Trip Day 12.
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.
Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory
A doctor with a questionable past (i.e. acquitted of a murder charge) accepts a job at girls reform school (the type where the girls look to be in their early 20s). Students and staff start to turn up dead and mutilated - is he to blame? I mean, *we* know a werewolf is to blame... but who is the werewolf?
Reviews:
much better then it's comical US title "Werewolf in a girls dormitory" suggest.
-Thanks "sol1218" via imdb
This really is a terrible title for this particular movie. I expected debauchery, shenanigans, and maybe some sort of musical number (maybe where a bunch of girls do the twist while some special guest musician does their thing). But Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory is more serious than you would expect. There are elements of a serious drama at play here (affairs between teachers and students, blackmail), punctuated by scenes of violence that are not often fun.
What the film DOES have is some style and sense of mood, looking very European in execution. Although plot transitions are very poor, the film does manage to gel for the most part. Nowhere near a classic in any way, Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory is an entertaining excursion
-Thanks "Baron Bl00d" via imdb
I wouldn't rave about it, but "Baron Bl00d" is right. It's got a good vibe - not quite gothic, but the intense formality of the school gives the film a slightly oppressive feeling. Also, you get the idea that there is more than one of the school staff taking advantage of the younger students, which is just kind of icky. Again, not the type of fun that the title would suggest.
The werewolf stuff is okay - he looks all right (as far early 60s makeup is considered), although once you see his face halfway through the movie it's a little too easy to tell who is under there (which makes the reveal at the end a bit underwhelming). The violence is pretty neutered - to be expected considering the time frame and what not. But it's disturbing enough conceptually, even if the execution is a bit lacking.
There are large segments which are just plain dull.
-Thanks "Noel (Teknofobe70)" via imdb
It does get to be a bit of a drag at times - while the main plot line/mystery mostly works, it could use a little more forward momentum. It feels like it takes an awful lot of time to get from one plot point/clue to the next.
Final Thoughts:
It's not great, but it's okay enough. If you get past the laughably bad (and tonally inappropriate) title, you get a perfectly serviceable piece of semi-serious early 60s horror.
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