'40 Cult Movies' offers a perceptive, interesting new look at the genre

Review by Doug Gibson

Jon Towlson is pretty well known and respected as a genre writer. On the Plan9Crunch blog, we have read and enjoyed his book on pre-code horror films, “The Turn to Gruesomeness in American Horror Films: 1931 to 1936.” But he’s written several books and many articles. The guy’s a legit expert on films.

 

In “40 Cult Movies: 40 Cult Movies from Alice, Sweet Alice to Zombies of Mora Tau” (2023), he reviews and comments on a wide variety of films, from Freaks to Shivers, from Invasion of the Body Snatchers to Upgrade, to The Legend of Hell House to Drag Me to Hell.

 

It's a very diverse selection. Some of the films are familiar to all, some familiar to genre fans, and some are obscurities that Towlson notes have small cults. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life and Redeemer: Son of Satan are examples of films with a following in search of a sustained cult. I love that The Legend of Hell House is included. It’s a fantastic horror film overshadowed by another great film, The Haunting. Towlson aptly notes how the haunted house is perfect match for the plot and mood of ... Hell House.

 

One strength of Towlson’s writing is he can thoroughly discuss a film, its plot, cultural impact, its director's history, its relation to other films, and leave the reader satisfied with what has been read. That is a rare quality in writing.

 

In his introduction, Towlson makes it clear that if you don’t agree with everything, “that’s OK.” I love that in a writer. Towlson describes how many of his films underscore political or cultural themes. I agree with him in many cases, notably films from Penelope Spheeris, David Cronenberg, and George A. Romero, all with multiple films discussed in this book.

 

I had a harder time accepting that Invasion of the Body Snatchers represents 1950s conformity and even the McCarthy era. I know director Don Spiegel thought so but to me it’s solely a damn good science fiction piece. But Towlson presents excellent arguments for his takes and I’d likely have a tough time debating him.

 

The book is full of these types of interesting discussions on how films provoke the culture wars. Cronenberg’s Shivers is an example. Is this tale of a parasite infecting residents with sexual mania actually positive? Is it preferable to a stultified, consumerist life that decreases sexual interest? These, and other reviews of  films such as Martin, Alice Sweet Alice, and others will keep us reading through the night.

 

Also in his introduction, Towlson hopes that the book prompts readers to seek out the films he has covered. I have already started. In the past two weeks I have watched, for the first time, Horror Hospital, Alice Sweet Alice, Audrey Rose, and Shivers. I also re-watched, Redeemer: Son of Satan, a film I saw a long time ago as Class Reunion Massacre. All have been rewarding views.

 

This is the best book on cult films since Danny Peary's 1980s series of books. I hope Towlson will do this again with 40 more cult movies. He’s the writer to give us genre in-depth looks at these unique films. I hope we have three or four volumes. 40 Cult Movies would be a great companion buy with "TCM: Undergound: 50 Must-See Films", which we also reviewed on Plan9Crunch.

 

In his acknowledgments, Towlson writes, “I dedicate this book to anyone who has ever had a tape snarl up in his VCR.” Oh, that is apt. Reading about these films, many I watched for the first time on VHS (I even saw a few in Beta) brings so many great memories of heading to the VCR store and looking for a garishly decorated clamshell VHS. In those days they sold the sizzle more than the steak. I discovered that in films like Dr. Butcher M.D. …, Criminally Insane, Pranks, Bloody Birthday, etc. But there was steak amidst the sizzle, such as Martin, Evil Dead, and Torture  Dungeon, Andy Milligan’s take on Shakespeare that I’d love to see explored in a future volume of Cult Movies ...

