MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE - BLU-RAY REVIEW

Following the enormous success of director Gerard Damiano’s dark and brooding porno-chic hit THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES (1973), he decided to return to similar, even darker territory with his horror-infused psychosexual shocker MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE (1974). Based on an original story by Ron Wertheim, Damiano’s film more or less mimics the general concept of Nunnally Johnson’s THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957) while simultaneously incorporating key elements from Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960). It’s a memorably bleak little film, which for decades was difficult to see outside of crummy bootlegs, so like most of their adult titles, Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-ray / DVD combo is yet another stellar restoration, which will certainly please adult film devotees and, quite possibly, fans of regionally-shot horror cinema as well. 

Aggie (Deborah Ashira), an aging woman living in a desolate country farmhouse, muses over her past sexual experiences (“Somethin’s comin’ over me…”) while Richard (Patrick L. Farrelly), who is presumably her husband, calmly sits in front of the fire in his wheelchair. But as she recalls each encounter, trying to determine how she ended-up with Richard, in flashback scenes that are rather cleverly recreated using different actresses (Kim Pope, Mary Stuart and Darby Lloyd Rains), it becomes more than clear to us that poor Aggie has lost her grip on reality, and that (to quote she herself) “Somethin’s hidden, about to come out.”

Unfolding in a cold, wintery landscape, MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE is quite a departure from the usual hardcore fare, with a well-developed if simplistic plot that actually plays better as a horror film. Unlike Damiano’s weirdly anemic LEGACY OF SATAN (1974), his attempt to deliver a ‘straight’ non-sex film, MWMA is more attuned to his erotic sensibilities as he explores far darker territory without the all-neat-and-tidy resolution that mars the otherwise exceptional Joanne Woodward headliner THE THREE FACES OF EVE. Derived from a script by Wertheim (who also co-penned Jonas Middleton’s equally dark and grim horror-sex opus THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS [1976]), MWMA has far more on its mind than merely mindless sex, but coming as it does from such a connoisseur of the medium, sex scenes do nevertheless remain an integral part of the action, and are used to underline the heroine’s confused state of mind. Envisioning herself as either a princess (“Sparklin’ eyes…”), a lustful farmgirl or a sexually voracious prostitute – porn stereotypes all – the sex scenes provide the necessary licentious behaviour, but also evoke our empathy when it becomes readily apparent to we the viewer that these perceived flashbacks may not actually be ‘memories’ after all, but merely wishful fantasies conjured-up by the imagination of a lonely, sex-starved spinster. 

Languorously-paced, MWMA’s almost dreamlike state is well-anchored by the convincing portrayal by Deborah Ashira (who doesn’t appear in any of the explicit stuff) of an emotionally lost and sexually-repressed woman well past her prime, while the isolated, snowy countryside provides the ideal melancholic backdrop. In spite of this film’s humble origins, it is handsomely lensed by Damiano’s regular DP João Fernandes (once again using his amusing “Harry Flecks” pseudonym), who also adds immensely to the film’s gloomy scenario with his nicely-nuanced, moodily-lit cinematography, bringing-out the appropriate ambiance necessary to each vignette and also giving a realistic, warm-and-homey glow to Aggie’s farmhouse where, shut away within, she feels safe and secure from the anxieties of the outside world. 

Village Voice newspaper ad (July '74).

Judging from the film’s VHS-sourced trailer (3m11s) which accompanies this disc, Vinegar Syndrome’s new 2K scan from (quote) “16mm archival negative elements” is quite remarkable. Presented in its intended 1.85:1 aspect ratio, everything looks well-balanced compositionally, which only adds greater resonance to the film’s bleak and barren surroundings. In spite of the inherent grainy appearance, colours and detail appear spot-on and, as expected, this also leaves little to the imagination during the sex scenes’ mandatory ‘close-ups’. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio is also free of any issues, and although it’s generally a relatively quiet film, none of the dialogue is inaudible and Rupert Holmes’ minimalist score sounds terrific. As usual, VS have also provided SDH subtitles. Aside from the aforementioned trailer, the only other extra is a stills gallery (2m34s), which also includes a number of newspaper articles highlighting some of the film’s various issues with local censors (e.g., “Witnesses say movie obscene”) and legal battles. As is the norm now, Vinegar Syndrome have also included newly-created artwork highlighting the movie narrative’s puzzle-like structure, as well as MWMA’s rather striking French promotional art. Vinegar Syndrome’s initial 1000-copy print run also included a nicely-designed slipcover, which is now out-of-print. Highly recommended! Order the standard edition from Vinegar Syndrome or for you Canadian readers, Suspect Video.

