The crowning achievement of MGM's original monster movie series is as hilarious as it is innovative. Obviously not really scary by today's standards, this flick is still super fun to watch and, at only 75 min, an easy pill to swallow. Emily didn't quite make it through, but it's probably just because she was sleepy from her first long day at the new job, not having anything to do with entertainment made for audiences of the 1930s. You have to give it up to a flick that has a tiny horny king, the monster smoking, and the hissing bride's rejection all in an hour's time. Love it.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
9/10 #4 IT (2017)
Went to our first movie in St. Paul yesterday. Cool little theater on Grand Ave.
Now, I really think this flick is a good Stephen King adaptation. Not quite on par with the first episodes of Mr. Mercedes, but a lot better than the misguided Dark Tower. The casting is stellar, the scares are right, the changes from the source material have thought behind them.
Even the time shift. But that's kind of what I want to talk about. This flick is good and you should see it if you haven't (most people had, it had a stellar opening weekend). The thing I want to talk about is the strange cultural awareness of Pennywise the clown. In the original book and the miniseries (which still holds up too, due largely to IT'S casting and execution), Pennywise was a clown because it was his ruse to lure children into his grasp. Now, there's something weird that has happened since then. As far as I know, my generation may have been the first to openly find clowns terrifying. Sure, maybe some kids didn't like them at the circus before this, but there was a shift in the attitude towards clowns that happened in the 80s, and Pennywise was a big part of it. Suddenly they were generally seen as unsavory. Creepy even. So, it's weird to see the evolution of that. Tim Curry's (and King's) Pennywise was charming before he was frightening. He really was kind of a clown with a monster underneath. Which caused us all to rethink clowns' purpose and motivations in general. But the book (and original movie) were set in the late 50s, when kids were still kind of drawn to clowns. It's how Pennywise lured Georgie close enough to rip his arm off.
So, my question is, now that IT is set to start int he 80s, when this shift was happening (because of Pennywise, Gacy, and, maybe, Bozo), why does IT even bother with the clown thing? The answer the new movie gives us: Because he's just straight up scary.
Now, that's a tall order. That means Pennywise is a monster from the get-go. Georgie is just kind of an idiot who wants his boat back bad enough to take it from a monster in a drain. It lets the air out of this scene, but also creates a challenge for the rest of the flick. It makes it so Pennywise has to go UP from being a terrifying monster. Fortunately, this movie handles it well. Sarsgaard's Pennywise is crazy and, with more than a little help from the effects team, they do accomplish the task of making him 'everything we are afraid of'. So, Bravo, IT. You pulled it off.
My hope is that the sequel will back off the effects and let the traumas inflicted by Pennywise fuel the terror of the Losers Club as adults. Maybe Sarsgaard will have a little more room to move in the next chapter. Because it's either that or try and up the bar on the CG fueled scares even more, which may be pretty difficult. This first flick used the effects well, but there comes a moment when the suspension of disbelief snaps and computer images cease to be real enough to inspire terror. Whatever the outcome, I'm happy to see this material handled with such care and eager to see where they go from here.
Now, I really think this flick is a good Stephen King adaptation. Not quite on par with the first episodes of Mr. Mercedes, but a lot better than the misguided Dark Tower. The casting is stellar, the scares are right, the changes from the source material have thought behind them.
Even the time shift. But that's kind of what I want to talk about. This flick is good and you should see it if you haven't (most people had, it had a stellar opening weekend). The thing I want to talk about is the strange cultural awareness of Pennywise the clown. In the original book and the miniseries (which still holds up too, due largely to IT'S casting and execution), Pennywise was a clown because it was his ruse to lure children into his grasp. Now, there's something weird that has happened since then. As far as I know, my generation may have been the first to openly find clowns terrifying. Sure, maybe some kids didn't like them at the circus before this, but there was a shift in the attitude towards clowns that happened in the 80s, and Pennywise was a big part of it. Suddenly they were generally seen as unsavory. Creepy even. So, it's weird to see the evolution of that. Tim Curry's (and King's) Pennywise was charming before he was frightening. He really was kind of a clown with a monster underneath. Which caused us all to rethink clowns' purpose and motivations in general. But the book (and original movie) were set in the late 50s, when kids were still kind of drawn to clowns. It's how Pennywise lured Georgie close enough to rip his arm off.
