"We must get a ceiling for that kitchen.." (Bravo!) Love watching Roy Scheider in this. Co-star Candace Hilligoss ('Carnival of Souls') had worked with Scheider in a couple of off-Broadway plays and she tipped him about this film when it was being cast. So if it wasn't for Candace Hilligoss, then the Chief Brody we all know and love may never have existed!
Given its tongue-in-cheek dialogue, storyline, and overarching tone of levity, Roger Corman's THE RAVEN has come to be characterized as a horror comedy. And you're right on the mark about Peter Lorre; he was graced with a natural wit & mordant humor that he sometimes employed in his films to great effect. In fact, he actually ad-libbed some of his best lines in THE RAVEN. As an actor, especially when he was at his pinnacle in the 1930s & 40s, he was a true artist possessing an amazing range that went from slapstick to convincing villainy. He was certainly far much more than just an assortment of familiar mannerisms that became stereotyped fixtures in the public mind, and for which he is now most remembered. It's a tragic waste that Hollywood never made better use of his remarkable talents.
@@ashleys9397 Indeed. Boris Karloff, a consummate professional actor, was flustered by Lorre's ad libs and complained to Corman. Price found them funny. The fact that Price and Lorre along with Basil Rathbone reunited for "Comedy of Terrors" (directed by Jacques Tourneur, but also scripted by Richard Matheson) showed little of the same chemistry suggests to me that Corman played a role in the wit that ended up on the screen. My favorite Lorre line in the film (and indeed an ad lib) comes when Price escorts him down to the family crypt, festooned with cobwebs and layers of dust, only to have Lorre remark dryly, "Hard place to keep clean, eh?"
Michael Ripper's poacher in The Mummy is effective comic relief, especially when he's trying to convince the police that he just found the poor, dead, bunny and was going to take it home and bury it.
As for comedy relief. Fred Ward in Tremors. Everyone in Shawn of the Dead. And for a tv miniseries Jamey Sheridan seemed to pull off the "demonic mirth" of Randall Flagg in "The Stand" well enough.
Candace Hiligoss got Roy Scheider the roll in this. She also sublet her apartment to him which she regretted as he had a pet monkey and among other things she found after he'd left were forks stuck it walls when the monkey had thrown them. Nice friend.
Robin, you're such a talented creator, I'm surprised you're not over 100k subs. Must be the topic. I love bad movies, but I guess they're not for everyone. Too many people are lactose intolerant (cheese, anyone?). :D
There's been this long held misperception that SORCERER completely tanked upon its initial release. Given that the film was the long-awaited & oft-delayed follow-up to William Friedkin's back to back hits THE FRENCH CONNECTION & THE EXORCIST, one can well imagine that a lot of hopes & expectations were hanging on its success. But two factors---one that could've been anticipated & one that was unforseen---worked against it. First, it was probably mis-titled; a great many theater patrons apparently assumed that SORCERER was some kind of sequel to the unprecedentedly popular EXORCIST or at the least a companion film. A number of moviegoers may then have adjusted their expectations accordingly. But the far more serious blow was its release on or near the weekend as STAR WARS, and...well, I guess we all acknowledge that the reception of a new motion picture is often contingent on propitious timing. So in terms of box office receipts SORCERER definitely under-performed. On the other side of that particular coin flip it wasn't a complete flop as was suggested at the time. The overall critical consensus was decidedly iffy, with some reviewers being nose-up curtly dismissive while others praised the movie's lavish production values & its suspenseful pacing. (In fact, the late Roger Ebert picked SORCERER as one of the best films of 1977.) But then as so sometimes happens in these matters, a movie's worth can subsequently be held up to re-examination & re-appraisal. In the 45 years following its initial launch SORCERER critical re-evaluation has steadily been on an uptick. It's now viewed as---some have contended--an "undeclared" masterpiece and one of the commonly listed noteworthies of Seventies American cinema. So, like, there.
Thanks. Rob Zombie should remake this. He could call it "Shakespeare in the Grave", and they could all do "Living Dead Girl" for the big closing number. A musical horror spoof. Perfect. tavi.
I have a soft spot for this movie... I wish I knew why... maybe it's Roy Scheider's presence. Maybe it's the maid's head on a platter with suitable gore. It just makes for a nice, relaxing, rainy-day Halloween movie.
Well, it's implied that only during that one time; he was drunk. A way to continue his charade by having another individual able to vouch for his drunkenness. Rest of the time, he was chugging tea and being completely sober. Ironically, the tasks set forth for each of them was minor. Imagine if they had all done their tasks.... I guess one individual offing all of them would have been less exciting. Apparently someone was more than happy to wait a year to get _everything_ after all the other beneficiaries were gone.
