Favorite Horror Movies (1970-1979)

An innocent Catholic schoolgirl named Candy (played by Susan Sennett of BIG BAD MAMA fame), daughter of a jewelry store manager, is kidnapped by a trio of small time criminals who plan on handing her back over to her family in exchange for diamonds from the father's store. In the meantime, poor Candy is tied up, gagged and even buried alive with only a pipe sticking out of the ground for breathing! If the criminals don't get what they want, they claim they'll kill her. Trouble is, Candy's father is actually a stepfather (not to mention an adulterous sociopath!) and he's happy she's been kidnapped because he wants her dead anyway so he can collect a multi-million dollar insurance policy! And that's not even half the story!

THE CANDY SNATCHERS is a genuine sleeper that's well worth your time. It has what most other 70s exploitation movies lack; a well-written screenplay full of clever twists and turns. Just when you think you have an idea where the film is going, you're thrown for a loop. Also surprising is the overall quality of most of the acting. Playing the tough-as-nails female kidnapper, Tiffany Bolling (KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS) is the only one of the main stars I recognize in the cast, and this is easily the best performance I've ever seen from her. The other lead actors are also very competent, especially Ben Piazza as the most remorseless, cold, greedy, evil and completely unsympathetic stepfather imaginable.

There's a lot of brutality, two violent rapes, child abuse, some gore (a shotgun blast to the face, a stabbing, etc.), a little (autistic?) mute boy who knows what's going on but can't communicate it to anyone and a brief cameo by James Whitworth (THE HILLS HAVE EYES) getting beat over the head with a board. The ending is absolutely PRICELESS and effectively ties up all the loose ends.

Definitely a keeper. Check it out!

Like many other classic films, this one doesn't bother confining itself to just one genre. Romero exploits the metaphoric possibilities of a world taken over by a zombie plague for all they're worth and has something to say about the American buying public and the ills of the often misguided, wholly cosumerist society that we inhabit. If this kind of material doesn't interest you, then the good news is that this movie also works wonderfully as an apocalyptic adventure, with plenty of action, gore and horror, plus comedy elements ranging from silly slapstick gags to sly satire. Sure some of the supporting acting could have been better. It's a low budget so what can you expect? Still, the four leads do a good enough job instilling their characters with a certain nobility, which makes them instantly likable. Elements of the film are dated, but the central theme is not. In many ways it's more relevant today than it was when released when you look at how "mall culture" dominates and the measure of a man is based on how much junk you can accumulate.

Haunted by memories of driving his wife insane, mad baron Zorn (Robert Hardy), is obsessed with the "heritage of disorder" that he thinks might afflict his two grown children Elisabeth (Gillian Hills) and Emil (Shane Briant, in his film debut), whom he keeps locked up in his beautiful castle home, searching for a "cure." With the help of bald manservant Klaas (Kenneth J. Warren) and stern aunt Hilda (Yvonne Mitchell), he drains their blood to keep them weak, forbids them to see each other (there's incest involved) and ignores the expert opinions of a doctor (played by one of my all-time favorite character actors Patrick Magee). Meanwhile, there's a rapist/murderer on the loose terrorizing a quaint neighboring village.

This psychological horror story is a fine deviation from Hammer's cycle of monster movies, highlighted by excellent period costumes and sets (especially the castle) and Christopher Wicking's provocative screenplay (which resembles V.C. Andrews' later novel FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC). Only the finale, with a mob of torch-carrying villagers hunting Hardy down a la FRANKENSTEIN, really detracts from this well above par Hammer production.

Three criminals pull off a robbery, kill several people during a police shoot out in a parking garage and then take a female hostage. Wanting to ditch their car, they kidnap a second hostage, a surprisingly calm man with a young, sickly son, and force him to drive take them to safety. This crime drama marked a change of pace (and a change of tone) for Mario Bava, best known for his super stylish gothic horror films, which concentrated as much on atmosphere, color composition and camera angles and they did on the story. This is a more stark, contemporary film that takes place in broad daylight and mostly within the cramped comfines of a car. The good news is that it's an excellent, sadistic thriller and loaded with suspense and tension. The performances are believable and the script pulls you in immediately, after which there's almost no let-up. Recommended.

Four wealthy, powerful, fascist old perverts (a duke, a bishop, a president and a magistrate) arrange to have a variety of teenagers kidnapped from around Salò in Northern Italy; an area synonymous with Mussolini's reign of terror. They select nine boys and nine girls, retreat to a country mansion and, in coordination with other likeminded females and some heavily-armed guards, subject their impressionable victims to all manner of nasty psychological, physical and sexual torture over the course of the next 120 days. For most viewers, there will be nothing even remotely pleasurable or enjoyable about watching this movie. The mixture of torture, abuse, humiliation and dehumanization, approached in an almost casual matter-of-face way, is grueling and depressing to sit through. People will tell you it's brilliant for any number of reasons and people will tell you it's terrible for any number of reasons, but it's still a very powerful film with powerful. nihilistic images and concepts. Doubt I'll ever watch it again, but I also won't be forgetting it any time soon.

Edward Woodward (later star of "The Equalizer" TV series) is a devoutly religious police inspector who travels to the small island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. There's a cover up to the girls whereabouts by the entire community and he finds himself equally appalled by their free-living lifestyle...simple pleasures which include drinkin', singin', swingin' sex...and pagan human sacrifice. The title refers to a giant wooden idol necessary for climactic May Day ceremony.

THE WICKER MAN opens fairly slowly (and some complain it has too many musical numbers), but after the first pub scene it becomes suspenseful, creepy (without a stitch of violence) and brilliantly atmospheric, creating a seemingly authentic (and unusual) society not dependent on standard moral or religious codes. It's safe to say that the strong and unflinching religious subject matter this film carries may anger some viewers but it's also ironic that this same close-minded worldview is perfectly reflected in the bullheaded lead character, and also helps to seal his fate. Not that the pagans in this film aren't equally unwavering in their beliefs, but the "power of in numbers" philosophy rings true here. Imagine a small place in this world NOT adversely affected by standard organized religion and you get the gist of Summerisle.

If you want gore, you won't find any here. If you can't go into this film with an open mind, you simply won't appreciate what it has to offer. And if you are looking for a standard horror film you may be disappointed (or you may be like me and be pleasantly surprised). The ending is simultaneously chilling and oddly amusing. Both Woodward and Christopher Lee (with great hair) as Lord Summerisle are excellent in their roles.