Dead Man's Island

"Dead Man's Island" (1996) is a mystery/thriller made for TV film that takes place on a remote island, starring: Barbara Eden, William Shatner, Roddy McDowall, Morgan Fairchild, Traci Lords, David Faustino, Christopher Atkins, Olivia Hussey, Jameson Parker, Christopher Cazenove and Don Most.

Chase Prescott (Shatner) is a rich man who owns many companies and a beautiful mansion on a remote, private island.  He invites a cast of characters from his businesses, friends and family to the island retreat because he thinks one of them is trying to kill him for his fortune.  He has also invited an old friend, Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins (but everyone calls her Henrie O.) (Eden), who is a renowned journalist so she can investigate these suspects and let him know who the would be killer is.

The list of suspects include: Valerie St. Vincent (Fairchild) who wants Chase to back her on a Broadway play; Trevor Dunnaway (McDowall), Prescott's attorney; Miranda Prescott (Lords), Chase's beautiful young wife; Burton Andrews (Most), Chase's private secretary; Lyle Stedman (Parker), Senior Vice President at Chase's company; sons Haskell (Faustino) & Roger (Atkins); and housemaid Rosie (Hussey) and butler Milo (Cazenove).

Barbara Eden does a good job as Henrie O (although her Texas accent is less than convincing) - asking all the guests the uncomfortable questions everyone would rather not talk about.  Not only do we have a possible murder on the island - there is also an approaching storm to add to the suspensful atmosphere and drama!  "Dead Man's Island" is a fun murder mystery with an all star cast of characters.

Haunted

"Haunted" (1995) is a spooky old fashioned haunted house horror film starring Aidan Quinn, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Andrews and John Gielgud based on James Herbert's novel.

Professor David Ash (Quinn) is an American living and teaching in post World War I England.  He has written a book debunking ghosts and the supernatural. He receives a letter from elderly Nanny Tess who lives at Edbrook estate with the Mariell family- siblings Christina, Robert and Simon, begging him to visit to help her figure out what is haunting her at the estate.

David goes to Edbrook and discovers that the three Mariell siblings have a rather peculiar relationship.  They seem a little too close.  David takes a liking to the highly flirtatious Christina much to the dismay of overbearing older brother Robert.  None of the family believes what Nanny is seeing is real.  David doesn't at first but little by little he starts to also see and encounter unexplained phenomena on the estate.  He also starts to see sightings of his twin sister who died when he was young.  Is he haunted by something at the house or just haunted by events in his past?

This is a great haunted house movie.  Lots of roaming around the large mansion and estate.  There is a good scary atmosphere throughout and it will keep you in suspense until the unexpected end.

The Haunting of Helen Walker

"The Haunting of Helen Walker" (1995) is a made for TV movie starring: Valerie Bertinelli, Florence Hoath and Aled Roberts.  It is another remake/retelling of Henry James' Turn of the Screw.

Valerie Bertinelli plays the title role of Helen Walker, an American widow in England who applies for and receives the job of live in nanny to two children who live in a old country mansion sometime around 1900. The children's uncle and guardian lives in London and his lifestyle doesn't have time to take care of two children.  He puts Helen in charge of all the children's affairs and upbringing.

The house is run by Mrs. Grose the housekeeper and some other servants. She and young Flora welcome Helen to the household.  Shortly after arriving, Helen learns that young Miles is coming home from boarding school because he has been kicked out for bad behavior.

This film stays close to original classic story except for changing the nanny's name and making her American.  There is some sinister secret in this large foreboding house.  The previous nanny and caretaker who are both dead continue to haunt the large estate.  Helen digs deeper into the mystery to determine why this is so she can ultimately save the children.  This doesn't go so well for her.

This is a good ghost story and Valerie Bertinelli even does a good job pulling off acting in a period piece.   

The Reflecting Skin

"The Reflecting Skin" (1990) starring Viggo Mortensen, Lindsay Duncan, Jeremy Cooper is a strange coming of age movie that takes place in the 1950s.

It takes place in the wheat fields of Idaho.  Seth Dove (Cooper) is a young boy growing up in the rural Mid West.  He has a mother that is overbearing and always worried; a father that likes to escape from his past into pulp fiction on vampires; and an older brother, Cameron (Mortensen) that is in the military.  The rural community where he lives is filled with unique and strange characters including his neighbor, Dolphin Blue (Duncan).

Seth's friends start disappearing.  They are found dead.  Seth begins to suspect Dolphin is a vampire and that she is killing the children.  When his brother Cameron returns to town, he falls under the spell of Dolphin.

This film always has you asking "What is real and what is just in this child's mind?"  And as Dolphin says at one point, "Sometimes terrible things happen quite naturally".  This is a haunting tale about a strange place all from the viewpoint of a young boy.  If you like Twin Peaks you'll probably like this unique American Gothic tale.

