Unapologetic Foreign Horror

 

Unapologetic Foreign Horror Delights!

by Kristin Battestella

This retro international trio is unashamed of the shocks and gore and unabashedly horror with the saucy and screams.

The Beyond – An inherited Louisiana hotel is one of seven gateways to hell in director Lucio Fulci's (The House by the Cemetery) 1981 surreal mix of Lovecratian books and bayou raids. The golden patina and antique interiors of the 1927 opening set off the rattling chains, gory whipping, screams, and squirting blood. “Flesh hisses” captions and swanky crescendos build to the then contemporary shabby and our ingenue heiress weighing the fix up cost versus the hotelier downturns. Call bells ring from empty rooms, hellish paintings abound, and creepy employees are dispensed with thanks to the flooded basement, zombie hands, and eyes popping out of their sockets. Spirits in the window lead to bloody workmen, floating bodies, autopsies, and warnings to leave the hotel. Melting acid and foaming ooze are approaching but the New Orleans jazz clubs remain so smooth as the stylish, unapologetic vignettes take time building unease before the gory payoff, creepy morgue moments, and little girl screams. The chilling scenes may be random or unexplained, but that's indicative of the spreading evil as everything from kooky bookstores and covered furniture to creaking doors, tools, and squeaking gurney wheels becomes on edge eerie. Cemeteries, repeated shots, footsteps, and parallel actions belie viewers with seemingly simple horror before gross bathtubs escalate to real shocks and gore. There's little to understand and not much of a story. No one is actively trying to find out what's happening or resolve the horror, and that is okay! Evil's a'comin' as monsters stalk blind women, dogs attack, and zombie hospital patients rise. Thunder and frightful reactions punctuate perilous falls, man eating spiders, and shootouts before body bags open from the inside and tormented eyes that look upon the horrors turn white. There's something flesh ripping to make anyone's skin crawl here! Dreamlike motion, warped sound, and distorted time mean nothing can be pinned down, and that indeterminate unknown is perhaps the most frightening of all.

The House That Screamed – Multiple versions abound of this 1969 Spanish produced AIP release, and the Tubi edition is cut off the top of the screen so I went with the Elvira's Movie Macabre version for more winks on the 19th century French boarding school murders and innuendo. The carriages, country campus, frilly frocks, swelling music, and period etiquette initially seem so grand, and a new arrival is a shrewd excuse to tour the classrooms. This discrete institution specializes in difficult, illegitimate ladies; and its arts, music, gardening, cooking, and ballet are healthy exercises in the prevention of morbid thoughts. Stern mistress Lilli Palmer (But Not for Me) runs a firm establishment – changing locks and nailing windows shut if need be. Heavy woodwork, cluttered interiors, and uptight fashions are stifling, and even the Foley effect of all the formal, harsh, hefty, old fashioned shoes reflects the strict repression. Unison prayers contrast the rough grabbing, ripping garments, and bound to the bed violence as a confrontational student is stripped and whipped in the seclusion room. Her mean girl perpetrators enjoy the humiliating hierarchy, repressed favoritism, and veiled sexual assault. Our principal's son is also essentially a prisoner kept apart from the poison girls who need correction. He needs a good woman like his mother who holds him tight to her bosom, caresses his hair, and kisses him. Of course, he knows the best crawlspace views and Tuesday is shower day – complete with steaming pipes, clinging white shifts, and scandalous girls who drop their towels just to shock the mistress patrolling the stalls. Although it's tough to keep track of the lookalike girls beyond their stereotypes, the natural, chatty dialogue provides details on who sneaks off from ballet class or who meets with a village boy in the wood shed. Jealousy and needlepoint combine for a montage of tedious threading, moaning voiceovers, rapid editing, and what we don't see saucy. Pretty music, flowers, and slow motion accent a would be romantic rendezvous that leads to warped stabbings and blood in the greenhouse. Thunder, ominous chorales, violent zooms, and freeze frame frights punctuate the spooky late night escape attempts amid fearful realizations and blackmail threats. Atmospheric candelabras and letter openers lead to eerie approaches, slit throats, and screams. It's probably obvious now who the killer is, but the creepy attic revelations are chilling with very little, and it's all still pretty damn twisted!

