Tuesday, October 31, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 31: HALLOWEEN III - SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)


John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween, was one of the most successful films of its time. What followed was a countless number of imitations and knock offs that would eventually flood the market and be lovingly referred to as "The Horror Boom of the 1980's." Among those imitators came classics like FRIDAY THE 13TH, THE BURNING, THE PROWLER, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, and others. And in three years time HALLOWEEN II came out and audiences were finally able to see the final chapter of Michael Myers' and Laurie Strode's struggle. That was 1981 and the 80's Horror Renaissance was only just getting started.

People demanded more Halloween movies. With Michael Myers firmly in the grave (???) what were John Carpenter and his crew of filmmakers to do with the inevitable Halloween sequel? Then John Carpenter had an idea, what if the Halloween films became an annual tradition, every year a new film would be released? But instead of finding a way to bring back Michael Myers over and over again, what if each film was its own story and explored a new aspect of horror and Halloween? The Halloween series would become an anthology series of sorts, each subsequent film its own breed of horror.

This new direction for the series was green lit and the first film in this new era would be HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH. John Carpenter was busy working on his next project, THE THING, and was unavailable to direct Halloween III but he stayed on as producer, co-writer, and helped with the score. For directorial duties he turned to his longtime friend and collaborator Tommy Lee Wallace, the man who'd eventually go on to direct the original film adaptation of Stephen King's IT. Tommy Lee Wallace had worked on many of John Carpenter's films including Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, and later Big Trouble In Little China. If you want anyone filling in for John Carpenter it's Tommy Lee Wallace. Right?

The result... was mixed, but not because the movie was bad. Because people fear change. This was well before the internet so John Carpenter and associates couldn't put the feelers out online to gauge fan reactions to this radical new direction for the franchise. They just had to put it out there and see what would happen. The word "Halloween" was still in the title of the movie and for some this was misleading. Many thought they were receiving another Michael Myers film and when Michael never showed the result was negative. Remember this was 1982 and Slasher films were still the hottest horror commodity at the time. And Halloween III was not a Slasher film. Thus it garnered a little more negativity. With the negative response to both of John Carpenter's projects that year (The Thing was also met with extreme negativity in 1982) the Halloween franchise was effectively dead.

Fast forward to today. John Carpenter's The Thing has earned the respect it so justly deserves as one of the greatest horror films of all time. But what of Halloween III? For a long time I was one of those Halloween III haters. I'm not proud of it but it's true. But given time and perspective my opinion of Halloween III has drastically changed. Let the record show that...

I love Halloween III: Season of the Witch! Why? Because it's a good movie. You just have to know going in that the film is not a sequel but its own entity. So yeah, having "Halloween III" in the title probably sent the wrong message.

THE PLOT

Every year on Halloween night hospitals are flooded with patients exhibiting bizarre injuries. There are still weeks before Halloween arrives and already Dr. Dan Challis is having to treat patients for all sorts of crazy injuries. A woman arrives asking about her father who has recently died. She's sure of foul play but can't prove it. Dr. Challis calls in a favor at the morgue and comes up with many irregularities regarding the woman's father. Her father was investigating the Silver Shamrock company, one of the premiere purveyors of Halloween masks. Dr. Challis and the woman decide to investigate Silver Shamrock themselves, uncovering a plot that could cost them their lives, and potentially the lives of every child wearing a Silver Shamrock mask the world over.

WHAT I LIKED

Damnation of the Druids. The idea behind this film was an exploration of the darker forces surrounding the fall harvest. The pagan deity Samhain was briefly mentioned in Halloween II, and in Halloween III, the servants of Samhain play the central villains. The main antagonist Conal Cochran has a speech towards the climax of the film where he details the druidic power at work in the film, harnessing the forces of the rune stones of Stonehenge. And the insidious plot of attacking the world's children who celebrate Halloween. Perhaps the greatest fear of any parent is the death of a child. It's my greatest fear now being a parent and the film takes on a new level of horror for me.

An Alignment of Many Horror Elements. While some see Halloween III as a total abandonment of the elements that made the first two films so great, Season of the Witch contains elements of the Slasher sub-genre and much more. The "Agents" of villain Conal Cochran conduct their business in very "slasher-like" ways, killing people with power-drills to the face and so forth. The way those characters behave is cold and robotesque (kinda like Michael Myers). Then the fact that these agents are mechanical adds a sci-fi twist to the narrative which is reinforced when Dr. Challis is shown the central chamber with the rune stone. Mix in the druidic elements, magic, and the thriller mystery elements and what you have is horror film unlike any other.