Talking with the authors of the new TCM Underground must-see films book

 

At Plan9Crunch blog we have already reviewed the book, “TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films From the World of Classic Cult and Late-night Cinema,” by TCMUnderground's Millie de Chirico (directly above) and film critic and writer Quatoyiah Murry (above middle). We love this book and TCM Underground, which is can’t miss TV for us. Take your pick: it’s either the Bible or Apocrypha of cult film fans. The book, from runningpress.com and TCM's website, is for sale Oct. 25, 2022. It's a best-seller on Amazon right now! Don’t miss it. I was thrilled to chat with both authors. – Doug Gibson

 

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What goes into selecting a film to air on TCM Underground? Is there a group that meets to discuss films, or is it a one-person decision. Do you work with filmmakers, or DVD/Blu-ray releasing companies; do they pitch films? Or do you respond to viewers requests on website or Twitter ... I ask that because for years I emailed TCM urging Andy Milligan to be represented.

 

MDC: It’s basically a one-person decision (me) but I’m very open to suggestions from my co-workers and viewers. Sometimes filmmakers or rights holders will pitch to me but I also come to them a lot, asking what they have available. I wish I had more time to respond to viewer requests online but I do make note of them.

QM: That’s all Millie working her magic behind the scenes! But she’s a great collaborator who takes suggestions from various places. It’s usually a question of rights and advanced planning, but I’ve been lucky to have had a say in a few titles that have aired on TCM Underground. It’s a truly sensational feeling when that happens!

 

I like how TCM Underground, and its book, have discovered genres worthy of cults and TCM Underground inclusion beyond the traditional. These include anime, shorts, Asian horror films, and so-called "blaxploitation." Are there other film genres out there, under-appreciated, that merit notice?

 

MDC: There’s a section in the book called Domestic Disturbances that focuses on movies that are basically melodramas with a twist, or dark dramas about families or relationships. I’m responsible for a lot of those entries in that section because I’m a big fan of melodrama. I feel that’s a genre that definitely deserves cult status. And it seems like they haven’t been included much in the canon over the years because cult has mostly been defined by genre movies like horror or action. Melodrama was also maligned for many years where they were thought of as just “women’s pictures” or soap operas, which maybe turned people off. But some of them can be really weird! SECRET CEREMONY (see a scene from that film below) is such a wild movie but was never presented to me as a cult film when I was growing up. Or maybe, these films get categorized as horror or slasher because of the violence (like BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER) but at its core are basically melodramas.

QM: It was super cool getting to write about folk horror, which is a genre that I’m really intrigued by and love that it’s getting more attention from filmmakers and within film studies. Outside of the book though, my favorite underappreciated microgenre is probably techno-horror, where the film’s horror is technology related or connected, so films like Pulse (2001), Unfriended (2014), Host (2020), and VHS (2012). Generally found-footage horror has a special place in my heart too. I'd love to deep dive into it and write more about the genre someday.

 

I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I'll read it often. But there are so many films within TCM Underground. Could we see future editions of this book with other films discussed and analyzed?

 

 MDC: I hope so!

 QM: That would be a dream come true! Tell your friends and anyone who will listen to buy this one and maybe our publishers will want a part two.

 

Just like Danny Peary did two generations ago, you included films I learned about for the first time, or hadn't realized were unique -- Secret Ceremony, Remember My Name, are examples -- and had grown fan bases. "Little Darlings" is another example. I saw it 40-plus years ago, thought it was interesting, and hadn't thought of it since. Reading the chapter, I wonder if it could be made today. What are some films released in the past generation that you think may become TCM Underground films?

 

MDC: I think there are obviously now people who grew up in the 1990’s and 2000’s who are starting to look back into their youth and pluck out some of the weird movies they remember. If I had to make some guesses, I think something like HACKERS or THE NET would maybe become cult films -- you gotta love anything that tried to capitalize on those early internet days. There was also a lot of teen horror that came out in the late 90’s and early 2000’s that was trying to cash in on the SCREAM franchise but maybe weren’t as successful, which conceptually, is a good place for a movie to become a cult film. There was also a huge independent film scene in those days and there’s a lot of movies from it that are now out of print. It would be interesting to see what gets taken out of obscurity and restored. I can’t wait to see what’s next.  