Hunchback of the Morgue – Scenic villas, beer, and tavern wenches suggest good times in this award winning 1972 Paul Naschy (Human Beasts) romp, but cruel insults and gorilla jokes force our eponymous attendant to take the demented slicing and dicing into his own hands. Although church bells and peasant styles invoke a period setting, there are modern cars and road signs, cold hospital white on white, mid century medical equipment, and lesbian inmate patients whipping each other. Mocking doctors and medical students are surprisingly mean and school children stone the pitiful hunched creature – elevating the tragedy and performance before the violent reds and grayish green body parts. Our outcast fights to defend himself, but tenderness is found in a saintly, dying patient, and he can return such kindness, sympathy, and even romance the pretty ladies. His child-like innocence is not ugly, but he realizes his terrible strength is being used to kill thanks to a deceiving doctor who claims he can reanimate the deceased, unrequited love. The surprising caring contrasts the disturbing gore as autopsies become desecration. The mad science, decapitation, and grave robbing make for a fun medieval mix of beauty and blood that forgives the expected low budget foreign dub, subtitles that don't match, and poor print technicalities. Fedora wearing detectives are on to the dismembered cadavers, skeletons, and underground tunnels accented by torches, acid vats, and real rats. Abducted ladies, missing doctors, catacomb chases, and feeding the babes to goo monsters make no apologies as everything is thrown at the screen in a wild, entertaining midnight watch.

Spanish Monsters and Mayhem

Spanish Monsters and Mayhem

by Kristin Battestella

Spend a late night with this retro trio of scares de España featuring saucy creatures, vampires, and wild heists...

Graveyard of Horror – Heavy digging gets the camera dirty as lightning flashes and hearts pound in this immediately atmospheric 1971 Spanish twister likewise known under such juicy titles as The Butcher of Binbrook and Necrophagus. Dreary stonework, torches, ancient family castles, and gothic style set off the gloomy narration telling of desperate escapes and late wives. When our scientist returns home on the train – with an old lady who has a dead pig dripping blood in her suitcase for some random reason – his in-laws aren't exactly forthcoming about the fatal circumstances. They blame him for choosing his career over family, but shady doctors and a suspect death certificate acerbate the cemetery scares and dug up coffins. Hooded and masked figures roam the family vaults, and rumblings underneath the loose earth lead to creepy hands, monstrous eyes, growling, and screams. The bizarre is well done with what we don't see as the metamorphosis experiments gone wrong unleash mauling creatures to terrorize the kids playing in the snow. Sacrifices and boiling barrels get rid of the bones and heady evidence while the jealous ladies look over their shoulder as secret love letters and saucy dalliances come back to bite, stab, and slice them. Of course, all the nonsensical back and forth is terribly confusing and stereotypical dubbing with no original language and subtitles option hampers all the lookalike people. Zooms upon everyone's squinting eyes and heavy handed voiceovers laughably assure viewers know to be suspicious! I'm not even sure I know what's really happening here, yet somehow the spooky mood and eerie visuals provide a few fun surprises for a late night viewing.

Human Beasts – Paul Naschy (The Werewolf vs The VampireWoman) writes, produces, directs, and stars in the delicious sounding 1980 Spain/Japan co-production Carnaval de las Bestias. A knife sharpening Naschy at a candlelit dinner introduces the gangs, ferries, international intrigue, and diamond heist planning as grim portraits, skeletons, and chanting music set the macabre mood. With theft training, massage parlors, and a whiff of romance, this has a little bit of everything! Location transitions and exposition on the hold up technicalities move fast, and the decoy motorcycles, gunshots, and blood lead to double crosses, broken hearts, and vows for revenge. A girl can only take so much amid shootouts, sieges in forested ruins, and explosive booby traps. Perilous pursuits, river rapids, scorpions, injuries, and buried fortunes escalate as the action stumbles into suspicion and horror. Seemingly demure ladies come to the rescue, daughters of a doctor with a fine home, medicine, nudity, and seduction. Brief flashbacks of the love gone wrong mix with the voyeur point of view – someone is always watching, peering through the cracks between sisterly cat fights, horny veterinarians, and the master whipping the topless maid while she begs for more. A lot's happening for a seemingly low budget foreign production, but the gothic revival furniture, creaking rocking chairs, ticking grandfather clocks, antiques, and statues accent the amateur archaeology, scenic locales, and rural festivals. It's also nice that the Japanese people don't speak Spanish when no one else is around just for the sake of the audience. Squealing pigs, curing hams and sausages, more pills for the patient – our family doesn't care about our crook's past, he just needs to eat up and get healthy! What's a little spilled wine, thunderstorms, knives, and gory meat hooks? Ghosts aren't what they seem but dangerous staircases lead to attic surprises, leather aprons, and killer mysteries. Graveside visions of the doctor's late wife, nightmares, tolling bells, skulls – good girls go saucy and screams rise from the pigpen as the animals finish off the bodily evidence and it's wild stuff! While recent films often miss the mark in trying to get this mix right, the interwoven steamy, action plots, horror history, and cleaver scares here are surprisingly fun and well done.

