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HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES VOL 1
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HOME - INTRO - REVIEWS - FEATURES - MYSPACE - BLOG - STAFF - CONTACT HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES VOL 1
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SALEM'S LOT
(1979) The first time I saw this movie (which was the video version) was actually the following day after I finished reading the novel. So my first feelings towards the movie was that it sucked. I thought that it had left too much out from the book. Plus I didn't care for the way they changed the character of Barlow from the human looking vampire in the book to the Nosferatu-type monster in the movie. But I recently watched it again, after picking up the DVD in the discount bin. Hell, even if it was a bad movie, it's only $10. So I sat down and re-watched it for the first time in about 15 years. Once again, it seems that I'm eating my words. The first thing that really hit me was just how atmospheric and really scary the film was. I don't remember seeing this when it first was broadcast, but it must of been pretty effective. There are several elements that not only have the startling shock value, but also gives out some intense feelings of terror. For example, when the little boy comes scratching at the window of his friend, as he's floating outside the window in a cloudy mist. Hooper does an excellent job filling the scenes with mood and atmosphere. It does not look like a made-for-TV movie. It is very well paced, not having a lot of boring dialog sequences that fill the more recent made-for-TV movies. As usual for the made-for-TV movies of that time, the film is packed with stars. David Soul is the main lead, after hanging up his TV-cop days, is actually pretty good as the writer coming back to his childhood town to face his fears of the local "haunted house", the Marsden house. James Mason once again plays an evil character with grace and elegance, but with that evil intensity under the surface. The cast is filled out with some great character actors, such as Elisha Cook as the local drunk. If you've seen this before and didn't care for it, I would suggest you re-watch it again. I have to admit, that it really did change my opinion of what I had originally thought of it. If you haven't seen it, I would strongly suggest picking up the DVD for your collection. Most places have it for around $10. You can't go wrong here.
SATAN'S
CHEERLEADERS
(1977) A group of cheerleaders get caught up with some Satanists that plan to use them for their sacrifice. John Ireland plays the sheriff (named B.L. Bubb) of a local town, who is actually the high priest of the local Satanic cult. His wife, the high priestess, is played by Yvonne DeCarlo, many years after her stint as Lily Munster. It seems that everybody in the little town is in the cult. The film seems to start off like your typical 70’s teeny-bopper movies, with the cheerleaders practicing on the beach, in between playing football with some of the guys (and beating them). Of course, this is when they’re not running off in the bushes with one of the guys. And surprisingly, their cheerleading coach redefines the word naïve. You have the local rivals show up to argue about turf and the upcoming game. When the rivals lose the game of chicken (not the car type) to decide to gets to use the beach, they decide to get revenge on the locals. They’re going to really get them this time out, and decide they’re going to…T-P their school! Man, it was pretty rough back in those days. But once on their way to the big game, their car breaks down. Lucky for them, the sleazy janitor from their school is driving by and picks them up. Of course, he also just happens to be part of the cult, and decides that they are going to ‘have some fun’. He takes them to their secret alter and tries to assault them, but things start to go wrong. Apparently Satan has other plans for one of the girls. I'm sure it's no co-incidence that the one girl who appears nude, gets to have the bigger role. John Carradine has a small role as a bum wandering around picking up cans. Once again, he’s only in two scenes, but makes the most out of them. I guess I’m just entertained by him because he is a great actor and has been in hundreds and hundreds of movies, or maybe I just like the old guy yapping his jaw. It's a shame he never got the recognition that he should of, but instead was playing tons of these bits parts in all of these low budget movies. Although it is still painful to see how his hands had become over the years. Even when being threatened to be given to Satan as a sacrifice, that 70’s carefree feeling is there. The people in this film are either as scary or frightening as the characters in your average Scooby Doo episode. This film definitely won’t make you lose any sleep (especially while you’re watching it), but there is a little entertainment value here. Not much, but a little. Just seeing the whole style of that time period is pretty funny. But it does make it hard for that to carry the whole movie. The movie was released in a no-frills DVD by VCI Entertainment. It does feature the trailer, which is pretty entertaining. But the quality of the print leaves a lot to be desired. Granted, with this type of film, why would anybody bother to re-master it. Being that it is kind of grainy, I guess it does add to the nostalgic feelings about the film. But none the less, it would of nice to of seen a better print.
SATAN’S
SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
(1973) Most of the made-for-TV movies from the early to mid 70’s were usually pretty good, some even being very good, that even hold up to recent viewings. That was not the case for this movie. I had picked up the DVD for $7, figuring how could I lose with that price. Well, the quality of the DVD wasn’t the greatest. It was grainy, and even had some red stripping through a couple of parts. But the worst part was the movie was simply just a bad movie. Franklin plays a young woman who enrolls in this girl’s school, after her sister kills herself, shortly after leaving the school and coming to see her. She enrolls under a different name, hoping to discover some reasoning behind her sister’s death. She doesn’t believe that it was a suicide. Once at the school, she does notice that there is something mysterious going on, but nobody will talk about it. They seemed to be very afraid of something. When it looks like one girl is about to give her some information, she is found dead. As it turns out, one of the teachers, the one that all the girls are in love with, is actually Satan. He plans to have a certain number of the girls sacrifice themselves for him, because in the past, some witches were burned at the stake for worshipping him. So after Franklin discovers the truth, she escapes from the burning school while some of the girls and Satan remain in the fire. End of movie. Pretty big let down, if you ask me.
SAVAGE WEEKEND
aka THE KILLER BEHIND THE MASK (1976) This film was never released until 1980. Once you watch it you’ll know why. Yes it is a very bad movie. But that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. There’s tons of nudity, and even more sleeze. The story is pretty simple. A few friends go to a weekend house in upstate New York for a couple of days. Add in a killer on the loose who’s wearing a rubber Halloween mask. Each death is done in some unusual and interesting ways. Definitely nothing new compared to today’s standards, but if you remember that this was made a couple of years before FRIDAY THE 13th and the slasher craze that followed. One of the main highlights is the cast. Way before his body-less days in the RE-ANIMATOR series, David Gale plays a hardworking, brute of a man, possibly a lumberjack, I’m not sure. Also playing damn near the same character that he played on the TV show NEWHART, is William Sanderson, this time without his two brothers Daryl and Daryl. It also stars Christopher Allport, James Doerr, Marilyn Hamiln, Kathleen Heaner, Devin Goldenberg and Jeffrey David Pomerantz. One of the best parts of the movie is during a ‘seduction’
sequence with Gale and one of his female co-stars. While in a barn, the girl starts
petting a cow. She then starts to caress the utter, then even stroking the nipples of the
cow. Just then Gale says, "Ever tasted it fresh?" You gotta love it. I expected
to see Jess Franco’s name somewhere in the credit but to no avail. SCARECROWS
(1988) This is a simple story of a robbery gone bad. After successfully robbing an army payroll, the thieves escape in a stolen plane, taking the pilot and his daughter as hostages. While flying away, one of the robbers dives out of the plane with all the money, releasing a grenade in the plane. But the other robbers get the little bomb out and land the plane to go after him and the money. But here’s where the real fun starts. They land in a wooded area, which seems to be filled with scarecrows. While the one tries to run with the money, his old companions are tracking him down. Meanwhile the scarecrows almost seem like they are alive . . . One of the cool things about this movie is the atmosphere. While the plot of the movie starts immediately when the it opens, the first 45 minutes is filled with some eerie and creepy shots of the woods and the scarecrows hanging on crosses. The makers of this film took the time to really try and scare the audience with the surroundings. Yes, there is some gore, which is done quite well. The makeup effects were done by Norman Cabrera, who had worked on such films as FRIGHT NIGHT 2, SUMMER SCHOOL, and had worked with Rick Baker on HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS. What surprised me is that with a talented effects guy, that they didn’t go overboard and make this film into an extreme gore flick. Instead, they stayed with the atmosphere and used the gore when the story really called for it. For that, I give them a lot of credit. Even more so since this was made back in the late 80’s when that was the way to make movies. Plus the design of the scarecrows are excellent. This cult classic, which seems to be a very hard video to find nowadays, basically went straight to video. If you missed this little gem back then, I strongly suggest you find yourself a copy. This is one of those films that you can watch over and over again and enjoy it every time. (1983) Back in the late 90’s, when Hong Kong films started to make their way into the American cult market (it would be a few more years before Hollywood took notice of the likes of Jackie Chan and John Woo), I had started to get into the action films coming from there. Of course, my main interests were still horror films. So when a horror film appeared from Hong Kong, I was all over it. And boy was I in for a surprise when I first came across some of these movies. For those who haven’t experienced any of the 80’s horror films from Hong Kong, be prepared. Make sure you have a pretty strong stomach. And remember, this particular film came out almost 25 years ago, before all the excess of what has become passé by today’s standards. Out of all the films that had come out during this time, I feel that SEEDING OF A GHOST was one of the best and still remains so today as well. The story is about a cab driver who goes to a black magic wizard to help get revenge for the people responsible for the death of his wife. He’s not sure who it was, but he wants them to pay dearly for it. As it turns out, there is very, very heavy price for it. As the wizard starts to cast his spells, the guilty ones start to suffer. From them coughing up worms and maggots, to one of them