin. Oliver Reed as the chauffeur is prone to act first and think after, which doesn’t work well. You may remember him from such films as Gladiator and Tommy.

Klaus Kinski as the cold rather psychotic German is perfect. You may recall I recently reviewed Nosferatu, where he starred as the titular character. I much preferred Venom and his performance there.  All in all, a very entertaining film, well worth watching. I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #220 – The Whip and the Body

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Whip and the Body

Nobleman Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) returns to his family castle to congratulate his brother Christian (Tony Kendall) on his marriage to Kurt’s former lover Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). His return is not exactly greeted with open arms by his father the Count (Gustavo De Nardo), Nevenka, the servant Giorgia (Harriet Medin) who blames him for the death of her daughter  or even his cousin Katie (Ida Galli). Tension reigns in the household.

Kurt proves to be a rather sadistic fellow who seems to enjoy torturing the people around him. At one

point, Nevenka over hears her husband and his cousin discussing their love for one another. Horrified, she escapes the castle for some private time by the sea, riding her horse. As she sits on the shore, contemplating her life choices, Kurt finds her, he takes her whip from her and strikes her with it – as though they have played this particular game before. She reacts favorably to his actions and they make love on the beach.

Later, when Nevenka is miss, and everyone is searching for her, Kurt is stabbed and killed by the same knife that killed Giorgia’s daughter. Tension grows as the household suspects one another of being Kurt’s killer, while Nevenka is haunted by the ghost of Kurt. When the Count is also found dead, also by the dagger, there can be no doubt of a killer in their midst. But is Kurt actually dead is the question.

I ran across this Italian film on Shudder. I’d never heard of it, but knowing Christopher Lee was in it was good enough for me. It was in Italian, with English subtitles. I could never tell if That was Christopher Lee’s voice or not since he didn’t have the usual depth of voice one associates with the actor. On the other hand, he was of Italian heritage, so it’s not impossible.

This is a bit of a departure for Lee, being a Gothic type horror film without a vampire in sight. Seeing him kiss a woman without biting her neck is also different. But all kidding aside, this is like a soap opera horror story set in an isolated Italian castle by the sea. The plot was sometimes difficult to fathom but once I sorted it out in my head, it wasn’t too hard to follow. It does have atmosphere, and appropriately angsty music, but it was made in 1963, so the pacing feels a little dated.

I wish the filmmaker had given us better insight as to the nature of the relationship between Kurt and the others, or why he was gone to begin with. So much bad blood, and probably not all justified. It was interesting to watch Lee, in particular, but I don’t think I would watch this again. That being said, I’ll give this film 2.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #219 – The Prowler (1981)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Prowler(1981)

At the end of World War II, many soldiers came home to find the women they loved had sent them Dear John letters, ending their relationship. In the town of Avalon Bay, after the war was over, a young couple are brutally murdered by a man with a pitchfork, and their murders go unsolved.

Thirty-five years, the teens in Avalon Bay are holding their annual graduation dance. But the joyful event is married when a prowler is reported to be in the community. They are told to stay at the school and not to leave until the man is caught. But a killer is on the loose in Avalon Bay and he wears the fatigues of a US World War II soldier….

This film is definitely a product of the 80s, as evidenced by the writing, the acting, and the production values. It has a couple of names I recognized, such as Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney, but most of the cast is unknown to me. I like Farley Granger in Rope, an Alfred Hitchcock film based on the story of Leopold and Lobe, but I fear he is wasted here.

I confess to being confused by the motivation of the soldier/killer here. If he was jilted 35 years ago, why come at these teens so long after the fact? Did he keep his original pitchfork or what? I will admit that some of the scares are effective and I did jump a time or two. But the film is uneven, and those moments did not sustain my interest. Luckily, it’s only about an hour and a half long. I’ll give this film 2 Tars.

