The Black Room (1982 film)

Last updated
The Black Room
The Black Room poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Elly Kenner
Norman Thaddeus Vane
Written by Norman Thaddeus Vane
Produced byAaron C. Butler
Starring
Cinematography Robert Harmon
Music byArt Podell
James Ackley
Production
companies
Butler-Cronin Productions
Lancer Productions Limited
Ram Productions
Release date
March 1984 (US)
Running time
various; Vestron VHS lists 88 minutes. [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40,000 [1]

The Black Room is a 1982 American horror film directed by Elly Kenner and written and co-directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane. It stars Stephen Knight, Cassandra Gava, Jimmy Stathis and Clara Perryman, and features Christopher McDonald and Linnea Quigley in small, early roles. The plot concerns siblings who lure swingers to their Hollywood mansion, kill them, then - with long scenes of blood transfusions - drain their blood. Though there is no classical vampirism in the film—in the sense of supernatural beings or blood drinking—the plot's focus on draining blood to prolong life has led to many sources considering it a vampire film. [2]

Contents

Plot

Bored suburban husband and father Larry (Jimmy Stathis) surreptitiously rents a room in the Hollywood Hills mansion owned by Bridget (Cassandra Gava) and her brother Jason (Stephen Knight), who is suffering from a rare blood disorder which requires frequent transfusions. Larry uses his new rental property to bring various willing women for the purposes of sex, while Jason and Bridget watch through a secret peep hole. Unbeknownst to Larry, however, once he departs the scene, Bridget and Jason capture his sex partners and drain their blood in an effort to prolong Jason's life. Eventually, Larry's wife Robin (Clara Perryman) discovers his infidelity. While initially hurt and angry, she soon decides to rent the "black room" for her own sexual purposes. When Larry finds out his wife is also cheating on him, he becomes angry and jealous, arguing with her and finally agreeing to cease his illicit activities in exchange for her doing the same. Both partners agree to cease their activities in "the black room." They soon discover, however, that Jason and Bridget have kidnapped their two children, and plan to drain their blood. A fight ensues, during which both Jason and Bridget appear to be killed—Bridget is stabbed to death and Jason is drowned in a bathtub full of blood—and the married couple escape with their kids. The film ends, however, with both corpses inexplicably reanimating, while Robin wonders aloud if "people like that ever really die?"

Cast

Reception

In his book Horror Films of the 1980s (vol 1) writer John Kenneth Muir situates the film within the context of the "precautionary tales" which define 1980's horror cinema, in which "married people step out of accepted social mores [usually involving sex] only to see their families threatened by their irresponsible actions." He also notes that the film "seem to understand, very early in the age of AIDS, the 'loaded' nature of hypodermic needles and the danger of contaminated blood in transfusions." [3]

Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone called the film, "...a bizarre obscurity that, by any prevailing critical standpoint, completely lives up to its plot line's utter lack of promise....an inert and inscrutably obsessive film." [1]

In their notes for a modern screening of the film, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema notes that "THE BLACK ROOM eerily occupies the brief period in American genre films following the close of the swinging 1970s but predating the AIDS and crack/cocaine epidemics of the '80s. From its lingering shots of hypodermic needles and blood coursing through transfusion tubes into track-scarred arms to its fascination with voyeurism, promiscuity and gratification, it's definitely a film ahead of its time." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream queen</span> Actress known for her work in horror films

A scream queen is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. A scream king is the male equivalent. Notable female examples include Barbara Steele, Sandra Peabody, Linda Blair, Olivia Hussey, Marilyn Burns, Neve Campbell, Daria Nicolodi, Dee Wallace, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Langenkamp, Shawnee Smith, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Linnea Quigley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Bauer</span> American actress

Michelle Bauer is an American actress, model, and B movie scream queen.

<i>Dracula</i> (1958 film) 1958 horror film directed by Terence Fisher

Dracula is a 1958 British gothic horror film directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel of the same name. The first in the series of Hammer Horror films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the film also features Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing, along with Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, and John Van Eyssen. In the United States, the film was retitled Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion with the U.S. original by Universal Pictures, 1931's Dracula.

<i>Nadja</i> (film) 1994 American film

Nadja is a 1994 American horror film written and directed by Michael Almereyda, starring Elina Löwensohn in the title role and Peter Fonda as Abraham Van Helsing. Nadja is a vampire film that treats genre elements in an understated arthouse style. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Innocent Blood</i> (film) 1992 film by John Landis

Innocent Blood is a 1992 American black comedy horror film directed by John Landis and written by Michael Wolk. The film stars Anne Parillaud as a beautiful French vampire who finds herself pitted against a gang of mobsters led by Salvatore Macelli who eventually becomes a vampire and schemes to build a criminal syndicate of vampires.

<i>A Return to Salems Lot</i> 1987 horror film directed by Larry Cohen

A Return to Salem's Lot is a 1987 American vampire film co-written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Andrew Duggan, Samuel Fuller, Evelyn Keyes, and June Havoc. A theatrical sequel to the 1979 miniseries Salem's Lot, the film follows an anthropologist and his son who encounter supernatural incidents and vampirism in the small town of Jerusalem's Lot.

