MovieChat Forums > The Black Room (1982) Discussion > supernatural elements

supernatural elements

posted a month ago by agentalbert (3080)
1 reply | jump to latest

On the surface (until the end) this seems like its not a supernatural movie. The brother and sister (vampires of a sort, though) need blood from victims to keep the brother alive. But they don't bite the victims, they drug them and then drain the blood with a machine to give the brother transfusions. It all seems standard enough until the end when seemingly both Bridget and Jason are killed, but then rise from the dead almost zombie like and continue after Larry and Robin. It does seem to come out of nowhere, but all around the house within the black room there are statues and artworks that seem to indicate magic or witchcraft at play. I think we can take that there is more than just transfusion going on keeping Jason alive, and that some magic is being used, even if not shown. I know one of the statues that Robin sees when she comes to the house looks like a Baphomet. It's probably all just haphazard occult looking stuff thrown together by the set designer, but I don't know if there was any thought involved in what was shown.

Good movie, I enjoyed it.

Short promo trailer for the blu-ray:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBjE7bBKzZo

[–] AZupreme (51) 5 days ago

Good observations. The Satanic theme is not overtly discussed, but the evidence is all there. Visuals aside (which you remark on perfectly), just look at what happens in the movie:

A married couple is happy, but their kids make it difficult for them to be intimate. This is what happens in a lot of marriages with kids. The movie acts as a cautionary tale released during the Satanic Panic, with a husband and then later the wife engaging in mind games and adultery in the titular black room. When shit hits the fan, this couple manages to make up in the face of danger, but I think most couples would break up once cheating enters the equation. The brother and sister killing people for blood is merely a small detail in a larger plot. Rather, the brother and sister encourage couples to engage in these acts in service to Satan, who inflicts harm on (in this case) a happy family in hopes of destroying it.

It is a great movie, very underrated. Much better than a lot of the 80s output that was coming out at that time.