And Halloween III is perhaps the only film in the series that can be characterized as atmospheric. The unnerving score by Alan Howarth and John Carpenter sets the tone for the film from the start. As the bizarre events continue to mount the pervading sense of dread and doom reaches a crescendo at the end. The filmmakers create a wonderfully rich atmosphere giving this film a character all its own.

A Carpenter Film By Any Other Name

Of all the Halloween sequels, Halloween II and III feel the most like John Carpenter films. And I love John Carpenter films. This is due to a number of reasons, foremost being Carpenter's involvement with writing, helping with the music, and producing along with Debra Hill (who also produced and co-wrote Halloween, produced The Fog, Escape From New York, and more Carpenter films). And of course Tommy Lee Wallace having collaborated with Carpenter many times in the past. The film features a few Carpenter regular actors too foremost of which is lead actor Tom Atkins (The Fog, Escape From New York) and a bit part by Nancy Kyes (Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog).

But then there's Alan Howarth also contributing the music. Alan Howarth has collaborated on many Carpenter films as well and can channel the esthetics of a John Carpenter score better than anyone else. I really enjoy Alan Howarth's horror film scores, especially on the Halloween sequels IV through VI. Halloween III looks amazing due to the brilliant director of photography Dean Cundey who was DP on Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Halloween II, The Thing, Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future I-III, Big Trouble In Little China (seriously, this guy is amazing). And there's more Carpenter associates as well like Irwin Yablans, Moustapha Akkad, Dick Warlock, and more! Even Jamie Lee Curtis has an uncredited cameo.

Given all this evidence can anyone not call this a John Carpenter film? And all these people have made many great films. So is Halloween III any different? Had the film simply been titled "Season of the Witch" the initial reaction may have been more positive and more accurate.

NITPICKS

Misleading Title? Going off of what I just mentioned above, I have to question the choices made when the filmmakers assembled the title. Leaving off the Halloween III portion of the title may have helped audiences disassociate the film with the Michael Myers plot and get on board with this new direction for the series. Or merely leaving off the Roman numeral because keeping Halloween in the name is appropriate for the story. What does confuse me is the word "Witch." With the lead villain being a male (at least I think he is) wouldn't the correct term be "Warlock?" I also don't get the sense of witchcraft at play but rather a mix of alien or futuristic themes. I'm not an expert on the druids so I don't know how much of the film's plot is in keeping with the actual beliefs of the druids.

And then there are moments of violence that the film embraces and moments with which it shies away from. For example, the moment in the coroner's office where the coroner receives a power-drill lobotomy. Instead of embracing the gore and showing the audience the gruesome sight in full bloody glory, they pan back to where the violence is hidden behind the perpetrator's back. Yet they show us the brutal results of an electro-mystic blast to the face. So why they chose one piece of gore over the other remains a mystery. Maybe they had it included but the MPAA demanded cuts be made. Who knows?

THE VERDICT

Halloween III: Season of the Witch marks an incredible departure from the previous two films in the series. While basically the same crew as the previous two films, along with many nods and themes from the first two films still present, Halloween III is its own film. And a very good film at that. A well crafted thriller mystery centering on seldom used druidic subject matter, rich in atmosphere, and a unique mix of horror sci-fi elements. All of these aspects render Halloween III a horror film unlike any other.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10

Michael Myers/Halloween III Connection

Halloween III also marks the first injection of druidic elements into the series. The influence of the druids comes back in a major way with Halloween 6 and looking at the series as a whole many interesting "fan theories" can be drawn between Halloween III's druids and the forces behind Michael Myers' rampages. So, maybe Halloween III isn't as disassociated from the Michael Myers plotline as we thought?


For more John Carpenter/Tommy Lee Wallace/Halloween related films check out these other greats!

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Monday, October 30, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 30: DRACULA (1979)


Dracula's description in Bram Stoker's novel is that of an old man, "cruel looking," long white mustache, pointed ears, hooked nose, and pointed beard. Of course, Dracula's appearance changes as he grows more youthful looking with the increase in blood consumption, but never is he described as "sexy." He didn't need to be visually captivating because of his hypnotic abilities. In the 1922 film NOSFERATU by F.W. Murnau, an unofficial adaptation of Dracula and perhaps the very first film adaptation, Dracula or in this case Graf Orlok, played by Max Schreck is portrayed as ugly and repulsive. In Tod Browning's 1931 film, DRACULA, Bela Lugosi brought a gentlemanly demeanor and facade to the character, a man of nobility and class. Maybe Lugosi was sexy to some but that aspect wasn't what he became known for bringing to the character.

