Candyman (1992)

While I’m a lifelong horror fan, somehow I’ve never seen Candyman. It’s understandable to have this blindspot; the original film came out when I was still in elementary school and the name Candyman doesn’t just hold as much street cred as names like Jason, Freddy or Leatherface. But in eager anticipation of the horror film’s next chapter, I made it a priority to seek out the 1992 Candyman. Let’s just say I was entertained, but not impressed.

When a smart, scholarly white woman,  Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) decides to study urban legends, she turns her curiosity to Candyman. The locals say if you say his name 5 times he’ll appear, hook hand and all and kill you. But she’s too intelligent to really believe in all that. Until she dives a bit deeper, investigating the scene of one of his supposed murders and discovers a rabbit hole she can’t climb out of. Worse, she seems to be going crazy and people believe she’s murdered an innocent baby.

There is so much potential to this story, but I feel like this movie doesn’t quite make the mark. There are these intriguing ideas of how urban legends spring from truth then morph and spread. We understand how that gives them power, how Candyman feeds on that power. But these ideas don’t really come to fruition and by the story’s end we’re left wanting more. 

Director Bernard Rose’s vision for Candyman feels limited at best. He takes a black urban legend and sticks a white lady in the middle of it. Admittedly, it puts her in her unfamiliar territory, a disadvantage. But I feel as though Rose is disadvantaged as well. Afican American urban legends and horror born out of generations of slavery and racism dont feel authentic told out of the mouths of a European white man. 

Something in the 90s gave movies the green light to be overly sexual about everything. Helen’s husband having an affair with a student is one layer. Candyman’s abduction of Hellen is a whole different one, and honestly it’s intriguing, feels bolder and I welcome it. But the needless boob shots, especially the ones when Helen is covered in blood feel needless and intrusive. We get it, it’s the 90s and movie directors used women as objects. This makes me look forward to what Nia DeCosta can bring to the table in her film.

As an individual film, the 1992 Candyman is entertaining enough. I got very invested, wondering what would happen next, enjoyed the blood and horror and very much enjoyed the very 90s jump scares. I look forward to DaCosta’s take in this very intriguing horror story/ urban legend. 

“The pain, I can assure you, will be exquisite. As for our deaths, there is nothing to fear. Our names will be written on a thousand walls. Our crimes told and retold by our faithful believers. We shall die together in front of their very eyes and give them something to be haunted by. Come with me and be immortal.” 

White Zombie

Horror movies can be scary in many different ways.  Some are full of gruesome deaths.  Others take us into a paranormal scenario our minds can’t completely comprehend or believe.  Still, others are just plain creepy and make our skin crawl in wonderfully horrible ways.  The pre-code era’s White Zombie, believed to be the first zombie film, has a bit of everything.

In 1932’s White Zombie, a young couple, Madeline (Madge Bellamy) and Neil (John Harron), plans to marry in Haiti.  Their host, Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer), wants the girl, Madeline himself and seeks out the help of local voodoo guru, ‘Murder’ Legendre (Bela Lugosi).  Murder uses zombies to run his sugar mill, an effective source of cheap labor with no chance of forming a union.  Anyway, Murder gives Charles something that will help him win Madeline, but she will become a zombie.  Charles doesn’t want to do that to her, but he knows there is no other way.  Can he handle life with a zombie wife?

While this is a zombie movie, these are not the sort of zombies we see in most of today’s media.  These zombies stem more from the original voodoo legends of Haiti and Africa.  They are raised from the dead by voodoo, or some other means of witchcraft.  And rather than shamble, rot and hunt for human flesh, they don’t do much unless commanded by their master.  You’ll know when zombies are about to do Murder’s dirty work when does his zombie grip.

Though the quality of the film is not very good, there are still some fun tricks up its sleeve.  I loved the use of overlaps and transparencies.  Moments with Lugosi’s creepy staring eyes are always a treat, much like in his previous role, Dracula.  And really, the grainy quality of the film contributes to the creepy atmosphere the film creates.  It takes time and energy to make grainy images you strain to see in modern films.

