Victoria Secret, Circa 1800
October 3, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Film Reviews
The Haunting of Morella (1990)
Directed By: Jim Wynorski
Review Written By: Horse
Mondo Film & Video Guide Contributor
IMDb.com Link
Another review, another confession. Among my dorkier habits is keeping a folder of movie poster scans. I just love cool poster artwork, the sexier and eviler the better. I’d love to collect actual posters, but prices and wall space force me to keep it digital. Somehow while looking for cult posters I found this one and have stared at the poster for a few years before ever getting a chance to see the film. Now, many of these films I finally see don’t live up to the posters, I’m thinking about “Crocodile” from Thailand as the most recent example. Awesome, awesome posters, horrible film! Ironically, the same day I finally caught that flick, I got this one from the Hollywood Video closing sale, also where I met Justin and began my new gig as a reviewer. Does this one live up to the poster? Fucking A right it does!
Morella is quite possibly the finest film Jim Wynorski ever directed. I just got done with the commentary track and am even more in awe of the film than before. I thought they had lucked out with finding some great locations to shoot, but it turns out everything is on stages, parking lots or in parks. I cannot give enough credit to production designer Gary Randall or cinematographer Zoran Hochstatter, both of whose talents make this film feel so much bigger than it really is. It also has a top notch cast, including David McCallum (Man From U.N.C.L.E.), Nicole Eggert (not bad at all in this), Lana Clarkson (R.I.P.) and cult and Mondo favorite Maria Ford.
McCallum is Gideon Locke, husband of Morella, father of Lenora (both Eggert). We start 17 years ago, with Morella on an X/cross being put to death for the crimes of “witchcraft, blasphemy and murder”. Just before her eyes are burned out, she swears “I will live on within her {her daughter}. One day we’ll live as one and welcome you all to the gates of hell”. Guess I’d be a bitch too if I were being put to death. 17 years later and Lenora is almost 18, but pretty much held captive by her father who treats her like a child and won’t allow to have visitors or leave the grounds. Gideon has gone blind over the years, and is a shell of his former self, missing but not being able to speak the name of, his beloved Morella. Evil governess Coel Devoroux (Lana Clarkson) has other motives, and will see to Morella’s re-birth one way or another.
We find that Coel and house servant Diane (Maria Ford) have some kind of kinky lesbian relationship. Diane is apparently just a fill-in until Coel can raise her true love, Morella (slut!) from the dead, as “the autumn equinox nears”. Guess that means something, or maybe it just sounds cool. Anyway, we meet Guy Chapman (Christopher Halsted of, uh, err, a few TV shows), sent to deliver legal papers to Lenora, who has a serious case of puppy love at first sight. Lenora has it too, probably because she has not seen a boy in years. By the end of their first walk together, they’re holding hands and swapping spit. After the kiss, Guy has to go but Lenora stays at the cemetery where she finds her mother’s tomb.
Now, I’ve done my share of partying in graveyards, the big downtown graveyard in Ann Arbor was THE place to be in high school on Friday nights. A few times, mausoleums had been left open, but I’ve never seen one that is a staircase to an underworld of tunnels and candles that stay lit forever. But that’s what Gideon made for his beloved. Although we discover that it is Coel who is leading the charge of bringing back Morella, hoping to take over Lenora’s body. Lenora’s will is stronger than expected, and Morella will have to use her own remains to remain. Thus, we start the bloodshed and body count.
If I had to pick one word to describe The Haunting of Morella, it would have to be atmosphere. This film just drips it during nearly every frame. It’s very reminiscent of Hammer films and Corman’s Poe films of the 60’s. No surprise, these are all mentioned in the commentary as things they were going for. I also must mention the score from Fredric Ensign Teetsel and Chuck Cirino; the music of this film is intense and almost always on, just adding so much to the feel. Combined with the great lighting and sets it raises this movie far above standard B schlock. To even call this a B-movie would be a disservice. It’s a low-budget work of love that stands far above its kin. There are a few things I don’t like, Nicole wouldn’t do nudity (yet, web search shows she lost the shyness after this), and the body-double shots are obvious and somewhat distracting, esp. the bad wig on the sex scene girl. Also, a few times during the sex scene, I noticed while Nicole was supposed to be naked; you can clearly see she is wearing a top. Maybe this was supposed to matted out, and would be if ever seen widescreen, but its visibility reminds me I’m watching a movie with a girl who doesn’t want to be seen naked, not peeping in on a couple in the throws of passion.
Other highlights include good to great performances by the whole cast. I’d say Nicole is the weakest, although Maria doesn’t get much screen time and is wearing 1990’s underwear in the 1800’s (not sure exactly when this is set, they mention that no one has been found guilty of witchcraft for 40 years and there is no electricity, so I’m guessing early 1800’s). All the other girls are seen at least topless and Lana Clarkson is a standout in her role. This role could’ve so easily fell into cliché, but Lana played it with a smoldering wickedness and never went to the ham and cheese side of acting. There are a couple of glances she gives off that speak volumes without saying anything. She was a true talent and I’d love to go to work on Phil Spector with pliers and a blowtorch for taking her away from us. Asshole!
The DVD is very nice if you can find it. Full screen but includes a fun and informative commentary with Jim Wynorski and Steve Mitchell (second unit director) and the trailer. These guys have a good rapport, and aren’t afraid to point out things like body doubles and 90’s underwear. If you can find it for a reasonable price, grab it. I don’t see it on Shout! Factory’s upcoming release schedule and who knows if it will ever get re-issued. I’d buy a Blu-Ray in a second if it ever happens. A bit slow at times, and not much gore, but the film succeeds in everything it sets out to do. A grossly under-rated low-budget gem dripping with atmosphere and showing off the talents and creativity of a great cast and crew. I implore Shout! Factory to at least give us a special edition DVD. If Nicole Eggert will do Celebrity Fit Club, she should do a documentary on one of her first film roles! Until we are blessed with this film back in print, find it, buy or dub it, and love it!
Horse is one of the more recent contributors to the Mondo Film & Video Guide site. For more information on him, please visit the Mondo “About Us” section.
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