Halloween 2024: October 10th

Desecration (1999)

Thousands of years ago, before the dawn of YouTube and click-bait listicles became a cottage industry, I recall seeing a forum post – I think it was on the BadMovies.org message board – listing the "most disturbing movies of all time." It was a fairly tame list, from what I recall, as this was before titles like "Salo" and "Cannibal Holocaust" had truly reached meme status. One of the few films mentioned there that I hadn't heard of was something called "Desecration." Coincidentally, around the same time, Fangoria was hyping up this film's director, Dante Tomaselli, as a hot up-and-coming name in the genre. Two decades have passed since then, Tomaselli's career never quite taking off. "Desecration," his debut feature, has fallen into obscurity and doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere. My memory is long, however, and I decided this was the year I finally got around to watching this one. 

When Bobby was but a small child, his mother killed herself in front of him. Left in the care of his elderly grandmother, Bobby has grown into a quiet, withdrawn young man. At the Catholic school he attends, he's on the verge of being thrown out for poor academic performance. While playing with a radio controlled airplane, Bobby accidentally crashes the device into a nun's neck, killing her. This triggers a chain reaction of supernatural events around the school grounds. Ghostly, demonic nuns terrorize the other sisters while Bobby is slowly dragged into his own personal hell, his sickly grandmother doing her best to save him. 

It should not exactly be surprising to read that Tomaselli was raised Catholic. This upbringing seems to reverberate through his entire career. "Desecration" is a movie acutely concerned with the symbiology of Catholicism. One of its earliest scenes involves nuns being brought into the cloth by a bishop, a ritual that Tomaselli shots through an ominous lens. Nuns remain the main source of terror throughout the film, "Desecration" being stuck on the idea of placing hideous faces within the familiar black-and-white habit. Meanwhile, the film's violence repeatedly takes on a crucifixion like tone, such as when a young nun is cut up by floating scissors or a frog is dissected in a Christ pose. Stigmatic burns on the palm of the hand and people being dragged down to Hell are also reoccurring images. For extra irony, the movie is set around Christmas too. Watching "Desecration" is a lot like seeing someone vent their childhood religious trauma on-screen, a deep suspicion and sense of unease floating around all its Catholic tinged visuals. 

Tomaselli is also gay and, while "Desecration" is not an explicitly queer story, it does carry a sense of deeply seated guilt throughout. The suicide of Bobby's mother seems to have damned him early in life. Throughout the movie, he's constantly harassed by priests, teachers, nuns, his father, and other students. The model airplane related manslaughter that kicks off the plot was solely unintentional on his behalf. However, he's repeatedly blamed for it anyway, alongside being harangued for his poor grades. He's destined for Hell through no fault of his own, his grandmother being the only person to show him any sympathy. This feeling of childhood trauma dooming someone for life is also present throughout "Desecration." A creepy nightmare sense has Bobby being forced into a cage while wearing a diaper as his mother pelts him with milk, a demonic jack-in-the-box and Humpty Dumpty leering near-by. Later, a pile of bloody toys rain from the ceiling. I have no idea if Tomaselli's budding homosexual met his Catholic upbringing as a boy, making him feel damned for something totally beyond his control, but that subtext lingers throughout "Desecration." 

"Desecration" was made in the late nineties but you could probably be tricked into thinking it's from the eighties. The film was shot on 35mm, carrying a grainy visual presentation that is still evident on the Blu-ray. The special effects are crude and the film largely takes place in non-descript rooms and backwoods. Tomaselli makes this homemade grittiness work for him though. A creepy atmosphere is made through humble means, like smoke billowing under a door or a nun's shadow ominously being cast on a wall. The full-on descent into Hell in the last act features a demonic doorway that wouldn't be out-of-place in a Wildwood dark ride. The loose story and low budget but nightmarish visuals create a weirdly personal feeling throughout. The simple sight of someone being sucked into a hole proves distressing exactly because of how plain it looks. Tomaselli replicates the cheapness of an eighties regional horror too, mostly via the unconvincing acting and underwritten characters. Irma St. Paule affects a hilarious that's-a-spicy-a-meatball Italian accent as the grandmother while Danny Lopes is largely unexpressive as Bobby, a character who never truly comes to life. However, the hammy acting and clear lack of production values only add to the unnerving ambiance of the movie, making "Desecration" seem all the more like a movie transferred directly from someone's subconscious. 