Paul Morrissey's BLOOD FOR DRACULA, starring Udo Kier, accentuated the "sex" inherent in the vampire mythos by portraying Dracula as a young, attractive, and hyper sexual character. Udo Kier and perhaps others portraying Dracula during the 1970's exploitation era performed the sexy vampire angle first, but the man who firmly transformed Dracula into a sexual icon the world over was none other than Frank Langella.

Frank Langella starred in Universal's first big budget remake of DRACULA in 1979. Directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Short Circuit, and more), this often overlooked Dracula film left an indelible mark on the story and depiction of Dracula that has endured to this day in most every remake and re-imagining of the character as well as vampire cinema as a whole. And Frank Langella as Dracula is not the only reason to watch this movie, although he is without a doubt the strongest piece of the film, but there's also Donald Pleasence, Laurence Olivier, and Sylvester McCoy in the film too. And a hauntingly beautiful score by John Williams

THE PLOT

A Rumanian ship crashed on the rocks near Billerbeck Hall asylum, the entire crew dead, ripped apart by an animal. Only one person survived the wreck, a foreign aristocrat by the name of Dracula. The Transylvanian count had just acquired a new residence in Whitby, the dilapidated Carfax Abbey, not far from the asylum. Invited for dinner at Dr. Seward's residence, Dracula becomes enamored with the women present. What seems like a plague besets the Sewards and those under their roof, all coinciding with the arrival of their new neighbor who resides in Carfax Abbey.

WHAT I LIKED

Frank Langella. Many many actors have played Dracula over the years in film and television and most of them great (Graham McTavish being the most recent wonderful portrayal from Netflix's Castlevania). Frank Langella deserves to be counted among the greatest actor portrayals of the character in my opinion. He brings a modern nobleman esthetic to the role, commanding in his body language yet soft in voice. His delivery of Dracula's lines is masterful, taking what could be considered a cheesy and cliched line and making it sound new and elegant. But more than anything is Langella's powerful persona. It's in his eyes, his demeanor, and every movement of his body. The actor embodies both Dracula's sensuality and lethality far beyond his predecessors and successors. While others actors bring their own power and presence to the role of Dracula, no other has mastered these aspects of Dracula better than Frank Langella.

Gothic Perfection. Very few horror films nowadays fit within the "Gothic" sub-genre of horror. CRIMSON PEAK was one of the last truly Gothic horror films in recent years (and one of the best). With the story of Dracula the production could take the narrative in many directions, most of which take the pure monster movie route. Here John Badham takes a purely Gothic approach, toning down the monster aspect while enhancing atmosphere and character focus. The actors contribute largely to the Gothic architecture, delivering appropriately exaggerated performances but not so much as to go over the top. It's a delicate balance to find in an actor. Having actors of such pedigree as Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, and horror icon Donald Pleasence enables the film to maintain this level of acting.

Benefits of a big budget. When it comes to these epic European setting horror tales like Dracula and Frankenstein, production value goes a long way. This Dracula production has more than enough money for grand special effects and they're employed with surprising restraint. There's wonderful gory make-up effects, trick photography, and even some wire work. The restraint employed in regards to the special effects reinforces the Gothic tableau of the film. The locations and the sets complete the Gothic composition of the film and they look absolutely amazing, exceeding Francis Ford Coppola's film in my opinion and putting most film renditions of Dracula to shame. And John Williams magnificent score serves to further enhance the overall presentation.

Homage within Reinvention. As one might expect, this version of Dracula is quite updated compared to the 1931 film with Bela Lugosi. It's scarier, more violent, more racy. And more realistic. But within the modernization there are a great many lines, sequences, and shots repeated from the 1931 Universal original. One would think these elements wouldn't work in a modern film, but the actors and filmmakers slip them in with deft precision. Classic lines like "I never drink wine" spoken casually by Frank Langella easily slip past the casual viewer but to the trained viewer provide another entertaining layer to the film. It's loaded with Dracula easter eggs one might say.

NITPICKS

I do consider this film a masterful rendition of Dracula and essential viewing for both horror and vampire genres. And as it is I probably wouldn't change anything about it. But if I were to change anything about it (and probably ruin it) I'd like to see the presence of blood punctuated more. Blood plays a central role in the film but in a sub-textual way. There's a beautiful gray filter over the entirety of the film which I love. It would've been nice to have seen a striking deep red cut through the gray overcast. Sometimes Donald Pleasence goes a little too far in his performance and I'd scale certain moments back (oh my God, I love Donald Pleasence in everything he does. I feel horrible for even suggesting a change to his performance). Laurence Olivier too goes a little too far for me at times (my God! Now I'm criticizing Sir freakin Laurence Olivier?! Who does that?! ...okay, just forget any acting criticisms I just mentioned).

