In the last couple of years I've gone off Facebook quite a bit, for a number of reasons, and devoted a lot more of my time and energy to Instagram. (@jimbobarker and @allthebooksandcomics, if you're interested) Recently I started following one account called @top666horrormovies. This account is run by Canadian film-maker Chris Good Goodwin, who has produced a number of horror shorts and unusual documentaries. Chris has put a lot of work and thought into this list of the top 666 horror movies, and as I'm a bit of a horror fan I thought I'd task myself with watching all the films from #666 down to the as-yet-undisclosed #1. Scrolling through the list, looking at the journey I will take, I see a mix of titles I know well, many I've heard of but never seen, and still others which are new to me. It's going to be one helluva ride.
The first movie, #666, is this little-known 1982 psychological suspense serial killer film, which stars Larry Cohen favourite Michael Moriarty, an intriguing actor who looks like an ordinary guy, but has a good-sized slice of menace; equally at home playing a callous sociopath or a bewildered underdog. In Blood Link he gets to do both.
Michael Moriarty as Dr Craig Mannings, the good twin
Dr Craig Mannings, a mild-mannered research psychiatrist starts to have visions of murder, in which he is the killer. At first Craig assumes he is having nightmares, and we initially assume that this may be a movie about a schizophrenic killer, but soon we learn that Craig is actually one of Siamese twins, with the callous Keith making the other half of the equation. Moriarty really makes the most of playing Keith, wallowing in a decadent caricature that comes across as a kind of swaggering Nazi officer, with his long leather coat and nonchalant cruelty. This image is enlarged by the setting for the majority of the film: Berlin. I'm a sucker for anything shot in Berlin, just needed to say that.
Michael Moriarty as Keith Manning, the evil twin
Craig is shocked to learn that his twin is alive, as he hasn't seen him since they were both orphaned as children, but these visions, brought on by experiments in what looks like electro-shock acupuncture, demonstrate that the evil twin lives, and that the brothers have a psychic connection. Craig traces Keith to Berlin, where the police start to ask questions. After all, Craig looks just like someone who's wanted for a number of murders. Craig has trouble convincing the police that Keith even exists, especially when evil twin goes to the trouble of killing anyone who's seen them together. Keith is one of the nastiest characters I've seen in a movie, playing on the resemblance to his twin to do dreadful things, especially to the female characters.
Penelope Milford as Julie Warren
Although Moriarty gives two great performances in Blood Link, the movie is also raised up by the supporting cast. Craig's girlfriend/assistant Julie is played by Penelope Milford, who is probably best known as the guidance counselor in Heathers (1988). Milford's character is tough, sexy, brave, funny and caring. She also takes an enormous risk to help catch a killer, but let's not say too much. Also worth mentioning are Sarah Langenfeld, the daughter of one of Keith's victims, who finds herself falling for Craig; and cameos by Cameron Mitchell and Virginia McKenna.
Christine Waldo (Sarah Langenfeld) & Keith Manning (Michael Moriarty)
All told, this is a neat thriller, with some very uncomfortable scenes, a high tension level, some great shots of 1980s Berlin, and a plot that is anything but predictable. A good start for my journey of 666 movies.
Trailer (in German, naturlich) Warning: contains nude ladies
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