Connecticut?? Same as the accompanying movie, this was made/shown with; 'The Horror Of Party Beach'. Both set in Connecticut. "Not one person mentioned, he was Amish". That was a superb, witty remark😉👍. This was actually, not a bad movie. Won't disappoint you, either. Del Tenney. Any relation to, Kevin Tenney??? Horror director from the '80's, with such classics as, 'Night Of The Demons'??
Oh yes indeed he did! And lemme tell ya, this particular person is thoroughly nonplussed as to why DCs still has yet to come around to covering this dearly treasured & truly timeless trash classic. FYI: CURSE made up one half of the infamous 1964 double bill that also included Tenney's auteurial milestone THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH. Of the pair HORROR is sans doubt the way more entertaining, particularly in that "lower jaw hitting the floor as every synapse implodes" special kind of way: A sublimely absurd chunk of over-ripe chum that opens with wild summer break kids dancing up a sand storm on the beach to the rollicking strains of the "Zombie Stomp". One besotted girl chugs hooch straight from the bottle before performing an impromptu strip tease for some passing bikers. Yowza! The partying kids are blissfully unaware that meanwhile offshore icky radioactive waste in the water is spawning a fishy horde of aquatic mutants; the stinky--ass sea creatures are shortly ambling ashore to cause no end of troubles for the locals. One special highlight---or "low"-light, if one prefers---happens when the ridiculous-looking monsters descend upon an in- progress slumber party, bloodily dispatching most of those in attendance. Yowza! Yowza! For those moviegoers who might lose the story thread, there are shrieking newspaper headlines displayed to keep everyone abreast of the horrific action: MONSTERS STRIKE! and MONSTERS STRIKE AGAIN! and MASS MURDER AT SORORITY SLUMBER PARTY! and EXTRA! EXTRA! FIVE MORE KILLED BY MONSTERS!!, and more. But the capper is a stereotyped black housekeeper named Eulabelle who single-handedly sets the civil rights struggle 50 years back by repeatedly exclaiming "it's da voodoo! it's da voodoo!" in the face of the widening terror. Triple Duty Yowza! Holy Hot Dog & Holy Mackerel! This rancid burnt fish bake of a movie has nearly EVERYTHING a bad movie lover would want: Ultra-cheap low grade Z special effects, laughably unconvincing monster suits, very badly faked blood (since the film was shot in black & white, the production crew resorted to Hershey's chocolate syrup as a handy stand-in), inane pseudo-scientific blubbering, lame jokes, pointless dialogue, piss-poor acting, and a whole host of myriad deficiencies. So in other words---It's an absolute must-see for all sincere bad movie aficionados anywhere in the world. Rock On, Y'all.
@@alandhopewell I'm a little bit familiar with VIOLENT MIDNIGHT under its alternate title PSYCHOMANIA. For this outing Tenney confined his role to being the movie's producer & co-writer; directorial responsibilities were assumed by Richard Hilliard---the very same cheese-brained intellectually-beleaguered person who scripted(!) HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (!!). I don't know about anyone else, but that hardly counts as a recommendation in my book. Anyways, I still went & looked it up on Wikipedia---and their description of it makes it sound fairly watchable. I was also impressed to read that it encountered censorship issues over some limited nudity & mild sexual content. Hmmmmm....interesting all the more. It also seems to have an interesting cast that includes Jean "Hammina Hammina" Hale, James Farentino, Dick van Patten, & Sylvia Miles. So...I may eventually take the time to give 'er a download & a good look. Thanks for the post.
I love this review as always, and ... I actually think this film looks pretty good! As for comic relief in a horror film, I'd have to go back to the 40's, and Wallace Ford in The Mummy's Hand!
The first person that came to my mind as far as comic relief in a horror was Maude Eburne as Lizzy Allen in "The Bat Whispers" from 1930. Her ditzy comedic character balances out well against her boss in the movie. The movie is a horror/mystery and not really scary today but it turned out to be a surprise treat for me.
Sure, but every actress who has played the character of Lizzie Allen from Louise Fazenda in the 1926 silent version (just called "The Bat" which was the name of of the play co-written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood which was produced in 1920) to Lenita Lane in the 1959 version starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead during which The Bat kills off Darla Hood (of Our Gang fame) to the 1960 TV production starring Helen Hayes with everybody's favorite Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton as Lizzie, she is played that way. And yes all these film and tv versions are available.
@@CassandrashadowcassMorrison I have also seen the 1920 and 1959 versions too but I preferred the 1930 version and especially Maude Eburne's work which is why I mentioned her by name. Thanks for the info.
1931 Dracula with Bela Legosi, the orderly Martin was played comic relief perfectly. He even allowed some comedy from Renfield ( who was descending into madness) without ruining the gothic flavor of Universal's horror movie.
4:40 has Luke Perry screaming "My face! My valuable face!" from that episode of The Simpsons echoing through my head. Also, a comic relief bobby in a B&W horror who isn't played by Belly Bevan or E.E. Clive seems just plain wrong.