THE VERDICT

The 1979 Dracula remake from Universal is one of the unsung heroes of the Dracula films. Frank Langella delivers one of the finest interpretations of Dracula ever and Donald Pleasence and Laurence Olivier give wonderful supporting performances as well. Great production values make this one of the best looking Dracula films out there and John Williams score elevates the film even further. And last but not least this Dracula rendition is a beautiful example of pure Gothic horror.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For more Dracula and vampire films and a few Gothic horror classics check out these other films 

Gothic Horror


Dracula and Vampire cinema

 
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Sunday, October 29, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 29: THE HOWLING (1981)


Of all the different types of monster movies in cinema werewolf films seemed the most challenging. Vampires can get by with only a pair of fangs or no fangs at all in Bela Lugosi's case. Monsters like Frankenstein or the Creature (Gill Man) rely on an impressive costume and make-up. The werewolf however requires fangs, an impressive costume, and outstanding make-up effects as well as showing audiences the transformation sequence. Vampires and monsters can go to all these lengths as well but they aren't necessarily reliant on them. A werewolf film, however, was required to have all these elements.

1981 saw the return of the werewolf film in a big way. WOLFEN, released in July of 1981, featured a pack of wolves moving into the city and a string of murders following. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, released in August of 1981, blended horror and comedy into one of the greatest werewolf movies ever made, not to mention containing one of the most striking transformation sequences ever filmed. But before those two, in April of 1981, Joe Dante's THE HOWLING debuted in theaters. The Howling contained Joe Dante's unique brand of dark humor and my preferred type of werewolf, a bipedal hulking monstrous creature.

The special effects of The Howling remain to this day some of the most impressive, shocking, and revolting of any horror film and showcased the werewolf like none other. While An American Werewolf In London often is credited as being one of the best, if not the best werewolf films ever (and rightly so), I'd argue that The Howling is the only true rival to that title.

THE PLOT

Karen White just had a run in with a serial killer and survived. Coping with the experience, as one would imagine, has proven difficult for Karen. Her and her husband travel to a commune deep in the mountains in hopes of conquering her inner demons. But the residents at the Colony are strange and bizarre noises are heard at night. Karen and her husband are all too quickly accepted into the group and taken to participate in some rather unorthodox ceremonies. By the light of the moon Karen discovers the startling secret of this mountain community and that she may not have escaped the serial killer after all.

WHAT I LIKED

The Monster Effects. First and foremost, what elevates this film from being good to great are the special effects by Rob Bottin. Bottin has worked on many favorites of mine, THE FOG, LEGEND, and foremost John Carpenter's THE THING. If Rob Bottin had a film that came close to rivaling his work on The Thing it is The Howling. The transformation sequence in An American Werewolf In London, while appearing extremely painful, is relatively clean. Here the skin bubbles and bursts. It rips through the fleshing and the werewolf literally claws its way out of the human body, wet and gross looking.

It is completely different from its contemporaries and is made all the more impressive by being 100% practical. Special effects in films nowadays can often go unappreciated as the number of films containing them is ever increasing. And, while CGI looks nice, it takes a little bit of the "awe" out of filmmaking. If there ever was an example of true special effects genius and the awe of what filmmakers can achieve it is here. The Howling and Rob Bottin's work represent a true milestone in special effects filmmaking.

The Werewolf. In Wolfen audiences were only privy to seeing actual wolves, which in themselves are wondrous sights to behold. In An American Werewolf we are only shown glimpses of the werewolf at a time and are never allowed a full lingering shot of more than the face and arms, a shining example of less being more. In The Howling we are shone the werewolves in their full glory. Like the Lon Chaney, Oliver Reed, and Paul Naschy films these werewolves are upright, standing on two legs, and huge. They're as big as bears and even more terrifying.

These werewolves all appear to effect the personality of the human half too. The film shows the effects of the transformation on multiple levels, the human half becoming more primal, in touch with nature, and adopting a pack mentality all before becoming the werewolf. Most werewolf films portray the duality of lycanthropy as two separate halves, one unaware of the other. Here Joe Dante merges both halves in an instinctual way posing questions such as "where does humanity stop and the animal begin?"

I've been mostly talking about the werewolf and the effects so far, but this film has so much more. Many elements combine to create a special and visceral film experience, not the least of which is Joe Dante's personality. His subtle off beat humor that permeates all his films is ever present keeping the viewer slightly off kilter. Dee Wallace delivers one of her iconic performances here too as our strong yet vulnerable heroine. And of course the legendary horror icon, John Carradine is present as well. And last but not least is the story.

