THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1992 Ken Johnson
82 min., R, Horror, 1991 Director: Jim Wynorski Cast: David McCallum, Nicole Eggert, Christopher Halstead, Lana Clarkson, Jonathan Farwill, Maria Ford, Gail Harris, John O'Leary
Seventeen years before, McCallum's wife Eggert was burned at the stake for being a witch. Eggert had a child before she died, and now she wants to take over the body of her child, also played by Eggert, so that she can live again.
THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA is one of many "adaptations" of Edgar Allan Poe's stories being released recently, which include BURIED ALIVE (r.a.m.r. #01131), THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (r.a.m.r. #01130), and THE HOUSE OF USHER (which I haven't seen yet). This film is not part of the Harry Towers series coming over from Italy. Instead it is produced by B movie producer and director Roger Corman. On a scale of zero to five, I give THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA a three. THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA is rated R for violence, adult situations, and female nudity.
After looking through all the volumes of Edgar Allan Poe's works in my local library, I was unable to find anything called "The Haunting of Morella" or anything with the word Morella in it, or anything that sounded at all like this movie. Maybe it is based on some little-known story he did that I was unable to find. [It was based on "Morella," originally published in the "Southern Literary Magazine," April 1835, and your library should get a complete Poe. -Moderator]
Most of Jim Wynorski's films, which include TRANSYLVANIA TWIST, NOT OF THIS EARTH, DEATHSTALKER 2: DUEL OF THE TITANS, and just released SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE 2: NIGHTIE NIGHTMARE, have a large amount of humor thrown in. That seemed to be missing from this film. That is too bad, because that is part of the fun, I feel, of watching a Jim Wynorski film.
This film is still fun to watch, and fans of modern B movie horror films will probably enjoy seeing this film. There is nothing really spectacular about this film, the special effects aren't great. The actors/actresses manage to pull off the film, although at times I wondered if some of them would make it through the film because they were not doing that good a job. I suggest that you try this film if you tend to enjoy horror films and can rent it for $2.00 or less.
Ken J. blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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