So, my question is, now that IT is set to start int he 80s, when this shift was happening (because of Pennywise, Gacy, and, maybe, Bozo), why does IT even bother with the clown thing? The answer the new movie gives us: Because he's just straight up scary.
Now, that's a tall order. That means Pennywise is a monster from the get-go. Georgie is just kind of an idiot who wants his boat back bad enough to take it from a monster in a drain. It lets the air out of this scene, but also creates a challenge for the rest of the flick. It makes it so Pennywise has to go UP from being a terrifying monster. Fortunately, this movie handles it well. Sarsgaard's Pennywise is crazy and, with more than a little help from the effects team, they do accomplish the task of making him 'everything we are afraid of'. So, Bravo, IT. You pulled it off.
My hope is that the sequel will back off the effects and let the traumas inflicted by Pennywise fuel the terror of the Losers Club as adults. Maybe Sarsgaard will have a little more room to move in the next chapter. Because it's either that or try and up the bar on the CG fueled scares even more, which may be pretty difficult. This first flick used the effects well, but there comes a moment when the suspension of disbelief snaps and computer images cease to be real enough to inspire terror. Whatever the outcome, I'm happy to see this material handled with such care and eager to see where they go from here.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
9/8 #3 Creepshow
George Romero joined the great potential Zombie hoard this year, but his flicks live on. This Romero/Stephen King collaboration continues my focus on 80s gore. It was made the year I was born, and I still love the way the creatures and gore look. The vignette style allows for minimum plot and maximum Savini effects, which is always a plus. There's no waiting 2 hours for a stomach to be ripped open like in Dawn of the Dead. Some of the King dialogue is a little lame (as is usually the case with his film adaptations), but the stellar cast (which includes a young Ed Harris, Ted Danson, and King himself) handles the fun with gusto and King and Romero more than make up for the shortcomings with style and love of the genre. This movie boasts 'you'll never have so much fun being scared'. True that.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
9/7 #2 Hellraiser
Emily liked the gory parts and the Cenobite with the open neck. I liked how all of the sound seemed like it was looped. And how monster Frank and live action Frank were two totally different people. I didn't know Clive Barker actually directed this first Hellraiser flick. It's pretty good if you don't care about character or rules in your horror and you just want weird violent sex and wet, slimy, hook-pierced flesh.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
9/4 #1 Evil Dead 2
Off to a bit of a slow start this year on account of the fact that we moved across the country. But amidst boxes and clutter, we watched this horror classic to start things off. Dead By Dawn still holds up in entertainment and creativity, dwarfing so many of the modem tight-lipped, serious horror movies. I'd rather spend 90 minutes rewatching this flick than doing just about anything.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Revival! 2017!
Alright folks. After 2 years of reestablishing myself in the world, it's time to sit in front of a screen looking at the darker sides of the human psyche again. This time I'll be taking along a horror movie virgin, and our location will be up in the great white north... all the way in... Minnesota!
It almost seems strange to return to this weird ritual, watching all of these horror movies. I spent so much of my youth employed in video stores and movie theaters, working on movie sets, and generally being obsessed with the art form, and then I got to a point where I kind of felt finished. I feel, generally, like the world has moved beyond the point where film is a relevant art form, and I don't watch a lot of movies or television anymore. That being said, I am still profoundly interested in horror, and in the idea of fear in general. I like horror movies, and the psychological and philosophical avenues they explore, because they remind me of the real challenges we face out there in the dark. While most of us spend our days worrying about money or work, sometimes we forget that what really scares us is the unknown, life and death, darkness. It just returns my mind to a more realistic way of looking at reality, if that makes any sense. Somehow, the monsters and demons of our dreams helps me to remember what is important about life.
Last year I was in Colorado for Halloween, and didn't have access to much in the way of dvds or even a tv, my priorities were more along the lines of making sure I didn't end up homeless. The year before that I was in the hospital during the holidays. I was kind of a mess. But this year, we're full steam ahead, ready to go, and two years behind on all the latest fright in the world. So if you have suggestions, let me hear them. Of course, we'll be rolling on a lot of the classics, because Emily hasn't seen some of them. I know Evil Dead II and Bride of Frankenstein will be in the first week. So, let's make this mad dash toward All Hallows Eve, and have a great one filled with new fun, new experiences, and new scares!