Based off of Gary Brandner's frightening novel, the screenplay by Terence H. Winkless and John Sayles is strong and unique. This story focuses on the duality within man, man's primal instincts and man's intellect and civility. The savagery of man is at the core of the film, both in the realm of reality with the murderer at the beginning and in the realm of fantasy showcasing man's brutal side as a literal man-beast. Of all the werewolf films to have come before, few of them have linked lycanthropy so closely to man's animalistic nature. This side of the story adds a whole other dimension to the film.

NITPICKS

I really don't have any picks to nit with this film. It begins with a bizarre and disturbing sequence where the main character is nearly assaulted by a serial killer. Then the film slows down a tick, moving into a seemingly unrelated section of story. It's a bit slow at this point but not so much as to become boring. There is a constant flow of both subtle and overt weirdness to keep the viewer intrigued. If there is anything about the film that maybe doesn't live up to the hype it's some acting here and there, occupying a strange space between A-movie and B-movie. But if you're familiar with horror films this level of acting isn't really an issue.

THE VERDICT

The Howling stands as one of the greatest werewolf films of all time. Special effects maestro Rob Bottin offers some of the best gore and creature effects of his career, showing audiences a truly terrifying bipedal lycanthrope. Dee Wallace contributed one of her most iconic horror performances and Joe Dante solidified himself as one of the horror greats. A fantastic story from Gary Brandner separates this film from all the others and provides another layer to the film. To me The Howling is one of the seminal effects films of the horror genre or any genre for that matter and essential viewing for any student of horror cinema.

Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10

For more werewolf films and films from Joe Dante, Rob Bottin, and Dee Wallace check out these films below


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Saturday, October 28, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 28: HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988)


Hellraiser, among all the horror films I have ever watched, remains one of the most potent and visceral film experiences out there. Writer/Director/Creator Clive Barker exposed the world to a deeper level of horror conceptualization that perhaps only one other director was exploring with any sort of success, that of Stuart Gordon. Hellraiser came out at a time when the censors were beginning to come down hard on the horror genre. In order to realize the director's vision Hellraiser was released unrated to avoid serious censorship (as were many others) and only in this uncut format could the film be exactly what Barker wanted it to be.

As was the business model for the time, a sequel was rushed into production after Hellraiser's breakthrough success. The tale of Hellraiser was first conceived in the novella titled The Hellbound Heart. In homage to that title the next chapter in the film series became HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II. Most of the cast and crew from the first film return for the second installment including mastermind Clive Barker albeit in a lesser capacity. Barker remained involved as a writer and executive producer on the film only. Barker would've returned to direct had he not been busy adapting his novel THE CABAL for the screen at the same time. Sadly one person cannot direct two movies at the same time.

Hellraiser II instead saw Tony Randel step in as director, the vice president of Roger Corman's NEW WORLD PICTURES at the time. And picking up the writing duties from Barker was author Peter Atkins, the man who would shepherd the series for two more sequels.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II is an epic follow-up that pushes the boundaries of onscreen gore even further than its predecessor and dives deeper into the nature of evil. Easily the best of the Hellraiser sequels.

THE PLOT

Kirsty finds herself in the care of Dr. Channard, the head of an institute for mental health. Her story about her uncle Frank, the deaths of her father and stepmother, and creatures called the Cenobites have caused many to wonder about the state of her sanity. While recovering in the hospital she experiences a vision of her father begging for her help. Kirsty sets out to find the puzzle box only to discover that her doctor, Dr. Channard, has possession of it and what's more that he's attempting to open it. The cycle of death begins anew as Kirsty finds herself entering the world beyond the puzzle box and beholding the true face of evil.

WHAT I LIKED

Bloodier and Bloodier. If you thought that the first film was gory then prepare yourself for a whole new level. Hellbound is one of the goriest films I've ever beheld. Similarly to the rebirth sequence in the first film, there is a rebirth sequence in this film too that is perhaps the goriest moment in the entire film. Oliver Smith was the actor who portrayed "Skinless Frank" in the first film. Here he plays a patient of Dr. Channard's and we are allowed to see what the actor actually looks like... before he starts carving himself to shreds with a razor blade. The resulting bloodbath resurrects Kirsty's stepmother, Julia, in a similarly skinless form to Frank's. What makes this sequence a bit more disturbing is that the scene is fully lit with no shadows or darkness to obscure the skinless figure emerging from the pool of blood. Sometimes less is more, but here seeing the full make-up effects elevates the disturbing imagery all the more.

