Horror Month 2024 Quick Picks and Pans

 

Baby Blood (1990) When Yanka (Emmanuelle Escourrou) discovers she’s pregnant, she leaves her circus life and abusive boyfriend behind. Her troubles have only begun, however, when her body begins to undergo changes. Yanka moves from one abuser to another when the developing fetus begins speaking to her and controlling her actions. When it develops a taste for blood, she’s forced to kill on its behalf. Disturbing, gory and surprisingly funny, Director/co-writer Alain Robak’s Baby Blood takes a lot of chances. One thing’s for certain: you never quite know where it’s going from one moment to the next. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Beyond the Darkness (1979) Director Joe D’Amato’s tale of obsession and necrophilia, accompanied by a peppy Goblin soundtrack, horrifies and entrances, in equal measures. After his fiancée (Cinzia Monreale) suddenly dies, Frank (Kieran Canter) can’t bear to part with her. The amateur but skilled taxidermist digs her up and takes her home, much to the dismay of his housekeeper/former nanny Iris (Franca Stoppi), who has the hots for him. It’s all so messed up and in bad taste, but I couldn’t keep my eyes away. Needless to say, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re in the mood for some truly demented horror, you’ve struck gold.   

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Prime Video and Tubi

 

The Strange World of Coffin Joe (1968) Everyone’s favorite maniacal, top-hatted undertaker (José Mojica Marins, who also directed and co-wrote the movie) introduces a trilogy of morbid tales for our speculation. In the first, (my favorite of the bunch), a dollmaker renowned for his creations, which feature lifelike eyes, deals with unwelcome intruders. In the second story, a pathetic balloon vendor takes his obsession with a young woman to unhealthy extremes. The final segment stars Marins as a sadistic doctor who uses a hapless couple as guinea pigs to prove his deranged theories about love. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

Curse of the Blue Lights (1988) No, it’s not about a haunted K-Mart, but a small-town legend concerning evil ghouls who want to immerse the world in darkness. A group of “teens” combat the ensuing zombie horde. Filmed in Pueblo, Colorado for probably less than the fee for Tom Cruise’s hair stylist, this nifty little fright flick from director/co-writer John Henry Johnson keeps things entertaining. There may not be anything particularly original about the plot, but there’s such an earnest quality to the production, and it looks like everyone had fun. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

The House that Would Not Die (1970) This low-key made-for-TV horror movie from director John Llewlyn Moxey (City of the Dead) plays a bit like an overlong segment of Night Gallery, with oodles of gothic atmosphere, but few scares. A young woman (Kitty Winn) and her aunt (Barbara Stanwyck) move into a Revolutionary War-era house that once belonged to a prominent general. Strange things start going bump in the night, as the house’s secrets are gradually revealed. It’s a little too languidly paced for its own good, but it has its moments. 

Rating ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

 

No Tears for the Damned (aka: The Las Vegas Strangler) (1968) In this sleazy little proto-slasher, a brow-beaten mama’s boy Jeff Murray (Robert Dix) roams the Las Vegas strip, preying on unsuspecting dancers and sex workers. In an impulsive moment, he marries a naïve hooker (Gillian Simpson), only to leave her at home with his disapproving mother (June Drake). The acting is strictly B-grade, and the murders are unconvincing, but the flick has its weird charms, including some choice dialogue (“He’s as queer as a three-dollar bill.”; or when the protagonist hears that her new husband has been hanging around with a gay piano player: “Guess I’ve been reading the wrong kind of fairy tales.”). Yeah, it’s anything but subtle. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray (included in the Vinegar Syndrome’s Lost Picture Show box set) and Tubi

Auntie Lee’s Meat Pies (1992) Karen Black stars as the title character, who runs a booming meat pie business (three guesses what’s in them, and the first two don’t count). Her four lascivious young nieces lure stupid, horny men home to their doom. They’re assisted by Auntie Lee’s childlike brother Larry (Michael Berryman, who seems to be channeling Lenny from Of Mice and Men). Pat Morita also appears as the inept local sheriff, who seems to have a uncanny knack for ignoring the obvious. There are worse ways to spend 100 minutes. 

