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Post by Swampirella on Apr 3, 2021 13:31:45 GMT
The Kolchak movies/series were/was way ahead of it's time; I loved them then & love them now....
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Post by andydecker on Apr 3, 2021 18:57:08 GMT
The Kolchak movies/series were/was way ahead of it's time; I loved them then & love them now.... I have seen them long ago, but they are indeed unforgettable. Kolchak with his straw hat and his big tape recorder, always running :-)
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Post by ripper on Apr 4, 2021 17:45:04 GMT
Kolchack was such a great character. I loved the interaction between him and his editor, Tony Vincenzo, that would end inevitably with Carl being thrown out of Vincenzo's office. The Norliss Tapes had a similar premise, and was intended to become a series, but it didn't happen.
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Post by Michael Connolly on Apr 7, 2021 10:37:11 GMT
Worth a watch is Witchcraft (1964) a British horror film directed by Don Sharp. Starring Lon Chaney jr and Jack Hedley (the only actors in it that I already knew), it is about the return of a 17th century witch named Vanessa Whitlock whose grave has been churned over by a bulldozer. I don't want to give anything away but to say that it is very effectively made. This is Vanessa on the right behind one of her victims. As Vanessa is over 300 years old you can't expect her to know how to drive. Instead she settles for being the backseat driver from hell.
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Post by helrunar on Apr 7, 2021 12:36:52 GMT
Witchcraft is a marvelous little gem. Shot by genius director Don Sharp in just thirteen days ("the hour of thirteen!"). Here's an excerpt from a review I wrote of the movie:
The cult sequences are exceptionally atmospheric in Witchcraft. I was particularly struck by the design chosen for the Whitlock family altar. It is positioned before a wall upon which is mounted a fanged animal skull. The skull seems to be intended to be the head of a being represented by what may have been a cow-hide, stretched out with hooves outspread, and nailed to the wall. This deity was most likely meant to represent the ancient Horned God of the Witches as described in the works of Margaret Murray (now widely discredited amongst scholars of Witchcraft, but her writing certainly does make for some vividly evocative reading.)
On the altar itself, a human skull and hourglass brood on the lefthand side, with a thurible on the righthand side. Flanked by a pair of heavy black tapers, in the center of the shrine, is a tall, pentagonal monstrance bearing a crystalline sphere which may have been intended to be a scrying glass. This mostly likely functioned as an aniconic representation of the Mother of the Land—called by some the Black Goddess. The Altar is the meeting-point of the realms of Time, Fate, and Death. It is a remarkable image, and unquestionably stands out amidst the clutter of vaguely Satanist bric-a-brac we’re used to seeing in other Witchcraft-themed films of the Sixties and Seventies. The Whitlock family altar, and the shadowy, catacombed crypt in which it is situated, lend an element of what is now called "folk horror” to the proceedings. The imagery strikes a genuine note of the ancient and uncanny.
H.
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Post by Michael Connolly on Apr 8, 2021 12:47:49 GMT
Witchcraft is a marvelous little gem. Shot by genius director Don Sharp in just thirteen days ("the hour of thirteen!"). Here's an excerpt from a review I wrote of the movie: The cult sequences are exceptionally atmospheric in Witchcraft. I was particularly struck by the design chosen for the Whitlock family altar. It is positioned before a wall upon which is mounted a fanged animal skull. The skull seems to be intended to be the head of a being represented by what may have been a cow-hide, stretched out with hooves outspread, and nailed to the wall. This deity was most likely meant to represent the ancient Horned God of the Witches as described in the works of Margaret Murray (now widely discredited amongst scholars of Witchcraft, but her writing certainly does make for some vividly evocative reading.) On the altar itself, a human skull and hourglass brood on the lefthand side, with a thurible on the righthand side. Flanked by a pair of heavy black tapers, in the center of the shrine, is a tall, pentagonal monstrance bearing a crystalline sphere which may have been intended to be a scrying glass. This mostly likely functioned as an aniconic representation of the Mother of the Land—called by some the Black Goddess. The Altar is the meeting-point of the realms of Time, Fate, and Death. It is a remarkable image, and unquestionably stands out amidst the clutter of vaguely Satanist bric-a-brac we’re used to seeing in other Witchcraft-themed films of the Sixties and Seventies. The Whitlock family altar, and the shadowy, catacombed crypt in which it is situated, lend an element of what is now called "folk horror” to the proceedings. The imagery strikes a genuine note of the ancient and uncanny. H. I've only watched it once.
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Apr 9, 2021 2:00:28 GMT
I watched the rest and was amused that every major beat was exactly as I expected. I won't spoil it. Of course I am not the target audience. But I wondered what it is supposed to be. Frankly I often was baffled about the massive tonal contrasts. The horror elements were at times very strong and would have merited IMHO not that long ago an R rating, if it had been a movie. This is pretty adult stuff. The character arcs were pretty basic and simple, which is definitely for the younger. It lacks balance. On the other hand the story arc is well handled, maybe better as in other series. We wrapped up The Irregulars tonight. Though some Holmes purists might be outraged by the liberties the series takes with Doyle's characters, I thought it was all good fun. The story is predictable--my 12-year-old anticipated most of the major twists--but at least it's not slow. I was struck by the tonal contrasts, too. Still, this seems to be fairly standard for horror-tinged Netflix shows--you could say the same of Stranger Things and Locke & Key (I made it halfway through the latter and may start back up on it soon). From what I've read, a second season is in the works.
