Nights 21 to 26: from ‘The Brood’ to ‘The Man Who Laughs’
Halloween has come and gone! Unfortunately, work took over my time, and I wasn’t able to have my reviews on time for each single day of this year’s 31 Nights of Horror Movies.
For that reason, I’ll be making two last master-posts with quick reviews for the last eleven flicks I watched this year, as well as an extra post with all the movies and my top 5 recommendations.
Enjoy!
Night 21: ‘The Brood’ (1979)
As soon as I saw the date of release I was a little worried, thinking that this would end up being just another crazy and senseless 70’s gore fest. However, I was pleasantly surprised!
The film follows a man who is investigating some rare occurrences related to the therapy center where his wife is staying in. Soon, he will uncover the ghastly effects of a series of experiments gone wrong, which will claim the life of many innocent people and put his child at risk.
The movie is an interesting and creepy representation of how anger can consume us and destroy things around us. Mental issues are turned into actual physical manifestations with a mind of their own, which provides some seriously creepy images and intense moments.
Despite the spine-chilling imagery, ‘The Brood’ is more than guts and blood. The emotions work, mainly because we feel for both the father and his daughter. Also, characters that seem to be destined to fulfill a clichéd role (like the Doctor) end up surprising us with their humanity.
Bonus: the ending is absolutely great!
Grade: 7/10.
Scare Factor: creepy as hell!
Gore/violence: yes.
Nudity/sexual situations: some nudity.
Night 22: ‘The Hands of Orlac’ (1924)
It follows the story of a pianist whose hands are replaced for that of a serial murderer after an accident. The revelation that he is in possession of these cursed appendices will prove too earthshattering for his integrity, and soon he will find himself questioning his identity as well as his morality.
The concept is absolutely chilling and horrifying, and the movie presents it with a visually striking production that will certainly shock you.
It’s unfortunate, then, that ‘The Hands of Orlac’ ends with a disappointing twist that undermines the moral question it presents. After an incredibly long story, the film tries to shock the viewer twice, but it’s too dissatisfying and confusing to be either entertaining or interesting.
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: some eerie images.
Gore/violence: nothing too graphic.
Nudity/sexual situations: none.
Night 23: ‘The Fog’ (1980)
John Carpenter’s ‘The Fog’ tells the story of a small coastal town whose residents are punished by the victims of an unspeakably immoral act. After being murdered over 100 years before, the angry ghosts will return to execute their timeless revenge.
It’s a simple and conventional story, but creepy and effective enough, with great scares and wonderful cinematography. It’s a perfectly entertaining watch for a Halloween night!
The characters are fun to watch, and you care enough about them to root for their survival. It also helps that the movie never tries to over-explain or expose the monsters too much.
On the down-side, the ending makes little sense, and it’s not a particularly memorable movie. If anything, 90’s kids will probably find themselves thinking about how it probably inspired a couple of episodes of the Are You Afraid of the Dark anthology –I know I did!
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: moderately scary.
Gore/violence: some.
Nudity/sexual situations: nothing too graphic.
Night 24: ‘Zombi 2’ (1979)
If you’re a fan of the zombie sub-genre, you should definitely give this one a watch!
Lucio Fulci’s ‘Zombi 2’ follows the search for a lost scientist, which will uncover a mysterious island where its inhabitants are becoming mindless cannibalistic monsters due to an unstoppable disease.
The film has some great commentary on the dangers of colonialism and ignoring the warnings of locals due to some erroneous sense of superiority. This is presented through some truly haunting images, with monsters that are terrifying and disturbing, good scares and great tension.
Unfortunately, the tone shifts so much throughout the entire movie, that it’s whiplash-inducing. Between the forced romantic plot, and the stupid decisions made by the characters, it soon turns into an impossible chore to continue watching without wishing they all perish.
Still, it somewhat makes up for it with a great ending a-la Planet of the Apes, so: resist, and enjoy it!
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: high!
Gore/violence: a lot.
Nudity/sexual situations: nothing too graphic.
Night 25: ‘Ringu’ (1998)
This Japanese horror classic is in every list of foreign horror movies you should watch –and with good reason!
In ‘Ringu’, a journalist begins an investigation about a mysterious tape that kills the people who have watched after a week. She teams up with her ex-husband, and together they unveil the origin of the cursed tape, and all of its horrifying details.
‘Ringu’ has great visuals, characters that feel grounded and honest, and a truly heartbreaking and chilling setup. Despite having a pronounced supernatural element, everything in it feels real and intimate, and the moral question at the end will haunt you long after the movie has ended.
If there’s anything ‘bad’ about it, is how hysterical and weak the female character can sometimes be. Yet it doesn’t take away from the rest of the movie too much.
On a side note, it’s good to know that the American remake actually did do a good job of adapting it. Despite taking away part of the supernatural elements of the original, it cared for the characters and had a clear-cut aesthetic of its own, and in that sense it understood and respected its predecessor.
Grade: 7/10.
Scare Factor: very creepy.
Gore/violence: little.
Nudity/sexual situations: none.
Night 26: ‘The man who laughs’ (1928)
After being disfigured because of his father’s transgressions, Gwynplaine grows up to become a traveling performer with his beloved Dea, a blind girl who loves him despite his deformity. However, the solace they’ve found in each other will be interrupted when the noblemen of the city decide to restitute his title and properties, at the cost of corrupting his soul.
Simply and effectively heartbreaking, it’s undoubtedly a great movie –horror or otherwise- due to its tragic and flawed characters, its beautiful yet unsettling visuals, and unforgettably terrific performances, particularly from Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin as the two lovebirds.
After all the pain the characters endure, the happy ending doesn’t seem forced, but crucial and earned. It’s a soothing caress after too much grief.
The movie has some flaws, with certain plot points that make little sense or are explored too superficially. Nonetheless, ‘The man who laughs’ is truly an outstanding film, and definitely one of the best of this year’s selection!
Grade: 8/10.
Scare Factor: some eerie scenes.
Gore/violence: little.
Nudity/sexual situations: nothing too graphic.
Next: Nights 27 to 31: from ‘The Blob’ to ‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’
