Editorials
Insane Cult Film ‘Roar’ Plays Like a Twisted Disney Horror Story [VOD Pick]
Forget Netflix’s Tiger King, this 1981 cult film revived by Drafthouse Films is the definitive viewing for mind-blowing, ill-advised narratives to put in your eye holes. One of the most disastrous and dangerous productions of all time, Roar boasts that no animals were harmed during production. The cast and crew, however, didn’t fare as well, with roughly 70 touted injuries during the extensive production with 150 untrained wild cats. Some of those injuries were life-threatening. Alamo Drafthouse selected Roar as their latest at-home VOD offering, and if you haven’t seen this utterly insane film that plays like an intense, and horror-fueled Disney story on acid, well, you should. There’s nothing else like it.
Billed as a family-friendly action-adventure, the plot sees a naturalist living with 150 big cats in East Africa. He’s expecting his wife and three kids to arrive from Chicago, but a series of events leaves him off-site rushing to get home while his family shows up and is left alone to fend off the beasts. Even on paper, the premise sounds intense.
The opening sequence gives writing credits to some of the lions because they were wild and untrained; these animals weren’t reliable performers. They behaved and did whatever they wanted, causing lead star, writer, producer, and director Noel Marshall to accommodate the production accordingly. It turned a nine-month shoot into a five year one, with 11 years total dedicated to getting this film made.
Actress Tippi Hedren (The Birds, Marnie) and then-husband Noel Marshall, an executive producer of The Exorcist, became devoted to raising awareness about the inhumane treatment of big cats in captivity as well as the over-hunting of them in the wild after a safari in Africa. It inspired them to create Roar, which they felt would raise awareness for their cause. Trainers of big cats thought this was an ill-advised idea. Because they wanted multiple species, which don’t coexist naturally and are territorial by nature, Marshall and Hedren began raising cubs to acclimate long before photography began. Before they knew it, they were acquiring more, and the cats they raised were breeding, reaching around 150 total for the film.
Lighthearted family moments, humor, and an upbeat score by Terrence P. Minogue were intentional choices to push the film into family adventure territory. Still, it did nothing to diminish the intensity of the ever-present danger the on-screen actors were in for the entire runtime. It didn’t help that of the credited leading lions, the antagonistic lion Togar spends every moment covered in blood like a slasher villain. While his distinct appearance marks him as dangerous, the reality is that all of the animals are dangerous, and the actors’ fear is visceral on a whole other level in context. The animals’ behavior was so unpredictable that most of the actors remained visibly on edge. It gave the film a thriller tone. It didn’t help that there were plenty of bloody sequences.
Actress Melanie Griffith, Hedren’s daughter, was mauled by a lion, resulting in over 100 stitches and reconstructive surgery. The mauling on screen, no less. Hedren suffered a broken leg and deep scalp wounds. Cinematographer Jan de Bont received 220 stitches on his head from a lion scalping. Taking the crown of injuries, however, was Noel Marshall. He’d endured so many bites, gouges, and wounds from the cats that he eventually was hospitalized for gangrene.
Released in 1981, except domestically, Roar fell into obscurity until a re-release in 2015. The insane behind-the-scenes story helped amass a cult following throughout the years. Many films feature stranger-than-fiction production tales, but none that bleed over to the on-screen narrative. Not like this. Marshall and Hedren intended for a family-friendly ecological story, but what they wound up with is an acid-trip animals-attack horror film that took a decade or so to make.
Roar isn’t a horror film in the traditional sense, but the reality of their dangerous situation created horror nonetheless. A career-derailing film for Noel Marshall, and a film that could’ve easily cost lives in the process, Roar is a film that demands to be seen to be believed.
New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features one random pick as well as four selections reflecting the month of May 2024.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings include a self-loathing serial killer, a violinist’s murderous ghost, and a postmodern vamp flick.
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)
Pictured: Ted Bessell and Sian Barbara Allen in Scream, Pretty Peggy.
Directed by Gordon Hessler.
The TV-movie Scream, Pretty Peggy first aired as part of ABC Movie of the Week. Bette Davis plays the mother of a reclusive sculptor (Ted Bessell), and after the previous housekeeper goes missing, a local college student (Sian Barbara Allen) fills the position. Little does she know, though, the young employee’s predecessor was murdered — and the killer is still on the loose.