having his wife become possessed, it goes even more over the top, with an ending that you’re not likely to forget. This is not a film for the youngsters. The film features plenty of full frontal nudity and a rape sequence that is….a rape sequence. Do we need to say more than that? Didn’t think so. But if you can get past that, it’s a great little revenge story, though the “revenge” is a little different than you’re probably use to seeing. The Hong Kong horror films tended to be filled with their themes of black magic along with the white magic used to battle it. Some of it can be pretty hokey. But I’ve always enjoyed the mythology with the spells and rites to them. Another highlight of this film is the special effects. This was many, many years before CGI would start to come into play. Plus, with the budgets they were working with, it would be cost-effective. So there are a lot of practical makeup effects, along with some fun lighting and animated effects. How can you go wrong with a rubber corpse floating in the air, having sex with an animated lover? This disc was recently released by Celestial Pictures on a NTSC Region 3 disc, and it looks incredible. My VHS copy had come right from the laserdisc that I duped myself. Even the laserdisc didn’t looked this good. It was very dark and muddy. But this DVD print is crisp and clear. Even in the darker moments, the picture is still bright enough to see what’s going on. It had been a while since I had seen this movie, but watching this new DVD, it really was like watching it for the first time. So if you’re looking for something a little more over the top than what you would think from that era and from Hong Kong, then I would highly recommend you checking out this movie, but also finding this DVD. Granted, some of the effects are not going to be as detailed or smooth as some of the films today. But upon recently re-watching this film, I found it to be entertaining as ever, and still found some moments to still be pretty outrageous. So call up our buddies at Xploited Cinema and order this movie. Unlike the taxi driver in the film, you won’t regret your decision. (2004) Damn, do I feel old. Chucky has been around for 17 years??? Where does the time go. When I first heard of the story for SEED OF CHUCKY, I thought, "you have got to be kidding me?" Remember back when those NIGHTMARE sequels made Freddy into something that wasn't even remotely scary, but just a joke? Well, that is exactly where the Chucky movies have come to now. This isn't a horror movie. Oh, it does have the gore, and some of it done very nicely, but the movie itself about as scary as a wet paper bag. I don't think this was even meant to be scary. As I said, much like the later NIGHTMARE movies, this is just an expanded movie for everyone who loves the character of Chucky. Don't expect anything special here, folks. Just bad jokes and three dolls trying to fight to be the all-American dysfunctional family. Through most the movie, I was just sitting in amazement at what I was watching. Not only was I amazed that this actually played in the theaters, but that it was even giving the greenlight? What producer would sit back and say, "There's a scene where Chucky is jerking off? Great idea! Let's do it!" And what the hell is this whole story with a gender-confused offspring of Chucky and Tiffany? Suppose I got to give them credit for coming up with something different... But that being said, I do have to give credit for the effects crew of Tony Gardner for really bringing the dolls to life. They really have done a great job in making these characters become just that....real characters. That also has a lot to do with the people giving them their voices, namely Brad Dourif. The combination of them both really do an awesome job here. Plus, I also have to give credit to Jennifer Tilly for pulling no punches in making fun of herself. And of course, how can I not mention that John Waters plays a paparazzi out to get the dirt on Tilly. Waters is always fun to watch on the screen. Other than that, unless you're just looking for a very bizarre film, there's not much that I could recommend here. If you are a fan of the Chucky movies, then you'll not only enjoy this movie, but also all the extras that the DVD has. There's a behind-the-scenes featurette that goes through the whole series, and has comments from people both behind the cameras as well as in front of...including Chuck and Tiffany. The DVD also contains some deleted scenes, storyboard to final feature comparisons (which I always find interesting), audio commentary with writer/director Don Mancini and Tony Gardner. After enjoying BRIDE OF CHUCKY, which was quite a change from the previous films, it seems they have found their new direction to head off to. I hope they have fun there, because I don't think I'll be following them. THE SENTINEL (1977) THE SENTINEL is another greatly underrated film. While a lot of people look at the credits and immediately upon seeing John Carradine’s name, laugh and figure it’s garbage (including me at one time, long ago), this film is not only scary, it’s also very disturbing as well. Raines plays a model who is looking for an apartment of her own. Her boyfriend, Sarandon, wants to get married, but Raines wants her own place for right now. She finds an old building that has some very unique tenants, including an old blind priest who just sits and stars out the window. The movie has some great characters in it, such as Burgess Meredith, as one of her neighbors. Meredith is another one of those actors that while comes across as strange or eccentric, still has great evil, twisted side to him, which comes out wonderfully here. Other tenants include Beverly D’Angelo as a masturbating lesbian (yes, I wrote that correctly). The legendary Dick Smith did the special effects. Even though he now thinks that he went too far back then, the effects that he did are simply incredible. I would say the effects in this film has some of the best gore effects that he’s done. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that this film is filled with gore. It’s not. But when it does, it’s pretty damn gory. The director got some flack, just like Tod Browning did back in the 30’s, for using real life circus freaks to portray the citizens of hell. It does have a very unsettling effect, but I think that really does work for the film. To say that this is an all-star cast is an understatement. Even if you take the major cast, there are still quite a few familiar faces around. So if you haven’t seen this, or at least haven’t seen it recently, you really should give it a watching. As they say, "They don’t make them like this anymore." (2001) “Some people have been so conditioned now that horror should come at them very quick and fast, and with a Limp Bizkit soundtrack, that they just don’t have the patients for this kind of movie.” – Director Brad Anderson A Haz-Mat Removal team gets a job of cleaning out a huge, old building, but they only have a week to do it. The building just happens that it use to be a psychiatric hospital before it was closed down for different reasons, from budget cuts to lawsuits. It doesn’t take long for problems to start between the five workers. Is it just your basic personality differences, or is there some more there? Or is it just the building? It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie that really did give me the creeps. Some horror films may shock you, make you jump, or just gross you out. This film is different as where it brings about a great sense of dread to the viewer. It has tons of great atmosphere throughout the film. Yes, there are parts where you will jump, parts that will have you clenching the arms of your chairs. But that doesn’t have lasting feeling of dread that you will envelop you by the end of the movie, which will stay with you for days. While watching the film, you know there is something really dark going on, but you’re not really sure what it is. With each passing scene, the film darkens, building suspense. The setting for the film is the Danvers State Mental Hospital, which is located just north of Boston. The hospital is a real place. The events that are talked about in the movie are all based on real events that happened in that hospital, from some of the patients to one of the reasons that it was shut down in the early 80's. That makes it even eerier when you discover that. One of the best things the director did when filming this movie is let the setting of the Danvers Hospital set the mood throughout the movie. There’s long panning shots of dark and deserted hallways, old decrepit rooms filled with the remains of the people that were committed there. Great stuff. During the commentary, you learn that a lot of the set dressings were actually the way they found the place. There are only a minimum amount of characters, and they carry the whole film without a problem. You’re never really sure who to trust or believe, or if what you’re seeing is really happening, or just a dream or hallucination. The DVD comes with tons of extras. It has deleted scenes, along with an alternate ending. It has story to screen information, theatrical trailer, audio commentary by co-writer/director Brad Anderson and co-writer/actor Stephen Gevedon. There is also a featurette about the setting for the movie, the Danvers State Mental Hospital. I am amazed that this movie has crept it’s way out on DVD / VHS without as much as a sound. As much of a hysteria that crap Witch Project brought about a few years back, I would of thought that America was still interested in a great, moody and creepy horror movie. Apparently not. But in any case, if you want a film that will stay with you for days, one that will get to you the old fashion way, I highly recommend this film. It may not be for everyone, but anybody calling themselves a horror fan owe it to themselves to rent or buy this DVD for their collection. If you would like more information about this hospital, check out this website: http://www.danvers-state-ia.com (2006) Starring Toby Stephens, Claudie Blakley, Andy Nyman, Tim McInnerny, Laura Harris, Danny Dyer, David Gilliam, Babou Ceesay A group of office people are on their way to Turkey or some other foreign country in Europe, for a “Team-Building” weekend. This is one of those ideas that managers come up with to try and get their office workers working together for a common goal…the company’s. How shooting each other in paintball games exactly does that is beyond me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this company is a manufacturer of weapons? But none the less, they run into trouble on the way to the resort when they find a huge tree laying across the road. The bus driver refuses to take a ‘shortcut’, and leaves them on the side of the road. So they attempt to make the rest of their way to the company's resort on foot. Once they arrive at the 'resort', they start to wonder if they are at the right place. And then they discover that they are not alone out in the woods, it gets worse. Much worse. Each comes up with their own story of where they are at and the who the people that seemed to be stalking them are. But before they can discover the real truth, it may be too late. The dinner sequence with the pie is one of the best examples of showing how a scene can take a severe turn and take the story into a very dark place. It is something very simple, but also gives the viewer (not to mention the characters) plenty of thoughts and ideas as to what might going on. Nicely done. Being attack from these psychos, terrorist or whatever they are, these poor office workers are now running for their lives. Only to run into different deadly traps that have been set