The House On Skull Mountain 1974 Screenplay by Mildred Pares, direction by Ron Honthaner. The two films tonight are packed together in one of MGM's Midnight Movies Double Feature sets. I like the series for the most part but the few remaining ones I haven't seen are the ones that have some of the least interesting films to me.
The story is about the 4 relatives of Pauline Christophe, played by Mary J Todd McKenzie, who are called to her home for a reading of her will. Victor French, Janee Michelle, Mike Evans and Xernona Clayton play the 4 relatives. On their way to the house each of them was scared by a skull image that appeared before their eyes. The house is filled with voodoo stuff and for good reason, Pauline and her staff are part of a voodoo cult.
Mike is the first to die, soon the sheriff is a familiar figure at their door. It does on for a while and eventually the baddies are defeated. It's kind of weak in dialog and effects but I got to the end without giving up. It's only average and I might skip watching it again. At least for a while.
The Mephisto Waltz 1971 Based on the novel by Fred Mustard Stewart, screenplay by Ben Maddow, direction by Paul Wendkos.
Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset are a couple, he was pianist but he gave it up for musical journalism. He goes to interview famous pianist Curd Jürgens and the man seems to like Alan. A friendship develops but Jacqueline isn't too keen on Curd and his daughter Barbara Perkins. She has reason to dislike them, they are soul sucking evil pricks.
The only reason Curd wants to be pals with Alan is he wants to steal his body with the help of a magical spell. He does and we spend the rest of the long movie watching Jacqueline make one bad decision after another. She sells her soul to the Devil at one point, made me laugh.
It's horror from people who don't care for horror very much. It's long and it dragged and dragged and dragged. Nothing much here to make me want to watch it again.
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