(JUAN.of.a.KIND)

Night #22:

Also known as The Maddest Story Ever Told, Cannibal Orgy, and The Liver Eaters (in drive-ins), this is a horror comedy that most people haven’t seen. It is highly regarded in the film industry as an influential low budget film in the horror genre. Originally filmed in 1964 in all of 12 days, this low budget film by Jack Hill, wasn’t released until 1968 due to the production company going bankrupt. It was released in drive-ins under various titles. Up way too late one night I stumbled across this one on TCM and I am very glad I did. A little slow to start but it soon drew me in and I knew I needed to keep watching and it did not disappoint.
The story centers around three children from the Merrye family who are looked after by Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.), the caretaker of the home. He has his hands full with the teenagers. They are afflicted with a rare disease aptly named The Merrye Syndrome. This syndrome has plagued the Merrye’s for generations. The children begin to go insane in their teenage years and them progress into cannibalistic creatures. Bruno soon learns that the family is going to be visited by some distant relatives of the Merrye’s as well as their lawyer, to settle some estate matters. Bruno knows that the children grow more and more unpredictable and that having visitors in the home will make matters worse. What can he do to protect the secret of the Merrye Syndrome?
This film is truly a gem. It has so many clever elements for classic horror fans. Spider Baby will treat you to little jabs of humor and madness that will keep you wondering what this crazy family will do next. The black and white filming also creates a wonderful atmosphere for the viewer and the odd close ups and facial expressions really convey the emotion and pure insanity of the characters in the film. To me this is a must watch film. No it will not appease gore hounds, all gore is implied, it is also sort of kid friendly in that it shows no nudity or has bad language. Looking beyond that though this film really delivers. I was pleasantly surprised with this find and I intend to even purchase it on DVD. I highly recommend Spider Baby if you are looking for something different, unique, and a little twist of dark humor. A must see! I give this one a 4 out of 5. A walk down memory lane for some or uncovering a forgotten gem, this film is well worth watching. Enjoy!

(The Slaughterhouse)

Also known as The Maddest Story Ever Told, Cannibal Orgy, and The Liver Eaters (in drive-ins), this is a horror comedy that most people haven’t seen. It is highly regarded in the film industry as an influential low budget film in the horror genre. Originally filmed in 1964 in all of 12 days, this low budget film by Jack Hill, wasn’t released until 1968 due to the production company going bankrupt. It was released in drive-ins under various titles. Up way too late one night I stumbled across this one on TCM and I am very glad I did. A little slow to start but it soon drew me in and I knew I needed to keep watching and it did not disappoint.

The story centers around three children from the Merrye family who are looked after by Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.), the caretaker of the home. He has his hands full with the teenagers. They are afflicted with a rare disease aptly named The Merrye Syndrome. This syndrome has plagued the Merrye’s for generations. The children begin to go insane in their teenage years and them progress into cannibalistic creatures. Bruno soon learns that the family is going to be visited by some distant relatives of the Merrye’s as well as their lawyer, to settle some estate matters. Bruno knows that the children grow more and more unpredictable and that having visitors in the home will make matters worse. What can he do to protect the secret of the Merrye Syndrome?

This film is truly a gem. It has so many clever elements for classic horror fans. Spider Baby will treat you to little jabs of humor and madness that will keep you wondering what this crazy family will do next. The black and white filming also creates a wonderful atmosphere for the viewer and the odd close ups and facial expressions really convey the emotion and pure insanity of the characters in the film. To me this is a must watch film. No it will not appease gore hounds, all gore is implied, it is also sort of kid friendly in that it shows no nudity or has bad language. Looking beyond that though this film really delivers. I was pleasantly surprised with this find and I intend to even purchase it on DVD. I highly recommend Spider Baby if you are looking for something different, unique, and a little twist of dark humor. A must see! I give this one a 4 out of 5. A walk down memory lane for some or uncovering a forgotten gem, this film is well worth watching. Enjoy!

(The Slaughterhouse)

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#31DoN3 #Jack Hill #Spider Baby #1968