LEGACY OF SATAN & BLOOD - BLU-RAY REVIEW

Originally released in 1974 by Bryanston Pictures, Code Red has decided to recreate this rarely-seen double bill with this Limited Edition Blu-ray, which was released through Screen Archives Entertainment earlier this year. 

Like so many ’70s horror pictures purporting to deal with Satanism or some sort of devil cult, Gerard Damiano’s LEGACY OF SATAN (1974) doesn’t have the usual nudity or even mild gore associated with a genre such as this, and despite many nice atmospheric touches and one of the most wacked-out, abrasive synth scores you’ll ever hear, it’s actually quite anemic, despite the inherent potential, but yet, in some strange way, it’s all quite compelling just the same. 

Beginning with the eponymous satanic ceremony, it is foretold that a “girl of pale complexion and tender years” will be chosen for a historical union in order to “strengthen the power of the master”.  Lots of mumbo-jumbo, blood-drinking and chanting (“Lord Rakeesh, come to us!”) keep the viewer entertained as big, garish credits unspool over the proceedings.  Maya (Lisa Cristian) and George (Paul Barry) play a New York couple, who, while hosting a dinner party at their house, discuss the philosophical complexities of good and evil (“you must also believe in the devil”) with their friend Arthur (James Proctor).  He is actually part of the aforementioned coven, and he is ordered by his leader Dr. Muldavo (John Francis) to invite Maya to a “costume party” at his out-of-the-way, castle-like mansion.  Further ceremonies and drugged-out hallucinations ensue, but when Muldavo’s assistant Aurelia becomes jealous of Maya, she helps George escape his shackles, and with the help of an EXCALIBUR-like sacrificial sword (it actually glows in the dark while a low-fi buzz is heard on the soundtrack to demonstrate its supposed power!), they try to defeat Muldavo.  

Produced a year before Damiano’s now legendary The DEVIL IN MISS JONES ([1973] a clever take on Sam Wood’s The DEVIL AND MISS JONES [1941], with Jean Arthur), LEGACY OF SATAN could be viewed as a minor precursor to what is arguably one of Damiano’s darkest and best films.  Running at a very brief 69 minutes, it’s rumored that LEGACY OF SATAN began as a hardcore film (sometime around 1972) and, at the insistence of its producer ‘Lou Parish’ (the infamous Louis “Butchie” Peraino, producer of Damiano’s DEEP THROAT [1972] and part of the Colombo crime family) decided to turn the film into a straight-up horror film.  Why the sudden change is anyone’s guess and it could just be a rumor, but the brief running time and simplistic set-up would certainly attest to this.  Anyway, what we’re left with, to quote the late Mighty Monarch of Exploitation, Mr. David F. Friedman, is “all sizzle and NO steak!” 

Although nudity and even gore is kept to a minimum, LEGACY OF SATAN seems almost childlike in its execution next to The DEVIL IN MISS JONES, but for those willing to give it a spin, it still has enough weirdness to keep it entertaining.  Early in the film, Maya is possessed from afar by Muldavo’s resident High Priestess (Deborah Holren), which results in a number of hallucinations (like crusty-faced killers and bleeding paintings) and a sudden, almost obsessive interest in blood.  At one point, she cuts her finger and gets her rather apprehensive husband to seductively lick it off in one of the many sexual tension-filled scenes.  Once at Muldavo’s mansion, Maya and George (wearing a diaphanous nightie and jester’s outfit, respectively) are drugged and begin hallucinating almost immediately as the film resorts to lots of distorted wide-angel photography and multi-coloured gel lighting as the already jarring synth score crescendos to a fever-pitch at almost ear-piercing levels.  Composed by Arlon Ober and Mel Zelniker, this is surely one of the more unique and, perhaps, ahead of its time scores; it may annoy the bejesus out of many, but it certainly adds plenty of weirdly effective atmosphere.  Unusual for such a no-budget production, the film also looks great (especially on this Blu-ray) thanks to João Fernandes’ slick and colourful photography.  Usually hiding behind under his nom-de-porn of ‘Harry Flecks’, Fernandes was a very prolific DP and a favourite of Damiano’s who used him on many of his best-known adult features, but he also lent his talents to many a low-budget feature such as William Witney’s DARKTOWN STRUTTERS (1975).  In the ’80s, he became Joseph Zito’s favourite cameraman, starting with BLOODRAGE (1981, a.k.a. NEVER PICK UP A STRANGER) right up until RED SCORPION (1988), but also found the time to work on Fritz Kiersch’s CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) and numerous Cannon films.