QM: Ooh that’s a great question. I think a lot of A24 films could be contenders considering how the company has amassed a cult fan base and each film creates its own pocket of fanatics. Personally, I could see a huge variety of films in the near future being options on TCM Underground. My wish list would be Palindromes (2004), Kids (1995), Gummo (1997), some Gregg Araki, a James Spader pic like Bad Influence (1990) or Jack’s Back (1988), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Belly (1998). A few of us behind the scenes at TCM love campy erotic thrillers, which is also another favorite microgenre of mine, so The Crush (1993) or Body of Evidence (1993) would be so wild to see on TCM Underground!

We appreciate both of you for taking the time to chat with Plan9Crunch blog and hope the book is a big success.  On the evening of the book's publication, Oct. 25, 2022, TCM will air several of the films mentioned in the book, including "Secret Ceremony," "Mac and Me," "Emma Mae," and "Hausa."

 

TCM features its must-see Underground cult films in new book

 

Review by Doug Gibson

Roughly 40 years ago film critic Danny Peary began his Cult Films trilogy book series. It was groundbreaking for its detailed analysis of films that capture our imagination far beyond the first time we viewed them. We have to see them multiple times. Whether arguable great works of cinema, such as "Night of the Hunter," or a malformed puppy, like "Blood Feast," they were so damn unique. Derivative was not in their vocabulary. You could not replicate a film such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space," or "Pink Flamingos." It was the work of inspired minds, even if a bit, or a lot, unhinged.

I read Peary's three books to tatters, of course. I still have copies. But the books began to fade in impact, something that was written a long while ago. And, then in 2006, TCM started its TCM Underground series and suddenly these fantastic cult films that Peary had written about, and many more, began airing in "the wee small hours of the morning." Directors such as Russ Meyer, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Ed Wood, Ray Dennis Steckler, William Beaudine (post 1960), Timothy Carey, William Castle, Jamaa Fanaka, Penelope Spheeris, Paul Bartel, and others joined the list of respectables that dot TCM's schedule.

It's been 17 years of TCM Underground and I never miss it. If for some reason I cannot be up at those hours, I DVR. And yes, I watch re-runs; after all, they're cult films. Without TCM Underground, I don't think I'd have ever discovered diamonds like "Hausa," or "Emma Mae." For a list of all films aired, including shorts, go here. 

So, when I learned of the October release of "TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films From the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema" (Running Press/Turner Classic Movies Philadelphia, 2022), I had to get it. I was hoping for a contemporary update of cult cinema; one that complements Peary's earlier work. 

Readers will not be disappointed. "... 50 Must-See Films" is a gem. The reviews are expertly recapped and analyzed by writers Millie De Chirico (TCM Underground's chief programmer) and critic Quatoyiah Murry. I will briefly recap three reviews. The strength of the analysis includes the authors noting where these cult gems challenged conventional mores of their era, and take positions and assumptions that are accepted more today. Cult films, crudely made or not, can do this. As author/comedian Patton Oswalt says in the book's Foreward: "Moment and feeling always conquer plot and logic, especially out beyond the edge."

The authors have placed the films in various genre categories. Dig just a few of the titles: "I Saw What You Did," "The Honeymoon Killers," "Shack Out on 101." Or "Polyester," "Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things," "Fleshpot on 42nd Street." How about "Blacula," "Haxan" (this film is a big personal favorite), or "Lets Scare Jessica to Death."  And there's "Little Darlings" (I'd forgotten about this film), "Two Lane Blacktop," and the aforementioned "Emma Mae." And besides "Hausa," there is "Belladona of Sadness," "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," "Mac and Me," and "Funeral Parade of Roses" (which will blow your mind away). 

One thing I like about "... 50 Must-See Films ..." is its daring. It's willing to include films that were almost universally derided. The author's sense films that are just starting to develop a cult. Peary, for example, foresaw that the box office flop "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" would gain a big following. De Chirico and Murry are putting out the word that '80s box-office failures "Mac and Me," and "The Garbage Pails Kids Movie," have grabbed cults and are worthy of note and further interest.