Fun Fact: Besides sharing a similar theme to Motel Hell (1980) one of the primary filming locations was the Sable Ranch, used in both productions. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and Kanopy

 

The Boogey Man (1980) In the opening scene, a young girl witnesses her brother stab their mother’s abusive boyfriend to death. Flash forward 20 years. While Lacey (Suzanna Love, who also co-wrote the screenplay) tries to live a reasonably mundane life as a wife and mother, her brother Willy (played by Love’s real-life brother, Nicholas), left mute by the traumatic event, still harbors repressed anger. Haunted by nightmares about the incident, she revisits her childhood home with her husband Jake (Ron James). She encounters a mirror that has an evil presence trapped within and shatters it. Inexplicably, she brings it home to reassemble the pieces. Strange deaths begin to occur. Working with the help of her therapist (played by an emaciated John Carradine), Lacey confronts her childhood fears, while contending with an annoying husband who thinks she’s imagining everything. The Boogey Man benefits from some unintentional humor but it’s otherwise standard fare. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Kanopy and Tubi

Patrick Still Lives (aka: Patrick 2) (1980) Mario Landi directed this unauthorized, unwanted, unnecessary Italian sequel (sort of) to the criminally underrated Australian thriller, Patrick (1978). In this version, several individuals with a checkered past are invited to a doctor’s mansion for a “vacation.” Little do they know they’ll soon be fodder for a comatose patient’s telekinetic rage. Filled with misogynistic men and gratuitous female nudity, but somehow bereft of thrills or scares, it’s got something to annoy everyone. Do yourself a favor and watch the original Patrick instead. 

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Spookies (1986) They don’t make ‘em like they used to, and that’s not always a bad thing. A group of friends (who seem to hate each other) arrive at a secluded mansion to party the night away. They’re trapped by a malevolent sorcerer who wants to revive his dead wife. The subsequent 80+ minutes consist of the clueless companions running around aimlessly, shouting at each other, and screaming incessantly. Credited to three (!) directors, Spookies features some cool low-budget practical effects but suffers from an incoherent plot and unlikeable characters. There are much better low-budget choices for your late-night horror viewing. 

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

 

 

Those Damned Kids

 

“…if one is not blinded by a sense of indispensability, one must take it that we, like the other lords of creation before us, will one day be replaced. There are two ways in which it can happen: either through ourselves, by our self-destruction, or by the incursion of some species which we lack the equipment to subdue. Well, here we are now, face to face with a superior will and mind. And what are we able to bring against it?” – Gordon Zellaby (The Midwich Cuckoos) 

Children are our hope for the future, if we can divorce ourselves from our egos long enough to appreciate them. At least for most parents, we wish our children will supersede us, becoming more successful, but above all, not repeating the same mistakes we made. While we’re waiting for our kids to conquer the world, we beam with pride over every major and minor milestone and accomplishment (“Aren’t they the smartest? Aren’t they the cutest little dickens?).

If we are to survive as a species, humanity must undergo a transformation, and our children are the key to evolving into something better. As a parent, I want my kids to inherit an Earth without hate, war, or self-serving agendas, but who will be the architects of this bold new society? John Wyndham’s 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos examined the dark side of the answer to this question. A film adaptation, Village of the Damned (1960) debuted a few years later, followed by the sequel, Children of the Damned (1964). How do these films stack up? Read on… 

Village of the Damned (1960) Directed by Wolf Rilla; Screenplay by Stirling Silliphant, Wolf Rilla and Ronald Kinnoch; Based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham; Starring: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, Michael Gwynn and Laurence Naismith; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ****½

“I’ve got to confess I’ve been complimented over the years for my direction of the children, and who am I to scoff at compliments? In fact, there was no particular art to directing these children. The trick was entirely in the concept. The only principle from which I started was that the normal behavior of children is very restless. I made these children keep very still at all times, move very deliberately, and very unchildlike ways. They sat upright and very still. That’s what made them rather frightening.” – Wolf Rilla (from Steve Haberman’s Blu-ray commentary) 

