Day 313: Mother's Day

Mother's Day

Mommy dearest

We've had horror movies commemorating just about every holiday. We have New Year's Evil, My Bloody Valentine, Black Christmas, Leprechaun, Uncle Sam, April Fool's Day, and Easter Bunny Kill! Kill!. I'm still waiting for a good Chanukah horror movie, but I just may have to make that one myself. These movies are fun in a goofy, niche sort of way, so when I watched today's movie, I was expecting it to be over-the-top and fun. After all, the movie is written and directed by Charles Kaufman, the brother of Troma Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Kaufman. That's a recipe for goofyness, right? Heck, maybe even the Toxic Avenger will show up! How wrong I was.

Mother's Day is a 1980 exploitation horror film starring Nancy Hendrickson as Abbey, Deborah Luce as Jackie, and Tiana Pierce as Trina. The three former college roommates reunite on a camping trip in rural New Jersey. The reminisce about old times, including one night when they embarrassed a jock that was trying to sleep with one of them. Their good times are interrupted when two hillbillies named Ike and Addley kidnap them and bring them to their house. The hillbillies live with their mentally unstable and demanding mother (Rose Ross, Sgt. Bilko, Car 54, Where Are You?). They take one of the girls and go through a strange ritual, acting out various romantic scenarios while Mother watches. Soon, the games are over and the girl is beaten and raped. The next day we see the family in their bizarre daily life, eating sugary food, yelling, fighting, debating punk versus disco, and all sorts of other insanity. Mother keeps the boys in order, telling them that her sister Queenie, who lives out in the wild, will come and get them. When one of the girls is killed, the other two escape and plan their revenge. Will they be able to stop the deranged family and does Queenie really exist?

"Oh, word?"

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't like torture movies. Mother's Day borders the line of torture movies as we don't see the customary violence and gore of today's “torture porn”. That's not to say there aren't scenes of violence because there are plenty. There are also scenes of rape, which made me incredibly uncomfortable. The movie moves slowly at times and seems to get lost once the girls are captured. The revenge towards the end is cathartic, but it feels a bit too rushed. The ending comes out of left field and is eye-roll worthy in it's forehead-slapping stupidity. Troma films tend to either be over-the-top funny or over-the-top violent/gross/insane. Mother's Day can't decide which way to go and settles for both, but succeeding with neither. I found myself constantly checking the run-time, hoping the movie was coming to an end.

This movie is a hodge-podge of ideas coming from much better films. It's obvious that Mother's Day takes many of it's ideas from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House On The Left. Mother's Day had the chance to expand upon the initial themes from those movies and make something different, but it just goes through the motions. I will say that the movie does show a bit of creativity when the hillbillies act out the romantic scenarios with one of the girls. It truly showed their derangement and was very unsettling because you knew what was going to happen. Unfortunately, it was a missed opportunity because the scenes are rushed. They could have been downright terrifying if they were paced properly. The acting in the movie is fine for what is required, but that's not saying much. I will say that Charles Kaufman does get some very good shots behind the director's chair. Hey, at least that's something.

Hammer time!

I watched Mother's Day expecting something in the “so bad it's good” vein. Instead, I got a “so bad it's bad” horror movie. Despite having a cult following, I did not find the movie enjoyable. Apparently, the film is supposed to be satire, though I didn't pick up even a trace of satirical material. The story is lifted from much better horror movies which makes me wonder why they even bothered to make this one. There is a lot of violence against women in the film which will make a lot of people uncomfortable, myself included. The revenge scenes are good, but I could have used more. If you're going to see a movie like this, you're better off with the better-known films like The Last House On The Left, The Hills Have Eyes, and I Spit On Your Grave. I wouldn't be quick to recommend those either, but they at least have stories. Troma should just stick with funny horror. It would make me a lot happier.

2.5/10

Day 284: Blacula

Blacula

Going black in time

It's time to get funky, you jive turkey. OK, I promise never to do that again, but I couldn't help it. Today's movie comes from the deepest, darkest depths of movie hell: The 1970's. The era of unrest, ridiculous clothes, and disco did manage to spawn some great horror movies, but it also brought about the exploitation era. Many of these movies found their way into grindhouse theaters due to their high levels of violence and sex. With the exploitation movies came the blaxploitation movies, which was geared towards the African American community. It was only a matter of time before horror made it's impact on the sub genre.

