by
Kristin Battestella
This
quartet of seventies scares is full of evil kids, demented moms, and
twisted science. Because we can never have enough of such macabre
reproduction horrors...not!
The Brood – Mind and body horrors run rampant in this 1979
David Cronenberg (Shivers) allegory
starring an on form Oliver Reed (Burnt Offerings), sympathetic
dad Art Hindle (Black Christmas),
and a crazy “Mummies never hurt their children” Samantha Eggar
(The Collector). Harsh one on one psychological
exercises, intense therapy, heavy confrontations, and upsetting
family actions shape the believable anger and discomforting dialogue,
layering the icky delusions and abuse suspicious before the violent
attacks, blunt trauma, and blood spilled in what should be a safe
visit to grandma's ye olde kitchen. The cutaway editing and low angle
filming smartly disguises the unseen culprits while hissing,
gurgling, and screaming create a look away repulsion to delay the
creature reveal. Those are strong little suckers! Polaroids, old
toys, a natural look, and rustic colors counter the strung out
feelings, skeptical on edge, and simmering Howard Shore (The Lord
of the Rings) music while the repressed character drama balances
the metaphysical and fantastic conversations. What if we could
manifest all our ills on our body? This cultish “psychoplasmics”
takes the psychosomatic fears too far – the opposite extreme of
looking the other way alcoholism, perpetuating abuse, and festering
pains. Purple visuals set apart autopsies, mutant examinations, and
radical science, upping the would be laughable of those frumpy
seventies snowsuits with disturbing witnessing and child
helplessness. Although the source of titular critters becomes obvious
during the 92 minute uncut duration, the monstrous possibilities and
mental spiral remain a frightening what if with plenty of gruesome
projections for a twisted little horror finale.
Crimes of the Future – This
early 70 minute short film is featured on The Brood's
Criterion blu-ray edition alongside another 85 minutes worth of
cast and crew retrospectives, archive footage with Oliver Reed, and
Cronenberg interviews. Understandably, the bizarre
silence, slow comings and
goings, weird stillness, and sporadic voiceover all on a 1970
nil budget is not for everyone. Fortunately, the 1997 bleak concrete
and fallen industrialized affluence match the empty dystopian
isolation. A “rouge” cosmetics plaque has killed all the women,
and our androgynous, cleric clad in black unreliable narrator gives a
detached lab report on the increasing gender changes. Red nail polish
adorns men's sinistre
left hand only and one with painted toes is mugged and beaten – but
it's okay to consume the “chocolate” secreted by these special
men so long as there are no women. Such venereal disease references,
biological differences, and veiled statements on institutionalizing
homosexuals for “therapy” are quite ahead of their time, and it
would be intriguing to see Cronenberg do a fully scripted version
today. The sorting socks and underwear scenes reflect a perverted
ritual collection, but the near boring repetition detracts from a
disturbing barefoot and white gloved secret pedophile meeting.
Distorted sound schemes and the in limbo atmosphere create a lull
before the chaos, as these repressed, feminine men escalate toward
wicked violence, child trafficking, and disturbing sexual deviance
for their supposedly justified and clinical cure. It's an ironic
title, as it doesn't take a gender skewing apocalypse for this kind
of horror to happen. Yes, this is an out there picture with poor
pacing, structural flaws, and an upsetting real world horror finale –
making this worth a look for sociological studies and film
historians.
Devil Times Five – Teen idol Leif Garrett and his sister Dawn Lyn make for some creepy youngins in this 1974 picture also known as Peopletoys – and a dozen other titles for good measure. Eerie seventies lullaby notes ironically accent the snowy vacation spot, yuppie couples, and old fogies as perilous, icy, winding roads lead to vehicular disasters. Nuns and kids should be a sign of safety, however, real snow filming, old fashioned cars, and past technological isolation up the apprehensive mood. Although the teen voiceovers and their jive lingo are dated and the characters are initially stock stereotypes, the acting both from the adults and the children isn't bad. Slow motion and still zooms are unnecessary now, granted, but the black and white scenes showcase the shocking child violence, blunt objects, and group attacks – an extra oomph on how these miniature sociopaths get hungry and sleepy after a good bludgeoning. A belittling sex proposition of a slow adult is awkward, but cat fights, lingerie, and boobs about the bedroom scenes create a saucy upscale before our unaware adults come to realize they can't handle these escaped, killer charges – who have a wicked motivation and intellect far beyond their years. Guns go missing, knives disappear, wood needs to be chopped, and it's fun to see who or what is going to set off another crafty murder. Sure, this isn't scary by today's standards. However, the bathtub terrors and snow siege build well over the 88 minute time for some bemusing – if twisted – entertainment.
Embryo
– Barbara Carrera (Dallas) co-stars in this 1976 Shelley
twist wildly proclaiming how the science fiction presented is closer
to medical possibility than we think. Weird fetal pictures, stormy
roads, and sensitive puppy moments have the audience believing the
freaky, too. Dogs in horror movies – gosh darn it why?! Widower
Rock Hudson (Giant) narrates these procedures upon returning
to his nice, in house, rural laboratory, complete with sister-in-law
Diane Ladd (Wild at Heart) and warm cup of coffee comforts to
hide the sinister science. Giant old tape decks, ancient computers
designs, and period hospital imagery add a dated, fantastic mood
alongside an ambulance (really just a van with lights and an orange
stripe!) rung up to drop off a fetus. This old fashioned easy is
inadvertently bemusing at times, sure, however the 104 minutes
condenses too much of the accelerated timeline and sped up growth
hormones via the dry voiceover. The experiments proceed with typical
education montages, questioning individuals, and rehearsed
introductions – rushing over what could be intriguing developments
before some fun oohs and ahhs over a chess match at the center of a
party. So chess is only a man's game, really Roddy McDowell?! It's
interesting to hear “God is a liberated female and she is on my
side” said as a joke when such concepts feel more recent, and
controversial conversations on extending the titular viability
outside the womb remain intriguing. Our well intended doctor
discusses social prejudices and Biblical morals but gets some
inappropriate saucy on despite regretting his uncontrollable
creation. Of course your super intelligent protege is going to one up
the ruthlessness when her survival is in jeopardy! The public domain
print's quality is poor, often too dark with low volume, and overall,
this needs more polish. Fortunately, tense near discovery moments,
scary barking, violent tendencies, medical complications, murderous
jealousy, and even some sympathy and surprises overcome the
convenient presentation.
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