up. There are some scenes that could remind you of the new fad of ‘torture horror’. But none of these are taken to any extremes like some of the other films as of late. But also, with some of these scenes is where the humor comes from, only because of the absurdity of the situation. But intertwined perfectly between the horror and comedy is the serious drama that is happening to these people, that really holds this film together. This is the second film from director Smith, previously giving us the entertaining CREEP. And with this film, Smith does a very good job with the hard task of combining horror and comedy. The horror here comes from the crazy terrorists living in the woods and the comedy comes from the circumstances, not necessarily from “jokes”. This is where most horror/comedies can fail. Granted, it does help if you are a fan of British humor. This DVD release if a Region 2 PAL release, and is in 2.35:1 widescreen format. And this release is packed full of interesting extras. The audio commentary features director Smith, writer James Moran, production designer John Frankish, and actors Danny Dyer, Tim McInnerny, Babou Ceesay, and Andy Nyman. And it is damn fun to listen to. You get some interesting facts about the film, great and funny stories from everyone, and is just a good time. But the disc also has some outtakes and deleted scenes, a making of featurette, and much, much more. (2004) What with HOT FUZZ arriving on the Yankee shores this past weekend, it seemed like an ideal time to break out Edgar Wright’s crowd-pleasing zombie comedy romance (or zom-rom-com, as some pundits immediately dubbed it) and let the good and gory times roll. It’s official, zombies are a fruitful arena for horror/comedy, and Wright’s feature debut proudly earns its place alongside such luminaries as RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, ARMY OF DARKNESS, and Peter Jackson’s BRAINDEAD (aka DEAD-ALIVE). This is, quite simply, one of the best horror films – not to mention comedies – in years, as well as a winning tale of friendship and true love. Simultaneously sending up and celebrating not only George A. Romero’s zombie flicks but a host of other cinematic efforts, the film’s complete investment in the onscreen situation with nary a wink to the camera is its true triumph, elevating it beyond the sophomoric hi-jinks of SCARY MOVIE and its ilk. There is plenty of gore for the fans, sharp witty dialogue and wonderfully drawn characters fleshed out with gusto by the cast of loveable wackos. The hilarious relationships (what is up with Ed’s infatuation with Barbara?) are utterly believable and we so grow to love these characters that when they meet their unfortunate grisly ends, we truly feel a sense of loss – surely a rarity for a movie of this genre, especially one with such a high body count. When I saw SOTD in the cinema back in ’04, the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake had just come along (perfect timing, guys) and so the pseudo-homonymic (is that a word?) title gambit was fresh in everyone’s ears and eyes. But I was expecting something along the lines of a spoof, with the tropes of zombie film lore trotted out and skewered for our, ahem, amusement. Instead, what my popcorn-crunching compatriots and I got was a brilliant, witty, affectionate, raucous, clever and splatterific love letter to Romero’s flesh-chomping zombi-verse and the genre fans that had grown up loving it. I immediately went again the same week – accompanied by several fence-sitters who had had similar trepidations – and darned if it wasn’t even better the second time around, because Wright has jammed the picture with inside jokes flitting all around the perimeters of the frame. In short, it is a feast for the eyes, ears, and dare I say it, soul of horror fans everywhere. The plot of SOTD centers on its titular protagonist (played with skittish energy and aplomb by co-writer and longtime Wright friend, Simon Pegg), a semi-slacker in his late 20s whose life consists of muddling through his retail day job, playing video games with his pudgy hedonist pal Ed (Nick Frost) and hanging out at the pub with his increasingly frustrated girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). On the fringe are Liz’s friends Dianne and David (Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran), a not-so-happy couple who offer bouncy enthusiasm or withering commentary in equal doses. It’s a great central core of characters, and it is to Pegg and Wright’s credit that each are given their moment (or moments) of heroism, further endearing them to the viewers’ hearts. The supporting cast is no less brilliant, with Penelope Wilton as Shaun’s loopy mum Barbara, Peter Serafinowicz as Shaun’s priggish flatmate, and Bill Nighy in a priceless turn as Phil, the authoritarian stepdad from hell. One suspects that with this much talent before and behind the camera, this sitcom-ready scenario would be entertaining enough to sustain our attention for the film’s 104 minute running time. But why let twentysomething angst suffice when you can throw staggering hordes of the undead into the mix? (Why, indeed. Who doesn’t think that MUST LOVE DOGS couldn’t have been just that much better with a bit o’ the Bub? Who wouldn’t have welcomed a Savini biker cameo in THE NOTEBOOK? How can you call a flick SHE’S ALL THAT without having the heroine fend off a trowel-wielding tyke? Ah, but I digress…) When people in the London suburbs start falling over dead and rising up peckish for a wee bit o’ human noshies, the challenges of job security and romantic entanglements must take a back seat to surviving the onslaught…with the stage set for a grande bouffe of daring verbal byplay, physical chicanery and eye-popping, viscera-spraying zombie mayhem. When SOTD hit DVD in ’05, I introduced several more folks to the joys of London-accented flesh munching, but had never delved into the disc’s special features, so preoccupied was I with getting more and more people aboard the “SS Shaun.” But this week, I decided to take it out for a full tour, and well, I’m happy to report that as passionate as the film is towards the genre it pays homage to, Universal’s release itself packs just as much loving care into its bells and whistles. For any aficionados watching the movie (shot in 2.35.1 Anamorphic Widescreen – in homage to John Carpenter), it is immediately obvious that Wright and Pegg are huge fans of horror, with an endless stream of allusions to Romero’s “Dead” pictures alongside nods to genre flicks such as AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, ARMY OF DARKNESS, 28 DAYS LATER and many, many more. Some are overt, such as when Ed shouts “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!” to Shaun’s mum over the phone, or the DAWN OF THE DEAD opening and closing credits music cues; others are more obscure (such as the cough-and-you-miss it reference to crop trials, from LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE.) One can watch the film a dozen times and pick up something new on each viewing, and that’s without even going into the homages to non-genre films like EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE, THE DEER HUNTER, Sam Peckinpah’s STRAW DOGS or Guy Ritchie’s flashy crime thrillers. However, if you don’t have the time to watch the flick a dozen times (though if you don’t, you need to reassess your priorities anyway), Pegg and Wright point out the majority of these references in their hilariously geeky and enthusiastic commentary. Any that are not touched upon therein are illuminated in the “Zomb-o-Meter,” a Pop-Up Video-like subtitle function that points out numerous fun and frenzied facts as the film runs. (Who knew that Serafinowicz was the voice of Darth Maul in STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE? Not me.) The cast commentary with Pegg, Frost, Ashfield, Davis and Moran is slightly less enlightening and engaging, although there are a few choice moments such as when the actors trot out their best Bill Nighy impression. (By the way, the numerous references to Spaced allude to the English sitcom that Pegg, Frost and Wright collaborated on from 1999-2001.) These latter features are but the tip of the DVD treats smorgasbord that awaits eager fanboys (and fangirls, of course) in the Special Features Menu. We’ve got “Raw Meat,” which trots out Pegg’s video diary, audition tapes, special f/x comparisons, makeup tests, promo featurette, and an extraordinary segment with a pudgier Pegg and Wright showing off their “idea flip chart” for the film in 2001. The “Zombie Gallery” has a solid assortment of photos, poster designs and the SOTD 2000 A.D. comic strip, while “Missing Bits” has deleted scenes, extended versions, a hysterically misguided attempt to cut down on profanity by substituting “funk” for the f-word, and the glorious “The Man Who Would Be Shaun” segment, which has Frost and Pegg playing out a scene in their best Connery/Caine accents. (To be honest, Pegg’s is frighteningly convincing; watch your back, Michael.) Finally, as much of the info comes to the onscreen characters via the telly, the faux programs are also given their full moment in the spotlight in “TV Bits,” such as the Springer-like Trisha show and an interview with members of the rock group Coldplay for their upcoming concert, “Zomb-Aid.” In conclusion, if you don’t happen to be living in one of the select cities currently playing HOT FUZZ (damned limited release, grumble, grumble), draw a pint, grab a packet of Hog Lumps, and settle in with your friends from the Winchester; where the Queen (on the jukebox) is loud, the records are flying in the backyard and love and zombies conquer all. Cheers. Review by Aaron “Dr. AC” Christensen
SHOCK
(1977) Released here in the states as BEYOND THE DOOR 2, to capitalize on the success of BEYOND THE DOOR (the original title for this Italian film is THE DEVIL WITHIN HER), but really has nothing to do with it. The only other connections to it besides the title is David Colin Jr., who plays the little boy in both films, but are different characters. THE DEVIL WITHIN HER does seem to be of made to jump on the EXORCIST bandwagon, with Juliet Mills spitting out green vomit and her head spinning around 360 degrees. But people going to see SHOCK, under the title BEYOND THE DOOR 2, expecting another demonic possession story are going to be disappointed in that regard. The main plot is about a woman (Daria Nicolodi) arrives at her old house with her young son and her new husband. We learn that her first husband, the boy’s father, had been a heavy drug user and had committed suicide and that she had a nervous breakdown and spent some time in a loony bin. Soon after moving back in, her son starts acting strange, with severe mood swings, sick practical jokes and even talking to ‘someone’ who isn’t there (hint, hint). Is the boy becoming possessed by his dead father, or is the mother just slowly losing her mind again. Whether or not Mario Bava completely directed this film, or was done more by his son Lamberto, either way, they handle it quite well. From the opening shots with the unmistakable Italian music, to certain ‘shock’ sequences, it looks like at least Mario Bava had something to do with it and shows us once again just how talented he was. Unfortunately, the film seems to take a little too long to really get going. But, if you can make it through the first 30-45 minutes, the rest is well worth it. While Nicolodi does a great job (as usual), the rest of the cast is pretty lame, especially the young David Colin Jr., who is the one that you’ll be wishing would be dead. Must be something about little kids in Italian horror films. They always seemed to be quite annoying.