And, indeed, when you look at the ultra-slick, somehow derivative high-production quality animation and fantasy today, you appreciate the uniqueness of the outcasts of the "... Garbage Pail Kids ...," sent to the State Home for the Ugly, or the awkward, crass, in-your-face commercialism of "Mac and Me." It's endearing to see another one-time failure, "Xanadu," bloom today from new viewers who simple marvel at its ability to capture a dozen artistic genres in one feature.

Here are recaps of three films in the book that represent cult genres that -- to my observations -- were not noted as cult material 40 years ago, during the era of Peary. 

The first is "Emma Mae" (1976). Lumped incorrectly as "blacksploitation," (it was given a cheesy other title, "Black Sister's Revenge," in hopes of boosting sales) the film details a young, naive southern girl/woman (Jerri Hayes) moving to live with relatives in Compton. It's a whole new life and culture. She's awkward, not conventionally pretty, and sometimes mocked by family and others. But Emma Mae has a mixture of sweetness and ferocity that slowly earns her respect and friendship. Naively, she falls in love with a man who disrespects her badly, even after she's risked her life and freedom for him. The authors correctly note that this is a hybrid film. "It's part fish-out-of-water story, part coming of age, part family drama, and part revolutionary tale of Black female empowerment."

Another film is the Andy Milligan-directed "Fleshpot on 42nd Street." I was very pleased that TCM Underground finally recognized Milligan's work. His films, ranging in budgets of $10,000 to $40,000, often were "horror" flicks. But Milligan's real skill was digging deep into the domestic lives of his characters, and creating dysfunctions that often led to violence and death. "Fleshpot" is not a horror film. It captures the grimy, dangerous lives of sex workers around 42nd Street in New York City in the 1970s. The main character is Dusty (Laura Cannon) a semi-grifter who steals and leaves her current boyfriend, grifts a horny antique dealer, and moves in with transgender sex worker friend Cherry Lane (Neil Flanagan). (Flanagan, by the way, would note an Oscar nomination if conventional Hollywood cared a whit about grindhouse cinema.)

A small time is spent with these characters, who are survivors enduring life, and we are voyeurs, witnessing their world in grubby sex settings, the streets of 42nd Street, and a lower-tier bar with an eclectic mass of characters, including two sisters who need to be seen to be appreciated. Things might began to look up for Dusty. She meets an interesting man. But you get the feeling there are far more lows than highs in this world. Even Dusty and Cherry -- who need each other -- began to quarrel. 

This is a powerful film. The authors note: "Viewing this edgy classic will likely be a jarring experience for most filmgoers today, even the staunchest cult movie fan. This film was made for a particular and very small subsection of the public, not the masses. This is its charm and its strength. Its an examination of a concealed world operating in the fringes outside mainstream society, and from the artistic bird's-eye view alone, it's a captivating watch."

Many of Milligan's films are lost. Thank heavens "Fleshpot" is one that survived.

The authors also include "Wild Seed," 1965, a film about a teenager 17, Daffy, who runs away from home. After being sexually attacked, she runs into a protector named Fargo, a somewhat harsh 20-something man who is a migrant worker and drifter. He takes her on a nomadic train-hopping cross-country journey to Los Angeles, with all the dangers this type of life offers.

Daffy (Celia Milius) wants to confront her father. She begins to have feelings for Fargo, but he's been battered by life into a type of protective cynicism. But through conflict, they yearn for each other. The authors write: "Wild Seed" is a sensitive, thoughtful film, big on mood and atmosphere and with tons of talent behind it .... (Daphne's) foray into the train-jumping life feels like a glimpse into a secret society ..."

Fans of diverse genres of film will love this book. Readers will make it a constant occasional read, skipping through and back to pages to different films they enjoy at that particular time, and wish to revisit. I hope that, given the amount of films already shown on TCM Underground, there will be several further editions of "50 Must-See Films." 

