kai ringler
I really liked this one because it's a little different than most horror pictures that I've seen,, first off you don't get many horror pictures set during the Yuletide season, in this one a young man inherits his father's old house , which use to be an insane asylum,, and at a local town hall meeting he decides he's gonna sell for 50,000 dirt cheap, but he gives the people notice that they have something like 48 hours to decide.. 20 years earlier his father was set on fire in that house,, and hasn't been seen since.. Word get's around to another insane asylum across town where a crazed lunatic, decides that he is gonna take refuge in the old butler house,, and from here on it becomes clear that the body count will definitely rise,, very decent picture on a low budget.
preppy-3
Story that takes place in Arlington MA (my home town:)). A creepy old mansion that has been deserted for years is going to be sold...despite the will of the former owner who said it should never be touched. The real estate agent who helped sell it (top billed Patrick O'Neal) and his girlfriend decide to spend a night in the mansion...and are axed to death. Soon townspeople are getting calls from the mansion telling them to come on up...to celebrate.The story is disjointed (to say the least), the dialogue is terrible and some of the acting is pretty bad...but it works in spots. It was shot in the winter giving it a sparse, creepy atmosphere. The house itself is beautiful...and scary. Genre favorites John Carradine and Mary Woronov are on hand and are pretty good. The murders are mostly heard and not seen but that actually works in their favor. Best of all is an incredibly eerie sequence during the last half hour shot in sepia. That part alone makes this worth watching. Also there are a few surprising (if totally implausible) twists at the end. It's worth at least one viewing for horror fans.
ajb60-1
I enjoyed this and did not guess the killer. That is always a good thing. The film obviously was made on a very, very slim budget, the night scenes are almost impossible to see. In a film like this, that can be good and bad. There was potential here for a real old fashioned early 1970's Gothic thriller. It has its moments, and you can see the potential is there. The director had some good ideas, and several scenes are memorable. But the cheap budget does hurt. The performances by Mary Woronov and James Patterson are perfect for this kind of film. Patterson always intrigued me, you cannot really find anything about this very interesting actor who died very young. I know he won a Tony award, did a lot of stage work, appeared in two interesting Mission Impossible episodes, and died either while filming this movie, or shortly afterward. He was only 40 and apparently had terminal cancer. He reminds me a an early version of Robert Davi in appearance, and could have had a good career as a character actor had he lived. I wish we could find out more about him. The film does mislead somewhat in listing Patrick O'Neal and John Carradine as stars. I am not sure what Carradine is even doing in the film, and O'Neal is not in it for very long. All in all, though, I enjoyed this film.
Tender-Flesh
If you hate low budget schlock, tread not towards the TV when this is playing. However, should you be a lover of obscure weird old trash, this might be just what you are looking for.The basic plot follows a sordid family tree and the mysterious Butler house, an isolated "mansion" off in the woods near a tiny town. When the home suddenly is put up for sale after so many years of laying empty(or is it?) the town VIPs are hopeful that there might be an end to the trouble associated with the house. However, almost before the very finale, you will discover that all the townies worth mentioning are somehow tied to the history of the home and its bloody trail.This is shot on grainy, murky film with terrible editing and lackluster sound. Some of the dialogue is dubbed. John Carradine has more than a cameo but slightly less than a minor role and has no speaking parts. He does, however, ring a little bell frequently and annoyingly. Mary Woronov is quite a dish and this is the first film I recall watching with her in the cast. This is a largely bloodless film, except for a "meh" scene near the beginning where two people get the axe. While a bloody scene, it is not realistic in the slightest. The axe hits the bed sheets several times, but you never see it penetrate any bodies.Yes, there is some atmosphere to be had here, but it is mainly due to the low budget and murky quality of the film overall. I wouldn't give any props to the actors or director(or writer) since they don't add up to much. As I said before, though, Woronov is nice on the eyes if you like 70's tarts. A sepia-tone flashback adds an unusual touch towards the end, but several voice-over narrations are tedious.Effective time waster.
AD