Leviathan. Rather than a mere repeat of the first film's plot with a new coat of paint, Peter Atkins and Clive Barker take the narrative into a whole new realm. The Cenobites and the Box take center stage this time. The opening scene of the film reveals to us a very human looking Pinhead only to see him ripped up and scarred by the things in the box, becoming the horrific Pinhead for the first time. We glimpse the true identities of the other cenobites as well and we are allowed to see the creation of a new cenobite. And then we go inside the Box itself. We learn what the Box truly is and see the labyrinthine structure beyond where Hell awaits. And lastly we see Leviathan, the abstract entity from which all evil originates.

And all of it is once again set to Christopher Young's haunting score. Young's ethereal score sets the atmosphere and mood of the film and readies us for another exploration in the further reaches of horror film experience. And Doug Bradley. His mere onscreen presence is chilling and unlike so many others. His Pinhead in this film has lost none of its power.

NITPICKS

I don't have much in the way of nitpicks with this film. I personally feel it is one of the best horror sequels and one of those rare instances where you feel the sequel either meets or exceeds the original. The aspect I'd argue where this film doesn't work as well as the first is in the exploration of the Cenobites. In the first film they were greater evils, made all the more terrifying by not knowing who or what they were. The mysteries surrounding them were a part of what rendered them so frightening.

They were the figures that scared the monster of the film. I would argue that the cenobites lose some of their potency in this film upon learning of their origins. John Carpenter once said that the most terrifying feeling was of not knowing why. In Hellbound we learn the "why" behind the cenobites and depending on your disposition it may work for you or it may lose that part of the original film that gave it that extra gravitas. I understand that they kind of had to reveal more about the cenobites but I feel that some of their onscreen power was derived from their total and absolute mystery.

THE VERDICT

As a sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II is far beyond most of its peers. Not only does it contain everything you loved about the original, it also pushes the story forward, tackling the mysteries left unsolved from first film. Tony Randel does a great job picking up the reigns from Clive Barker. And Clive Barker and Peter Atkins supply a far out and fantastic script. In true sequel form it ups the ante in terms of gore and body count. And Doug Bradley delivers yet another incredible performance as, arguably, the screen's most terrifying villain ever.

Overall Ranking: 9 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10


For more Clive Barker horrific goodness check out these other films below


And for more 80's Iconic horror check out these films as well

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Friday, October 27, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 27: ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)


The Devil to some is the ultimate figure of evil. Regardless if you believe or not the name is evocative of the greatest darkness and horror conceivable. The Devil is there at our darkest hour, the moment of our greatest weakness, composing our worst nightmares. It is different for every person. Whether the Devil is an elemental force, an infernal figure of the abyss, or the darkness within us all, the devil can manifest in almost anything and anyone. He's everywhere and nowhere. Perhaps that is why the Devil is so powerful, it's about more than fear. And maybe that's why the horror genre remains so intriguing, it's the study of evil.

ROSEMARY'S BABY for some is the greatest horror movie ever made. It's horrors are many fold; the paranoia of others, betrayal of those you trust, violation of the body, secret societies, conspiracy, and the manifestation of ultimate evil. It's a very real life story interwoven with elements of the fantastic. And it touches on so many of humanity's basic fears. The success of this film can be attributed to many reasons; brilliant direction from Roman Polanski, incredibly powerful performances by Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon, and the rest of cast, and an intriguing and frightening narrative based off the expertly written novel by Ira Levin.

All these elements combine to create one of the most frightening horror film experiences of all time. Many have attributed the film to the popularization of the Devil/Anti-Christ theme in mainstream horror cinema that would later produce such seminal classics as THE EXORCIST and THE OMEN. And the film is the second entry in Polanksi's "Apartment Trilogy" of psychological horror films, the surrounding films being REPULSION (1965) and THE TENANT (1976).

THE PLOT

Rosemary and her husband, Guy, have just moved into one of New York City's oldest and ostentatious apartment buildings. In an act of full disclosure, the building manager tells of how the previous tenant went insane. In spite of further warnings from an old friend about the building's horrific history, Rosemary and Guy take the apartment. Soon, after a tragedy, they meet Minnie and Roman Castevets, a peculiar yet friendly elderly couple living in the apartment nearby. The Castevets grow closer to Rosemary's husband but Rosemary herself can't shake the strange feeling she gets from them. While trying to conceive, Rosemary has a vivid nightmare of being raped by the Devil while Roman, Minnie, and several others watch. Days later Rosemary discovers that she's pregnant. What ensues is a series of strange and nightmarish events that may be true or may all be in Rosemary's fragile mind.

