HORROR HODGEPODGE

 Note - - I wrote this several years ago and some of the movie links provided might no longer be valid.

As a small child I was timid and often afraid of my own shadow - - which makes it extremely ironic that I soon became fascinated with scary things.

I was nine years old when I began reading Famous Monsters of Filmland with religious devotion. The articles in this once - coveted magazine were about films from the golden age of cinematic horror - the 1920's through the 40's. At that time I'd never seen any of them, but the old photos plied my vivid imagination with incredible ideas of what they might have been like.

By the time I was twelve I was obsessed with reading ghost stories and tales of horror. I devoured the masters of the macabre: Edgar Allan Poe, Sheridan Le Fanu, Algernon Blackwood, Alexander Woolcott, Ambrose Bierce, to name a random few.
 
In my early teens - around 13 or 14 - I discovered the horrifically fascinating realms of true crime. The old library in the sleepy California town where we lived had an unusually good crime section. I spent untold hours there, reading about ghastly murders and scaring myself witless.

It was at that informative time in my young life that I decided fact was much more terrifying than fiction. I still maintain that concept.

I'll admit that, as an adult (or a reasonable facsimile) I don't scare very easily when it comes to movies. I've  seen enough harsh realities in life to make the most potent horror films pale in comparison.

Everyone has their own personal taste in horror and their own tolerance-level on the Fright Scale. Some people dislike scary movies. I savor them - but with restrictions.

When it comes to horror in films, I prefer reality and atmosphere above all else.  I like plausible stories that could possibly happen. I'm not into fantasy, Hollywoodized paranormal phenomenon, inane blood fests, or rampant special effects.

Creative, subtle aspects of horror have largely been usurped by uninspired generic slasher crap.
When I see a film with a group of idiotic, horny teenagers being systematically snuffed by a crazed slasher, I'm inevitably rooting for the killer.

Perhaps I'm just getting too old, or being too picky. After all, it's only entertainment....

When I was eleven years old I accompanied my parents to see Psycho at the Mission Drive-In in Claremont, California. 

Already a keen observer of cinematic blunders, I was quick to point out glaring errors in the film. Janet Leigh made her fateful stop at the Bates Motel, which was supposedly located somewhere in the remote desert expanse between  Phoenix and California. There are, in fact, no old wooden Victorian houses anywhere near this region - - and absolutely no swamps with quicksand where Norman Bates dumped Janet Leigh's car.

My observations, of course, didn't detract from the deliciously horrifying moments in the film. Psycho is tame compared to today's graphic gore, but it still packs a punch.
And Anthony Perkins made one very convincing psycho.

A recent Internet search assured me that The Exorcist (1978) is one of the most frightening films ever made. In my humble opinion, the only scary thing about it is that so many people thought it was good. They were influenced by a potent advertising blitz. Corny special effects and foul language tend to give me the chills, but horror has nothing to do with it.

The popular low-budget cult classic Halloween (also released in 1978) had a fairly good concept and somewhat scared me the first time I saw it. 

The complete lack of atmosphere, however, is extremely annoying. The story is supposed to take place in October, in Illinois. Unfortunately, it looks like it was filmed in May in Los Angeles. And it was. If you carefully observe some of the outdoor shots, palm trees can be seen in the background.

In retrospect, it's  mediocre and hokey.

Since I've always been completely freaked out by ventriloquist dummies, I like the 1978 film Magic starring Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margret. I watched it a few nights ago and it still induced chills (1978 seems to have had a surplus of horror flicks).

The above films that I listed are by no means my favorite horror movies (well, maybe with the exception of Psycho and Magic). 

John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow

I almost forgot Rosemary's Baby (1968) starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon and brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski. It's a psychological horror film involving witchcraft - a genuinely chilling classic.

There are two oldies that I always enjoy watching around Halloween.

The Spiral Staircase (1946)
starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethel Barrymore.

I've never been able to figure out why the film was given that title (I don't recall a spiral staircase being involved), but it's a scary flick with great atmosphere. Dorothy McGuire plays a servant in a house full of creepy people. She's also a mute - - a psychological condition which was caused by a tragic incident in her childhood.

For anyone interested, this movie can be found on YouTube for free. Be sure to include 1946 in your search or you'll get the crappy 2000 remake.

 Whitty, Russell, and Montgomery

Night Must Fall (1937) 
starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, and Dame Mae Whitty.

Originally based on a play, this movie is long and leisurely - with no graphic violence. It's a psychological chiller. Robert Montgomery (father of Elizabeth Montgomery of Bewitched) gives a superb performance as a serial killer named Danny. He's hired as a live-in assistant to a cantankerous old lady (Mae Whitty) and her quiet, compliant niece (Russell).

The final scene where Danny goes completely berserk is priceless.
 Question: 

is a severed head in the hatbox that Danny keeps in his room?? 

There are three film versions of Night Must Fall. You can find the classic 1937 version at this link:
https://ok.ru/video/342813379235

 

There are a surplus of horror films from the 30s and 40s. I could name 20, but I'll only mention The Wolf Man (1941) featuring Lon Chaney Jr. - - which is a minor classic.

WAIT! DON'T LEAVE YET!!!    

Here are two genuinely scary things to watch on Halloween. These aren't movies, however. They're from two old TV series. And they are both available free on the Internet.

The first one is a 1962 episode from the TV series Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff. It's entitled The Storm, starring Nancy Kelly and based on a story by McKnight Malmar. 

A woman, alone on a stormy night, suspects her husband is a murderer.

Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsOEJEE2Ipw 


And here's my all-time favorite - - which scared the living jeeters out of me when I was a kid and still scares me now.
It's called An Unlocked Window from a 1965 episode of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. 

Two nurses are alone on a stormy night - and a serial killer is nearby. The ending is an unforgettable shocker.

If this doesn't frighten you, nothing will.
It's available on the Daily Motion. Here's the link:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5z4xgy 

It sometimes shows up on YouTube, but often disappears due to copyright infringements.

Note: I wrote this post several years ago and don't know if any of the links (above) still work. I left them on this post, just in case.

Happy Haunting, Jon    2022