It’s time for another quickie smorgasbord. Are any of these films worth a watch? Depends on what you’re looking for.
BLACK CADILLAC (2003)
The Car. Joyride. The Hitcher. Road Games. If you’re into these kinds of terror on the road movies, you should get a thrill out of Black Cadillac. Difference is, this one is apparently based on a true story.
It also features some familiar horror faces. There’s Shane Johnson, who was scorching hot in Possession of Michael King, which I blog about here. There’s Randy Quaid, who…is Randy Quaid. And there’s major scream king Josh Hammond, whose credits include trash like The Brotherhood, Jeepers Creepers II, Ring of Darkness, Blue Demon, The Tripper, The House Across the Street, Rabid Love, The Penny Dreadful Picture Show, Piranha Sharks, Lazarus: Day of the Living Dead, and Alice D.
Shirtless Josh…but not in this movie.
And that horror resume pretty much sucked up this whole blog. So quickly, three young guys get into a bar fight then hit the road…and are soon being pursued by a black Cadillac. What makes this film different than most in this genre is that the guys pick up a cop before the insanity begins! Randy Quaid’s patrol car breaks down on the side of the road so they give him a lift.
Naturally, the guys begin to think that the black Cadillac tormenting them isn’t actually after them…but out to get Quaid! The twist is all this one has going for it because it’s incredibly routine.
EXORCISMUS (2010)
Yes, another possession movie. This one focuses on teen angst and rebellion—which makes it hard for the parents to determine if she’s possessed by a demon or just a bitch with raging hormones. And she might even be possessed as a result of home schooling! Take that, you home schooling snobs.
So how does this movie about a teen girl possessed after using a Ouija board differ from The Exorcist? There’s cutting. Lesbian flirtation. Levitation in an unexpected place. A terrified little brother. Lots of bugs. A whole lot of death. And a HOT priest.
Good Lord have no mercy.
But honestly, the major thing Exorcismus has going for it is the twist at the end of the film. Definitely makes it worth a watch (along with the hot priest). Also, Doug “Pinhead” Bradley has a cameo. I’d say his presence is an unnecessary novelty but I guess that would be unfair. I mean, the guy’s gotta work when he’s not playing Pinhead, right?
GHOUL (2012)
When a movie begins with horror comic book credits, a great 80s-sounding new wave throwback song, the mention of Atari, and Catherine Mary Stewart of Night of the Comets as the mom, it has a lot to live up to. Ghoul stars little Luke from Modern Family…and casts a Manny clone as his best friend! Weird.
It’s kind of like The Gate for a new generation. As kids begin disappearing in their small town, Luke, fake Manny, and their other friend find a hole in a shed and suspect a monster is living down there. Some of the creepiest scenes involve flashbacks as the kids research a mining disaster that took place years before.
While there are a few scary scenes and a few kills, Ghoul is heavy on atmosphere and light on actual horror. It also explores oddly adult themes for a rather tweeny movie, including abusive fathers…and sexually abusive mothers. WTF?
The kids eventually end up down in the mine running from the monster…a really, REALLY disappointing “monster.”
ANGELS OF DARKNESS (aka: Styria) (2014)
Angels of Darkness reminds me very much in tone and general plot of Neverlake, which I blog about here. A chick named Lara comes to live with her father (played by Stephen Rea) in an old castle in Hungary. When Lara witnesses a car accident, she helps the survivor, a chick named Carmilla, escape a psycho who’s trying to run her down!
Stylish and trippy, Angels of Darkness explores the (lesbian-laced) relationship between Lara and Carmilla…who only Lara can see. Well, Lara and the creepy guy who keeps coming around looking for Carmilla. But Lara’s trust of Carmilla, who takes her into some creepy catacombs and for freaky assed swims at night, begins to shatter as local girls turn up dead.
While this atmospheric film appears to be about vampires, there’s a lot going on here, making it a perfect film for those who like to think. This movie wasn’t for me.