"The Thing" is quite bleak and serious throughout, but the one funny line "You've gotta be fucking kidding..." as the head spider makes a run for it always gets a huge laugh.
strangely enough, Candace Hilligoss had played a [sort of] living corpse in Carnival of Souls two years earlier where the twist ending revealed her character had actually died early in that film.
To make quote: "Don't wanna be that guy, but.." I came across that little detail in at least two videos of yours, and as a film nerd a feel an urge to correct you on this - it's Roy SCHEIDER, not Roy SchNeider...SCHEIDER...without an "N"...but apart from that little faux pas boggling my compulsive mind, I LOVE your videos!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻😉💞💞💞
Believe I saw this one when I was young. Found it quite scary. 🤷♂️✌️ It’s pretty gruesome for it’s time. The comedy probably went over (or under) my head.
When I think of good comic relief characters in horror, I need only look to some of the Universal or Hammer films; for instance, Martin in the 1931 Dracula.
I thought Michael Ripper in "The Mummy" worked perfectly as that film's comic relief. "I've just seen what no man should!" "So, you've been to Molly Rooney's house." I laughed so hard I woke up my husband.
Mantan Moreland in KING OF THE ZOMBIES; he's hysterically funny. I know some people might be offended by what they see as a stereotype, but humor is often based on stereotype. I'm black, and I find all that stuff funny, much funnier than, say, Chris Rock joking about date rape.
Moreland was a comedic genius. There's good reason Bob Hope liked working with him, and the Stooges wanted him instead of Joe Besser when they needed a replacement. Hollywood bigotry limited his roles something fierce, but he sure made the most of every part he got.
So, we can add Roy Schneider to the list of great actors who started off in a horror movie. Everyone has to start somewhere. When it comes to comic relief in a horror movie, the one that really stands out for me is John Goodman in "Arachnophobia" (1990). His role of exterminator Delbert McClintock is a much-needed breath of hilarity, especially during the really tense moments in the film's second half.
My favorite comic relief in a horror movie is the asylum worker in Dracula. He doesn't have time for it. "They're all crazy, cept for you and me, and sometimes I have my doubts about you."
In the first place, I rather like this movie. I first saw it on late-night television in probably 1971, which depressingly now was only seven years after the movie came out. (And 1971 was Roy Scheider's breakthrough year when he appeared in "Klute" and "The French Connection." Though he had been working steadily, it was a long seven years for Mr. Scheider.) Can we agree that it is likely Del Tenney's best film? "Is there a comic relief in a horror film that actually works, really lands it?" I would assert another Roy Scheider film, "Jaws," which is often, correctly, classified as a horror movie (and which has arguably the best jump scare ever filmed, and you know the one I'm talking about). In terms of comic relief, I am thinking particularly of the scene when Quint (Robert Shaw) drinks a can of beer in one, long swallow and the crushes the beer can in his hand (in the days BEFORE aluminum cans, when men were men) and then the camera cuts to Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) who similarly drains his cup of coffee and, with a steely gaze at Quint, crushes the Styrofoam cup in his hand. I've seen the movie in theatres several times, and the audience always laughs at that scene.
I was getting a strong Tennessee Williams vibe. One of the female characters easily could have swung a dramatic arm (spilling bourbon everywhere) and declared "Maggie the cat is alive!"
@@danddoty3981 I'm in agreement on that one. A post-bellum New Orleans is quite often a key component of much Southern Gothic; I would suppose that it's the overhanging atmosphere/ambience of voodoo, communal sin, and hereditary evil that lends this impression. (For validation, go & view the 1987 thriller ANGEL HEART--and you'll likely see what I mean.) However, I must really profess doubt that even a change of locale could in any way enhance a movie as indifferently executed as this dried-out ball of petrified bat poop. Indeed CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE reminds me somewhat---and certainly not in good way---of those Andy Milligan "gag-me-with-a-spoon" shoddily produced & atrociously acted period horrors. At least the caliber of acting in CURSE is noticeably a good notch or two above the typical Milligan production---which is actually saying a lot.
As of October 2022, this movie is on TubiTV. It's an old-school type of drive-in movie, which explains the clunky dialogue, the ineptly-written comic relief, and generally wasted plot. Roger Corman would have made a competent little thriller, especially if Richard Matheson wrote the script.
In the 1941 version of The Black Cat, Hugh Herbert's antique dealer character is absolutely hilarious and steals the show. The rest of the film ain't so hot despite the best efforts of Rathbone and Lugosi but the ending is still pretty wild.
The police are either overly optimistic, or the region is full of short men, if they think that "6 feet tall, long hair & a snappy dresser" is a good enough description to find the missing walking dead man.
