There's something about horror films from the '80s and before that proclaim authenticity. Not that the events depicted are more realistic than their more current counterparts, but that the viewer is going to get a fun or scary experience (or both). When I see that a horror film was made in the '90s, I hold a low opinion of it instantly because I grew up during that time and associate so many bad movies with the era. I don't know if it was the film stock or what, but movies in the '90s have a sheen to them that makes them feel artificial that coincides with bad storytelling. It's an era caught between the big ass blockbusters of the '80s, changing technologies, and corporatization. As for the Aughts, there is a slickness to the image that gives the feeling that they are trying really hard to distract from the fact that their movie sucks. This goes from the Platinum Dunes productions all the way down to independent movies. Post-production effects are starting to ruin movies for me.
Even though I know most of the older horror movies are going to be bad as well, I'd still rather stick with them given the chance. I love the murky image (and as far as Instant View goes, many of these more obscure movies are taken from VHS copies). I love the good and crappy practical effects. I love that, for the most part, it feels like people are making the movie for fun and not necessarily as a job. They feel personal instead of clinical (one of the top reasons many of the remakes aren't any good. There's little investment in the subject, just the Brand).
So, I'm more than happy to watch Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural which, depending on your source, was either made in '73 or '75. On Instant View, it's very clearly a VHS copy as it has the Samuel Goldwyn Productions logo tagged onto the beginning. Another aspect that hooked me is that Netflix describes it as "weirdly erotic" yet it has a PG rating. The Catholic Film Board even banned it for its pedophilic and lesbian content. Sounds like a go for me!
The plot is very simple. Thirteen year old Lila, (Cheryl Smith), the daughter of a gangster who's on the run, is adopted by the church and lives a good Christian life (for some reason, the congregation is all women though the pastor is a man). She gets a letter from Lemora (Lesley Gilb) saying her father is hurt and wants to see her so Lila takes off on a terrifying journey. Here's a clip as I can't find any trailers:
Lemora is like an even creepier version of Jan Svankmajer's Alice. For a while, all Lila does (can do) is react to the terror around her. She's like Alice drifting through Horrorland encountering ghouls and creepy kids around every corner. Even the "normal" people she encounters are lecherous animals. When Lila finally sees what Lemora really is, it's not unlike the Queen of Hearts and her minions chasing after Alice shouting "Off with her head" except that instead of decapitation, Lemora wants to sink her fangs into Lila's neck. This final chase is actually quite terrifying, too. Lila is always one step ahead, but the torches are never far behind. The camera angles and the set are intricate and framed to maximize the hunt. Per the discussion above, I can only imagine if Lemora was made today, the chase would be filled with hyper-cutting and camera moves galore. The approach here gives the viewer a chance to get a sense of the surroundings an just how confusing running away from someone (somethings?) can be.
Lemora is far from solid. apparently about 30 minutes were cut from its original release to its DVD release in 2004. In that light, it's easy to see why there are a fair amount of incomprehensible moments, especially during the final fight in the church. Nonetheless, I am surprised at how effective the film is. It takes a little while to get where it's going, but when it gets there, it's pretty relentless.
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