Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Haunts (1977)

Inga lives on a farm with a goat, and sometimes has unsettling flashbacks. She's very religious and doesn't trust men, which is a good idea based on the guys in her town who are drunks, creeps, rapists, and at least one killer.  Even the local Priest is fairly unsympathetic when she asks for help in how to mentally deal with a sexual assault.  You'll be fine Inga, just pray it away.

Then there is the issue Inga's Swedish accent, which no one else has, even her Uncle Carl.  This is ridiculously explained away by stating it is due to her years at an orphanage where the staff were from overseas. So..... did all the kids at this orphanage end up with Swedish accents?

Poor Inga seems to be a magnet for psychos and perverts, what with the unwanted attention from the butcher, the new guy in town who wants to walk her home, and her creepy Uncle. Plus her sewing scissors are missing and Uncle Carl is the only person who was in the house.  Damn, what next?

When there's a murder in town, Sheriff Patterson drives out to the farm to make sure Inga has locked her windows and doors. When he asks Inga if anyone has been out to the house, she says no, which is odd since her Uncle Carl was helping around the place.

After another murder in town, Inga is attacked near her house.  She's hysterical, crying, and her clothes are dirty and disheveled.  But does Uncle Carl protect her or look outside to make sure she's safe? Nah, he just tells her she's confused and it must have been a rabbit.  Since this isn't Night of the Lepus, this lets us know that Uncle Carl is a dick.

The Sheriff isn't much help either since when she calls to report she's just been attacked, he says he'll be over the next day. He also asks if she's locked her doors, and she scurries off because she hasn't. Damn it, Inga! What the hell?!?  Waiting until the next day is an odd reaction since several women have already been murdered in this small town.  Well, doesn't the Sheriff feel stupid the next day when Inga finds a dead body in her backyard.

I didn't enjoy this one at all.  It's slow moving and most of the characters aren't likable.  The women in the film are all getting smacked around, raped, killed, and treated like they're idiots.  The men aren't  much better since they're all portrayed as uncaring jerks.  But the biggest question I have is do we really need a scene with Sheriff Patterson kneeling in front of the toilet and pulling his head out of the bowl?  His bangs are even wet. Bleeeech!

No comments: