Dark August

Dark August is a 1976 horror movie directed by Martin Goldman and starring Kim Hunter, J.J. Barry, and Carolyne Barry. The movie is set in a small town in Vermont, where a young man named Sal finds himself haunted by a vengeful spirit after accidentally hitting a gypsy with his car.

The movie begins with Sal driving home from a hunting trip when he accidentally hits a gypsy woman who was crossing the road. Though he tries to help her, the woman dies, leaving him filled with guilt and shame. As a gesture of goodwill, Sal offers to pay for the gypsy's funeral and becomes entranced by her strange culture, which includes black magic and curses.

Soon after the funeral, strange things start happening to Sal. He sees visions of the dead gypsy and begins to suffer from hallucinations and nightmares. A local historian, Adrianna, tells Sal that the gypsy cursed him before she died, and he realizes that he is being haunted by a powerful spirit.

As the weeks go by, Sal's condition worsens. He becomes more and more isolated, and the haunting intensifies. He seeks the help of a local psychic, who warns him that the ghost is trying to kill him and that he needs to find a way to stop it before it's too late.

However, the curse becomes even stronger, manifesting itself in strange ways that threaten not only Sal but also everyone around him. He is overwhelmed by the force of the gypsy's curse and must fight to find a way to break it before it destroys him and those he loves.

The movie is a slow-burning horror film, with a creepy atmosphere created by the desolate Vermont countryside and the eerie, otherworldly music by Charles Gross. Director Martin Goldman uses a bleak, muted color palette to capture the sense of dread that pervades the story and the characters' lives.

At its core, Dark August is a character study of a man who is haunted by his guilt and shame. Sal's descent into madness is convincing, and the movie does a good job of conveying his desperation and despair. Kim Hunter gives a memorable performance as Adrianna, the historian who attempts to help Sal. She brings a sense of gravitas to the role, and her scenes with Sal are among the movie's most effective.

The supporting cast is also strong, particularly J.J. Barry and Carolyne Barry as two of Sal's friends. The Barries have a natural chemistry on screen, and their scenes provide a welcome bit of levity in an otherwise bleak film.

Dark August is not a movie for everyone. It is slow-paced and atmospheric, more concerned with character than scares. However, if you are a fan of slow-burning horror films that rely on mood and atmosphere, then it's definitely worth checking out. It is a haunting meditation on guilt, shame, and the power of curses, and it remains one of the more underrated horror films of the 1970s.