It almost seems strange to return to this weird ritual, watching all of these horror movies. I spent so much of my youth employed in video stores and movie theaters, working on movie sets, and generally being obsessed with the art form, and then I got to a point where I kind of felt finished. I feel, generally, like the world has moved beyond the point where film is a relevant art form, and I don't watch a lot of movies or television anymore. That being said, I am still profoundly interested in horror, and in the idea of fear in general. I like horror movies, and the psychological and philosophical avenues they explore, because they remind me of the real challenges we face out there in the dark. While most of us spend our days worrying about money or work, sometimes we forget that what really scares us is the unknown, life and death, darkness. It just returns my mind to a more realistic way of looking at reality, if that makes any sense. Somehow, the monsters and demons of our dreams helps me to remember what is important about life.
Last year I was in Colorado for Halloween, and didn't have access to much in the way of dvds or even a tv, my priorities were more along the lines of making sure I didn't end up homeless. The year before that I was in the hospital during the holidays. I was kind of a mess. But this year, we're full steam ahead, ready to go, and two years behind on all the latest fright in the world. So if you have suggestions, let me hear them. Of course, we'll be rolling on a lot of the classics, because Emily hasn't seen some of them. I know Evil Dead II and Bride of Frankenstein will be in the first week. So, let's make this mad dash toward All Hallows Eve, and have a great one filled with new fun, new experiences, and new scares!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Final List 2014
Here it is, the list of flicks watched in 2014 as part of my first 90 Days of Horror Movies!
1. Stand by Me (8/1)
2. The Lost Boys (8/1)
3. Sharknado (8/3)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (8/3)
5. Argento's Dracula (8/3)
6. The Worst Witch (8/4)
7. Children of the Corn (8/5)
8. House on Haunted Hill (8/7)
9. The Blair Witch Project (8/8)
10. House of the Devil (8/9)
11. Fright Night (8/10)
12. Creepshow 2 (8/14)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (8/3)
5. Argento's Dracula (8/3)
6. The Worst Witch (8/4)
7. Children of the Corn (8/5)
8. House on Haunted Hill (8/7)
9. The Blair Witch Project (8/8)
10. House of the Devil (8/9)
11. Fright Night (8/10)
12. Creepshow 2 (8/14)
13. Under the Done Season 2 (ongoing)
14. Halloweentown (8/15)
15. The Dark Half (8/15)
16. House (8/16)
17. The Hole (8/16)
18. Scream (8/17)
19. Scream 2 (8/18)
20. Haunter (8/18)
18. Scream (8/17)
19. Scream 2 (8/18)
20. Haunter (8/18)
21. Children of the Corn II (8/19)
22. Scream 3 (8/19)
23. Scream 4 (8/19)
24. Scary Movie (8/20)
25. Halloween (8/22)
26. Halloween II (8/22)
27. Halloween III (8/23)
28. Halloween 4 (8/23)
29. Halloween 5 (8/26)
30. Salem's Lot (8/29)
31. Ghostbusters (8/30)
32. Scary Movie 2 (8/31)
33. Teen Wolf (9/3)
34. I Sell the Dead (9/4)
35. A Nightmare on Elm St. (9/5)
36. 28 Days Later (9/7)
37. Pet Semetery (9/8)
38. Dracula (1931) (9/10)
39. Pizza Girl Massacre (9/11)
40. Beetlejuice (9/11)
41. Simpsons Treehouse of Terror (13-15) (9/16)
42. Bubba Ho Tep (9/15)
43. Dawn of the Dead (1978) (9/17)
44. Frankenstein's Army (9/18)
45. A Nightmare on Elm St. 2: Freddy's Revenge (9/15)
46. Ghostbusters 2 (2/21)
47. The Lawnmower Man (9/21)
48. Nightmare on Elm St. 3 (9/22)
49. Nightmare on Elm St 4 (9/22)
50. VHS (9/24)
51. Nightmare on Elm St 5 (9/24)
52. Freddy's Dead (9/25)
53. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (9/27)
25. Halloween (8/22)
26. Halloween II (8/22)
27. Halloween III (8/23)
28. Halloween 4 (8/23)
29. Halloween 5 (8/26)
30. Salem's Lot (8/29)
31. Ghostbusters (8/30)
32. Scary Movie 2 (8/31)
33. Teen Wolf (9/3)
34. I Sell the Dead (9/4)
35. A Nightmare on Elm St. (9/5)
36. 28 Days Later (9/7)
37. Pet Semetery (9/8)
38. Dracula (1931) (9/10)
39. Pizza Girl Massacre (9/11)
