Our place in TN does not yet have cable TV, which is a mixed blessing. Although I miss my beloved boob tube, it does give me the opportunity to read and to watch some great old movies on DVD. This Holiday week, I viewed two great films with horror master Christopher Lee.
First on the agenda was a bawdy comedy from 1979 called Serial. It stars Martin Mull, and if you have not seen it – it’s hilarious. It’s all about the “new age” lifestyle of Marin County California, with everyone sleeping around, trying new psychological therapies, and popping Quaaludes the way people now pop Xanex. Christopher Lee plays Mr. Luckman, who is a corporate tycoon during the week, and a gay biker-gang leader named Skull on the weekends. I don’t think I need to say anymore.
The second film was a very offbeat horror story called simply, The Wicker Man. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that it was so visibly riveting that I thought about getting the novel to see if an author could capture it in words. Unfortunately, the book was written after the fact as a novelization, which often (in my experience) isn’t worth the money. That being said, I would recommend the 1973 film (skip the Nicolas Cage remake) to any horror fans as a must see. Britt Ekland dancing nude ain’t bad either.