Equinox (1970)

THE KING of B-Movies!!!

What can I say?
This movie was way more entertaining than I figured it would have been...
Decent stop motion, iffy acting, and a decent story line...it really reminds me of something like Evil Dead. Very obviously B-Grade material...but somehow still affective and still somewhat creepy as a horror movie...
This set is amazing...with both versions of the film (including the previously unreleased original cut) and a short film...as well as featurettes and commentary, and lots more...
Well worth picking up for fans of the old horror movies. November 6, 2008

Best of...

This movie could almost be considered a best-of compilation of previously-discovered visual effects, cult film conceits, and camp. The story itself is reminiscent of old movies from Attack of the Gila Monster to Haxan, the imagery covers the world from Godzilla and King Kong to Vertigo, the themes include creepy castles, desert wastelands, and Satanism, and the characters run from one situation to another with careless abandon as they commentate on the very things that are happening to them with a weirdly analytical mindset. The movie precedes the career of its visual effects creator (who went on to work on Star Wars and Jurassic Park, to lend Equinox some credibility) and its plot foretells the later Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 of Sam Raimi. That said, it's not all that interesting.

Basically, a group of four kids go out to visit a professor friend of theirs, only to meet with horrors involving a Satanic book, a creepy park ranger, a kooky old geezer, and spectacular (and mostly claymation) monsters. By today's standards, it's a pretty slow movie as it pretty much doesn't mind taking the time to let the camera linger on the special effects or, worse, on the dialog. There's an interesting sub-theme about religious symbols as a sort of metaphysical chemistry, and for what it's worth the characters are a lot more aware and intelligent than most horror film fodder. Unfortunately, that only gets the movie so far, as its creativity still serves a ridiculous premise that is, to most b-horror film buffs, all too familiar. In that way, it really is like listening to a best-of CD of a certain era or sensibility: you've heard it all too often before and the real joys are more often on the lesser known works.

--PolarisDiB October 2, 2008

A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FANDOM

When I decided to review EQUINOX in its Criterion release I was all hyped up and ready to go. I should have done it then rather than wait until The next day. Why? Because on that morning I learned the sad news of Stan Winston's death at the relatively young age of 62. For those of you who might not know (and why are you reading a review of this type of film if you don't know who he is?)Stan Winston is/was the Academy Award winning special effects genius extraordinarie who thrilled you with JURASSIC PARK, WAR OF THE WORLDS, CONSTANTINE,the latest INDIANA JONES flick and countless other classic films of the genre for the last 20 years, including one of my favorites PUMPKINHEAD, which was also his directorial debut. His death marks the beginning of the end of an era, and its just to sad to even contemplate. Winston had nothing whatsoever to do with the making of EQUINOX but he shared the same spiritual fathers as the kids who produced this film, namely; Willis O'Brien and Marcel Delgado the men who gave life to the original KING KONG and Ray Harryhausen who created the 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, et.al.


O'Brien and Harryhausen were probably every bit as much of an inspiration to a young Stan Winston as were to the young creators of EQUINOX who, in 1967 when the film was finally sold to Jack Harris for distribution were still in their teens. Things were so much different then. Thanks in a very large part to Forry Ackerman and the Super 8 camera kids really could make their own monsters and their own movies and then maybe even have them featured in a national magazine for others to see! And if you weren't into film production, well, you could print your own fanzine. Heck, anybody could do that! And just about everybody did.This is the wotld that spawned the likes of Stephen Spielberg, Stephen King, George Lucas, and namesless nerds without end who happily spent every waking hour with their friends either talking about monster movies or actually trying to make them. Eager little geeks bent over hand-sculpted models of dinosaurs that they moved ever so slightly and then tried to capture on a single frame of film with a cameras that simple weren't equipped with that capability yet. Didn't matter thought, they kept trying. Why? Because they were in love. In love with monsters, in love with movies, in love with the process of making movies and nothing could stop them.

