icyjones' movie mayhem: #42-#44

The Funhouse (1981)

Tobe Hooper directs this evil carnival flick. Elizabeth Berridge stars, who you might remember from Amadeus. She gets naked in this one though.
The first scene is pretty good, even though it is very derivative of Halloween.
I have mixed feelings about this movie overall. There is a reveal that I think happens a little too early. More could have been done with the Funhouse as a setting as well.
We have some fun kills here, but nothing too gory.
I really like the Frankenstein Monster mask worn by one of the characters. Very iconic.

A remake of the silent film classic. This one is directed by Werner Herzog.
Dracula is played by Klaus Kinski. He does a great job and is very creepy throughout.
This is an interesting mix of the classic Dracula story and the altered Nosferatu. Some very deliberate changes were made, which I didn't mind, and actually thought were somewhat refreshing.
Some shots are very artsy, but they aren't over done.
I really like how we get a female protagonist step up to the plate in a vampire film. You hardly see that.

A man and his wife deal with the death of their daughter while in Venice working.
Donald Sutherland is really great in this one. He rarely disappoints.
I was lukewarm about this movie at about the halfway point, but was glad I hung in there. The ending is very good.
This isn't a shocker type film. It is a slow burn that rewards the viewer at the end. The psychic aspect is also very well done.
Venice is as much a character in this movie as anyone.