40. Beetlejuice (9/11)
41. Simpsons Treehouse of Terror (13-15) (9/16)
42. Bubba Ho Tep (9/15)
43. Dawn of the Dead (1978) (9/17)
44. Frankenstein's Army (9/18)
45. A Nightmare on Elm St. 2: Freddy's Revenge (9/15)
46. Ghostbusters 2 (2/21)
47. The Lawnmower Man (9/21)
48. Nightmare on Elm St. 3 (9/22)
49. Nightmare on Elm St 4 (9/22)
50. VHS (9/24)
51. Nightmare on Elm St 5 (9/24)
52. Freddy's Dead (9/25)
53. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (9/27)
54. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror I & II, III, IV, V (9/27-10/7)
55. I Heart You (9/28)
56. Cabin Fever (9/29)
57. Shining (10/1)
58. The Purge (10/2)
59. Hocus Pocus (10/5)
60. Zombex (10/5)
61. Found (10/5)
62. Willow Creek (10/6)
63. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 1&2 (10/7)
64. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 3&4 (10/8)
65. Disney's The Dance of the Skeletons and (Fantasia Segment) Night on Bald Mountain (10/9)
66. Peanuts Halloween Special (10/9)
67. Garfield's Halloween Adventure (10/9)
68. Simpson's Treehouse of Horror VI, VII (10/9)
69. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 5&6 (10/10)
70. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 7&8 (10/10)
59. Hocus Pocus (10/5)
60. Zombex (10/5)
61. Found (10/5)
62. Willow Creek (10/6)
63. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 1&2 (10/7)
64. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 3&4 (10/8)
65. Disney's The Dance of the Skeletons and (Fantasia Segment) Night on Bald Mountain (10/9)
66. Peanuts Halloween Special (10/9)
67. Garfield's Halloween Adventure (10/9)
68. Simpson's Treehouse of Horror VI, VII (10/9)
69. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 5&6 (10/10)
70. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 7&8 (10/10)
71. AHS: Coven Episodes 9&10 (10/10)
72. AHS: Coven Episodes 11-13 (10/11)
73. The Monster Squad (10/12)
74. Jason X (10/13)
75. Fat Albert's Halloween Special (10/13)
76. Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Sleepy Hollow segment) (10/14)
77. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXV (10/19)
78. Evil Dead II (10/22)
79. Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (10/22)
80. Cottage Country (10/22)
81. Mr. Boogedy (10/23)
82. It (10/24)
83. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (10/26)
84. Trick 'R Treat (10/26)
85. World War Z (10/28)
86. An American Werewolf In London (10/28)
87. The Conjuring (10/28)
88. The Purge: Anarchy (10/30)
89. Sinister (10/30)
90. Bram Stoker's Dracula (10/31)
91. Interview with the Vampire (10/31)
92. Freddy Vs. Jason (10/31)
77. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXV (10/19)
78. Evil Dead II (10/22)
79. Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (10/22)
80. Cottage Country (10/22)
81. Mr. Boogedy (10/23)
82. It (10/24)
83. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (10/26)
84. Trick 'R Treat (10/26)
85. World War Z (10/28)
86. An American Werewolf In London (10/28)
87. The Conjuring (10/28)
88. The Purge: Anarchy (10/30)
89. Sinister (10/30)
90. Bram Stoker's Dracula (10/31)
91. Interview with the Vampire (10/31)
92. Freddy Vs. Jason (10/31)
#90 Bram Stoker's Dracula #91&92 Interview with the Vampire and Freddy Vs. Jason
Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula is all I need out of a retelling of the story. It's crazy, sexual, oh so 90s and kind of fun. Anthony Hopkins' Van Helsing is the best thing ever. This flick came out when I was in fifth grade and, since it was kind of based on classic literature, I was allowed to watch it! That made for some awful good steps forward in the development of my young, impressionable brain. Watching it still takes me back.
After that, we watched Interview with the Vampire. I've been wanting to see this flick again for a while. Man, it's kind of slow and wussy. I had forgotten. This flick, and the series of books that it is based on, are as much 'vampires for middle aged women' as Twilight is 'vampires for teenage girls'. Even though I'm not the target audience for this flick, I still think it has some good stuff in it.