Tomaselli is related to "Alice Sweet Alice" director Alfred Sole, who gets a prominent special thanks credit. That film is clearly a big influence on "Desecration," both exhibiting a deep unease but undeniable familiarity with Catholic rituals. Both films have a low budget seediness to them that makes their deeply personal content feel all the more perverse. When combined with its obscurity and unavailability – though the Blu-Ray is still cheap despite definitely being out-of-print – "Desecration" feels all the more like something forbidden or repressed. I don't think I'd refer to it as one of the most disturbing movies ever made but, despite its cheap and cheesy sensibilities, there is something uncomfortable about the film. It reminds me of other regional creep-fests like "Messiah of Evil" or "Where Evil Dwells," in that the lack of resources only add to the specificity of its unsettling mood. Tomaselli's other work is divisive but, based on the merits of "Desecration," I think I'll definitely be giving it a look. [7/10]

Witchdoctor of the Livingdead (1985)

Those with no investment in the film industry might incorrectly assume that Hollywood is the motion picture capital of the world. While certain arguments can be made for this claim, it's absolutely not true in terms of volume. India continues to be the country that makes the most movies. If you're reading these words, you probably know this. A less well publicized fact is that America can't claim the Silver in this category either. Nigeria houses the second most prolific film industry in the world, earning its cinematic output the controversial nickname "Nollywood." The sheer number of movies made in Nigeria can mostly be attributed to the VHS boom of the eighties and nineties. These films were shot quickly and cheaply, released straight to tape (and later disc) and distributed directly to the consumers. Horror has remained a popular genre in Nigeria, since the release of "Evil Encounter" – actually a widely bootlegged television production – on tape in 1983. Alas, few Nigerian films have seen distribution in the continental U.S., much less their monster movies. However, one that's had a slightly larger reach is the 1985 oddity "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead." The fine folks at the American Genre Film Archives – showing they aren't too focused on the first part of that name – recently picked this up for distribution, exposing it to a much wider audience. 

A small village has fallen under a horrible curse. The residents are being attacked by zombies. Cobras are crawling up people's buttholes and out their mouths. Their crops are dying and being eaten by a goat. It's all the work of a shirtless witch doctor, who claims the villagers have turned their back on their native religion by practicing Christianity. The supernatural torment will not cease until they all bring him chickens. The only people standing in the witch doctor's way is the town's righteous preacher and the detective he calls in from the city. I swear to God, all those plot points are real. 

I use the term "outsider art" to describe films made outside the professional studio system a lot. However, "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead" is truly an example of amateur filmmaking, made by a crew with no desire to conform to the traditional rules of cinema. Music, ripped from Hollywood films, starts and stops abruptly. Cartoonish sound effects are often heard. The camera lingers on scenes for too long, devoting screen time to a guy ringing a cow bell or actors staring at each other. Slow motion is abused frequently. Performers look directly into the camera, which sometimes shakes or goes out of focus. The dialogue is repetitive and, more often than not, shouted. Nigeria is home to over 500 languages and the film industry gets around this by shooting most movies in English. However, the actors do not seem to be native speakers, making the dialogue hilariously awkward. In other words, "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead" is a true example of one hundred percent homemade filmmaking, creative people doing it strictly for the love of the game and having a great time all the while. An utter sense of sincerity vibrates through every blurry, grainy second of this motion picture. If you can't feel any joy while watching these actors and filmmakers have fun, then you clearly never made movies in your backyard with a camcorder and some friends.

