Horror Without People: MESSIAH OF EVIL

So there's this terrific tumblr (I know, tumblr, right?) called Cinema Without People. The first time I saw it, I was like hey, wow, what a great idea, wish I'd thought of it. But then I thought, hey, wow, didn't Picasso or Shia LeBeouf or whomever say something about stealing? I think so, so why don't I...appropriate the idea sometimes and link back to the dude who thought of it first? Seems fair, particularly since he only posts about horror movies once in a great great while (The Brood is sweet) and generally doesn't indulge in the delightful trash that I sometimes do.

And that's what's up with this idea I didn't think of! I thought it'd be fun to explore it a bit in the context of horror because of the ways in which place can be so important: building tension, establishing a sense of isolation, showing the aftermath of violence, etc.

I thought a good place to start would be the 1973 film Messiah of Evil, which, as you should know by now, I want to take as my unholy bride because I adore it to no end. The empty streets of Point Dume, the surrealistic art in the beach house, the beach itself...all of it imbues the movie with a desolate, ominous feeling. Even bright, familiar places like an innocuous grocery store have entered the realm of the uncanny–something really ain't right in Point Dume. Pray you can escape, because no one will hear you SCREAM!