<i>Count Yorga, Vampire</i> 1970 film

Count Yorga, Vampire is a 1970 American vampire horror film written and directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry and Michael Murphy. It was followed by a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga.

<i>Subspecies</i> (film series) Romanian-American horror film series

Subspecies is an American direct-to-video horror film series produced by Full Moon Studios and Castel Film Studios. The series ran from 1991 to 2023, and followed the exploits of the undead Radu Vladislas, portrayed by Anders Hove, and his efforts to turn Michelle Morgan into his fledgling. A spin-off film, Vampire Journals, was released in 1997, which featured characters that would go on to appear in the fourth installment. Ted Nicolaou wrote and directed all six films, including the spin-off.

<i>Blood of the Vampire</i> 1958 British film by Henry Cass

Blood of the Vampire is a 1958 British colour horror film directed by Henry Cass and starring Donald Wolfit, Barbara Shelley, and Vincent Ball. The film was produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman for Tempean Films, from a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster.

<i>The Killing Dance</i>

The Killing Dance is a horror/mystery novel by American writer Laurell K. Hamilton, the sixth book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series.

Cassandra Gava is an American actress and producer best known for her performance as the witch in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, and as the slave woman Alessa in High Road to China. She appeared in 21 films between 1979 and 1998. She also appears on the cover of the Jefferson Starship album Spitfire, and is credited as "dragon princess" in the liner notes. Gava appeared in Taxi as Desiree in the 1981 episode "Vienna Waits".

<i>Vampira</i> (1974 film) 1974 British comedy/horror film by Clive Donner

Vampira is a 1974 British comedy horror film directed by Clive Donner, and starring David Niven and Teresa Graves. This spoof of the vampire genre was re-titled Old Dracula for release in the United States, in an attempt to ride the success of Young Frankenstein.

<i>Salems Lot</i> (1979 miniseries) 1979 American TV miniseries

Salem's Lot is a 1979 American two-part vampire miniseries based on the 1975 horror novel 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Directed by Tobe Hooper and starring David Soul and James Mason, the plot concerns a writer who returns to his hometown and discovers that its citizens are turning into vampires. Salem's Lot combines elements of the vampire film and haunted house subgenres of horror.

Texas Fear Fest was a horror-oriented for-profit media event held in the Dallas, Texas, area. Guests included actors, directors, and producers from classic and upcoming horror films. Texas Fear Fest was organized by John Gray and presented in conjunction with horror websites "Pit of Horror" and "Dread Central". Despite the apparent success of the first three events, the organization collapsed in 2011 due to internal issues which forced the cancellation of scheduled and future events.

Texas Frightmare Weekend is a horror-oriented for-profit media event held annually in the Dallas, Texas, area. The weekend is a way for fans of the horror genre to connect with fellow horror lovers, meet guests that work in the genre, discover new films, and buy merchandise.

Strange Love (<i>True Blood</i>) 1st episode of the 1st season of True Blood

"Strange Love" is the pilot episode of True Blood. The episode was written and directed by Alan Ball and originally aired in the United States on HBO on September 7, 2008. In the episode, Sookie Stackhouse meets vampire Bill Compton and saves him from vicious vampire drainers, while her best friend Tara becomes the new bartender at Sam Merlotte's bar and Sookie's brother Jason finds himself accused of murder. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. It was rated TV-MA for Adult Content, Adult Language, Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, and Violence.

<i>Night of the Demons</i> (2009 film) 2009 American film

Night of the Demons is a 2009 American horror film and remake of the 1988 film of the same name. It was directed by Adam Gierasch, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jace Anderson, and stars Edward Furlong, Monica Keena, Bobbi Sue Luther, Shannon Elizabeth, Diora Baird, and Michael Copon.

Norman Thaddeus Vane born Norman Thatteus Vein was a screenwriter, producer, playwright and film director. He served as writer for the 1968 film Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, and in the subsequent year was writer and associate producer of the movie Lola. He wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film, 1931: Once Upon a Time in New York. Vane went on to direct the 1983 film, Frightmare, and continue contributing to writing films including The Black Room in 1984.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "THE BLACK ROOM". Alamo Drafthouse. Retrieved February 1, 2017. Filmed in 10 days for $40,000 in January 1981
  2. ↑ John L. Flynn Cinematic vampires: the living dead on film and television, - 1992 "1982 The Black Room Directors-Writers: Elly Kenner, Norman Thaddeus Vane. Starring Stephen Knight, Cassandra Gaviola, Jimmy Stathis, Clara Perryman. The Black Room (1982) has also been highly regarded in some critical quarters as the best contemporary vampire film."
  3. ↑ Muir, John Kenneth (24 October 2012). Horror Films of the 1980s, VOL. 1. McFarland. p. 372. ISBN   978-0786472987.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.