Admittedly, Scream, Pretty Peggy isn’t difficult to figure out; its inspiration is obvious. However, Bette Davis’ overstated performance and the son character’s macabre artwork are enough to stay tuned and learn who’s behind the killings.
Scream, Pretty Peggy is now available on physical media from Kino Lorber. Perhaps watch the movie with your own mother this Mother’s Day (May 12).
Paganini Horror (1989)
Pictured: The ghostly killer in Paganini Horror.
Directed by Luigi Cozzi.
For National Buy a Musical Instrument Day (May 22), check out this absurd Italian entry in the subgenre of cursed music horror. A rock band unleashes hell when they unknowingly use a satanic piece of music composed by Niccolò Paganini, the violinist who was rumored to have made a Faustian deal.
Even though Paganini Horror is hardly deemed a standout of Italian Horror, and the movie indeed drags itself toward the finish line, there are some bright spots worth focusing on. For instance: Donald Pleasence. If that’s not enough, the very ’80s aesthetic helps gloss over the flaws in Daria Nicolodi‘s uneven script.
Paganini Horror is now on physical media from Severin Films and is also streaming on SCREAMBOX.
Nadja (1994)
Pictured: Suzy Amis Cameron and Karl Geary in Nadja.
Directed by Michael Almereyda.
These vampires may or may not cast a reflection, but they sure do love to reflect. David Lynch executive-produced as well as briefly appeared in the film, which Roger Ebert succinctly described as “Deadpan Noir” in his review. This tale of revenge and philosophical pondering begins with the vampiric namesake (Suzy Amis Cameron) seducing the daughter (Galaxy Craze) of Van Helsing after he killed Nadja’s father, Dracula. From there a war erupts between the two sides, all while taking place in modern NYC.
Nadja is quite slow but also just strange, stylish and creative enough to keep your attention. In addition, the trip hop soundtrack is easy on the ears, and Peter Fonda plays a memorable Van Helsing. Overall, this is a unique and artsy approach to vampire horror.
Nadja is now streaming on Freevee.
The Bone Snatcher (2003)
Pictured: Scott Bairstow, Warrick Grier and Rachel Shelley in ‘The Bone Snatcher’.
Directed by Jason Wulfsohn.
For National Sunscreen Day (May 27), dig up the monster movie The Bone Snatcher. It will take more than a high SPF to protect the sunburned characters here; they are stuck in a South African desert with a bizarre monster called the Esikhulu.
The best things about The Bone Snatcher are its setting and the creature. This beast, which is brought to life on screen using a combination of practical and digital effects, sports a ghastly design to go with its unnerving ability to animate skeletons. Something else this movie has going for it is a refusal to show the monster too often; that way there is less chance of becoming desensitized to the Esikhulu. Ultimately, this has nothing on John Carpenter’s The Thing, however, those more forgiving fans of Syfy-ish creature-features should be satisfied.
The Bone Snatcher is currently streaming on Tubi.
#1 Serial Killer (2013)
Pictured: Jason Tobin in #1 Serial Killer.
Directed by Stanley Yung.
May is AAPIM, and the subversive #1 Serial Killer (originally titled Chink) is relevant when discussing the “Invisible Asian” notion. Acknowledging the irony, Stanley Yung’s movie has gone widely unnoticed despite its potent take on race and identity.
Jason Tobin (Warrior) delivers a compelling performance as the vile protagonist here. The self-hating, Ted Bundy-admiring character discriminates against other Asians after years of mistreatment and disregard, and that growing rage finally manifests as cathartic violence.
#1 Serial Killer is currently available at digital retailers like Apple.
No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.
‘Infested’ Review – One of the Best Spiders Attack Horror Movies in Years
‘The King Tide’: An Island Town Rots with Moral Decay in Canadian Folk Horror Fable [Review]
Limited Edition Morticia & Wednesday Addams ‘Monster High’ Dolls Releasing Next Week!
TWO New ‘Evil Dead’ Movies Now in the Works; Sébastien Vaniček & Francis Galluppi Directing
“AHS: Delicate” Review – ‘The Auteur’ Gives Birth to a Lackluster, Laughable Finale
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