Poor Bastards of Cinema: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

 A guy who doesn't even get his name mentioned on the Wiki Page!

In Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a young couple move into a new House.

The Wife is showing off what needs work done to her Interior Decorator friend.

He vanishes from the Movie after this Scene.

He returns in Act 3 as he's visiting the Wife again about work to be done.

Like before, they go downstairs.

...only for the creatures to set out a rope line and trip him!

He falls (off camera) and is shown to be dead at the bottom of the stairs.
(This Film was shot in a week- no time for Stunts!)

Yeah...that's it for him.

This guy didn't even really know about ANY of the danger.  He wasn't a threat to the creatures.

He was collateral damage, as they meant to trip her instead!

The moral- don't be a Designer in a '70s Movie.  You either end up dead (him) or as a Vampire...and then dead (Blacula).

It's not worth the risk. 

Rare Flix: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

 Is it possible to scare lots of people with a simple TV Movie?

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was, you guessed it, a TV Movie from 1973.  It was made as part of a TV Movie Series for ABC.

Back before VHS, DVD and later Streaming, Movies of the Week were a big deal.  Think of them like Netflix Originals, but for the bunny ears on TVs Generation.

The Plot involves a young Couple who move into a House and the Wife is drawn to a bricked up fireplace.  This didn't end well for the Amityville bunch, but will it here?

She eventually learns that something was living down there and now its free.  As a liberated '70s woman, however, everyone thinks that she's just nuts!

Can she solve the mystery and save, well, herself?

To find out, read on...

A young couple settle on an old House to live in while the Husband works towards a promotion.

Something about this locked room with a bricked off fireplace draws the Wife to it.

The Handyman tells her to leave things alone and that it is impossible to mess with it.

These two facts seem contradictory.

He also doesn't just explain things, so the Movie can happen.

The Movie happens, naturally, and she does open the fireplace.

After she leaves, we see a green glow and strange voices talking.

Weird stuff happens around the House, but only around her.

Her Husband thinks that she's just stressed and imagining things.

'70s Husbands were the worst!

As it turns out, she was right.

There are weird little...whatever they are that escaped.

They want her.  But why?!?

They plan to go after her while the Husband is away meeting with a client.

It also seems that the creatures change sizes as they were last seen the size of a switchblade.  The next time, they are as tall as trash cans.

The Wife and her Friend are at the House while he's still away.

They take the power out and put some sleeping pills (given to her by a Doctor) in the lady's coffee.

The friend gets locked outside- these guys are fast as hell!- while the Husband leaves to get the information from the Handyman.

The House was built in the 19th Century and the Man who owned it was dragged down the fireplace hole, hence it being boarded up.

Can they get there in time to save the Wife as she's being dragged away by the creatures?

Nope- it's the '70s.
People were really bleak then.

Sorry- I hope you have better luck in the Remake.

A strong, tightly focused tale of terror (with a few silly details).

It should be noted that this one was fast-tracked into Production on account of a looming Writer's Strike.  It was done in just two weeks.

With that in mind, the final product is still pretty darn good.
The Plot works, making you empathize with this poor woman that nobody believes.

The main issue- the creatures.

They look odd and creepy- no question.
The look of them aside, they change in scale, their mouths don't move and we don't really know why they are doing what they are doing.

If you can accept how strange and kind of silly the creatures are, you can have a good, frightful time!

Next up, I check out a Horror Comedy that I've been putting off for ages.  If you like Wolves, you're in luck, right?  Stay tuned...

Rare Flix: A Cold Night's Death (1973)

 A TV Movie from a Decade before I was born- why not?!?

As the World gets hotter and hotter, let's jump back 50+ years for A Cold Night's Death.
This TV Movie appears to be the bridge/missing link between The Thing From Another World and John Carpenter's The Thing.

A pair of Scientists are called into a frozen base up in the Mountains.  They find some strange stuff and a dead guy running it. 
Can the new guys figure out why the guy went crazy?  Can they finish the research?

This one was Produced by Aaron Spelling, which sure is unexpected for a '70s TV Movie/Special.  That was sarcasm, for all of my younger readers.

The duo has to experiment on the monkeys there because...something to do with space travel.  That's not important, so let's move on.

Is this a forgotten gem or just another TV Movie?
To find out, read on...

In Audio Logs (foreshadowing the Game Cliche by Decades), we learn that the previous Scientist at this base sounded crazy and cut off communication.

