We're sipping Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale with today's episode, 1969's The House That Screamed. A Spanish film set in France, using European actors
Jayson chose this film after he came across it in a book titled Hidden Horror
We discuss why it's a B-Movie. I say if a movie has multiple titles, such as this one, it's likely a B-Movie.
There are some risque relationships in this film, for the time. Suggestions of mother/son relations, lesbianism, S&M
Jayson uses Merchant Ivory to describe this film. You be the judge
Red herrings abound in this one
The soundtrack is a high point of the film
Teresa, our heroine, is taken to a boarding school
Fourneau, the principal, paints a glowing portrait of what this school is, but quickly changes her tune
Toupan is the heavy at this school. She delights in it, and really likes that she gets to discipline upstart Izzy
We both have lots of theories about Mr. Baldy, the man who takes Teresa to the boarding school
Forbidden love will be punished, according to the story being read at dinner. The young woman's pronunciation reminded me of Michael Palin as brother Maynard
The punishment of Izzy is both well shot and disturbing. Toupan foreshadows her arch cruelness here. Fourneau proves to be very manipulative
Fourneau makes her true feelings about the girls known when warning her son Louis about them.
Jayson makes a keen observation about the usage of clocks in the movie
One assembles a clock, which is worth noting, as one might assemble a pumpkin ale.
Henry, the wood deliveryman, brings two types of wood
The mother/son relationship is not appropriate, and we think it's at least partially why Louis is who he is
Boiler rooms as romantic meeting places. Your thoughts?
The green house scene. The school is about control. It's fine outside, but they're forced to work inside the green house
Mr. Brechard, red herring
Jayson picks up on some sexual symbolism in the green house scene. Can you spot it?
Toupan runs the school from the shadows, and lets Teresa know, in uncomfortable fashion
I thought for sure Jayson was going to translate Louis's note to Isabelle!
For a supposedly prestigious school, the lack of toilet paper is concerning
The sound during Isabelle's death is different from the rest of the movie. It's well done, but unpleasant
I'm very concerned about fire codes, due to the nailing shut of windows
Two bottles in, we're enjoying Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale immensely
We avoided the shower scene, because it makes us uncomfortable. It's not graphic, just uncomfortable
Were shower gowns a thing? If you have any knowledge, please let us know
Louis loves that boiler room. It leads to another red herring, when Brechard closes Louis in his peeping tunnel. It's a tense scene
We believe there was a large chunk of movie cut after the shower scene
The needle point scene. Fourneau is a needlepoint enthusiast. Henry brings his two types of wood. Overt sexual symbolism alert
First inkling something's wrong with Louis. He's reading a book by Johannes Jansenn and slowly crushes an ant in it.
Is Louis really sickly, or is that an excuse for Fourneau to keep control of him
We both love Pumpkin Ale season, and Buffalo Bill's is tops.
Toupan's clubhouse is clearly a place for her and her minions to sneak off and engage in carnal pleasures
Jayson gets a secret police feeling from Toupan's interrogation of Teresa. It's a cruel scene designed to break poor Teresa
Teresa and Louis's relationship, which we've never seen develop, is important enough for her to risk everything telling him she's leaving
There's a big storm, which we know means nothing good
Teresa's death scene is jarring, not least of which is because we thought she was the heroine
Toupan starts coming around, and we get another red herring: Is Fourneau the killer
Jayson notices when Toupan's keys are taken, so is her fascist outfit
When trying to escape a boarding school, never move upward. Out and down only. We're still in 'Fourneau is the killer' mode
Fourneau finds Toupan dead and handless, so we know she isn't the killer. Then who is?
Well, that would be Louis. He's killing girls, taking parts of them that remind him of Fourneau and assembling the perfect woman, i.e. his mother. That's what she gets for telling him to find a woman like her
Jayson points out that the film is titled The House That Screamed, and the only scream is Fourneau at the end when Louis locks her away with his corpse
Jayson recommends this film. He likes the twists and turns, and has developed a theory where this film is an allegory of Franco's Spain. I don't really recommend it. I found it plodding until the end, and other movies give us cool openings as well as endings. We both recommend Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Intro music for this episode is a mix of (1) Turn on The Funk (Story Blocks Audio subscription), (2) sample 1961’s The Phantom Planet [in the public domain], and (3) sample 1968’s Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women [in the public domain]. Outro music Little Waltz(V4) (Story Blocks Audio subscription)
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