2020 Halloween Challenge

Angel Heart, 1987 (A Sex Thriller 80s-90s)

I wasn't entirely sure about the exact meaning of this category, but this one was one a few lists of erotic horror/thrillers.

Harry Angel is a private detective who is hired by the (obviously evil) Louis Cyphre to track down a man named Johnny Favourite who owes Cyphre . . . something. Angel's investigation soon leads him from New York to Louisiana where he runs afoul of the local police as he tracks Johnny through nightclubs and voodoo shops.

This is one of those movies where I've had the title on my radar for years and years, but never actually knew what it was about.

To begin with the good, I thought that Rourke was very good in his lead performance. And the supporting cast are all quite good as well. In both the New York and the Louisiana settings, the film really conveys that sense of an environment where lots of fringe stuff happens and the people there are just . . . used to it. The film uses some very striking (and not subtle) imagery--such as angled shots of metal elevators descending--and it effectively evokes a sense of dread.

I only had two issues with the film, one "structural" and the other personal. From a more "formal" point of view, I felt as though certain plot elements were too obvious and I wish that some of the foreshadowing had been a little less heavy-handed. We are never (MAJOR SPOILERS) . On a personal level, I felt slightly uncomfortable watching a graphic sex scene between a 19 year old and a man in his mid-30s.

Something that I did kind of enjoy as a character element was the way that Harry put his hands on EVERYONE. Like, seriously, watch the movie with this in mind. I noticed it early on because of the part where he touches the nurse's hand and I kind of thought about how I don't like it when people I don't know touch me when they talk to me. Then you immediately go to the scene where he's holding the doctor close to him. From there, I couldn't stop seeing the way that he touches all of the characters (including that weird moment where he puts his finger on the one woman's collarbone to talk about her necklace)--even the little girl on the staircase. I'm not sure why this was a thing or if it means anything significant or whatever, but I kind of liked it as a running thread.

Recently watched Angel heart for Noir HOF. Was surprised by how good it was.

I agree with you. I don't think it's a very good movie and it's largely because of just how ridiculously obvious everything is. It feels like the story was written by someone in like 10th grade, maybe, and then screen-writers came over and wrote the dialogue and some scenes. It's really just writ-large from Jump Street so the movie just becomes a walk-through.
I also thought DeNiro was terribly mis-cast. He seems really out of place in this role to me.

I must be the only one who felt DeNiro was good in the Angel Heart 🤷

Yeah, I wish that the film/writing had committed one way or the other.

Either (MAJOR SPOILERS)


I think that the problem is more the role itself.

Agreed but I think this was the first movie I ever noticed that DeNiro pretty much always looks like he's gonna whack a guy and really doesn't do restrained all that well.

I thought that he was fine. I felt that the character was written pretty weakly.

They loaded the character up with so many accessories that it seemed like he almost went more muted to compensate.

Prom Night, 1980 (A B-list killer/slasher 70s-80s)

Another commonly known title that I've just never gotten around to.

A group of children accidentally (but also pretty maliciously) kills a little girl. The four children swear each other to silence. A local sex offender takes the rap for the murder and is horribly burned in a botched police chase. Years later they are in high school and prom has come around. The sex offender escapes from the hospital and a masked figure begins nosing around the school.

This is one of the three slashers that made Jamie Lee Curtis the "scream queen"--and of the three (the others being Halloween and Terror Train) , I found this to be the weakest.

It's not bad by any means, but the proportions of it seem off. The actual killing doesn't start until over halfway into the movie. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, except that there is something unfocused about the first half of the film. It follows too many plots (Curtis's character Kim and her boyfriend Nick--one of the child "killers"--dealing with Nick's jealous ex Wendy--another of the child "killers"; the police dealing with the escape of the sex offender; Kim's brother Alex scrapping with a school bully who harasses Kim; etc). The film doesn't really make a compelling case for any suspects (and, no, the vaguely disabled school janitor wielding a hedge trimmer didn't trip any alarms for me).