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Post by Michael Connolly on Apr 9, 2021 11:07:32 GMT
Witchcraft is a marvelous little gem. Shot by genius director Don Sharp in just thirteen days ("the hour of thirteen!"). Here's an excerpt from a review I wrote of the movie: The cult sequences are exceptionally atmospheric in Witchcraft. I was particularly struck by the design chosen for the Whitlock family altar. It is positioned before a wall upon which is mounted a fanged animal skull. The skull seems to be intended to be the head of a being represented by what may have been a cow-hide, stretched out with hooves outspread, and nailed to the wall. This deity was most likely meant to represent the ancient Horned God of the Witches as described in the works of Margaret Murray (now widely discredited amongst scholars of Witchcraft, but her writing certainly does make for some vividly evocative reading.) On the altar itself, a human skull and hourglass brood on the lefthand side, with a thurible on the righthand side. Flanked by a pair of heavy black tapers, in the center of the shrine, is a tall, pentagonal monstrance bearing a crystalline sphere which may have been intended to be a scrying glass. This mostly likely functioned as an aniconic representation of the Mother of the Land—called by some the Black Goddess. The Altar is the meeting-point of the realms of Time, Fate, and Death. It is a remarkable image, and unquestionably stands out amidst the clutter of vaguely Satanist bric-a-brac we’re used to seeing in other Witchcraft-themed films of the Sixties and Seventies. The Whitlock family altar, and the shadowy, catacombed crypt in which it is situated, lend an element of what is now called "folk horror” to the proceedings. The imagery strikes a genuine note of the ancient and uncanny. H. I've only watched it once. Here is Dana Andrews meeting the 93 years old Margaret Murray who advised him on Night of the Demon: www.alamy.com/oct-10-1956-dana-andrews-arrives-in-london-to-make-a-film-hollywood-image69300946.htmlApparently he had to marry her three months later. As for Witchcraft, the resurrection of the witch and her various doings (all very well directed by Don Sharp) reminded me about "The Tomb of Sarah". That, and the inscription on the circle on her tombstone to keep her in (I think), and the toad that comes into the house to sit on the flagstone in the fireplace with the same inscription, are all very antiquarian.
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Post by helrunar on Apr 9, 2021 13:30:09 GMT
That's a fantastic photo find, Michael. Great to see. The only part of Night of the Demon that echoes Margaret Murray's work is the scene where the Andrews character visits the farmhouse and meets the family who are members of the cult. I personally think that's one of the best scenes in the movie, but I read somewhere that it was deleted in this one cut of the film.
Thanks! H.
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Post by andydecker on Apr 9, 2021 14:03:24 GMT
That's a fantastic photo find, Michael. Great to see. The only part of Night of the Demon that echoes Margaret Murray's work is the scene where the Andrews character visits the farmhouse and meets the family who are members of the cult. I personally think that's one of the best scenes in the movie, but I read somewhere that it was deleted in this one cut of the film. Thanks! H. This is true. I only saw it years later in a DVD edition, and it is a pity they cut it.
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Post by bluetomb on Apr 9, 2021 15:01:14 GMT
That's a fantastic photo find, Michael. Great to see. The only part of Night of the Demon that echoes Margaret Murray's work is the scene where the Andrews character visits the farmhouse and meets the family who are members of the cult. I personally think that's one of the best scenes in the movie, but I read somewhere that it was deleted in this one cut of the film. Thanks! H. Perhaps the Curse of the Demon cut? Personally the only thing I would have snipped is the early exposure of the monster.
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Post by Dr Strange on Apr 9, 2021 17:47:01 GMT
I don't think Murray really had very much to do with the film, it was just a canny bit of hype to say that she was a "consultant" on it. Either way, I doubt she would have had much advice to give Andrews, as all he had to do was say the lines that were given to him. And try to stay sober.
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Post by andydecker on Apr 9, 2021 21:04:59 GMT
That's a fantastic photo find, Michael. Great to see. The only part of Night of the Demon that echoes Margaret Murray's work is the scene where the Andrews character visits the farmhouse and meets the family who are members of the cult. I personally think that's one of the best scenes in the movie, but I read somewhere that it was deleted in this one cut of the film. Thanks! H. Perhaps the Curse of the Demon cut? Personally the only thing I would have snipped is the early exposure of the monster. You are not alone in this. I like the sound effects, but the monster is so dumb. (Of course I shudder to think what modern CGI would make of it in a remake.)
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Post by Dr Strange on Apr 9, 2021 22:19:21 GMT
There have been a couple of rumours about remakes/re-imaginings - There was an announcement in 2013 that Joe Dante was working on a version where Karswell is a "self-help guru", and Dunning is a "celebrity gossip blogger" investigating the death of an actor who got involved with Karswell's cult. At the time, Simon Pegg was even named as having been cast to play Dunning - www.imdb.com/name/nm1365537/news And before that (2009), there was a story that Kenneth Branagh was planning some sort of remake - www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/712927-branagh-has-his-eye-on-night-of-the-demon
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Post by helrunar on Apr 9, 2021 23:17:19 GMT
Thank the gods none of those came to pass, Dr Strange. The more recent one sounds particularly dreadful. I did think this updated radio adaptation was effective: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cagv-D9qwXMTitle is The Hex. H.
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