La residencia (aka Finishing School, aka The House That Screamed)
It's a SHOCKtober placer, having appeared at #301 on the list of films that have scared you the most, and at #229 on your list of favorites. Therefore it's been on my radar for years. Therefore, the time has come. And the whole damn thing is on The YouTubes, so you have no excuses. Give it a watch. Write something up or join the discussion or both! See why everyone* raves about the Final Girl Film Club.
The movie: La residencia
The due date: Tuesday, December 17
The deal:
1. watch the movie
2. link to Final Girl somewhere in your review
3. email me the link: stacieponder at gmail dot com
4. bask in the warm embrace of your fellow Film Clubbers
If you wrote a review of the film previously, that's totally fine. Just add a link to Final Girl in there somewhere and send it along.
*no one
This film is won-der-ful! Lilli Palmer's performance is just about the best part, although everyone does a fine job. The music and the (endearingly over the top)dubbing are both beautiful...I first heard of it on Mark Gatiss' BBC Four documentary, "Horror Europa", and I have since watched it about 10 times...
ReplyDeleteIt is also out on DVD as part of Elvira's Movie Macabre from Shout Factory, although here it is called, "The House That Screamed"...
Very dreamy, fairy tale-like atmosphere...everything that rules about Euro-horror...
Yayayayay! I won! (Sorry, that was jerky.) In honor of this occasion, I'm going to join the Final Girl Film Club and revive my short-lived and now dormant blog, Drinkin' With the Movies! Christmas comes early this year!
ReplyDeleteGREAT film! I may have to rewatch it and post a review.
ReplyDeleteAndy, I knew this movie sounded familiar and it's because of Elvira. I mean, I should have known; Elvira is the Kevin Bacon of my life. And by that I mean, there are exactly 6 degrees of separation between all things Elvira and anything else that happens in my life. Even something as seemingly tertiary as a comment on Final Girl.
ReplyDeleteStacie, I have no blog, but be advised I will watch the youtubes w/o the sectioned awesomeness which is the Mistress of the Dark. So as not to be distracted from the potential (?) awesomeness of the film.
This movie rules. I made a composite from the various versions posted on YouTube (the only uncut version is heavily cropped and the best quality version is cut). It's criminal that it hasn't had some kind of restored release on Blu-Ray because it's a beautifully made film.
ReplyDeleteAnd the kills are uniquely shot — subtle but beautiful and effective. This is some of the best use I've ever seen of conventional effects like lap dissolves and freeze frames that make GC FX look weak like a preemie in an iron lung without even any latex and barely any stage blood.
Does it sound like I love this movie? Can you not love a gorgeously shot and designed atmospheric Gothic proto-slasher that obviously was a heavy influence on "Suspiria?"
"The House That Screamed" is the punchiest title, but I love that the onscreen title (on my copy, anyway) is the cheeky "The Finishing School."
Lilli Palmer is fantastic — the way she carries herself makes it look like they put all the starch in the world in her clothes.