Sunday, September 10, 2023

70's American Horror Part Forty-Five

COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT
(1970)
Dir - Joseph Sargent
Overall: GOOD

A computer takeover thriller from director Joseph Sargent, Colossus: The Forbin Project is predictable in its plot construction yet still provides some cautionary, intense moments.  An adaptation of Daniel Feltham Jones' novel Colossus, it serves as the colder cousin to Stanley Kubrick's seminal Dr. Strangelove as it primary plays out via board room meetings between politicians and scientists who are doing everything in their power to not have a super draconian, AI computer system launch nuclear bombs across the globe.  While there is still some humor to be had in the first act where Eric Braeden seems physically incapable of not smirking and later on when he convinces the machine of the title that he needs unmonitored alone time to snuggle up to a fake mistress, (both of whom are forced to sleep in the nude), it is still a straight-faced affair overall.  Some of this is to the movie's detriment as scenes blend into each other in a repetitive fashion due to the isolated presentation, but the tension is gradually increased until a memorable finale that is in sharp contrast to a conventional "feel good" one.  Lastly, the premise itself easily resonates decades later when the rise of artificial intelligence and humankind's hopeless reliance on technology is as steadfast as ever.
 
ASYLUM OF SATAN
(1972)
Dir - William Girdler
Overall: MEH
 
For his second pile of crap Asylum of Satan, (The Satan Spectrum), Kentucky-based director/co-writer William Girdler puts together a tale a young woman who gets transferred to a shady insane asylum, (Are there any other kind?), while her schlubby Not Rob "Meathead" Reiner fiance tries in vain to track her down.  The asylum in question is actually a spacious manor house and Girdler makes the most out of having Carla Borelli walk around it at night, running into a mutilated werewolf or something, a ghostly rocking chair, and a creepy guy in full Anton LeVay garb.  So as the title would suggest, yes, the ridiculous story also manages to throw the Great Deceiver into the mix, as well as various wacky patient deaths that are elaborate for the sake of giving the audience some exploitation value.  As is the case with most if not all regional B-movies, the ambitions exceed the means and Girdler lacks both the skills and budget to pull off anything competent.  Still, the movie has a sleazy, bottom-barrel charm to it and has several moments to laugh at, plus chanted, robed, fog-ridden, candle-lit Satanic rituals in basements are always fun.

THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF
(1973)
Dir - Nathan Juran
Overall: WOOF

Easily one of the most boring and misguided films to explore lycanthropian themes, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf balances marital drama with counter culture religion in a backwoods setting, all but forgetting that it is supposed to be a scary wolfman movie in the process.  The primary angle and most immediate problem that Bob Homel's script takes is in utilizing one of the more tired and annoying cliches in the horror genre, that of a character, (almost always a woman or child), being persistently treated with indifference and scorn every time that they try to convince anyone that otherworldly things are occurring.  As the title would suggest, a boy does indeed cry werewolf over and over again to every adult on screen, none of whom listen until such shenanigans are directly happening in front of them.  Oh wait, they STILL fail to listen even then, instead continuing to think it must have been a large animal or something.  This all leaves little Scott Sealey with no other choice but to be incredibly obnoxious in all of his scenes, scenes that are surrounded by relentlessly talky nonsense and a small handful of moments where Kerwin Mathews nonchalantly portrays one of the least aggressive werewolves in cinema history.  The pacing is just dreadful and any audience member would be wholly justified in giving up once a settlement of Jesus-loving hippies shows up to talk about how groovy the Lord is and how they are going to pray the devil away while living off the land while being high on god.

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