SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4: THE INITIATION (1990)

 

(Director: Brian Yuzna. Screenwriters: Zeph E. Daniel, Richard N. Gladstein, and Arthur Gorson)

Review

After a woman’s building-leap, spontaneous combustion death, an aspiring reporter/classified ads editor Kim Levitt (played by Neith Hunter) investigates the story despite her dismissive male boss, Eli (Reggie Bannister, PHANTASM, 1979) and equally dismissive male colleagues at the LA Eye—one of these colleagues is her easy-going boyfriend, Hank (Tom Hinkley, WATCHERS II, 1990).

Kim’s investigation drives her to seek out a book on spontaneous combustion. She looks for it at a feminist bookstore (Bring Down the Moon) in the building from which the flaming woman leapt. While purchasing a book on the subject, she meets Fima (Maud Adams, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, 1974), owner of the establishment, who gives Kim a book, Initiation of the Virgin Goddess by J.B. Beattie, and invites Kim to a feminist-group picnic the following day.

Bizarre stuff happens to, and around, Kim. A filthy, oddly shy, and seemingly simple street guy (Ricky) follows her up to the roof and tries to hand her a hand-plus sized squirming larva. Cockroaches, in large numbers, appear in her apartment. She sees disturbing faces in everyday places (simulacrum). Her dreams and perceptions become life-threatening. All the while, she’s being stalked by Fima and her fellow female cultists who somehow are linked to Lilith, Adam’s rebellious ex-wife who is linked to “things that crawl.” It’s clear that Kim is changing somehow, and the cult has a lot to do with it.

While SILENT 4’s set-up isn’t hard to figure out, it’s a well-made (especially for a low budget direct-to-video film). The actors range from solid to excellent (especially Neith Hunter and Clint Howard, who plays the deranged but somehow tender Ricky), Richard Band’s mood-effective score is perfect, and Peter Teschner’s editing keeps SILENT 4 sharp and tight. Screaming Mad George (and FX company)’s disturbing and icky FX suit the visual-highlight moments of SILENT 4’s already unsettling milieu, all centered around Kim’s evolution, and maybe more—if she can break free of those counting on her sacrificing herself for them.

SILENT 4, a standalone film in the SILENT franchise, is worth watching if you don’t require a big budget to be entertained, and can appreciate an excellent, theme-ambitious cast and crew making the most of out of what little they have to work with, including often icky effects.

 Followed by the standalone SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER (1991).

Deep(er) filmic dive

Brian Yuzna, one of the story sources for SILENT 4, has said that he was “not interested” in focusing on Christmas in SILENT 4, hence its few scenes highlighting the holiday season. Yuzna co-produced its sequel a year later and tried to make up for it by mandating that Christmas should be central to SILENT 5’s storyline.

 

According to IMDb, SILENT 4’s premise was going to be used for the third entry in the SILENT franchise but was rejected by the third entry’s filmmakers.

 

In one scene, scenes from SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 3: BETTER WATCH OUT! (1989) are broadcast on an onscreen television.

 

Neith Hunter (who played Kim Levitt in SILENT 4) played a character named Kim in SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER, 1991). Clint Howard, who played Ricky in SILENT 4, played a character named Ricky in SILENT 5. Conan Yuzna, real-life son of Brian Yuzna, played Lonnie (Hank’s younger brother) in SILENT 4—he also played a character named Lonnie in SILENT 5.

According to Brian Yuzna, in a commentary track for a Blu-Ray version of SILENT 4, Yuzna said these recurring-name characters may or may not be the same characters, that he and fellow SILENT 4 and 5 filmmakers were “playing around” with names between the two films. . . He didn’t mention if Howard’s character (Ricky) is a call-back name to Ricky Chapman, younger brother of killer-Santa Billy in the original SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984) and the killer in the first two sequels that followed.

 

According to IMDb, the call letters on a television news reporter’s microphone is UZNA, a reference to the film’s director, Brian Yuzna.

 

The giant cockroach seen in Kim’s apartment is a reference to Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The long nose that Ricky wears during Kim’s ritual scene is a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971).

 

According to Brian Yuzna, his son (Conan), who appears in the film as Lonnie, isn’t fond of mentioning/promoting his appearances in this film and SILENT 5. Yuzna mentioned this in his commentary track for a Blu-Ray version of SILENT 4.

KRISTY (2014)

 

(Director: Oliver “Olly” Blackburn. Screenwriter: Anthony Jaswinski.)

Review

KRISTY opens with several hoodie-wearing people leaving a female corpse, Heather Price (listed as “Dead Girl” on IMDb), in a gray-morning field while a newscast is heard telling how she’s been missing for three days.

