A scary thing happened on the way to the Movie Forums - Horrorcrammers

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Mill of the Stone Women, 1960

Hans (Pierre Brice) arrives in a small town to write an article on a renowned sculptor named Wahl (Herbet Bohme), who owns a mill occupied with sculptures of famous historical deaths of women. But things begin to go awry when Hans meets and falls for Wahl's beautiful daughter, Elfie (Scilla Gabel).

Wow, this was great!

It must be said that in terms of the horror content itself, this one has a lot in common with two other, well-regarded horror movies. But the delivery and staging of that content is so well done that it doesn't matter that it retreads familiar ground. (And to be very fair, one film I would compare it to was actually released in the same year).

The look and staging of the film is easily the strongest aspect of it. The mill itself really is an excellent setting. When unlocked, the mill turns and a parade of women in torment---being burned at the stake, being beheaded---circulate through the mill on a metal track to music. In the different rooms, half-formed figures sit on pedestals, lay discarded, or jut out from the walls at strange angles. Mixed in with the sculpted figures are other elements, like large crosses or swords. It's a setting rich in atmosphere, and the film makes the most of its different rooms.

I also liked the story, and particularly the way that the romance between Hans and Elfie progresses. I enjoyed the revelation that
WARNING: spoilers below
Elfie is in on what her father is doing to save her, and not just aware of it, but into it.
. Their relationship takes a few turns that I did not expect, and slightly subverts the usual "male hero rescuing damsel from controlling father" formula. I was also totally over-the-moon for the sequence in the middle of the film where Hans
WARNING: spoilers below
believes that he has killed Elfie, and in a ghostly vision carries her upstairs to her bed
.

Lastly, I liked the triangle of treachery between
WARNING: spoilers below
Wahl, Elfie, and the professor (Wolfgang Preiss) who assists with their murderous resurrections. They each had their own priorities, and I liked seeing how they would align one moment and then turn on each other the next. None of them really had much remorse over what they were doing, and I thought they were a great villainous trio.
.

I thought that this was a spooky and atmospheric little film. Some of the shot compositions were really lovely, as well.






I also want to add that a sequence of blood transfusion in Mill of the Stone Women made me feel some things! This past Wednesday I went to give blood and I had been teaching my students at an Outdoor School (literally where you walk them up a mountain and spend the whole day hiking and teaching). So I was dehydrated (when you're an adult supervising 24 children ON A MOUNTAIN it's hard to get away for a bathroom break, y'know?).

Anyway, everything was good (heart rate, blood pressure, blood levels) but then I wasn't bleeding fast enough and there was all this moving the needle around and messing with the tubing and it was incredibly painful and despite all that I still TIMED OUT. There are ~470mL of blood in a pint and I was only able to give 440 before the timer went. (To add insult to injury, I believe they just dispose of the blood if it's not a full bag. I wanted to be like "Then can you put it back in?!?!").

So when in the movie they were like "See, blood pumps in and blood pumps out!" and it only took about a minute I was like LIES!!!! THIS MOVIE IS TELLING LIES!!!



How do we feel about Silver Bullet?

Phantom Planet?

They both got added to streaming services and I'm trying to decide if they should be on my watchlist.



How do we feel about Silver Bullet?

Phantom Planet?

They both got added to streaming services and I'm trying to decide if they should be on my watchlist.
Phantom Planet is....entertaining, let's call it.



I didn't care for Silver Bullet but couldn't tell you why if asked. It's been a few years.
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And thanks for the heads-up that Mill of the Stone Women is streaming. It was one of my first Netflix rentals back in 2005. I liked it a lot but haven't seen it since. The newly-released Arrow BluRay is crazy expensive, so I'll just watch it on Shudder and wait for a sale.



And thanks for the heads-up that Mill of the Stone Women is streaming. It was one of my first Netflix rentals back in 2005. I liked it a lot but haven't seen it since. The newly-released Arrow BluRay is crazy expensive, so I'll just watch it on Shudder and wait for a sale.
I thought that the print on Shudder looked really good, too! When I was picking an image for my review I saw a couple screengrabs that were clearly from a really poor, washed out print.



