Traditional scary movies at knifeman’s place last night.
THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (UK [Hammer], 1967)
Based on the 1934 Dennis Wheatley novel. Conservative upper class sceptical Christians, led by a Christian occultist Christopher Lee, do battle with Satan and his free loving hippie minions. I missed the first bit, only arriving when the heroes were being menaced by an apparition of a giant black man in his underwear. Marvellous.
TRICK ‘R TREAT (USA, 2008)
Enormously fun Halloween spookshow, with four separate scary stories woven together. (Kind of like Pulp Fiction. No, really.) Gloriously over-the-top and unrepentantly goofball, this is a real writer’s movie – Michael Dougherty (who directed) throws in lots of dramatic irony and a nice line in unexpected twists. So much to love! Features Lower Hutt’s finest Anna Paquin, strutting her stuff in a pre-True Blood role. Groovy.
Both flicks are highly recommended Halloween viewing.
Trick ‘r Treat was as good as I wanted it to be, and that rarely happens, so yay.