Regional Horror Films a great look at no-frills filmmaking

By Doug Gibson

If you're a cult- or alternative-film fan/geek like I am, and I assume most of our readers are, then Brian Albright has provided a great service with his latest McFarland Publishers book, "Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews." (here) The book is comprised in two parts: a series of interviews with directors or persons otherwise associated with regional horror films; and a lengthy, fairly complete listing, state-by-state, of regional, ultra low-budget horrors for the 32 years covered. (Amazon page is here.)

Albright correctly describes a regional film as shot outside of the entertainment industry, or southern California, and not associated with a major, or even minor, studio. In many cases, these were labors of love, or hobbies that turned into several-year projects, punctuated by stubborn persistence by the filmmakers to get the thing done. What's fairly consistent through the interviews that Albright gathered -- probably over several years since some of the essays are from 2008 -- is that the filmmakers saw little, or no money, from their endeavors. Distributors took all the cash, the films were pirated and sold throughout the nation and world, the made-for-video market collapsed in the late 1980s ... survivors of the original filmmaker sold the film for a quick buck, and so on. (It would be interesting for McFalarland to publish a book on the many ways ways small-time, regional filmmakers were shut out of whatever cash flow came from their films.)

It's wise that Albright resists the urge to provide interviews involving regional films that hit it big and spawned imitators, such as "The Evil Dead" or "Night of the Living Dead." While their stories are fascinating, there is more than enough articles and books out there for fans to go to. Instead, Albright picks an eclectic group to interview. I particularly enjoy the interview with Robert Burrill, the man behind "The Milpitas Monster." Although previously published in FilmFax, the story of how a school and a small city banded together to make an ecological monster film, partially as a protest against a larger city critic's slamming of said city, is interesting. What started out as a short literally grew, like a monster, into a finished film.

In fact, future filmmakers can learn from some of the stories, including Donald Barton of Florida, who cobbled together investors willing to put in almost $100,000 to make "Zaat," a story about a scientist who turns himself into a catfish monster. (Barton even got a local Baptist church to help out!) After seeing "Zaat" falter and even be turned into other titles by distribution deals that yielded no money, Barton shelved his movie for 30 years before fans convinced him to publicize it on the Web, show it -- to a big crowd -- at an locla theater, and (later) move it back into DVD distribution. Amazingly, I watched "Zaat" recently on Turner Classic Movies' TCM Underground series; a similar "distinction" was awarded another Florida regional film listed in the compendium, "Carnival Magic," directed by the late Al Adamson. (It was also fascinating to learn that regional horror films were easier to make due to tax write offs that were unfortunately eliminated by Congress, strangling the genre by the latter half of the 1980s.)

It'd be nice to see a TCM Underground showing for regional director, J.R. Bookwalter, who is interviewed by Albright, mostly about "The Dead Next Door," his homage to Romero's zombie movies that for a while, received some support from "The Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi. Bookwalter eventually moved into low-budget producing and distribution, and it's facinating to read about the details of that industry. It may be the only viable way for most talented micro-budget regional horror filmmakers to make some bucks.

I also enjoyed the interview with the eccentric Milton Moses Ginsberg, who crafted the bizarre monster/political film, "The Werewolf of Washington," a staple today for horror movie hosts looking to cheaply lampoon public domain films. Ginsberg, who admits to being most horrified by "The Wolfman" as a youngster, created in the early 1970s what seems like a natural take off on the Watergate ... except that the film was hatched and created prior to the Watergate scandal breaking. In any event, it's a prescient regional film, and (of course) died quickly at the box office, before being pirated to the VHS and DVD market.

As mentioned, the compendium is fairly complete, and includes at least a paragraph, and most often more, on the hundreds of regional films included. A lot of low-budget cult figures are covered pretty well in the list, including Andy Milligan and Bill Rebane. The video nasty Utah regional horror, "Don't Go In the Woods ... Alone," is included, as well as the interesting, Texas regional from the 1960s, "The Black Cat." The pre-porno adult regional filmmakers are mentioned from time to time, including the late Barry Mahon's "The Sex Killer," which captures many bleak late-1960s shots of the New York City business districts.

