There are 442 posts filed in Shocktober (this is page 41 of 64).
In a bit of a twist, I’ve decided to opt out of doing a written review for David Cronenberg’s Canuxploiation flick Shivers and instead turn it into an episode of the podcast, “Stream Police”. Check it out here, it’s bound to get under your skin.
I, like John, have not had all that much exposure to noted Italian horror director Dario Argento. In fact, the only other exposure I had to Argento before sitting down to watch his 1975 film Deep Red was catching up with his “masterpiece” Suspiria a few days earlier. And considering John alluded to his mixed feelings toward Suspiria while praising Argento’s debut film The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, I think I came to the same conclusion as him while watching Deep Red. And it’s that I’m not really sure why Suspiria is basically the only Argento movie anyone knows when it’s really not that great, and Argento actually made other, better films that are just as skillfully made, but far less incomprehensible. Continue reading
There’s an extended scene early on in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, where we see the titular Dr. Frankenstein being awoken in the night, and then following this strange music coming from beneath his grandfather’s castle. I can remember one Autumn night, at the tender age of 11, where I made a similar descent into my parents’ basement due to some strange noise that kept me from falling asleep that night. Only it wasn’t the sound of Cloris Leachman’s violin, but instead the sound of my dad’s laughter in response to this black and white comedy that was playing on cable. I can’t remember what exactly drew me in (it was probably Marty Feldman’s real-life googley eyes), but I instantly made it my prerogative to stay up watching this movie as long as my dad would let me. But more than anything, I remember I laughed a lot. Continue reading
You may be more familiar with the 2010 remake of today’s entry and there’s a good reason, it’s a better movie. The remake, starring Timothy Olyphant who we all remember from the 2007 classic Catch and Release was more or less your typical zombie fair flick. The production value was decent and the scares were effective if not predictable. The original on the other hand? I’m not really sure how to categorize George A. Romero’s semi-docudrama disaster movie. Everything about this movie is chaotic, which is befitting considering the title.
“To avoid fainting, keep repeating to yourself: ‘It’s only a movie.. it’s only a movie.. it’s only a movie..” I ended my Shocktober introduction with this infamous tagline. I always associated it with We Craven’s 1972 directorial debut, Last House on the Left, but apparently there’s more to the story. When Last House on the Left was released to drive-ins it was packaged as a double-bill with Don’t Look in the Basement, also occasionally titled, “The Forgotten“. Thus, in the laziest marketing move of all time both movies adopted the same tagline. How did I come to choose this obscure little shocker? I mean, I even went out of my way to change today’s planned entry (The Legend of Hell House) to this. I think it was a combination of its shared legacy with Last House on the Left, its premise, and the fact that I’d never heard a single word about it. Maybe that’s how things should have stayed.
Whenever I hear the word “Giallo” I think of three names: Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci. Bava made the classiest looking pictures in stark black and white, Argento made the most artistic films with a deeply rich palette and Fulci’s were neither. Fulci’s films were not classy, nor were they colorful, that is unless you count the color red. Lucio Fulci’s reputation is mostly that of a goremeister, if that word has yet to be coined I’m calling it. Fulci’s films often employed incredibly graphic death sequences brimming with nakedness and corn syrup. Zombi 2, aka Zombie, aka Zombie Flesh Eaters, aka Woodoo was Fulci’s 1979 international breakout and the film I most closely associate with the filmmaker. Though I’ll admit Zombi 2 is an entertaining midnight movie, it’s definitely a “leave your brain at the door so zombies can eat it” viewing experience. Zombi 2 was a fairly conventional zombie flick, so I never understood why Fulci was considered so important to the whole Giallo movement. But after Don’t Torture a Duckling I think I get it.
Movies like this are the reason I continue to do Shocktober. Just when you think you’ve scraped the bottom of the horror barrel you find something so good you’re baffled its been hiding away for all these years. The Other is one of the most disturbing movies I’ve ever seen for a Shocktober entry. There are no throwaway, “Gotcha!” moments here. The Other instead goes for that slow burn of uneasiness that when finally extinguished still leaves you shaking in the dark like a frightened child. Who could be responsible for such a hidden horror classic… The director of To Kill a Mockingbird? That’s right. But let’s talk about Robert Mulligan’s “other” classic.
