Curtains is an Underrated and Largely Unknown Horror Flick
Curtains has all of the ingredients of great horror including intrigue, scares, suspense and glorious gore.
Written by BHM Contributor Ronnie Angel
April 9, 2009
Watch the Curtains Horror Movie Clip!
Release: March 4, 1983 (USA)
Directed by: Jonathan Stryker
Written by: Robert Guza Jr.
Starring:
John Vernon as Jonathan Stryker
Samantha Eggar as Samantha Sherwood
Linda Thorson as Brooke Parsons
Anne Ditchburn as Laurian Summers
Lynne Griffin as Patti O'Connor
I absolutely love going through the stacks and stacks of largely forgotten VHS Tapes of B-Horror Movies. Every now and then, from within the ancient bargain bin, a film will come up that completely blows you away. Such is the case with the largely forgotten horror movie Curtains. This has to be one of the best horror movies I have ever run across and I can’t figure out why it is so rare. It has everything from Suspense and mystery to gore and humor, complete with a decent budget, competent casting and an actual interesting story. Add to the equation one of the creepiest slasher masks to ever grace the silver screen and you’ve got yourself one hell of a great horror flick!
The setting is at the remote forest mansion of the famous movie director Johnatahn Stryker (played by John "DEAN WORMER of
Animal House" Vernon!) in the dead of winter. So far so good on setting… When his girlfriend actress, Samantha (Samantha Eggar, hmmm, noticing a trend here on the names?) buys the rights to a famous story for him to film and for her to play the lead, she decides to immerse herself in the role by committing herself to a mental institution. Unfortunately, she gets a little too into the training and Johnathan leaves her in there as insane and proceeds to invite six young (and single) women to his snowy mansion for a "casting session".
Samantha finds out about the secret casting couch sessions and ends up crashing the little weekend get together, bent on regaining her starring role. At the same time a mysterious slasher wearing a creepy old lady mask and carrying a creepy little doll begins slaughtering the young actresses in some terrifying ways. And yes, I said terrifying – there are some kiss scenes that really ratchet up the scare meter, including the most memorable of the film where a young starlet is stalked and killed while ice skating. This one scene alone makes Curtains worth watching.
The suspense builds as we gear up for the fantastic ending chase scene. Is Samantha the killer, taking revenge on the young woman trying to move in on her film and her man? Could it be someone else trying to “off” the competition?
It is difficult to see where this film is going due to the constant curve balls and plot upsets. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, SURPRISE! There is yet another twist waiting for you. It is a great thing. They just done seem to make great horror like this anymore.
Take me to Horror Movie Reviews!
Talk About This on The Ossuary Forums!
Horror Movie Freaks is the FREE eZine from Best-Horror-Movies.com that will give you the new horror releases, the new horror news and the new horror reviews that you CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT!!
Subscribing is easy, painless and free.
Do it NOW!!