A lot of the films mentioned in this book, including "Black Cat" and Milligan's "Torture Dungeon," would be great picks for future TCM Underground selections. Let's hope the brains behind that series is reading Albright's book.

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula is on TCM Underground late tonight

Billy the Kid versus Dracula

Billy the Kid versus Dracula, directed by William Beaudine, Circle Films, 1961. Starring John Carradine as Count Dracula, Chuck Courtney as Billy the Kid, Melinda Plowman as Betty Bentley. Others in cast include Harry Carey, Jr., Roy Barcroft, and Olive Carey. 1966, Color, 73 minutes. Schlock-meter rating: 6 stars out of 10. This film is on TCM Underground around midnight (MST) as Oct. 6, 2013 begins!

I have a soft spot for this movie, which puts me at odds with just about every other film critic. Okay, I know that the plot is feeble, the acting poor, the special effects a joke. And it's a fraud to vampire lore, since Carradine spends a lot of his time out in broad daylight.

Nevertheless, it's a fun little film if not taken seriously and the offbeat plot (Hero Billy the Kid matching wits with Dracula) is unique enough to merit a few stars. The plot: Dracula (on vacation?) is in the Old West. He provokes Indians into killing everyone on a stagecoach, then assumes the identity of a rich Eastern banker whose niece (who Dracula has the hots for) is about to marry a reformed Billy the Kid. THAT IS a bizarre plot -- even Ed Wood may not have come up with something that unique. Virginia Christine, the future Folger Coffee lady, is great as the real vampire-hunter in the film, and Olive Carey is feisty and likable as an elderly lady doctor. There is one semi-chilling scene in the film, where a collection of stagecoach riders lie dead, murdered by Indians in a plot hatched by Dracula.

This is definitely not Carradine at his best; in fact he seems many times to just walk through his role (he considered it his worst film, but it's not), but the old vampire master has a few good scenes, and manages to be quite sinister at times. Billy The Kid versus Dracula was made with Jesse James meets Frankenstein's Daughter (not quite as good). Both were directed by Beaudine and played primarily Saturday kiddie matinees together. The film can be seen occasionally late at night on TCM.

I will add, upon repeat viewings, this film improves. At its heart, it's more western than horror, a fond nod to this hour-long oaters of the 1930s and 1940s from C movie studios. Carey, I believe, was in the classic film "The Grapes of Wrath," which included Carradine in its cast as well.

-- Doug Gibson

Nightbirds, a Milligan film once thought lost, resurfaces

By Doug Gibson

I'd been meaning to write something about "Nightbirds," a 1970 Andy Milligan film, helmed in Britain for the owner of a "cinema club," that apparently had virtually no showings. According to Milligan biographer Jimmy McDonough, the cult director had a 16-millimeter print of "Nightbirds" that passed to the writer after Milligan's death. Eventually, McDonough (read an interview here) sold "Nightbirds" and other Milligan film memorabilia to filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, who had the cash to get Nightbirds a Region 2 release courtesy of the BFI's Flip Side label. (Read) Living n America, I bought the film and watched it on my laptop.

First, it's pure Milligan, a dysfunctional love affair where a weak man, Dink, played by oft-used Milligan player Berwick Kaler, meets a striking manipulative blonde, Dee, played by Julie Shaw. They begin an idyllic affair in Dee's rummage-filled upstairs flat making love often (this is one of the more erotic Milligan films) and talking, although it's mostly Dink revealing his feelings. Despite Dee's interest in Dink, there's a remoteness to her. Eventually, the pair develop conflicts. One involves Dee's mysterious relationship with her male landlord. The other involves Dink's friendship with a flirty, very middle-aged friend named Mabel. In a scene that is pure Milligan, the queenish Mabel physically flutters around Dee, appearing both maternal and sexually interested.