Something strange is afoot in the quiet rural English town of Midwich, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Until one fateful day, the townspeople seemed secure in the knowledge that nothing much has changed, and nothing likely will. Suddenly, without warning, everyone within the confines of the village becomes unconscious, collapsing in place. Anyone who attempts to enter the confines of the town suffers the same consequences as its residents, succumbing to the whatever invisible forces are at work (as one unfortunate pilot soon learns, the effect extends several thousand feet into the sky). On leave for the weekend, Major Alan Bernard (Michael Gwynn) plans a visit to his sister Anthea Zellaby (Barbara Shelley) and brother-in-law Gordon (George Sanders)* in Midwich, only to discover the place cordoned off. Just as abruptly as they fell asleep, the townspeople wake up, and things are apparently back to normal – at least for the moment.   Shortly after, Anthea learns that she’s expecting. The proud parents-to-be celebrate their good luck, but their elation is short-lived. 

* Fun Fact #1: Stirling Silliphant wrote the first iteration of the screenplay in 1957, with Ronald Coleman in mind for the lead.

It’s not only Anthea, but all of Midwich’s fertile women who have simultaneously become pregnant – whether they had partners or not. This obviously creates friction in the tight-knit community, especially for one unfortunate woman, whose husband returns from a year at sea to discover she’s expecting. The simultaneous birth of the dozen children* only further forces a wedge through the village’s inhabitants. The children, all born with flaxen hair, unusually shaped fingernails and dark eyes,** immediately begin to exhibit formidable intelligence, while developing at an unnaturally fast rate. They share a hive mind – what one knows, the others instantly understand, exemplified by the scene where one of the now two-year-old children solves a complicated wooden puzzle box, which the others duplicate. Most alarming, however, is their ability to influence the adults’ minds, to carry out their bidding or exact retribution. As we soon learn, similar occurrences are simultaneously appearing in several locations across the globe, with some communities taking drastic measures to combat the perceived threat. 

* Fun Fact #2: While there were 60 children in the book, the number was reduced to 12 for the film version. 

** Fun Fact #3: The filmmakers cast children with dark eyes to contrast the light hair (actually wigs). The cut of the wigs accentuated their foreheads, suggesting somewhat enlarged frontal lobes. According to film historian Steve Haberman, the studio wanted the children to look weirder. Thankfully, restraint prevailed.

As written in the novel, Gordon Zellaby in the novel was a hopeless pedantic, in love with his own words and ideas. George Sanders’ interpretation, is much less insufferable – still the consummate intellectual, but more grounded and relatable. Perhaps because of his love of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, he forms a tenuous bond with the children, who greedily devour anything he chooses to teach them. Barbara Shelley was reportedly unhappy with her character as written, hoping for a more substantial role. To her credit, she imbues Anthea with the appropriate amount of ambivalence towards her son, David (Martin Stephens),* with her motherly love tempered by fear for what she’s unwittingly brought into the world. When David leaves home to join the other children, her visible relief can’t be contained. 

* Fun Fact #4: According to Haberman, Stephens left acting in 1965 to pursue a career in architecture.

Village of the Damned uses the limited $225,000 (approximate) budget to its advantage, wisely never revealing the specific cause of the children’s abrupt appearance, leaving us to speculate about their presumably extraterrestrial origins. Likewise, the children’s intentions are ambiguous, with David their de facto leader and spokesperson. Our only clue to their ultimate goal is when they reveal they wish to spread out and propagate more of their kind in the world. The idea that they can willfully exert control* over the townspeople becomes a prospect too terrifying to ignore, becoming an “us or them” proposition. In one of the film’s most chilling scenes, where a would-be assassin turns the shotgun on himself, we witness the magnitude of their powers. The prospect of killing children is unthinkable, but to allow them to continue with their shadowy plans is to hasten the extinction of the human species (at least in its present form). Gordon devises a defense against the children, envisioning a brick wall – an impenetrable mental barrier, where he conceals his innermost thoughts. 

* Fun Fact #5: The glowing eye effect (when the children focus their powers) was achieved by using a matte of the actors’ irises. The positive image was then reversed to negative, making the children’s eyes appear white.