Saturday is Horror Day #218 – Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

Solicitor Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) is sent by his employer Renfield (Roland Topor) to Transylvania to assist a new client, Count Dracula (Klaus Kinski) in the purchase of a house in Wismar, Germany, where Harker lives with his wife Lucy (Isabelle Adjani). The people in the nearby village warn him not to go there, that there is no castle, and only danger lies there. But he doesn’t listen and, when they refuse to take him there, he walks to the Borgo Pass, where he is met by the Count’s carriage.

The castle is a strange place, and so is the Count. Harker finds it difficult to get him to concentrate on the business at hand. But when he accidentally cuts himself, the Count’s reaction is inexplicable. Harker finally realizes there is something very off about Dracula. Even worse, he is a prisoner in this place – and Dracula is headed toward Wismar – and Lucy.

Meanwhile, Lucy is anxious to learn any news of her husband, who has fallen silent. Her friend Mina (Martje Grohmann) tries to console her, but Lucy is distraught. When a mysterious man appears in her bedroom, the Count, Lucy is both frightened and fascinated. Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing problem with rats in Wismar, and as they spread their plague among the village, the death toll is rising, as Harker races back to save his wife.

I admit I had some high hopes about this version of Nosferatru, and the review I saw was good, but I quickly became disillusioned and almost turned it off, but decided to stick it out in order to give it a fair shot.  That didn’t help. Where to start? The actor playing Renfield was so manic and over the top, that in reality, he would have been locked up well before he was in this film.

Also, I found Isabelle Adjani’s acting to be terrible, and very over the top but not in a good way. I understand she is considered to be a talented actress, but I saw none of that in this film.

The original Nosferatu was an actual rip-off of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (and they did get sued for that). In this version, for some reason, they made some changes to the original story. Lucy is Harker’s wife, instead of Mina. The other suitors, aka Dr Seward and Quincy Morris, are nowhere in evidence. And the rats is simply a twist on Dracula’s ability to control the rats in the scene in Carfax Abbey.

Klaus Kinski’s make-up, as Count Dracula, is clearly modeled after the original Nosferatu, but his mannerism is at times almost simpering. Other than the fact that he drinks blood from his victims, what is scary about him? Nothing. Neither does he possess the sensuality of Bela Lugosi or Gary Oldman.

All in all, I was disappointed in what at first glance appeared to be a pretty film. But alas, I discovered that it lacked the substance I was hoping to find. I’ll give this film 2 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #217 – The Changeling (1980)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Changeling (1980)

Composter John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter in a horrible accident that leaves him devastated. Several months later, his concerned friends urge him to get away so he rents an old mansion near Seattle, owned by a Mrs. Norman (Madeleine Sherwood). Her daughter Claire (Trish Van Devere) helped him to get the mansion, and she is very helpful in aiding him to settle into the huge mansion. The house seems like a great place for him to resume his composing. But he quickly discovers that he is not alone in the house. As he grows closer to Claire, together they seek to find the answers to the secrets of the house – and the powerful man who is guarding them.

I remember when this movie came out, but I never made an effort to watch it until yesterday, not sure why, but I should have. The film was directed by Peter Medak, who also directed movies such as The Ruling Class and Romeo is Bleeding, as well as episodes of Hannibal and House. The Changeling was beautifully directed and filmed. George C. Scott was already a well-known and very talented actor, but I hadn’t seen one of his films in years, so it was almost like watching him for the first time. Trish Van Devere, who plays Claire, was Scott’s fifth wife. They were married in 1972 and remained married until his death in 1999.

Among the rest of the cast, veteran actor Melvyn Douglas plays a senator whose family once owned the mansion, Jean Marsh plays the ill-fated wife, Barry Morse is a parapsychologist, and John Colicos a detective. If you’re old enough you might remember Madeleine Sherwood from the TV series The Flying Nun – she played the head of the convent where Sally Field was a nun.