This is all relayed to us by an uncredited Vic Perrin, famous for voicing such Characters as Dr. Zin, Sinestro on Super Friends and the original Control Voice on The Outer Limits.
He died in 1989, so he wasn't there for the Series I'm currently covering.

They are flown to the Base by a Pilot (the only other Actor credited here) and find the guy frozen by the Tape Recorder.

He froze to death, but yet he didn't seem to be trapped.
Spooky.

They work at the Base- which is experimenting on how chimps react at high altitude because whatever the hell NASA- and things are good...at first.

Tensions rise as time goes by (shown by their stubble).

Wallach (left) thinks that Culp (right) is experimenting on him, but he says that he isn't.

They seem to make up...a bit when they hear a noise and find a chimpanzee on the loose.

Things don't improve long term, however, as they don't trust each other.

All the while the experiments on the chimpanzees continues.

Culp is the only one who can/will work outside (shoveling the snow) and he ends up trapped out there!

Culp manages to get his way back in- thanks to a spot he opened earlier in the Film- and he's absolutely not doing well.

He was, indeed, frozen today.

Exasperated and nearly dead, he tries to explain what he figured out- the original Scientist was driven crazy by the chimpanzees.

Wallach doesn't believe him- and he's also a bit crazy- and shoots Culp.

He goes back to the Recording Room when he hears the wind and snow coming through the door.  He turns around when he hears the door close...and lock.

As Culp tried to explain to him, the Chimpanzees' Leader was experimenting on them as reprisal for their experiments on the creatures.

He's now trapped Wallach in there.
The End (or beginning)!

A minimalist Film that manages to do quite alot.

Minimalist?  I must be one of those fancy, highly paid Critics to use such fancy language!

Jokes aside, I did like this one quite a bit.  It is glacially paced at first- pun fully intended- but does pick up.  If you can get invested in the Culp-Wallach dynamic, it really works.

As stated, this reminds me of the sense of paranoia and mistrust that The Thing (1982) cultivated so well.  I wonder if Carpenter was inspired by this in any way.
It all could be a coincidence.

Atmosphere is 1,000% the name of the game here and the Film does well with (technically) only 4 Actors playing parts (I don't count the frozen guy or the chimpanzees).
This could easily be turned into a Play with very few tweaks OR a short-form Horror Game.

It's been over 50 years- it's probably not under copyright, fellas!

It was nice to escape the extreme heats (with it only being May here!) for the extreme cold...even if both leaving you trying to get to the pool.

Next time, let's start June off with the return of Bond...James Bond.  Will this Film about Love woo me too?  Stay tuned...

Rare Flix: Fatal Frames (1996)

 A Film about death that was sadly affected by it!

This is Fatal Frames, a 1996 Italian Film that attempts to be a (then) modern day Giallo.  Does it succeed?

The Plot involves a handsome photographer with a dark past who goes to Italy to Direct a Music Video.  It doesn't seem like its Director (Al Festa) was one himself, but IMDB is not always exact.

Two of his 4 Films as a Director do involve Musical Performers, so...maybe.

When a strange set of killings...that turn up no bodies happen upon his arrival, he's obviously a suspect.  How does this relate to other crimes?
Is he guilty?

To find out (and I can't discuss the Film without its bonkers Ending), read on...

In the long, drawn-out Credit Sequence, we see an old guy watching a Snuff Film!

When some kid (his Son...I guess) walks in, he makes the kid watch!

Enough of that now.

In the Present (of either 1993 or 1996), this guy (who I've seen a few times) is hired by his buddy to Direct a Music Video for an Italian Pop Star.

She's actually a real one, which makes me question all reality, since this is Fiction...but also she's using her real name and identity!

Two main things happen in the first Hour or so.

Random women around our Hero are killed in front of him, but then the bodies aren't found.  The Killer only leaves behind video tapes.

Stefania- the Pop Star- sings Songs for her Music Video.
Such lovely filler.

The Cops work the case and even bring in an outside man from the FBI- Donald Pleasence.

This Casting will be important later, so take notes.

He says that similar killings happened recently in the US, including that of our Hero's Wife!

In a weird bit, the Subtitle Track and the English Dub don't agree on key details.

This lady is stated to be a Hooker in the Audio, but the Subtitles say otherwise!

Our Hero is going a little bit crazy, not helped by the fact that he seems to be haunted by a ghost who calls him a murderer.

He thinks the killings might be connected a Painter, so he goes to his barely marked grave and is confronted by...Angus Scrimm?!?

