Jul 4, 2024
The Nesting (Massacre Mansion, 1981)
"It may come as a surprise to you that a physicist could even contemplate the existence of paranormal phenomena."
"But you admit to the possibility."
"I admit the possibility of the unknown. I admit that science is only beginning to understand its own discoveries. But I do not believe in evil spirits or painted phantoms in windows."
#the nesting#massacre mansion#1981#horror imagery#video nasty#american cinema#horror film#armand weston#daria price#robin groves#christopher loomis#michael david lally#john carradine#bill rowley#gloria grahame#david tabor#patrick farrelly#bobo lewis#june berry#ann varley#cecile liebman#ron levine#kind of weird that genuine old Hollywood legend Gloria G made two video nasties; that both were released (in some territories) as Massacre#Mansion is pure bizarre. of the two this is the better: it looks like an actual quality production‚ certainly one of the most polished#films to grace the dpp list. it's a strangely handsome film and its old fashioned spookery puts you in mind of contemporaneous big budget#horror efforts like John Irvin's Ghost Story (albeit with rather more sex and gore). there's an emphasis on haunting weirdness and#psychological drama over the real graphic stuff which again lends this a sheen of.. professionalism? idk how else to put it‚ compared to#all the indie schlock it was rubbing shoulders with on the list‚ this feels like major studio popcorn fare (of course it isn't quite that)#disappointingly most of the really interesting strands get dropped by the final act which plays out much like any other slasher of the time#but the cast (largely unknowns) are all very game and old hands Carradine and Grahame are of course good value
