Oct 27 2008
Halloween Marathon: A Final Suggestion
As we enter Halloween week, there is one more horror film recommendation that can be categorized as a “perfect” Halloween film choice: Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972). A relatively low-key film that has gained a great deal of popularity since the age of home video, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things stands apart from more prominent films of its time due to its accomplishments - despite its low budget.
A small theatrical group and their director, Alan, set sail at dusk to a remote cemetery island. According to their leader, the island has an evil and violent history.
Upon their arrival, they make their way through the cemetery, through the woods, and finally to a two-story cottage. Alan gleefully reveals all that he knows about the legends tied to the island as they set up the house as their home base.
After an ill-received practical joke (two actors costumed as ghoulish corpses engage the group by surprise; Alan coordinated the prank), the group participates in a demonic summation; more specifically, a request for the dead to rise from their graves. Alan attempts to perform the rite by the book (an ancient book of spells). When it seems that the spell was not effective (leaving Alan looking nothing more than arrogant and incompetent), Val, one of the skeptical actors, performs her own incantation via impromptu acting.
After being made to look like a fool, Alan decides to bring Orville, an unearthed corpse, back to the cottage for a “party.” Met with much resistance from the group, Alan begins to remind all that their jobs are at stake and forces some of them to act at his command (particularly Terry, who must “convince” Orville that she has talent).
As the group becomes increasingly upset with Alan’s antics and insensitive manipulation, the dead rise from their graves, hungry for human flesh…..
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things was directed by Bob Clark, who was responsible for the Porky’s comedy film series and the modern holiday classic A Christmas Story. Directed under the name “Benjamin” Clark, this film stars Jeff Gillen as “Jeff,” who later went on to play the obnoxious mall Santa in A Christmas Story. Although the film was not a major motion picture (being released during the same era as horror classics such as The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Tales from the Crypt and The Exorcist), the low budget works in its favor. The zombie makeup designs look very realistic and have the advantage of pre-dating today’s over-the-top, high-tech special effects; less is more, and an honest “special effects” makeup design does the trick more effectively than a ton of latex and a wealth of CGI.
For those who are interested in atmosphere for their Halloween marathon, this film is resonating with it. The whole film is set at night, with heavy fog effects and mood-heavy synth music and use of echo sound effects. This film is widely available on DVD and VHS; however, the A/V quality of both region one DVDs leaves a lot to be desired. However, that should not get in the way of enjoying what is one of the more memorable horror films of the 1970s.