Freddy Vs. Jason: We kind of just didn't want the night to end. And I didn't want IwtV to be the last movie on the list. I slept through a fair portion of the plot development in the middle and woke up for the big fight at the end.
Okay, that's it!
After that, we watched Interview with the Vampire. I've been wanting to see this flick again for a while. Man, it's kind of slow and wussy. I had forgotten. This flick, and the series of books that it is based on, are as much 'vampires for middle aged women' as Twilight is 'vampires for teenage girls'. Even though I'm not the target audience for this flick, I still think it has some good stuff in it.
Freddy Vs. Jason: We kind of just didn't want the night to end. And I didn't want IwtV to be the last movie on the list. I slept through a fair portion of the plot development in the middle and woke up for the big fight at the end.
Okay, that's it!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
#88 The Purge: Anarchy #89 Sinister
The second Purge movie is pretty good. It's another one of the recent rash of action movies parading as horror, but at least it keeps things moving. It is just interesting enough and has just enough political commentary to keep me engaged. Is the very basic idea of this movie kind of stupid? Yes. Is the conversation that it would inspire about human nature and morality just as pointless? Pretty much. At least this one dealt with some real people instead of the upper class yuppie douche bags that we all kind of wanted to die who were the center of the first one. I kind of cared if a couple of these people lived through the night. And that'll do, pig, that'll do.
Then I watched Sinister. Holy slut farts! This movie was actually kind of scary! Ethan Hawke is quietly becoming the king of modern horror. He has taken on vampires, purgers, and now an ancient creepy guy who eats children! The style and tone of this movie, while sadly humorless, actually provides a few intense moments and some of the best jump-scares that I've witnessed on film in quite a while. There is a little bit of overabundance of Hawke wandering around in the dark (doesn't this dude ever turn on a light!), but other than that, I can officially give this sucker a 'thumbs up'. Good times.
Then I watched Sinister. Holy slut farts! This movie was actually kind of scary! Ethan Hawke is quietly becoming the king of modern horror. He has taken on vampires, purgers, and now an ancient creepy guy who eats children! The style and tone of this movie, while sadly humorless, actually provides a few intense moments and some of the best jump-scares that I've witnessed on film in quite a while. There is a little bit of overabundance of Hawke wandering around in the dark (doesn't this dude ever turn on a light!), but other than that, I can officially give this sucker a 'thumbs up'. Good times.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
#85-87 World War Z, An American Werewolf in London, The Conjuring
World War Z is great if you love Brad Pitt and Zombies. If you can watch Brad Pitt make hard decisions for 2 hours while zombies are trying to kill him, this movie is for you. There really isn't anything else going on in it. It's also not a horror movie. It's an action movie, just like Arnold used to make in the 80s, except now the terrorists have been replaced with the undead.
American Werewolf in London is, simply put, great. The last 5 minutes of this movie are probably the best ever constructed for the horror/comedy genre. This flick toggles from sexy to scary to hilarious at such a rapid rate that sometimes it's hard to keep up.
The Conjuring is a lot better than I remember it being. I was much more engrossed in the style of it all this time around. The first half of the flick actually inspires terror, because it stays true to the source material and within the bound of what is actually possible when dealing with the supernatural. That makes it genuinely freaky. The end kind of pushes everything too far, but what-r-ya-gonna-do, it's a Hollywood movie, not a documentary.
American Werewolf in London is, simply put, great. The last 5 minutes of this movie are probably the best ever constructed for the horror/comedy genre. This flick toggles from sexy to scary to hilarious at such a rapid rate that sometimes it's hard to keep up.
The Conjuring is a lot better than I remember it being. I was much more engrossed in the style of it all this time around. The first half of the flick actually inspires terror, because it stays true to the source material and within the bound of what is actually possible when dealing with the supernatural. That makes it genuinely freaky. The end kind of pushes everything too far, but what-r-ya-gonna-do, it's a Hollywood movie, not a documentary.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
#83 Buffy the Vampire Slayer and #84 Trick 'R Treat
Before there was Avengers and Ultron or even Dollhouse, there was Buffy. And before there was the groundbreaking television show about Buffy, there was this cheesy movie. Joss Whedon has said that this flick didn't turn out as he'd hoped, but it is still fairly good. Rutger Hauer (Hobo with a Shotgun) and Paul Rubens (Pee-Wee Herman) tooling around together as a couple of powerful but silly vampires is reason enough to watch for me. Throw in Oscar winner Hillary Swank (The Next Karate Kid) doing her best valley girl impression, and that guy from Office Space (Trailer Park Boys) as the principal and we've got ourselves a movie!