The film is similar to "The Servant," in that Dee slowly grows more calculating and manipulative toward her lover, so much so that the viewer realizes she's playing a sadistic game with a much-weaker, more vulnerable prey. All of Milligan's routine misogyny is on display, although Dee is more multi-dimensional, and harder to read, than the average Milligan antagonist. Whether this is due to Milligan, who made his unique films quickly and in slapdash fashion, or the superb performance by the beautiful, "vulnerable-looking" Shaw, is worthy of debate. Most of the cast is adequate, Kaler pretty good, but Shaw is simply marvelous in her role. Had independant film been more popular 40-plus years ago, she may have become a star. As it is, she disappeared after this non-release, never making another film.

I won't reveal more of the threadbare, dysfunctional but haunting "Nightbirds." Go see the film, readers. Buy the DVD, and take advantage of the trailer above. I have a challenge for TCM Underground, or IFC's more disappointing Grindhouse nights. Get a Milligan film. Although my preferred choice would be "Torture Dungeon," I'm sure that "Nighbirds," one of Milligan's top 5 films, and more like "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" than "The Ghastly Ones," would be an easy grab for either network. Readers should send emails to TCM and IFC and get Milligan on. If "Nightbirds" makes it TCM Underground, the director's early gay short, "Vapors," (read) would be perfect for a TCM Underground short.

