Night of the Dark Full Moon (1972)

That was an excellent one.

Overrated and overhyped

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I really liked this one because it's a little different than most horror pictures that I've seen,, first off you don't get many horror pictures set during the Yuletide season, in this one a young man inherits his father's old house , which use to be an insane asylum,, and at a local town hall meeting he decides he's gonna sell for 50,000 dirt cheap, but he gives the people notice that they have something like 48 hours to decide.. 20 years earlier his father was set on fire in that house,, and hasn't been seen since.. Word get's around to another insane asylum across town where a crazed lunatic, decides that he is gonna take refuge in the old butler house,, and from here on it becomes clear that the body count will definitely rise,, very decent picture on a low budget.

Story that takes place in Arlington MA (my home town:)). A creepy old mansion that has been deserted for years is going to be sold...despite the will of the former owner who said it should never be touched. The real estate agent who helped sell it (top billed Patrick O'Neal) and his girlfriend decide to spend a night in the mansion...and are axed to death. Soon townspeople are getting calls from the mansion telling them to come on up...to celebrate.The story is disjointed (to say the least), the dialogue is terrible and some of the acting is pretty bad...but it works in spots. It was shot in the winter giving it a sparse, creepy atmosphere. The house itself is beautiful...and scary. Genre favorites John Carradine and Mary Woronov are on hand and are pretty good. The murders are mostly heard and not seen but that actually works in their favor. Best of all is an incredibly eerie sequence during the last half hour shot in sepia. That part alone makes this worth watching. Also there are a few surprising (if totally implausible) twists at the end. It's worth at least one viewing for horror fans.

Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER, hosted by Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille, aired 1972's "Silent Night, Bloody Night" once, with 1943's "Son of Dracula," on May 7 1977, and was a title I never forgot (although scheduled for September 26 1981, they substituted 1973's "It Happened at Nightmare Inn" in its place). I'm still fascinated by this eerie horror classic, which has frequently earned scorn from viewers frustrated by the poor quality prints that include the Paragon video copyrighted 1982. My current DVD is proof that the filmmakers are not to blame for the darkness inherent in these dupes (if you cannot read the opening credits, it's a bad copy). The plot line is quite complex, and the solution may seem far fetched at first glance, but patient audiences will be amply rewarded, especially on repeat viewings. Although the entire film is told in flashback, the principal storyline takes place in one single, 24 hour period (presumably Christmas Eve), and many great horror films like "Halloween" follow this same format. John Carradine, sadly reduced to playing a mute role, still demonstrates a solid screen presence in one of the better horror outings of his final decades. Patrick O'Neal enjoys top billing as a big city lawyer dallying with his lovely assistant while his wife and daughter remain home for the holidays. There was an excellent website devoted to this underrated gem, but it seems to have closed down in 2010. Director Theodore Gershuny only did two other features, 1970's "Kemek" and 1973's "Sugar Cookies," with his then-wife Mary Woronov appearing in all three (he died in 2007). Co-writer-producer Jeffrey Konvitz later scripted and produced another horror feature that pretty much wasted John Carradine, 1976's "The Sentinel." Filmed on Long Island with a mostly New York cast, and the final screen credit for Astrid Heeren (two prior features), Candy Darling and Tony Award-winning actor James Patterson.

If you like those Gothic style movies that take place in old houses full of creepy sounds and secret mysteries, then this is the film for you.Old man Butler (Philip Bruns) is burned to death, and years later his house is being sold by his grandson (James Patterson). This was Patterson's last film as he dies at the age of 40 two years before it was released.As news of the sale is announced, a patient escapes from a local mental hospital, and the town is given the chance to buy it. Why do they want it Does it have something to do with the escaped patient.Naturally, there are lots of deaths, and lots of secrets. Trying to figure out who is doing the killing will give you nightmares.Grab the popcorn and your favorite partner and give it a whirl.