Blood Feast may be Lewis’ most famous film and the one that he’ll always be remembered by, but 2000 Maniacs is seen as probably his best film by many fans. The budget’s higher(just a bit), the acting is better(but just a bit), and the story is more imaginative(quite a bit).
Though it’s a gore film, I’d have to say that Blood feast was actually gorier than this one. But 2000 Maniacs(due to the budget it looks more like 20 maniacs) manages to be entertaining coz it actually is interesting and funny.
Blood Feast only had the gore going for it(as well as a few laughs), coz you really can’t say it was terribly interesting as far as story goes. But any way you slice it, both 2000 Maniacs and Blood feast are required viewing for the cult/exploitation/horror film fan, as well as any film historian for that matter.
Jack Nicholson plays a french officer in Napoleon’s army who ends up at the castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), after wandering around lost for seven months. He’s met a mysterious girl who just might be a ghost! Von Leppe is pretty mysterious too! He’s been in the castle for 20 years after murdering his adulterous wife, Ilsa.
Is Ilsa the same girl that Jack ran into? And what about the strange witch who lives near the castle? And the hawk that seems to possess human intelligence?
THE TERROR is one of Roger Corman’s better films, leaving his infamous rubber monsters behind, in order to get under our skin with creeping undercurrents of fear and dread. Nicholson is great, actually showing some of the snearing stuff that would one day make him a megastar. Karloff is himself, in one of his better latter-day performances.
Also watch for Jonathan Haze (Little Shop Of Horrors) as Gustav, and Dick Miller (Bucket Of Blood) as Von Leppe’s faithful servant.
Kwaidan is a 1964 Japanese anthology film directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means ‘ghost story’. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folk tales. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan is the archaic pronunciation of Kaidan, meaning “ghost story”.
The four stories
“The Black Hair” was adapted from “The Reconciliation”, which appeared in Hearn’s collection Shadowings (1900).
“The Woman of the Snow” is adapted from Hearn’s Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things (1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
“Hoichi the Earless” is also adapted from Hearn’s Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn’s book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura, a war fought between Emperor Antoku and Minamoto no Yoritomo during the last phase of the Genpei War. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
“In a Cup of Tea” is adapted from Hearn’s Kott?: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
The Innocents is a 1961 horror film based on the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Directed and produced by Jack Clayton, it starred Deborah Kerr and Michael Redgrave. Falling into the subgenre of psychological horror, the film makes use of its lighting, music, and direction for its effect rather than gore and shock factor. Its atmospheric feel was achieved by Academy Award winning cinematographer Freddie Francis, who employed deep focus in many scenes, as well as bold, minimal lighting. It was filmed on location at the gothic mansion of Sheffield Park in East Sussex. The film marked the first film role for child actor Pamela Franklin.
The Innocents was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best Film from any Source. For his direction, Clayton was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Director. William Archibald and Truman Capote won a 1962 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. The title of the film was taken from Archibald’s stage adaptation of James’ novella.
Plot
The Innocents tells the story of an inexperienced governess, and daughter of a country parson (Kerr) who is hired to care for the niece and nephew of a callous socialite (Redgrave) at his country mansion, Bly House, whilst he continues to reside in London. He stipulates that the whole responsibility for looking after the children is hers. The gothic Bly House proves to have many dark secrets: the governess discovers that her predecessor, Miss Jessel, was having an affair with the valet Quint (Peter Wyngarde), and that both of them died in bizarre circumstances. Thereafter, the governess starts seeing their apparitions in the house and grounds and comes to believe that the ghosts of Quint and his lover are attempting to possess the bodies of the children.
The Haunting is a 1963 horror film directed by Robert Wise and adapted by Nelson Gidding from the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It stars Julie Harris as Eleanor, Richard Johnson as Dr. Markway, Russ Tamblyn as Luke, Claire Bloom as Theo, Valentine Dyall and Rosalie Crutchley as Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, and Lois Maxwell as Mrs. Markway. The film centers around the conflict between a team of paranormal investigators and the house in which they spend the night.
Plot
Eleanor Lance, Theodora, and Luke Sanderson accompany Dr. John Markway during an investigation into the paranormal. Markway believes that an old mansion with a sinister past called Hill House will provide him with the proof he seeks of the existence of the supernatural. Luke is the next in line to inherit the house, and is volunteered by the current owner to join Markway both as a skeptic and overseer. Eleanor and Theodora are the only responders to an invitation Markway sent out to various people who had come in contact with the supernatural at some point in their lives. After the four meet up in Hill House, strange things begin to happen, most of which seem centered on Eleanor. Eleanor finds that she enjoys the attention the house affords her, and becomes drawn deeper and deeper in by the forces within the house.
13 Ghosts is a 1960 horror film directed by William Castle and written by Robb White. To the dismay of some of the cast members, Castle gave top billing to 12-year-old Charles Herbert.
It was remade in 2001 under the title of Thir13en Ghosts, directed by Steve Beck.
When occultist uncle Dr. Plato Zorba wills a huge ramshackle house to his nephew Cyrus and his impoverished family, they are shocked to find the house is haunted. Their new furnished residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, Elaine, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts. His family soon discovers that these spirits include a decapitated man, a fully-grown lion, a wailing lady and a flaming skeleton, who are held captive in the eerie house and must find an unlucky thirteenth ghost to free them. Dr. Zorba leaves a set of special goggles, the only way of seeing the ghosts. However, there is someone in the house who is also looking for the money and is willing to kill for it.