Rising from the dead really isn't such a biggie. Of course it happens a lot in the movies; but sometimes it even occurs in the everyday world. For example, my paternal grandfather kicked the proverbial bucket at age 92.We had him buried right next to our grandmother who had passed some years earlier. Then three days later our gramps was resurrected. There he was, as bold as day, just walking around & chewing the fat with people exactly like he did while still alive. Acting as though the whole thing was no big deal. But here's the oddest part: No one even once considered proclaiming him the Messiah or naming him the risen Savior. Uh uh. We were all too stunned in disbelief to say anything. Finally someone pointed in his direction and said: "Hey...hold on. Is...isn't that Gramps?"
Please do "Giant from the Unknown" although I might be a little off on the title. A giant conquistador is buried(in 2 inches of dirt) from long ago and gets struck by lightening and returns to life. I think you'd give it a great treatment! Peace
I’ve never seen Candace other than in Carnival of Souls. I like to think Robert Shaw pulled off a better American accent in Jaws than Scheider’s British attempt here
"We must get a ceiling for that kitchen.." (Bravo!) Love watching Roy Scheider in this. Co-star Candace Hilligoss ('Carnival of Souls') had worked with Scheider in a couple of off-Broadway plays and she tipped him about this film when it was being cast. So if it wasn't for Candace Hilligoss, then the Chief Brody we all know and love may never have existed!
That line was used as the punchline to an old Les Dawson monologue.
Here's one Robin.."The Dead Talk Back."
With that kind of dialogue, I'm sure he'd be happy to be called "Schnieder".
Until everyone wants the ‘Schnieder Cut’ even though his previous, non existent movies stunk
Shneeder?
Your delivery of "just kidding, she's burnt alive" got me 😂
Did robin just say "schnieder"? Lol
Successful comic relief in a horror film: Peter Lorre in "The Raven"
Beat me to it. Comedy gold.
Given its tongue-in-cheek dialogue, storyline, and overarching tone of levity, Roger Corman's THE RAVEN has come to be characterized as a horror comedy. And you're right on the mark about Peter Lorre; he was graced with a natural wit & mordant humor that he sometimes employed in his films to great effect. In fact, he actually ad-libbed some of his best lines in THE RAVEN. As an actor, especially when he was at his pinnacle in the 1930s & 40s, he was a true artist possessing an amazing range that went from slapstick to convincing villainy. He was certainly far much more than just an assortment of familiar mannerisms that became stereotyped fixtures in the public mind, and for which he is now most remembered. It's a tragic waste that Hollywood never made better use of his remarkable talents.
@@ashleys9397 Indeed. Boris Karloff, a consummate professional actor, was flustered by Lorre's ad libs and complained to Corman. Price found them funny. The fact that Price and Lorre along with Basil Rathbone reunited for "Comedy of Terrors" (directed by Jacques Tourneur, but also scripted by Richard Matheson) showed little of the same chemistry suggests to me that Corman played a role in the wit that ended up on the screen.
My favorite Lorre line in the film (and indeed an ad lib) comes when Price escorts him down to the family crypt, festooned with cobwebs and layers of dust, only to have Lorre remark dryly, "Hard place to keep clean, eh?"
Michael Ripper's poacher in The Mummy is effective comic relief, especially when he's trying to convince the police that he just found the poor, dead, bunny and was going to take it home and bury it.
"It's a horse, I'm not THAT drunk."
As for comedy relief. Fred Ward in Tremors. Everyone in Shawn of the Dead. And for a tv miniseries Jamey Sheridan seemed to pull off the "demonic mirth" of Randall Flagg in "The Stand" well enough.
And the Old School of Horror Movie Comic Relief award was retired by Una O'Connor as the hysterical servant in "Bride of Frankenstein"!
'Shaun'.
The cops in American Werewolf, brilliantly funny.
Candace Hiligoss got Roy Scheider the roll in this. She also sublet her apartment to him which she regretted as he had a pet monkey and among other things she found after he'd left were forks stuck it walls when the monkey had thrown them. Nice friend.
Thanks for reviewing this one for me, guys!
Great request
So YOU're the one responsible!!
"Prometheus is an unwelcome guest in this house "
Yea I hated that movie too
Robin, you're such a talented creator, I'm surprised you're not over 100k subs. Must be the topic. I love bad movies, but I guess they're not for everyone. Too many people are lactose intolerant (cheese, anyone?). :D
Yeah that is a problem when corpses are alive because they're supposed to be the very definition of a dead body.
Roy Scheider acted in the underrated 1977 film Sorcerer(a remake of the French movie The Wages of Fear).
Thankfully it hasn’t been underrated for decades now. It’s pretty much seen as one of Friedkin’s best.