A Naschy Bonus!

The Vampyre: Images from a Nightmare – This short twenty-four minute 2007 film starring Paul Naschy in one of his final appearances is included on the Human Beasts DVD. Although the credits and onscreen intertitles take up a few valuable moments and stereotypical strobe is overused, quotes based upon Dr. Polidori lend authenticity to the obviously low budget lighting and inadvertent shaky cam as a naive poet stumbles upon the sinister Lord Ruthven. Top hats, cloaks, candles, cobblestone streets, shadows, and iris tricks provide period flair and nods to silent horror, and even the faux Victorian ladies clothing looks okay as they strip down while under the vampire's spell. The Swan Lake music and little dialogue continues the silent homage, but the fade ins and outs between scenes that only last a few moments make this not so much scary, just weird – a group of odd, existential, arty, creepy vignettes as the titular neck nibbles mount. Despite feeling somewhat light on the actual The Vampyre story, this can be fun for fans of Naschy or viewers who like good gothic atmosphere. I feel like this is the kind of thing that should be projected on a billowing curtain at a spooky party.

Where are all the Mid-Century Mexican Horror Films?

 

Where Are All the Mid-Century Mexican Horror Films?

By Kristin Battestella

From The Witch's Mirror to The Curse of the Crying Woman and more, I've thoroughly enjoyed the mid-century Mexican horror productions I've seen from the forties, fifties, and sixties. I would wholeheartedly like to see more, but where did all these Mexican horror movies go? Read on for my rant about the frustrating difficulty in finding these quality classic scares.

Why so inaccessible?

Thanks to directors such as Rafael Baledón or the likes of Abel Salazar's filmography, one can filter, search, and find dozens of Mexican horror films on IMDb, Wikipedia, and more. We know they exist, so where are they and why aren't they readily available? Ten or fifteen years ago, a budget DVD set with twenty or fifty so-called horror classics was a get what you pay for way to find a few old horror gems amid the so bad it's good obscure, public domain scares, and cheap VHS quality rips. This was how I first found some Spanish horror delectables. Today however, those sets aren't really viable compared to affordable streaming options. Unfortunately, be it the free horror channels, discount streaming tiers, or the big mainstream options, none of them have any of these films. Back when we had Xfinity and could browse all the thousand channels on the guide including the Spanish cable package, I used to see some great horror films listed on the peliculas de clasicos channels. I'd write down great titles like Museo de Horror, El Beso de Ultratrumbo, La Cabeza Viviente, and more but can't find any of them anywhere. How with today's instant access to everything are these films still so inaccessible?

Cultural Drift is No Excuse!

It takes a lot of digging and research to find these titles, and although it's easy to search with Spanish language filters, that creates its own set of problems. Sure I've been able to find a few Salazar sixties horrors or Mexican movies, but those searches also yield a lot of Paul Naschy pictures from Spain (and searching for his Waldermar werewolf films is another aggravating not all available pursuit). Soon, these lists skew to Spain, European productions, Jesus Franco, Dario Argento, and Mario Bava. Seventies Italian giallo pictures are not what we're looking for, and finding the right version of a film with different releases, run times, and different titles per country only adds more fuel to the frustrating fuego. Sometimes you think you are getting the right movie and it turns out to be something else, or worse a film you've already seen under a different name. I myself am guilty of putting all my Spanish horror viewing lists and recommendations together because it's so tough to find just the Mexican scares. Of course, Spain and Mexico are different cultures with different español and different identities, and it's problematic to presume they are interchangeable. Many years ago I had a vehement argument on an online film forum when a commenter said he wanted a role to be cast with Penélope Cruz or Salma Hayek or “one of those types.” O_o This person could not see why I objected to these actresses being lumped together as one and the same. On a non-horror note, I highly suggest the Maya Exploration Center's Professor Edwin Barnhart's Great Course lectures including Ancient Civilizations of North America, Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed, Lost Worlds of South America, and Exploring the Mayan World to educate oneself on the history of Southwest, Central, and South American communities.