Reviews of Village of the Damned were mixed, with some critics calling it “sick.” MGM didn’t have much faith in the film, but once again proving William Goldman’s Hollywood adage that “nobody knows anything,” the little movie became a big hit (as well as ensuring the viability of a sequel). A largely faithful adaptation of John Wyndham’s novel that preserves the main themes, Village of the Damned is a thoughtful science fiction/horror hybrid that asks difficult questions and doesn’t provide easy answers.

Children of the Damned (1964) Directed by Anton Leader; Screenplay by John Briley; Based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham; Starring: Ian Hendry, Alan Badel, Barbara Ferris, Alfred Burke and Sheila Allen; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ****

 

“It’s a science fiction thriller. That’s on one level. On another level, it’s a moral fable about the use of brains by the two major powers during the cold war. Because I took this tact, it became very different from The Village of the Damned, where the intelligent children were all evil and destructive. The children in this screenplay are mysteries until the very end…” – John Briley (from Blu-ray commentary) 

Children of the Damned uses the original story as a springboard, rather than a bible.*/** Instead of clusters of children, individual children are born in various corners of the world – presumably a second attempt by an extraterrestrial influence to gain a foothold on Earth. In contrast to the first film, by all outward appearances, they resemble ordinary children. Their behavior, however, is eerily similar: all possess extraordinary IQs, devastating psychic ability,*** and display the same emotional detachment as their predecessors. Children from the Indian, Kenyan, Chinese and Soviet embassies connect with their British counterparts, with all converging in London. While the common denominator is that they were all born to mothers without partners, their origins remain a mystery, with the second film playing as coy as the first. 

* Fun Fact #6: This was John Briley’s first sole credit for a screenplay. Briley would go on to write the screenplay for Gandhi (1982), which also earned him an Academy Award. 

** Fun Fact #7: The film also marked Anton Leader’s feature film directorial debut. 

*** Fun Fact #8: In an effort to distance themselves from the first movie, the filmmakers didn’t want to depict glowing eyes, but they were overruled by MGM top brass, who insisted on the effect. As a result, the glowing eyes are employed much more sparingly this time around.

Depicting international characters required more diverse casting choices, compared to the original movie (with its purposely homogenous kids). As outcasts among their own compatriots, they sequester themselves in a crumbling, abandoned cathedral, where they attempt to continue their obscure plans undisturbed. Although their ultimate intent is unknown, they construct a device that can deliver a shrill, incapacitating signal, stopping some would-be intruders in their tracks. The device provides a mere glimpse of their potential, which becomes too much for the government to ignore.

One refreshing addition in the sequel is a sense of humor, which was mostly absent from the first film. There’s some nice interplay between Dr. Tom Llewellyn (Ian Hendry),* a geneticist, and Dr. David Neville (Alan Badel), a psychologist. After meeting a parent of one of the exceptional children, Dr. Llewellyn wryly remarks, “I think we can safely say that he didn’t get his brains from mother.” 

* Fun Fact #9: Richard Burton was considered for Hendry’s role, but the filmmakers ultimately decided the children should be the real stars of the film.

(SPOILER ALERT) The sequel presents us with the same dilemma as the first film: are these extraordinary children too dangerous to be kept alive? We’re left with essentially the same conclusion, but instead of a willful effort to destroy them, human error is their undoing, with their fate sealed by the careless drop of a screwdriver. The final shot of the film is especially heartbreaking and poignant, with two of the children’s hands visible through the rubble, joined together in death. Along with the children, there’s the feeling that humanity’s best hope has died with them. Once again, the message is clear, much to the world’s detriment, humanity isn’t ready to accept a radical transformation.

On the surface, Children of the Damned appears to follow a similar structure to the first film, but upon closer scrutiny, the sequel displays its true colors. The children in the first film were a menace that needed to be isolated and/or eliminated. It’s not so clear the second time around, with the children seeming less the perpetrators and more the victims. According to John Briley, Wyndham was so impressed with his interpretation of the source material that he advocated for Briley’s sole credit on the screenplay. Much like the kids themselves, Children of the Damned is an evolution of the original film. While it could never match the first film for its novelty or suspense, it’s a solid sequel, worthy of Wyndham’s premise.