Cut to working-class college student Justine Wells (Haley Bennett) getting ready to spend her Thanksgiving break in her dorm with her roommate Nicole (Erica Ash). Nicole flakes on her “stay-behind” (as Wayne, a college security guard calls it) with Justine when her dad surprises her with a trip to Aspen.

When Justine, alone, goes to a nearby minimart for late night food, she’s in-store stalked by a creepy young woman wearing sunglasses and a hoodie. Justine leaves the store after the creepy woman leaves, only to encounter her driving a muscle car on the road. Justine manages to lose her, makes it back to her dorm and takes a nap, thinking everything is okay despite the “weird” (her word) encounter with the pierced-lip, creepy woman (Violet, played by Ashley Greene). Everything is not okay, because she’s been followed by not one, but several hoodie-wearing strangers, and as her terrorizers up their assault tactics, it looks like Justine—although a capable fighter—might not survive the night.

KRISTY is a good, steady-build slasher film, with effective foreshadowing, solid acting, a few solid twists (the killers are not random), and equally effective cinematography (credit Crille Forsberg) and consistent, mostly entertaining flight-and-fight pacing (editor: Jeff Betancourt, THE GRUDGE, 2004)—aside from a few instances when Justine should end her would-be killers instead of running. KRISTY isn’t memorable, but it’s well-shot, well-written and tightly edited, a relatively non-gory flick that provides some welcome T-Day thrills and chills.

 

KRISTY’s other notable cast members include:

James Ransone (SINISTER, 2012) as Scott, Justine’s friend and would-be protector;

Chelsea Bruland, a stunt woman in quite a few films (including Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 2014) as Heather Price, or “Dead Girl” (as IMDb lists her role);

and

Mathew St. Patrick (SIX FEET UNDER, 2001-2005) as Wayne, a  night-shift security guard in Justine’s dorm.

RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975)

 

(Director: Jack Starrett. Screenwriters: Lee Frost and Wes Bishop.)

Review

Texas-based couples (Frank and Alice, Roger, and Kelly) head from San Antonio, Texas, to Aspen, Colorado in Frank’s RV. Early in their journey, the men witness a satanic ritual where a young woman is killed. The smiling, intense satanists, who could be anybody, pursue the panicked couples across Texas as they flee the scene of the sacrifice. Disturbing events and bloody sabotage ramp up, resulting in an action-wild, shotgun-blast climax and unsettling finish.

The PG rated, eighty-four-minute RACE is a mixology-punctuated satanic- and witchcraft-interrupted road trip is more psycho-terror than supernatural in tone. It initially feels like a Seventies-drama telepic, becomes intense and paranoiac, before slamming into a series of shotgun-blast action, a flick that thrills with its well-foreshadowed horrors, tight editing, and pacing (credit editor John F. Link), strong acting, effective cinematography (Robert Jessup), lots of non-PC vibing (e.g., Alice and Kelly who do little more than scream a lot, especially Kelly) and a truck that explodes for no reason.

RACE’s pulpy fun doesn’t surprise me, given RACE’s on and offscreen talent. Helmed by Jack Starrett (actor, FIRST BLOOD, 1982), who cameos in RACE as a “Gas Station Attendant,” it was scripted by Lee Frost (director, THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, 1972), who played Deputy Dave, and further shaped by script supervisor Joyce King (SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM, 1973). She, also uncredited, played a “Librarian” in RACE. Paul Maslansky (THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, 1972), a RACE co-executive producer, played an uncredited “Roadworker in Cowboy Hat.”

Of course, this would all be for naught if its onscreen talent weren’t worth watching as well. Warren Oates (BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA, 1974) played Frank. Loretta Swit (S.O.B., 1981) played Alice, Frank’s wife. Peter Fonda (FUTUREWORLD, 1976) played Roger, Frank’s easy-going business partner and friend. Lara Parker (DARK SHADOWS, 1967-71) played Roger’s wife.

Supporting players also include R.G. Armstrong (THE CAR, 1977) as the amused Sheriff Taylor and Paul A. Partain (Franklin in THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, 1974) as Cal Mathers, who may or may not be a satanic cultist. An uncredited R.C. Keene (also uncredited in MACHETE, 2010) played a masked satanist.

MORTUARY (1983)

 

(Director/co-screenwriter: Howard Avedis. Co-screenwriter: Marlene Schmidt, who also appeared in the film as Lois Stevens.)

