I'm kinda on a roll with this Thursday Movie Picks stuff. And now, we're coming into my wheelhouse. It's October. That means 31 Days of Horror is starting up here on the blog. I know, I know, last year was a disaster. I'll do better this year. I just can't promise all 31 days...yet.
Anyhoo, this week's topic, chosen by the leader of this undead mob, Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, is horror movie houses. I think I can handle this.
Lots of horror movies play with the idea of a house being somehow alive. Monster House goes the extra mile. This house really is alive. It quite literally seems to be eating neighborhood kids. Of course, this fascinates 12 year old D.J., who lives across the street. Him and his friends spend the movie trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.
In this underrated flick, the house isn't so much alive as it is harboring the past. In that sense, it's not haunted like most horror houses, yet it feels exactly like it is. What separates this from your run of the mill haunted house movie is the reason behind it all.
This is one of the most unique haunted house movies of all-time. It's told from the point of view of the ghost, which has been done before. The twist is that we're with this ghost throughout the history of the house. Families come and go and the house goes through changes. In the end, we get a melancholy love story.
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I haven't seen any of these though I've heard of the first two. Neither really appealed to me though. A Ghost Story however sound like something that I might find interesting. I'll have to track it down.
ReplyDeleteI went with one classic of the genre, a strange but enjoyable pastiche of music and frights and a mindbendingly strange silent.
The Haunting (1963)-Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) is doing research into psychic phenomena. In the service of that study he invites two women-lonely, eccentric Eleanor (Julie Harris) who has experienced supernatural events previously and brash Theodora (Claire Bloom) who is gifted with ESP. On arrival they are joined by the mansion's heir, cynical Luke (Russ Tamblyn) and are immediately overwhelmed by strange sounds and events. Soon Eleanor comes to believe the house is alive and speaking directly to her. Loaded with atmosphere and extremely well-acted.
You’ll Find Out (1940)-Debutante Janis Bellacrest (Helen Parrish) books Kay Kyser and his big band, the Kollege of Musical Knowledge including singer Ginny Simms and cornet playing sidekick Ish Kabibble to play at her 21st birthday party at a remote spooky mansion. Between performances, Kay finds Janis’s guests-quirky Aunt Margo (Alma Kruger), pretentious professor Fenniger (Peter Lorre), creepy Prince Soliano (Bela Lugosi) and irritable Judge Mainwaring (Boris Karloff) on the bizarre side and begins to suspect that Janis is in danger. When a powerful storm blows in and strands everyone overnight events both scary and wacky transpire. Goofy musical comic/thriller is the only onscreen pairing of Lorre, Karloff and Lugosi.
Seven Footprints of Satan (1929)-When mayhem breaks out at her father’s party Eve (Thelma Todd) and her fiancée Jim (Creighton Hale) jump into a limousine and think they are safely away from danger. Shortly afterwards though they find themselves at the house of “Satan” who may or may not be a criminal mastermind, a supernatural fiend, the devil himself, or some combination of all those things. As they make their way through odd rooms they encounter an imp, a dwarf, an ape-like man, a gorilla, Satan’s Mistress and “the Spider”. Finally they are tested with the Seven Footprints which could lead to fabulous wealth and freedom or servitude to Satan…and maybe Death! Originally released in both silent and partial sound versions only the silent one (long thought lost as well) survives.
Truth told, A Ghost Story is not really horror, it just happens to heavily involve a ghost.
DeleteI've only seen the remake of The Haunting, not the original. Shame, I know. I recently found it on DVD, so hopefully, I'll get to it this month. Fingers crossed. Haven't even heard of your other picks.
Okay now I'm kicking myself because didn't remember A Ghost Story and I loved that movie SO MUCH.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great movie.
DeleteI've never seen Silent House even though I meant to. I love Elizabeth Olsen. I've seen both your other picks and enjoyed them. That "oh so it's a girl house" bit in Monster House made me laugh my ass off the first time I heard it.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see what you think of Silent House. It's a bit polarizing. Monster House is so underrated.
DeleteI've seen Monster House, I thought it was a pretty good film. Plus, having Maggie Gyllenhaal as a heavy metal-loving babysitter is just cool.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it is. I'm a big fan of Monster House.
DeleteI've seen Monster House and I really loved the design of the house itself! They really did a great job at making the house look so creepy! Great list!
ReplyDeleteThanks! That house was amazing.
DeleteI haven’t seen any of these. I think, if I lived across a house that looks like that picture, I would be moving. Silent House sounds interesting and I do want to see the last film because I heard really good things about it.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't start off looking like that, lol. A Ghost Story is very good, and is far more drama than horror.
DeleteI've seen and enjoyed your first and third picks. Monster House is surprisingly scary for a kids' animated movie.
ReplyDeleteIt is! I had no idea how tense it was when I watched it with my kids back in the day. There were some elevated heart rates that night.
DeleteI hated A Ghost Story. Actually, hate doesn't even come close to describe how I felt about that film.
ReplyDeleteA Ghost Story is the only one I haven't seen and one I want to since I've seen pretty good reviews.
ReplyDelete