HAUNTS OF THE VERY RICH (1972)
Dir: Paul Wendkos

Horror in the 1970s became famously bleak, with Evil often triumphing over Good, and even television was willing to forgoe the obligatory happy ending in service of the new national trend towards nihilism. Haunts of the Very Rich is a rarity beyond even those parameters though - a made-for-TV exisitential horror movie. Basically, No Exit in polyester and blue eyeshadow.

A group of strangers arrive at a posh resort called Portals of Eden; fabulous upon initial appearance, the hotel soon turns ominous. Paradise is lost on the first night, when a savage tropical storm rips through the island, rendering the isolated vacation spot without electricity, phone service, accesible roads and limited food and water. A snake enters a guestroom, the temperature rises to unbearable degrees and the guests begin bickering amongst themselves. One by one each member of the party reveals a back story, always ending with a terrible accisen tor brush with death. Starting to get the picture? The ultimate premise of the tale is perhaps trite to contemorary viewers, but must have delivered a real jolt at the time of showing (For the record, two Amicus productions of the same year and the following one, Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, respectively, utilized a similar surprise ending).

Besides a carefully building sense of dread and bewilderment, the strongest element of Haunts is its ensemble cast of 70s tv pros. Donna Mills is a shag-haired newlywed having second thoughts about her new husband; Ed Asner is an even grouchier version of Lou Grant; Cloris Leachman is fragile single woman facing spinsterhood; Lloyd Bridges is a swinging adulterer (giving the weakest performance of the lot); Robert Reed is years from Mike Brady as a priest losing his faith, etc. The petty infighting and growing realization of their tragic fate is handled superbly by the group in general.

Above all else, Haunts of the Very Rich is immenently watchable, highly engaging and a superb example of 70s style and vibe. More than many other films discussed here, this bleak horror-drama could hold its own as a time capsule depiction of the decade's aesthetic, language and changing ideology. Although nearly impossible to find, this is one film worth the search. Campy characters and a few stock characterizations aside, the final moments deliver a cleverly constructed finale with true resonance.