63) The Screaming Skull (1958)

"It may kill you."

Director

Alex Nicol

Cast

John Hudson - Eric Whitlock

Peggy Webber - Jenni Whitlock

Russ Conway - Rev. Edward Snow

Alex Nicol - Mickey

Tony Johnson - Mrs. Snow

Movies like The Screaming Skull are the reason why I created this blog in the first place. 

I'll start where the movie starts. The theme music at the beginning.

Well, to be honest, the movie starts with an open coffin as a narrator tells the audience what they're about to see will be the most terrifying movie they've ever experienced. 

"Its producers feel they must assure free burial services to anyone who dies of fright from seeing...the screaming skull!" the voice over says. Inside the coffin is a card that reads, "reserved for you." 

Blow me away, movie! 

When I sat and watched this flick, and the theme music started - typical eerie tuba music so common in 1950s and 60s B-horror movies - it sounded very familiar. I knew I heard it before, but I couldn't place it.

All I could determine was its resemblance to the Dies Irae. Being Catholic, I'm familiar with the tune of this Latin requiem chant.

The movie is about Jenni and Eric Whitlock (John Hudson and Peggy Webber), two newlyweds who are moving into Eric's huge summer home. 

The home happens to be where Eric's first wife, Marion, died when, according to Eric, she accidentally slipped and slammed her head against the edge of a decorative garden pond.

When the couple is settling into their home and new life, a pastor named Rev. Edward Snow (Russ Conway) and his wife (played by Tony Johnson) pay them a visit. 

In a moment of exposition, Eric tells them his new wife previously spent time inside a mental asylum after her parents suddenly died. Somehow, Mrs. Snow is aware that Jenni also has a lot of money. 

Mickey the groundskeeper (Alex Nicol, who's also the director), who's developmentally disabled, also lives at the estate. Mickey later tells Jenni that the ghost of Eric's first wife haunts the estate. That's just the last thing a former mental patient needs to hear. Especially as Jenni thinks the portrait of Marion inside the home happens to resemble her own dead mother. 

Soon, Jenni starts hearing screams and finding a skull in various places around the house. All of this starts to drive her mad to the point she feels like she's losing her sanity. 

There's even a moment where Jenni sees the skull and points in out to Eric, who claims there's no skull to be seen. 

John Hudson and Peggy Webber

At a running time of approximately one hour and eight minutes, this low-budget independent movie is a mess of bad acting, terrible film cuts, and some lack of continuity, and a misleading title. 

Well, o.k...there's a skull. And there's some screams. But I think the skull actually "screams" once or twice at most. 

There's one point in the movie where we see Jenni running to investigate a banging noise during the night. As she's running past the camera towards a window to close it, the film cuts to her jumping into her husband's arms in fright. I watched this movie on Amazon Prime, and thought I accidentally sat on the remote when this cut occurred. Normally when I accidentally sit on the remote, my butt generally seems to find the fast-forward button. But this wasn't the case here. In fact, this particular bad cut in the movie is even referenced in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. 

There's another weird cut right in the middle of Jenni's dialogue. It's ridiculous! 

To the movie's credit, the ending is an unexpected twist. 

Otherwise, the pacing seems a little loose. And the story really needs more content, solidity and tightening up. By that. I mean a little more explanation as to the significance of the events taking place such as... 

*SPOILER*
If the husband is responsible for the skull, why does he see it move on its own?
And if his late wife is appearing as a transparent ghost, which she does at an earlier point in the movie, how does she appear in a solid form at the end. Eric even throws something at her, and knocks her down. 

It's too lackluster. There's not enough to really sink the horror-loving teeth into.

After watching the movie, I needed to find out more about the score because I knew it was used somewhere else. 

According to imdb.com, the opening theme played on a tuba is the Dies Irae portion of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. A different version of this piece was used for the opening theme of The Shining (1980). Now that I found this out, I urge readers to listen to the Dies Irae chant (a traditional hymn sung at Catholic funeral masses) on YouTube and compare it to theme song from The Shining. There's a clever similarity. The music for The Screaming Skull was composed by Ernest Gold whose notable work includes music for the movie Exodus.

