Year: 2018

31 Scary Movies: ‘Village of the Damned’

Jeff Mitchell

“Village of the Damned” (1960) – “I’ve seen it all in a small town.” – John Mellencamp, “Small Town” At first glance, the residents of Midwich, a small British village, seem to be living a comfortable Norman Rockwell-existence, as this country town is complete with a local general store, friendly neighbors and is surrounded by green, rolling hills. When we first meet Professor Gordon Zellaby (George Sanders), he is enjoying a pleasant morning.  The good professor is conversing on the phone in his study with his handsome dog Bruno by…

31 Scary Movies: ‘Psycho’

Jeff Mitchell

“Psycho” (1960) – Film students have marveled at director Alfred Hitchcock’s macabre movie of misdirection for decades, and his picture forced millions of moviegoers to think twice before taking a motel-shower. Rightfully so, as “Psycho” instantly became meshed within pop culture in 1960 and to this day. To this day, every movie aficionado knows that the lonely Bates Motel is the film’s setting, and Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) place may be 15 minutes away from fictional Fairvale, CA, but it actually begins in the bustle of Phoenix, Arizona. Young Marion…

31 Scary Movies: ‘Black Sunday’

Jeff Mitchell

“Black Sunday” (1960) – When an executioner lifts his sledgehammer and smashes a mask with about 20 pointed nails into your face – while you are also tied to a stake and then branded with the letter “S”, the mark of Satan – you gotta know that it is not your day. This is Princess Asa’s (Barbara Steele) horrible day, but what makes matters worse is her own brother sentenced her to this ghastly fate.  Set in the 17th century, this unseemly opening sets a sinister tone for “Black Sunday”, which…