Vultural

Fager, Anders - Swedish Cults

Nordic horror, Swedish horror, not necessarily based on any HPL Mythos. Fager has his own voice and is not a follower.

The opener, “The Furies From Borås” is full throttle sex, drugs and blood. An overdose of all three, swirling around the riot grrrls, barely of age, yet keepers from time immemorial of the forest entity.

Zami and Janoch are tasked with bringing the oldest relative to the new home. From Romania to Sweden. By van. Neither has driven before, neither can read maps. Both are outsiders to what he perceive as “our world”. “Grandma’s Journey” is the long trip between.

For those who view sex as a spectator sport “Miss Witt’s Great Work” will entice. Miss Witt is a porn star de jour. As with the overwhelming majority of film luminaries and popular musicians, fame is but a fleeting passage. Ours is the era of temporary celebrities. For Miss Witt, who has enacted and reproduced all manner of genital monstrosities, how can she maintain, let along top herself? For voyeurs everywhere, who prefer to watch.

Scattered between stores are tantalizing fragments, unfinished stories of promise.

The Last Wave - 1977 - 7/10

Australian attorney is assigned to defend five Aborigine men of a tribal killing.
The murder resembles a ritual, but the men stay locked in silence.
Another character in the film is the rain, all but relentless in this.
The lawyer, who actually specializes in corporate law, is out of his depth yet earnest.
So much so, he starts digging into the culture – which seems groundbreaking for 1977.
Then the dreams start.
Slow, moody film, carries a brooding undercurrent throughout.
There is an unnerving quality about this; a persistence of fogged memory.

Quest For Fire - 1981 - 7/10

They have lost their village. Worse, during the exodus, the fire has gone out.
Thus three men (cavemen) are sent to find fire, whether it grows from a shrub or comes in a rock.
Truly, they have no understanding of fire, save that survival depends on it.
Almost wordless film plays out across barren landscapes.
A chance encounter with a more advanced tribe offers gifts and experiences.
This is one that ought to be viewed on as large a screen as possible.

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley On The Mystery Queen - 2022 - 7/10

Fine attempt to pinpoint Christie, who seems an elusive figure behind the facade.
Three part documentary is about the individual, not necessarily her output.
Privileged childhood, before Father squandered all the money.
Great War service, early writing (the Mary Westmacott novels are the most revealing).
Marple, Poirot, the still unexplained disappearance.
Numerous old photographs enhance the proceedings, and Ms Worsley offers some of her own theories.
All in all, essential for Christie buffs, although best taken with a grain of salt.

The Beast Must Die - 1952 - 7/10
AKA - La Bestia Debe Morir

Beast being the repulsive Jorge Rattery, who dies in the opening sequence.
Roundly hated by all, he beats his wife, smacks her son around, repeatedly tries to rape his sister-in-law, cheats his business partner, as well as sleeps with the partner’s wife, AND tells the wife she is looking old.
Then there is Felix, visiting crime novelist, whose diary reveals he intended to murder Jorge!
Yes, an overload of suspects.
Argentinean Noir suffers from opening histrionics, melodramatic acting, but settles following the death.
Mind you, most of the females remain fiery and explosive.
Nonetheless, this is Felix’s story all the way.
A bitter, sad, soil-boil of revenge.
Pristine restoration by Film Noir Foundation. Remade as Que la Bete Meure (1969).

An English Haunting - 2020 - 5/10

Grandpa Aubrey rattles on his deathbed, the nurse ran off, so his daughter and grandson arrive.
Daughter Margot cannot stand the man, so she drains the wine cellar.
Grandson Blake is a bookish type, aware that there is “something going on here”.
Behold the research montage in the library / billiards room.

Despite early misgivings (clear warning, one name is writer-director-producer), this held up as decent spooky thriller.
Until the last act when it went haywire. Mind you, I was laughing out loud at how ludicrous this became.
Even M R James or Lovecraft characters possessed more spine than Blake.

The Curse Of Her Flesh - 1968 - 4/10

One might have assumed Jennings was dead after the orgy of killing that was The Touch Of Her Flesh (1967).
Not so. He even manages the ole sweat house club.
Which means the same buxom dancers, cheesecake figures, fake eyelashes packed with mascara.
Jennings asks them out, creeps them out, snuffs them out.
Unusual accessories for a romantic evening? Large gourd and a speargun, anyone?
He has a plan, however, as he waits for his wife’s seducer, Steve.
Something along the lines of a plot helps this, and final act provides action and extra weirdness.