A haunting musical score lends atmosphere to this lovely film. The heartbreak of the present helps to solve the sins of the past. This is a great example of a haunted house film, one that I highly recommend. I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #216 – A Haunting in Connecticut 2

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

A Haunting in Connecticut 2

Lisa and Andy Wyrick (Abigail Spencer and Chad Michael Murray) and their daughter Heidi (Emily Alyn Lind) move into an historic house in Georgia.  From the beginning, something feels off about the house… as if someone else is there. Heidi talks about her new friend, Mr. Gordy, who is apparently an older man. Lisa is alarmed until she realizes that Mr. Gordy is an imaginary friend. Lisa’s free-spirited siter Joyce (Katee Sackhoff) joins them, living in a trailer that sits next to the house. From the beginning, she believes there are ghosts in the house, restless spirits who are trying to contact them. Lisa thinks that is so much nonsense. But when strange things start to happen, she begins to question her own sanity, and wonders if her sister may be right/

While this sounds like it’s a sequel to A Haunting in Connecticut, it isn’t. The title was thrown on to capitalize on the first film. Seriously, a movie that takes place in Georgia as a sequel to one that took place in Connecticut with no connection whatsoever?  I’m afraid it goes downhill from there – I know, low bar. The film is based on a true story of the Wyrick family, who claim the women in the family are all natural mediums. While I think there is an interesting story here, involving ghosts and the sins of the past,, I think the writers and the producers failed to capture it. The story was confusing and disjointed, in my opinion, and asks the viewer to suspend an awful lot of disbelief. It also relies a lot on jump scares, which is a rather cheap trick.

The acting is so-so, and the most memorable character, in my opinion, is Mr. Gordy, the so-called imaginary friend. To be honest, I almost turned it off somewhere in the beginning, but decided to finish it anyway. The ending was…. well, just see for yourself if you are really interested. If you pass on it, you won’t have missed anything. I’ll give this film 1.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #215 – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Mild-manner Dr. Henry Jekyll (Jack Palance) has a theory regarding the dual nature of man – he posits that it is possible to separate men into good and evil, thus allowing their good nature to overcome and the evil to be quelled. But his ideas are met with scorn by the medical community, and the other doctors tell him that even if he concocts the potion he is speaking of, there will be no way of testing it ethically. So Jekyll returns to is lab undaunted, determined to use the potion on himself. So he takes the potion….

The next morning, he returns to the place where he went the night before, the Windmill Music Hall, and

learns of his actions the night before as his alter ego, Edward Hyde. Seems like Hyde had a good time, drinking and carousing, and particularly spending time with one of the hostesses, Gwen Thomas (Billie Whitelaw). Jekyll repeats the experiment in the following days, and Hyde, who apparently is quite the hedonist, returns to the Windmill and Gwen. But more and more, Hyde’s violent urges come out, and he is vicious and relentless.

Jekyll’s best friend, Devlin (Denholm Elliott) is concerned about Henry, as are his servants, including  his faithful manservant Poole (Gillie Fenwick). When Hyde leans toward ending the experiment, he discovers to his horror that Hyde doesn’t need the potion to come out  to play, and it requires more of the anti-potion to put that particular genie back in the bottle. With Hyde becoming more and more out of control, Jekyll doesn’t know what to do….

This version of Jekyll and Hyde is actually a TV movie from 1968. I remember watching it as a child (I would have been about 11 then), and rewatching it as I grew older. I was always drawn to Jack Palance’s Hyde. From what I read, the role was originally given to Jason Robards, but due to complications, ended up with Palance, and the make-up was changed, the final result meant to resemble a satyr. As a teenager, I remember being quite taken with Mr. Hyde. I wondered if I would feel the same as a fully grown adult – I did. Palance is mesmerizing in the dual roles, between the mild-manner Dr. Jekyll and the sensual hedonistic Hyde. The story is undoubtedly a familiar one to most audiences, based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I haven’t seen them all, but I always liked this one a great deal.

