The Killer that Stalked New York

This is a 1950 thriller film noir directed by Earl McEvoy. The stars includes Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, Dorothy Malone and William Bishop. 

A couple return to New York from a trip although with dodgy dealings there. The girlfriend meets her boyfriend back home on a separate return, and she travels through the city meeting people and hoping to reunite with her friend. However, an old disease is spread throughout the city and police are looking for the main carrier, who they suspect might be the woman. Whoever she came into contact with, fell ill.

This is a really good drama with an eerie foreshadowing of the actual real life pandemic we experienced in the 21st century during Covid. They feature everything in the film from there being a lockdown, anti-vaxxers and mass hysteria. This was made in 1947 although released later. Loosely based on a smallpox outbreak in the 1940's but vaccinated very quickly. The main lead played by Evelyn Keyes was given this role as punishment by Harry Cohn out of malice really. Despite that this is a really underrated hidden masterpiece of a film. I give it 8/10. (Spoiler below if you want to look).

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Spoiler - This film is dark 

An Angel for Satan

This is a 1966 Italian horror thriller film in monolog. It was directed by Camillo Mastrocinque and it stars Barbara Steele, Anthony Steffen and Claudio Gora. 

Set during the 19th century on a remote fishing village, a statue is discovered from the bottom of the lake and an artist is hired to restore it. Once the artist arrives in the village, he's aware of local gossip about the statue making everyone superstitious with fear that it's cursed. Mysterious deaths happen and a woman becomes obsessed with the statue.

The English actress Barbara Steele made a number of Italian gothic films but this was the last one she made before working on other genres. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Luigi Emmanuele, a writer who worked in films including "The Last Days of Pompeii" 1959. The film "An Angel for Satan" is both chilling and full of twists. I give this haunting piece of gothic supernatural drama a worthy 8/10.

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Lady in White

 This is a supernatural horror thriller made in 1988, directed by Frank LaLoggia, starring Lukas Haas, Len Cariou and Alex Rocco.

A man is remembering a strange event that happened in his childhood during the 1960's. As he begins to describe things, we're shown the scene of him as a boy at school preparing for Halloween with his classmates. Things turn bad for him after being tricked by other boys so he's locked inside the school closet. When night comes, he's able to see a ghost of a young girl. Things become darker and terrifying, so that mystery grows and he discovers something far more sinister.

A chilling story with some quite funny characters (the school teacher and grandfather are portrayed as silly but for comic relief). Not really a family film as it's too scary in places. No gruesome or sex scenes although some shocking violence. The story is loosely based on an urban legend about the "white lady" of  Rochester in New York, said to be about a ghost of a woman searching for her baby. I last watched this when I was 18 years old. It's a fun fantasy horror thriller that is both beautifully made with lots of Autumn atmosphere for a good wholesome family horror. (Spoiler below if you want to see it).

I rate this little gem 8/10

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Spoiler - There are three ladies in white.

Tales from the Crypt (1972)

This is an Amicus anthology British horror film made in 1972, directed by Freddie Francis. The stars includes Peter Cushing, Joan Collins and Ralph Richardson. 

In an underground crypt is a tour but five tourists wander off and find themselves locked in a tomb. They meet a strange crypt keeper who knows everything about them individually. The tourists are strangers to each other but everyone of them is there for a purpose, and it's very unpleasant. The film takes us on a journey of the five trapped tourists and explores their evil. 

While this is a chilling and brutal film, it's got an even sadder meaning. Peter Cushing plays a widower who uses a Ouija Board to contact the spirit of his dead wife Helen. In real life, Peter Cushing lost his wife Helen. The character he played was a reflection of his own grief. 

The film was remade in 1982 by Stephen King but called "Creepshow". There is a TV series "Tales from the Crypt" (1989) produced by Robert Zemeckis who really loved the 1972 film, but based the series on comics of the same title. Those "Tales from the Crypt" comics too two stories from the 1972 film. Director Freddie Francis of the 1972 film helped with the TV series "Tales from the Crypt." 

Very enigmatic and scary worth 9/10.

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