Wednesday, October 25, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 25: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (1985)


A Nightmare On Elm Street was one the most successful horror franchises to emerge from the 1980's horror boom. With an incredible performance by actor Robert Englund, new imaginative death scenes, and a premise that everyone could identify with, A Nightmare On Elm Street was an instant hit. And the character of Freddy Krueger became the latest and greatest boogeyman in cinema. Naturally a sequel was quickly pushed into production and released just under a year later.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE grossed even more money than its predecessor and guaranteed another sequel on the horizon. Despite its financial success Part 2 is perhaps the most vilified of all the Nightmare films citing the drastic narrative departure from the original. Among the aspects of the film called into question are the apparent "breaking of the rules" set forth in the first film. Instead of terrorizing the characters in their dreams, this time around Freddy chooses to possess the body of a teenage boy and kill people in the old fashion slasher style. On top of that he can apparently use his magic in the real world when doing this. And then there are the "homo erotic" undertones (you know, cause this film focuses on male characters rather than the usual heroine cliches of horror. Meh, whatever).

Even so, the gore effects are top notch and Robert Englund is still on top of his game portraying Freddy. And the story is quite refreshing and unique among the series. You guessed it, I actually really enjoy Nightmare 2 and... oh who am I kidding, I'm the guy who said he liked Cara Delevingne in Suicide Squad... ugh... I'm never gonna live that one down, am I? My credibility is in need of rebuilding and here I am defending the most reviled Freddy film... probably not the best choice...

THE PLOT

Jesse and his family have just moved into a new house on Elm Street in Springwood. Almost immediately Jesse begins having nightmares. Soon his school performance begins slipping. He starts lashing out at his family. And he begins waking up in bizarre places, out on the road or on the other side of town. He dreams of killing people only to wake the next morning to discover those he dreamed about were murdered. Jesse learns that their new house used to belong to the Thompsons and a girl named Nancy previously lived in his room. And Nancy went crazy. Jesse also learns another name, Freddy Krueger, the nightmarish figure haunting his dreams and trying to gain access to the waking world through Jesse's body. Is Jesse's will strong enough to drive Freddy away or will the dream demon get what he wants?

WHAT I LIKED

Freddy. There are two kinds of Freddy's. There's the smart mouthed, one-liner spouting Freddy whom we all love. And then there's the dark, angry, no nonsense Freddy. Same character, different emotional states. There are only a few films with the latter Freddy and Part 2 is one of them. There's still a little bit of mischievousness there but for the most part this is the darkest Freddy's ever come across in my opinion. The scene where Freddy is facing off against Lisa showcases just how angry he is and how scary that version of Freddy can be. And making Jesse nearly kill his little sister is pretty cold too. Then there's the make-up effects for Freddy which look very good this time around. Speaking of the make-up effects...

The Birth Scene. One of my all-time favorite Nightmare moments is in this movie. I speak of course of Freddy's birth through Jesse's stomach. First you see Freddy's face pushing against Jesse's skin from the inside. Then, with Jesse screaming and writhing about, Freddy slices open Jesse's belly and emerges from beneath the guts and viscera. The final sequence, while not as epic as the one I just mentioned, displays another excellent use of gore as we see Freddy's flesh burn away revealing Jesse underneath. Say what you will about the rules and the undertones but everything you want to see in a Freddy movie is all here and in spades.

Addressing the "Problems" with Freddy's Revenge

Breaking the Rules. This film features Freddy engaging in killing in a different way. Instead of killing kids in their dreams, Freddy possesses Jesse thereby physically manifesting in the real world and killing the old fashion way. Freddy is a mortal turned dream demon, right? Well, don't demons possess people? And when in possession of a human host, these demons can still perform feats of magic, yes, like knocking stuff off the wall, slamming doors, moving furniture telekinetically (levitating beds and all that)? Even disappearing completely sometimes. Freddy tried killing people in their dreams and was successful until he was defeated by Nancy in the last film. Now, Freddy is an intelligent character. Wouldn't it make sense for him to try a new way of wreaking his revenge of the children of Springwood if the old method had recently failed him?