 

Sources: Blu-ray commentary by Steve Haberman (Village of the Damned); Blu-ray commentary by John Briley (Children of the Damned); The Midwich Cuckoos, by John Wyndham 

 

Announcing the John Saxon Blogathon

 

Yours Truly and Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews proudly present the John Saxon Blogathon! In the world of character actors, there are a select few who stand out. Mr. Saxon (born Carmine Orrico in 1936) left an indelible mark on cinema and television, commanding attention whenever he was onscreen. The Italian-American actor often played his roles with intensity and conviction. Often typecast in authority figure roles (frequently as a police detective), there was never a doubt about whom you were watching. He played numerous villain roles to sneering perfection, but could play protagonists with equal aplomb. He was a fixture in American films and television, however, being fluent in Italian, he worked overseas in many Italian productions as well. Sadly, Mr. Saxon passed away on July 25^th, 2020, but his many performances live on.

With nearly 200 film and television roles (including an Oscar nomination) to his credit, even if you didn’t know his name, you couldn’t forget his face. The possibilities are almost endless. You could write about Saxon’s many television appearances, his sole directorial effort (Death House, 1988), his early career, or Italian movies. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some of his most memorable roles are: 

·       Roper – Enter the Dragon (1973)

·       Chuy Medina – The Appaloosa (1966)

·       Lt. Thompson – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

·       Lt. Ken Fuller – Black Christmas (1974)

·       Sador – Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

·       Marco Polo – Time Tunnel (1967)

·       FBI Agent Stanley Chase – From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

·       Multiple Roles – Fantasy Island (1978-1984) 

You can find a complete list of his many credits here.   

What: The John Saxon Blogathon

Who: Hosted by Yours Truly (Barry P.) and Gill Jacob

Where: Cinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews

When: December 6-8, 2024

How: Please read the rules below, and send me your post request (review, podcast, etc…) via email (barry_cinematic@yahoo.com), Twitter (@barry_cinematic), Instagram (barry_cinematic), or by commenting below. You may also contact Gill by commenting on her post, or through her blog’s Contact Me page (Be sure to include a link to your blog, your blog’s title, and your preferred name).

The Rules…

1. You may review ANY of John Saxon’s film or TV appearances. Or if you want to review books or topics about him that’s fine with us as well.
2. Because John Saxon has such a large number of appearances in his filmography, NO DUPLICATE MOVIE OR TV SHOW TITLES WILL BE ALLOWED. If a specific title has already been claimed, you may only include that title if it’s part of a list or retrospective review. If you choose to write about John Saxon, tell us what your topic will be.
3. Review choices may be requested as a comment on this page or you may contact me through the methods listed above.
4. Add your Twitter/X or Instagram username so I can promote your post. If you’re on BlueSky or Mastodon, please let Gill know.
5. A full list of blogs and review choices will be posted on a separate page, and updated regularly.
6. Only original, never-before-published posts will be accepted.
7. Limit TWO blog posts per participant, please.
8. Send a link of your post(s) to me or Gill on one of the days of the blogathon. Note: We will be publishing all links on both blogs. 
9. Please also note: Gill and I have already claimed the following titles below:

 Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviews – The Electric Horseman (1979)

 Barry at Cinematic Catharsis – Tenebrae (1982) 

 

One more thing… If you will be participating in the blogathon, be sure to grab a banner below, and display it on your website.

 

Happy writing, and we’ll see you in December!

 

The City of the Dead

 

(1960) Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey; Written by George Baxt; Story by Milton Subotsky; Starring: Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Venetia Stevenson, Tom Naylor, Valentine Dyall, Betta St. John and Norman MacOwan; Available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Rating: ***½

“People have said, ‘When you made these sort of films, did you think of Hammer?’ …To tell you the truth, when I directed City of the Dead, I hadn’t seen a Hammer film. I knew about them and what sort of films they made, but I hadn’t really seen one. So, when people say, ‘Did Hammer influence your style?’ I can honestly say no, because I had not seen a Hammer film before I directed City of the Dead.” – John Llewellyn Moxey (from DVD interview)

When we think of gothic horror films, Hammer is the name most people associate with the subgenre, but Hammer was far from the only game in town. Business partners Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky formed rival company Amicus Productions* to muscle in on Hammer’s territory. While not an official Amicus film, The City of the Dead would help set the tone for future projects from Rosenberg and Subotsky. Produced for the miserly sum of £45,000 and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey** (in his feature film debut), The City of the Dead was shot at Shepperton Studios, featuring a cast and crew predominately from the UK (with the notable exception of American actors Venetia Stevenson, Betta St. John, and James Dyrenforth). 