Previously available from BCI/Eclipse as part of their “Blood Bath 2” 4-pack, LEGACY OF SATAN comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red presented in it’s original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9.  Mastered from a “surviving C.R.I. 35mm” print, and as promised on the back of the Blu-ray, “due to the high volume of internet complaints, we did not use DNR and kept the grain intact”, so the transfer is quite sharp and very film-like; this will NEVER look any better than it does here!  

The second feature on this disc is one of Andy Milligan’s more elusive period efforts, the rather blandly titled BLOOD (1974), but despite that title, it’s anything but.  After moving from the fictitious European region of Mortavia, Dr. Lawrence Orlofski (Allan Berendt) returns to the U.S.A. with his wife Regina (Hope Stansbury), who “doesn’t like the daylight hours”.  Along with Orlofski’s servants Carrie (Patti Gaul), the legless Orlando (Michael Fischetti) and dim-witted Carlotta (Pichulina Hampi), this bunch of misfits promptly move in and immediately give Regina a life-saving injection as she deteriorates in the harsh New England sun.  It seems Lawrence Orlofski has some unfinished business with his father’s estate, which has been put in the hands of the unscrupulous Carl Root (John Wallowitch), who also threatens to reveal the family secret and Lawrence Orlofski’s real name: Talbot.

This throwback to the Universal horrors from the ’30s and ’40s is probably one of Milligan’s more accessible and polished efforts from his stable of horror films – the other being his British-lensed The MAN WITH TWO HEADS (1971).  His tongue is firmly planted in his cheek for most of the running time (the ending is a nice touch), but Milligan’s monsters are even more tortured than normal allowing him to pepper his script with his usual acerbic, and almost autobiographical, dialogue.  When Lawrence is questioned by Regina for his afternoon dalliance with Root’s assistant Prudence Towers (Pamela Adams), she quickly tells him to “Go to hell,” for which he replies, “I’m there already!”  Further bickering ensues between Carrie and Regina (“you are such a selfish woman”), which are all typical staples of most Milligan films.  When Carrie’s brother Johnny (David Bevans) arrives from overseas, he is first introduced as her possible boyfriend, but as they kiss, a much darker relationship reveals itself, which is soon cut short as Regina plants a giant meat cleaver in his skull.    

A general malaise permeates the entire film, and even though its no surprise Lawrence turns out to be a werewolf and Regina a vampire (the Daughter of Dracula, no less!), they are portrayed as frustrated and sickly.  In one of the film’s stranger subplots, the cultivation of carnivorous, highly poisonous plants provide Regina with a necessary serum to help keep her alive, but the plants themselves need constant doses of new blood.  These dubious experiments have also taken their toll on their devoted caretakers; Orlando has already lost both his legs to these monstrous plants, which are now growing beyond their control (“the climate seems to agree with them more”); Carrie’s leg is also badly infected with giant pustule-like sores; Regina, in complete desperation, resorts to eating live mice and even Lawrence suffers greatly after turning into a werewolf.  When a highly inquisitive real estate salesman arrives asking questions, he quickly becomes a meal for these mysterious plants as they slurp and munch away on his legs, but Lawrence is worried that these plants are quickly becoming “completely carnivorous”. 

Like GURU THE MAD MONK (1970), this film runs just over an hour in length (this Blu-ray contains the full 69-minute film as opposed to previous versions, which only ran 57 minutes) and moves rather briskly (at least for a Milligan film) right up to its entertaining conclusion.  Anyone even remotely interested in those early monster movies will certainly get a kick out of this very, very low-budget monster mash, even if the monsters themselves don’t have that much screen time.  Milligan’s usually erratic camerawork is a little more restrained this time around, with some decent compositions, which at times were even a little reminiscent of the colourful milieus of a low-rent Douglas Sirk.  Honestly!  Even some of Milligan’s meager costume design (once again hiding behind his usual pseudonym of Raffiné) is better than average, as opposed to some of the thrown-together stuff from his earlier and more widely-seen TORTURE DUNGEON (1970).  

Retaining the film’s original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9, BLOOD was mastered from a “longer 35mm print”, which contains occasional lines and scratches, but for the most part, it also looks pretty damn good despite the limitations of Milligan’s photography.  This “Bryanston Pictures Double Bill” was a pleasant and much welcome surprise from Code Red, so order your copy from Screen Archives here before it disappears.