There's been this long held misperception that SORCERER completely tanked upon its initial release. Given that the film was the long-awaited & oft-delayed follow-up to William Friedkin's back to back hits THE FRENCH CONNECTION & THE EXORCIST, one can well imagine that a lot of hopes & expectations were hanging on its success. But two factors---one that could've been anticipated & one that was unforseen---worked against it. First, it was probably mis-titled; a great many theater patrons apparently assumed that SORCERER was some kind of sequel to the unprecedentedly popular EXORCIST or at the least a companion film. A number of moviegoers may then have adjusted their expectations accordingly. But the far more serious blow was its release on or near the weekend as STAR WARS, and...well, I guess we all acknowledge that the reception of a new motion picture is often contingent on propitious timing. So in terms of box office receipts SORCERER definitely under-performed. On the other side of that particular coin flip it wasn't a complete flop as was suggested at the time. The overall critical consensus was decidedly iffy, with some reviewers being nose-up curtly dismissive while others praised the movie's lavish production values & its suspenseful pacing. (In fact, the late Roger Ebert picked SORCERER as one of the best films of 1977.)
But then as so sometimes happens in these matters, a movie's worth can subsequently be held up to re-examination & re-appraisal. In the 45 years following its initial launch SORCERER critical re-evaluation has steadily been on an uptick. It's now viewed as---some have contended--an "undeclared" masterpiece and one of the commonly listed noteworthies of Seventies American cinema. So, like, there.
@@ashleys9397 There's no misperception. Sorcerer _did_ tank upon its initial release.
Thanks. Rob Zombie should remake this. He could call it "Shakespeare in the Grave", and they could all do "Living Dead Girl" for the big closing number. A musical horror spoof. Perfect. tavi.
Li'l Rel in Get Out nails the Comic Relief in a Horror Film role. Even gets the last zinger before the credits roll.
Dr. Bruner in 'White Zombie', breaking up the expositional dialog with his insistently looking for a match bit!
Comic relief in horror movies : Una O'Connor in both Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man
That high pitched scream/laughter. My wife & I, used to love that.
4:04 Okay, this looks a LITTLE better than the equivalent scene in Legacy of Blood, but black and white DOES hide the chocolate sauce....
It does. It does indeed. Good ol' Hershey to the rescue.
I love the policeman's appalled reaction to discovering what's really in the drink
"Disgusting! It's so un-alcoholic!"
I still have my VHS of this film. I thought it would never get highlighted. Sweet. Now Mr. Scheider is up there with "Steven" McQueen.
I have a soft spot for this movie... I wish I knew why... maybe it's Roy Scheider's presence. Maybe it's the maid's head on a platter with suitable gore. It just makes for a nice, relaxing, rainy-day Halloween movie.
Well, it's implied that only during that one time; he was drunk. A way to continue his charade by having another individual able to vouch for his drunkenness. Rest of the time, he was chugging tea and being completely sober. Ironically, the tasks set forth for each of them was minor. Imagine if they had all done their tasks.... I guess one individual offing all of them would have been less exciting. Apparently someone was more than happy to wait a year to get _everything_ after all the other beneficiaries were gone.
Connecticut?? Same as the accompanying movie, this was made/shown with; 'The Horror Of Party Beach'. Both set in Connecticut. "Not one person mentioned, he was Amish". That was a superb, witty remark😉👍. This was actually, not a bad movie. Won't disappoint you, either. Del Tenney. Any relation to, Kevin Tenney??? Horror director from the '80's, with such classics as, 'Night Of The Demons'??
Mantan Moreland was pretty good comic relief in King of the Zombies.
He was good--albeit very briefly---in SPIDER BABY.
Del Tenney also gave us the inexplicable HORROR OF PARTY BEACH.
Oh yes indeed he did! And lemme tell ya, this particular person is thoroughly nonplussed as to why DCs still has yet to come around to covering this dearly treasured & truly timeless trash classic. FYI: CURSE made up one half of the infamous 1964 double bill that also included Tenney's auteurial milestone THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH. Of the pair HORROR is sans doubt the way more entertaining, particularly in that "lower jaw hitting the floor as every synapse implodes" special kind of way: A sublimely absurd chunk of over-ripe chum that opens with wild summer break kids dancing up a sand storm on the beach to the rollicking strains of the "Zombie Stomp". One besotted girl chugs hooch straight from the bottle before performing an impromptu strip tease for some passing bikers. Yowza! The partying kids are blissfully unaware that meanwhile offshore icky radioactive waste in the water is spawning a fishy horde of aquatic mutants; the stinky--ass sea creatures are shortly ambling ashore to cause no end of troubles for the locals. One special highlight---or "low"-light, if one prefers---happens when the ridiculous-looking monsters descend upon an in- progress slumber party, bloodily dispatching most of those in attendance. Yowza! Yowza! For those moviegoers who might lose the story thread, there are shrieking newspaper headlines displayed to keep everyone abreast of the horrific action: MONSTERS STRIKE! and MONSTERS STRIKE AGAIN! and MASS MURDER AT SORORITY SLUMBER PARTY! and EXTRA! EXTRA! FIVE MORE KILLED BY MONSTERS!!, and more. But the capper is a stereotyped black housekeeper named Eulabelle who single-handedly sets the civil rights struggle 50 years back by repeatedly exclaiming "it's da voodoo! it's da voodoo!" in the face of the widening terror. Triple Duty Yowza!
