Horror On The Lens: Tower of London (dir by Rowland V. Lee)

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror movie comes from 1939 and is presented in glorious black-and-white. Tower of London tells the famous (and historically controversial) story of King Richard III (Basil Rathbone). With the help of the club-footed executioner Mord (Boris Karloff), Richard murders his way to the throne of England.

Technically, The Tower of London is more of a historical film than a horror film but, in order to tell its story, it uses many of the techniques that had been previously perfected by the famous Universal monster movies. Rathbone turns Richard III into a chilling and plausible human monster while Karloff is obviously having a lot of fun in the role of the twisted Mord.

Also of historical interest is the fact that Vincent Price plays the Duke of Clarence, making Tower of London his first horror film and the first film in which he would appear alongside fellow horror icon, Boris Karloff.

Horror On TV: Hammer House of Horror 1.10 “Guardian of The Abyss”

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, that sucked!

For those of you who missed it, tonight’s installment of televised retro horror was going to be an episode of Goosebumps that was entitled “Shocker on Shock Street.”
Within seconds of that post being published, YouTube decided to suspend the account that was hosting the video!

Thanks a lot, YouTube! Way to protect those valuable reruns of Goosebumps!

As a last minute replacement for that forbidden episode of Goosebumps, here’s an episode of Hammer House of Horror. First broadcast way back in 1980, Into the Abyss deals with Satanists in London. It may not be R.L. Stine but it is Hammer and that’s not bad.

Enjoy!

Horror On TV: Goosebumps 3.1 “A Shocker On Shock Street”

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Much as I knew that, when I started featuring horror-themed television show for October, I would have to include at least one episode of Are You Afraid of The Dark?, I also knew that I simply had to include at least one episode of Goosebumps.

After all, R.L. Stine helped to introduce me to horror so I owe him a great deal.

The episode below — A Shocker On Shock Street — first aired on September 6th, 1997.

(AGCK! Apparently, the copyright police suspended the YouTube account that hosted this video! Sorry about that — Lisa)

Horror on the Lens: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (dir by John S. Robertson)

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ever since the birth of film, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been a popular subject for adaptation. Not only does the classic story of a good doctor who unleashes his evil instinct via potion serve as a potent metaphor for everything from sexual repression to drug addiction, but the dual role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has provides an excellent opportunity for an actor to show off.

The first film adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is believed to have been made in 1908. Two more version followed in 1912 and 1913 and then, suddenly, 1920 saw three different film versions.

The best known of the 1920 version is our film for today. This version is best remembered for John Barrymore’s powerful performance in the title role but it also holds up remarkably well as a work of cinematic horror.

Horror On TV: Twilight Zone 5.19 “Black Leather Jackets”

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Scott, Fred, and Steve may be teenage rebels but they’re rebels with a cause! And that cause, of course, is to conquer humanity and maybe find a girlfriend. And, of course, all three of them wear black leather jackets…

This is actually one of the sillier episodes of The Twilight Zone but I like it. I think any girl who has ever wondered if boys are from a different planet can appreciate this episode.

Black Leather Jackets was originally broadcast on January 31st, 1964. It was written by Earl Hamner, Jr. and directed by Joseph N. Newman.

Horror On The Lens: The Lodger: A Story Of The London Fog (dir by Alfred Hitchcock)

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A serial killer known as “The Avenger” is murdering blonde women in London (which, once again, proves that its better to be a redhead). And while nobody knows the identity of the Avenger, they do know that the enigmatic stranger (Ivor Novello), who has just recently rented a room at boarding house, happens to fit his description. They also know that the lodger’s landlord’s daughter happens to be a blonde…

Released in 1927, the silent The Lodger was Alfred Hitchcock’s third film but, according to the director, this was the first true “Hitchcock film.” Certainly it shows that even at the start of his career, Hitchcock’s famous obsessions were already present — the stranger accused of a crime, the blonde victims, and the link between sex and violence.

Also of note, the credited assistant director — Alma Reville — would become Alma Hitchcock shortly before The Lodger was released.

Horror On TV: The Twilight Zone 3.2 “The Arrival”

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

When Flight 107 out of Buffalo, New York makes a perfect (if unannounced) landing, airport officials are shocked to discover that the airplane has no passengers, no luggage, and no pilots! It’s up to Grant Sheckley (Harold J. Stone) to solve the mystery but Sheckley has a secret of his own.

This episode of The Twilight Zone was written by Rod Serling and directed by Boris Sagal. It was originally broadcast on September 22nd, 1961.

Horror On The Lens: This Darkness: The Vampire Virus (dir by Dylan O’Leary)

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2003’s This Darkness, Dr. Van Helsing VII (played by the film’s director Dylan O’Leary) is a world-famous genetic engineer who is developing a serum that can cure all known diseases and perhaps grant immortality. Meanwhile, cheerleaders and surfers are being attack in broad daylight and having their blood drained. Among those killed is the daughter of Van Helsing’s friend Ron, who happens to own a martial arts studio. Could all of these events be connected? Your guess is as good as mine but eventually, a vampire named Tarquin does show up and demands that Van Helsing create a mate for him.