(1977) After years of being a very sought after pre-record, this 1977 film about underwater Nazi zombies rises from it’s watery grave of out-of-print videos to finally surface on DVD. While it had been released on DVD in the UK, over here in the states, Blue Underground’s print is much improved on that version. While there still is a little bit of grain, when compared to the UK print, the different is like night and day. Although, one would of expected a little bit better quality of a print, since according to the box it had been “transferred from the director’s own vault print and digitally restored for this premiere DVD release!” Plus another benefit of this newest version is that it has some extras. Such as an interview with one of the stars (Luke Halpin), trailers, TV and radio spots, and a great gallery of posters, stills, and production art gallery. It also contains an audio commentary by the director Ken Wiederhorn, makeup artist Alan Ormsby, and Fred Olen Ray, who was the still photographer and basically a gopher on the film. The commentary is really good for the most part. It seems that Ray remembers the most about the film, even more than the Wiederhorn. I’m sure that might have something to do with the fact that Wiederhorn doesn’t really seem to care much for the film. Makes you wonder why he would want to even do the commentary if he didn’t like it. But nonetheless, there is a lot of great stories and some cool information you can learn from them talking. They talk about the difference working with Carradine and Cushing, the problems with dealing with the makeup underwater, and many other topics. But enough about the disc, how about the movie? Well, if you haven’t seen this film, simply go out and buy it. How’s that? Over the years, this has become one of my personal favorites. How could you go wrong with underwater Nazi zombies? As crazy as that might sound, this is one great movie. You also have two great genre actors here: John Carradine as the cantankerous old ship captain, and Peter Cushing, as the old German commander who was in charge of the experimental Death Corps. The Nazi zombies rises from the watery depths is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, which is accompanied by an excellent musical score. I’d love to see come out on cd. The music is very simple, but also very effective in handling the mood and atmosphere. The basic plot is about a group of people getting stranded on a desert island when the boat they have chartered has some engine problems. But they are not alone on the island, as they soon find out. Not only is the old commander there, but also his Death Corps are still alive in the water, waiting for their next victims. This is one of those films that really are an essential title for their collection. And now that it is available for only $20, why bother putting it off. Don’t wait until the DVD goes out of print, like the video did. Then you’ll force to go back to forking over $30-$40 on ebay for one. Get them while you can! VINCENT PRICE: THE SINISTER IMAGE "I think it's a saving grace for anybody who has to play villains is to have a sense of humor about himself." It’s kind of tough for me to write the review for this DVD. I really should just simply write: Buy this DVD! But I don’t think that really explains my point of view, does it? Since I am a huge fan of Vincent Price, to be able to watch an hour long talk with him, not about his whole movie career, but mainly his work in the horror genre, is a wonderful thing. This interview was shot in 1987 for a proposed show that would deal with different people in the horror genre, hence the title. But for some reason it never took off. Film historian David Del Valle conducts the interview, covering many aspects of his career, buy mainly stays to his work in the horror genre. One of the best things about this interview is that you get to see how Price feels about his work. Price speaks of working with many different people throughout his career, such as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Roger Corman, Michael Reeves, and many more. Price shows that he was never one to pass up the chance to make fun of himself many times on many different television shows, like Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, or Red Skeleton. Price never took it seriously, which is why I enjoy him so much. Like fellow horror stars Karloff and Cushing, he was proud of the work he did. But besides the 62-minute interview, there is also a 42-minute radio interview that Price did with De Valle in 1988. In this interview, Price talks more about his career in general, then concentrating on the horror stuff. But none the less, it’s still very interesting to hear it. Also on the disc are even a few more features. It features a 1/2 hour episode from a 1958 anthology TV show called HALF HOUR TO KILL, in which Price is the host, as also stars in the show. As well as episode of SHINDIG! from 1965, featuring THE WILD WEIRD WORLD OF DR. GOLDFOOT, also featuring Price, as well as Tommy Kirk. There is even a radio drama show from 1958 featuring Price, called ESCAPE: THREE SKELETON KEY. And to finish off this great disc is a picture gallery of over 200 rare and never-published stills of Vincent Price from David Del Valle's personal collection. This DVD was put out by All Day Entertainment, with a SRP of $24.99. Once again, if you are even the slightest fan of Price or the horror genre, you owe it to yourself to own this DVD. Vincent Price is one of those rare actors that should never be forgotten. And because of his movies, and DVDs like this one, he won't. SISTERS
(1973) This is the strange story of Danielle, who was separated from her Siamese twin sister Dominique. After a reporter witnesses a brutal murder next door, she calls the police on the sisters. But when the police can find no evidence, they don't believe her. So she continues her investigation on her own. In this film, De Palma uses the split screen technique to show multiple point of views at the same time. Such as during the murder, you see the killer reaching for the window, as well as the view from outside the window looking in. Very interesting technique. With a lot of inspirations from Hitchcock, De Palma makes a very interesting and entertaining film. This DVD has a new 16x9 enhanced digital transfer, with the sound being remastered from the 35mm optical soundtrack. It's presented in it's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The quality of the film is amazingly clear and sharp. The extra features include the essay De Palma wrote in 1973 for the Village Voice about working with composer Bernard Herrmann for the score for SISTERS (which is hilarious), a print interview with De Palma on the making of the film from 1973, excerpts from the original pressbook, including ads, plus hundreds of production, publicity, and behind-the-scene stills. THE
SLAYER (1982) Two couples arrive on an island for some R&R. One of the women has been having some nightmares and didn’t really want to come to this island. As it turns out, something is stalking them. Is it just her nightmares, or is it something from her nightmares? This is a very low budget film that I was not expecting to be much of anything. But instead, the film does build up some great atmosphere, along with a few interesting deaths. Don’t be looking for tons of gore here, folks. But there are a couple of scenes that are pretty interesting. While the creature is kept hidden throughout most of the entire movie, when you do get to see it at the end, it is very effective. Great makeup job, but it’s a shame you didn’t get to see it more (then again, if that was the case, it might of lost some of it’s effectiveness). While this movie might not be the easiest to find, if given the opportunity, you should check it out. It’s worth the 90 minutes. SLEEPLESS
aka NON HO SONNO (2001) As everybody seems to being saying, Argento is back. After his last three movies not seeming to have the style and flair of his previous work, he comes back with full force on his latest. He has gone back to the basics, to his beginning, to the giallo. Once again, there is a killer on the loose; with a retired policeman trying to solve the case that he thought he solved 17 years earlier. The film opens in 1983, with the police investigating another serial murder. Max von Sydow plays the man in charge of the investigation, talking to the young boy, who has just partially witnessed his mother being murdered. We then jump to the presence day, with the killings starting again, in the same style as the original, except the police had thought they had solved that crime. The opening sequence, filmed mostly on a moving train, had me flashing back to the days of DEEP RED and TENEBRAE. Not only is the style there, but there’s plenty of suspense and tension. The killer is stalking a hooker who discovered a little bit more about her client than she wanted. As she’s running through the train looking for help, the camera is right behind her in a flurry of excellent camera work. The stuff Argento is known for. The acting from the major cast for the most part is adequate. Some of the acting isn’t too great, but it didn’t bother me that much. But then you also have the legendary Max von Sydow in the lead role, in which he is incredible. I’m still amazed that he had gotten involved in the film, especially after the lack of success of Argento’s previous films. Also back this time is the band Goblin supplying the soundtrack. And once again, the music works perfectly with the film. I had picked up the soundtrack months before I had gotten the movie, and already had loved the music. I had hoped the same for the movie, and was not let down. If you were ever a fan of Argento, you owe it to yourself to see this movie. If you are a new fan, then you definitely need to see this movie. This one is highly recommended. The twisted nursery rhyme that is used in the film, in which the killer is following was actually written by Argento's daughter Asia. (2006) James Gunn set out to make a monster film like the ones that he grew up on in the 80's. And he did just that. We originally caught it