TV movies and shows were filmed differently, I can’t explain quite why that is, not being an expert, but it’s quite visible, and actually lends a Gothic feel to the movie. From the moment I began to watch, I got strong Dark Shadows vibes – and no wonder, as Dan Curtis of Dark Shadows fame was a producer. Also, if you listen during one of the scenes and you think you recognize an eerie little tune that is being played, you probably do as that song went on to become Quentin’s Song from Dark Shadows.

I was concerned that I might not like the film as much as I did years ago, that it wouldn’t stand up to the test of time. I am happy to report I did and it did, and if you are a fan of Jekyll and Hyde, or Jack Palance, I recommend you add this to your viewing repertoire. I give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #214 – A Haunting in Connecticut

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

A Haunting in Connecticut

Sara Campbell’s (Virginia Madsen) world fell apart when she learns her son Matt (Kyle Gallner) has a life-threatening illness. The long drive between their home and the hospital in Connecticut where he is receiving treatment is hard on everyone and taking a toll on Sara’s marriage to Peter (Martin Donovan). Sara copes with her faith, while Peter copes with the bottle. At the end of her rope, Sara decides they need to get a home in Connecticut, at least for now, to spare Matt the agony of the long rides to and from the hospital, and having to make multiple stops for him to be ill, wearing him out even more.

One day, after Matt was sick again on the way home, Sarah impulsive returns to the town she has just left

and spots a man hammering a For Rent sign in his yard. He jokes with her that if she keeps him from hammering the last night, she can have the first month free. She agrees, and he even supplies a mattress, so mother and son can spend the night. Peter is furious that she did this without consulting him, but she explains how much pain Matt was in. So they move in with  Matt, his brother Billy (Ty Wood) and Sara’s two nieces, Wendy (Amanda Crew) and Mary (Sophi Knight). But Sara is hiding something from her husband – something he is livid about when he finds out.

Matt claims a bedroom in the basement, drawn to it for reasons he can’t explain. He finds what appears to be a secret door, but his father can’t budge it. However, later Matt manages to get through the door, and he and Billy discover the secret of the house that Sara withheld from her husband – at one time it was a mortuary.

Sleeping in the basement, Matt begins to see things. Very strange things. A young boy. But he’s afraid to say anything. He’s been warned that if he experiences hallucinations, he will have to be dropped from the drug trial he is participating in. So he keeps it to himself. At his treatment one day, he befriends a fellow patient, Reverend Popescu (Elias Koteas) and they become friends, as he tells the minister about the things he’s seen. Popescu is concerned that something is wrong with the house and that maybe they are in trouble.As Matt becomes more and more involved in the dark history of the house, Sara begins to feel as though she is losing her son in more ways than one.

This film has a premise we’ve seen many times – the house of death (mortuary) where people have been brutally killed and seek retribution of some kind, while haunting the new people who just happen to buy the house. It’s an interesting premise, but one I feel could have been better handled here. Supposedly this was based on a true story that was actually investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren themselves. I think it could have been better done. Some of the story seems disjointed or isn’t well explained. For example Sara’s animosity toward the revend. The husband’s growing alienation with his family.  Matt seeing the boy and then becoming caught up in his story doesn’t seem to flow. At times it almost seems to have shades of Poltergeist. I think better attention could have been paid to the storyline and the characters. It was interesting enough to warrant watching the second one. I’ll give this film 3 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #214 – The Creeping Flesh

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Creeping Flesh

Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) returns from the jungles of New Guinea with a marvelous find in the form of a huge skeleton, one he believes will serve to bolster his theory that evil is a disease that can be cured. His daughter Penelope (Lorna Heilbron) is overjoyed at her father’s return, and hopes to spend time with him, but he is quickly lost to his studies once more. On his arrival, he finds a letter from his brother James (Christopher Lee) who runs a mental asylum. James regrets to inform his brother that while he was gone, his wife passed away. And he has said nothing to Penelope, of course. The truth of the matter is that Penelope believes he mother died years ago and her father is not about to let her know the truth.

