Curtains

I can't believe for one minute that this movie has somehow escaped me all my life.  I honestly have no recollection of even hearing about this movie, until a few years ago.  Then, suddenly I was hearing about it everywhere.  So I finally stumbled across a copy of CURTAINS and finally got to experience what all the fuss was about. Wow...

     Full of twists and turns and shocks, it managed to be terribly entertaining and scary.  Finally, a mask that rivals the sheer terror of the original Michael in HALLOWEEN! This killer is absolutely terrifying, and I see now why the infamous "ice skating" scene is so talked about. 

      CURTAINS follows the standard slasher handbook- a secluded location with a bunch of victims just waiting to be knocked off by a masked killer, but there's an actual reason for these ladies to be there in the first place. It's not just a bunch of horny teens placed in the woods to be slaughtered.

     Six actresses are vying for the role of Audra, a play that filmmaker Jonathan Stryker has bought the rights to and is determined to bring to life. It seems that his regular female lead actress, Samantha Sherwood, (wonderfully played by Samantha Eggar, by the way...) has just assumed the role was hers.  However, Jonathan has another vision for the role, and unbeknownst to Samantha, is plotting against her. She checks herself into a mental institution to prepare for the role, and while she's getting her method on Jonathan has secretly invited 6 actresses to his remote estate in the country to audition for the sacred role of Audra. A severe snowstorm leaves the party stranded at the estate, and Samantha, finding out about Jonathan's shenanigans, proceeds to crash the proceedings uninvited. On top of all this, a killer in a very scary hag mask starts killing off the actresses one by one in classic slasher fashion. Who is the killer? Is it Samantha's rage and anger at being rejected as an actress, or is something even more sinister going on here?

     CURTAINS contains some of the creepiest doll scenes of any movie I've seen. Although the spooky doll is used to great advantage for some truly nightmarish scenes, I must admit I'm not really sure how the doll is related to the plot. Nor does my not understanding the purpose detract whatsoever from the terror of the scenes. That damn doll is just as scary as the hag mask on the killer. 

     Shot on location in Toronto, CURTAINS has a great, moody atmosphere that makes one think of that creepy, desolate feeling of the snow covered grounds and dark nights in Bob Clark's masterpiece BLACK CHRISTMAS. Some of the acting is actually quite good, and the whole production seems very well put together. It's a classy slasher, if there is such a thing. Besides the delicious Samantha Eggar and John Vernon of NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE, Lynne Griffin of BLACK CHRISTMAS and the fantastic Lesleh Donaldson of HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME both make appearances as well. I would most definitely put this one in the Top Ten Slashers of the 80's- I really liked it that much. It was a spooky good time and iI overall loved it!