What would you all say is the highest profile and/or best-regarded horror film that you have not seen?
As a charter subscriber of the Criterion Channel I have no excuse for this, but I haven't seen Kuroneko nor Onibaba. Those would probably be the best-regarded.

As for high profile, it would probably be all of the sequels to F13, Halloween, NoES, etc. The most I've seen from any of those series is 3 films (Halloweens 1-3).



What would you all say is the highest profile and/or best-regarded horror film that you have not seen?

It's possible I haven't seen the 1931 version of Dr Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. I may have seen it as a kid though. Can't be sure.


It's really hard for me to think of high profile or even slightly high profile horror movies I haven't seen....definitely some sequels out there (don't think I've seen the sixth Nightmare movie, and I definitely haven't seen the 5th or 6th Halloween).


I think the place I have the most blind spots is in the 50's monster movie/sci fi hybrids. I've never seen Attack of the 50 Foot Woman or The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms or I Was A Teenage Werewolf. Probably a bunch more like that.



What would you all say is the highest profile and/or best-regarded horror film that you have not seen?
Dead of Night, off the top of my head.



How do we feel about Silver Bullet?

Phantom Planet?

They both got added to streaming services and I'm trying to decide if they should be on my watchlist.
I imagine The Phantom Planet would probably be quite dull on its own, but it did make for one of the better season nine episodes of Mystery Science Theater, at least:






"Well, maybe if they didn't disguise their planet as a Chicken McNugget, the Solarites wouldn't bother to attack it!"


A Nightmare on Elm Street
Ditto



Also, is 1960 the greatest year in the history of Horror movies, or what?



Victim of The Night
I also want to add that a sequence of blood transfusion in Mill of the Stone Women made me feel some things! This past Wednesday I went to give blood and I had been teaching my students at an Outdoor School (literally where you walk them up a mountain and spend the whole day hiking and teaching). So I was dehydrated (when you're an adult supervising 24 children ON A MOUNTAIN it's hard to get away for a bathroom break, y'know?).

Anyway, everything was good (heart rate, blood pressure, blood levels) but then I wasn't bleeding fast enough and there was all this moving the needle around and messing with the tubing and it was incredibly painful and despite all that I still TIMED OUT. There are ~470mL of blood in a pint and I was only able to give 440 before the timer went. (To add insult to injury, I believe they just dispose of the blood if it's not a full bag. I wanted to be like "Then can you put it back in?!?!").

So when in the movie they were like "See, blood pumps in and blood pumps out!" and it only took about a minute I was like LIES!!!! THIS MOVIE IS TELLING LIES!!!
Well, for what it's worth and to defend the credibility of the film, I have a device at work that would allow me to replace your entire blood volume in probably under 4 minutes.



Victim of The Night
How do we feel about Silver Bullet?

Phantom Planet?

They both got added to streaming services and I'm trying to decide if they should be on my watchlist.
Silver Bullet's a bit of a tough watch for me because I enjoy the book so much and have read it probably 10 times (including just about 5 weeks ago) and the movie is pretty meh.



Victim of The Night
What would you all say is the highest profile and/or best-regarded horror film that you have not seen?
Peeping Tom
Dawn Of The Dead
Martyrs
Onibaba
Kwaidan


Perusing several lists, that was all I was able to come up with.



I mainline Windex and horse tranquilizer
What would you all say is the highest profile and/or best-regarded horror film that you have not seen?


Rosemary's Baby


It's on the list, just have so much other stuff to watch.




And I love Silver Bullet, I don't care what anybody says.
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Victim of The Night
I plan to get to it eventually though. It just slipped under the cracks for me all these years.
Yeah, you just wanna make sure you go in with the right mind-set. Get in a good horror mood and get all the lights out. The opening scene sets the tone. And, of course, keep that context in mind of it's only 1984 and a whole lotta scary movies haven't happened yet and it's only been 6 years since Halloween changed the game and 3 since F13 changed the body-count.