When one looks back at mid ‘70s to early ‘80s horror, it’s quite surprising to see how many Canadian made films are nestled among fan favorites. Titles such as Black Christmas, Shivers, Prom Night, Happy Birthday to Me, and My Bloody Valentine continue to delight and shock veteran horror lovers or those just starting their jagged journey down the terror path. There is one, however, that due to a troubled production and poor distribution, seems relegated to the discount bins of time. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on, uh, Curtains (1983), an unsung slasher weirder than a sack full of rabid beavers.

Released by Jensen Farley Pictures in March of ’83 in the US, and September of ’84 by Norstar Releasing in (my home and) native land, Curtains received a very limited release in both countries, but coming as it did at a time when the Canadian film industry had all but collapsed (see below), it’s amazing it saw the light of day at all.

A brief history then. From ’74 to ’82, Canada essentially whored itself out (hey, we’re not always proud) and offered filmmakers abroad a rather large tax incentive to film in Canada – 100% of the cost of the film became deductible if one followed certain guidelines. Two-thirds of the cast and crew had to be Canadian and 75% of production and post production had to be done up here. This naturally resulted in a boom for the Canadian film industry, leading to the nickname Hollywood North. By’82, however, they cut the incentive back to 50% and that was that. So you’re saying, “Hey, Captain Canuck – what the hell does this have to do with Curtains?” And the answer is, everything – this production was so fractious that without the tax breaks it wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

Before we delve into the behind the scenes melee (which is an all-time corker), let’s try some story: Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar – The Brood) is a faded actress who has bought the rights to ‘Audra’, a melodrama about a spurned woman confined to a mental institution. As our movie opens, she is acting out a scene for her director and paramour, the pompous tight sweater patron Jonathan Stryker (John Vernon – Animal House). Unconvinced she’s ready for the part, the two connive to have her admitted to a mental facility so she can immerse herself in the experience. However, Samantha becomes a little too immersed and Jonathan decides it’s best to leave her there.

She escapes from the institution when she reads that Jonathan is recasting ‘Audra’ and holding auditions with six actresses at his estate. Mayhem ensues as Samantha shows up to reclaim her role – but first she must deal with a troupe of tryouts so thirsty for success, they’ll do anything to get the part. Is Samantha picking off her competition, or is one of the ingénues stabbing her way to the top?

What we have, not by design, but by necessity, is two films fighting it out in Curtains. Director Richard Ciupka was hired by producer Peter Simpson (Prom Night) after helping Simpson finish directing a previous project. Ciupka was at the time a very well respected director of cinematography, having shot Louis Malle’s Atlantic City. Armed with Robert Guza Jr.’s (Prom Night) script, he set off for the outskirts of Toronto with a parcel of Canadian actors (Vernon, Linda Thorson, Lynne Griffin, Lesleh Donaldson, Michael Wincott) and a plan to make more of a psychological thriller. The problem was, being a first time director, Ciupka fell way behind schedule. Simpson thought he was getting a slasher, not something so “arty”, so he fired Ciupka and shut down production.

The project stalled for well over a year before Simpson started up production again, this time with a whole new crew and some of the cast, and he took over the directorial reins. So what we end up with is roughly this: The first 20 minutes or so are Simpson, the middle 45 is Ciupka, and the final 20 are Simpson again (and don’t clock me on those, I’m just guesstimating).

Here’s the thing though: Both directors create some really strong moments, enough so that the viewer with an open mind won’t care that the seams show from a hundred yards away. Simpson’s footage starts off strong, with Eggar, Vernon and an extended visit at the institution – setting the scene for Samantha’s descent into madness quite effectively (without a massive dollop of silver screen ‘insanity’ on display). His finale also has a fantastic sequence backstage in the prop area of Stryker’s mansion, as one of the actresses is pursued by the killer – Simpson clearly shows a knack for generating suspense, especially considering how enclosed the space is.

Ciupka’s footage is more difficult, and ambitious – it’s clear that he was going for a heightened melodrama, a cross between Ten Little Indians and Halloween. Does he succeed? Well, the material is very movie of the week, with the ladies arguing about ambition and sacrifice but not really displaying either (other than bedding down the loathsome Stryker). However, what the material lacks, Ciupka makes up with beautifully framed, eerie camerawork (courtesy of DP Robert Paynter – Superman II) that shows given the time and experience, he could have proven himself a horror contender. The most famous moment in the film is a murder that takes place on an outdoor rink. The killer, who wears an old hag mask (courtesy of Greg Cannom – Dracula), skates across the frozen pond, with a scythe behind his/her back in broad daylight. The blinding white of the snow juxtaposed against the black garb of the killer is unique and chilling. Even people who haven’t seen the film are aware of this classic scene. It’s one for the ages.

The performances are solid, with headliners Vernon and Eggar commanding the screen over their younger costars. Lynne Griffin (Black Christmas) is the standout of the tryouts, with a loose, quirky style that sets her apart from the group, helped by the fact that her Patti is given the most backstory in the finished film (others were filmed but cut by Simpson when he resumed filming).

So how does Curtains miraculously manage to keep it together? First off, the setting and characters are different for a film of this type. Having adults in a slasher is always a refreshing change, and while that doesn’t necessarily guarantee better writing, it can lead to different behavior than we expect in films of this ilk. The snow drenched surroundings add a sense of chilling detachment as well, far away from the normal summertime slayings. The film also has a sense of humor about itself (which I’ll credit to Simpson since he finished it), with onscreen curtains pulled back to signal scene transitions. It’s unexpected and fun for a film like this to remind us not to take it too seriously.

What’s refreshing about Curtains is its persistence to exist. It’s an impressive feat for any film to be made, and then be released – given life. For a film to be made over a two and a half year period, with two different directors, and still manage to impress viewers with its stitched together corpse (and a beautiful corpse it is), is a cinemiracle. As a final note, director Ciupka was so displeased when Simpson sent him the end product that he wouldn’t sign off using his name – he submitted it as Jonathan Stryker. A fitting tribute to the process of make believe, and the land, however fleetingly known, as Hollywood North.

Curtains is available on Blu-ray from Synapse Films.