Short Attention Span Review - Curse of the Demon (1957)

Atmospheric and tense, this notable chiller with a potent noir vibe is a delightful picture that remains engrossing.  Dana Andrews does a nice job as a skeptical leading man who has come to England to expose a satanic cult leader as a fraud.  Unfortunately, this endeavor goes awry when our wooden hero is cursed by the charismatic but twisted Doctor Karswell, who is expertly played here by Niall MacGinnis.  MacGinnis steals the show and his performance would surely stand as the biggest strength of Curse of the Demon if not for Jacques Tourneur's splendid direction.  The paranoia and the suspense that he generates throughout this twisted shocker are palpable, and despite a few hokey shots* of the titular menace, Tourneur's film is still a spooky outing that boasts several imaginative and frightening sequences.  The parchment that dances in the wind and the grand finale are perhaps my favorite elements of this beloved cult classic, but there are other sequences of merit generously sprinkled throughout the picture.  While it is treasured by many horror fans, it probably doesn't get the love that it deserves, and with that in mind I'm here to heartily recommend this creative tale of terror from 1957 to my readers.

*Allegedly, the shots of the demon were added by the producer against Tourneur's wishes.  Tourneur reportedly wanted to allow the audience to imagine the fearsome fiend instead of showing it, and the overall tone of the picture lends this theory credence.    

Final Grade: B

There are a few laughable shots in the mix, but much of the imagery presented in Curse of the Demon is still rather creepy.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #1) The Exorcist (1973)

One of the things that I'm doing this month as I celebrate Halloween here in the Land of Way is taking the time to rank my Top 20 Horror Movies and my Top 20 Horror Novels.

Note:
I want to be clear that I'm basing these choices on my own humble opinion.  I'm not trying to rank these movies in accordance with their place in pop culture, but I'm offering up my take on the best horror films that I have ever watched and enjoyed.  There are some familiar candidates that I consider to be great pictures that didn't make the cut because there wasn't room, and there are some films that are widely regarded as great pictures that didn't make the cut because I feel that they are overrated.  There are also a few instances where it was difficult to determine whether or not a movie belonged to the horror genre (I said "no" to Aliens but "yes" to Jaws), and it may also be worth noting that this is largely a modern list (as long as you're okay with my classification of modern as anything after 1960) that only features one lonely creature from the so-called "Classic Monsters" films produced by Universal Studios.

Thus far, the list includes:

#20) The Fly (1986) 
#19) The Howling (1981)
#18) Night of the Living Dead (1968)
#17) Alien (1979) 
#16) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
#15) Suspiria (1977) 
#14) Phantasm (1979)
#13) Evil Dead 2 (1985)
#12) Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 
#11) The Descent (2005)
#10) Fright Night (1985)
#9) Halloween (1978)
#8) Return of the Living Dead (1985) 
#7) An American Werewolf in London (1981)
#6) Deep Red (1975)
#5) The Shining (1980) 
#4) Dawn of the Dead (1978)
#3) The Thing (1982)
#2) Jaws (1975) 

I had a hard time putting this list together, but determining which movie belonged at the top of the charts was rather easy.  There can be no doubt that The Exorcist is the crown jewel of horror cinema.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #1) The Exorcist (1973)

Believe the hype.  The Exorcist is the most frightening movie ever made.  William Friedkin did a flawless job of bringing William Peter Blatty's novel to the screen.  His efforts were greatly enhanced by legendary effects work from the great Dick Smith and a fantastic cast that nailed the difficult material.  Ellen Burstyn is unbelievably good and it is her work here that truly defines the experience, though Linda Blair, Jason Miller, and the one and only Max Von Sydow (who plays the title role) all brought their A-game to the table.  The score is haunting, the script is razor-sharp, and most importantly, Friedkin (a superb director with a considerable legacy who still doesn't get the love he so richly deserves) was at his very best when he made the greatest horror movie of them all.  The subject matter is extremely disturbing and equally frightening, largely due to Burstyn's bravura performance as she plays the character that viewers relate to throughout the picture.  The Exorcist is as daring as it is horrifying; I am positive that you couldn't make this movie in this day and age without significant alterations to some of the more explicit portions of this grim journey into demonic possession and despair.  I treasure both this film and the book it was based upon, but I’ve only read the book a couple of times and I’ve only watched the movie four times.  When I’m looking for a horror film to watch, I frequently grab this Blu-Ray only to pause long enough to wonder if I really want to spend another night with Reagan and Father Karras.  If you have never experienced The Exorcist, there could be no better time than Halloween to do so.  Please don’t invite me over, however, because I’m not ready for another descent into the devil’s domain just yet.

Note: The original theatrical release is awesome but I prefer the updated version from 2001.  The "spider walk" is one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

Friedkin used every trick at his disposal to bring William Peter Blatty's terrifying novel to life in spectacular fashion.

They say it's the scariest movie ever made, and this time they are right.

The Possession and the Thing About Possession Movies

The kids did a sleepover with my parents last night--well, everyone but Baby Kass anyway--so Kris and I decided to watch a horror movie.  We watched The Possession, and it was pretty good.  I'm not going to hate on it, the acting was all right and there were some scares along the way, but here's the thing: if you're going to make a possession movie, you have to really work hard to reinvent the wheel.

And here's why: The Exorcist.  Yes, the scariest movie of all time, and one of the finest horror films ever produced.  You can't compete with it.  You don't want to be compared to it.  It's suicide.  There will never be another movie quite like it; in this day and age, there's no way that movie would be released with an "R" rating, and it excels in every category that makes movies worthwhile.  Think about it, the direction is brilliant, the acting is off the charts, the effects are legendary, the score is spot-on, the story is epic (please read the book if you haven't already), and the picture is scary as hell.  To this day, no horror film bothers me more, and I'm not alone in that regard.  Not by a longshot.

I'm not saying we have to close the doors on the subgenre that revolves around people being possessed, but I am saying that you don't want to do anything that requires people to compare your movie to The Exorcist.  You certainly don't want to do a lot of things that require people to make such comparisons.  You will not win any of those comparisons, no matter how good your picture is.

You have been warned.