The Classics are Better.

What irritates me most is the perception that because Hollywood or mainstream horror is more prevalent, that means it must be better. In my recent viewings, however, that's been far from the truth. I've enjoyed the majority of independent Australian, New Zealand, Irish, UK horror, and European productions, sure. Canadian pictures, on the other hand, have been more mixed bag. When the festival finds are true to themselves, they've been good – but you can tell the difference when a north of the border production is compromising itself in hopes of an American sale and wide distribution, catering to the formulaic and cliché. I had such high hopes for The Curseof La Llorona. It starts well with colonial Mexican scares so viewers think we're in for some period piece Hammer flair, but sadly the film – written and directed by white men, because of course – degrades into the typical kids in peril with whoosing entities and trite jump scares. Cultural fears are dismissed and protective warnings are treated like Mysticism 101, and the entire time I was waiting for it to end, I had one thought, which was that The Curse of the Crying Woman was better. There's an entire Wikipedia page called “Golden Age of Mexican Cinema” but where are all the films? Netflix if you're lucky has one DVD copy, and when that breaks, it's just saves and unavailables.

It's Frustrating and Offensive.

For viewer looking for quality horror of any kind, it's disturbing how unique storytelling, different cultural scares, and the many horror stories to be told must be bent to serve white mainstream horror. The fact that these films are not widely available almost feels like an intentional burying – the way a great Asian horror film won't see the light of day stateside because the rights were bought up and it is being deliberately suppressed until the rich white blonde jump scare cliché remake is released first. Why aren't these classic, quality films being celebrated? Why are they not freely available to watch at any time? A black and white picture? So what! Spanish subtitles or a bad English dub? Big deal! Is it because they are not in English that white America suspects releasing these films properly won't be profitable enough for them? Well that's just too damn bad because I want to see these films. Do you have an inside source on where to find some classic mid-century Mexican horror movies? ¡Damelo!

Just Vamps 2!

Just Vampires II! 

By Kristin Battestella

Because who can’t get enough vampire movies, am I right?

Queen of Blood – Roger Corman (House of Usher) and Stephanie Rotham (The Velvet Vampire) produced this 1966 AIP science fiction meets horror tale from writer/director Curtis Harrington (What’s the Matter with Helen?). Though the borrowed footage and stolen special effects don’t really match the primitive explorations of the moon, Venus, and Mars, the old-fashioned sci-fi sounds and empty sets with blinking lights are mid-century charming. Granted, most of these “1990” space stylings look like toys and dated artwork, but silhouettes, shadows, and colored lighting help hide the hokey. The unscientific old jargon and constantly interrupting intercom pages, however, are simply laughable. These attempts at high tech and the supposedly cool alien footage are actually more confusing than establishing because today’s viewer can’t tell what’s happening. The slow, time wasting, goofy effects should have been done away with in favor of more drama from John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), a very young Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet), and the blink and you miss him Forrest J Ackerman (Kentucky Fried Movie). Fortunately, the cast and story are quite intriguing – an alien message, contact with Earth, a crash on Mars, and our ill-prepared rescue attempt. The suspense rises thanks to a stranding on Phobos, three passengers for a two-person pod, and of course, the creepy, hypnotic, titular, green – yes green – Florence Marly (Tokyo Joe). Between the now standard SF action and the freaky, cynical ending, one wouldn’t expect the aliens to turn scary, much less be vampires, but the sensual, scary mix works. Is it preposterous? Heck yeah. Is this an entertaining space horror delight? For sure.

