Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year! It symbolizes a special time of year where scary things are suddenly fun. Although it’s a different kind of scary, dedicated more to hammer horrors and funny costumes than to the more violent delights offered by the horror genres. Even the classic slashers of the eighties have a more self-reflexive, fun streak in them, making them accessible to the jumpy and easily scared likes of me.
A family tradition for many years is to watch the classic albeit underrated Hammer horror Monster Club (Roy Ward Baker). A favourite film of my mother’s she was eager to show it to her children when they came of age, although she never really judged suitable ages correctly as nine year old Alexander was terrified of it, going as far as to write and act out at school an alternate ending to The Ghouls story.
But many rewatches later, the fear is no longer there, teenage Alex saw the film for its campy charm and found more joy in macabre storytelling. But while the fear is gone, the fun remains and I mark every Halloween by watching it.
An anthology film, the audience follows horror writer R. Chetwynd-Hayes (a real writer by the way) as he is welcomed by a grateful vampire (Vincent Price) to the Monster Club, where he is told three tales that make up the plot of the film. Everyone I’ve watched this film with has a favourite.
The Shadmock
This is the story of a very nice antiques dealer struggling to overcome a fatally bad temper.
People take sides in this story and its usually with the Shadmock (James Laurenson) as Barbara Kellerman takes a job assisting him as part of a plan to scam him out of a large fortune, she is horrified by his face (which coincidentally is just Laurenson’s actual, quite normal face). However he still falls for her, while he is overwhelmingly sweet and generally a bit pathetic in his interactions with her, we see hints of a terrible ability that makes itself known when he is in severe emotional stress that go on to have terrible consequences.
It’s a fantastic piece of film and while in many ways feels a little more low effort than the following sketches, still boasts a fantastic performances from the actors and several intense scenes that build up a lot of discomfort of what will happen next.
The Vampire
“A Vampire Producer”
“Aren’t they all”
The second story is told through a film screening by a vampire producer (inspired by the film’s actual producer Milton Subotsky). It tells the tale of an unhappy child who is bullied at school and despite a loving relationship, he sees little of his father who works nights “in the blood business”. Ultimately he is tricked by inept, bureaucratic vampire hunters who follow him home and stake their father.
This is the only story with the happy ending however, as the vampire (not before taking out one of the hunters) tricks them with a stake proof vest and strategically placed packets of Tomato Ketchup. This one has always been my favourite, as a child because I could see myself as the rather unhappy boy and as an adult because I can see myself as the producer making a film about it.
But the short is so upbeat and enjoyable with reference to family sitcoms of the time that its impossible not to fall in love with its charm and fun.
The Ghoul
The third story screwed me up as a child, I couldn’t sleep for several nights and I had to employ school friends in acting out a new ending I had written where Stuart Whitman and his newly adopted daughter Lesley Dunlop escape back to London, destroy the village and make a damn good film in the process.
Alas my ending is not canon and we have to deal with what was a very unpleasant short to watch, with moments that still make my mother look away. A Director looking for filming locations finds himself trapped in a village, populated by ghouls; zombie like creatures that dig up those in the graveyard to eat and steal clothes from.
He is aided by the half human Luna who he wishes to thank with a new life in civilisation. During his escape and hideout at a church (where the ghouls cannot enter) we are told through disturbing illustrations and spine tingling electronic music, the story of how the ghouls came to the village and ate the remaining humans. Sadly the protagonists are to meet the same fate.
The Initiation
By the end of the story the audience has had a lot of fun, three great stories, some good musical numbers and introduction to lots of strange and unique characters. But Vincent Price gives a very message fuelled speech to welcome a human into the club, he talks of the bloody and violent history of humans, that makes them the most monstrous of monsters, evoking thunderous applause and a dance party to end the film on.
It’s the perfect Halloween film, its fun but with no shortage of little scares to keep you going!
T H E N A I V E F I L M M A K E R 