Trick R Treat pretty much gets better every time I see it. The interweaving stories cover most of the ground that you want explored in a good Halloween yarn. And they do it in, like, an hour and twenty minutes. That sounds like success to me.
Trick R Treat pretty much gets better every time I see it. The interweaving stories cover most of the ground that you want explored in a good Halloween yarn. And they do it in, like, an hour and twenty minutes. That sounds like success to me.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
#82 It
Another sweet Stephen King adaptation. This one would probably be my favorite if it didn't kind of peeter out in the last 10 minutes. After 3 hours of awesome, this one just ends with a spider. But along the way we get some of the best page to screen transformation that King's horror work has ever had. The nostalgia factor is high, the stars are all television regulars. Then there's Tim Curry's Pennywise the Dancing Clown. This image still haunts a generation of horror fans.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
#81 Mr. Boogedy
Bud Bundy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the guy in the group who kills himself instead of going back to fight It, and a couple of other people take on a ghost in a cloak in this made for The Wonderful World of Disney classic from the 80s. It's pure kid Halloween fun and gives me all the nostalgic feels. The only way to get it is a bootleg copy that comes complete with tracking problems and the counter from the VCR in the corner of the screen. Fabulous! So, good, for real.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
#80 Cottage Country
Wow. Here's another recommendation that paid off. It's a dark little tale about how not to try and cover up a murder. I thought that this flick might run out of steam after the initial violence, but it actually gets into some super dark territory as it explores human nature's overwhelming compulsion for self preservation. It also has some wicked commentary on family life and relationships. Gotta love those Canadians.
#79 Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet
Caught the first 20 minutes of this flick on HBO last night (free HBO, by the way). I was totally not planning on watching it, but that 20 minutes included a kid killing her mother, a mental institution rape that causes a mental institution baby, who dies, causing a mental institution massacre. Then I turned it off and went to bed.
In the spirit of the marathon, I found it on HBO go, because we never leave a movie behind. So I put it back on and ran straight into 20 minutes of crass teenager banter that passed for 'character development'. That and some of the cinematography are the only real complaints I have about this flick. Sometimes, I think budgetary reasons constricted any real 'shooting style' to 'moving the camera kind of fast'.
Other than that, this one's a keeper. It is everything that one could ask for out of a modern low budget horror flick. The cast is fairly universally solid and very pretty. They are also down to do whatever the script asks of them, which sometimes is a lot. This flick is drenched in blood, boobs, ghosts, killers, entrails, and just enough of me giving a crap about the foolish teens and their guide (the graveyard groundskeeper) to keep watching. It delivers more than most of these flicks, for sure. I mean, when your main killer is a naked ghost chick, you're doing something right.
In the spirit of the marathon, I found it on HBO go, because we never leave a movie behind. So I put it back on and ran straight into 20 minutes of crass teenager banter that passed for 'character development'. That and some of the cinematography are the only real complaints I have about this flick. Sometimes, I think budgetary reasons constricted any real 'shooting style' to 'moving the camera kind of fast'.
Other than that, this one's a keeper. It is everything that one could ask for out of a modern low budget horror flick. The cast is fairly universally solid and very pretty. They are also down to do whatever the script asks of them, which sometimes is a lot. This flick is drenched in blood, boobs, ghosts, killers, entrails, and just enough of me giving a crap about the foolish teens and their guide (the graveyard groundskeeper) to keep watching. It delivers more than most of these flicks, for sure. I mean, when your main killer is a naked ghost chick, you're doing something right.
#78 Evil Dead II
If you haven't seen Evil Dead II or read my thoughts on it in the past, then you probably have no interest in reading about it now. How come none of these movies make a damn lick of sense compared to the other ones? I mean, Army of Darkness is a direct sequel to this flick and it doesn't even make sense in the continuity. And supposedly this is a sequel to the first one, or so says the tagline. But it doesn't make sense either. What up wit dat? I don't know, they're still awesome.