WHAT I LIKED

Evil. One can view Rosemary's Baby in two ways: the threat is all in Rosemary's head or there really is something satanic at work. The more straight forward approach is that Rosemary is our reliable narrator and everything she believes is happening is real. It begins with little things such as a gift or poisoning in the food and grows from there. The paranoia sets in and you start questioning everyone and everything. And what's so scary about it all is that there is no presence of God or a force for good in this film. Once Rosemary realizes the truth she's already completely ensnared in their web. The thought that if the devil wants you, through his agents, he'll get you, is incredibly frightening. According to this movie we are all at the mercy of dark forces. Grim, yes?

Psychosis and the Human Mind. The other way to watch this film is from the viewpoint that we're watching Rosemary mentally degenerate into insanity. Most of the events are played realistically. There's the anxiety of moving into a new place (a small town girl moving into the big scary city), suspicious of one's neighbors, strange ideas about the apartment building planted in Rosemary's head by her friends and such. Rosemary creates suspicion and problems where there are none as a result of a mild psychosis. The trauma of a neighbor committing suicide, a close friend's death, and finally the emotional throes of being pregnant all elevate her psychosis to nigh insanity. And we're seeing this all through her eyes, her now warped mind, and imagination. Now, I'm no psychologist but this movie is at work on multiple levels, and working not only as a horror movie but also as a window into a paranoid mind.

The Slow Burn. This movie clocks in at two hours and seventeen minutes. For a horror film, that's pretty long. For someone used to a spectacle, fast paced, bloody gory film this is even longer. This is a sloooooow movie, but in that pace lies the film's strength. It begins with something small, so small it flies in under the radar but comes in just enough to seem mildly peculiar. From that moment we're doomed only we don't know it yet. Everything builds slowly a tiny piece at a time until the dreadful ending where... evil wins? And we hear that haunting lullaby. This film is the perfect example of the "slow burn."

NITPICKS

Who am I to nitpick one of the most important horror films of cinema history? In an interview with director John Landis, he said that back in the 50's and 60's some horror films used to be a wonderfully twisted and clever narrative built around a schlocky monster. And then in the 80's some horror films were nothing but a schlocky narrative built around a wonderful looking monster. In the case of Rosemary's Baby, the only weak link I can find is in the ritual scene where we are allowed to see the devil. I thought the devil was poorly designed. Now, make-up effects and costumes weren't the things they were in the 1980's and today, but even so, there were some really good monster costumes done before and around this film (Creature From the Black Lagoon being a prime example). And with the budget this film had, there's no excuse for this costume being so bad. That same year Hammer Studios released THE DEVIL RIDES OUT and their devil costume is far better. At least the scene in Rosemary's Baby is fleeting and the camera doesn't linger on the devil too much.

THE VERDICT

Considered by many to be one of the greatest horror films ever made and an important film in cinema history, Rosemary's Baby is a potent psychological horror movie. The narrative plays out realistically and works on multiple levels. The film can be viewed in different ways, playing on our insecurities, paranoia, and emotions. There's a real presence of madness and evil culminating in one incredible slow burn. Rosemary's Baby isn't an easily digestible piece of cinema. It requires patience, endurance, and a little work to get through but the payoff is worth it. A true classic that set the bar for so many others to come.

Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10

For more psychological horror check out the films below



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Thursday, October 26, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 26: TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)


Zombies made a huge pop culture resurgence in the 2000's. Danny Boyle's 28 DAYS LATER (2002), Zack Snyder's remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004), Edgar Wright's SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004), George A. Romero's LAND OF THE DEAD (2005), and then a tidal wave of others to follow. Then in 2010 everything changed. AMC unveiled the television show THE WALKING DEAD. This particular television show demonstrated that everything that the movies were doing with the zombie genre they could do too. And sometimes The Walking Dead was just as good if not better than what audiences were seeing in the movie theaters. In my opinion, The Walking Dead effectively neutered zombie films.

The last zombie movie I remember seeing advertised in theaters was WORLD WAR Z back in 2013 and a PG-13 zombie film at that. But seriously, The Walking Dead is satisfying the populace's need for zombies better than we ever could've hoped. I do enjoy that show. But every now and then the world sneaks a new zombie movie into the theaters. I became aware of this movie after reading lists on the internet titled "The Best Movies of 2016 That You Missed." TRAIN TO BUSAN, a South Korean horror film, kept popping up. Discovering it was a zombie horror movie meant I had to see it. And now having seen it I can say...

Train To Busan is one the best zombie movies I have seen in years.