I believe that White Zombie is the sort of classic horror film that can stand alongside classic greats of its time, like Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein.  It’s creepy, has a magnificent set design and wonderfully over acted for all the fun and creeps.  This could be a good first zombie film for kids, if you’re not ready for them to witness the blood and gore of Night of the Living Dead.  Madeline could also inspire a great minimal effort zombie costume, if you can keep from blinking long enough.

“Your driver believed he saw dead men… walking.”

Frankenstein (1931)

It seems that given enough time in our culture, you seem to know the story of Frankenstein before you see any of the movies or read Mary Shelley’s classic novel: mad scientist creates monster, horror ensues.  Between Halloween novelties, The Munsters and countless parodies, there seems to be an accepted iconic image of the monster: tall, green skin, black flat-top, rivets in the neck and fresh stitches here and there.  That being said, I think it’s easy for most casual film fans to look over the original Frankenstein, especially when there are so many other fun spins on the story, one of my favorites being Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.  However, this is one of the original horror film icons from Universal, the first featuring Boris Karloff, that should not be missed.

In the film, a young Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) works in a secluded tower on his reanimation experiments.  He and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye) carry out the ghoulish task of finding recently dead bodies and bringing them back to the lab.  I love how we meet them stalking a funeral, ready with shovels get the stiff.  Henry’s fiancee, Elizabeth (Mae Clark), becomes worried about Henry, so she and Henry’s friend Victor (John Boles), go to visit him.  Their timing couldn’t be better (or worse), they get to witness Henry using the electrical power of a storm to bring a man built from corpses to life.

Boris Karloff plays the monster on screen and breathed life into what became an icon of horror.  In this film, the monster says little more than grunts and shrieks, but in later films (three of which Karloff reprised his role) the monster has learned to speak.  However, we still get a good idea of the character, a poor abomination born out of blasphemous power and thrown into a world it doesn’t understand.  I always feel so bad for the monster as Fritz scares him with fire.

One of my favorite scenes was severely edited in the film’s initial release.  When the monster happens upon the little girl tossing flowers into the pond, the scene was originally cut as the monster was reaching for her and left the audience to infer that the monster had tossed her in.  It was considered too violent.  How awful that the earliest audience did not get to see the monster toss her into the lake and flee in confusion when she didn’t float like the flowers.  I always found that last moment makes the monster look very sympathetic, like a scared child who didn’t know any better.  It was not until the 1980s that the scene was restored.

When it comes to Frankenstein movies, I enjoy them all, but this original always held a special place for me.  I became especially fond of it after reading the novel in high school, even though the fact that Victor and Henry’s names are switched still throws me off.  But if you’re in the mood for some good old fashioned grave robbing, lightning resurrection and climatic windmill burning, 1931’s Frankenstein is sure to bring you some chills.

“It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, IT’S ALIVE!  Oh, in the name of God!  Now I know what it feels like to be God!”

The Blob (1958)

I believe 1958’s The Blob was my introduction to two wonderful things: 1950’s monster movies and Steve McQueen.  The Blob was McQueen’s first lead role in a film and helped propel him to stardom.  Though he was twenty-seven during filming, he plays a teenager, doing all the things teens did in the late ‘50s: take girls out in their car, unintentionally rouse a gang and have to drag race for their respect, run from a monster attacking the movie theater and fear he might die in the local diner.  It must’ve been tough growing up back then.

While Steve (McQueen) is on a date with his girl, Jane (Aneta Corsaut), they see a big red falling star.  Curious, they go in search of where it landed but run into an old man (Olin Howland) with a strange jelly he can’t get off his arm.  They take him to the doctor (Stephen Chase), who doesn’t identify the substance.  While he sends Steve and Jane to look for clues to the ooze, it grows and eventually envelops and dissolves the old man!  It seems to be an alien substance that can only grow and engulf any living thing around.

When Steve and Jane try to warn the police, they don’t believe them.  Their story seems to bizarre, and being kids they’re probably just pulling a prank.  Their parents are called and the teens are taken home.  But Steve can’t just sleep while the town is in danger, and soon there is no denying the wrath of the monstrous blob.

Sure, this movie isn’t very scary.  There’s no blood, gore, sex or violence (though if you’re looking for some, you might have more luck with the 1988 remake).  I would consider it appropriate for all ages.  The horror here is the thought of an alien substance suddenly dropping in on a small town and engulfing it overnight.  It could go on to cover the whole world.  Thank goodness for meddling teenagers and CO2 fire extinguishers.

