On June 25, 1976, drive-in theatres across the country kept the 70s Satanic panic alive with The Omen. It’s a chilling tale of a couple who unwittingly adopt the son of Satan. It was the first of a trilogy of films (well, technically four if you count that TV movie) and certainly has some Rosemary’s Baby vibes to it. And let’s be honest, The Omen may very well be the reason why Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby aired on TV in October of that same year.
So, while everyone is anxiously awaiting the next episode of the podcast in August, journey back to April 2019 and listen to episode 29 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast. Jeff and I talk about The Omen (1976), Damien: Omen II (1978) and The Final Conflict (1981). Join us and then make sure you’re ready for episode 83 in August as our 4th Annual Summer at the Drive-In continues with Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) and Reptilicus (1961)!
Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby Release date: October 29, 1976
Cast: Stephen McHattie as Adrian/Andrew Patty Duke Astin as Rosemary Woodhouse Broderick Crawford as Sheriff Holtzman Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castavet Lloyd Haines as Laykin David Huffman as Peter Simon Tina Louise as Marjean Dorn George Maharis as Guy Woodhouse Ray Milland as Roman Castavet Donna MIlls as Ellen
Written by Anthony Wilson Directed by Sam O’Steen
I’ve always been fascinated by the ritual with birthdays. After all, when does life actually begin?
Plot: After an ill-fated attempt to run away with her son Adrian, whom she calls Andrew, Rosemary is eventually taken away by a possessed bus. Adrian is raised by another woman as the Castavets and the coven await the day of Satan’s arrival through his son.
Richard’s Thoughts: On the surface, this isn’t a bad made-for-TV movie. It tells a tale of what happened to Rosemary’s son Adrian after the end of the original Rosemary’s Baby in 1968. Unfortunately, that’s the biggest problem with this movie as it doesn’t come close to matching the original’s style. However, if you can avoid the immediate comparisons, it’s actually an entertaining movie for what it offers. I appreciated how it was broken into three “books” (Rosemary, Adrian and Andrew) and how the writer chose to continue the story after the obvious climax of Satan’s arrival. It proceeds to lead to a third climax (with the disappearance of Rosemary being the first) that clearly offers a twist resulting in an open ending for another film, which never happened. The cast is good enough, with the inclusion of Ray Milland and the returning Ruth Gordon being the highlights. Some of Ruth Gordon’s scenes seemed a little off at first but she gets more into character as the movie progresses. It was nice to see Tina Louise in a film during her days of ignoring the role of Ginger Grant from Gilligan’s Island, as well as a pre-Knots Landing Donna Mills. Stephen McHattie’s performance is an odd one but, then again, so is the role. Overall, It’s a pale follow-up when compared to the original but an enjoyable watch as a standalone film.
Trivia: Director Sam O’Steen was an editor on the original Rosemary’s Baby (1968) under director Roman Polanski.
Our 4th Annual Summer at the Drive-In continues in episode 82 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast! What started as a simple tap on the window turned into an energetic and hilarious conversation about The Legend of Hell House (1973) with Greg D. and Jenius McGee from the Nightmare Junkhead podcast.
They went home to Kansas City after the intermission, but Jeff and I hung around to scratch the surface of a bona fide horror classic, Rosemary’s Baby (1968).
It’s a terror-ific night at the drive-in… Satan under the stars…
Be sure to check out the video companion on our YouTube channel. Put faces to the words… if you dare!
Before I announce what we’re we’re doing next month, let me first offer a special thank you to our guests, Greg and Jenius from the Nightmare Junkhead podcast. I highly recommend you check them out!
Coming up next month, Jeff and I wrap up our 4th annual Summer at the Drive-In with a trip to the Lakeshore Drive-In in Greece, New York. It’s Labor Day weekend 1968 and we’re checking out the last two features of a Thing-o-rama! It’s a double dose of kaiju greatness with Reptilicus (1961) and Godzilla vs. the Thing aka Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)!
Cast: Eric Fleming as Preacher Dan Michael Pate as Drake Robey Kathleen Crowley as Dolores Carter John Hoyt as Dr. Carter Bruce Gordon as Buffer Edward Binns as Sheriff Jimmy Murphy as Tim Carter
Written by Edward & Mildred Dein Directed by Edward Dein
His body is an empty shell that rides a lustful fiend!
Plot: In a small western town, young women are dying of blood loss and cattle are found dead in the fields. Is this the result of a feud between neighbors or is something more sinister happening? And who is the mysterious new black-clad stranger who has just arrived in town?
Richard’s Thoughts: I’ve always thought that Curse of the Undead is an underrated film. For starters, it’s a much better western than Billy the Kid vs. Dracula and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter. It’s also much more atmospheric thanks to being filmed in black and white, which allows for a better use of shadows at night. It avoids the dreaded day-for-night shots and the campiness of John Carradine or the Frankenstein monster in the above referenced films. I particularly like Eric Fleming as our hero Preacher Dan. He’s an old west version of Van Helsing but his focus is more on faith and it’s fun to see him discover this world of vampires. The lore here is quite different than what we were getting from Hammer by this point and that’s okay. Honestly, vampire legends are always getting tweaked for one reason or another, so I’m not sure there really is a definitive version. Michael Pate may not be the most effective vampire but he works in this western setting as the stereotypical one-dimensional bad guy. This film is often dismissed, usually because it’s at the end of the classic Universal Horror run. However, I challenge you to judge for yourself and, if you’ve never seen it or it’s been far too long since you have, seek it out for a revisit. You might be surprised at how much fun this one can be.
Karla’s Thoughts: This was a lot better than I thought it would be since I’m typically not a fan of westerns. The vampire lore being changed up kind of threw me at first and I thought it took too long to finally explain what was going on with Robey. Once that happened, it all made a lot more sense to me. He actually became a more sympathetic creature. I think he truly loved the girl but why was he draining her of her blood when he knew that it would kill her and not turn her? I had no sympathy towards the girl’s brother nor her really as she was very mean to the preacher at times. I also wondered why it took the preacher so long to figure things out after he kept seeing the marks on the victims. I wouldn’t search this one out but I would definitely watch it again.
Trivia: This is the first vampire western and was also the next-to-last of the classic Universal horror films (The Leech Woman was released in 1960).
Monster Movie Kid 