Scars of Dracula – Roy Ward Baker (The Vampire Lovers) takes the helm for this 1970 entry in the Hammer series once again starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous count. The plot kind of sort of picks up from Taste the Blood of Dracula with the pre-requisite resurrection in the first few moments and sets the mood with booming orchestration, outdoor scenery, wild carriages, and cool castle interiors accented by red décor and bloody, pecked, and stabbed victims. Yes, the period design is cheap and the plot standard – a young village girl is attacked, angry townsfolk and the clergyman head off for Dracula’s known lair, one person doesn’t heed said village’s advice, a couple pursues him to the castle… The tale starts several times and takes too long with seemingly random players before the vamp action, and most of this set up could have been abandoned for an in medias res cold open. Expected series inconsistencies and a plodding lack of panache detract from the Stoker touches, but Lee looks good, mixing both violent and torturous intensity with suave and delicate mannerisms.  From casual dining and conversations to a seductive vampire bride and slightly hokey bat control, Lee has much more to do with these developments, and it’s wonderfully creepy. Likewise, Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who) is a seedy, hairy, hatchet wielding, and conflicted henchman. Though the nudity and bed hopping are a little more risqué, there could have been more and subtitles would clarify a lot! Yes, it’s somewhat typical with nothing new on the vampire theme, but Lee’s presence anchors the spooky iconography here.

  

Vampyres – Late Spanish director Jose Ramon Larraz (Symptoms) gets right to the unabashedly naked lesbian soft-core action and slobbery kisses for this 1974 blood and spicy.  Despite our contemporary love of sex sex sex, one might initially groan at this potentially unnecessary boobs before violence – yet the kitschy mood and sensuous gothic tone works with the blended British seventies style and Old World, cluttered Victorian creepy. Outside of some great cars and sparse electricity, the viewer may not know when this takes place, and the Oakley Court estate and churchyards are perfectly isolated eerie. Couple Sally Falkner (Doctor Who) and Brian Deacon (The Feathered Serpent) give the audience a likeable believer and a relatable skeptic to set up scares and shocks while Murray Brown (Dan Curtis’ Dracula) learns the dangers of picking up beautiful hitchhikers in dark capes Marianne Morris (Lovebox) and Anulka Dziubinska (Lisztomania). Though the foul afoot is certainly suspected, the simmering, alluring build doesn’t reveal the juicy all at once. Sure, some plot points don’t make much sense – sharper editing or script clarifications would have helped – and the seventies sex and kinky lingerie strip teases can be laughable, I grant you. However, the strong titillation provides comfort, rough, or bemusement ahead of the bloody kickers. The predatory approach is traditional but there are no fangs and quick, demented, near cannibalistic feminine twists keep the pace unconventional. Viewers who prefer their gore, language, and sex fast and furious may find the action slow or the plot lame, but the meant to be hazy and dreamy mood belies an intense finish. Although the volume and sound are soft, the new blu-ray release has commentaries, interviews, and by golly makes this movie look brand spanking new.

 

Confusing Decisions

Count Dracula’s Great Love – Co-writer and star Paul Naschy (Fury of the Wolf Man) adds sexy plottings to this largely standard 1974 Spanish vampire tale. Moody fog, menacing carriages, Bram Stoker and Vlad the Impaler references, and good old fashioned grave robbing do start off well. Add crazy sanitarium history and the mysterious, suave undead Doctor Naschy nearby, and you have the perfect Transylvania weather for our stranded ladies to shack up in the hospitable vamp’s run down castle and then go for a naked swim! The extremely colorful, garish frocks may not be period authentic and it’s tough to tell our buxom guests apart beyond said boobs, hair color, or virginity and promiscuity status. However, the nightgowns, wispy robes, and nighttime bedroom visits are all in gothic good fun. Thunderstorms, candles, cats jumping out, and howling wolves keep up the traditional vampire retelling – I wouldn’t spend the night in this place! Dreamy ultraviolet filming, blue lighting, and neat vampire eyes work when we see the scary action, but slow pacing, lengthy exposition, and sudden love hamper the girl on girl attacks, blood smeared breasts, meaty blood rituals, and dungeon chains. Poor video quality doesn’t help, and the Elvira’s Movie Macabre DVD edition from her 1982 first season contributes to the cheap production and camp atmosphere – lovely as Cassandra Peterson is with an apron that covers everything but her rack! Bad dubbing and no subtitles are part of the charm here, and the serious approach on Dracula seeking a virgin to resolve his curse could work wonderfully. This film is bemusingly bad to see and has some germs of possibility, but it’s too short, slightly limp on the bites, and feels tame compared to other vampy sexploitation of the era.