Given the extremely lo-fi level of filmmaking at work here, it should not be surprising to read that "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead's" approach to horror is similarly unorthodox. The zombie make-up is composed largely of white paint on the faces of people in tattered suits. Rubber snakes star in several scenes, wiggling in and out of actor's mouths. Plastic skeletons pop out of coffins, chalk is blown into faces to induce trances, and people glower in wrinkly alien masks. In other words, "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead" takes a Halloween prop shop approach to horror and it's incredibly charming every time. Notably, the only time the film steps outside of this willfully fake aesthetic is when it goes too far in the other direction. An extended sequence involves the detective shooting a real life goat with real life arrows, before slitting its throat. I know, since I eat meat, it's hypocritical of me to not want to see that stuff in movies but... The casual animal cruelty definitely puts a damper on the film's otherwise amusingly fast and loose atmosphere of do-it-yourself spooky, goopy fun. 

One of the most valuable aspects of watching movies made in different countries is getting a micro-dose of another culture. As crude and purposefully wacky as "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead" is, it too gives us a view into Nigerian life. The film filters Western horror tropes through a regional lens, the shambling zombies in the Romero tradition being under the sway of the witch doctor, as in traditional African folk magik. The bodily invasion by snakes also feels like something out of native mythology. Mostly though, it's "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead's" not-at-all subtle Christian undertones that make it fascinating. The plot literalizes the struggle between African heathenism and the widely practiced but imported Christian beliefs. The witch doctor turning his victims into zombies has him literally forcing people to follow his ways. Meanwhile, crucifixes, crosses, and prayer are all used to ward off evil. Like a lot of modern Christian propaganda, the film depicts paganism as both an insidious threat that is all powerful but also easily left shaken by the mention of God. It's notable that the witch doctor – always screaming, shirtless, sweaty – is equally a figure of ridicule as he is fear. No matter how comical and amateuristic the film is, it still gives us a peek into the on-going conflict between traditional native belief systems and the Christianization of Nigeria. 

Saved for that poor goat being cut up, "Witchdoctor of the Livingdead" is an utterly delightful and thoroughly gonzo experience. Films like this render movie making as a truly democratic art, open to anyone with a camera, some resources, and enough friends willing to act out a hastily typed up screenplay. It's someone fulfilling a dream and not letting anything – certainly not a lack of money or experience – get in their way. What could be more honorable than that? It's also all of eighty minutes long, nearly every second of it being wildly entertaining and completely hysterical in its insistence on putting moving images on a screen. I'm a Nollywood convert now. Where can I watch more of this crazy shit? If you have a tolerance for zero-budget horror powered by let's-put-on-a-show chutzpah, and an ear for heavy accents, absolutely hunt this one down. [7/10]

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction: A Touch of Evil

Most of the anthology shows I've discussed aired before my time. Or at least before the time I started paying attention. "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction," however, is a program I vividly recall. The defining gimmick for the show is that every episode presented five stories, some being based on supposedly true events and others being entirely invented by the writers. At the end of each hour, host Jonathan Frakes would reveal the truth. My mom and I made a weekly ritual of watching "Beyond Belief." (As with "In Search Of...," her Trekkie instinct is probably why she viewed the show with me.) I can recall writing down my predictions for which segments were true and whether I was right. In more recent years, the show – or at least Frakes' whimsical host segments – has become an internet meme. I've been meaning to revisit the show since then and, seeing as how most episodes featured stories that veered into the supernatural or horrific, now seems like a good time to do so. 

Among the episodes, the twelfth installment from the second season seems to have frightened the most children. Its segments are vaguely linked by the topic of evil: A married couple attempts to set a world record after restoring a vintage "Merry-Go-Round" that is reportedly cursed. A sleazy "Used Car Salesman" sells his customers malfunctioning vehicles, leading to at least one fatal accident, before supernatural justice is visited on him. A Serbian immigrant has his convenience store – formerly owned by a man who was murdered – robbed twice in one day, the strange facts in the case revealed by what the "Surveillance Camera" records. In 1941, a high school is defaced with "Graffiti" and the principal blames it on a slippery delinquent, not realizing the message is actually predicting the future. The episode owes its infamy to the second story. That concerns the Sterling family, who move into a new home and are soon terrorized by a "Red Eyed Creature."

