I’ve sung the praises for Arrow Video for months now. They
always seem to be looking to provide movie lovers with something different,
with movies that have been looked over or tossed out on the cheapest formats
possible. While there is some joy in discovering little known or little seen
movies on DVD that have gone through umpteen transfers to the point where the
snow and tracking issues almost become part of the film to find them given a decent
transfer is enough to bring joy to the most jaded fan. To give them a transfer
that’s been cleaned and put on blu-ray is amazing. Now take three of those
films and put them in one box set and you have something mind boggling for fans
of the genre.
Hold on though, that doesn’t mean that these films are all
great movies and should be seen immediately. But the fact is that so many
movies have been lost over the decades and now there is a chance to save many
of them. Arrow is one of several companies that’s at the forefront of doing
just that. Not only are they saving these films but they are presenting them
with extras that would otherwise never have been bothered with at lesser
companies. And at more affordable prices than some of the others doing this same
thing.
So that leads us to this latest release, AMERICAN HORROR
PROJECT VOLUME 1. This box set brings together three overlooked films for a
time when horror was not a genre seen at the local multiplex on a regular
basis. Rather horror films were shown at drive-ins and grindhouse theaters
instead. Sure a few movies made by major studios played those big theaters but
those were few and far between. Horror films were the inroad for new directors
and writers to make their mark, costing few dollars to make and allowing for
more creativity than most major theatrical films where the film maker catered
to producers and film studios.
What this box set does is take those three films and allow a
new audience to see them in a decent format for the first time. Some were
released on those earlier mentioned DVD formats that just slopped a rotten
transfer onto disc. Others might have been seen only on ancient VHS tapes. But
this time around we have a quality copy of all three.
The first film in the set is MALATESTA’S CARNIVAL OF BLOOD.
A great title for a mediocre film but one that is filled with originality from
start to finish. The odds of finding a film like this today are unlikely and
that could be viewed as good or bad depending on what you enjoy. Definitely
made on a shoestring budget, the film makers here attempted to make something
visually stunning and actually accomplish that at times.
A family consisting of husband, wife and daughter join the
carnival in question to work there. It turns out later that we find out their
son has gone missing and clues have led them here. Even watching closely some
will not realize this until much later in the film. As then movie progresses we
discover that the man in charge is actually a vampire, that Malatesta is…well
I’m not quite sure what he is other than in charge of this collection of
oddities which include a group of cannibalistic creatures that live beneath the
carnival watching old black and white silent films while eating wayward souls.
As you can probably guess the movie itself isn’t the
greatest thing ever filmed. And yet I found it interesting enough to keep me
watching through the terrible acting and low frills effects. But even these no
budget effects proved decent for the time and the amount of money spent. I was
reminded more than once of the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, a movie that
also had a low budget but created tons of atmosphere despite that fact. While
this film doesn’t come close to what they accomplished it is worth taking a
look at. And if you’re a fan of Herve Villachaize it offers one of his earliest
performances on film.
The second film in the collection is one that’s been
heralded as a great psychological thriller but what I found to be the weakest
of the three films and the least enjoyable to watch. THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM
THE SEA features Millie Perkins (who many will remember as the title character
in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK), now an adult and ready to prove it. Perkins stars
as Molly, a young woman scarred by her past and abuse at the hands of men her
whole life. Molly spends her days watching over her two young nephews while her
sisters sews telling them stories of how great their grandfather was, a sailor
who disappeared at sea. Before the film ends we’ll discover the truth about her
father and how her past has turned her into a killer.
The movie progresses at a snail’s pace and the revelations
as to the cause of Molly’s eventual breakdown take forever to get there. It
also seems strange that her sister lived in the same house and never quite
reacted the same way. Perhaps eventual is the wrong word here. While watching
this I felt that she seemed off from the start and was always a bit off. I’m
reminded of Jack Nicholson in THE SHINING which I thought suffered because of
his performance. He seemed mad from the beginning rather than going mad. The
same holds true here for me.
I also found the film to be another in a long line of movies
where child stars make the decision to disrobe to prove how adult they’ve
become. I’m not offended by nudity but for some reason it seems as if child
stars always feel the need to display themselves once they reach an age where
they can legally do so. Developing body parts does not an adult make. On top of
that while I’ve read some reviews that claim Perkins does a fantastic job here
I felt her performance was far from it. For me it felt one note and that note
was out of it. While watching I kept wondering if she was being medicated while
making the film or not.
The third film in this box set is the best of the three. THE
PREMONITION takes a parent’s greatest fear and makes it a reality. It opens
with Andrea Fletcher (Ellen Barber) reuniting with a man from her past, Jude
(Richard Lynch) a carnival clown who takes pictures of guests to the park. They
set down together and he tells her he’s found her, the daughter that Andrea had
to put up for adoption when she was placed in an insane asylum. Now the two
plan to abduct the girl from her adoptive parents and escape.
Andrea goes to see Janie (Danielle Brisebois) as she gets
out of school but Janie ignores her and goes to her mother, Sheri (Sharon
Farrell). Sheri feels that something is wrong but can’t explain it. Janie tells
her about the lady and the apprehension mounts for Sheri.
Sheri’s husband Miles is a professor at a local university
who doesn’t believe in the supernatural. He’s been assigned to work with Dr.
Jeena Kingsly (Chitra Neogy) whose expertise is in parapsychology and
clairvoyance. Timing is always wrong in movies and holds true here as Miles begins
to be attracted to Jeena as they begin their research.
The plan to kidnap Janie eventually happens but fails.
Andrea has gone over the edge again and instead takes a stuffed animal from
Janie’s room. This does nothing to alleviate Sheri’s fears that something is
going to happen and infuriates Jude who has done all he can for Andrea. From
here on out things only get more mysterious with Sheri depending on Jeena to
help her in finding her daughter.
The movie works on many levels and is one of those horror
films where a combination of visual imagery and inborn fears are played on to
make a terrifying movie, especially for parents. Of the three films in this set
is has the best quality when it comes to film even if it seems like the budget
allotted wasn’t much. Still this time around we have much better performances
than in the other two films and a story that’s more mainstream than either
previous title.
One thing can be said about die-hard horror fans. They’re
not picky. They don’t have to be wowed by over the top CGI effects or in your
face jump moments in films to enjoy a film. They get to the root of what makes
horror horrific. They know that a story can add more to a horror film than any
amount of special effects. Sure they enjoy that as well but it’s not central to
making a film a horror film. That’s what this collection sets out to prove and
it does so admirably. Not all three movies will be loved by all viewers but the
chances are that you’ll enjoy them all and find at least one you’ll want to
remember for some time. Add to that the extras that Arrow consistently offers
with their releases and you have a package well worth the price for a horror
fan. Commentary tracks, interviews with cast and crews, trailers and a booklet
that comes with the package are among the highlights to be found here. Fans of
horror should at least make the time to see the films included here. And true
fans should add this one to their collections.
Click here to order.
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