Halloween Horror Movie #10:
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Burn Witch Burn (aka Night of the Eagle) (1962): Based on Fritz Leiber's novel Conjure Wife, the film follows a college professor (played by Peter Wyngarde) who uncovers that his wife (Janet Blair) is practicing witchcraft and begins to see his luck shift when he forces her to stop. With a script penned by Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont (along with George Baxt, who also wrote the film I watched early this month The City of the Dead), it's no surprise that this feels very much like a feature-length episode of The Twilight Zone, but in all the best ways. I read and enjoyed the Leiber book, so I knew where the plot was kinda heading, but that did not take away from the enjoyment of this film in the least. The build-up is fantastic, and the movie is actually rather dark as the professor is actually accused of rape at one point. While some might not like the special effects in the climax, it actually made me love this movie even more. While I wish that we had a little bit more as far as the final resolution, this movie is an absolute hidden gem of a film and deserves more recognition than what it gets.
For physcal media fans, the Kino Lorber blu-ray is very nice. It includes both versions of the film, the original UK version Night of the Eagle, and the American edit Burn Witch Burn. While the title of the American version is so much more provocative than the UK, the UK cut is actually better in my opinion. As a quick aside, I think that Leiber's title is the best of the three. Now, from what I have gathered on a quick review of the US version, the only difference between the UK and the American version is that at the beginning of the American version is the addition of beginning sequence where a William Castle-esque narrator tells the audience that the film actually contains spells and that another spell must be cast to protect the viewer, and then proceeds in a bunch of "spell-casting." And then there is a card that comes up at the film's climax asking the viewer if they now believe in witchcraft. Neither of which really fit the tone of the film, which is very smart and character driven. So I'd suggest watching the UK version. There is also an audio commentary for the film by Richard Matheson that I am very keen to listen to, but I just haven't had the chance yet. Once again, highly recommended! Grade: A
Halloween Horror Movie #11:
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You'll Never Find Me (2023): This very contained two-hander focuses on a middle-aged man alone in his small mobile home gets a knock at his door late at night, only to find it to be a young woman seeking refuge from the storm raging outside. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game of who the characters really are and what their true motivations might be. I'm a sucker for these kind of chamber pieces and while there are a couple of moments of the script spinning its wheels and straining reasoning as to why these characters are staying with each other, I found this movie to be so interesting. The movie builds to its climax and pays off in a way that I found to be so compelling. To say any more would be to ruin the film, so I'll remain vague. There are a lot of complaints in reviews that this "isn't a horror film," and while I agree that this tends to be more in the psychological thriller vein and works mostly on a slow methodical build-up of tension and suspense, where the film ultimately lands as far as its psychological implications is very horrific. While not for the "jump scare crowd," if you like a slower build to your films, then this could be your cup of tea. Grade: B+
Halloween Horror Movie #12:
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You're Next (2011): This home invasion movie about a young woman and her boyfriend who attends a family gathering to celebrate his parent's wedding anniversary only to find the entire family under siege from masked killers was a rewatch for me and I still really like this film. Some of the acting is rather rough in my opinion and the movie doesn't necessarily do anything new with this plot, but it's fun and effective. Sharni Vinson in the lead role is so good that it makes me wonder why we never see a lot more of her in bigger films. Ultimately, I still really enjoy this film and I'm glad that I revisited it. Grade: B
yX8aq3cKlpOBfnOMBm2rHI96xKN.jpg
Burn Witch Burn (aka Night of the Eagle) (1962): Based on Fritz Leiber's novel Conjure Wife, the film follows a college professor (played by Peter Wyngarde) who uncovers that his wife (Janet Blair) is practicing witchcraft and begins to see his luck shift when he forces her to stop. With a script penned by Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont (along with George Baxt, who also wrote the film I watched early this month The City of the Dead), it's no surprise that this feels very much like a feature-length episode of The Twilight Zone, but in all the best ways. I read and enjoyed the Leiber book, so I knew where the plot was kinda heading, but that did not take away from the enjoyment of this film in the least. The build-up is fantastic, and the movie is actually rather dark as the professor is actually accused of rape at one point. While some might not like the special effects in the climax, it actually made me love this movie even more. While I wish that we had a little bit more as far as the final resolution, this movie is an absolute hidden gem of a film and deserves more recognition than what it gets.
For physcal media fans, the Kino Lorber blu-ray is very nice. It includes both versions of the film, the original UK version Night of the Eagle, and the American edit Burn Witch Burn. While the title of the American version is so much more provocative than the UK, the UK cut is actually better in my opinion. As a quick aside, I think that Leiber's title is the best of the three. Now, from what I have gathered on a quick review of the US version, the only difference between the UK and the American version is that at the beginning of the American version is the addition of beginning sequence where a William Castle-esque narrator tells the audience that the film actually contains spells and that another spell must be cast to protect the viewer, and then proceeds in a bunch of "spell-casting." And then there is a card that comes up at the film's climax asking the viewer if they now believe in witchcraft. Neither of which really fit the tone of the film, which is very smart and character driven. So I'd suggest watching the UK version. There is also an audio commentary for the film by Richard Matheson that I am very keen to listen to, but I just haven't had the chance yet. Once again, highly recommended! Grade: A
Halloween Horror Movie #11:
large_YoullNeverFindMe_PressArt_2x3.jpg
You'll Never Find Me (2023): This very contained two-hander focuses on a middle-aged man alone in his small mobile home gets a knock at his door late at night, only to find it to be a young woman seeking refuge from the storm raging outside. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game of who the characters really are and what their true motivations might be. I'm a sucker for these kind of chamber pieces and while there are a couple of moments of the script spinning its wheels and straining reasoning as to why these characters are staying with each other, I found this movie to be so interesting. The movie builds to its climax and pays off in a way that I found to be so compelling. To say any more would be to ruin the film, so I'll remain vague. There are a lot of complaints in reviews that this "isn't a horror film," and while I agree that this tends to be more in the psychological thriller vein and works mostly on a slow methodical build-up of tension and suspense, where the film ultimately lands as far as its psychological implications is very horrific. While not for the "jump scare crowd," if you like a slower build to your films, then this could be your cup of tea. Grade: B+
Halloween Horror Movie #12:
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You're Next (2011): This home invasion movie about a young woman and her boyfriend who attends a family gathering to celebrate his parent's wedding anniversary only to find the entire family under siege from masked killers was a rewatch for me and I still really like this film. Some of the acting is rather rough in my opinion and the movie doesn't necessarily do anything new with this plot, but it's fun and effective. Sharni Vinson in the lead role is so good that it makes me wonder why we never see a lot more of her in bigger films. Ultimately, I still really enjoy this film and I'm glad that I revisited it. Grade: B
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