in the theater and loved it. So we were very excited to add this DVD to our ever growing collection. The story is pretty simple. It starts when an alien meteor lands in the woods in a small southern town. This needle-like alien quickly invades the body of Michael Rooker, who happens to be stumbling through the woods that night. The transformation is slow, but not so subtle. He starts stockpiling large quantities of meat in his basement. His wife, played by Elizabeth Banks, sees this change, but is told by her husband that it is just from a little "bug bite". But like all good alien invasion movies, the transformation goes much farther, and he gets much, much worse. This is when the fans of 80's monsters will have a great time. Each time we see Rooker's character he becomes something more outrageous. It's been a long time since we seen a creature like the one he eventually turns into. And then, of course, you add in the little slugs for some really creepy moments. This movie also shows just how much of a fan James Gunn is of 80's horror. This movie couldn't have been made by someone who was not a big fan. There's too many "nods" to the genre. Just look at all the characters names, and see if you can recognize them from different horror movies. For instance, the major, Jack McCready, is named after Kurt Russell's character in THE THING. And then you will see other names throughout the film, on different shops and stores. A nice and simple nod to the genre. It's kind of fun to watch it looking for them as well. If you are a fan of the gooey monster movies of the 80's, back with they used a lot of rubber effects and blood, then you will enjoy this one. There is a bunch of CGI effects, but they are used very effectively in combination with the real live effects. It was so nice to see big rubber monster movie coming out from a major studio in 2006. But unfortunately, not to many people went to see it in the theater. And the real shame is that since it didn't do that well, that is showing Hollywood that nobody wants to see big rubber monster movies. Oh, how they are so wrong. This movie is another great example where horror and humor can be blending together really well. It almost makes it look too easy, but we know from many past movies, that it apparently tougher than it looks. The characters are developed well, and are very likeable, even the more annoying ones. Gregg Henry plays the mayor the local town and is damn funny. But the real standout here is poor Michael Ripper. That poor bastard had to go through so much prosthetic effects that there many times where he basically was trapped inside this monster. What a trooper. The DVD is filled with extras. The first is the audio commentary with director James Gunn and actor Nathan Fillion. And once again, it's pretty funny. Just like most of the other extras. There are deleted and extended scenes (with optional commentary by Gunn), a few behind-the-scenes featurettes, gag reel and much more. So make sure you go out and buy this DVD, to show your support to this type of movie. So maybe Hollywood understands that we do want these kinds of movies.
SLITHIS
(1978) This is definitely a poor-man’s CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Due to some sort of chemical leak from a local nuclear plant, a new life form has evolved over the years. Basically a type of radioactive mud, it kind of looks like an overweight gill-man from CREATURE. After gets done cleaning the lake of all the fish, it goes on land to look for new food, starting with dogs, but then moving on to humans. But it really doesn’t look that bad, especially for what the budget was probably at. Plus, they really don’t show that much of the creature, until mainly the end. Even then, it’s done with quick cuts, not trying to let us dwell on the rubber suit. There are a few moments of gore, mainly the remains of some dogs and the first humans that it kills. But mainly the gore consists of blood, on the victims and the monster. For me, other than the monster suit, the biggest entertainment I got out of the movie was the dialog and the clothing of the time. It’s so obvious of the time period when the film was made. For me that really gives the film more enjoyment now than if I would have watched it when it originally came out. But for the time, and probably for the budget, the film does come across pretty well. Granted the acting is very amateurish, and monster suit is obvious a big rubber suit, and the dialog is great. So if you’re going into this film with the expectations of a fun and cheesy film, I’m sure you’ll come away being entertained. If you’re expecting some lost classic…well keep looking. (2001) After coming across Dr. Cyclops’ “three eyeball” rating for this back in Fangoria #246 (Sept, 2005), I decided to toss it in the Netflix queue…then forgot about it until it showed up on my doorstep last week. I didn’t know anything about it, and it would be nice to offer the same experience to all you good folks reading this. But it’s extremely difficult to review a film without saying something, so let me just say this: Stop reading right now and go see this flick. Seriously. Go rent/buy this movie. Come back when you’ve seen it. Go ahead. We’ll wait… (pause, whistle, looks at watch) 74 minutes later… Okay, you back? Awesome, wasn’t it? I mean, really, wasn’t that awesome? However, since I’m guessing most of you didn’t follow my suggestion, I’ll get on with the review proper. But the truth of the matter is, there isn’t really much to tell. Writer/director/editor/sound designer J.T. Petty made this pic when he was a film student at NYU in 1998 and its total budget amounted to all of $6,000. However, as we’ve said time and time again here at the Krypt, it’s not how much you have – it’s what you do with it. Here’s the plot: Old man Virgil (Edmond Mercier) lives out in the middle of rural nowhere. Life is simple, quiet, mundane. A boiled egg and a cup of coffee for breakfast, with no need to even change out of his long underwear most days. No visitors except the papergirl on her bike. No company except that of his kitty cat. One morning, said meow-meow runs off into the nearby woods. While looking for the feline, Virgil comes upon what seems to be the murder of a young girl. But when he runs home and calls the police, they turn up no sign of her or of any crime. Later that night, and in the nights to follow, Virgil begins to have increasingly disturbing dreams of the slain child. And she seems to be telling him something… All right, that’s enough for now, because the story itself is the least impressive aspect of the enterprise. What makes this film worth checking out is the fact that so much tension and atmosphere is created with so little. For instance, for the first hour of this hour-and-fifteen minute feature, there is one, count it, one word of dialogue. The grand total of spoken lines is probably five or less. (Petty must have heard one of his NYU professors tell him that “film is a visual medium” at some point and took it to heart.) In the place of blathery chitchat, he inserts the clinks and clanks of everyday life underscored by the most haunting version of “The Little Drummer Boy” one is likely to hear. But rather than a pretentious experiment, as some online detractors have claimed, this is a daring, deliberate and disturbing tale that unfolds with ease and confidence. One quirky and effective technique is the inclusion of chapter titles, akin to a silent movie (which this very nearly is), setting each respective scene to come with cold and chilling matter-of-factness. Is Virgil crazy? Did he really witness a murder? What is happening to him? He doggedly searches for answers, munching away on his Christmas candy cane reindeers and chocolate Santa figures as he goes. He boils his egg, he drinks his coffee, he spikes his egg nog…and continues to dream of the little girl. There’s no way this could have ever come out of Hollywood, and one imagines the suits watching this in the screening room, saying, “But…but…nothing’s happening.” Aha, but something is happening, and I’ll wager that any horror fan with the patience for a little slow burn horror will find themselves on the edge of their seat, wondering what the hell is going to happen next. And what ultimately does occur is not what anyone would imagine. Has Petty reinvented horror? Hardly. There is plenty of EVIL DEAD “Raimi-cam” in the scenes moving through the woods, as well as the jerky shudder-editing that first reared its head in JACOB’S LADDER. But he has retained the courage of his convictions, many of which were born out of financial necessity, and has created a refreshing alternative to the current crop of CGI extravaganzas and slippery gorefests. On the DVD commentary track (the disc’s sole extra), he is joined by producer Jeff Odell and cinematographer Patrick McGraw and the trio spin their low-budget tales of woe and triumph, laughing and joshing each other all the way. Yet, it is here, and only here, that the low budget constraints become a detriment, because this is by far the worst job of commentary recording I’ve ever heard. Truly, each of them sounds like they’re on a different microphone, one worse than the next. Buzzing and humming persist throughout, turning what should be an enlightening conversation into a test of the viewer’s endurance and patience. The three seem oblivious to the technical difficulties, but there’s no way that they could have been happy with the way things turned out. Vanguard Video should have required a second take, because this is really unacceptable. To make matters worse, instead of lead actor Mercier’s name on the DVD cover art, it is instead his character’s name of Virgil Manoven. For shame, Vanguard. The man almost single-handedly carries the film and you can’t get his name right? That’s two big, big strikes which smack of carelessness and apathy, not the best ingredients to have on the menu. These minor quibbles aside, this is an underground release that deserves to be unearthed. Petty has since gone on to, if not necessarily better, at least better paying gigs such as directing 2003’s straight-to-video MIMIC: SENTINEL and