This 1981 adaption of the 1979 horror novel is a mixed bag. Some great moments, some clunky bits, but a really fun experience overall.

The story concerns a group of elderly men who call themselves the Chowder Society. They meet every week to tell each other stories. Ghost stories. Things begin to turn spooky in real life for the chowder society when they begin having disturbing dreams and one of their sons dies under mysterious circumstances.

The film stars a who’s who of stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age leading the proverbial charge is Fred Astaire as Ricky Hawthorne. I never thought I’d see a Fred Astaire horror film, but here is it. At 82, Fred holds his own and performs admirably in the unfamiliar genre. The other chowder society members are played by Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It is a pleasure to see these stars having one final go around playing interesting and challenging characters in their 70’s. It’s also nice seeing Patricial Neal come back for a nice little part opposite Fred.

I read the book a year or two ago for spooky month. It was a massive success and an influential work in modern horror fiction. It was written by Peter Straub in 1979. It honestly didn’t make a huge impact on me. I felt the narrative was convoluted and involved too many surprises and reveals. I enjoyed it okay, but it wasn’t a thrill a minute book I couldn’t wait to finish.

The movie streamlines the narrative. The chowder society is being haunted because in their wild youths they did something terrible and are now being haunted by it. The sins of the past come out to seek revenge. This is smart storytelling. It’s clear. It makes sense.

What the movie fails to do is excise the chunks of the book that meander and feel like tangents. They strayed from the source material, but not far enough in my opinion. There is an extended section in the middle of the movie that is a flashback in which one character relays his experiences at a college a year ago. The sequence goes on and on and on. I just wanted the movie to get to the point. This could have been cut entirely or shrunk down to a montage. It also doesn’t make sense when they remove so much of the mythology and folklore of the original book.

Overall, it is a smart, yet deeply flawed adaptation. The movies uneven and clunky at times because of it. I was pulled out of the narrative at multiple points due to these choices.

What pulled me back in was the dreamlike quality of the filmmaking. The whole film sort of floats by. It’s a strange experience and hard to describe. It’s kind of a metaphysical weirdness to the movie that is deeply compelling. There are several very effective scares that felt like they came out of nowhere. It’s like having a pleasant dream that suddenly turns sour just before you wake up.

I loved this bizarre quality to the filmmaking. I loved the performances. I didn’t love the script or story. It’s a mixed bag, but I kind of love it. It’s one I definitely will revisit.

I’d have a hard time recommending it because it is so disjointed and weird. I think old film lovers will appreciate its classic film stars. I think horror fans looking for a weird experience will love it. I think a general audience will find it off putting and disjointed.

It is totally my cup of tea, but not for everyone. It’s a B from me.