The Library Is Closed

From A Whisper To A Scream
(1987)

On the eve of his niece's execution, a librarian (Vincent Price) tells a nosy reporter four grisly tales about the town they live in.  It's his belief that living in Oldfield, Tennessee is what drove his niece to kill.  I love Vincent Price but I've honestly forgotten most of what I just saw.  The first tale, about the consequences of obsession and necrophilia, kind of reminded me of a really gruesome interpretation of Ray Bradbury's "The Eyrie."  The second I think was one about a man who finds out greed and voodoo don't mix.  One was about carnies and I didn't feel sorry for anyone it in because you're an idiot for going to a show called "Lovecraft's Traveling Amusements."  The last one was about some war babies that would put the Children of the Corn to shame.

The opening scene was really the best because it set the tone of the movie as creepy and steeped in some kind of slow brewing mania.  Also, the wedding dress represents both the promise of a new life and innocence, and the eventual loss of innocence (because you know the gown is meant to come off).  After that it was mediocre - and doing two stories about voodoo was unnecessary and kind of unimaginative.

On to the nudity: Stanley (the guy in the first tale) has a crazy sister who's seriously trying to give him the box.  She's really the only full-on consistent nudity you get and I was surprised to see that she looked shaved.  I didn't think women were doing that back then.  Well, I guess it was the late 80s.  Shag carpeting went out in the 70s and by the 90s it was all about smooth flooring.  Funny, how those things relate.