“The house takes care of itself.”
Burnt Offerings (Dan Curtis, 1976)
Jul
1
The chauffeur (Anthony James). DP: Jacques R. Marquette.
– Roz Allardyce
蠱 [Gu / Bewitched] (Chih-Hung Kuei, 1981)
Jun
30
Exorcising demons. DP: Hsin-Yeh Li.
“Don't think too much, it could affect your health, Gabrielle.”
Le démon dans l'île [Demon Is on the Island / Demon of the Island] (Francis Leroi, 1983)
Jun
28
1947
Dr. Gabrielle Martin (Anny Duperey) reads her digital patient file. It mentions her day of birth, June 28, 1947. DP: Jacques Assuérus.
– Dr. Marshall
“Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.”
The Lottery (Larry Yust, 1969)
Jun
27
Drawing lots from a box. DP: Isidore Mankofsky.
This, or any other adaptation of Shirley Jackson's story.
– Shirley Jackson, The Lottery (1948)
Nosferato no Brasil [Nosferato in Brazil] (Ivan Cardoso, 1970)
Jun
21
International Surfing Day
Nosferatu enjoys the breeze and fresh coconut water on the beaches of Rio. I could've posted a still of the surfers here but that would have been boring.
Someone surfing or skateboarding for either International Surfing Day or Go Skateboarding Day
José Mojica Marins' protégé Ivan Cardoso dabbled in short form horror movies. This one features a young hippie vampire who, after being defeated in beachy black-and-white Prague, hikes a ride to Super 8 Brazil. Can't help but notice a bit of (Charlie) Mansonsploitation going on, but that may be just me.
藪の中の黒猫 [Yabu no naka no kuroneko / A Black Cat in a Bamboo Grove] (Kaneto Shindō, 1968)
Jun
19
Garfield the Cat Day
A young woman in white, strangely resembling a cat, seemingly lapping a drink from a bowl. DP: Kiyomi Kuroda.
A scene with a cat for Garfield the Cat Day (USA)
A mother and daughter who are raped and murdered by a rogue samurai, return as cat-shaped onryō, vengeful spirits.
“What is life? It is the beginning of death. What is death? It is the end of life! What is existence? It is the continuity of blood. What is blood? It is the reason to exist!”
À Meia Noite Levarei Sua Alma [At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul] (José Mojica Marins, 1964)
Jun
6
Robert Englund – 1947
Josefel Zanatas, aka Coffin Joe, summoning you to your early grave. DP: Giorgio Attili.
[A] favourite horror movie villain for Robert Englund's birthday (1947).
– Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe), opening lines
In 1963, long before Freddy's got his claws, Brazil didn't have any horror films of its own. Then, José Mojica Marins woke up from uneasy dreams. He had seen himself being dragged across a cemetery by a dark figure, towards a grave with his name on it. Now wide awake in a pool of sweat, José became Josefel Zanatas – the true name of the godless undertaker from his dream.
Josefel, nicknamed Zé do Caixão, or Coffin Joe as he was rechristened for the English speaking world, would be Marins' alter ego in numerous movies and TV shows. His gnarly nails clawed their way past Brazil's censorship, dug themselves out of the pits of obscurity, and impaled themselves deep into this disciple's heart.
Red & Rosy (Frank Grow, 1989)
Jun
3
Big Red (Rico Martinez) in his hotrod. DPs: Frank Grow, Ralph Hawkins & Rico Martinez.
Jonathan (Hans W. Geissendörfer, 1970)
May
26
World Dracula Day
Siring the mortals. DP: Robby Müller.
A vampire for World Dracula Day
This deeply political, unpleasant interpretation of Stoker's Dracula can not not be seen against the backdrop of political movements like the #RAF and West-Germany's youth revolting against the failed #Denazification that the country underwent under supervision of the Allied occupying forces.
Note the usage of colour and grouping of people; Klaus Mann's Mephisto (1981) borrowed quite a few visuals from Jonathan.
