1) I love horror and always have.
2) I love the seventies, which rather overflowed into the early eighties. I feel "at home" in that decade even though I was only three when it ended.
3) Films from that time are pretty much (not entirely) pre-political correctness.
4) Although the cinema will always be one of my greatest loves, TV films have something going for them. They are more concentrated on plot than flashy editing or on big set-pieces. And they tend to be more subdued, which I like. It's definitely an advantage when it comes to horror.
Alison's Birthday is an Australian TV horror film, made by the Australian Film Commission. But it's not just "good enough for government work" (one of my favourite American sayings), it's actually very good-- in my opinion.
It's a supernatural/occult horror, with elements of folk horror. And it's quite a slow-burner.
Anyone who doesn't like this film would probably have these criticisms of it (I've looked at a few reviews):
1) It's predictable.
2) It's a mish-mash of elements from better films.
3) It has some corny scenes, including the opening scene.
All of these criticisms are justified. None of them bother me, though. They're even reasons I like it.
Anyway, the film can be seen on YouTube at this link, unless it's been taken down by the time you read this. (I watch a lot of old films on YouTube. I don't think it's taking the bread out of anybody's mouth, but feel free to harangue me on why I'm wrong.)
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