Tales from the Crypt (1972) Movie Review

Tales from the Crypt (1972) IMDB

Tales from the Crypt (1972) movie poster

I like horror films from the 1970’s. They aren’t as formulaic as the horror movies of today. Older horror films are more about the story and not the special effects. I think this British horror film is especially good at storytelling. This particular movie is based on a set of comics of the same name from the early 1950’s, but you wouldn’t know it from the content.

The opening credits begin with some really good pipe organ music while showing scenes in a cemetery. The movie starts with a group of people on a sightseeing tour under the cemetery in the catacombs where a tour guide says, please keep up with me and do not get lost. But of course this means that 5 from the group get separated, and lost in the maze-like catacombs. Eventually the 5 enter a room and find the Crypt Keeper who tells 5 stories about how each of them might die.

We then see each character get their own story before returning for a final scene and resolution to the movie. Without spoiling anything Story 1 is about a Christmas gift gone wrong and a Santa sighting. Story 2 takes a family man on a late night drive with a friend. Story 3 centers around Valentine’s Day and a bit of neighborly love. Story 4 gives us the classic 3 wish scenario where you need to be careful what you wish for ! and finally Story 5 gives us a new superintendent at a home for the blind who causes enough trouble that a razorblade walled maze is constructed for him to traverse. The ensemble cast includes Peter Cushing and Joan Collins.

Overall these were some really good stories. The 92 minute run time split into multiple stories works well for this.

I give it a solid 7/10.

Check out the trailer:

Or maybe just watch the full movie !

Barbarella (1968) Movie Review

It is time again to review a movie that contains a maze or labyrinth. Today we look athe the cult calssic fantasy movie from 1968, Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.

Barbarella (1968) (IMDB)

Barbarella movie poster

Describing a movie like this can be difficult. It takes place in the year 40,000 and since I do not have a time machine (but would not admit if I did), I cannot say for sure that this is how people will dress in the future, but this looks like a fashion show gone wrong. But, someone would say the same thing about today from 1920, 1820, 1720, 1620…so what do I know.

I know that this is a bad movie. The kind of movie that if you are forced to watch it you do yourself a favor and watch it at a minimum of 1.5X speed. Jane Fonda looks great in 1968. You see a lot of her because she doesn’t seem to have enough clothing most of the time. Not to interrupt myself, but shouldn’t I mention the maze/labyrinth in the movie ?

When Barberella crash lands on a planet during her mission, she must find Durand Durand in the evil city of Sogo. Surrounding Sogo is a labyrinth that contains all the good people who have been expelled from the city because they are not evil. Barb needs to find a way out of the labyrinth and into Sogo. Some of the walls are made of people. Like Soylent Green. Did I ruin it ? It came out in 1973. Deal with it.

The music is terrible. The fashion is questionable. The acting is frightful. The special effects are horrid even adjusting for time, but the poster is kind of awesome !

I give this a 5/10. It is a fun watch if you don’t expect to see anything great.

Check out the movie trailer:

Witching and Bitching (2013) Movie Review

Witching and Bitching (2013) IMDB

Witching and Bitching (2013) movie poster

Also known as Las brujas de Zugarramurdi, you know, because the movie is in Spanish. I really liked the first act of the film where we have a robbery and an escape. It is a fun robbery as far as robberies go. The chase eventually takes us to a small village in a wooded area where our characters meet the witches. Now our characters aren’t escaping the police, they need to escape from becoming dinner ! Although we do have some typical looking witches - old and wrinkly, we do get a young beautiful witch that tempts a few of the robbers. Overall it is a fun movie that is worth a watch if you catch it on tv, but I would not seek it out. In the last section of the movie, when the story breaks apart a bit IMO, we get our characters trying to escape by using underground tunnels that resemble a maze. Do they escape ? Things get weird, I know that.

I give it a 6/10. It is worth a look. Nothing great or terrible here.

Check out the trailer: