Nights 27 to 31: from ‘The Blob’ to ‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’
Night 27: ‘The Blob’ (1988)
What happens when you create an action-packed horror flick with a ridiculous foe, an unbelievable plot and fun characters? You get ‘The Blob’!
A very conventional town is attacked by an extremely exceptional monster, as a mysterious substance begins harassing the residents, obliterating everything in its path. But things will turn for the worse, as two local kids uncover the secret behind its origin, and the Government is willing to stop at nothing to silence them.
The movie is actually quite fun, and it has some great moments of tension that are definitely terrifying. The main characters are also likeable enough, and although they start as merely clichés, the events of the film does push them to grow and step outside of their comfort zone. In fact, you can probably trace back to this film many elements that will later on become part of recent reinterpretations of the genre, like in Stranger Things.
Unfortunately, the ending is quite terrible, but it’s still an entertaining horror flick worthy of a watch.
Grade: 7/10.
Scare Factor: very creepy death scenes.
Gore/violence: a lot of blood and gore.
Nudity/sexual situations: nothing too graphic.
Night 28: ‘Black Christmas’ (1974)
A sorority is harassed by mysterious and threatening phone calls. It just happen to coincide with a series of local murders, and soon, one of their own disappears suddenly. How can the girls protect themselves against this terrible menace?
As one of the earlier horror movies to help establish the slasher flick formula, ‘Black Christmas’ is a perfect representative of what would later on produce the best representatives of the subgenre during the 80’s and 90’s. Unfortunately, although it has some scary elements, and a wonderful ambiguous –and frankly terrifying- ending, the characters and the storytelling are quite dull.
Still, it’s worth a watch due to some really interesting narrative and aesthetic choices.
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: some creepy scenes.
Gore/violence: yes.
Nudity/sexual situations: nothing too graphic.
Night 29: ‘Eyes without a face’ (1960)
Women begin to disappear in mysterious circumstances. As it turns out, it’s because a respected surgeon and his wife are trying to give their daughter a face transplant after an unfortunate accident disfigures her for life. Will they be successful with the surgery? Or will they be stopped in time?
Full of hauntingly beautiful images, and with an effectively disturbing setting, the movie is definitely a visual and emotional rollercoaster. Although the ending feels a little rushed, it’s still a profoundly cathartic moment for the viewer.
The film doesn’t bask in the grotesqueness of the tale, but chooses instead to focus on the frustrations of three deeply disturbed characters whose intentions blur the line between familial love and self-interest. Impressive and haunting indeed!
Grade: 7/10.
Scare Factor: some creepy scenes.
Gore/violence: nothing too graphic.
Nudity/sexual situations: none.
Night 30: ‘Them!’ (1954)
A child is found by a couple of policemen wandering around in the desert. She seems absolutely traumatized, and it will soon be discovered why: giant, monstrous, human-eating ants have murdered her family and neighbors. And they are growing in numbers!
‘Them!’ is a classic monster tale that thoroughly reflects the fear of nuclear warfare. Indeed, it has a lot to say about this matter, behind its simple façade of a modest story and good effects.
Regrettably, the movie never goes far enough in what it says, and the resolution is swift and almost problem-free. Still, a nice monster flick nonetheless!
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: nothing to memorable.
Gore/violence: almost none.
Nudity/sexual situations: none.
Night 31: ‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ (1971)
Doctors are being murdered in horrible ways. After some digging, investigators notice that the manners seem to coincide with the Biblical plagues. What do all the murdered people have in common? And who could be behind it?
The movie is full of beautiful images and set-pieces, yet, at its core, its another crazy 70’s horror flick that can feel a little too long and disjointed.
Fortunately, the presence of Vincent Price –with a clever workaround that allows him to speak without moving his lips-, is spellbinding and as delightful as always. And although we never manage to relate to his victims –which makes the ending a little less emotional and impactful-, we do connect with the unfortunate events that mark the life of the enigmatic Phibes.
Overall, it’s much better constructed than some of the other 70’s films I watched this year, but it still lacking a little charm. Nevertheless, it was a great way to end this year’s 31 Nights of Horror Movies!
Grade: 6/10.
Scare Factor: a few creepy moments.
Gore/violence: nothing too graphic.
Nudity/sexual situations: none.