The Screaming Skull is fun for its own sake. It's funny when it's not supposed to. And it has that nostalgic cheesy charm good for people who like that kind of stuff. Otherwise, it's just a weak, independent, low budget movie.

62) Shin Godzilla (2016) - aka Godzilla Resurgence

There is no precedent

Directors

Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

Cast

Hiroki Hasegawa - Rando Yaguchi

Ren Osugi - Prime Minister Seiji Okochi

Ken Mitsuishi - Governor of Tokyo

Satomi Ishihara - Kayoko Ann Patterson

Yutaka Takenouchi - Hideki Akasaka

There's a lot to say about Shin Godzilla. 

Its place in the Godzilla franchise is the reason I'm commenting about it on this blog. 

It's the first Godzilla movie from Toho Studios in 12 years - the last film being Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). The U.S. movie Godzilla was released in 2014, but that was from Warner Bros. I'm referring to films directly from Toho. 

It's also the first movie to exclusively feature Godzilla without any other monsters since Godzilla: 1985. 

And while Godzilla: 1985 was a direct sequel to the first movie that started it all, Gojira (1954), Shin Godzilla is a straight-up reboot of the franchise with a different origin story for the "King of the Monsters." 

When it comes to Godzilla movies in general, there's a lot of them. There's more than 20 Godzilla movies out there, including the Hollywood films. It's overwhelming. 

The Showa era of Godzilla flicks (1954 - 1975) starts with the original movie Gojira and ends with an epic monster showdown in the movie Terror of Mechagodzilla. After that, there wasn't a Godzilla movie until about ten years later. 

Incidentally, Gojira was released in the U.S. in 1956 under the title Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This version has some heavy re-edits, English dubbing of course, and stars Raymond Burr (Perry Mason). 

The Heisei era (1984-1995) kicks off with The Return of Godzilla (aka Godzilla 1984) which as I said is a direct sequel to the original 1954 movie. All other movies from the Showa era are pretty much ignored. Incidentally, don't you love it when movie studios just flush their work down the toilet and start over? 

Next is the Millennium era (1999 -2004). This is Toho's second franchise reboot, starting with Godzilla: 2000. The infamous American-made movie Godzilla with Matthew Brodrick (I call it the "Simpson's Godzilla" because of the number of cast-members from the Simpson's appearing in this movie) from 1998 falls into the Hollywood Godzilla movies which are carrying on to this day - the final one being 2019's Godzilla, King of the Monsters. 

Finally, Shin Godzilla starts the Reiwa era which is still wreaking havoc on us all!

Horror and Sci-Fi movies play a large role when it comes to audiences facing their fears. I think Godzilla is a perfect example.

While 1954's Gojira is a commentary on nuclear war and nuclear fallout which the Japan was all too familiar with after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Shin Godzilla pulls inspiration from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 as well as the Tohoko earthquake and tsunami. 

The movie starts with the Japanese Coast Guard investigating an abandoned yacht out in the Tokyo Bay. During the investigation, the Coast Guard ship is destroyed and the Trans-Toyko Bay Expressway floods. 

Japanese officials look to viral videos online to see for themselves what transpired. 

While trying to determine the cause of all this turmoil, a Cabinet Member, Rando Yaguchi (thankfully, the names of officials are displayed along with the English subtitles) determines a living creature was the cause of it all after seeing a large tail come out of the water in one of the videos. 

It isn't long before a giant lizard with goofy looking eyes emerges from the waters and crawls through the streets of the city, tearing down buildings and destroying the infrastructure. 

The creature begins to turn into a bi-pedal red-skinned monster.  

When it returns to the waters to cool off from overheating thanks to its internal radiation levels, the government and military officials have a little time to strategize plans for public safety and defense. 

When the giant lizard returns, it begins to grow twice its size, and transforms into Godzilla. 

It's given the name "Godzilla" by anti-nuclear zoology professor, Goro Maki, who has been studying this creature for sometime. The name stems from Maki comparing the creature to God. 

