By Brett Blake As a huge fan of the horror genre, I feel it’s incumbent upon me to single-out some movies that, for any number of reasons, haven’t gotten the kind of exposure or respect they deserve, or films whose reputations don’t do true justice to how good they really are. So, with Halloween right around the corner, there’s no better time to talk about some of these. If you’ve seen all of the following movies (presented in no particular order), then you’re obviously doing something right. The rest of you, though, may have some work to do! THE EXORCIST III (1990) The Pitch William Peter Blatty (writer of the original novel, and the Oscar-winning screenwriter/producer of the first film) returns to the series to tell a spooky paranormal detective story involving ritualistic serial killings, reincarnation, and - yes - even some demonic possession. TRAILER Why’s It Overlooked? To be frank, THE EXORCIST III doesn’t get nearly enough respect because of the reputation of 1977’s EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, one of the worst films - let alone sequels - ever made. It’s a film so bad that it has tainted all further EXORCIST installments through a kind of “guilt by association” effect. Why Should It Be Seen? It’s of a surprisingly high quality, and it takes its subject matter seriously. It’s intelligently plotted, with a genuinely unsettling central mystery (focused on a rash of murders utilizing the same M.O. - one kept secret by the police - as a long-deceased serial killer). The dialogue is literate (and even witty), George C. Scott (who will reappear later on this list) gives a committed performance, and it also contains what is - in this writer’s opinion - one of the most effective (I might even say downright terrifying) jump scares in all of horror cinema. IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1995) The Pitch A Stephen King-type celebrity novelist goes missing mere days before his latest manuscript is to be delivered to the publisher. An insurance investigator (played by the great Sam Neill) is hired to track the author down, and in the process uncovers an ancient and insidious evil force on the brink of taking over the world. TRAILER Why’s It Overlooked? It was not particularly well-received at the box office, so those who were its fans from that original release were few in number, and not in a position to really evangelize the movie and its merits. A cult has started to grow around this one, but it’s (so far) been fairly slow-growing. Why Should It Be Seen? The film is, I think without question, director John Carpenter’s (of HALLOWEEN fame) last unequivocally “good” movie. It has an overpowering atmosphere of dread, and it draws upon the writings of H.P. Lovecraft to provide the backbone of the evil presence hovering over the story. It also has Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant from JURASSIC PARK) in one of his strongest performances, one that allows him to cover the gamut from smooth, “with it” investigator (with some film noirish undertones) to full-blown madness by the movie’s end, and he completely sells the character’s transition. PSYCHO II (1983) The Pitch Norman Bates has been rehabilitated after the events of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic original film, and he returns to the Bates Motel in an attempt to restart his life. However, cryptic phone calls and notes begin to plague him, and as bodies start to pile up, Norman has to question whether his grip on sanity is weakening. TRAILER Why’s It Overlooked? It’s the sequel to one of the greatest movies ever made. That’s really the only reason. In most people’s minds, it could never live up to the original PSYCHO (and of course it doesn’t, but it also doesn’t try), so why bother giving it a chance on its own terms? The movie wasn’t unsuccessful in its theatrical run, but it’s all but disappeared from popular consciousness. Why Should It Be Seen? It’s as good a sequel to PSYCHO as you could hope for. It treats the Norman Bates character with respect, and it does not simply retread the story of the first movie. This is a new mystery, one in which Norman may actually be the hero, and the way the screenplay slowly reveals all the pieces is quite well done. It also has a very effective score from the great Jerry Goldsmith, which never hurts. And on top of it all, Anthony Perkins gives an even better performance in this go around as Norman than the first, earning the audience’s sympathy at every turn. Given the events of the first film, that’s a big accomplishment. TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) The Pitch Five strangers on a tour of a creepy, run-down mausoleum find themselves trapped in an eerie crypt with the Crypt-Keeper, an old man who shows them how they all will die. TRAILER Why’s It Overlooked? The movie has been supplanted in pop culture by the very popular early 1990s television series from HBO. Though few people would probably know that the show was based on a line of comic books, even fewer probably know that this British film was the first to adapt some of the classic Tales from the Crypt comic stories. Why Should It Be Seen? It’s one of the best anthologies (a film made up of several smaller segments or stories) ever made, and it has a surprisingly nasty, mean-spirited edge. The five stories presented are all memorable, and feature some terrific twists and reversals. The gimmick of the Tales from the Crypt comics was that they would often feature horrible people who receive some kind of grisly comeuppance, and that’s in full, delightfully macabre effect in this film, which features homicidal madmen, dismembered corpses, and the living dead, among other things. TRICK 'R TREAT (2007) The Pitch Set on Halloween night, we follow a series of semi-interconnected stories involving walking corpses, serial killers, werewolves, and the living spirit of Halloween itself - a dangerously playful, masked little imp named Sam. TRAILER Why’s It Overlooked? Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, botched its theatrical release, keeping it on a shelf for nearly two years before dumping it to home video. As such, it never received the kind of advertising exposure it would have were it a wide theatrical release, and many people I’ve encountered have never heard of it. Still, the movie has begun to find its audience, and a sequel is in the works. Why Should It Be Seen? There is no better cinematic distillation of the creepy magic of Halloween night than this film. It captures the rituals, the traditions, the decorations, the costumes, the candy, and the weird, intangible thrill of a night where all manner of spooky encounters seem possible. The cast is great (Brian Cox is the movie’s MVP), and the creation of the Sam character as a kind of Halloween ambassador (in the way Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are for their respective holidays) works incredibly well. Plus, with a runtime of just over 80 minutes, it flies by and leaves you wanting more. Required viewing for anybody who has even a passing interest in Halloween. THE CHANGELING (1980) The Pitch After losing his wife and daughter in a horrible car accident, an aging pianist retreats to a huge, cavernous mansion… which just so happens to be haunted. TRAILER
Why’s It Been Overlooked? This is a curious one, because it has all the ingredients to be remembered as one of the all time great ghost stories. Sure, those who have seen it know how good it is, but the proverbial man on the street tends to not have heard of this one, which is perplexing. Why Should It Be Seen? THE CHANGELING is second only to 1963’sTHE HAUNTING as the best cinematic ghost story ever told. It is hugely effective in establishing mood, and there are moments in here that are utterly bone-chilling. George C. Scott gives one of the performances of his career, and he carries the movie on his shoulders with ease. The movie is a slow burn (which is to say that those with short attention spans might call the movie “slow”), but it builds and builds before culminating in a very memorable climax. Watch this one late at night, in the dark, and with nobody else around… I dare you not to be creeped-out by it. I could probably easily name another twenty films that could go on a list like this, so these six are just the tip of the so-called iceberg. Are there any horror movies you think don’t get the exposure or respect they deserve?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|