#20 – Messiah of Evil

Messiah of Evil is a US 1973 supernatural horror film.

A young woman goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town governed by a mysterious cult.

Directors Huyck and Katz are the husband-and-wife team who would subsequently direct Howard the Duck, as well as produce screenplays for American Graffiti and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Wikipedia

This feels a lot more like Italian horror/giallo films (Dario Argento particularly), even a little bit Hammer. Its a confusing story, but that’s made up for in other ways. The strange townsfolk and their rituals is kind of Lovecraftian. Surreal scenes and lighting, bizarre, peculiar characters.
Night of the Living Dead via Argento and H.P. Lovecraft?

I really liked this. 3 stars!

#21 – Hagazussa (2017)

Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (German: Hagazussa, an Old High German term for “Witch”) is a 2017 German/Austrian horror film in four acts: : “Shadows”, “Horn”, “Blood” and “Fire. See the Wikipedia article for more detail.

Paranoia & Superstition in 15th Century Europe.

Obviously it would be easy to compare to The Witch. This is more atmospheric and ambient viewing for the most, with many moments of ancient superstition, there is very minimal dialogue. From just over half way onward it gets weird, then kind of brutal. I didn’t dislike this, its good for many reasons, a film where you just have to sit and let it happen. I’d like to give it 3, I’m going to give it 3, but it just needed something? Yet more of anything would have made it worse? Maybe just remove all of the other characters?