It turns out the abandoned yacht actually belongs to Maki, and he left a lot of his research aboard the boat. 

Meanwhile, Godzilla ends up in Kamakura, where he remains stationary while his energy diminishes. But he returns stronger than ever. 

Both Japanese and American forces throw all they can at Godzilla to take him down. 

But as Godzilla grows more and more destructive (unlike any other Godzilla movie I've seen so far), armed forces do what they can, as fast as they can, to defeat him. They finally come up with an extraordinary plan to defeat Godzilla.

Shin Godzilla strives to be engaging with the chaos and turmoil, and "what are they gonna do?" depictions. It works at times. But too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing. It's slow and dragging the rest of the time, with all the talking officials and important heads in suits. Then again, it's basically a war movie - plan and attack, plan and attack. A small handful of surprises are thrown in to build intrigue and suspense. 

To the movie's credit, it does try to break this monotony with believable humor and random camera angles which make the actors stare directly into the camera as they stare at their computer screens or T.V.s. There's a lot of these angles, and I would love to find out why directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi chose to use them so much. 

One scene in particular shows a room full of government officials and science nerds trying to figure out how to stop the monster. There's a lot of scenes like this in the movie, too, by the way. Anyways, while the camera is focused on two officials in the front of the frame, one random assistant bursts into shouts of shock as he evidently figured out something crucial. He runs around the room in the background to show supervisors his discovery, and then scampers to our main officials in the front of the frame to tell them what he found. It definitely breaks the monotony, and made me laugh.   

The dialogue gives the story a more realistic tone. In one department scene, the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary asks Rando "when was the last time you changed your shirt?" Others in the office comment that his shirt is pretty rank, so they leave a clean shirt on his desk. It's a subtle way of expressing just what these officials are going through as this unbelievable catastrophe is happening right before their eyes. This type of dialogue is peppered throughout the movie. 

But what really makes the movie are the special effects. Godzilla really goes to town on Tokyo - pun intended. There's plenty of destruction. There's bombs upon bombs, each being stronger than before. And Godzilla doesn't just trample on buildings and tear down high rises. Beams of radiation emanate from him, literally slicing through buildings like a hot knife through soft butter. And his atomic breath seems much more destructive than before. The King definitely doesn't hold back. You want to see Tokyo crumble and burn like paper? This movie doesn't short change the audience in that regard!

There's a lot of scientists, heads of state, and other leaders and geeks. But there's destruction, too. Lots and lots of destruction. And the effects are generally great, though many times the CGI Godzilla looks fake with movements clearly computerized.

I appreciate the use of the original soundtrack in this movie - the same that was used in the 1954 film. It helped give this movie the feeling and atmosphere of a Godzilla flick. And hearing it in a new film just hit the fandom spot for me! It's used in the trailer as well.

It's so evident the actors want to make a serious and believable movie. They really put their utmost emotion and spirited effort to make a great movie.

Shin Godzilla is a fun movie; a great Godzilla experience when all is said and done. Toho Studios still has what it takes! 

61) The Pyx (1973)

Her business is pleasure...until her date with the pyx.

Director

Harvey Hart

Cast

Karen Black - Elizabeth Lucy

Christopher Plummer - Dt. Sgt. Jim Henderson

Yvette Brind'amour - Meg

Donald Pilon - Dt. Sgt. Pierre Paquette

Someone somewhere, a while ago, recommended this movie to me. It runs along the same vein of supernatural horror/thriller films like Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, The Omen, and maybe even The Wicker Man, or The Crimson Cult. 

The Pyx is classified as a supernatural horror film, but the "supernatural" is pretty subtle. Actually, it's a lot subtle. In fact, it's so subtle, I think I missed it entirely...until the end. There's a lot of Roman Catholic references and symbolism in the movie. Just the term "pyx" refers to a circular container, normally of gold, that's used by Catholic priests to carry the Eucharist to sick people, or those unable to attend mass. 

Also known as The Hooker Cult Murders, this movie is based on a 1959 novel of the same name by John Buell. 

