GORIED TREASURES has been reimagined as a column with every entry focusing on random horror movies that are deserving of the spotlight. Be it indie, foreign, or simply something that is underappreciated by the masses, the goal is to put these films on everyone’s radars.
Night Visitor
Dir. Rupert Hitzig
1989
Watch: Rent (Prime Video)
It’s a rule of thumb that every successful story will be copied in some form or another. Horror movies are especially guilty of doing this, but at least they try to offer some incentive for watching every now and then. Fright Night was a slinky horror-comedy about vampires, and it paved the way for other similar movies like the obscure Night Visitor.
Also known as Never Cry Demon elsewhere, this diamond in the rough isn’t a complete facsimile of Fright Night. Rather than vampires, Night Visitor revisits a theme that was more popular in 1970s horror: Satanic Panic. Billy (Derek Rydall) has a bad habit of lying to avoid responsibility for his actions, but when he finally tells the truth, no one believes him.
The problem starts when Billy gets an attractive, new neighbor (played by Shannon Tweed) who just happens to be a sex worker. The high school student is spying on her one night from his window when he sees her killed by a man in a devil’s mask. When he tells the police what he saw, they somehow think he’s lying for attention.
It’s true there’s no actual supernatural element here seeing as the killer is an ordinary man. Barring the familiar beats and a general lack of creativity, this remains a satisfying knockoff of an admittedly better-made movie.
Lisa
Dir. Gary Sherman
1990
Watch: Stream (Prime Video)
Up until the last two decades, people talked on the telephone more. The thought of answering the phone, regardless of who’s on the other end, is daunting for folks these days. However, before the advent of the internet and social media, that’s about all you could do to get ahold of someone.
Once upon a time, a sign of your own growing independence was getting your own phone. This everyday communication device was your lifeline; you depended on it, you craved it. There used to be a number for everything — fan clubs, movie showtimes, horoscopes. Yet for a 14-year-old girl like Lisa (Staci Keanan), the only person she wants to call happens to be a serial killer.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a number of erotic phone thrillers, but don’t expect Gary Sherman’s Lisa to be anything too racy. After all, the main character is a teenager who can’t even go on dates because of her mother’s strict rules. Lisa defies her doting and single mother Katherine (Cheryl Ladd) at every turn; she’s in a hurry to grow up. Unfortunately, her dash to adulthood entangles both her and her mother in a murderer’s sick games.
The cat-and-mouse elements are routine; it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. There are creepy and tense moments all thanks to D.W. Moffett’s portrayal of a handsome strangler. What makes Lisa so worthwhile, though, is the complex mother-daughter relationship. Audiences get a real sense of their bond and fears that you don’t always see in these sort of ready-to-eat thrillers.
The Lost Coast Tapes
Dir. Corey Grant
2012
Watch: Stream (Tubi)
Found-footage movies attract a number of Bigfoot-inspired tales. Much of these end up being quick and artless cash grabs with no value whatsoever, though. So when you come across this particular movie on a random streaming service, you’re understandably wary. Even more so when they decide to give it the most dull retitling ever: Bigfoot. Be that as it may, cryptid enthusiasts should feel at ease when they watch The Lost Coast Tapes; this is unlike any ‘squatch flick they’ve ever seen.
The setup here is nothing unusual: a journalist ventures deep into the woods to discover the great missing link while also making a name for himself. He and his crew contact a man who claims to have a Bigfoot corpse on hand, but he’s not being completely straightforward with his guests.
The Lost Coast Tapes certainly takes its sweet time reaching a climax. It verges on a workplace comedy at times since the characters are constantly arguing. This occupational tension is eventually replaced with dread as the cast is left stranded at a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
The movie’s saving grace is the rug pull at the end. It’s genuinely weird and unexpected, and anyone who was already irritated, has to admit that that was a clever twist.