Holy Hot Dog & Holy Mackerel! This rancid burnt fish bake of a movie has nearly EVERYTHING a bad movie lover would want: Ultra-cheap low grade Z special effects, laughably unconvincing monster suits, very badly faked blood (since the film was shot in black & white, the production crew resorted to Hershey's chocolate syrup as a handy stand-in), inane pseudo-scientific blubbering, lame jokes, pointless dialogue, piss-poor acting, and a whole host of myriad deficiencies. So in other words---It's an absolute must-see for all sincere bad movie aficionados anywhere in the world. Rock On, Y'all.
@@ashleys9397 I have this rancid double bill on DVD.
@@ashleys9397 There's also Tenney's interesting rarity, VIOLENT MIDNIGHT.
@@alandhopewell I'm a little bit familiar with VIOLENT MIDNIGHT under its alternate title PSYCHOMANIA. For this outing Tenney confined his role to being the movie's producer & co-writer; directorial responsibilities were assumed by Richard Hilliard---the very same cheese-brained intellectually-beleaguered person who scripted(!) HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (!!). I don't know about anyone else, but that hardly counts as a recommendation in my book. Anyways, I still went & looked it up on Wikipedia---and their description of it makes it sound fairly watchable. I was also impressed to read that it encountered censorship issues over some limited nudity & mild sexual content. Hmmmmm....interesting all the more. It also seems to have an interesting cast that includes Jean "Hammina Hammina" Hale, James Farentino, Dick van Patten, & Sylvia Miles. So...I may eventually take the time to give 'er a download & a good look. Thanks for the post.
@@ashleys9397 "We are not Del Taco; please stop calling us for nacho combo burritos."
I love this review as always, and ... I actually think this film looks pretty good!
As for comic relief in a horror film, I'd have to go back to the 40's, and Wallace Ford in The Mummy's Hand!
The first person that came to my mind as far as comic relief in a horror was Maude Eburne as Lizzy Allen in "The Bat Whispers" from 1930. Her ditzy comedic character balances out well against her boss in the movie. The movie is a horror/mystery and not really scary today but it turned out to be a surprise treat for me.
Sure, but every actress who has played the character of Lizzie Allen from Louise Fazenda in the 1926 silent version (just called "The Bat" which was the name of of the play co-written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood which was produced in 1920) to Lenita Lane in the 1959 version starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead during which The Bat kills off Darla Hood (of Our Gang fame)
to the 1960 TV production starring Helen Hayes with everybody's favorite Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton as Lizzie, she is played that way.
And yes all these film and tv versions are available.
@@CassandrashadowcassMorrison I have also seen the 1920 and 1959 versions too but I preferred the 1930 version and especially Maude Eburne's work which is why I mentioned her by name. Thanks for the info.
1931 Dracula with Bela Legosi, the orderly Martin was played comic relief perfectly. He even allowed some comedy from Renfield ( who was descending into madness) without ruining the gothic flavor of Universal's horror movie.
A comic relief in a horror film that worked? Isn't that Michael Ripper's entire resume?
' I Eat Your Skin '
' I Drink Your Blood '
' I Spit On Your Grave '
Bingewatch these movies together
for Halloween 🎃.
I dismember mama
Is it considered comic relief in Dracula when Dwight Frye cries out the line "He promised me rats"??? I mean we always laugh so why not???
4:40 has Luke Perry screaming "My face! My valuable face!" from that episode of The Simpsons echoing through my head. Also, a comic relief bobby in a B&W horror who isn't played by Belly Bevan or E.E. Clive seems just plain wrong.
The apprentice and police chief in Mr Vampire are pretty effective comic relief.
I think Glenda Farrell nails it as the comic relief in "Mystery of the Wax Museum".
Michael Ripper’s poacher in The Mummy adds a nice touch oh humor.
1:58
"things that go bump in the night included"
"The Thing" is quite bleak and serious throughout, but the one funny line "You've gotta be fucking kidding..." as the head spider makes a run for it always gets a huge laugh.
There are a few funny lines/moments throughout.
strangely enough, Candace Hilligoss had played a [sort of] living corpse in Carnival of Souls two years earlier where the twist ending revealed her character had actually died early in that film.
To make quote: "Don't wanna be that guy, but.." I came across that little detail in at least two videos of yours, and as a film nerd a feel an urge to correct you on this - it's Roy SCHEIDER, not Roy SchNeider...SCHEIDER...without an "N"...but apart from that little faux pas boggling my compulsive mind, I LOVE your videos!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻😉💞💞💞
Believe I saw this one when I was young.