Oh, and for fun, check out the song that plays during the opening credits.  It’s one of my favorite horror movie theme songs.

“Doctor, nothing will stop it!”

The Invisible Man (1933)

If you stop to think about it, the power of invisibility would be extremely useful, yet highly overrated.  With enough tact, you could easily eavesdrop on any conversation, give the slip to anyone, take what you want or pull some great scares with little chance of being caught.  What a dream for a sneak!  Yet there are so many technical hangups that can ruin even the simplest plans.  Rain and fog give you a faint outline, mud and snow leave tracks.  Not only do you have to be completely naked to be invisible, but you better be squeaky clean as well. And if you do want to be seen, it requires quite a bit of clothing, but perhaps one of those spandex whole-body suits would be helpful this day and age.

When a man wrapped from head to toe walks out of the harsh snow into an inn, it causes a stir.  He doesn’t remove any of the wrappings from his face and is very mysterious about his whereabouts.  Before he is even given a key, people are making accusations: a thief on the run, escaped convict.  It is none other than Dr. Griffin (Claude Rains), who has turned himself invisible in his experiments.  At the inn, he desperately searches for a way to reverse the effect, but with all the commotion going on about him, it’s hard to concentrate.  And being invisible is starting to drive him a little mad and fill him with greed.  Before his collegue, Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers) and his girl, Flora (Gloria Stuart) can help him, The Invisible Man gives the people what they want, a good scare and runs amok invisible through the town.

The invisibility gags do not get old and will often leave viewers believing or wondering how such feats were filmed in the early 1930s.  The most fantastic moment is when Rains is taking off the wraps from his head, revealing little by little his invisibility.  As a kid, I always marveled at this moment, wondering how it was done.  Apparently, director James Whale filmed Rains wearing a black velvet mask in front of a black velvet background to achieve the effect.

I would consider The Invisible Man one of the least scary or the Universal Monsters, but the film is one of the most entertaining and best written.  It was closely based off of the H.G. Welles novella.  While it is a bit violent (murder!) the scariest images are the fact that there is no image of our monster at all, which is more intriguing than frightful.  This film could be a great introduction for children to old monster movies, as well as classic film.  And with a superb cast, boasting Claude Rains in his first lead role, any film fan is in for a treat.

“The fools wouldn’t let me work in peace. I had to teach them a lesson.”

The Mummy (1932)

I’m not sure if I ever saw 1932’s The Mummy as a small child.  I seem to have more recollection with the CGI action/adventure version of the film that came out in the late ‘90s.  And the images in my mind of an old black and white mummy wrapped head to toe in ragged gauze shuffling through dim corridors and always catching their running victims seems to have come from elsewhere.  But The Mummy is one of Universal’s original monster movies, has become an icon and still holds up to a be one of the greats in classic horror.

During an archaeological expedition, an ancient mummy is discovered.  Upon further inspection, he seems to have been mummified alive and a curse placed on whoever opens up his tomb.  While some take the warning seriously, one young archaeologist does not, and accidentally unleashes the undead mummy, Imhotep (Boris Karloff).  He shuffles out of his sarcophagus away, in search of the reincarnation of his lover, Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon.

Ten years later, Imhotep is masquerading around Cairo as a normal wrinkly Egyptian guy in a fez.  He seeks out Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Byron) and his son Frank (David Manners) and tells them where to search for Ankh-es-en-Amon’s tomb.  It’s a valuable find and once the exhibit is up, Imhotep spends much of his time there.  When he meets a lovely young woman, Helen (Zita Johann), he notices her similarities to Ankh-es-en-Amon and is convinced she is her reincarnation.  Soon, Imhotep is using his other-worldly powers to attempt to bring Helen to him so he may turn her into his mummy bride.

Perhaps one reason for Karloff’s lack of iconic mummy presence was that the makeup was such an ordeal.  I’ve read that it took over seven hours to apply the mummy bandages and makeup, which included clay being tacked into Karloff’s hair and onto his face.  When the opening scene featuring Imhotep’s resurrection was finished, removing all the makeup took another two hours, some of it quite painful.  It’s no wonder that throughout the rest of the film, Karloff sports much less dramatic makeup.