THE PLOT

Seok-woo is a divorced, high profile corporate executive living in the city. He gained custody of his daughter in the divorce but has been too busy with work to pay any attention to her. Coming home from work one night he overhears his daughter on the phone with his ex-wife. His daughter begs him to take her on the train to Busan so she can see her mother. The next day Seok-woo and his daughter board the train. A strange person sneaks aboard as well. Seok sees smoke on the horizon, dozens of police cars speed down the highway. As they're riding towards Busan he notices a commotion in one of the rear train cars, a rabid looking person biting and clawing screaming passengers, blood spraying everywhere. Then the television shows an outbreak of rabid people spreading across the country. Seok grabs his daughter as a horde of rabid passengers rush their way.

WHAT I LIKED

A Simple Zombie Film. Train To Busan is a straight forward zombie flick. It is executed flawlessly and is incredibly entertaining. There is nothing especially gimmicky about this film other than zombies on a bullet train. It doesn't reinvent the genre. What it does is present you with a simple plot and let's the events develop naturally from there. The characters are presented with one life-threatening situation after another and we are left to see how they escape... or don't escape. Again, nothing revolutionary about this, but it is so well done. It reminds viewers of how exciting a good zombie movie can be. And in a world where The Walking Dead is still incredibly good, what Train to Busan achieves is nothing sort of amazing. The credit for this should go to director Sang-ho Yeon and his crew. Well done.

The Characters/The Actors. The other half of why this movie works so well is due to wonderful performances from all the actors in this film. Each one of them delivers top quality performances. The major complaint I hear about big Hollywood movies today is that audiences don't care for a lot of the characters in movies with body-counts. To the credit of the actors, the characters in Train to Busan are wonderful. There a handful of characters and you come to care for them as the movie progresses. It's been a long time since I've an ensemble so deftly executed in a mere two hours. And they don't feel like cliches or archetypes either. And the character arc of Seok-woo (our main character) and his daughter is moving and heart-wrenching, it just gets you right there.

And the Zombies. Equally important as everything I've mentioned above in a film like this are, of course, the zombies. And this film nails the zombies and the zombie action. These zombies are scary. And the tension when they're around goes through the roof.

NITPICKS

The only thing I'd change about this movie is I'd make it gorier. Now, the average viewer probably thinks the film is gory enough as it is and I am definitely not the average viewer when it comes to horror films. There's also a good chance that the gore level is perfect to engage those who don't appreciate gore as much as I do and that any more gore might repel a large number of viewers. One of the things I complained about with World War Z was the PG-13 aspect of it and the distinct lack of gore in it. Train To Busan has more gore than World War Z but it could use a little more. Or maybe my personal gore meter has gone up due to the number of horror films I've seen in my day. There's a good argument for the latter, I'll give you that.

THE VERDICT

Train To Busan exemplifies everything a good zombie film should be. The film is well executed on all fronts and is extremely entertaining and thrilling. The acting is well done. The characters you actually like and care for. And the zombies are striking and scary. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or anything. What it does is demonstrate how to showcase a great zombie movie. Train To Busan reminds one of just how entertaining a good zombie film can be. It could use a bit more gore for my taste but then I'm the kinda guy who likes um' raw.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For more zombie movies check out these other films below!


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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

COMICS IN REVIEW: CAPTAIN KRONOS -- VAMPIRE HUNTER #1

Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I am writing for the website COMICONVERSE. I have been covering the current comic books from Marvel Comics and BOOM! Studios such as Doctor Strange and Kong of Skull Island.

For myself and anyone else interested I am documenting each of my articles here at Blood Work.

If you haven't checked out this latest article here you go!
 
 
 
 
 
 Based off of the Hammer horror film of the same name, Captain Kronos returns at last in an all new vampire hunting adventure. Captain Kronos is one of my favorite Hammer horror films and when I saw they were making a comic book about it I jumped at the opportunity to get it. And then I found out that it is written by one of my favorite authors, Dan Abnett! And my new favorite artist, Mike Perkins, supplied the above cover!

Captain Kronos was to be Hammer's new film franchise, taking over for the Dracula franchise. But alas the film came out shortly before Hammer studios nearly went bankrupt. So the franchise was never realized, which is a shame because the movie is so good! It's, in essence, the prototype for Castlevania! No wonder I like it, right? Anyway, the first issue of this new series shows promise. The interior art by Tom Mandrake is really good and Abnett perfectly captures the character of the film in his writing. I cannot wait for the following issues!

Check out my full review by clicking the links above!


Check out my other articles for ComiConverse linked below!
 
 
 
 
 
 
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