HF: Kim Novak would like to report a rape

LOL - this is an interesting slate.

DON'T GO IN THE WOODS
(Vincent D'Onofrio, 2012)
Yes, that Vincent D'Onofrio.  He directed and crafted the story for this, uh, rather odd slasher film that finds a group of musicians alone in the woods with a masked maniac.  Now, the idea of Vincent directing a movie is interesting enough.  He's always a unique actor to watch no matter what the vehicle.  One would assume he'd craft a attention-grabbing film whichever genre he chose, though you'd probably guess it would be a dark drama.  The film is separated from its slasher bretheren because rather than just make these young bandmembers lambs to the slaughter, he's given them musical numbers!  Yes, what we have here is some kind of mumblecore indie with Once-esque numbers and carnage candy.  The result feels like the cast of Glee did a slasher episode, but only had about $300 to make it.  I can't think of a horror film that utilized actual people singing, other than some parts of The Wicker Man.  I'm not opposed to this idea, because if it was done right it could've been something really groundbreaking.  It doesn't work here, as its just twentysomethings singing their emo feelings while a killer lurks about.  And lurks.  And lurks.  He occasionally kills, but for the most part just lurks.  It also seems that no one involved with the film has ever actually been in the woods, given there's roads visible in the background of just about every shot.  The best moment of the film and one that actually does work features two girls walking away from the campfire back to their cars while they sing about how scared they are.  It's just their faces behind a lantern with darkness around them.  I'll give this one credit for at least trying.  GRADE: C

ETA: Here is that moment:


PEEPING TOM
(Michael Powell, 1960)
Audiences in 1960 got a double whammy between this and Psycho.  The tail-end of that era that people want us to go back to brought about serial killers with parental and sexual issues.  Carl Boehm (reminding me of Udo Kier) plays a movie cameraman who films the last moments of his victims.  A sweet downstairs neighbor (Anna Massey, like Judy Greer crossed with Cynthia Nixon) is drawn to him, unaware of the pasttime of the shy man.  For the time, this British shocker tested the limits a bit more than Hitchcock's classic given the abundance of scantily clad women and high body count.  It'll probably require a few more viewings to grasp all the psychosexual subtext, but I'm certain the camera is a penis.  Duh.  The characters and their interactions are innovative, and the leads have great chemistry.  It's one of the few serial killer movies with a likeable serial killer.  You could also look to this one as providing the groundwork that led to the "found footage" subgenre.  GRADE: A-  
 
BELL BOOK AND CANDLE
(Richard Quine, 1958)
Frothy romantic dramedy that follows a New York City witch (Kim Novak) who falls for her neighbor (James Stewart).  She casts a spell to make him dump his fiancee, leading her to wonder whether he's really in love with her or if its just the spell.  This is more of the type of movie I'd like to see during my Horrorfest, despite it defying the name of the festival.  I've always felt witches were underrepresented in the pantheon of movie monsters/villains/supernatural whathaveyous.  There was talk about a remake of this film in the late 90's, with Sharon Stone in the lead.  I'd like her more than Novak.  I believe this is the first film of Kim's I've seen and I'm kind of unimpressed.  I'm certain I've heard many times that was she was known as being more of a beauty than a great actress.  She's very slight, a little too breathy and unless the color on my television was off - was her hair purpleish?  It doesn't help that she's opposite Stewart and Jack Lemmon.  Lemmon was my favorite element of this film.  Bell is a bit more of a Christmas movie with its snowy NYC sidewalks, despite all the sorcery.  GRADE: B