It’s kind of funny how the new year is already ushering in more terror of old, and not even in the form of another shameless remake. On the 7th of January, Dominic Sena’s SEASON OF THE WTICH – starring Nic Cage and Ron Perlman as 14th century crusaders amidst a scourge of Black Death- widely spread across theaters (winning the bronze medal this past weekend with just under $11 million in tickets sold). And that got us to thinking…what are some of the best period-set horror/thrillers that have ever been put down on film. Not just the Victorian Gothic style that we’re used to, though there is some of that…we’re opening it up foul Naziploitation fare, Spanish civil war chillers, gritty 70s crime nonfiction, French lycanthropy…all of it. It’s a broad canopy, but by no means exhaustive. So what do you say, let’s spend part of the new year by taking a look back, shall we!
WARNING: MINOR TO MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!
#5. THE OTHERS/THE INNOCENTS (2001/1960)
Buy THE OTHERS on DVD here
Buy THE INNOCENTS on DVD here
Because one film can be said to derive from the other, and that we featured both on our Haunted House compilation, Jack Clayton’s THE INNOCENTS and Alejandro Amenabar’s THE OTHERS get to share a coveted top spot this go around. That’s not to say either is any less warranted…quite the opposite in fact. Clayton’s film, in many ways ahead of its time – about an English caretaker who increasingly witnesses spookily unexplained phenomena – is arguably taken to greater technical heights by Amenabar some 50 years later. In the 2001 version, the foreboding Gothic horror setting would play more of a central role in the film. By narratively making the children photosensitive, natural flame-light…be it candle or fire…was a motivated touch that effectively lent to the stark mood and atmosphere the film boasts, and the period featured. Both are sleepy and slow burning, each with a hypnotic, lulling effect that sort of sneaks up on you. Two great films!
#4. FROM HELL (2001)
Buy FROM HELL on DVD here
Somehow, seeing Jonny Depp play a morosely clairvoyant, Absinthe-addled period detective in the Hughes’ brothers’ FROM HELL makes all the sense in the world. The fact the story is engaging enough, with believable Victorian sets, costumes and dialects, solid acting support from Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson and Jason Flemyng – it’s no real wonder that the sum total of its parts is worth mentioning. The film also does a nice job of fusing tenets of old and new, counterbalancing barbarous counts of violence with sophisticated European tradition. However, if I had to single out a shortcoming, it would indubitably be the stilted performance of Heather Graham (who I’ve been a fan of since playing Mercedes Lane in LICENSE TO DRIVE). More entertaining than a bad acting job among competent ones? Depp’s reaction to the poor girl’s attempt at reciting the Queen’s English. That shite’s pure hilarity.
#3. RAVENOUS (1999)
Buy RAVENOUS on DVD here
We all know the bulk of cannibal pictures derive from Italy, where exorbitant intestinal eatery and egregious animal cruelty is the norm (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST should be really called ANIMAL HOLOCAUST). With that in mind, it’s Antonia Bird’s snow-dappled 1999 film RAVENOUS that really makes its mark in the subgenre. Not only is the film made with A-list talent, including actors of Guy Pearce’s and Robert Carlisle’s caliber, the film is more or less a treatise on what life must have been like during that rosy promise of westward expansion. It wasn’t always huge nuggets of gold bubbling out of California waters, it was the harsh winters and the evil extremes one was driven to in order to survive. Scant doses of humor keep the film from being overly solemn, but the high period production values, sumptuous cinematography and top notch performances make RAVENOUS a legitimate five star meal!
#2. ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)
Buy ARMY OF DARKNESS on DVD here
Okay, so its manic energy and over the top hysterics hardly construe ARMY OF DARKNESS as a straight up horror flick, but how the hell could we bar Bruce and Raimi from the party. Not a f*ckikn’ chance! Y’all know the gist of this zany sumbitch: when the immortal Ash is transported to the 12th century, he’s gotta fend off an army of deadite ghouls in order to procure the Necronomicon and bring it home safely. In the most kinetic, cartoon-like entry in the EVIL DEAD series, you can tell Raimi is having all kinds of fun here. Fusing zombie lore with period production – costumes, sets, dialect…highlighting Campbell’s slapstick timing, rocking outlandish set-pieces and comedic action sequences…all of it comes together in what many believe to be the most entertaining of the three films (I’m still partial to EVIL DEAD 2 though). If, and we stress IF, Raimi and Campbell hook back up for a 4th EVIL DEAD installment, let’s hope it has same spirit the last one abandoned us with!
#1. THE FILMS OF HAMMER
Buy a Hammer Compilation on DVD here
Not sure about you, but when one utters the phrase “period horror”, nothing comes to mind faster than the impressive canon of Hammer Films. Okay, CARRIE does (big ups Alex D)…TEETH even, but that’s immaterial for our discussion here. Nope, it’s time to candidly fete the age old British studio dedicated to nothing else but our twisted corner of cinema. Horror! Founded in 1934, Hammer churned out hundreds of horror titles, most of them Victorian Gothic threads that no doubt inspired the better part of our compilation. With five decades of fecundity, almost three of inactivity, Hammer has recently been resurged with Alliance Films to produce high and low concept genre films, the first of which being a remake of the 80s TV movie THE WOMAN IN BLACK. So many of Hammer’s back catalogue could have been included here (bet your ass we’ll do a Top Ten Hammer list at some point), but a few forerunning stands out include PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (NOTLD), X: THE UNKNOWN (THE BLOB), THE CURSE OF DRACUA and many others.