This is a smart kind of early horror film that focuses on story rather than the fantastic.  For some, that may make it a bit dry, there is a lack of jumps and shocking moments until nearly the ending climax.  However, it is an enjoyable classic and the springboard for many, many more cheesy mummy monster movies.

“Do you have to open graves to find girls to fall in love with?”

Happy October!

Time to celebrate all those creepy shadows and bumps in the night.

It’s hard to believe that October is here again.  Here at The Best Picture Project, that means a month focused on classic and great horror films that fit into the Halloween season.

Now I realize the past month was a bit slow and I do want to apologize for not bringing enough film fun to my slice of the blogosphere.  Life has been busy, full of new ventures and topped off with a trip out west.  I’m back now, refreshed and with my Netflix queue stocked with horror.

As always, I invite you to suggest your favorite Halloween spirited films.  Right now, I want to promise getting to The Blob, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead (’78) and Frankenstein.  To see what films I have covered last October, check out my October Haunts page.  I may not be able to review all of them, but having more on my radar is always helpful.   Let’s enjoy a spooky, fun filled October!

Cat People

When I first heard of Cat People, I laughed at the ridiculous sounding synopsis:  A woman fears turning into a cat when she becomes sexually aroused.  How could I take that seriously?  It sounded like the birth of those horrible Halloween costumes, where all a girl needs is a short skirt and cat ears.  I passed it up for a while, but learned that it is considered a landmark in horror films.  How could I let it go any longer?

The story focuses on Irena (Simone Simon), a young Serbian immigrant in America.  While visiting the big cats at the zoo, she meets a young man, Oliver (Kent Smith).  The two become friends and a restrained romance blooms.  She shares stories of her village, and legends of the cat people, Oliver writes them off as silly folklore and superstition.  After they marry, Irena makes it clear that she is still not ready to be intimate.  Oliver is kind and patient, but a man can only hold his passions for so long.  As he grows closer to his co-worker, Alice (Jane Randolph), jealousy grows in Irena and she sees a psychiatrist.  Soon, her jealousy and passion will manifest and we see the legend of cat people take its true form.

What makes this a good classic horror film, is the rising mood and suspense the film creates.  We see the signs that Irena is one of the cat people; animals can sense it, she is drawn to the panthers at the zoo.  Perhaps she came to America trying to escape a fate she already knew.  Whether she knows it or just can’t accept it, we wait in anticipation for her cat form to come out.

When her feline side comes out, the film lets our imaginations run wild.  There is no Wolf Man like transformation, but things are more obscure and hidden by shadows keeping some mystery.  A great scene that shows this is when Irena is following Alice down the sidewalk.  Everyone clearly hear two sets of heels clacking along as the women walk in and out of the shadows.  We can tell Alice is getting frightened as the steps grow closer, but suddenly, the second pair of heels fade away.  Then the bus arrives, obscuring a loud roar, but delivering just as much fright. Later, we are shown big muddy paw prints that deform and turn into heel prints that lead to Irena.

Don’t let yourself be fooled by the silly synopsis, Cat People is a good classic horror film.  Simon’s performance perfectly builds up her inner dread for all of us.  Jacques Tourneur’s excellent direction creates a perfect mood for suspense, romance and horror.  That pool scene sets a perfect tone of trapped helplessness.  And the use of shadows is always where the action is.

“I like the dark.  It’s friendly.”

House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill is one of those classic movies that has been endlessly parodied, but remains delightful.  Eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) invites a group of people for a party at a haunted house.  Anyone who stays, or survives the night, gets ten thousand dollars.

This group of party-goers was hand picked by Frederick himself.  There is the owner of the house, Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook) who is deathly afraid of it.  His siblings were just a few of the murder victims.  Then there is Lance (Richard Long), the young test pilot; Ruth (Julie Mitchum), who writes about ghosts; Dr. David Trent (Alan Marshal) who claims ghosts could help his practice; and sweet innocent Nora (Carolyn Craig).  Nora does a good amount of the screaming.  Meanwhile, Frederick and Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) are always at odds with each other.  Some of their tension comes from the fact that she is his fourth wife and this was not the kind of party she wanted at all.