Review

After a middle-aged psychiatrist (Dr. Parson), relaxing at home, is murdered poolside, it’s ruled an accident. Everyone but his frantic daughter, Christie (Mary Beth McDonough, MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS, 1981), believes it.

Later, Christie’s boyfriend (Josh) and his friend (Greg Stevens) break into Josh's ex-boss’s warehouse, where they accidentally witness a robed satanic séance in the basement and are discovered. Josh, away from Greg, is murdered then hidden by a black-robed assailant wielding a long embalming tube. Greg, with Christy, looks for Josh, to no avail. When they report what happened to the police, the police dismiss it as a prank. Then more alarming events occur while the Greg and Christie dig deeper into the mystery, not the least of which is: who is Christie’s black-robed stalker?

Given the clues and brief glimpses of the killer’s face, it’s easy to figure out that cultist’s identity (not a criticism). If I do have any criticisms, it’s that the characters sometimes don’t act in ways that make sense, e.g., why doesn’t Christie confront her mother, Eve (Lynda Day George, PIECES, 1982), who clearly knows more than she’s saying? Also, MORTUARY runs twenty minutes too long─if the sex and several pursuit scenes had been shortened, it would’ve made this a taut, striking film. Its shock ending it anything but, although I understand why they might’ve used it.

Despite these nits, there’s a lot to like about MORTUARY. It’s suspenseful and creepy in many parts. John Cacavas’s score is mood-effective and weird when it needs to be, and the film is mostly fast-paced until its last third. The acting, some of it appropriately melodramatic, ranges from good to solid.

Bill Paxton (BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER, 1981) is a standout player as Paul Andrews, a creepy funeral home employee who’s crushing on Christie. Christopher George (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, 1980) is fun in his final film as Hank Andrews, Paul’s cultist, frustrated father and employer. David Wysocki, billed as David Wallace, is solid as Greg Stevens─Wysocki appeared in television shows and other movies (among the latter, HUMONGOUS, 1981).

MORTUARY is an often fun, R-rated, cultic-stalker movie with enough weird charm and strange-blend story elements to recommend it for a late night when you’re tired, have nothing else to watch, and want to fall asleep to something trashy and oddball with a few notable actors.

THE CRIMSON CULT (1968)

 

(a.k.a. CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR. Director: Vernon Sewell. Screenwriters: Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, based on Jerry Sohl’s story, loosely extrapolated from H.P. Lovecraft’s story “Dreams in the Witch House.”)

 

Review

Antiques dealer Robert Manning (Mark Eden) visits his family’s English ancestral home of Greymarsh when his brother, Peter (Denys Peek), disappears during a business trip. Peter’s last known location is Craxted Lodge.

Once Robert arrives, he is warmly greeted by Craxted’s owner (Morley), a descendant of Lavinia Morley (a green-skinned Barbara Steele) who was burned at the stake in 1652. Also in residence is Eve Morley (Virginia Wetherell, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, 1971), Morley’s niece, who becomes Robert’s romantic interest and fellow investigator. A cryptic local historian of the occult (Professor John Marsh) also visits Craxted; he is barely civil to Robert.

Robert’s questions get the run-around treatment, so he further investigates, at night having kaleidoscopic nightmares about a green- and red-lit room, and half-naked servants (men and women) who hold goats and writhe around Lavinia, sitting on her throne.

Eventually, all becomes clear with help from surprising quarters, ending in a visually fun (cheesy for some) end-shot.

CRIMSON, is a mostly bland, silly admixture of a straightlaced murder mystery and pseudo-psychedelic hippie-ish Lovecraftian nightmare, with its filler party scenes, a sex scene, and overlong, investigative-dream sequences. By the time Robert has figured out what happened to his brother and why, it’s a great, is this movie done yet? situation. CRIMSON’s behind-the-scenes crew made a good-looking movie, made darker with Peter Knight’s spare, effective music score.

Beyond the seething and sensual Barbara Steele (PIRANHA, 1978), a big part of what CRIMSON gets right is its top-billed leads: Christopher Lee (SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN, 1970) as the polite Morley, who is hiding something; Boris Karloff (BLACK SABBATH, 1963), in one of his final roles, as Professor John Marsh, whose brusque manners hide something as well; Michael Gough (DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS, 1965) as Elder, the Morleys’ troubled butler; and Rupert Davies (DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, 1968) as “The Vicar.”

CRIMSON, with its not-quite-psychedelic trial scenes, solid behind-the-scenes work and worthwhile actors, is a “meh”movie, not terrible, not great─and worth seeing if you’re a completist fan of any of its leads, as long as you expect CRIMSON to be one of their lesser flicks.