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Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Murder Mansion



I bought the Chilling Mega Set a while back and decided to leaf through and see what I might have missed. The Murder Mansion (1972) is a clever little film even if the description of the film leads you to think you're getting something else.
A group of various people, caught by a thick fog, all wind up at the same deserted mansion next to a graveyard. You get the old, married couple, a hip, young couple who have just met, a hot rodding, hard drinking douchebag, a frightened young woman and their hostess for the night. The hostess owns the mansion, but does not live there. The fog trapped her as well.
But all is not what it seems.
A Spanish/Italian co production, The Murder Mansion or La Mansion de la niebla as it was originally known, is an atmospheric, tight little thriller. It takes a while to warm up, but when it gets going this is a fun flick. I did make the joke to the lovely Martha about halfway through that for a movie with murder in the title, the murdering was conspciously absent.
I would like to mention the guy on the motorcycle. The actor is Andres Resino  and he rides that thing everywhere! Through snow and sleet and fog. It was the snow that fascinated me the most. No where in America have I seen people use a motorcycle as transportation during the winter.  Why not? Sure, there might be control issues on ice, but clear streets abound in the winter. Why don't we use this fuel efficent form of transportation more often?
I'll bet as gasoline gets more expensive we will see this more often.
As for the movie; a well done, atmospheric thriller that once it gets going pays off in spades.  


 

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