Dave's Journal / Oct2024
October - the haunted month and much fun to be scared at the movies. I favor the vintage (pre 1970s) "horror" flicks because stuff made after about 1970 is too gory / slasher / sadistic for me. The Hammer Studios productions (1950s - early 1970s) were the last of the best for me.
Anyway, I plan to add scary pics and clips here throughout the month.
Sanguis vere calidus est; suus sicut calidum scelerisque bibens sed magis eiulare.
Very dark, sinister, theatening, 1960 Italian movie starring the very dark, sinister, threatening Barbara Steele *.
* :
The most beautiful star of the greatest horror masterpiece of Italian film, Black Sunday (1960): Barbara Steele was born on December 29, 1937 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. Barbara is loved by her fans for her talent, intelligence, and a dark mysterious beauty that is unique; her face epitomizes either sweet innocence, or malign evil (she is wonderful to watch either way).
Note: that is not Barbara coming out of the grave up there. But her scenes are equally nightmare-ish.
One hundred and two years ago, when movies were a very new experience to most people, this movie was a shocker. And to be fair, you must watch it with that in mind, and with that in mind it is a scary nightmare (I watched it again last night.).
There are a confusing number of different surviving prints, restorations and alternate versions of Nosferatu. In the main, there are three 'complete' restorations and two incomplete, partially-restored versions. All five are available on DVD, while the latest two restorations, from 1995 and 2006, are also on Blu-ray. In addition there are countless low-quality public domain DVDs with different lengths, running speeds and soundtracks. All are derived from a single print held by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Excellent History of This Movie
I liked this, and so did others who enjoy vintage horror flicks. Storyline is simple villagers dealing with vampires (or "ghouls"). No Hollywood hero, minimal special effects - pretty old school film, extremely well photographed. If you need horror / slasher / thrills .... skip it .... but again .... I enjoyed it.
PS: the movie language is Russian, so you must read subtitles. Possibly there is an English dubbed version ??? Since I watch all movies with subtitles on, this did not bother me. Actually sometimes I watch movies with no sound and no subtitles and you'd be surprised how often this works just fine.
And while I am on foreign (in this case, German) vampire movies ..... This one is hot stuff. I promise you will not be scared watching Lesbian vamps do very very cool stuff besides biting people. And there is an English dubbed version floating around somewhere. I want the German DVD but it's $25 and I'm too cheap to actually pay that much.
This is a dark, slow-drama, dreamlike version, very mood-similar to the original 1922 movie. Klaus Kinski does an outstanding job as the nightmarish Nosferatu who clearly does not belong to this world. Bruno Ganz is excellent as a bewildered, weak-willed victim. And Isabelle Adjani .... what's not to love about her !
This is a very good film that was poorly titled and I think that fact diverted people from really appreciating it for its own qualities. It is a mildly scary drama - NOT a "horror" movie, not a vampire movie and has nothing whatever to do with "Dracula".
The plotline is a variation of "aged countess bathes in young blood to stay beautiful" and it is played as a mild drama, not a scary movie.
Excellent production, acting, cinematography and Ingrid Pitt in various sheer nightgowns !!
Very good movie - recommended by Dave.
Very classic, almost live stage style acting. No quick moves, no shocking mutilations, very measured, sedate dialog. The scariness comes from knowing that this well dressed, impeccably mannered gentleman turns people into "the undead" - a horrible existence.
My very favorite quotes .....
Ahhhh! ..... one more.....
Excellent family-friendly-spooky Halloween movie.
I was 11 and today I don't know how my mother let me go to see this, but hey it was a different world back then.
There is one scene that just about killed me and I have never had the courage to watch that movie again.
I was 18, freshman in college, went with two classmates. Three college dudes covering our eyes and shaking. I was under the seat a few times.
# The scene where Julie Harris wakes up holding onto someone's hand and there is no one there !!!
# The scene where the thick oak door is bulging out, trying to break off its hinges. (I am creeped out just typing this !!!)
I had no clue. Our babysitter told us it was a "great movie" and she loved the music !!! I didn't even know what "exorcist" meant. I was under major major job and school stress and decided to take a few hours off to relax at a movie.
I had headaches for weeks !!! Every moment of this movie is horrific!
N.O.T.L.D. has had its fair share of fame. It is an excellent low budget movie. It's true value as a film is the players reactions to what is happening, not that they simply are are afraid, but how they interact with this major life threatening problem that has fallen on them.
Once again, no big hero rides in to save the day, and the ending happens in one second and it's "lights on kids - movie's over".
(Debbie is out and I am in the basement getting spooked writing this stuff and hearing funny noises upstairs and my stomach is bubbling and the fan sounds weird.)
Carnival of Souls (1962) has its fame among aficianados, but the general viewer doesn't see it that way. This is a nightmare happening / evolving in slow motion for the viewer and the lead character. I've seen it many times and I always enjoy the nightmare.
Fear .... get-out-of-the-basement-and-go-upstairs kind of fear ..... that's what the Weeping Angels warn you to do. Very scary creatures, the Angels. They are coming for you, but they can move only when no one is looking at them. So .... Don't Blink !!