writing for video games such as “Splinter Cell” and “Batman Begins.” Here’s hoping he gets out from behind the joystick and returns to the camera again sooner than not. Review by Aaron “Dr. AC” Christensen (1968) I remember this film from back in the days of trading VHS days with other collectors, searching for this title for years. When I was finally score a copy of this, the quality so poor, that you could hardly watch it. But back before the days of DVDs, we were still happy to even that. SPIDER BABY really defines a “cult film”. Not too many people had seen it before, especially on its initial release back in the 60’s. Since the film’s backers went into bankruptcy right after the film was finished, it was held up with the rest of their property. But slowly its cult status would start to grow. Then a few years ago, when laserdiscs were still around, a special edition release came out, featuring the re-mastered print, taken right from the original negative from director Jack Hill. When the first DVD release came out, it was a bare-bones release of the film. And now, Dark Sky Films is giving this film the treatment that it has deserved for years. Now fans can not only have the chance to see this film, but also learn why it’s a cult classic. Transferred and restored in high definition from the original 35mm negative, this is the director’s cut of the film. This release features a wonderful brand new featurette about the making of SPIDER BABY that pretty much features all the remaining cast and crew, discussing the making of the movie, working with Hill, Lon Chaney Jr. and Carol Ohmart, and much more. This featurette really shows that just because some of these movies were low budget quick flicks, that didn’t mean that there were some truly talented people working to put out the best thing they could. SPIDER BABY is about a family that is afflicted with a disease that causing the adults to regress mentally as they get older. Lon Chaney Jr. plays Bruno, the chauffeur and caretaker of the remaining children: Ralph (Sid Haig), Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn), and Virginia (Jill Banner). But it just happens that a distant relative is coming to take ownership of the house and property, and really doesn’t care about the children. This film is very unique. At first glance, it’s pretty much a comedy, though a very dark one. But when you really watch it, there are many strong horror elements here. Even some points it’s almost a tragedy, since these children are mentally disturbed, rather than evil. I think the one thing that sets this film much higher than some of its fellow low budget films is the actors. The performances here are simply incredible. Lon Chaney Jr., who was having severe alcohol problems, stayed on the wagon for the duration of the shoot. And I think in this film, he gives one of his best performances of his career. The speech he gives at the end of the film is one memorable scene. Adding to that are the “children”, played by Beverly Washburn, Sid Haig, and newcomer Jill Banner. Each one nails their character to the degree that they seem like small children. Even their mannerisms give off that perception. But on the same token, when the theme turns darker, they become scary. But even at that point, it still is coming from innocence, rather than psychotic. Direct Jack Hill was no stranger to low budget filmmaking in the 60’s. He worked with Roger Corman, shooting additional footage for some films, and working on his own films as well. In the 70’s, he made quite a few films in the exploitation genre, like COFFY and SWITCHBLADE SISTERS. He also made a few films in the Philippines. No matter what genre he was working in, his films were always entertaining and a great time. And SPIDER BABY is my personal favorite of his work. This new disc comes with an all new audio commentary that features both Jack Hill and Sid Haig. We do get some of the same info that was on the commentary for the first laserdisc release. But the information is both important and entertaining. But there is also much more info, and hearing Hill and Haig talking together is also entertaining and informative. There is also a featurette on Ronald Stein, who composed the music for the film (among countless other great low budget films). This guy should be a lot more well-known than he is, since he always turned in great music for these movies. There is also some an alternate opening title sequence, extended scenes, still gallery, and a little featurette where Jack Hill returns to the house from the film.. But the real highlight of the extras is the all new featurette called The Hatching of SPIDER BABY. This 30 minute documentary features interviews with pretty much all the remaining cast members, plus Jack Hill and cinematographer Alfred Taylor. There is tons of great info told here, about the film, about Lon Chaney Jr., and why this movie is still remembered today.
STATE OF MIND (1993) I picked up this PAL tape because it was one of those ‘rare’ Paul Naschy films. Even though I knew he only had a bit part, being the Naschy collector, I had to get it anyway. Unfortunately, Naschy brief appearance is only in the very beginning, but even though his screen time is short, it’s still pretty amusing. The story is about a woman who takes in two injured survivors, a woman and a man, of a car crash, but yet hides these facts from the police when they are investigating the crash. It seems that this woman has quite a few skeletons in her closet, literally. Things get even stranger once the two victims awaken especially the girl. And even to throw more fun into the story, there’s an escaped nut from the local looney bin. The film had a lot of interesting ideas, and some of them were used quite well. While the ‘secrets are not that hard to figure out, they’re still played out quite well. As for the acting, the woman who takes in the victims, played by Manouk van der Muelen, does quite well in this role. The only problem is that she’s about the only one of the main characters who handles their role that well. Of course Naschy little screen time is very entertaining, his fellow ‘guest appearance actors’, Fred Williamson and Jill Schoelen, didn’t seem to take their roles too seriously. So as for your basic psycho-thriller, it’s pretty good. Just don’t expect really any surprises. I mean, if I could figure out what’s going on, just about anybody should. But once again, that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining.
STIGMATA
(1999) We saw this film on opening night, still with the hope of washing the bad taste of the Blair Witch fiasco from our palette, even though it was several weeks ago. I’ve always enjoyed horror films that delved into religion, especially when they’re original, such as PROPHECY (aka GOD’S ARMY), THE RAPTURE (may not be a horror film, but it sure is pretty damn disturbing), and of course THE EXORCIST. So I was excited to see STIGMATA once it hit the theaters. The main story is about a young girl, played by Arquette, a non-believer, who after receiving a rosary from her mother who traveling in Brazil, she starts to become possessed by the owner, an old priest, and she starts developing the signs of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ. A priest, who is also a scientist (boy isn’t that a contradiction in terms), played by Gabriel Byrne, is sent by the Church to investigate. Wainwright’s past experiences on music videos is very apparent in this film, which looks like it should have the MTV symbol hidden somewhere on the screen. But the film does come off with a lot of visual style and interesting look to it. Lot’s of strange camera angles, lots of images flashing plus the look of some parts of the film itself looks like one of those jeans commercial you see on MTV. But at least it’s not boring visually. The sequences where Arquette is having her "seizures" are done very well, with lots of images flashing across the screen. Unfortunately, the are quite a few plot holes. There’s a lot of things just don’t make any sense. Such as when the possessed Arquette tries to seduce Byrne. If she’s possessed by a priest, why would he being trying to seduce another man? But if you can get past the little things, it’s still a pretty interesting film. At least this film has some style to it, which is always nice to see in any movies these days. Hell, anytime someone is slamming the Catholic Church, I’m always going to enjoy that. STIR OF ECHOES
(1999) Once again, I didn’t make it to see this film in the theater. Although it did have a lot of positive hype, I think I was still smoking from being burned by the whole BLAIR WITCH thing. So I didn’t see it, along with THE SIXTH SENSE. But since it had recently hit video / DVD, I gave it a try. Kevin Bacon stars as an ordinary Chicago citizen. Nothing special going on in this life, just your average "joe on the street". Then after being hypnotized at a party, he starts having very bizarre and frightening images flashing before him. Sometimes he’s asleep, but other times he’s wide-awake. His 5-year old son, whose seems to have his own special gift, tells him, "don’t be afraid of it, Daddy". As the images become more detailed and intense, Bacon’s life and sanity start to fall apart. With missing work, along with losing contact with his wife, all things are not well. As the story progresses, we learn more and more, as Bacon does, as to what this is all about, and the real mystery behind these images. The film isn’t really graphically intense by no means, but does have a few images that will make you cringe. This film is not original, in any sense of the word. It’s your typical ghost story with a mystery. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining. It’s based on an older book / story written by the master-scribe Richard Matheson. At one point, as done as a little in-joke, one of the characters is reading THE SHRINKING MAN, another one of Matheson’s novels, which became quite famous after the film version, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, came out. This film is well worth the watch. Some of the imagines will stay will you long after the movie is over with.