As for the "horror" classification, well there's just a few scenes with dead people and some blood dripping from their lifeless bodies, and some random shots with blood on the floor or smeared on doors. And there's one scene with a dead cat stuck to a door with a knife. That's some horror-y stuff right there.

The movie, shot in Montreal, begins as a woman falls to her death from a high-rise building.

When police arrive, they discover a pyx and a small crucifix in her hand. 

This case is handed to Det. Sgt. Jim Henderson (Christopher Plummer) who identifies the woman as Elizabeth Lucy (Kristen Black) - a prostitute and heroin junky. 

He finds that the apartment she jumped from is being used as a cathouse. 

In turns out Lucy was a struggling Catholic who was trying to straighten her life out amidst being a prostitute. 

Henderson and his partner interview Meg who operates the brothel in the otherwise vacant apartment. She tells Henderson that Lucy was indeed an employee of hers, but often worked outside the brothel against Meg's wishes. 

Christopher Plummer (center) in The Pyx.

Needing further inquiry, Henderson goes back to the brothel the next day, but finds Meg and another girl with their throats sliced. 

Digging deeper into the investigation, he questions Lucy's roommate, Jimmy, who's also her close friend.

He reveals to Henderson that Lucy was acting strange the day she was killed noting one of her new clients was a strange rich guy whom he was bothered by. 

The audience is soon shown just who this mysterious client is, and his identity is completely unexpected. 

And that's when the movie takes a really dark, dark turn revealing something more evil than what Henderson anticipated is at hand.

A lot of elements are very much a product of the early 1970s. There's two conflicting themes - faith (Catholicism specifically) and sexual promiscuity. Though the novel was written in 1959, the movie was made at a time when sexual revolution was at a zenith, the Catholic Church was experiencing major changes stemming from the Second Vatican Council, and the world was a much different place morally speaking than it was in 1959. Souls were caught in the middle of it all. This is a movie for its day.

The sinister music in the final act is hilarious, though not intended to be. It's as though some tired Benedictine monks chanted a duet with Alvin and the Chipmunks. 

I was thrown off as the movie transitions from past events to present events. I didn't catch onto this until the end.  

At first I was confused as to what was happening, and wondering where the story was going. I kept thinking I missed a crucial plot point. And above all, I kept waiting and waiting for the "supernatural" aspect the movie claims to be, to kick in. The end really ties it all together. 

Karen Black.

The Pyx was a bit too underwhelming and lackluster, though it really tried to tell a thrilling story. The final act is what really makes the film. That's when my attention was really captivated. I needed to force myself to pay attention in the meantime. 

But strangely enough, I'm willing to give The Pyx another chance. Now that I, you know, "get it" I think the effort behind the story telling deserves one more viewing. After all, such efforts in starting and finishing a movie are much of the reason I started this horror blog for B-movies in the first place. 

The acting leans too close to dry. And for some reason, the opening shot is a mix of French dialogue along with English. I don't know why? 

There's little inflection in the dialogue, even with veteran actor Christopher Plummer. 

Horror movie legend, Karen Black (I talked about her in my review for Trilogy of Terror) does a good job as a broken prostitute. Her character is a conflicted soul, torn between the "profession" she's chosen for herself, and her Catholic life. I believe it's subtle, but it's there. The Catholic symbolism. The drug use. The guilt amidst the pleasure. It's there.

This movie, overall, makes for a somewhat decent psychological thriller. And for those that watch it...just keep watching. The supernatural element will come. 

 

Little Apple Horror News: Independent horror movie on Kansas' Bender family re-releases in U.K. with new title

The U.K.'s Pinewood Studios has taken a keen interest in an independent movie about America's first serial killer family.

The 2016 independent horror film, Bender, was the directorial debut of independent film maker John Alexander. 

The movie centers on the Bender family (aka the "Bloody" Benders) who became historically infamous for murdering several travelers who crossed their threshold for a meal and an over-night stay. They lived in Labette County, Kansas, located in the southeast part of the state, from 1869 to 1873.