The She Beast – I really wanted to see this quick 1966 Barbara Steele vehicle from director Mike Reeves (Witchfinder General). Though I’m not really sure what the “vampire witch” description on the sleeve actually means, I’ll go with it, the Transylvania connections, and Van Helsing hobnobbing! Despite too many starts and a tough to see opening execution, the mayhem and titular nasty are dang creepy against the swanky clothes and sexy Steele voice – so often not heard thanks to international dubbing. She’s almost topless, too, but there really isn’t enough of Steele for her fans to enjoy here. The action kicks up with a car accident and disappearing bodies, but the people and plot are too nonsensical to root for anyone. The rapacious, voyeuristic, nasty hotel clerk is too sleaze ball foul to enjoy; he’s sloppy and serves no purpose in the film as far as I can tell.  Not only do the English subtitles not work on the cheap Netflix DVD, but the print is absolutely poor – the color is so faded that it looks black and white! Though a campy, fun viewing, I can’t tell if this is a bad movie that flops itself or if the crappy video butchers all coherence. I suspect it’s a little of both!

Foreign Horror, Oh Yes!

Classic Foreign Horrors, Oh Yes Indeed!

By Kristin Battestella

 

Of the 900 odd channels we currently have on cable, one of the ones we don’t get is the classic Spanish movies channel, which seems to have some great scary films in its tantalizing grid listings! This conundrum inspired me to search far and wide for intriguing international horrors of old. So let’s get our foreign freaky and frightful on, shall we?

The Brainiac – Oft scary star Abel Salazar leads this black and white Mexican horror and SF combo, but this English title doesn’t fit as well as the original El Baron del Terror – or so it seems. Despite being a bit too telling instead of showing, the 1661 inquisition opening is effective enough thanks to lots of shadows and creepy men in black hooded robes. The picture is a bit dark, too; the sound’s uneven, and there’s bad science on top of poorer science fiction effects. I mean, the comet plot device – used by our titular sorcerer to return in 300 years, just in time for the swanky, swinging sixties – looks like a streak of snot on the camera lens!  There are bad monsters, more simple smoke and mirrors, and the bare bones DVD has no subtitles, but the bemusing dubbing adds to the camp charm. Fun music, updated castle scenery, and low budget but suave mod décor matches the screaming ladies and cranky detectives. Perhaps the one by one ancestral vengeance plot is nothing new, but the sci-fi spins, historical twists, and obligatory deaths are suspenseful and well paced. Smart editing, nice zooms, and a few shocker moments cap off the creepy atmosphere, as well. What is that, pâté? It looks yummy! Perhaps you have to like bad horror and camp fun to appreciate this one, but at only 77 minutes, one can easily enjoy this SF scary amid a fun movie marathon.

The Curse of the Crying Woman – It’s pretty much expected that the dubbed dialogue and English subtitles won’t match in this otherwise eerily effective 1961 Spanish creepier again starring Abel Salazar. It’s also a bit bemusing how the awkward, wooden voiceovers make one sound so casual when mentioning how there’s a maniac on the loose! In addition to the uncanny music, black and white mood, and period stylings, the story and script here are actually well done, if standard – a couple in a scary house with a witchy aunt and all that. It’s also nice to see a twisted woman lead and her hunchback servant instead of the more typical masculine terrors.  From the eyeless chicks, fast cut violence, mauling dogs, zesty camerawork, and sharp zooms to the skeletal effects, creepy webs, derelict lairs, and shocker moments, wow, there’s some quality gothic production here. The opening freaky and weird imagery unravels slowly and remains spooky for the entire 80 minutes thanks to a countdown to midnight, bloody rituals, macabre flashbacks, wicked mirrors, and a destructive, fiery finale. I’m surprised at the lack of information available for this film, as touch of mid century hokey aside, this one has plenty of gothic mood and solid scares.

Fury of the Wolfman – Paul Naschy is Waldemar Daninsky again for the fourth turn in this haphazard Spanish werewolf series, and an opening narration and flashback scenes provide some of the wolf origins here.  More sexy innuendo, whips, chains, and even a yeti add to the car crashes, asylum secrets, affairs, science debates, abominations, mind control, and seemingly evil lesbian internships. Sweet period cars, clothes, candles, and excellent storm sounds help forgive the somewhat simplistic wolf transformation effects and standard dubbing. Some of the were-action is filmed and paced in almost a silent film style, which adds to the demented love and mind drama, but the uneven editing and mixed camera styles unfortunately contribute to some of the science fiction and horror crossover story confusion. Detective and reporter elements are also weak and dated – though it’s nice to see an investigation instead of just killings without consequences in a self-involved bubble. I wish this was a bit more polished, but behind the scenes troubles, a delayed 1972 release, title changes, and edited video prints only add to the frustrating pursuit of this not completely available, free form franchise. It’s a pity as the layered plots and twists here are dang entertaining.

