La Tour des Monstres

I watched this movie with my grandmother when I was about 6 years old. The movie was PG, so I could get away with watching it then. What a hoot! We managed to watch that movie every time we could catch it on and the last line in the movie kept us laughing for the longest: It's me, Mattie.

I know that a movie about old folks killing to keep their homes may be totally horrific to today's society that salivates over brutality performed on perky-breast blonds, pencil-waist brunettes, and their associated blockhead boyfriends. The irony of "Homebodies" is that you're force to have to acknowledge those old folks for what they were doing -- whether you liked it or not. They refused to be pushed around and their tactics were crude, yet effective.

Having said that, I watched it again recently and I found it just as funny, but with a better understanding. While I could say that the murders were truly without warrant, they were in better context than what you see in most slasher flicks nowadays, where the killings are for shock value and good measure.

I saw this on HBO back when they were only on from 5P to 2A (This is 1976 for those of you too young to remember). It has some bad acting, and the content was dark, to say the least, but it had some really good points. Firstly the soundtrack was great, featuring the tile song "In Sachet" and secondly, a wonderful actor by the name of Ian Wolfe, who if you ever saw him, you would remember him from one of his umpteen TV appearances. (He started acting in his mid-50's and continued until he was 94 years old in the Warren Beatty powered 'Dick Tracy') The cement-pouring scene is worth the price of renting it, if you can find it. I could not locate it to rent on the major internet DVD rental site. (Don't want to break any IMDB rules). If you do find it, check it out. You'll think twice about sticking your aged loved ones in a retirement home.... I guarantee it... :)

The premise of "Homebodies" is certainly unique:a bunch of old people don't want to leave their apartment complex so they start murdering anyone who tries to force them to leave.This weird little shocker is one of the most underrated horror movies of early 70's.The main characters are well-played and very believable and the murders are quite shocking in its viciousness.The cast includes veteran character actors including Ian Wolfe and Ruth McDevitt from "The Night Stalker" and "The Birds".The killings include stabbing to death with a butcher knife and encasing one victim in cement.Construction workers are also mysteriously dying on a construction site.One of old ladies named Mrs. Loomis resolves to tell the police everything,but Mattie kills her by bashing an urn containing the ashes of Miss Emily deceased husband over her head.Very grim and darkly funny "Homebodies" is a must-see for fans of 70's American horror.

Well meaning, but an unusual, gloomy and comedic dark horror drama with a wicked sense of humour and stinging view of the mistreatment of the elderly as time isn't on their side. While it doesn't always come together (with an ambiguous ending that doesn't know how to tie it up), it remains an interesting parable and compelling at that with it's uniquely original premise.

Six elderly tenants are handed eviction notices, as their apartment is to be torn down and turned into new skyscrapers. However they won't have anything off it and decide the only way they can stay put is to murder those who get in their way or have some sort of control over the development to only slow down the inevitable.

The movie tagline "A Murder a Day Keeps the Landlord Away!" sums it up perfectly.

"Homebodies" tries to mix social commentary with creepy chills and cartoon-like humour… while at times eerie and thoughtful in its context I didn't find it particularly humorous. The tone would get goofy in those moments aiming for a laugh, which didn't complement its sombre air. When the script was trying to be sly with its humour, it fitted better. The slow-burn plot really does strike up a moving chemistry between these convincingly quirky characters, as there's heart and personality given out by the performances. They stick together, kill together to keep their familiar lifestyles they hold so close. But then in a twist of events they start to turn on each other with no second thoughts. There's an odd chase sequence as well… where it crafts a dreamy sort of atmosphere around it and the death traps/or deaths are effectively moulded to get under your skin with the blank, cold expressions of their faces watching those die around them. The performances are solid, led by Paula Trueman's neurotic turn and with the likes of Ruth McDevitt, Ian Wolfe and Peter Brocco.

Director Larry Yust does a durable job and makes good use of the authentic location work to illustrate the urban plight. The camera sprightly frames the activities and the music playfully turn it up.

A worthwhile forgotten 70s offbeat low-budget black comedy shocker.

Grim, sad, nihilistic drama about abandoned elderly people who pull together to preserve their home and dignity. That's the soft sell. The hard sell? After uncaring developers condemn a building and threaten to toss the aged residents onto the street, the residents retaliate with murder.

For a drama, there's plenty of horror here, and there's much food for thought, too. The harsh way we treat our elderly citizens is directly addressed, as is the issue of the limted tenure we all have on this planet. An interesting message buried here-in is that the young underestimate the old at their peril because the old are smarter, more sly, more patient and more experienced.

The performances are excellent, as is the direction, photography and music. The murders are cleverly conceived and executed with grim resolve, and one scene involving permanent incarceraton in concrete is a showstopper.

When I first saw this film, I was struck by its cold, depressing tone and I admired it for its recognition of real problems associated with aging. The idea of the old killing the young is a novel one and employed to great effect in "Homebodies".

It's a silver-haired classic.