Blacula is a 1972 vampire movie starring William Marshall (Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Scream Blacula Scream) as Prince Mamuwalde, the leader of a small African nation. The prince is visited by Count Dracula and asks for his help in stopping the slave trade. Dracula refuses and attempts to capture Mamuwalde. When he fights back, Dracula bites Mamuwalde, changing him into a vampire, and imprisons him in a coffin. In 1972, the castle containing the coffin is purchased by two interior decorators, Bobby McCoy and Billy Schafer. They open the coffin, awakening Mamuwalde, now Blacula, are both killed. At Bobby's funeral, Blacula meets Tina who looks identical to his now-deceased wife. Believing she is the reincarnation of his wife, Blacula pursues Tina, posing as a human Mamuwalde. At the same time, Dr. Gordon Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala, Sanford And Son, Mom And Dad Save The World) and Lt. Peters begin investigating the strange deaths around town. Eventually Tina begins to fall in love with Mamuwalde. The victims of the strange murders change into vampires and soon join Blacula as his undead army. After finding a picture in which Mamuwalde does not appear, Gordon and Lt. Peters, joined by the police, move in to stop Blacula. Will they be able to save Tina before she is turned into a vampire?

Don't fall for Blacula's "Free Hugs" trick

I have to say, I haven't seen many exploitation and blaxploitation movies. Most of my knowledge probably comes from other mediums making fun of the movies. I was expecting Blacula to be an over-the-top, jive-talking, funky vampire movie with goofy rhyming lines and the word “honky” being thrown around like a baseball. Much to my surprise, this wasn't the case. Blacula is far more of a real movie than I could have expected. That's not to say it isn't ridiculous, but it has character motivation and a somewhat decent story. I think a large part of the movie being watchable is the good performance of William Marshall . A veteran of stage, opera, and screen, Marshall brings an air of legitimacy to the role. Surrounded by polyester and blaring funk, Marshall's portrayal of Blacula is both regal and scary. Some may find his performance hokey, but I would attribute that to the rest of the cast playing their characters straight. Unlike many other vampire movies, Blacula manages to actually make the head vampire a sympathetic character.

The movie is very much a product of the 1970's which should be a surprise to no one. There are plenty of bell-bottoms, afros, and unnecessary long scenes of funk bands playing. The movie never goes full “blaxploitation” but you can still sense the racial overtones. While there isn't much in the way of racial slurs, the word “faggot” is used quite a lot. As they say, it was a different time. There are some scenes of violence, but I wouldn't call Blacula a scary or even creepy film. I think part of that is due to seeing the movie through 2012 eyes. The supporting acting is quite bad and certain scenes jump around with no explanation. It's not particularly clear just how Blacula made it to America, although I could have easy missed it while blinded by the ridiculous clothes. There are plenty of holes in the plot, but when you're watching a movie called “Blacula” were you expecting Citizen Kane?

Is it too soon to make a Whitney Houston joke?

Blacula is a fun and bewildering look into a strange time in American cinema and cultural history. Deeply entrenched in the 70's, the movie is full of stereotypes and certain language that would almost never fly in movies today. William Marshall is fun to watch, but he doesn't get a lot of help from some of his supporting cast. There is some violence, but not a whole lot of blood or gore. Blacula spawned a few other horror related blaxploitation movies such as Blackenstein, but I don't think I'll be searching for that one any time soon. Ultimately, Blacula has lots of problems, but it's still an entertaining watch, sometimes for the wrong reasons.

5/10

Day 233: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

And who will clean up when they're done?