Monday, October 20, 2014
#77 Treehouse of Horror XXV
It seems to me that the in the past few years, The Simpsons have regained their relevance. When the show started, it was a phenomenon. Then, for a while, it was just kind of there. They still had the ratings to continue, nobody died off (until recently), and the cast and crew took a pay cut at one point to keep the show from petering out. But now, as the show closes in on its 30th season of social commentary, all involved seem to be quite aware of the show's growing cultural significance. This has seemed to affect their rededication to producing quality work. This season's opener, the long awaited Family Guy crossover, was riddled with self-awareness, which kind of made it more relevant.
The landmark 25th ToH is no different. In one of the classic ToH episodes, they brilliantly lampooned Kubrick's The Shining. Now, two decades later, there is a Clockwork Orange spoof that goes off on a tangent wherein almost every other Kubrick film of note gets a nod.
Likewise, the final story talks about the possibility of other incarnations of the Simpsons that may occur in the future. Why not, it has happened to the Looney Tunes, Garfield, even the Ninja Turtles. The difference is that the Simpsons have always been controlled and created by a few core people and have never changed formats. Hell, they haven't even changed days of the week in the 2000s.
Basically, what they are starting to imply, and it is totally true, is that the relevance of the Simpsons is the highlighting of relevance in its topics. If you haven't guest starred on, been referenced or made fun of by the Simpsons, your contribution to the last 26 years on earth isn't that significant.
The landmark 25th ToH is no different. In one of the classic ToH episodes, they brilliantly lampooned Kubrick's The Shining. Now, two decades later, there is a Clockwork Orange spoof that goes off on a tangent wherein almost every other Kubrick film of note gets a nod.
Likewise, the final story talks about the possibility of other incarnations of the Simpsons that may occur in the future. Why not, it has happened to the Looney Tunes, Garfield, even the Ninja Turtles. The difference is that the Simpsons have always been controlled and created by a few core people and have never changed formats. Hell, they haven't even changed days of the week in the 2000s.
Basically, what they are starting to imply, and it is totally true, is that the relevance of the Simpsons is the highlighting of relevance in its topics. If you haven't guest starred on, been referenced or made fun of by the Simpsons, your contribution to the last 26 years on earth isn't that significant.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
#s 73-76: Monster Squad, Jason X, Fat Albert and Ichabod!
Got Monster Squad out of the way. I love this flick because it is one of a rash of 80s horror that was simultaneously geared towards kids and also inappropriate for them. The Gate is another one that comes to mind. Monster Squad has thrills, chills, action, comedy, and, of course, the Wolfman gets kicked in the nards. It's way better than Van Helsing.
On the 13th we, appropriately watched (technically) a Friday the 13th movie. Jason X is kind of removed from the original series, occurring away from Crystal Lake, after Jason Goes to Hell and not actually being called Friday the 13th, but it actually totally does the series (and the character) justice in ways that a few of the other ones don't. My favorite aspect of this installment is that the fornicating idiots are literally what bring Jason back from the dead.
After that, we watched the Fat Albert Halloween Special (found in its entirety on Youtube). I'd never seen it before. It plays like a really good episode of Scooby Doo. It has less mystery and more hijinks. Totally dug it and I could tell that Witter was having a nostalgic moment.
Then I got to have MY nostalgic moment. The 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' segment of the Disney film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is my favorite Halloween movie of all time; which, if you are keeping score, would put it high in the running for my favorite movie of all time. In terms of movies that I have watched the most times in my life, it is probably getting to be right up there with Robocop, Clerks, and Tombstone. Suggesting that we watch any of these flicks is a fine way to ensure that I will hang out with you for an evening.
On the 13th we, appropriately watched (technically) a Friday the 13th movie. Jason X is kind of removed from the original series, occurring away from Crystal Lake, after Jason Goes to Hell and not actually being called Friday the 13th, but it actually totally does the series (and the character) justice in ways that a few of the other ones don't. My favorite aspect of this installment is that the fornicating idiots are literally what bring Jason back from the dead.
After that, we watched the Fat Albert Halloween Special (found in its entirety on Youtube). I'd never seen it before. It plays like a really good episode of Scooby Doo. It has less mystery and more hijinks. Totally dug it and I could tell that Witter was having a nostalgic moment.