* Fun Fact #1: Subotsky created a production company, Vulcan Productions, specifically for this film. Even after Amicus was founded, Vulcan Productions lingered around for almost a dozen years before it was eventually dissolved. 

** Fun Fact #2: Among Moxey’s many directorial credits is the landmark TV movie, The Night Stalker (1972).

In the prologue, set in Whitewood, Massachusetts (circa 1692), Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel) is sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft. Even as she burns at the stake, she mocks the jeering crowd of onlookers, while her cohort Jethro Keane (Valentine Dyall) invokes Lucifer to protect her. The story shifts to the present day, with Professor Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee) recounting the events depicted in the opening scene. Captivated by his lecture, Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson)* is eager to learn more about Whitewood (coincidentally, Driscoll’s hometown) and its curse. Driscoll encourages her desire to continue her studies independently, referring her to the Raven’s Inn. Her boyfriend Bill Maitland** (Tom Naylor) doesn’t share her enthusiasm for the subject, attempting to discourage her from leaving. When his efforts fail to dissuade Nan, Bill appeals to her brother, Richard Barlow (Dennis Lotis), but to no avail. Nan heads off without their blessing, probably relieved to leave them behind for a few days. she picks up a ghostly hitchhiker (Valentine Dyall, again) along the way to the perpetually fog-immersed village of Whitewood. Despite an ominous warning from a blind reverend (Norman MacOwan) to leave while she can, she checks in at Raven’s Inn, where she meets the proprietor, Mrs. Newless, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth Selwyn. The fact that it’s Candlemas Eve (February 1^st) doesn’t bode well for her, as she soon discovers. When she fails to return home after a couple of weeks, Bill and Richard spring into action to retrace her steps (Okay, in all fairness her brother and boyfriend’s misgivings prove to be correct, but did they have to be such chauvinistic jerks about it?). Can the curse of Whitewood be stopped? I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to find out. 

* Fun Fact #3: While correctly listed in the end credits, Venetia Stevenson’s name was misspelled in the opening credits as “Venetia Stephenson.” 

** Fun Fact #4: The surname “Maitland” became an in-joke for Subotsky, recycling it in seven subsequent Amicus productions.

Surprisingly, neither Patricia Jessel nor Christopher Lee was considered the main draw for City of the Dead. Dennis Lotis, a successful recording artist of the time, who played Nan’s brother Richard was the big star of the moment. While Lotis does a serviceable job, he’s overshadowed by the formidable acting talents of Jessel and Lee. As Selwyn/Newless, Jessel is appropriately imperious and intimidating, with a sardonic sense of humor that suggests she just heard the funniest joke but is forbidden to tell it. Lee doesn’t have a great deal of screen time as Professor Driscoll, but (always the consummate professional) he makes the minutes count.* After he’s introduced early in the film, he disappears for a significant period, but rest assured, we’ll see more of him. We can feel his barely contained irritation, bristling at Bill for mocking his lecture, and Richard, an empiricist, who questions the veracity of his statements. 

* Fun Fact #5: Lee was fond of repeating Konstantin Stanislavski’s adage, “There are no small parts, only small actors.”

The film’s atmosphere qualifies as its own character, enhanced immeasurably by, the perpetual fog that blankets the village like a death shroud.* The fog helps to conceal the limited sets, depicting a town that seems to consist of a few decrepit buildings and an old church. The Raven’s Inn, shadowy inside and out, is Whitewood’s black heart, harboring an accumulated centuries’ worth of secrets (sure, it’s quaint and all, but perhaps Nan should have checked to see if the hotel had an Automobile Club rating). Desmond Dickinson’s moody black and white cinematography alternately conceals and reveals the details of Whitewood and its shadowy denizens.   

* Fun Fact #6: According to Moxey, the extensive use of heated paraffin for the fog had the unfortunate side effect of making some of the cast and crew vomit.

