THE BOOGEYMAN
US, 1980, 83 minutes, Colour.
Susanna Love, Ron James, John Carradine, Nicholas Love.
Directed by Ulli Lommel.
The Boogeyman was one of many horror thrillers popular at the end of the 70s and in the early 80s. Hallowe'en set a tone and many imitations (generally lesser than Hallowe'en) followed. This film works well enough within its conventions on a B-horror level. It takes the familiar material of brutal murders having traumatic effect on youngsters who then act out their horror in their adult life.
There is a complication in this film with the influence of telekinesis and a mysterious mirror. There is a blend of nightmare within the horror drama - indicating the nightmare effect of such films. This film is brief, not as exploitive as many other examples but horrifying in its way. It was directed and co-written by Ulli Lommel, assistant for many of the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
1. The place of this film within the horror trend of the late 70s and early 80s? The quality of this example? Reasons for the popularity of murder horror, nightmares? What if ...? The use of knife murders, telekinesis, the atmosphere of mystery?
2. How well did the film communicate its atmosphere of menace, mystery, knife deaths? The importance of camera techniques, special effects, editing? The film as a medium for communicating and exorcising fear?
3. The film's use of fear in the contemporary world and the overtones of old stories and fairy tales? The title and its application to the film?
4. The plausibility of the plot: the mother and her lover and his brutality to Willy, Willy's killing the lover? The traumatic effect on him? His sister's nightmares? The power of the broken mirror? The crying out for vengeance?
5. The prologue as melodrama and as explanation? A plausible explanation of the subsequent events? The significance of the mirror and its role throughout the film?
6. The passing of 20 years - the farm and its set-up, Willy and his growing up, institutionalisation, care of his cousins and sister? Lacey and her place on the farm, happy marriage to Jake, love for Kevin? Helen and Ernest and their place on the farm? The farm as an occasion for murders and melodrama rather than for consistent characterisation?
7. The focus on Lacey and her relationship to Jake and Kevin, her nightmares, the visit to the psychiatrist and the need to surface her fears? The importance of the visit to the house? The breaking of the mirror? Jake and his coping with the mirror? The effect on Willy? Kevin and the dangers and his being the unwitting instrument of further horror?
8. The importance of the house and its atmosphere of menace, retaining evil? The mirror and Lacey's fear, the smashing? The grotesque deaths of the occupants including the little boy, the teenagers, Ernest and Helen? Arbitrary deaths and the effect on the audience?
9. The character of Father Reilly, his relationship with Lacey and Jake, the exorcism and the overtones of the Exorcist trend?
10. The exorcising of Willy and his talking? The climax with getting rid of the horror?
11. The ambiguous ending with Kevin retaining a piece of the mirror?
12. Why do audiences find horror stories so frightening and yet so satisfying? The basic elements of mystery and nightmare?