As it turned out nothing did stop the guys who created EQUINOX--Mark McGee who wrote the original story has a career as a sometimes actor, author, and screenwriter today and is best known as a scholar of "psychotronic cinema." Jim Danforth who did the matte paintings was already a fairly well established effects man. David Allen (who died sadly died of cancer in 1999) co-directed as well as working on the effects, and later became a very well respected effects man. His career was decidedly at odds with Dennis Muren's. Allen perferred working on low budget projects because he felt it gave him more creative control He also chose to stay with the kind of work that allowed him to have a hands' on approach. Dennis Muren, on the other hand, is the most successful of the group. After EQUINOX he went to work on STAR WARS. Today he is Supervisor of Visual Special Effects at Industrial Light and Magic, has nine Academy Awards, and a star of his own on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Some AMAZON reviewers have been puzzled as to why Criterion has given this films the big treatment. Others seem to actually be angry about it, while still others regard the film as "cheesy." I think Dennis Muren's connection with the film alone makes it significant in cinematic history. While making this film Muren actually developed a camera/effects trick betweeen classes in school that PREDATED one that excited the film community when it was used well over a year later in 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY! Its actually a very technically accomplished film, but since it didn't have more than a $6,500 BUDGET let's just call it cheesy and go and see CATWOMAN again. That had a nice big budget.

I'm a low budget fan, nothing puts me off faster than a big budget flick with hype to match. Now that doesn't mean that I'm looking for camp or so-bad-its-good flix to ridicule, because I'm not. I've never laughed once at EQUINOX. (I'll admit to smiling once or twice at the cute little octopoidal monster that demolishes the Professor's cabin.) I just prefer movies where I feel that everyone connected with the film is doing everything they can to make the movie work. That's not the feeling I get with a big budget, high-concept, Computer Generated everyday piece of Hollywood trash. CGI in particular has been known to make me think violent thoughts. Its cold, sterile, and distracting. It constantly calls attention to itself in the worst possible manner--like your best friend's spoiled brat. While CGI has attained an undeniable level of techical proficency it has yet show creativity in any sense other than in problem solving. That's because the people at the keyboards are still just your average computer wiz with no real gift for making their creations relatable. There is no feeling of humanity in their work, nor is their any artistry or even any originality. (How many times are we going to see monsters that harken back to that image of the giant maw openning wider and wider from THE MUMMY? No originality!)

Give me a movie as good as EQUINOX any day of the week, one that's made with all the passionate exuberance of youth. I bet Stan Winston liked this one too.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

DISC ONE: intro by 4E Ackerman The 1970 THEATRICAL RELEASE remasted with
commentary by Jack H. Harry and Jack Woods. 82 minutes
1967the original 1967 version. commentary by Dennis
Muren, Mark McGee,,& Jim Danforth. 71 minutes. very
different.
DISC TWO: Interiews--Dennis Mren, Frank Bonner, Barbara Hewitt, James
Duron
Deleted Scenes
Archival Stop-motion footage
"The Magic Treasure"-David Allen fairy tale
David Allen--KING KONG Volkswagon commerical and test footage!
"ZORGON-THE H-BOMB BEAST FROM HELL"
Stills and poster Gallery
Trailer and radio spots


And yes, the Fritz Leiber in this film is none other
than the famous science fiction/fantasy author himself.











June 17, 2008

Just as I remember it!

I saw this movie with my sister as a kid on a creature feature and it freaked us out! I saw it again 25 years later on cable and knew I had to have it! The special effects are dated and hokey and the continuity leaves something to be desired, but what the hell, it's "Herb Tarlek's" acting debut. If you are a fan of late 60's early 70's DIY horror movies you can't go wrong! April 27, 2008

EQUINOX IS ONE OF THE BEST/WORSE MOVIES EVER!!!!

This movie by far lives up to it' s budget, acting, story and directing! It is a true masterpiece of CHEEZE. Frank Bonner (from "WKRP in Cincinatti") makes his film debut in a backwards story about 4 young people who go on a picnic in a secluded area and stumble across (SPOILERS):


1) A weird old man living in a cave who laughs a lot (dubbed over with hilarity)

2) A book that has magic spells and pictures that looked like it was put together by some Dungeons and Dragons GEEK!

3) A big lummox of a troll/Sesame Street Buffoon who is blue (blue tights and plato make-up) and hairy like Animal from The Muppets.

4) A cheezy portal into another dimension. Basically a guy half way in our world and the other half is in another (You can totally tell that someone is holding up his waist and legs!)

5) A giant dinosaur (clay-mation of course).

6) A harpy or a demon with wings (clay-mation of course).

7) A park ranger whose mouth is the focus of his terror.



It is a GREAT MOVIE TO BEAT UP AND PUT DOWN! A Myster Science Theatre 3000 classic!
April 12, 2008

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