Feedback: Times’ horror film picks a frightful treat

Something really scary

Regarding “Frightfully Unsung Horror Films” [Oct. 31 by Sonaiya Kelley, Jen Yamato and Dawn Burkes]: As a horror fan, I was excited to see many suggestions that I had not heard of. Thank you for that.

Two that I would add are unsung sequels from well-known films.

“Psycho IV: The Beginning,” a made-for-cable film directed by Mick Garris (a contributor to your article) and written by Joseph Stefano, who adapted Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” is a must-see. It is a prequel and third sequel and has Norman Bates calling in to a radio talk show whose subject is matricide, or murdering one’s mother.

“Exorcist III” will definitely give you nightmares. Directed by William Peter Blatty from his novel “Legion,” it’s his sequel to “The Exorcist.” It is worth watching just for Brad Dourif’s turn as the Gemini Killer, but there are many other truly horrifying moments.

Jeff Rack
Altadena

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Please mention “Scanners,” “Fallen,” “The Omen,” “The Exorcist,” “Jeepers Creepers” and “The Hunger.”

Gary Glasser
Burbank

A billionaire bully?

Regarding Carolina A. Miranda’s column “Dark Days at UCSB” [Nov. 2]:

Why would UC Santa Barbara let themselves be [cowed] into submission by a 97-year-old billionaire bully? Let [Charles] Munger live in a building with few if any windows so he can experience his own architecture designs in person.

As a parent of four children, I would NEVER (and yes, I yelled that) permit, nor pay for my child to live in the future Munger.

Diann Cullen
Broomfield, Colo.

Mistress of the Dark saves the day

I particularly enjoyed James Reed’s review of Cassandra Peterson’s memoir “Yours Cruelly, Elvira.” [“Elvira Steps Out of the Darkness,” Oct. 31].

I was a writer for “The Bob Hope Show” in the early ‘80s, when Peterson guested on our annual Halloween special.

Cast as a customer in a “Cheers” parody sketch, Peterson says to Hope, who is playing “Coach” the bartender, “Nice costume. Who’s your undertaker?”

The show was taped on a Friday and the next day, actor Nick Colasanto, the real bartender on “Cheers,” died of a heart attack.

Hope immediately called the writers to provide an alternative line for Cassandra to dub over the original. She read the new line perfectly — “Nice costume. Did your makeup man quit?”

A talented actress and consummate pro, Cassandra saved the show.

Robert L. Mills
Studio City

A dark day in history

As an observer at the 1971 uprising at Attica and an unnamed participant in Stanley Nelson’s documentary, “Attica,” I write concerning Roxana Hadadi’s review of the film [“‘Attica’ Will Rattle You. As it Should,” Oct. 29].

In a word, it was masterful, capturing the thoroughness and care by which this excellent film was crafted. The review laid bare the authorities’ racism and brutality they used to run the prison and plan the murderous assault to retake it.

Against the observers’ unanimous advice, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller ordered the attack that killed and wounded not only many unarmed inmates but the prison’s own guards and trapped workers.

With puddles of blood and mud on the ground, those in charge then allowed the mass torture that followed.

The festering crime is that America’s Atticas still remain inhumane prisons held together by racism and fear.

Lewis Steel
New York, N.Y.

Revisionist criticism?

Regarding Justin Chang’s review “‘Dune’ Kicks Up a Dust” [Oct. 22]: Is it really necessary to throw David Lynch’s adaptation of “Dune” under the bus to serve the relentless promotion of Denis Villeneuve’s new version?

It may have been too camp in parts for the serious science fiction people, but it’s a long way from being awful.

David Eccles
Lake Hughes