Then I got to have MY nostalgic moment. The 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' segment of the Disney film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is my favorite Halloween movie of all time; which, if you are keeping score, would put it high in the running for my favorite movie of all time. In terms of movies that I have watched the most times in my life, it is probably getting to be right up there with Robocop, Clerks, and Tombstone. Suggesting that we watch any of these flicks is a fine way to ensure that I will hang out with you for an evening.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
#63-72 American Horror Story: Coven & Specials Galore!
So this week I got closer to being caught up to the average of a horror movie a day. A lot of this was thanks to Mandy, who decided to watch American Horror Story with me and applied her binge watching nature to the whole affair. So I broke it up into two episode entries on the list.
This season of American Horror Story is, for obvious reasons, the most female driven. Anyone who thinks that there aren't enough good roles for ladies should look into this, because there are about a dozen award-worthy performances in this season of exceptionally written female characters. Kathy Bates tops the list, as she usually does, as the immortal racist slave of the coven's house. This woman will do anything for her art! I think I can say with some certainty that she is my favorite female actor of all time. Her ability to find quirky, challenging roles and then throw herself into them so completely that it is (literally, sometimes) scary makes me want to cry with joy. Every moment of her bigoted, ignorant, murderous character's journey is 100% believable, even when she is only a severed head who is still too proud to watch Roots.
And that is a perfect image to sum up this season. In a lot of ways it is far more linear and straightforward than the previous seasons (its general plot is almost right out of a tween book series), but the magic is in the individual moments and the power struggle between the characters. It has its moments of total schmaltz, but that is forgivable because they are usually directly followed by moments of extreme violence.
Other than that, I've peppered in some of the old classic specials to pad my below average movie watching. The most notable are Disney's "Dance of the Skeletons" and the Fantasia Segment for "Night on Bald Mountain." The Fantasia piece is possibly the most frightening bit of animation that Disney ever produced, right next to the tripping scene from Dumbo.
I also watched the old standbys from the Peanuts, Fat Albert and Garfield. I love all of these and have posted about them before. Finally, I watched the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror VI which is, in my opinion, the last of the classic ToHs, ending with Homer being literally dumped into the real world (if there is such a place).
63. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 1&2 (10/7)
64. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 3&4 (10/8)
65. Disney's The Dance of the Skeletons and (Fantasia Segment) Night on Bald Mountain (10/9)
66. Peanuts Halloween Special (10/9)
67. Garfield's Halloween Adventure (10/9)
68. Simpson's Treehouse of Horror VI (10/9)
69. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 5&6 (10/10)
70. American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 7&8 (10/10)
71. AHS: Coven Episodes 9&10 (10/10)
72. AHS: Coven Episodes 11-13 (10/11)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
#62 Willow Creek
Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee I wish that someone would remake 'The Blair Witch Project', only make it about Bigfoot instead of witches. And I also wish that that someone was Bobcat Goldthwait"?
Well, you wish has come true! Willow Creek is, you guessed it, a found footage movie about a couple o' twenty-somethings heading out to the town where the infamous Bigfoot footage was shot. Of course, they encounter tons of backwoods weirdos before isolating themselves in the forest.
I may seem like I'm making fun here, but Willow Creek is actually pretty sweet. Goldthwait's dialogue is snappy enough and the couple is likable enough, and the promise of Bigfoot (which may or may not be an empty promise) is intriguing enough that we stick around long enough to get to the massive single shot of the couple cowering in their tent. It's not a very long wait. The movie is only 80min and the climactic tent scene starts around minute 55. This sequence (which is about 15 minutes) is the high water mark of the flick. It is intense and engrossing. The capper of the movie, where they really get chased, is kind of just the icing on the delicious cake.
Well, you wish has come true! Willow Creek is, you guessed it, a found footage movie about a couple o' twenty-somethings heading out to the town where the infamous Bigfoot footage was shot. Of course, they encounter tons of backwoods weirdos before isolating themselves in the forest.
I may seem like I'm making fun here, but Willow Creek is actually pretty sweet. Goldthwait's dialogue is snappy enough and the couple is likable enough, and the promise of Bigfoot (which may or may not be an empty promise) is intriguing enough that we stick around long enough to get to the massive single shot of the couple cowering in their tent. It's not a very long wait. The movie is only 80min and the climactic tent scene starts around minute 55. This sequence (which is about 15 minutes) is the high water mark of the flick. It is intense and engrossing. The capper of the movie, where they really get chased, is kind of just the icing on the delicious cake.
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