Found it quite scary. 🤷♂️✌️
It’s pretty gruesome for it’s time.
The comedy probably went over (or under) my head.
When I think of good comic relief characters in horror, I need only look to some of the Universal or Hammer films; for instance, Martin in the 1931 Dracula.
Montan Moreland in King of the Zombies; Wallace Ford in The Mummy's Hand.
The police are out of Young Frankenstein. Nice grouping
I thought Michael Ripper in "The Mummy" worked perfectly as that film's comic relief. "I've just seen what no man should!" "So, you've been to Molly Rooney's house." I laughed so hard I woke up my husband.
Mantan Moreland in KING OF THE ZOMBIES; he's hysterically funny. I know some people might be offended by what they see as a stereotype, but humor is often based on stereotype. I'm black, and I find all that stuff funny, much funnier than, say, Chris Rock joking about date rape.
Moreland was a comedic genius. There's good reason Bob Hope liked working with him, and the Stooges wanted him instead of Joe Besser when they needed a replacement. Hollywood bigotry limited his roles something fierce, but he sure made the most of every part he got.
So, we can add Roy Schneider to the list of great actors who started off in a horror movie. Everyone has to start somewhere.
When it comes to comic relief in a horror movie, the one that really stands out for me is John Goodman in "Arachnophobia" (1990). His role of exterminator Delbert McClintock is a much-needed breath of hilarity, especially during the really tense moments in the film's second half.
SCHEIDER SCHEIDER SCHEIDER SCHEIDER SCHEIDER!!!!!!!!!!
@@ferociousgumby Roy Scheider, thanks.
Well New England did give us the great horrors stories of Poe, Lovecraft and King, this movie, not so much.
My favorite comic relief in a horror movie is the asylum worker in Dracula. He doesn't have time for it. "They're all crazy, cept for you and me, and sometimes I have my doubts about you."
In the first place, I rather like this movie. I first saw it on late-night television in probably 1971, which depressingly now was only seven years after the movie came out. (And 1971 was Roy Scheider's breakthrough year when he appeared in "Klute" and "The French Connection." Though he had been working steadily, it was a long seven years for Mr. Scheider.) Can we agree that it is likely Del Tenney's best film? "Is there a comic relief in a horror film that actually works, really lands it?" I would assert another Roy Scheider film, "Jaws," which is often, correctly, classified as a horror movie (and which has arguably the best jump scare ever filmed, and you know the one I'm talking about). In terms of comic relief, I am thinking particularly of the scene when Quint (Robert Shaw) drinks a can of beer in one, long swallow and the crushes the beer can in his hand (in the days BEFORE aluminum cans, when men were men) and then the camera cuts to Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) who similarly drains his cup of coffee and, with a steely gaze at Quint, crushes the Styrofoam cup in his hand. I've seen the movie in theatres several times, and the audience always laughs at that scene.
And with Candace Hilligoss from Carnival of Souls as the Final Girl!
I loved Mantan Moreland in King of the Zombies. I always thought he was a great actor.
That's a good one!! I love Monogram films, especially his.
If he knew it was this kind of a party...
Seconded. Comedic genius. Wish he'd wound up as one of the Stooges instead of Joe Besser, but the studio bigots wouldn't go for it.
I was getting a strong Tennessee Williams vibe. One of the female characters easily could have swung a dramatic arm (spilling bourbon everywhere) and declared "Maggie the cat is alive!"
Tennessee Williams vibe? Not unless they set it during the Summer in Saint Louis ( which is like the Amazon , but lot more boring).
The characters seem from a southern gothic, I can't comment on the locale (other than an absence of spanish moss).
@@markshulusky6680 I think the setting would have been much better set in New Orleans at the turn of the century.
@@danddoty3981 I'm in agreement on that one. A post-bellum New Orleans is quite often a key component of much Southern Gothic; I would suppose that it's the overhanging atmosphere/ambience of voodoo, communal sin, and hereditary evil that lends this impression. (For validation, go & view the 1987 thriller ANGEL HEART--and you'll likely see what I mean.) However, I must really profess doubt that even a change of locale could in any way enhance a movie as indifferently executed as this dried-out ball of petrified bat poop. Indeed CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE reminds me somewhat---and certainly not in good way---of those Andy Milligan "gag-me-with-a-spoon" shoddily produced & atrociously acted period horrors. At least the caliber of acting in CURSE is noticeably a good notch or two above the typical Milligan production---which is actually saying a lot.
Funny you should mention stage play, as apparently all the actors WERE from the stage.
For a brief moment I thought that was the classic hook about to drag the bad actor off the stage...
As of October 2022, this movie is on TubiTV.
