Trip Day 4.
On February 7th, my wife and I went on a trip to sunny California. We started in LA, visiting a friend for a couple of days, and over the next week slowly drove up the coast to finish things up in San Francisco. It was rad! But, it made watching a movie every day/writing about it quite difficult. As committed as I am to this thing, I can't justify missing out on a potentially once-in-a-lifetime trip to blog about a terrible indie-slasher, you know? Plus, I think it's wise to occasionally do things with your spouse.
So things will be a little different for the next 11 entries. I managed to watch the movies, but rather than writing about them as I normally do, I'll do a quick little synopsis, a little imdb research, quote some of the reviews (can you do that?) and bounce off of them. Followed up with my general impressions. Okay, thanks!
California is pretty sweet.
Sound of Horror
A group of treasure hunters are looking for a legendary treasure with wealth beyond their wildest dreams. They think they have located the cave where it is hidden. Unfortunately, they awaken an ancient evil that wants them all dead! What sets it apart from the typical monster flick is that our beast here is invisible, and you only know it's coming to kill you from the horrific sounds it makes when it hunts. Hence, the Sound of Horror.
imdb plot keywords, because they are usually funny:
explosion / dinosaur / cave / superstition / buried treasure
This is pretty accurate. And sadly not all that funny. Although in this case, the dinosaur is invisible, so that could be disappointing to anyone who finds their movies using imdb plot keywords.
Reviews:
it delivers both suspense and horror, even in black and white, which strangely adds to, rather than detracts from, the events at hand.
-Thanks "uds3" via imdb
Sound of Horror is just much better than I was expecting, especially from the 50 Tales of Terror budget set. The transfer looks/sounds better than most other budget set flicks. Director Jose Antonio Nieves Conde does a great job creating tension with obviously very little to work with.
The acting and dubbing is far superior than most. The sets are good. The camera work is average or a little above.
-Thanks "action-express" via imdb
It's a well crafted film. Very good use of sound, from the music to the bellowing creature. Surprisingly creepy/moody for a 60's monster flick - especially when you consider that it is one of the first true horror films to come out of Spain.
the fact that the monster is an invisible dinosaur is, to say the least, somewhat lame
-Thanks "vigilante407" via imdb
But you know what? It still works. A lot of times the monsters in these old movies look so bad that it actually detracts from the overall experience. So I was okay with the whole 'invisible' thing. The other effects are good, especially considering the year and the presumably low budget. But mood reigns supreme in The Sound of Horror, and I'd say it's very successful on that front.
Final Thoughts:
Good stuff! It's not as corny as "invisible dinosaur" would imply - it's played very straight. If you don't scoff at the premise of an invisible monster and are feeling like a solid throwback monster film, it's definitely worth a watch.
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