Cathy’s Curse – 1977, Canada, 82m. Director: Eddy Matalon.
C.H.U.D. – 1984, US, 88m. Director: Douglas Cheek.
You’ll Like My Mother – 1972, US, 92m. Director: Lamont Johnson.
CATHY’S CURSE (1977) Little Cathy (Randi Allen) becomes the embodiment of pure evil after moving into the old family homestead, which has been haunted by the vengeful spirit of Cathy’s aunt since her death in 1947. Auntie immediately takes control of Cathy and turns her into a tiny terror. The tyke spends her days tormenting the neighborhood kids by having them reenact the car crash her aunt died in, while Cathy’s mentally unbalanced mom (Beverly Murray) acts as if she’s Mink Stole from John Waters’ Desperate Living. Food spoils for no reason, a toy doll moves on its own, and the housekeeper is tossed out the window after kissing Cathy on the forehead. A psychic (Mary Morter) warns the family of danger, but her powers later fail her when Cathy sets a trap and turns Morter into an old crone. Cathy is nearly drowned in a lake and—like Damien in The Omen—turns into a caterwauling maniac hellbent on escaping the house’s influences. Her dolt of a father (Alan Scarfe) ignores her and Cathy’s face turns into what looks like bad pizza, which is meant to represent the hideous disfigurement of her aunt. I think. It’s the film’s ostentatiousness that gives Cathy’s Curse atmosphere, even within the so-bad-it’s-funny realm of obliviously awful filmmaking. A real howler that’s recently attained camp classic status, and for good reason. B– (Currently streaming on Plex and Night Flight.)
C.H.U.D. (1984) People are disappearing on the streets of a New York City neighborhood, the majority of victims being vagrants. The operator of a homeless shelter notices a high volume of his flock missing and contacts the police, but they don’t take him seriously. A photographer (John Heard) comes across one of his homeless subjects with a chunk taken out of his thigh. When the local precinct captain’s (Christopher Curry) wife goes missing he demands a sweep of the city’s sewers and comes across a pack of humanoid creatures—Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, to be precise—created by years of toxic waste dumping. The dumbbell mayor tries to solve the problem by flushing the sewers with gas, which sends a horde of mutants above ground to lay waste to a nearby diner. C.H.U.D. doesn’t have much in the way of interesting characters or plot, but the Manhattan backdrop gives the movie an authentically grimy and claustrophobic feel. Oscar winner John Caglione’s make-up FX are also a highlight, the best being showcased in a scene where Heard’s girlfriend fights off a mutant with a sword. Similar in tone to the terrific British film Death Line (1972), but not as good. C+ (Currently streaming on PlutoTV, Roku, and Prime.)
YOU’LL LIKE MY MOTHER (1972) The death of her husband, Matthew, sends pregnant Francesca (Patty Duke) to her mother-in-law’s mansion in the remote Minnesota countryside. The mother in question (Rosemary Murphy) is a bitter battle-axe who wants nothing to do with Francesca or the unborn baby. While staying in the family house (due to a snow storm), Francesca discovers Matthew had siblings he never mentioned—including a brother suspected in a recent sex murder and who might be lurking on the estate. Duke is likable, but given the amount of complexity in the story it’s surprising how little tension is generated from the screenplay. Lamont Johnson’s direction is too dry to be very involving, creating a distance between the characters and the viewer. One can’t help wonder how the film might have benefited from a more polished genre filmmaker, i.e. De Palma, or Polanski. C (Not currently streaming.)