Watching "Beyond Belief" as an adult, the show's hokey qualities are all too evident. Since each segment is less than ten minutes long, there's not much time to set things in motion. Most of the stories in "A Touch of Evil" follow an easily predictable formula, of an ironic, supernatural twist righting a wrong or punishing someone for their perceived hubris. The husband in "Merry-Go-Round" rejects warnings about a curse, only to seemingly fall prey to it. The sleazy car salesman rips people off callously and otherworldly vengeance befalls him. An asshole principal hassles a kid, unaware of the actual disaster predicted by the reoccurring messages. Most of these twists – the last one especially – are really easy to predict. Even more so when paired with the show's often heavy-handed writing and direction. Some swirling montages in "Merry-Go-Round" are distractingly goofy. I don't think anyone working on "Beyond Belief" was taking things too seriously, as Frakes' host segments are full of cheesy puns. 

I'm certainly not above enjoying some stupid, cheesy bullshit every once in a while though. Most of "A Touch of Evil" is disposable enough. "Surveillance Camera" is a definitely lame fable, meandering towards an obvious conclusion that isn't very satisfying. The stories said to be based in fact are hard to accept at face value. The words "inspired by" and "similar events occurred" do a lot of heavy lifting. Frakes is clearly having a good time though. He often smirks, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he presents visual illusions from inside a spooky museum set. 

"Red Eyed Creature" is notable for not having any sort of moral message. Its twist exists solely to be a scary, gotcha ending. I can definitely see a kid being freaked out by such a mean-spirited – though rather nonsensical – conclusion. Or the earlier scene, of the red-eyed entity appearing in the dark kitchen, could cause chills among the very young. Each of the stories in this "Fact or Fiction" episode are narrated by one of the characters, making the whole thing feel more like a collection of old ghost stories. (And at least one story here is an old urban legend, something the show frequently featured.) It's hard to call this high-art but I'll probably watch more episodes in the future. Don LaFontaine as announcer, swirling lights and whooshing sound effects bumper, and Frakes' campy rhetorical questions surrounding dubiously factual tales of the paranormal is too much of a good time for me. [6/10]

The Addams Family: Uncle Fester's Toupee

In another unexpected bit of continuity for a sixties sitcom, "Uncle Fester's Toupee" is built around his previously referenced pen pal, Madelyn from Paris... Not the one from Paris, France, the one from Paris, Illinois. However, Fester has told Madelyn some fibs. Namely, that he has a full head of hair and is the athletic type. When the pen pal announced she's making a house call, Fester panics. Gomez and Mortica decide to help him out by purchasing a fine toupee. The reinvention seems to work, as Madelyn is charmed and wants to marry Fester after their first afternoon together. How much longer can the ruse go on?

It's good to know that men wildly lying about their appearance was not an innovation of the internet dating era. (Not that I thought it was.) The tension inherent in such a deception is ripe for comedic exploitation. Fester's attempts to reinvent himself for this woman, or to awkwardly copy Gomez's moves, makes good use of Jackie Coogan's weird screen presence. Especially the big physical gags that follow, such as him tackling a macabre football dummy and trying to slip the toupee back on after Madelyn starts kissing him. 

Unless most visitors to the Addams mansion, Madelyn seems fairly accepting of the family's morbid décor. At first, I thought this might be intentional. Madelyn mentions that she's been married five times before. That makes me wonder if "Addams Family Values'" black widow plot drew from this episode some. However, "Fester's Toupee" doesn't explore that avenue and has Madelyn storm out after seeing her beau is bald.I guess she's not a murderess, only willing to marry any guy as long as he has a full head of hair. Maybe such a plot was a little too dark for a family show. Nevertheless, Elizabeth Fraser is a game performer in the role. 

Also, guys in poorly fitting toupees are always funny, aren't they? A long sequence is set around a wig salesman named Max coming to visit. There's plenty of expected moments, such as him responding with shock to Thing and Kitty Cat. Still, it's hard to undersell the the value in seeing Gomez trying on a series of goofy toupees. Or Lurch accidentally snatching off Max's wig when removing his hat. As always, the cast more than sells it all, John Astin and Carolyn Jones especially getting some good lines in as they comment on how Fester's date is going. [7/10]