I’ve always found low-budget ambition to be very likable and, by that standard, This Darkness is probably one of the most likable films that I’ve seen. The film’s script has a few interesting ideas, O’Leary makes for an unconventional but effective hero, and the film actually looks pretty good for its budget. Especially towards the end of the film, This Darkness makes effective use of some unconventional locations. Add to that, it’s hard not to admire the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach that O’Leary took to putting his film together.

Add to that, how can you not enjoy a film directed by someone with as Irish a name as Dylan O’Leary?

Horror Film Review: The Presence (dir by Tom Provost)

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Presence opens with nearly 20 minutes of near-silence. We watch as an unnamed and emotionally unstable woman (Mira Sorvino, who is literally listed in the credits as having played The Woman) arrives at an isolated cabin. As she settles in for what is obviously a very needed vacation, she goes about her business without saying a word. This is because she believes herself to be alone. However, those of us watching know that this isn’t true. She is sharing her cabin with a silent and initially passive ghost (Shane West) and, though she can’t see him, those of us in the audience can.

Eventually, the silence is broken as other visitors come to the cabin. There’s the boatman, Mr. Browman (Muse Watson). There’s the woman’s boyfriend (Justin Kirk) who unexpectedly shows up to ask the woman to marry him, a proposal which visibly upsets the ghost. Finally, there’s the Man In Black (played by Tony Curran). Though the woman cannot see the Man In The Black, she can hear him when he whispers dark thoughts into her ear.

The ghost, however, can see the Man in Black. The Man In Black offers the ghost a proposition. If the ghost kills the woman’s boyfriend, the Man In Black will allow the ghost to leave the cabin.

First released back in 2010, The Presence is a film that got (and gets) next to no love from the critics and from the type of people who specialize in leaving snarky comments over at the imdb. However, I rather like it. Director Tom Provost makes the risky choice to emphasize atmosphere over easy scares. The end result is a film that is full of striking images but which requires a bit more patience than most audiences are probably willing to give. When I think about The Presence, I think about the sight of Shane West passively watching Mira Sorvino, obviously wishing he could reach out but knowing that he cannot. It’s a haunting image, one that perfectly captures both the fear and the pathos of a good ghost story.

And that, ultimately, is what The Presence is. It’s a good ghost story and what better time for a good ghost story but Halloween?

Guilty Pleasure No. 14: Fear (dir by James Foley)

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

After I wrote my review of Horror of Dracula, I started thinking about all of the cinematic bad boys that I have known and loved. There’s just something undeniably exciting about having a good-looking psycho obsessing over you!

That leads us to today’s guilty pleasure. First released in 1996 and a mainstay on cable, Fear is one of the ultimate bad boy psycho films.

Fear tells the story of what happens when 16 year-old Nicole (played by Reese Witherspoon) meets and falls for David (Mark Wahlberg), a polite young man who happens to be crazy.

The first half of the film actually makes a pretty good case for hooking up with a bad boy. David treats Nicole like a princess, encourages her to break curfew, fingerfucks her on a roller coaster in a scene that makes fingerfucking seem as romantic as anything you’ll find in a Nicholas Sparks novel, and finally sneaks into her house so he can take her virginity.

These scenes capture the appeal of a bad boy — the feeling of danger, the thrill of rebellion, and, most poignantly, that feeling that only you can truly understand what a prince you have discovered. Witherspoon and Wahlberg are especially good in these scenes, with Witherspoon perfectly capturing the wide-eyed thrill of being in love while Wahlberg is the epitome of every guy in high school that I should not have dated but did.

There’s one small moment that hints at what is going to come. While talking to Nicole’s dad, Steven (played, with characteristic intensity, by William Petersen), David orders Nicole to get him a drink, causing the overprotective Stephen to glance up with a look of sudden suspicion. It’s a well-acted and subtle scene, one that will feel painfully real to anyone who has ever been in a similar situation.

It’s shortly after that scene that the entire film basically goes crazy.

After David catches Nicole’s best friend giving her an innocent hug, David responds by going crazy and beating him up. Nicole dumps David but then, largely as a response to her father being overprotective, she decides to give him a second chance.

Steven confronts David and orders him to stay away from his daughter. In an oddly hilarious scene, David responded by robotically beating his chest until he’s apparently covered with bruises. It’s a totally over-the-top scene that pretty much lets us know that Fear is no longer interested in being a realistic portrait of a naive girl dating an abusive guy.

Suddenly, we discover that David isn’t just a jerk with anger issues. Instead, he’s some sort of teenage crime lord, who lives in a dilapidated mansion with his equally low-life friends. While Nicole is busy writing Nicole Luvs David on her notebook, David is selling crack and having sex with her best friend Margo (played by, believe it or not, Alyssa Milano).

But that’s not all! When Nicole dumps David for a second time, David responds by tattooing her name on his chest and then gathering together his minions so that they can lay siege to Steven’s mountainside home.

“Don’t worry,” Steven tells his wife (Amy Brenneman), “I’m not going to let anyone get in here.”

And so, in that moment, Fear goes from being every girl’s fantasy of finding her misunderstood prince to being every parent’s fantasy — not only is Steven proven right about his daughter’s boyfriend but he also gets to kick his ass.

Watching Fear is an odd experience. The film starts out being romantic, well-acted, and, at times, even achingly poignant until, suddenly, it turns into one of the most over-the-top home invasion films ever made. It makes for an oddly schizophrenic viewing experience and it also makes this film into a true guilty pleasure.