Exploitastic: Two from John Hayes

There is a disconnect noticeable with genre fans. Specifically with male fans into classic horror. The mere discussion of female sexuality makes them squirm in their skin. Don't expect them to delve into the filmography of Jess Franco anytime soon...

Before Driller Killer, Abel Ferrara made 9 Lives of A Wet Pussycat. Between Last House On the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven made The Fireworks Woman. Bill 'Maniac' Lustig got his start with The Violation of Claudia. It shouldn't be any surprise that filmmakers who cut their teeth on adult hardcore films made their way into genre films. There's less industry oversight and have a certain artistry to them. 

These directors have all produced horror films that fans wear proudly on their shirts, jean jackets and have adorned bedroom walls. And yet, whenever these forays into filth are brought up amongst them, they cringe and write it off as 'that one porno he did'. A director should do whatever they want. Even if they want to dabble into hardcore. 

John Hayes did just that. He's not a particular director who I'd rank among my favorites, but he should be more known. Stephen Thrower lists him as one of the 'American independents' during the 70s and early 80s. During that time there was a surge in the American Independent scene. Productions were popping up all over the states- Malatesta's Carnival of Blood, The Premonition, Don't Go In the Woods, The Deadly Spawn. They found a home on the streets of The Deuce on 42nd Street.  The thing about these movies was that while their productions didn't have the big studio backing more well known films could afford, they had oodles of passion and dedication that went into them. The stories behind how these movies got made and who made them are as captivating as the movies themselves. 

John Hayes' career spanned four decades in various exploitation subgenres. Starting off in sexploitation in the sixties. His more well known efforts are when he started getting into horror: Dream No Evil and this little diddy...

'A vampire awakes from his slumber attacks a couple making love in a graveyard. He then rapes the woman, who later gives birth to his son. The newborn infant will only drink blood from his mother's breast.' That's the synopsis. It's 70's thru and thru. The screenplay was written by David Chase. Yes, THAT David Chase. The man behind The Sopranos. 

This film packs mood in full force. Foggy cemeteries, spooky seances, wood paneled basements and a mother singing 'All the Pretty Little Horses' to her vampire baby as it first drinks her blood. It takes it time but stay with it. When it kicks in, it has a real mean streak. 

Everyone has seen Rosemary's Baby. But have you seen Baby Rosemary? 

Hayes' film Dream No Evil shares a number of themes from this one: trauma, abandonment, and rejection of reality. Here, it's presented in an even more gloomy tone. The question going through my head watching this is: who is the intended audience? There are hardcore scenes but they are presented in the context of psychological breakdown. In thise sense, it is more in line with something like Roberta Findlay's A Woman's Torment which would come out a year later. A film that marries hardcore and psychological horror.

The big selling point here is the final 15 minutes in which an orgy takes place in a funeral home. All set to a disorienting soundtrack and a fog machine. It has to be seen to be believed.