#elviragif

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It’s Spooky Boobs Season Freaks!! ⚰️

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Movie Macabre 103 - The House That Screamed (1969)

Movie Macabre Season 01 - Episode 03 (003) Original Air Date: 10 October 1981

Full episode available to watch for free on ShoutFactoryTV

This is the earliest full episode of Movie Macabre available to watch. It's also available on DVD, packaged with Maneater of Hydra (episode 306).

The House That Screamed (1969) also known as: La Residencia, The Boarding School Directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador Written by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, story by Juan Tébar

Starring: Lilli Palmer Cristina Galbó John Moulder-Brown Mary Maude

"A strict headmistress runs a secluded school for wayward girls in 19th century France, whose students are disappearing under mysterious circumstances." (IMDB)

Episode three of Movie Macabre featured Narcisco Ibáñez Serrador's The House That Screamed (or La Residencia). This early example of boarding school horror blends psychosexual drama and slasher motifs into a tense, atmospheric, sometimes surprising film.

Through the experience of the new girl Teresa (Cristina Galbó), we learn about the school and the women who inhabit it. The acting throughout the film is great. We find out pretty quickly who each of the characters are and how they view the school. Though the boarding school is a large building, it often feels claustrophobic. No matter where these girls go, there is always someone watching. The story is engaging and well paced. The film does become predictable at times, yet still manages to have some genuine moments of surprise throughout.

The film is beautifully shot and atmospheric. From bright banquet halls and classrooms to dark, quiet corners and long hallways, light and shadow are used well to change the feel of the house. Often, films of this nature skew sleazy in their filming and portrayal of women. "All female boarding school" is a premise rife with potential for fetishization. While that fetishization is not entirely absent, the film never feels sleazy or disgusting. The women in the film are treated and filmed like human beings. There are a few scenes that stand out for being filmed very artfully. It's easy to see why this film is sometimes listed as one of the inspirations for Dario Argento's Suspiria.

I expect to find quite a few terrible movies as I continue to watch through Movie Macabre. This film is definitely an early stand-out. If you enjoy tension and psychological distress in your late 60s horror films, The House That Screamed is absolutely worth a watch.

[lifeofloon]

A wonderful fun evening to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her film, Elvira Mistress of the Dark.