It's an old-school type of drive-in movie, which explains the clunky dialogue, the ineptly-written comic relief, and generally wasted plot. Roger Corman would have made a competent little thriller, especially if Richard Matheson wrote the script.
Coincidentally: Margaret Hamilton in the original "Thirteen Ghosts," and Matthew Lillard in the remake.
In the 1941 version of The Black Cat, Hugh Herbert's antique dealer character is absolutely hilarious and steals the show. The rest of the film ain't so hot despite the best efforts of Rathbone and Lugosi but the ending is still pretty wild.
Would love to see an episode of The Goes Wrong Show bassed on this
On the comic relief: the 2 bumbling cops in "haunted honeymoon". Gene wilder and gilda at their best.
Curse of the Living Corpse sounds like an attempt to make a new Kharis Mummy movie.
Well there's quite a few to list in "An American Werewolf in London," but Jack takes the prize.
So now we know where John Bercow learned to talk.
I love Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
The police are either overly optimistic, or the region is full of short men, if they think that "6 feet tall, long hair & a snappy dresser" is a good enough description to find the missing walking dead man.
Frankie Sakia in 'Mothra'!
I find it oddly disappointing that Del Tenny didn't also act in I Eat Your Skin. He could have been a Quadruple threat twice then.
And not once did he draw a comparison to SCOOBY DOO ????????😢 I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it 😢😢😢😢😢
Maybe starring in SeaQuest DSV was a fitting punishment for Scheider.
Was that Candace Hilligoss I saw there?
Was Clark Gable so hard up for work by the 60's ?
He was still doing good movies in the 50's including some excellent westerns .
Rising from the dead really isn't such a biggie. Of course it happens a lot in the movies; but sometimes it even occurs in the everyday world. For example, my paternal grandfather kicked the proverbial bucket at age 92.We had him buried right next to our grandmother who had passed some years earlier. Then three days later our gramps was resurrected. There he was, as bold as day, just walking around & chewing the fat with people exactly like he did while still alive. Acting as though the whole thing was no big deal.
But here's the oddest part: No one even once considered proclaiming him the Messiah or naming him the risen Savior. Uh uh. We were all too stunned in disbelief to say anything. Finally someone pointed in his direction and said: "Hey...hold on. Is...isn't that Gramps?"
surprised you failed to acknowledge Candance Hilligoss from the cult classic Carnival of Souls appears in this, too
Another fun review.
Great comic relief? Look no further than Jack Nicholson in the original "Little Shop of Horrors" as the masochist who just LOVES going to the dentist.
David Arquette in the first Scream.
What if their fear is non lethal like clowns or holes? Both real phobias
Best phobia is Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia - a fear of long words, seems unnecessarily harsh.
@@DarkCornersReviews You could never tell anyone what you were afraid of because you'd freak out about three syllables into it.
Love this channel ❤❤❤❤
Please do "Giant from the Unknown" although I might be a little off on the title. A giant conquistador is buried(in 2 inches of dirt) from long ago and gets struck by lightening and returns to life. I think you'd give it a great treatment! Peace
Here you go. ruclips.net/video/6TgN2p1XOWo/видео.html
@@DarkCornersReviews I had a feeling you would have approached that movie already, very cool, thank you, sir...
I’ve never seen Candace other than in Carnival of Souls. I like to think Robert Shaw pulled off a better American accent in Jaws than Scheider’s British attempt here
I would like to see you do the Death Master with Robert Quarry.
Wasn't that Ed Wood Jr's wife's chiropractor in the hat and mask?
Comic relief, Una O'Connor in any old Universal horror film.
To me, the comic relief dwarf in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD is funny. And I definitely don't always like comic relief dwarves.
8:08 I don't know.. .I think it is rather Edgar Allen Poe faced myself.
I’m not seeing Clarke Gable or David Jones in this in fact Gable died 2 years before this film was released…
I like this film, and I like HORROR OF PARTY BEACH, but it's hard to believe they were made by the same director.
Set me on fire...Kerosene!
Effective comedy relief in a horror film, eh? Hmmmmm.......I take it you mean intentional. If unintentional, there are so many contenders.
0:42 You need to sort out your subtitles.
I like the kinda remake of this, 1973's Arnold!
Comic relief that works? Most of evil dead 2, esp Ash’s possessed hand scene
Roy got a paycheck out of this. There's that.
The Curse of the Living Copse might actually be a scarier title…
the gal from "Carnival of Souls" is in this.
I guess That was a joke, saying Davey Jones was in this movie.
I would have liked the hell out of this movie when I was a kid, 1970ish, all it's flaws zooming over my little head.
Night of the creeps
It seems the movie was going for the gore factor. While tame today it was gory by 1964 standards. I presume the bathtub scene was a teaser.
I actually want to watch this (a bit annoyed the ending was ruined) where can I get it
Link in the description or it is also on youtube ruclips.net/video/lTXWXbx6Ey0/видео.html