SEEDS OF EVIL (aka THE GARDENER) (1972)
A strange and original little horror film that tells the bizarre tale of a listless socialite (Katharine Houghton, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER) who falls under the spell of a mysterious gardener (Joe Dallesandro, ANDY WARHOL'S FRANKENSTEIN). This gardener has the power to conjure up som of the most unusual soul-sucking flora ever to grace the screen.
It's hard to tell just where it all went wrong: despite an interesting setup and a unique villain, it turns into a strange hybrid of horror and a modern variation on the Greek tale of Persephone. This unique film attempts to emerge from the soil, but somehow manages to get strangled by the weeds. Originally titled THE GARDENER. Rita Gam co-stars.
HOUSEWIVES REPORT (1971)
A farmer is murdered by an elderly burned-faced woamn. A nerby family, an older couple and a young teenage woman argue about the best way to handle the situation and make vague references that the elderly woman may have killed other people in the past. A confusing and muddled plot makes this an instant cult classic as it was re-released multiple times in the 70's as TOUCH OF MELISSA, CURSE OF MELISSA and PITCHFORK. Also released 10 years after its initial release as NIGHT OF THE DEMON. Directed by Don Henderson (THE BABYSITTER).