Black Christmas is low on holiday cheer

By Steve D. Stones

A film like this could never be made for today’s audiences because most phones have caller IDs. The plot evolves around a killer making obscene phone calls to a university sorority house. Wes Craven’s Scream and John Carpenter’s Halloween both owe a great deal of credit to this film. The opening sequence is a point of view shot of someone wandering outside a sorority house and peaking in a window. This same technique was used in the opening sequence of the 1978 Halloween to establish the point of view of little Michael Meyers walking up to his sister’s room to stab her to death. Carpenter may have borrowed this idea from Black Christmas, made just four years earlier in 1974. The film immediately sets up the premise that someone is lurking in the attic of the sorority house just before college students are leaving for their Christmas break. The opening point of view shot continues with a shot indicating that someone is crawling through the window from outside the attic. The shot then cuts to an interior shot inside the house showing the opening of the attic uncovered. Sorority sister Jess, played by Olivia Hussey, answers the telephone to someone making loud obscene noises. She holds up the phone so that everyone in the room can hear the call. A girl in the room asks if the caller is only one person. “That’s the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing their annual obscene phone call,” says Barbara, played by Margot Kidder. One of the sorority sisters named Claire Harrison is in her room packing to leave for the Christmas break. Her father is to pick her up later that evening. As she walks into her closet to remove some of her clothes, a figure can be seen hiding behind plastic. The figure lunges at her and strangles her with the plastic. Next we see Claire dead in a rocking chair in the attic with the plastic wrapped around her head. The killer is rocking her back and fourth in the chair. Claire’s father, Mr. Harrison, comes to pick her up at the bell tower on campus later that evening. She never shows up, so he decides to go directly to the sorority house to find out what happened to her. The drunken housemother Mrs. Mack meets him. She suggests that Claire could be at the fraternity house on campus visiting a boy. Mr. Harrison cannot find Claire anywhere on campus so he goes to the local police station with some of Claire’s friends to file a missing persons report. Lieutenant Fuller, played by John Saxon, forms a search party later that night. Meanwhile, Mrs. Mack is now housemother to an empty sorority house, and is desperately trying to find Claire’s cat named Claude. She climbs up to the attic to discover the corpse of Claire as the killer swings a meat hook on a rope, killing her. Jess arrives back at the sorority house to another obscene phone call. Another point of view shot shows legs coming down the stairs towards Jess. It is Jess’s boyfriend Peter. This is where the audience is led to believe that the killer has to be Peter. Peter proposes marriage to Jess, but she refuses. Peter is concerned over Jess’s decision to have an abortion, since he is the father. The two have a fight and Peter angrily leaves the house. Lieutenant Fuller has a tracing device put on the sorority house phone. Jess sits by the fireplace in the house to wait for another obscene phone call so that the police can trace the call. She hears the loud sound of someone choking, and rushes into Barbara’s room as she is having an asthma attack in her sleep. Christmas carolers begin singing loudly outside the house. Jess opens the door to listen to the carolers as the killer comes out of the attic and kills Barbara in her room. Jess comes back into the house as the carolers leave. The phone rings and Jess picks up the phone, only to hear more obscene noises. A close up shot of Jess’s face as she tries to talk to the obscene caller puts the viewer on the edge of their seat. The police are able to trace the phone call to the house itself. Police clerk Nash calls Jess and tells her to get out of the house immediately. Jess grabs a fire poker from the fireplace and walks up the stairs to discover Barbara and another girl dead. She sees an eye staring out of the bedroom closet. This is the most haunting shot in the entire film. Jess runs down the stars, but is unable to get the front door open. As she runs back towards the stairs, we see a hand reach out and grab her hair. She is able to get away and lock herself in the basement. A shadowy figure peeks into the windows of the basement and begins to call Jess by name. He breaks the window and we discover it is Peter her boyfriend. The police arrive to find Jess lying on top of dead Peter. She has killed him with the fire poker. The police take her up to her bedroom to rest. The film ends with the camera traveling back up to the attic to reveal that the killer is still there with the corpses of Claire and Mrs. Mack. Peter was not the killer after all. I think it would be safe to say that this film sets up many of the typical clichés that we now recognize in the slasher genre that saturated 1980s horror films. However, that is not to say that they are not effective in this film. There are many false scares in this film where the viewer is lead to believe one thing, but later discovers something else. Much of the horror in this film is implied, not shown. For example, in one clever sequence, the parents of Claire Harrison are helping with the search effort to find their daughter. They see a girl screaming in a park and run to her. The camera shows a look of horror on their faces as they look down at something on the ground. The camera never shows what they are looking at, but we later discover they are seeing a murdered child, and not their daughter. The audience is led to believe it is their daughter they are looking at. It is also quite clever that we never get to see what the killer looks like. As Jess runs down the stairs towards the end of the film and a hand reaches out over the banister to grab her, we never see who the person is, just the hand grabbing her. We also never see the killer as the camera travels back up to the attic at the end of the film, but we do know the killer is there. This is a clever tactic in never revealing to the audience who the killer really is. As an interesting side note, producer/director Bob Clark went on to create A Christmas Story and the first two Porky’s films. All three films were a huge hit in the 1980s. Have yourself a scary little Christmas with Black Christmas this Christmas Season! And watch the really cool complete original trailer for the film above! "Black Christmas" is also this Friday's TCM Underground offering.

The most bizarre Xmas film: Santa Claus

"Santa Claus" — Don't confuse this 1959 Mexican film, another K. Gordon Murray (badly) dubbed import, with Dudley Moore's "Santa Claus: The Movie" or Tim Allen's "The Santa Clause" films. This import is weird and a little creepy, but it sticks with you. Old Kris Kringle is a sort of recluse who talks to himself and lives in a castle in outer space. He has no elves. His helpers are children from around the world who can't sing very well, though they belt out a lot of songs. Santa's reindeer are, I think, plastic and he uses a key to start them. Santa also works out on an exercise belt to slim down for the chimneys. For some reason Santa hangs out with Merlin the Magician. Enter "Pitch," a devil. His goal is to stop Santa from delivering presents. Pitch is a wimpy fellow in red tights and wears what looks like a short middy skirt. Santa and Merlin foil Pitch's nefarious plans. The film also focuses on two children, a poor girl and a rich, neglected boy, who resist Pitch's temptations. There are magic flowers and even special drinks. Santa glides safely to a chimney using a parasol. If this film sounds to readers like the after-effects of taking two Percocet, you got the gist of it. ... This film is playing on TCM Underground on Dec. 11, 2010.

-- Doug Gibson