Imaginos: Blue Öyster Cult’s Occult Rock And Roll - 2021 - 6/10

Partly, it was the butchery that the Old World inflicted on the New World.
Partly, it was Spanish lust for the shining silver and bright, bright gold, and the plundering of both.
Along with the black obsidian mirrors, whereby innocence corrupted experience.
Leading to unimaginable slaughter in Europe generations later.
Lengthy documentary on BÖC’s long gestating, deeply flawed, screwed-up-by-the-label, final album.
First twenty minutes detail Sandy Pearlman, inspiration, creative architect, poseur, Svengali, warped.
Best guess, based on writings, interviews, recollections by others.
Second twenty minutes follow the Soft White Underbelly, the Stalk Forrest Group, the enigmatic Bill Gawlick, the group climbing, peaking, faltering, shadowland.
Final hour – Hour – is all about the troubled “Imaginos”. From the Soft Doctrines to Mutant Reformation.
For diehard fans of Susie and Desdinova and the Four Winds Bar.

A slice of King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NblmKnOIL-4

Boston, Lucy - Curfew And Other Eerie Tales

Born in 1892, died in 1990, worked as a nurse in France during the Great War, wrote a popular series of children’s books, as well as assorted ghost stories.

The boys’ aunt and uncle rented the cottage, close by the crumbling manor. The aunt is mad for gardening and repurposing, and that includes an old bell from the ruin. The “Curfew” bell, as it is called, bears a sinister reputation. Does the aunt heed?

How had I missed “Pollution” over the years? This is an exemplary piece and belongs in more anthologies. This is a creepy work, not of fouled air, but tainted waters, worsened by neglect. Wrigglers that lurk in the depths, rising, however, when hungry.

Francis was recovering from appendicitis surgery in the countryside. The house was restful, the furnishings a tasteful mix of antiques. Including “The Italian Desk” … provided one did not examine the intricate carvings too closely.

The collection concludes with “The Horned Man” which is a chamber play. Normally, I dislike reading scripts: film, TV, theatre. This one was brief, and features a charismatic witch-finder who understands how to charge the treachery of testimony.

The boards for this book show a painting of Boston’s house. Inside, there is a website listed of the home where one can arrange a visitation appointment.
As always from Swan River Press, thoughtful touches.

The Zone Of Interest - 2023 - 7/10

An ideal, well-manicured backyard, perfect for raising a family.
Pity the adjoining property is a noisy 24 hour factory, Auschwitz.
A nearby stream is contaminated with ashes, dust, other objects from time to time.
And the fresh country air? Well, it’s not so good is you are asthmatic.
Nonetheless, Commandant Höss and his large family enjoy the posting.
The tone draws heavily from Hannah Ardent’s concept of the banality of evil.
From individuals to mobs, most are mere “joiners”; willfully blind or clueless functionaries.
Chilling film that pairs well with Son Of Saul (2015).

Duel - 1971 - 7/10

Grindhouse distillation, par excellence.
Businessman, taking the cut through the backwoods highway, annoys - irritates - disrespects the wrong character.
A 1955 Peterbilt, battered, scarred, swathed in diesel and dust.
The businessman, a nervous, high strung Nellie, swiftly realizes that Peterbilt means to murder his punky Plymouth Valiant, with him inside!
Barely any dialogue, just cat and mouse, murderous chase sequences.
A fantastic scene occurs when the Peterbilt thunders side by side with a freight train
Horns blaring, two primeval beasts roar recognition.

The Assassin - 1993 - 6/10
AKA - Sha ren zhe Tang Zhan // 刺客新傳之殺人者唐斬

Bao Jia is caught, trying to escape with his betrothed / girlfriend.
He is sentenced to an infamous prison where his eyes are stitched shut and the torture begins.
From here on, the film grows ever more brutal and darker, splashing blood and nudity.
Lesser known Hong Kong actioner boasts swordplay in spades.
Much of the look mirrors The Bride With White Hair and prefigures Blade.
With so much fighting, the narrative – if you can call it that – barely hangs together.
Doesn’t help that the subtitles are old school Hong Kong, nonsensical English.

The Green Marker Scare - 2012 - 6/10

Teenage, private-eye Noreen helps her detective dad.
Until the car accident. On his deathbed, he tells her his was no accident, but murder.
Whereupon she starts her own investigation.

