(This is a repost from my other blog. This was when I decided I should start a new blog.)
I am a lifelong fan of horror movies and this past October I immersed myself in them. I watched old horror films, from the 1932
White Zombie to a slew of recent remakes of classic horror films such as
the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Nightmare on Elm Street, Dawn of the Dead,and
Halloween, and some new original films like
Jennifer's Body, Trick 'r Treat and
House of the Devil.
I have to say that compared to the originals, these remakes were pretty tepid. The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is nowhere nearly as frightening or bull-goose loony as the first one. One thing missing was the totally over the top family dinner scene, where a shrieking Marilyn Burns is tied to an armchair made from real human arm’s.
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| Fangs of the Living Dead |
I was also pleased to watch several Euro-horror films from the mid 1970s. Many of these films are pretty obscure and maybe for good reason. They all thrived on bizarre plot twists, poor acting, and incomprehensible dialogue. On the other hand they were all gorgeously filmed, featured great costumes and sets, and made excellent use of the beautiful female stars.
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| The Blood Drinkers |
Lastly, I spent a lot of time watching a group of films by Filipino
auteur Eddie Romero. These films were made in the late sixties and early seventies and most featured the word
blood in the title. The best of these films is called
The Blood Drinkers and can be watched for free at
Hulu.com. Beautifully shot in a mixture of color, black and white and monochrome tinted scenes, and populated with some of the most interesting villains I’ve ever seen, it reminded me of the stylish films of Jean Rollin.
My companion for most of these films has been Olivia, our black cat. She curls up in the crook of my arm and watches as my computer screen with me. I’m pretty sure she’s not actually watching the movies, but rather than moving colors on the screen. Otherwise I would give for one of my ear buds so she could listen.