He acts crazy for a minute and that's it.
(They later imply he's a Ghost...or something, by showing his face on a Painting)

So, here's where the Pleasence thing comes in.

He shot his Scenes in 1993 during the bulk of Production.  A funder of the Film suddenly dropped out and it took until 1995 to get the Film back on track.

By that point, Pleasence had died (right after filming Halloween 6).

To write him out, a Voice Double says that he's leaving to work on a case that popped back up.

In case you didn't get it, they literally PLAY THE HALLOWEEN THEME and a Body Double walks away from the Phone.

Note the Poster visible on the left side of the (non-fatal) Frame.

Back in the Plot, our Hero tries to solve the case, using the only clue they have- the Killer's silhouette caught in one video.

Sidenote: The Killer's Silhouette is a great name for a Mystery Film!

Can he go full Blow Out (Google it) and solve the case.

From here to the wrap up is SPOILERS, so skip if you want.

Ready?

*

*

*

He's confronted in the Studio by Stella and then...the previous Italian Victims (which includes Linea Quigley).

Huh?!?

Well, all of the Italian killings were fake- staged by the ladies and the Father of our Hero's dead Wife.

They knew that he was guilty (as they were all related to or dating the victims) and did ALL OF THIS to get him to confess.

I...I can't even be mad at a Plot Twist this ridiculous and silly!

The End.

A Film that is quite literally Style over Substance.

The Film is about a Music Video Director and is also shot with all of the bells and whistles.

It sure helps to distract from how generic the Plot, Setting and Killer are.

A masked killer who taunts Police with voice recordings- how innovative.

All of the Camera Tricks- Zooms, Tilts and Crane Shots- can only do so much.

The Film sure did appear to be cursed too, as the delay meant that Pleasence couldn't finish it.  He wasn't alone, as another Actor- Rossano Brazzi (of Final Justice fame)- died in 1994 during the pause!

Throw in the fact that the 'Inspector' (from The Beyond) died in 1997 and, well, yikes!

Is the Film notable outside of its weird historical notoriety?  Not so much.

I don't regret watching this insane and silly Film, even if it did drag quite a bit to get to 2 hours.  

Was this a better send-off for Pleasence than just dying immediately off-screen in Halloween 6?

You decide!

Next up, another Film that I only own digitally (and 100% legally).  Is this infamous 1960s Sci-Fi Film as dumb as promised?  Stay tuned...

Rare Flix: The Fantastic Four (1994)

 The most famous Film that was never released (that isn't Batgirl, Coyote vs Acme or The Day the Clown Cried).

Look- it is the most famous Film to not be released by Roger Corman!  Happy now?!?

This is 1994's The Fantastic Four, a Film Produced by Roger Corman in an attempt to stall and keep the Film Rights.

There was no follow up Film though, leaving this one a seemingly-lot oddity until the Internet had its turn.

This one follows the tale pretty strictly, but does a few odd tweaks here and there.

How does it compare to the Tim Story Films, Fant4stic or the new one?

To find out, read on...

In the year whenever this is set, Reed and Victor are College Students...I think.

They could be Masters Students, to be fair.
Both Actors are in their 30s though.    

They work on a secret experiment to tap into some cosmic energy that is apparently just chilling by the Earth.

Reed says that the machine is dangerous, but Victor proceeds anyways and gets zapped.

We also see Reed and Ben (who share a Class) visit the latter's Boarding House, which apparently also houses a (possibly) teenaged Sue and Johnny Storm.

The former falls for Reed, which is definitely not creepy.
Right, John Byrne?

10 years later, the cosmic energy is apparently back and now our Lead is possibly/hopefully playing his real age.

He meets a now-legal Sue and...aw, why not just start with this part?!?

Their plan to fly up and collect the energy safely involves a special shielding technology.

Said technology is powered by this...crystal lamp, I guess?

Anyhow, Dr. Doom is spying on Reed and sees The Jeweler (and not the Mole Man!) switch it with a fake.

This causes the ship to explode and the group is bombarded by cosmic rays.

The ship explodes!

They somehow land on Earth safely (!!!), but are changed.

Oddly, Ben transforms a good 12 hours or so later...because reasons.

They are being studied by the Military (just like Fant4stic)...or so they think.

It is actually Dr. Doom!

Our Heroes learn to use their powers, but Ben is still down on himself.

He accidentally meets the Jeweler after he *just happens* to kidnap Ben's possible love interest.
What are the odds of that?!?

