31 Days of Halloween: Anthology double feature
Naturally, I missed the second day of my 31 day commitment to write about one scary movie a day for October, so today I present a double feature of movie spotlights for your horrific pleasure.
These two segments are not in your regular Netflix rotation, but they feature some of the all-time greatest classic horror actors — including my personal favorite, Ingrid Pitt. Bonus points for the man, Peter Cushing, who is doing double duty by appearing in both of today’s selections. And still found time to appear in Star Wars.
The House that Dripped Blood, circa 1971
This movie is a set of tales that in some cases exhibit the unexplainable, and in others just downright evil.
The initial story involves a writer who can’t get inspired (I know the feeling, buddy) until he finally creates an evil villain so moving that he’s finally writing away. However, “Dominick” is TOO real. To the point where the writer is seeing him in the flesh, much to his worn-out wife’s dismay. Until…a plot twist that even our mystery writer couldn’t have come up with, which is both terrifying but morally satisfying.
The next is our dear Peter Cushing as a retiree who settles in the country. The lonely fellow happens upon a wax museum (Note: Never a good sign in horror movies.) One of the statues is a lovely woman who mystifies all that see her — it reminds Peter of a woman he was once in love with. Then a friend comes to visit from the city and now HE can’t leave because he’s also in love with the wax figure. Think there’s something more to this story? You’re right.
The next story brings VIP GOAT MVP and any other acronyms you can think of of horror, Christopher Lee, as a single father attempting to wrangle his “incorrigible” daughter who looks like a little angel. He employs a nanny who is told ala Joan Crawford, little Jane is to have NO DOLLS EVERR. This seems cruel to the poor sweet child. The nanny tries to intervene, and suffice this “rebellious nanny takes a stand against mean dad” is not going to end like The Sound of Music. Unless the hills are alive with the sound of screaming.
This is me. No it isn’t. But it is important to have goals. My goal is Ingrid Pitt. Finally, my favorite episode. A long-standing vampire playing actor is renting the house (which I assume does not have a sign that indicates it drips blood as a welcome) with his costar, the voluptuous and charming Ingrid Pitt, basically playing herself as the hot chic who gets bitten in vampire movies. The vampire actor finds an old cloak in a store that allows him to play his part “more authentically” as it were. Ouch, says Ingrid! The cloak apparently turns him into a real vampire. Almost. Hint hint.
It’s the charcuterie of 70’s horror, this one. You need to watch it!
Tales from the Crypt 1972
Sticking with movies nearly as old as me, Tales from the Crypt, the early version, follows another anthology format, but of course, as Tales from the Crypt goes, each is a moral reckoning.
It opens with a group of people who don’t know each other entering what appears to be a rather “crypt-like” room, stones and whatnot. It’s clear they don’t know why there are there. They are greeted by a hooded figure who asks them all what they were doing before they arrived — given their confusion.
One by one, they share their most recent memories.
The first entry is an amazingly glamorous Joan Collins pre-Dynasty era. I like this one because I’m not a fan of Christmas so any Christmas-related horror gives me a certain joy, sans tidings. Joan decides to take her greed into her own hands — and learns the hard way that coal in your stocking isn’t the worst thing that could happen to the naughty on Christmas Eve.
He knows when you take a poker to someone’s head. The next is a guy who leaves his family on a “business trip” but fully intends to leave his wife and child high and dry, jetting off with his girlfriend to a new life. Things along the way don’t go as planned, though, and his “picture perfect” idealized future isn’t quite what he imagined.
The next episode is, in my opinion, one of the saddest in horror anthologies. My boy Peter Cushing is the guy who doesn’t quite fit in on the block to the snobby neighbors who are worried about property values (their descendants must have moved to Fairfield County, Connecticut.) He is a widower who raises loving dogs and is a favorite of the neighborhood children. All these visitors and residents apparently create nuisances for the rich family nearby and especially the young jerk. They can’t buy him out so instead he decides to drive Peter Cushing into a miserable existence until he moves or disappears otherwise. Neighbor dude gets his dogs taken away. He creates rumors that cause local families to keep the kids away. Then, on Valentine’s Day of all days, he sends him numerous rhyming valentine’s that repeated insult him. Over and over. So harsh, man.
Peter Cushing does not take this well. But in the end, his is not the only heart that breaks. I’ll leave it at that!
The next one is super disturbing. A well-to-do couple gets a mysterious token that has an inscription on it. Facing financial struggles, the husband realizes he can make a wish on the token and they get rained on with money. However, as we know, too good to be true usually is. Wishes start to go downhill after an unforeseen tragedy occurs. The last wish is truly one of the most horrific moments I’ve seen on horror film. You’ll have to watch…if you dare!
The last entry is aggravating and satisfying. A corporate takeover of a home for the blind removes all personal aspects of the company and makes everyone miserable only caring about the bottom line because their goal is heartless and not about the people they serve. Oh wait, that’s not about this movie… (Actually, it is.) A group of poor blind men have a man take over the management of their home. He cuts costs that include food and heat for the blind men while eating in high style, decorating his own quarters with priceless antiques and menacing them when they try to complain with his vicious dog.
You know how they say no one gets the other’s perspective unless they walk in their shoes. In this case, a lesson is imparted by having this director see, or not see, things from his residents’ eyes. Even the dog gets in the fun.
In the end, these two movies will give you such a snapshot into what’s amazing about late 60’s and early 70’s horror. Camp, cleavage, classic, cause for regret.
Happy watching.