Bender has a notable cast including horror film legend James Karen (Poltergeist, Return of the Living Dead) as "Old Man Bender. It also stars Linda Purl (The Office), Bruce Davison (Willard, X-Men), and Buck Taylor (Cowboys & Aliens).

Filmed in Geary County, Kansas, and having its initial premier in Junction City, Bender has gotten an overseas release onto streaming services thanks to one of the U.K.'s leading independent film distributors High Fliers Films PLC at Pinewood Studios.

Pinewood is well known thanks to the number of famous movies filmed on its sets - several James Bond movies, Superman, Tim Burton's Batman, and Aliens. 

"With these films, both independent films and major studio films, people kind of expect a little spike of interest when a film comes out." Alexander said. "It tends to decline as it becomes older and older news. But this film is a little different."

Bender had an initial indy-film spike during its initial release. Alexander said people heard about it, read about it, and most importantly, watched it. And since then, his movie seems to have expanded year after year since. 

According to Alexander, his movie has played at more film festivals last year compared to 2016. 

"Which is totally strange," he said. "I assumed it was an American audience. I assumed also it was largely a Midwest audience. Maybe even a Kansas audience. Maybe, even, a Southeastern Kansas audience. I didn't know how far it would reach. It just kept expanding."

Thanks to the film's distinct unsettling, style not common in other horror/thriller movies, independent or otherwise, Bender continues to grab audience's attention and remain within conversations. With the story being true, the movie leaves the audience wondering if there's another family out there like the bloody Benders. Truth can certainly be scarier than fiction.

Alexander said he believes the movie caught the attention of High Fliers, PLC and Pinewood Studios in the U.K. through other sales he's made. 

That is, the movie was bought by a distributor in China for an Asian release. And it was also bought by some European distributors as well.

"Even some in Africa and South Africa," he said. "And much to my shock, I had no idea this unknown tale of the Old West would be relevant or of interest to people across many oceans." 

It was at this point that Pinewood Studios decided to snag the movie for British audiences.

There was just one small issue with the movie - the title.

The word "bender" refers to the act of binge drinking in the U.K. 

James Karen as 'Old Man Bender' in Bender.

"It never was on my radar to have a title that would work internationally," Alexander said.

So, agents, studio executives, and Alexander discussed possible alternative titles for the movie that would suit British audiences. They finally coming up with the alternative title The Family. 

"I'm totally happy with it. I think it works great," Alexander said.

Of course, it's still Bender in the U.S.

The movie was released earlier in May for U.K. streaming services such as Amazon and Video-on-Demand, 

Alexander said this release platform is fine as it would have been challenging to deal with a theatrical release given the current world-wide situation with the COVID-19 outbreak.   

Still, he considers himself fortunate as independent film sales are "grim and dire." 

"That was the greatest victory in these sales," he said "The fact that we've actually gone against the typical standard president of sub-par deals."

So, what else is going on?

In the meantime, Alexander has other horror up his sleeve.

His wife, JC Guest, who was a co-writer for Bender, is currently writing a movie which he calls "a feminist revenge horror film."

Alexander describes this horror work-in-progress as "topical and edgy. Another really bold, stylized, crazy horror film."

"The scripts being written right now," he said. "We do have our production company. And the producers who produced Bender are coming back on board for this." 

Alexander also released a satirical horror short film earlier this week which he says is "super fun and creepy."

The movie, Ur Gunna Get It, stars television writer Grace McKeaney (Roseanne), who also had a one scene in Bender as "the goat lady."

"I don't do a lot of shorts," Alexander said. 

The movie is fortunate to have McKeaney in its cast. As Alexander points out, she's a hilarious, brilliant, comedic mind, and horror mind. 

"People still talk to me about her performance [in Bender]," he said.

Ur Gunna Get It is streaming now on Vimeo. 

Click on the link to watch the trailer. 

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/urgunnagetit?fbclid=IwAR0Jbq7sIJUjU7r6-oVpejlBONuRLe5wXM27NQ33lsGBYRqDhOOLkLSafqM