As I've said before, the biggest reason for doing 365 Days of Horror is to watch movies I've always wanted to see, but for one reason or another, never had the chance to. This list includes a lot of classics, some of which may actually shock some people. One of these movies is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's not like it's on television all that often and when it is, it's edited for time and content. I don't want to spend two and a half hours watching a movie that isn't even complete. Another possible reason for my hesitation in watching this movie is due to the large amount of poorly made sequels. These sequels are almost universally terrible and unintentionally funny, so that put me off from watching where it all started. It was time to put aside my hesitation and dive head first into this horror classic.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 1974 exploitation horror movie written and directed by Tobe Hooper (Salem's Lot, Poltergeist). Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns, Eaten Alive, Helter Skelter) her wheel-chair bound brother Franklin (Paul Partain, Rolling Thunder, Race With The Devil), and three friends, Kirk, Pam, and Jerry, take a road trip to check on their grandather's grave after reports of grave-robbing in the area surfaced. While in the area, they decide to visit their old home. Along the way, they decide to pick up a hitchhiker (Edwin Neal, JFK, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers). The hitchhiker is clearly insane, talking and laughing frantically and cutting his own hand with a knife. When the group refuses to give him money, he takes out a razor and cuts Franklin's arm. They throw the hitchhiker out of the van and drive off. They get to a gas station to refuel, but the worker informs them that the pumps are empty, so the group drives on to the house. Kirk and Pam go off to find a water hole when they discover a nearby house. When no one appears home, Kirk goes inside and is bashed in the skull with a hammer by Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen, Campfire Tales, Brutal Massacre: A Comedy), a giant of a man that wears human skin as a mask. When Pam goes to check on Kirk, she discovers the house if full of both animal and human bones. She tries to flee, but Leatherface grabs her and impales her on a giant meat hook. When it gets dark, Jerry goes looking for Kirk and Pam and wanders into the house. He opens a freezer, revealing a barely-alive Pam inside. Before he can run, Leatherface kills him and stuffs Pam back inside the freezer. Sally and Franklin go to find their friends and as they approach the house, Leatherface brutally kills Franklin with a chainsaw. He chases Sally into the house where she discovers the rotting bodies of an elderly couple. In order to escape Leatherface, Sally jumps out a window and runs to the gas station. The worker promises to help her, but beats her with a broom and drives her back to the house where he picks up the hitchhiker from before. When Sally awakens, she is bound to a chair at a dinner table surrounded by the worker, the hitchhiker, Leatherface and their “Grandpa”. They torment Sally and want Grandpa to kill her. How will Sally escape?

Free hugs!

It's important to note that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out during the exploitation era of American movies. There has been a small revival of exploitation films in recent years, with films like Hostel and The Human Centipede, but I am a relative novice in that area. At first, I was a bit surprised that there wasn't much of a story involved with the movie. Essentially, these young people go to a house and are killed. That's about it. I thought there were be more of a back-story and was originally disappointed in the lack of a plot. Eventually, I realized that the purpose of the movie isn't to have anything beyond the brutal murders and the scary, deranged family. Admittedly, the movie is a bit slow up until the killings begin with the last 20 minutes being the real payoff. For being an exploitation horror movie, there is actually not that much blood and gore. You probably see worse in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie in all honesty. What makes the movie so scary is not blood and guts, but the brutal frankness of the violence. There is no remorse from Leatherface and the family and no amount of begging will stop them. They are monsters in the truest sense, taking pleasure in their sickness.

The movie is ugly and twisted and I mean that as a compliment. It is well-made, far better than what one would expect from a movie like this. Tobe Hooper uses multiple camera angles and extreme closeups to convey the horror of certain situations and fear from the characters. One interesting thing I noticed during the movie is the lack of music. There is some percussion sporadically placed throughout the movie, but not much more. This allows for every hit of a hammer, slice of a chainsaw, and scream from Sally to be heard. It certainly adds to the overall “realness” of the movie, making it all the scarier. The screams started to wear on me towards the end, but I suppose that's the only real reaction to a situation like the one Sally was in. There is some social commentary in the movie with “man” being the monster, but it is subtle enough where the audience may not even notice it. The acting is believable throughout the movie which helps give the movie a realistic feel. Basing some of the characters of the real-life killer Ed Gein helped bring this feeling to life. I have read that the movie is supposed to have a documentary-type feel, but I didn't pick up on that notion.

Just take a little off the top

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a simple, brutal film. The story is extremely basic which may surprise some people who may be expecting something more complex than just “young people are killed by maniacs because they happen to be there.” Once you realize that that is the purpose of the movie, it's frees the audience to become enveloped by the horror. The movie is a little slow until the killing starts and the last quarter of the movie is full of violence and excitement. There isn't as much gore as I expected, which is fine, because the movie is still plenty scary. Tobe Hooper is able to capture the horror well with his creative camera work and real-world setting. Though the sequels are questionable and some downright terrible, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is well worth your time.

8/10