Classic Horrors Club

Some film directors begin successful careers with low-budget horror movies. There’s something a little sad about those that end successful careers with low-budget horror movies. In the case of Norman Foster, though, you’d have to first concede that many Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto films equate to success. He made at least 57 films over the course of 40 years, so I do consider him a success, even though some of them are movies compiled from television footage of The Green Hornet and Custer.

I wouldn’t, however, consider The Deathhead Virgin (1974) to be a success and I wish I could learn more about its origins. It seems to be at least partially a production of the Philippines, but has no particular “story” about its existence, like one of Eddie Romero’s movies might. There’s no creator involved, that I can tell, that’s known for low-budget horror movies. Nearly everyone comes from television. It feels like a regional film from the likes of William Grefe (Death Curse of Tartu), yet isn’t.

The onscreen story is familiar: vengeful spirit is released when treasure-hunters desecrate her grave. This specific spirit is interesting: a naked woman with flowing black hair that wears a white face mask. Any opportunity, though, to squeeze suspense or scares from her are squandered. How do you not film a claustrophobic underwater scene without at least one jump scare? There’s no atmosphere or mood to the proceedings.

The spirit itself is also squandered. She doesn’t carry out her vengeance on land but instead possesses (?) one of the treasure hunters, who strangles and scalps the victims himself. I’m complaining about events that actually make sense for the story, and I think that’s part of the problem. The Deathhead Virgin focuses too heavily on its story. You just can’t please me… either there’s too many scares without any plot or too much plot without any scares.

The movie is told largely in flashback. Janice Cutter (Diane McBain) arrives in Manila for her ex-husband’s funeral, where she hears (and we see) the circumstances surrounding his death… Frank Cutter (Larry Ward) contacted fellow adventurer, Larry Alden (Jock Gaynor) when he and his local partner, Sebastian (Manny Ojeda) discovered the underwater wreckage/tomb that’s full of pearls. Larry is then present to witness Frank’s descent into madness.

Prior to Janice’s arrival, we’ve already seen the discovery of Frank’s abandoned boat and the retrieval of a lifeboat inhabited by two skeletons, presumably the remains of Frank and Larry. We know what’s going to happen, but we don’t know how. Therefore, there’s at least a minimal amount of curiosity, if not intrigue. We almost forget we’re watching a flashback, but, to the movie’s credit, there’s a reason for it that, in more experienced hands, would have made a more effective twist.

This is a movie that’s also hurt by poor presentation. While the dark and murky print I watched is conducive to underwater horror, it casts a similar fogginess to scenes on land. You could say it adds a dreamlike quality to the proceedings, but that’s one level too deep for The Deathhead Virgin; it’s too matter-of-fact to offer that kind of ambiguity. Did I enjoy it? I didn’t think so at first, but reflecting on it, there may have been more effort than I originally thought. It’s bad, but not horrible.