Turn of the Screw

"Turn of the Screw" (1992) starring Patsy Kensit, Stéphane Audran, Marianne Faithfull and Julian Sands is another version of the classic ghost story by Henry James. 

Jenny (Kensit) applies to Mr. Cooper (Sands), absent guardian to two small children (Miles & Flora), to be their governess at his country house.  He wants her to be in charge and make all the decisions about the children.  She will be joining the housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Audran) at the remote country estate.

Shortly after arriving to the grand old house, Jenny receives a letter that Miles has been expelled from the boarding school and will be returning home.  Once they have established a routine, things start to fall apart for Jenny.  She starts seeing a man on the estate and in the house that she believes is Quint, a sinister former employee that used to hold sway over the household because he was the former governess' lover.  Both Quint and Miss Jessel are dead but Jenny can't get the details from Mrs. Grose.  Jenny also starts to see the ghost of Miss Jessel. With the children growing more erratic and more frequent visions of the ghosts, Jenny starts to lose her mind. 

This is actually a well done version of the classic story.  The story's narrative (Faithfull) is framed by someone in a group session telling the story of this as she recalls from a diary she found.  The setting of the house is wonderfully remote, beautiful and eerie. 

Trilogy of Terror Double Feature!

"Trilogy of Terror" (1975) is a made for TV movie starring Karen Black, Robert Burton and John Karlen.  "Trilogy of Terror II" (1996) is also made for TV movie starring Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies and Matt Clark.  Both are directed by Dan Curtis of Dark Shadows fame.  Both movies have three stories that don't have anything to do with each other except for the fact that the same actress portrays a different role in each story.  

In the first Trilogy, Karen Black is the star in all three stories. Ms. Black does a great job playing the three different characters.  She was also in Curtis' "Burnt Offerings" horror movie.  It's just too bad she can't embrace her part in horror movie history because now she tells everyone that she never starred in horror movies - they were science fiction!  Anyway, back to the stories. Story 1: "Julie" is about a college professor whose tryst with one of her students ends in blackmail and a twist at the end.  Story 2: "Millicent & Therese" is about twin sisters.  Millicent believes Therese is using voodoo to try to kill her.  It doesn't turn out that way!  Story 3: "Amelia" really uses Black's talents.  She buys a Zuni fetish doll for her boyfriend and it comes alive with its sharp knife and chases her throughout the apartment trying to kill her.  This last story is the one that everyone remembers about the movie and it is by far the most fun to watch!

In the second trilogy, Lysette Anthony is the actress that plays the three characters in the three stories.  I didn't even know there was a sequel until I happened upon it on TV.  This sequel was made over 20 years from the first but in my opinion is equal to or better than the original.  Story 1: "Graveyard Rats" is about a woman married to a horrible old rich man and she's having an affair with one of his employees.  They decide to kill him and almost get away with it but then discover he took to the grave the codes to access the Swiss bank accounts.  Going to the graveyard to dig him up will be a big mistake!  Story 2: "Bobby" is about a boy who drowns in the ocean outside of this large seaside mansion on a cliff. The mother is so upset of his death, she resorts to satanic rituals to try to bring him back to life.  During an intense thunderstorm, he comes back but he's not the same sweet Bobby.  My favorite line from this story is when Bobby calls out, "Bobby's coming to get you Mommy!"  Story 3: "He Who Kills" brings back everybody's favorite Zuni doll who after murdering 2 women is brought to Dr. Simpson at the local museum by the police.  Of course the doll comes alive and is at its best running around the museum trying to kill everyone!  I was very impressed with this sequel and was glad to discover it!

 

Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow (1999) starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and Miranda Richardson is director Tim Burton's retelling of the old American folk tale of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Constable Ichabod Crane is sent from New York to the tiny country village of Sleepy Hollow in the 1790s to investigate the decapitation of several townspeople.

Crane comes from the city with new investigative techniques and slowly learns that not every crime can be solved with science.  This movie is full of spooky atmosphere:  horse drawn carriage rides through the dark and eerie woods with pumpkin headed scarecrows observing; ever present fog and mist; deep dark woods full of gnarled trees, an almost Gothic looking little village and glowing jack-o-lanterns.  The headless horseman is extremely scary galloping out of the woods on his horse toward the growing list of victims that he decapitates.  This movie does have some blood and shows the decapitations but it's done in a way that is not too gory - it's just an integral part of the story. 

Johnny Depp does an excellent job playing the fussy Ichabod Crane and the movie definitely has an undercurrent of tongue in cheek humor amongst the horror story.   What an excellent movie that I know I will watch over many times.  I don't know what took me so long to find this gem!

Made for TV Horror / Trillers

There's something about made for TV movies of the 70s and 80s that I just love.  They bring back fond memories of evenings or rainy Saturday afternoons being immersed in a tale of terror.  See a list of some of my favorites on my Made for TV page.