THE STRANGENESS
(1985) Could someone please name any good horror movies that spend 90% of the time in a mine shaft? I’m not talking about films like MY BLOODY VALENTINE or THE BOOGENS, but ones that after the opening setup scenes, spend pretty much the rest of the movie down in the caverns. I couldn’t think of any good ones either. I guess that is my point. I guess one would think that the feeling of claustrophobia would really add to the atmosphere of the film, with the dark caves and caverns. Yea, one would think that way, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem to work that way. When are they going to learn that it just isn’t effective? Or at least it has yet to be done in an effective way. The basic plot in this 1985 film is that a corporation is sending a group of people to investigate an old mine, to see if it’s worth spending the money to open it and start mining it again. You have the standard group of people, including the old veteran miner who knows all the ghost stories, the hard-nosed boss who has a hidden agenda, and the couple of grunts that seemed to the real experienced workers. Then there is the amateur writer who is recording the event, since the mine has had a mysterious and troubled past. One could hope that he is the first to meet a grisly end, but unfortunately that doesn’t come quick enough. It’s so obvious at how low the budget is on this film. But as we all know, a low budget film does not mean a bad film. It just happens that it does in this case. The acting is very amateurish, with a lot of your typical characters. I will give them credit for finding an actor with a nice accent, or finding someone who could pull off the dialect. At least it gives some character to at least one of the actors. I will give them a little bit of credit for trying to come up with a different looking monster, which the design is interesting. And even more credit for just using stop animation. The problem is simply that the animation is pretty bad. When the monster attacks, it looks like something that I used to see on Pee Wee’s Playhouse years ago. They would have been much better off going with a guy in a rubber suit. The video was put out by Trans World Entertainment. And while this film is pretty rare, with some places selling it online for over $50 (now that is scary), it’s not one that I would seek out. It is only a nice addition to the collection due to just how bad it is. Course, it is in a big clamshell…. (1975) Despite not having the instant name recognition of peers like Argento and Fulci, Sergio Martino is considered by many to be one of the finer journeymen of Italian cinema. Until recently, he was best known in certain circles for his 1973 drive-in classic TORSO, a semi-sleazy giallo starring Suzy Kendall. However, thanks to DVD releases of his superb THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH and ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, as well as exploitation material like MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, his flame has finally begun to burn brighter in the eyes of today’s horror fans. Now comes one of Martino’s most overlooked efforts, a clever cocktail of Italian poliziesco (political thriller) and giallo, 1975’s SUSPECTED DEATH OF A MINOR. Perhaps due to its misleading and clunky title (the director points out in a supplemental featurette that the original name, MILANO VIOLENTA [Violent Milan], was nixed by the distributor for not being “commercial enough”), the film has faded from the memories of even the most ardent fans. Happily, newly minted fans of Martino can now judge it for themselves, thanks to a remarkable restoration and presentation by the good folks at Sazuma. The first thing that should be made clear is that this is not strictly a giallo per se, so you’ll have to shelve that “black gloves” drinking game for the time being. (In fact, the title is more than a little puzzling, since we actually see the murder of the minor in question less than five minutes after the opening credits and the cops find out immediately following. Where is the “suspected” in all this?) There are several nasty little murders featured throughout the picture, which often play out like deleted scenes from DEEP RED, complete with Luciano Michelini’s Goblin-like prog-rock score. (There’s even a wicked boiling-water-to-the-face bit that’ll have you screaming “ouuuuuch.”) Outside of these set-pieces, we’ve got a pretty snazzy crime thriller with Claudio (WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS?, ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN) Cassinelli hell-bent on uncovering the murderer of an underage prostitute, despite the inefficiency of the police force, the corruption of moneyed tycoons, and other established staples of the genre. What remains frustratingly unclear for the first 45 minutes is exactly why he’s so determined to uncover the mystery. I’ll not reveal anything here, as I assume that there is supposed to be some degree of Oho-Surprise! generated here, but personally I just wasn’t feeling it, especially when the reveal is less-than-stunning. Even a little misdirection or red-herrings might have served Martino well – as it stands, the unexplained obsession only becomes increasingly brow-furrowing. However, this aspect may prove to be less problematic to viewers than MINOR’s comic elements such as the oh-so-wacky car chase that precedes the big revelation. Said automotive mayhem includes a bicycle that becomes a unicycle when struck, a impressively head-spinning pedestrian (you gotta see it to believe it), and that old comic standby…nuns in a van. More than anything, it resembles a random scene from WHAT’S UP DOC? that runs its course before returning to gritty pseudo-realism. Effective? Maybe not. But certainly noteworthy. There’s also a nifty theater-with-a-sun-roof sequence that will provide a smile of recognition for all you DEMONS fans out there. Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi lays out the hairpin plot curves like a pro, and finds some pretty slimy subtext to support his stock characters. Mel Ferrer – with NIGHTMARE CITY not yet a glint in his eye – plays the hands-tied police superintendent with a stiff and fuzzy upper lip. Italian screen legend Massimo Girotti oozes unctuous smarm and self-satisfaction as our resident rich (and thereby evil, this being a poliziesco) tycoon with a dark oogy secret. Adolfo Caruso plays the obligatory goofy sidekick, while Lia Tanzi, Jenny Tamburi, and Barbara Magnolfi are our gorgeous, oft-underage ladies of the night. Couldn’t quite figure out who plays the Man with the Mirrored Sunglasses, but he makes for a dandy secondary villain. In spite of whatever misgivings viewers might have about the feature itself, there’s very little to take issue with regarding Sazuma’s presentation. Like the previously reviewed release of LA SETTIMA DONNA (aka LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH), the cardboard slipcover digipak-style packaging brings a refreshing level of class to the DVD game. The enthusiastic and informed liner notes by film critic Christian Kessler are presented in both English and German. The R2 print is shown in 2.35:1, 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen with Italian audio (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) and English, German or Dutch subtitles. (One minor quibble is that, in the English subtitles at least, there are an unfortunate number of misspellings. Not enough to be overly bothersome, but they’re there.) Bonus Features include the original Italian trailer, poster gallery, and a 25-minute interview with Martino who seems quite pleased with his revived notoriety, if a little nostalgic not to have been discovered sooner. The audio commentary – in German with optional English subtitles – by Kessler and author Robert Zion is a quirky blend of praise, gentle mockery, political digressions and repeated references to Germany’s victory in the World Cup soccer match played on the day of their recording (June 30, 2006). In addition to a few potshots at numerous German and Italian public figures that politically savvy viewers might find amusing, they also diss on Kevin Bacon, Kenny Loggins and John Carpenter. Like the film itself, it’s a mixed bag but one that is plenty flavorful. The first in their “Italian Genre Cinema Collection” (with LA SETTIMA DONNA #2), we can only wait with bated breath to see what other gems Sazuma has in store (check out their full catalog at www.sazuma.com). Review by Aaron “Dr. AC” Christensen Written, Produced, and Directed by Chip Selby I grew up in the late 60’s / early 70’s. So the horror comics that I remembered seeing then was Creepy and Eerie. The name Tales From The Crypt was from a movie as far as I knew. But once I started really getting into horror, I kept coming across references to these comic books. Eventually, I learned a little about what EC comics had done a good 10 years before I was born. Then when the reprints started to come out, I was able to see and enjoy these wonderfully created images and stories that caused such a roar back in the mid 50’s. But I obviously wasn’t the only one who enjoyed these comics. Whether from the reprints or the originals, these comics have influenced many people, including the likes of George Romero, John Carpenter and Bernie Wrightson. But not in the way that certain people wanted you to believe that it would. People like Dr. Fredric Wertham. And with these new documentary, you can learn everything you wanted to know about these comics and more importantly, the people behind them. Director Chip Selby has put together a wonderful documentary here. Not only is it filled with information about the comics, but it’s filled with the wonderful images from the pagers of them as well. You also get to hear from the artists themselves talking about their work and working with Bill Gaines, the man behind the comics. This is a very important history lesson for us horror fans. Remember, these comics came out 50 years ago, and is a very important part of the horror genre. So even if you've never been into comics, there is some important history here to be learned. Names like Jack Davis, Al Williamson, Jack Kamen, Al Feldstein. They should be as well known to us fans as some movie directors that we idolize. They probably gave those youngsters enough scary images to keep their appetites sated, and still are doing it to this day. This documentary starts at the beginning of EC Comics when Bill Gaines takes over the company from his father. And along with Al Feldstein, they delve into horror, terror and suspense. We hear directly from the people involved. We also get to see some actual footage of Bill Gaines addressing the Senate Hearing Committee who were trying to decide if comics were leading to juvenal delinquency. It also follows the magazine after it's demise as it rises from the graves, like one of it's many ghouls featured in the pages, to be reborn on the big screen and later on the small screen in the HBO series TALES FROM THE CRYPT. We get to hear from George Romero and John Carpenter, author R.L Stine, movie producer Joel Sliver, comic book historians Roger Hill & Jerry Weist, and many more. Not only is this documentary very informative, but the style of it is also very enjoyable, using many of the artwork throughout the length of the show. Even the DVD case looks like a mini-comic book. The 2-disc DVD is available through their website Crypt DVD, for only $24.95. Trust me, for that price, it's well worth every penny. Not only will you be entertained, but you will be learning something as well! And when a documentary does that, you really have something special. THE
TENANT