The Man and the Monster – This 1958 macabre musical gets right to it with a crazy good car crash and continues the sinister build, slow reveals, and solid suspense pacing for the whole 78 minutes. Naturally, there are hints of Phantom of the Opera as the pained, eponymous Enrique Rambal maestros the pretty, talented Martha Roth. However, enough twists happen here – including a wicked mother, creepies more ala Psycho, and a unique demonic bargaining for those said musical gifts. In addition to the great piano compositions, frightful, pulsing orchestrations, and opportunities for silence or sparse diegetic sounds, the black and white photography effectively hides any filmmaking flaws whilst heightening the shadowed, hidden ghastly. The then contemporary fifties cars, fedoras, and frocks are mid century cool, yet a moody, gothic atmosphere lingers thanks to overgrown abandoned estates. Yes, Abel Salazar doesn’t have much to do as our good guy businessman and the ensemble is slightly over the top. Some of the piano playing is obvious fakery, and though high end at the time, the monster effects are hokey today. The narration was also unnecessary in the tell-all flashback for the sequence plays out wonderfully on its own. Fortunately, these dated quirks invoke classic silent film styles and keep the regrets taught and wild finale avante garde. Perhaps this one isn’t out and out scary to modern audiences, but it’s still an effective, entertaining little morality tale.  

I must say, it does help to have some knowledge of a particular film’s original language, as the subtitles and dubbing don’t always match. Fortunately, the DVDs almost always have the necessary language options – although I swear it seems Netflix only has one copy of these types of elusive, eclectic videos. I had to wait for each of these for quite some time, and many more I’d like to see have so little information about them or are simply no longer available and may never see the light of digital day. It’s a pity, as I’ve enjoyed the old foreign horror I have seen more than some of this contemporary chiller drivel!

For more commentaries on ye olde foreign language horror films, here’s a list of some global scares already reviewed!

 

Atom Age Vampire

Black Sabbath

The Bloody Judge

The Bloody Vampire

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Crypt of the Vampire

The Horrible Sexy Vampire

House of Shadows

Nightmare Castle

Nosferatu

Spirits of the Dead

Suspiria

Terror Creatures from the Grave

The Vampire Happening

The Vampire’s Night Orgy

Vampyr

Werewolf Hunter

The Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman

The Witches Mountain

 

More 70s and 80s Camp Horror

Have a Dose of 70s Horrors and 80s Scares!

By Kristin Battestella

The calendar changes from 1979 to 1980 and the countries of origin may vary, but there’s still a plethora of campy vampires, juicy werewolves, and freaky witches to be had from the decades of yore. Here’s a helping of something for everyone, even the kids!

The Horrible Sexy Vampire – Some very bad music interrupts the smooth European dressings of this 1972 Spanish release, indeed. I’m also not really sure how they got the misrepresenting English title out of El vampiro de la autopista, which makes much more sense with the plot. Fortunately, the quick pace gets right to the scares, sheer lingerie, and ridiculously perky bathing boobies. The story is composed of some of the same old vampire hunting family tales, law and order skepticism, and undead history rehashing, and some of the talkative scenes are slow. However, there’s also a bit more thought to the plot in comparison to other T-n-A low budget horrors of the decade.  The killings by an invisible perpetrator are somewhat goofy, sure, but also unique. I’m more concerned with this string of victims who all shower for 30 seconds sans soap or shampoo!  Although a few of the players look like they might be speaking English but are overdubbed anyway, the voiceovers match and the dialogue is loud and clear.  I could do without this lingering background humming sound, and more fast paced viewers might find the overall presentation dry compared to bigger gory and bloody treatments. However, this is a pleasant little mystery with some saucy treats and a bevy of perils and suspense.  