Like most movies that take place within a haunted house, there is plenty of horrific history and long halls to get lost in.  There has been a murder in nearly every room of the house, including a gruesome story of victims being chopped up and their heads never found.  A few dripping bloodstains mark gruesome spots on the ceilings   In the cellar is a pit of acid that will leave nothing but bones.  There are secret doors, dangerous chandeliers and even secret compartments in the sofa housing old murder weapons.

To spice things up, Frederick gives each person in the house a gift, neatly packed into miniature coffins: guns.  You know, to keep the murder rate up within the house up during their stay.  Fred ups the ante on the prize money for staying the night, anyone who dies gets their ten grand divided among the survivors.  Nothing like a little incentive to kill in a haunted house, right?

One of the funnest scary moments comes early in the film.  When Nora and Lance get separated while exploring the house, Nora gets quite a fright.  As she stands up from looking down at something, there is old Mrs. Slydes!  Only she isn’t really moving, she just stands like a wax figure, makes a creepy face and gnashes her teeth.  The best part is as Nora is screaming in fear, the creepy old lady leaves in a weird ghostly fashion.  It’s like she glides across the floor, not moving at all.  I know this might make it seem less scary, but I always imagined she was on a skateboard, rolling away.

House on Haunted Hill is a fun movie perfect for a big group who can scream and laugh.  The doom within the house is built up perfectly.  The ending is a blast with a big twist, and while I found it hilarious, I can see others feeling duped.  Nonetheless, it is a very fun film perfect for the Halloween season.

“The party’s starting now, and you have until midnight to find the house on Haunted Hill.”

The Haunting

My first encounter with The Haunting was with the remake in 1999.  It was a jump fest starring Liam Neeson that relied on random gore, too much CGI, and *spoiler altert!* let Owen Wilson get his head knocked off in a gigantic fireplace.  That’s what I remember most today.  At the time, I had no idea it came from an old horror classic and ate it up like popcorn.

The Haunting from 1963, directed by Robert Wise, is a fun, suspenseful horror film featuring the haunted Hill House.  The film starts out with the house’s grizzly history: built by Hugh Craine for his wife who died on her way to Hill House, he met an unfortunate end as well, leaving a small daughter.  As an old invalid woman, she dies in the house, due to neglect, and her negligent companion hangs herself in the house after inheriting it.  Clearly, you don’t want to own the house next.

In the present, Dr Markway (Richard Johnson) wants to document scientific evidence to prove that ghosts do exist.  He invites meticulously picked candidates to stay for the weekend at Hill House.  These include Luke (Russ Tamblyn), an skeptical young man and the heir to the house; Theo (Claire Bloom), a psychic with the style of a movie star; and  Eleanor (Julie Harris), a shy woman who has spent most of her adult life taking care of her sick mother, who recently died.  Together, they experience some extraordinary events and whatever haunts Hill House grows stronger and more violent.

Even before she leaves, Eleanor has a strange pull toward Hill House.  Staying with family since her mother’s death, she practically steals a car to accept Dr. Markway’s invitation.  There are hints to Eleanor’s psychic abilities, but she is insecure and denies them.  Even when frightening things happen at Hill House, Eleanor wants to stay, right up to the very end.  Perhaps it’s a kind of destiny.

Some of the scariest moments in The Haunting focus on what it is you don’t see.  At night, Theo and Eleanor huddle together, scared out of their wits about the noises in the house.  These are much more than creepy creeks, but violent pounding, children screaming and a threatening roaring sound.  You could swear something awful is just outside the door.  What you can imagine is probably scarier than any image.  Later in the film, a door seems to swell and contract, almost as if it were breathing, and just barely holding back whatever beast is haunting the house.  If Dr. Markway had invited me in his study, I would have wet my pants the first night and ran the next morning.

What makes The Haunting frightening is how it relies on the presence of the house and a building sense of dread.  To most viewers today, it may not be very scary, but more creepy and unsettling in a fun way.  However, younger viewers may have nightmares, so judge accordingly.  The wonderful details of the mansion are great eye candy, as well as the freaky-door scene.  There’s also a wonderfully suspenseful scene featuring a spiral staircase that will make anyone think twice about climbing the next one they see.

“God!  God!  Whose hand was I holding?”