But he doesn’t realize how obsessed with the idea of her mother Penelope is, especially because she has

been forbidden from entering the locked room that was once her mother’s. But where there is a will, there is a way, and Penelope gains entrance.

In the meantime, Emmanuel has made an accidental discovery that he cannot quite explain – if the skeleton becomes wet, flesh begins to grow on the bone! Interestingly, his brother James is involved in his own dark experiments. And the two experiments are about to overlap!

While this film has the look and feel of a Hammer film, including Hammer’s two biggest stars – Cushing and Lee – it is not. There are also supporting actors Duncan Lamont, Michael Ripper, make-up artist Roy Ashton, and cinematographer turned director Freddie Francis.

Cushing plays the absentminded scientist well. He means well in protecting his daughter, but she finds out anyway, unprepared for the reality of her mother’s mental instability. We see flashbacks of her descent into madness, and we are led to believe that this was inherited by her daughter. I think the daughter’s own descent was a bit rapid, but considering the film is only an hour and a half long, understandable.

Sure, one has to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, such as water growing flesh on a skeleton, and the skeleton coming to “life” and wreaking havoc. But it’s a fun watch with a twist ending I didn’t see coming. If you are fans of Cushing and Lee, as I am, I recommend giving this a watch. I’ll give this film 3.75 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #213 – The Haunting(1999)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Haunting(1999)

Eleanor, known as Nell (Lili Taylor) has not had it easy, taking care of her invalid mother for eleven torturous years, always at her beck and call and the incessant beating of her cane against the wall. Now that the old woman has passed, perhaps Lili can relax… except that her sister Jane (Virginia Madsen) and her husband Lou (Tom Irwin) have power of attorney and they have decided to sell the flat out from under Nell, leaving her homeless. Her sister says that Nell can come stay with them – if she wants to work for her living, including caring for their bratty child, Ritchie (Saul Priever). Just when all seems lost, Nell receives a phone call from a doctor telling her to look in the paper where she finds a study for insomnia that is paying participants $900 a week plus room and board. Nell leaps at the opportunity and is accepted for the study.

Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson) has placed an ad for an insomnia study. But what the participants don’t know is that his actual purpose is to conduct a study on group fear. His assistant Mary (Alix Koromzay) objects that this isn’t fair to the people involved, but the doctor insists he can’t conduct the study any other way.

Nell follows the directions and finds herself at the gates of an enormous mansion where she meets the surly caretaker Mr. Dudley (Bruce Dern). He lets her in and tells her to ask for his wife (Marian Seldes). Next to arrive is Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and then Luke (Owen Wilson), followed by Dr. Marrow and Mary. From the beginning, strange things seem to be happening, including an accident which sends Mary to the hospital, never to be seen again.

Nell claims that there is something about the house and about the man who built it – allegedly as a home for his future children – something evil. But the others insist she is having a breakdown. Is the house haunted, or is Nell behind the mysterious goings on?

The Haunting is a remake of the 1963 film starring Julie Harris, which is from an original story by Shirley Jackson. Despite the famous cast, the star of the show is the actual mansion, which gives off elegant/creepy vibes from the beginning with its over the top opulence and its disturbing statuary of children, as well as a rotating room with its own carousel, and a fireplace you would fit a football team in. Lili Taylor does a good job as the tortured Nell, who only wants a place to belong, and someone to belong to. Catherine Zeta-Jones is stunning, as usual, and Owen Wilson clueless, while Liam Neeson swings between villain and victim. It’s not a perfect film, but it does have a certain ambience as the people who are locked inside until morning (shades of House on Haunted Hill!0 try to negotiate what appear to be evil spirits. I think the ending will haunt you for a while. I’ll give this film 3.75 Stars.