Cult Favorites

by Plan9
(Erial, NJ)

A quick list of some little films you might have missed.


Massacre At Central High (1976)

New kid in town David quickly learns that all students are not created equal at Central High. Failing to persuade the oppressed kids to stand up against Bruce and his team of tormentors, he decides to take matters into his own hands. This is a real sleeper from that deserves attention (and DVD release!) for its subversive content as well as the creative killings. Well worth seeking out!


Spider Baby (1964) aka The Maddest Story Ever Told

Spiders don't eat other spiders. Cannibal spiders do.
When you see this movie for the first time you'll wonder how you missed this gem for so long! Sisters Elizabeth and Virginia Merrye, along with their brother Ralph (the great Sid Haig!) suffer from "Merry's Syndrome", a family disease that causes the sufferer to revert mentally to an ultimately primal state. They are cared for by the ever faithful chauffeur, Bruno (Lon Chaney, Jr. in one of his last roles.) When a distant cousin, along with his cold wife and sleazy lawyer, arrives to take possession of the family mansion, they experience a night they won't forget. This one is a lot of fun.


Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Brian DePalma directed this between Sisters and Carrie, and it's everything you've come to expect from him. It's an over the top rock version of Phantom of the Opera, with Faust thrown in for good measure. Paul Williams, as rock impresario Swan, contributed the musical score. Also with the great Jessica Harper (Suspiria) as the object of the phantom's desire.


Tourist Trap (1979)

An eerie little film from the 70s with Chuck Connors as the owner of a forgotten roadside attraction featuring creepy wax figures. Of course, a carload of teens stumble upon the place and are held captive by Chuck's sinister brother "Davey", who fancies wearing mannequin masks a-la Leatherface. If you caught this on cable in the early eighties it probably scared the hell out of you. It still holds an unsettling tone, and the scene where Davey covers an unlucky woman's face with plaster will have you gasping for air.


Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

Remember the TV Movie of the Week in the 70s? Some great fright-fests were first broadcast under the made-for-TV format, including "The Night Stalker", "Duel", and "Trilogy of Terror". "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" came from the same era, but somehow this one slipped through the cracks. However, ask anyone who saw this and they'll tell you how they had to sleep with the lights on for days! A young couple moves into a sprawling mansion, and the wife (Kim Darby) insists that she hears odd sounds and whispers from behind the walls. It turns out there are strange little creatures inhabiting the mansion, and they intend to make her one of their own! Don't watch this one alone!


Changeling (1980)

Distraught George C Scott moves into an old Victorian mansion following the accidental death of his wife and daughter. Spirits in the mansion begin communicating to him nightly via loud bangs, which he tracks down to a hidden room. His investigation into the previous owners lead him through a series of personal tragedies and conspiracy. But forget all of the political stuff-this is one scary ghost story, with some imagery that will stick with you when the lights are out! The seance sequence is a classic.


Squirm (1976)

Based on a "true" story, this movie tells of the events of a small Georgia town following a violent lightning storm. Downed power lines send enough electricity to drive the nastiest worms you've ever seen out of the ground and after anyone in their path! A witty script helps make this one entertaining as well as creepy. Featuring some early makeup effects from Rick Baker. "Wormface" ranks right up there with other horror villains!


Eraserhead (1977)

David Lynch's first movie contains some of the strangest and unsettling images to ever grace the screen. As far as I can tell, it's a nightmare of the pressures of parenthood, but the whole thing is open to any interpretation. In any case, the "baby" is one of the most grotesque (and realistic) creatures in film history. A classic.


Equinox

"My cross!!!!"
A Saturday afternoon staple! This movie scared the living hell out of me as a kid. Watching it now it's not as scary, but its great campy entertainment and has an infectious energy that is hard to resist. Some say it's the inspiration for Evil Dead, and the story is similar; A group of teens (including "Herb" from TV's "WKRP In Cincinnati"!) travel to a remote cabin to visit a professor. Soon after they find his cabin destroyed, they are given a strange book by an old man in a cave. The book contains weird symbols and pictures of satanic-looking creatures. If that wasn't much of a tip off to leave, they also encounter a large ape-like thing, a large caveman, and a weird park ranger that may or may not be Satan! Criterion (!) recently released a 2-disc collector's edition, largely because this was originally a student film made by future special effects amateurs Dennis Muren and Jim Danforth.