(1976) Amazing cult classic that took three viewings before I felt capable of reviewing the feature. Assembled with extreme intricacy by Polanski, THE TENTANT is jam-packed to the fullest extent with subtleties that even the most perceptive of moviegoers cannot hope to catch in one sitting. No problem...such a work is more than deserving of multiple viewings, with its entertainment value not waning whatsoever. Reportedly, the film was blasted by critics upon its original release, which of course means that it's more than likely worth a look...or two, or three… In the simplest interpretation, THE TENANT is essentially a hardcore depiction of society's callous attitudes as "goodwill toward mankind" is thrown out the window. Self-centered, isolated and uncaring inhabitants of a cold world exist singularly for what makes them happy-and are highly intolerant of any other's needs or desires, especially when they exhibit emotion or desire. As Trelkovsky, Polanski is the reserved, mild-mannered young man who unknowingly wanders into the lair of ill-tempered stiffs, who do little more within their apartment building than sit in silence, simply awaiting any form of disturbance that will allow them to roar in protest, regardless of the severity of the situation. On the other hand, we also have the young idiots whose disregard for the more reserved denizens starts out as a natural reaction, spawned simply by their youth, and the vitality that they exude. Laughter, celebration and a general rowdiness seemingly natural to the invading generation is apparently innocent enough at first...until Trelkovsky's buddy exposes a more devious motivation for such antics. The obnoxiously-loud marching band music--played at such a volume that not even its listeners could honestly find any enjoyment from--exposes their true motivations toward the all-too silent tenants. Caught in the middle in Trelkovsky, who inevitably begins to lose his grip on reality...and understandable so, given the choices of social groups to fall into! The young man, obviously not feeling as
though he can relate to any of the odd characters that make up his world,
therefore withdraws into his apartment, the only place where he can isolate
himself from the madness going on outside...or so he thinks. The bastards
won't let him. Knocking upon his door constantly, they refuse to leave him
alone, demanding that he choose an identity (that they'll provide him with),
requiring him to take stances with them (like throwing an unwanted tenant out on
the street because they don't sleep when they're supposed to) and follow their
identical mode of behavior. Eventually, Trelkovsky is pushed to such a
point that a mere suggestion from someone becomes an irate demand, yet another
evil attempt to take away his sense of self and his willpower. Over and over, the young man hears about the previous tenant, and how he needs to be more like her. Of course, they were only referring to her quite disposition and willingness to please her neighbors. Trelkovsky's state of mind goes a little further with their demands... The poor guy starts imagining that everyone around him wishes that he would become the young woman (who, incidentally, threw herself out the window in a suicide attempt...not surprising, given the environment and those around her...a violent act that Trelkovsky notices some of the characters refer to in light-hearted amusement). In fact, prior to his renting the apartment, Polanski takes us on a visit to the bedside of the battered, near-dead Simone...wondering whether she perhaps may recover from the devastating fall (even though he's told not to worry about that happening). At this point, we're subjected to the most visceral moment of horror that THE TENANT will dish-up for the audience...no gore, no graphic violence necessary. The scream. Probably the most nightmarish, agonizing scream that one will ever bear witness to. Simone's scream echoes throughout the halls of the hospital, and will not easily forgotten. Good luck topping this moment, Hollywood. Don't even try. It is during this sequence that Isabelle Adjani is introduced into the story, an acquaintance that Trelkovsky will encounter throughout his descent into madness. She's far from the sensual, alluring character that most directors choose to present her as, more a foppish but loveable young woman...a little on the bizarre side, but generally harmless. Polanski utilizes her character to point out that most people seem to "get off" on violence and aggression (she starts getting turned on while watching Bruce Lee kicking ass in a flick that she and Trelkovsky go to see...as Lee's opponent is dealt a fatal blow on-screen, she feels the urge to...feel his urge). As Trelkovsky sinks deeper into a state of madness, the cross-dressing begins as he begins assuming the persona of the ill-fated (and now deceased) Simone. The absolute genius and talent shown to us by Polanski in the director's chair are now enhanced by his amazing on-screen performance as Trelkovsky. The admiration of himself in the mirror, having now dressed himself as the woman, is just too damn much. While I've not acquainted myself with much of Polanski's works, THE TENANT is most assuredly an exhibition that showcases to the fullest extent his multi-faceted talent. I have to admit, some of the circumstances and motifs presented during the course of the film had yours truly a tad-bit confused as to their inclusion and meaning (should there be any need to analyze them or not…perhaps better left as merely bizarre imgery). The tooth hidden within the wall (that Trelkovsky had to move an appliance to get to) is still beyond me. His knowledge of the apartment's vacancy, the delusions of the priest presiding over Simone's funeral ("Yearning only for carnal satisfaction!" he scolds), and when Trelkovsky, dressed in drag, turns to the camera and announces "I think I'm pregnant!". I almost started wondering if the young man had impregnated Simone and abandoned her after the fact, which led to her suicide attempt...her scream upon seeing him at the hospital...and a vengeance from beyond the grave that drives him to suffer her fate. The conclusion is just too fucking intense (the taunting tormentors outdo the evildoers of ROSEMARY'S BABY by far!) as Trelkovsky finally gives his neighbors exactly what they have been pushing for throughout the film, with devastating results. An amazing masterpiece that will have you confused, awestruck and completely engrossed by its horrifying twists and turns, regardless of how many viewings you may subject yourself to. Reviewed by Jon Stone TENTACLES
(1976) Made in the early 80’s, this is yet another film "inspired" by the success of JAWS, this one being done by the Italians. This was also made at the time when studios could get some big names for these cheap monster / disaster films. TENTACLES is no different. Due to some new type of underwater digging, a giant octopus / squid has arrived on this small coastal town and is very hungry. The monster doesn’t waste any time acquiring several people for some food, including even snatching a little baby from his stroller parked by the water’s edge. There’s something that you won’t see in a modern film. During the film, this creature definitely doesn’t go hungry. The film even has some pretty makeup effects for some of the leftovers. Most of the ‘Big Name Stars’ are in only bit parts, some, like Henry Fonda, are really only cameos with one or two scenes. The effects for the giant octopus are pretty shabby. When seen underwater, the filmmakers use extreme close-ups of a real octopus, making it look bigger than it really is. When even get to see some miniature boats getting attacked, which is always amusing. Then for some of the on the water’s surface shots, we have an incredible fake looking rubber monster. And to think some people complained that the shark in JAWS looked fake. But the scariest thing is this film is Shelly Winters. She plays the sister of John Huston, who is a local reporter trying to uncover just what is going on out there in the water. Winter’s character has been married several times, and seems to like to go to the bars and pick up guys. If you don’t think that’s scary, then you haven’t seen Shelly Winters. While this isn’t as good as some of the other JAWS rip-offs (both in a good and bad sense), there are enough good reasons to watch this film, even if one of them is just to be a complete-ist.
(1974) When I had first seen this movie, I really didn’t like it. I felt cheated. I was expecting a ‘chainsaw massacre’, just like the title said. But only one person gets killed with a chainsaw! Plus, you’d think that since people (sorry, a person) were getting killed with a chainsaw, it would be pretty gory. Sorry, wrong again. But we have to remember, I saw this at a time when the blood and guts was really coming of age in the movies. It was during one of the re-issues, some time in the early 80’s, and I was in my late teens (in other words, I hadn't learned the finer taste of cinematic horrors yet...). So I was disappointed and went away with a very bad taste in my mouth. Then after getting more and more into movies, and becoming more of a serious student of the genre, I had re-watched the film. And then I started to see the light. This wasn’t some gory stalk ‘n’ slash film. This wasn’t some special effects bonanza / monster movie. But what it was, and still is today, is a very disturbing look into a very disturbing family. And what might happen if some normal everyday youngsters happened to stumbled upon that family. This is one of those films that do a fantastic job of where the real terror is not the violence that you see, but what you think you have seen, or what’s alluded to. Not to say this film isn’t violent, but it has always been perceived to have shown more violence than there actually was. And I think that shows just how good of a job that Hooper and company did. Just by seeing the set designs that Robert A. Burns came up with, gives the viewer a real sense of dread and horror that theses young people have stumbled into. I think that gives more of a lasting impression on the viewer than somebody getting whacked with a chainsaw. But like all classics, having a great set means nothing if you don’t have the right people to bring life to their characters. I think the real standout to this film is the late Jim Siedow. The brilliance to his portrayal is in his ability to swagger back and forth between being a normal and sane individual to someone who is more crazy and sadistic in their demeanor. And this is quite often several times in the same scene. When the kids first meet up with his character at the gas station, he even tries to persuade them not to be running round bothering people, as if warning them. But when Sally ends up at the station that night while being chased by Leatherface, he realizes what he needs to do. And while he’s under control for the most part, the insane sadistic side keeps popping out. Siedow has given us one of the best characters and performances in the entire horror genre. But then credit also has to go to Ed Neal for his very wacky performances as the hitchhiker. Whether or not that was Neal’s personality in real life, who knows? But in any case, he comes across as one hell of a nutter. And adding to the great cast and sets were just the little things that really made the film more than just some low budget cheapie. Whether it was the lighting they did, like when the cook is beating the hitchhiker in front of the truck. Or long camera moviements that go underneath the swing and slowly follow the doomed Pam up to the house. Or something even as simple as when they find that tooth on the front porch. It’s nice touches like that, that set this film apart from many other films, and give it a much deserved spot as one of the best horror films ever made.
THEATER OF BLOOD
(1973) Price plays Edward Lionheart, a stage actor who only performs the works of Shakespeare. Lionheart believes that he is the greatest actor to walk the stage and to speak the famous bard’s words. |