The kills themselves were fine, but they came in very quick succession without much room to breathe between them. The characters were all personable enough--with the exception of Wendy--that I was sad to see them die. However, I wish that the film had explored a bit how they have dealt with their guilt and deception. We see a little hint of this from Nick, but almost nothing from the others. It's the most interesting dynamic of the film, and yet it's largely left alone. These girls literally hang out and giggle with the sister of a person they killed--it's ripe for something to be done with it!

Overall not a bad film at all, but many elements feel like a wasted opportunity.

Masque of the Red Death, 1964 (A Gothic Horror 40s-60s)

A rich sociopath carrying on while everyone dies of a plague feels, erm, timely. (Also, yes this is a movie marathon day. Can you tell that (1) it is raining and (2) I'm avoiding working on report cards?)

Wicked Prince Prospero uses and abuses the common people. He vindictively kidnaps two villagers and a young woman and brings them to his castle intending to torture/murder the men and corrupt the young woman, Francesca. As a masquerade ball rages on, Prospero's wickedness cannot hold off the Red Death that comes closer to the castle.

This month is really turning into a low-key Vincent Price marathon. It was fun to see a more menacing, less fragile/sensitive character from him. Prospero indulges in cruel "games", egged on by his guests.

Francesca and her husband Gino make for sympathetic protagonists. Much of their role is to bear witness to the horror and apathy inside of the castle. There's also an interesting and gruesome subplot about one of the castle's "amusements"--a man who is a dwarf and his wife who is also a dwarf (though she is played by a child)--seeking revenge on one of Prospero's guests who both lusts after and physically attacks the wife.

As is often my complaint in these Poe adaptations, I kind of wish that Francesca had a bit more to do than either be a good person or be depressed, with interludes of being leered at/menaced. I'm not saying it's unrealistic, just that watching her slowly dull to the horrors around her isn't the most dynamic character arc. I mean, we don't even get closure with her after everything is over. Gino gets much more dynamic elements to his story (and Francesca really perks up when the two of them share screen time), but I wanted more from her point of view aside from just fear.

Good stuff.

That sounds pretty much exactly right.

Nothing to add here except to point out that Francesca (Jane Asher) was Paul McCartney's girlfriend (and future fiance) while making this film.

So Takoma, am I to understand that you watched Prom Night II before Prom Night? What kind of wild person are you? Society has rules, you know.
Jokes aside I only ask because I seem to remember you being a fellow supporter of PN2.

As am I, now.

Corman, 1961





I got this viewing in over the weekend to fill in my Poe slot, and I am glad I did. Price is always fun to watch, and this was no exception. I did get a few chuckles out of seeing the cobwebs, which someone had japed about earlier in the thread, but overall, I really liked the set design and tone of the film.


Also, even though I had already filled my Lovecraft slot, I also watched...


Gordon, 1986





I will go ahead and fill this in under the 80s/90s sex thriller, even though it might be kind of a stretch as far as eligibility. Then again, Barbara Crampton's character does transform from a totally believable expert in her medical field () to an S&M dominatrix, so maybe it is a good fit. I, for one, totally bought Crampton as some sort of nerdy PhD wielding bookworm, so it was a complete shock when he strapped on the leather and went to town on a bald invalid. Wait a second... /sarcasm

Anyway, a couple of gems over the weekend, and now I will need to try to fit in whatever I can during the upcoming week, as I have a lot of catching up to do.

__________________

I did!

And partly because the consensus seems to be that there is no real connection between the movies.

I did the same. For the same reasons stated by you.

Prom Night II is pretty great, but only the original melts my brain with joy.

Elaborate!

It's hard to explain. It's like an introverted slasher. Afraid to be anything but excited about the prom. A prom it might not be invited to.


It is also tied to a lot of good memories and friendships. It's been a kind movie to me.

I did enjoy just how much the Prom was pushed to the front as opposed to just being a background event. I can't even explain my joy/confusion when that dance sequence went on for what felt like a solid 3-4 minutes.

Gotcha.