RIP Betsy Palmer

It is very sad news for all fans of horror that Betsy Palmer has passed away at age 88. She was known for her iconic role of Pamela Voorhees in "Friday the 13th," and her convincing and psychotic performance has scared people for decades. I give my regards to her family and friends, and I will see her as an icon forever. 

Another Drawing I Made

Here's Fluffy from "Creepshow."

Halloween Revisited.....

Today I was watching the 1978 classic "Halloween" for the fifth or sixth time, and I will honestly say it was the best viewing yet. I felt the masterpiece qualities really kicked in, and I could understand now why it is as renowned as it has been. I have always loved the movie, but this time, it was extra scary, extra complex, and just so much more fun. I have found out that you honestly can't turn away from the screen at all, because you will miss something. Most slasher flicks are extra simple, but this one has little touches to it that make it superior. I can honestly say this is probably my second favorite horror film behind "The Shining," because it truly brings the epic nature to the genre. 

A Drawing I Made

Here is a portrait I made of one of my favorite horror actors ever. A man that could play any role, in any genre. 

The Pit and the Pendelum(1961)

8/10 

The movie begins with a man named Francis Barnard coming to the castle of his late sister and her husband Nicholas Medina. His sister Elizabeth has died very suddenly, and Francis wants to know what happened. Nicholas and his younger sister Catherine try to convince Francis that an illness took his sister, but he doesn't buy it at all. The thing that I really love about these scenes was the way that the filming was done. The shots of waterfalls and the castles were absolutely gorgeous, and they show high proficiency for a Corman flick. I also thought that the development of characters started to come off very quickly, and the conflicts could be sensed easily. 

The first thing that impressed me with this movie was the star studded talent in front of and behind the cameras. Vincent Price nails the character of Nicholas with his insane yet often likable personality that makes the viewer want to sympathize with his character. Barbara Steele is the "Queen of gothic horror" in my opinion, and she nails this role by portraying a selfish and sneaky person. Luana Landers is an actress I'm a fan of because of "Dementia 13," and she gave another good performance in this movie as the caring sister of Nicholas. John Kerr was also impressive as the hard and skeptical Francis, and while I'm not very familiar him, I thought he did a great job. The original story of this film came from Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name, so a good plot is basically certain. To make things even better, Richard Matheson adapted the tale into a screenplay, and he did a great job. Being one of the best horror writers ever, I thought he was a fantastic choice for this role, and he added so much to the movie. I also found Roger Corman to be a great director for the film, because he could use his campy style to keep the dialogue moments from being boring, and he had the shock value to make a successful work. 

Being the film movie was made in 1961, there wasn't much gore at all. Despite this, the filmmakers found many ways to make the film creepy. The first way was the psychedelic undertones. Whether it was the changes of screen color, or the paint running down during the intro, it gave an eerie feel, and made the movie all the more cooler. I also felt that the slow increase to the climax helped get the viewer more anxious, because there was no way of predicting what would happen. 

The climax/ending of this movie were absolutely shocking and amazing. The full circle has come through in the mystery, and a chain of sick events begin. As these last 20 plus minutes take place, there is an underlying question of if the endangered characters will survive. This pressure makes things more intense, and the plot twists gave more of an edge. I thought that the last shots of the film were insane, because I was not expecting them at all, and it was very morbid and cool. 

Overall, this is a fun movie to watch about betrayal, revenge, and genuine insanity. While it isn't my all time favorite Price movie ever, it is one of his better, and he gave the performance of the lifetime. I definitely recommend checking it out, as it is a movie of talent, thrills, and chills.