Prime Evil – There isn’t a lot of information about this 1989 rarity from director Roberta Findlay (Shauna: Every Man’s Fantasy). The opening narration is stilted in its ominous sounding attempts, and the bad eighties chicks are replete with used nuns clichés, bad shoulder pad fashions, belted leotards, and fake offices one step away from the X-rated videos of the day. The sex scenes are laughable, too. The plot is fairly pointless as well- meandering towards a sacrificial hour as it collects boobs, babes, and inept cops with iffy mustaches calling evil priests “fart breath.” Yeah, the music is over the top, too.  All that, and yet there’s some good blood and sexual symbolism here. Where’s the line between just naughty, depravity, and evil? It’s a bizarre mix of ecclesiastics and Satanism, abuse tales, some rituals, sacrifices, and perky virgin bosoms. You know, the usual dedicating a blood relative to Satan in order to remain young for 13 years- rinse, wash, repeat. The medieval opening and plague possibilities are solid, along with snowy locales and creepy church architecture. It’s nice to see the eighties Christmas in New York as well, for it’s subdued in comparison to today!  Yes, this looks dated and really late night low budget and today’s viewer must take it all with tongue firmly in cheek. The Winter Solstice is also seriously painted in a bad light, but horror audiences looking for something to watch during the holidays can find some saucy fun in the campy good screams, make up effects, and juicy scares here.

  

The Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman – Never ever do an autopsy on a supposed werewolf on a moonlit night!  Just one of the many warnings from this 1971 Spanish treat, the fifth in the loose Waldemar Daninsky series from writer and star Paul Naschy.  Director Leon Klimovsky (The Vampire’s Night Orgy) tackles then-contemporary disbelieving science versus superstition with good screams, fun growls and fangs, zoom attacks, and slow motion eerie.  There’s a good quality of blood, too, and a twisted medieval flashback establishes the satanic ritual roots. Of course, the nighttime photography is almost impossible to see, and the handheld forest camera action is poor. The werewolf makeup and effects may be a bit hokey but considering the low budget foreign production, they suffice. The flowing fashions and happy vamps running thru the glen can seem more like Frodo Lives hippie, I know. However, it is nonetheless very unnerving and effective. Actually, the pop references in the dialogue – such as man walking on the moon, James Bond, and the obligatory “Dracula! Ha ha.” – feels more dated amid the fine gothic history and Euro style. A touch of lingerie, bloody shackles, and crazy girl on girl suggestion keep the run of the mill acting and yell at the TV moments bemusing.  Cap this eighty plus minutes with unusual monster relationships and cool mod clothes and you have a picture that’s a cut above the standard dollar bin foreign horror. Naturally, multiple video releases, unavailable uncut editions, international reissues, and title changes can make pursuing Naschy’s horror repertoire extremely frustrating.  For fans of retro Euro-horror, however, this is worth the hunt. 

I’m Conflicted

The Witches Mountain – This 1972 Spanish wicked opens with a dead cat and a serious brat and proceeds with severe mustaches, woeful music, and terrible dubbing. The road trip mystery is very slow to get going, and the initial plotting is more repetitive and confusing than foreboding.  Likewise, it’s tough to see the dark nighttime photography and some of the bonfire-esque sequences. At times, I wasn’t even sure who was who and there are only a handful of people here. The fashion designs and window dressings are also poor and dominated by the hideous patterns and icky fabrics we so often negatively associate with the decade. The Pyrenees location scenery is sweet, however, and the creepy increases as our bizarre couple travels from one weird hotel to the next and encounters a freaky old witch or two. Unfortunately, the whole setup is fairly obvious from start to finish and feels overlong and tough in getting to the fun ending.  For sure, this one can be enjoyed half-asleep or with further indisposition at 3 a.m. with your kooky besties – but it isn’t really that good in production, performance, or plot.

And Here’s a little something Spooky for the Kids:

Mystery Mansion – This 1984 family friendly creepy seems rather obscure, and iffy kid acting and bad eighties feel good country music will make this one totally dry for contemporary adults. Wise audiences today will not find this scary- despite the presence of some crusty, bumbling redneck Unabomber looking escaped convicts.  The flashbacks and dreams look low budget in your face, as do the treasure chase scenes, and the titular house is actually barely there. Having said all that, the outdoor scenery and river rafting looks like fun- this isn’t bad, just too juvenile and dated. Spooky kids growing beyond Goosebumps or youth interested in something a little more period or retro eerie can have some safe fun here.