She's re-kidnapped by Doom, which rallies the team together.

The group show up, get immediately captured, but later break free.

They fight off Doom's goons, but the guy activates his MacGuffin Death Laser (powered by the same crystal from earlier).

Johnny flies in and saves the day...somehow, by shooting flames at a cosmic laser.

Doom escapes for the Sequel that Corman never planned to make.  The End.

This Film sure feels half baked, but is full of heart.

I, like many people, watch Doomed many years ago and learned all about this.

Everyone who worked on it was really trying.

The Film was perhaps going to look better in the F/X Department if it was *actually* made to be released.  The CGI is just not that good here.

I was a big fan of the practical Thing look though.

For better or worse, this one is a product of its time.  It is based on the looks, aesthetic and vibes of the Old School Comics.  

Those were popular with Marvel at the time- see Season 1 of the Cartoon. 

This does give the Film a real charm, as long as you are in the mood.

As far as unreleased Films, this one is fine and kind of fun...even if they briefly turned Dr. Doom into Wolverine...

Snikt.

A Film whose reputation proceeds it quite well.  That said, it is an early attempt at what we got in 2005.

Rare Flix: Special Bulletin (1983)

 Sometimes going down a rabbit hole leads to something really great!

Well, looking at the Wiki Page on Found Footage Films (after watching the Documentary on the Subgenre), I found this Film...that I'd never heard of.

This is Special Bulletin, a 1983 TV Movie.  Why would I want to cover this, you ask?

I can't be too hard on myself- the Film has only gotten a single VHS and (Warner Archive) DVD release in the last 42 years!  That is in spite of winning multiple Awards, including an Emmy!

This TV Movie is an early example of a Found Footage Film, representing the entire course of events as a live news broadcast that you are watching on your local TV affiliate.

The Film looks and feels so real that it was required to have a warning (see later down) at the beginning of every return from Commercial Break.

Oh yeah, it was also Directed by Edward Zwick, a man who did Legends of the Fall, Glory and The Last Samurai!

How did a TV Movie traumatize so many people?  Let's find out...

Get used to this Graphic.

You'll see it many times if you watch the proper version.
The VHS Version cut them out apparently!

A Reporter named Steve Levitt is out shooting his Intro for a piece on a Dock Worker's Strike.

While he's there, some people shoot at the Coast Guard and he's taken hostage by them.

The men demand a live feed and use Steve to get their message across.

They demand that the US Government disarm their nukes.

They say that they have a bomb on board.

Do people believe them?

Throughout this, we hear from the Newscasters and also cut to Reporters covering events and getting interviews.

Notably, we get Lane Smith, the future Perry White from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

He talks about how the Government is really wary of complying with their demands, especially with a 24-hour window to do it in!

Tensions rise as the time passes.

The 'bad guys' are a bit sad when they learn that one of the Coast Guard guys dies.

It comes to a head when one of the leaders- David Rasche (the future Sledge Hammer!)- tries to lecture our Anchor in real time.

It feels so real.

They also get really agitated as nobody seems to believe them.

Throughout this, we get Vignettes explaining their backstories, told in News Segments.

We see an earlier moment when the erratic member shoots at a News Copter.

All signs point to the Government not acquiescing to what the so-called Terrorists.

The time is starting to run out...

To find out what happens, stream this Film now.

A Film that still feels very real and visceral, even all of these Decades later.

Like Ghostwatch, it would be hard to properly match the feeling of turning on the TV and seeing this with no warning.

If you want the full experience, run YouTube on a CRT Monitor or an older TV.  It will be a seamless blend.

The actual Plot is really good too, as you learn more about the 'villains' and other people in an organic way.  News Segments explaining them really work to sell this.

Bulletin is full of lots of little touches, like people talking over each other when doing so over a live feed, people being interrupted as someone comes out to speak and more.

The only times it doesn't work is when they have to put someone in 'Washington D.C.,' so they use a blue/green screen.  There's a later effect- which I won't SPOIL the context of- that also doesn't look great.

It was Made for TV in 1983, so be fair to it.

Special Bulletin is a real hidden gem, not helped by the fact that the DVD rights apparently are muddy, so we don't get this in 4K (or 2.5K, maybe) or Streaming on a big platform.

It also features a Cameo that was going to be a lot more fun a couple of weeks ago...

Next up, let me switch up my old plans a bit to be more topical.  How does this James Gunn Film hold up on a second opinion years later?  Stay tuned...