31 Day of Horror Recommendations: Blue Sunshine (1977)

 

Year: 1977

Country: U.S.

Subgenre: Slasher

Runtime: 94 minutes

Director: Jeff Liebermann

Released only a year before John Carpenter's Halloween, this indie horror is often categorized as a "proto slasher," ostensibly because it was released before Carpenter's groundbreaking film. Again, here's my favorite word that I seem to keep repeating this year: balderdash! This is straight up a slasher film; and this is not the only slasher to predate Halloween, there are quite a few (Bob Clark's scary as heck Black Christmas come immediately to mind). Blue Sunshine was written and directed by Jeff Lieberman, the man who gave us the corn fried Squirm the year before (complete with on location shooting in Georgia--the state--not the country). It stars Zalman King, who would go on to be a director in his own right, as man on the lam and out to solve the crimes that he has been accused of (think The Fugitive--series or movie). At first blush, the film looks as if it belongs in the same category of films such as 10 To Midnight or Brian De Palma's Blow Out, but that doesn't last long. This film gets strange and bloody quickly! It doesn't take long before you realize you are watching a rather unconventional exploitation slasher flick. I won't try to explain much of the plot given that it would be a spoiler, but I can say that it starts out with a series of murders that resemble a series of murders that occurred a decade earlier. And the title? That's is the name of a street drug. It is a strange and violently satirical affair with some very eccentric performances.  Granted, not all the acting in this one is stellar, though some of that may be down to unconventional direction from Lieberman. There is also a political subtext; there is a political campaign going on throughout the film that the viewer is informed of via newspaper articles & campaign ads, it's important because the person running as a conservative for a major office is a formeer 1960's drug dealer. Think what you want about what Lieberman may be trying to say with this, it has always struck me as interesting that he seemed to be commenting on the "turn coat" nature of boomers: from hippies to yuppies, a number of years before this was a cultural mainstream trope (see Ghostbusters II). But do listen for a particular political slogan at the very end of the film, it WILL sound familiar!  I would say that this is a classic, but it's too independent and a bit too rare to go in that category. Still it is an 70's slasher with a twist...and OMG, a lot of disco music and one really crazy puppet number! 

31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Burnt Offerings (1976)

 

Year: 1976

Country: U.S.

Subsenre:  Haunted House

Runtime: 116 minutes

Director: Dan Curtis

A haunted house flick with a bit of a spin. It's as much possession, or maybe vampiric, as it is haunting; and, it's a Dan Curtis film! I have been a life-long Curtis fan after discovering "Dark Shadows" on re-run curtesy of my local PBS station WFSU as a kid. It wasn't long before I saw his Dracula (1974) with Jack Palance for the first time. It took me a little longer to discover Burnt Offerings, but I loved it on first viewing. I have since found other haunted house films that scared me more, but this film still holds a very special place in my heart. Shot on location at the Dunsmuir House outside of Oakland CA; it was the first film to shoot there, and it makes (extensive) use of the house and grounds, though it certainly would not be the last (see Phantasm, A View To A Kill & So I Married An Axe Murderer, etc.). To date though, Burnt Offerings is the only production to make the mansion a central theme. It is actually more like a cast member than just a location for a scary movie. And speaking of the cast, it may be minimal, but it's famous! The three central adults are Karen Black, Oliver Reed and the first lady of film herself: Bette Davis. The frame story is almost as star studded with Dub Taylor, Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith. And, if you have seen the film, you are certainly NOT going to forget Anthony James and the chauffeur! The film is just shot through with a sense of dread and just plain "creep."  I can't think of a better word use--it's not the proper way to use it, I know, but it's the only way I can think of describing this old dark house tale. Some pretty descent special effects are also employed in the film, despite that it was largely shot on location at historic mansion that the crew was limited in what they could actually do to alter the appearance of "the set." A different sort of boogeyman movie for the spooky season...here the monster doesn't need a chef's knife or a machete! 

31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Magic (1978)

 

Year:  1978

Country: U.S.

Subgenre: Psychological Horror

Runtime: 107 minutes

Director: Richard Attenborough

Sir Richard Attenborough only directed one horror film, in fact he only directed 12 films in all, many of them with BIG names like A Bridge Too Far and Gandhi. True to his form, this is drama with horror, heavy with psychological fear that cuts deep. To call it "slow burn" is an understatement.  Nonetheless, it is an exceptionally well made (horror) film. People these days usually stumble on it looking into Sir Anthony Hopkins' pre-Lecter career, and it was not the only psychological horror that Hopkins starred in the late 70's (Audrey Rose being the other) He was not the first choice for the role, still he is excellent as Corky, a comedian with a REALLY creepy ventriloquist dummy called Fats (is there anything as creepy as a dummy??...okay, yeah, well CLOWNS!!). The film co-stars Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter and the wonderful Ann-Margret, all of whom play regular people going about their business. That is until they have encounters with Fats; the question is: is Fats alive or is Corky crazy? Hopkins had worked with Attenborough in A Bridge Too Far; he was brought into the role when the producer vetoed Attenborough and writer William Goldman's first choice in Gene Wilder. I am sure that Wilder would have been great...but I cannot imagine this film with the star of Willy Wonka and Young Frankenstein over Hopkins at this point. If you are inclined to be bored by slow burn horror without gore, skip this one though.