Should you stick with this, the story tightens into an ugly, uncomfortable tale of murder, abuse, coverups.
Noreen and partner Cian are soon over their head, against agencies they do not comprehend.
Akin to Nancy Drew in a real world Hell.

Animators were ages 9-10-11, and never given a shooting script, thus unaware of the sinister, very adult narrative.
The crude, dayglow animation may put some off, yet the story of mystery and horror will haunt you for awhile.

The Intruder - 1975 - 4/10

Cheap (very cheap) looking variation on “And Then There Were None”.
A boatload of passengers arrives on a remote isle off Nassau.
Most are related to a deceased relative who supposedly left behind a hidden stash of gold bullion.
Once the yacht departs, once visitors start wondering about their situation – the dying starts.
Inept script. “Say, it’s a lovely night for a moonlight walk.” “Sure.” Next instant, lightning and lashing rain.
Or - when half the party are dead, everyone outdoors chasing, one female decides to take a bubble bath.
Conversations packed with pregnant pauses and reaction shots.
Within fifteen minutes, I knew who the killer was!
Three “name” actors in this, two snuffed early on, the third is a no-show until late.

The Pedlar Man - 2023 - 6/10

Seaside yarn.
The stranger arrives at the busy quay, bustling with tourists and locals.
Masks he has to sell, and the crowds, giddy with delight, buy and wear.
Recommended by friends of Machen, this unsettling short smacks of Aickman or Ligotti.
I wonder if the creators were aware of Thomas Tessier’s Father Panic’s Opera Macabre.
English subtitles = https://www.mediafire.com/file/rj4xujncfr1qtsz/ThePedlar-2023.srt/file

Paris Police 1905 - 2022 - 6/10

Five years have passed since Paris Police 1900, yet the brutality of the 15th century endures.
Where the first outing wrestled with huge issues, the Dreyfus Affair, street riots, attempts to undermine stability, this focuses on bodily functions.
Prostitution, sodomy, syphilis, perverts, inverts, quack cures, who does what to who, and who photographs the deeds.
The themes are simply not as compelling.
Chances are, this would have carried more weight 40 years ago – and it never would have been made.
Acting and direction are stellar, lavish sets, gloomy cinematography, stark tone.

Various (Editor: Jones, Stephen) - Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth

I usually avoid the Cthulhu Mythos, endless sidespins and attempts, even though HPL approved them.
This one is different, however, as the entries revolve around one story.
In addition, Mr. Jones, a superb editor, is a very known quantity.

First surprise, a discarded draft of “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” which Lovecraft was wrestling with and receiving feedback from his circle. Not essential, yet interesting.

“Brackish Waters”, set while World War II rages, reveals that a branch of the Order of Dagon had been established in California.

Usually, it takes one to know one. In “Take Me To The River” only a handful, a few chosen, are extended the invitation. Amateur musician, owner of a used bookshop is not one, although his friend, a madcap fool, draws the card. Invitees head to the cloudy waters of Bristol.

Brian Lumley’s “The Taint” covers Polynesian tales, grotesque jewelry, and a suicide. The seaside hamlet, a shambling outsider, and slow reveal. Fans of the Mythos are aware of Lumley;s ability.

My favorite had to be Kim Newman’s “Another Fish Story”. Mojave Desert, late 1960’s, Charlie country, Charlie being Manson. Enter Leech, recognized as Randall Flagg, Lucifer, Nyarlathotep, the whisperer of lies. Charlie wants to launch Helter Skelter. Leech prophesies a darker future:

“His favorite apocalypse was a tide of McLitter, a thousand channels of television noise, a complete scrambling of politics and entertainment, proud-to-be-a-breadhead buttons, bright packaging around tasteless and nutrition-free product, audio-video media devoid of anything approaching meaning, bellies swelling and IQs atrophying…”

Such are the nightmares of Mr. Newman. Humanity would never embrace this future.

I’m leaving out Hugh Cave, Steve Tem, Caitlín Kiernan. Sorry!