Reviews for The City of the Dead in its native UK were tepid, at best. The distributor didn’t have much faith in the film, placing it on a second bill with Roger Corman’s The Mobster (1959). The City of the Dead didn’t fare much better in the U.S., where distributor Trans-Lux trimmed six minutes from its 78-minute running time, retitling it as Horror Hotel. Time has looked favorably upon the film as an atmospheric, tightly paced gothic horror, which has outlived the negative, short-sighted reception of the time. Christopher Lee described The City of the Dead as “an American gothic with a Lovecraftian flavor.” I can think of no finer endorsement.

 

Sources for this article: DVD commentary by Christopher Lee; DVD commentary by Jonathan Rigby; Interview with John Llewellyn Moxey

 

 

Silent September Quick Picks and Pans

Within Our Gates (1920) Writer/director Oscar Micheaux brought to light racial inequities and concerns that were overlooked by mainstream Hollywood. One prime example, Within Our Gates exposes the myriad ways racism continued to shape and define American society in the early 20^th century. Sylvia Landry (Evelyn Preer) a young African American woman, travels from the South (the location is never specified) to Boston in search of funding for a school for disadvantaged black youths. She finds support from an unlikely source. Micheaux strips bare the injustices inherent in a system designed to keep white people on top, but ends his film with hope for a better future. 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray and DVD (in the Pioneers of African-American Cinema box set) and Kanopy

 

The Kid Brother (1927) Harold Lloyd stars as Harold Hickory, the diminutive youngest sibling in a household of lawmen. He discovers a golden opportunity to prove himself when a medicine show rolls into town, and money for a much-needed community project goes missing. While he’s in pursuit of the culprits, he finds the love of his life (Jobyna Ralston), while fending off his mean-spirited archrival (Frank Lanning). The Kid Brother is loaded with gags from start to finish, and features some nifty action sequences (including a confrontation with the crooks on a stranded sailing vessel). 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The Ace of Hearts (1921) Lon Chaney stars as Farralone, a member of a secret anarchist group, intent on assassinating a prominent industrialist. Chaney plays yet another character who experiences unrequited love (but he does it so well). Farralone almost lets his jealousy get the best of him when Lilith (Leatrice Joy), the object of his affections, falls for another co-conspirator (John Bowers). He must reconcile his conflicted emotions over the woman he loves and his fealty to the group. This low-key thriller/romance stands on the strength of Chaney’s sympathetic performance and a tense restaurant scene. 

Rating: ***½. Available on DVD (included in the Lon Chaney Collection)

The Cameraman (1928) Buster (Buster Keaton) makes a meager living, selling photos on the street corner. His career aspirations change when he meets Sally (Marceline Day) a young woman who works for a newsreel company. Trading in his portrait equipment for a movie camera, he decides to prove his worth as a reporter. Filled with gags aplenty, The Cameraman showcases Keaton’s gift for physical comedy (especially in a scene where he loses his swimsuit in a public pool). 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

The Star Prince (1918) In this charming/creepy fantasy film from writer/director Madeline Brandeis (who was only 21 when she directed the film) The Star Prince (Zoe Ray) arrives on Earth, where he’s raised by a poor family. After he callously sends his birth mother away, a fairy turns the once handsome lad into an ugly wretch. He subsequently embarks on a quest to find his mother and make amends. In the midst of his adventure, he encounters a lonely princess (Dorphia Brown) and a hateful dwarf (John Dorland). One of the unique aspects of this production is that all the characters were played by children, lending to the film’s fairytale quality. Location shots and real animals add to the film’s ambitious scope, although I could have done without the “humorous” scenes featuring some baby bears tethered to a rope. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD (included in the Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers box set)

The Mystic (1925) In this little-seen Tod Browning film, an American con-man (Conway Tearle) convinces a Hungarian traveling medium act, led by the lovely Zara (Aileen Pringle) to travel back with him to the United States. He concocts an elaborate scheme, using props and misdirection to hold phony seances to “reunite” wealthy people with their deceased loved ones. Predictably, his plan eventually backfires. An otherwise fascinating movie is only marred by a disingenuous happy ending. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD (part of the Criterion box set, Tod Browning’s Sideshow Shockers)