To The Devil... A Daughter (1976)

Directed by Peter Sykes for Hammer Films, To The Devil... A Daughter stars Christopher Lee (which makes this film worth watching in itself.)

I've been YEARNING to see this movie since I read about it in Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror a few years back. Now, thanks to my beloved Video Fan, I can proudly say I have borne witness to this gem of a film.

I really enjoyed this movie. Really, it has everything one expects from a Hammer film: lush scenery, beautiful women and atmosphere that overwhelms anything else, rendering it unimportant. Aspects of this movie were confusing, and the ending, which consisted of hitting Christopher Lee over the head with a rock, was a bit anti-climactic, but the baroque tone cancels out these shortcomings. The scenes of Christopher Lee as a fallen priest leading rites to Astaroth are compelling enough to tide one through the saggy bits.

Also, Natassaja Kinski makes a beautiful old-school nun. The scenes of her running through the streets in full habit are a must-see for genuine Sixties European scenery.

B+

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Since I have so many to write, each of these is going to be quick and dirty, just the facts, ma'am. :)

Rosemary's Baby was directed by Roman Polanski and starred Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role.

I have seen this movie MANY times, but it never fails to spook me. I read the book when I was eighteen, and it is the only book I have ever read that has given me nightmares.

However, I think people misplace the horrific aspects of this movie. While Levin is obviously drawing from the idea of the invasion of the body and ancient ideas of demonic possession, I think the true terror in this movie lies in the idea that sometimes the people you love betray you. It really speaks to the inherent evil in human nature and how trust can be so easily broken.

I mean, Guy sells Rosemary to the Devil for his own success in acting. Everyone around her, including her neighbors and her doctor, are in on the plot, and there is no one she can turn to. If you ask me, that's much scarier than her demon baby.

A+

Paranormal Activity (2009)

Just in time for Halloween, a RETURN TO EXTREME UNCTION!!!

Just a general note, I've decided I'm going to make my posts much shorter in general, so I will be more likely to get them up, rather than let them pile up.

Now to the good stuff:

Paranormal Activity was directed by Oren Peli, and stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat as themselves.

This movie's been kicking around film festivals since 2007, and it seemed to get good reviews, though not much hype until recently. I really wasn't too enthused to be seeing it until I actually got into the theatre. I mean, it's a found footage movie about a haunting, meaning it could have gotten real hokey, real fast. I was expecting the same old Amityville Horror House nonsense, with flies and dripping blood, but the actual movie was much more subtle.

Basically, the director did something really smart and avoided the obvious. No cats jumped out of trashcans; no hideous visages appeared in reflections from behind the camera. Each effect was well placed and timed, so that each new occurrence built on the previous with almost no lag in between. This allowed the director to get the most out of each paranormal event, winding the audience up in a way that one really doesn't see in horror anymore.

I mean, the audience never sees anything truly tangible beyond shadows or footprints. The first scare is a door moving slightly one way, stopping, then swinging back in place. The end scene, out of context, could be considered on par with an opening scare in other movies, but when I saw it, the entire audience screeched. I was genuinely scared even after I left the theatre.

The only problem I had was in the advertising. Like Quarantine, (2008) the end shot is shown in the trailer. It just seems counter-productive, and trivializes the suspense the movie works so hard to build.

Movie: A

Trailer: C