Fedogan & Bremer still stocks this, still stocks copies signed by Stephen Jones, modestly priced.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls - 2003 - 7/10

(I have not read Biskind’s controversial book upon which this is based.)
By the mid-1960’s, Hollywood was finished, going broke, audiences watching TV.
Who comes to the rescue? All the young kids with zest, fresh ideas, and stories for younger audiences.
Coppola, Scorsese, Speilberg, Lucas, Polanski, Friedkin, Bogdanovich, etc …
This makes for an absorbing view, especially for buffs who should KNOW most of the films and interviewees.
That said, the premise that Hollywood was a shuttered graveyard is wholly erroneous.
Studio outings included: Bullitt, Cool Hand Luke, Dirty Dozen, Funny Girl, Butch Cassidy, Planet Apes, ……
An alternative documentary covering similar territory would be A Decade Under The Influence, also from 2003 with many of the same participants, although that is equally biased.

Message In A Bottle - 2023 - 6/10

War explodes into the peaceful, happy community.
Family and neighbors decide to make the watery voyage to a new country.
Theatre story is all dance, set to the music of Sting.
My bride, one-time dancer, still aficionado, voiced her criticisms.
Dancers were great, choreography uninspired.
Ballet exercises mixed with break-dancing. Not telling a story, merely jumping about the stage.
Me? Music was poorly presented. Compressed mono.
Moreover, half the tunes hailed from Sting’s old group (who went unmentioned).

Boys From County Hell - 2020 - 6/10

“I was thinking we could route the bypass a wee bit and avoid those stones.”
“Local bullshite. There ain’t no 300 year old vampire under that cairn. You knock it down!”
And thus the ancient cairn is knocked down, and soon blood flows in the village lanes.
Witty comedy mixes alcohol and plasma, jokes and stakes.
Well traveled tale, yet the lads are a game bunch, if inept.
Friends, followers and foes of Abhartach, join Bram and refill your glasses with this one.

Lady From Chungking - 1942 - 6/10

Anna Me Wong leads the resistance in a small village, occupied by Japanese forces.
The Chinese are hiding weapons and biding their time.
Japanese general Kaimura, known as the Butcher, is arriving, which signals an offensive.
Meanwhile, two Flying Tiger pilots have crashed, one is captured, one rescued.
Fast moving chest-beater, laden with jingoistic propaganda.
Still, one watches for Anna Mae in a rare starring role, and she is terrific.

Turkish Star Trek - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Turist Ömer Uzay Yolunda

Alright, Trek-heads! Check this one.
The Enterprise orbits planet M-113 where Professor Crater and his wife are the only dwellers.
Aside from desperately needed salt, they want to be left alone.
Complications follow when one of the landing party is killed, body drained of salt.
Finding a patsy, Professor Crater teleports Ömer away from a forced marriage, light years distant.
The whole Trek stuff is completely faithful to “The Man Trap” episode.
As for Ömer, he is a fast-talking buffoon, out of place, clueless, yet surprisingly quick to grasp.
He excels in annoying Mr Spak to distraction.
There is a lot to enjoy in this insane spoof, which abounds in other references.
Uncredited, but listen for “Echoes” by Pink Floyd.

Idle Wives - 1916 - 6/10

Ah, domestic bliss. Arguments and tantrums round the kitchen table.
Elsewhere, a husband dallies with an old flame, his suspicious wife spying from nearby.
While a young girl, defying her mother, goes out walking with a man of bad reputation.
By chance, all enter the movie palace to view “Life’s Mirror”.
Where they see on the silver screen, characters eerily enacting their own situations.
Morality film, brushed with melodrama, once feared lost, until two reels surfaced a few years ago.

Paris Was A Woman - 1996 - 6/10

Following the Great War, numerous Americans flocked to Paris.
The Twenties roared, the dollar was strong, and the Depression years away.
Among them, women, creative types, completely stifled in the heartland.
Writers, poets, painters, journalists, publishers, photographers.
Less recognized than the men of the Lost Generation because they were female.
Brief documentary highlights the leading lights, although the audio is often garbled.
Companion to the book of the same name, which is highly recommended.

Good People - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Des Gens Bien

Their car skids off the road, hurtles downhill, explodes into flames.
Tom escapes, while Linda is burned beyond recognition. And they had been very much in love.
What the hey, she had been insured to the max, which will come in handy for Tom.
Debt, huge debt, embarrassing obligations.
Almost everyone buys his version of events. Almost.
Tom can barely keep his lies straight, his anxiety is soaring, while the sexual blackmail is best left unmentioned.
Extremely funny murder series lacks complete closure (producers gambled for a S02 and lost), yet any viewer with a passable IQ should be able to stitch this up.