And Freddy's Revenge isn't the only film in the series to showcase this power. The element of possession comes back in the later films too. In Wes Craven's New Nightmare Freddy somewhat possesses Heather's son, Dylan, and in Freddy Vs Jason he completely possesses the character Freeburg. Then in Dream Child, the whole focus of the film is for Freddy to find/create a vessel to allow him to manifest on the physical plane, in essence, perfecting what he tried to accomplish in Freddy's Revenge. Rather than taking away from Freddy I feel the whole possession angle makes Freddy more dangerous and scarier, adding to his arsenal.

NITPICKS

Not Enough Kills. Just to be clear, I mean spectacle kills. Freddy's body count in this film is actually the second highest in the whole franchise behind Freddy Vs Jason. But seven of these deaths are en masse at the party. We aren't treated to the up front super graphic death sequences nearly as often in this film as with the others. My only real beef with this movie was that there weren't any more bloodbath spectacles. What we did get was quality but there could've been a little more. Maybe the MPAA had something to do with it. If there is a bloodier director's cut hiding away somewhere, make that available! And give us a director's commentary on part 2 while you're at it! Sheesh!

THE VERDICT

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge takes a decidedly different turn in the franchise. Freddy is darker and angrier than usual, manifesting a new frightening ability: possession. This film is one of those rare horror outings with a male protagonist and is more male centric. There's great gore and another terrifying performance by icon Robert Englund. Many have maligned this film for its departures from original and there is a good argument for that. Ultimately with Freddy's Revenge you can either go with it or lambast the film like so many others. In no way is this a bad film though. I for one find it interesting and different, adding to the mythos and powers of Freddy rather than taking away from them. As a result Freddy's Revenge is rather novel among the sequels, a fresh yet still potent entry in the franchise.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10
(there is some man-butt but man-butt don't count)

Check out these other Freddy films and icons of modern horror if you haven't already.



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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS

TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
John Carpenter is probably my all time favorite film director, not just of the horror genre but in all of cinema. First off, the subject matter of his films were the initial draw. I love horror films and back when I was first making my way through horror, his movies seemed of a higher quality and more suspenseful than many of the rest. I was young and just starting to discover directors and following specific director's films.

I tried many directors going for the most obvious first like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. And while many of these films helped shape my love of cinema, it was John Carpenter's films that really got me. It was in his films that I discovered the value of widescreen (remember this was back in the VHS full screen days) and the art cinematography. I first began noticing the framing of the shots in John Carpenter's films and how it could be used to enhance the narrative and viewing experience. It was more than just pointing the camera.

Then I discovered John Carpenter was doing more than just directing. I was seeing his name credited for writing, producing, editing, and music. One of the first aspects of his films that struck me were the film scores. I learned how to play the Halloween Theme on the piano because I loved it so much. I credit John Carpenter for starting my love affair with film scores. And of course, the writing. Ultimately what was compelling me to watch these films were the stories. They were exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and shocking.

I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the films of John Carpenter and I no doubt will go on about it in the future. For now though, suffice it to say, that he is my all-time favorite film director and the biggest reason why I love cinema and horror as much as I do.

So, here are my top ten favorite John Carpenter films.

This was so hard to rank them as I really like them all. From Dark Star to Memoirs of an Invisible Man to The Ward. I imagine the order will change back and forth throughout the years of my life (the top three are pretty solid though) but these films listed below are easily my absolute favorites of his.

As always I've included a bonus





#11
ESCAPE FROM L.A.

I go back and forth with this one on putting it in the top ten. I love the character of SNAKE PLISSKEN and he is oh so cool in this film. I must admit that when I first saw this film I didn't like it as much as I had hoped and I didn't quite understand the tone. As the years have passed and my tastes have trended away from straight forward dramatic cinema to more stylized films my appreciation for this movie has grown. With each viewing I seem to like it more and more. Yes, there are some moments where the special effects look a little painful as well as some moments of pure over the top melodrama. But it is so much fun. Pure entertainment.

I really enjoy all the cameos from Bruce Campbell, Cliff Robertson, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, to Al Leong. The film score by John Carpenter and Shirley Walker is outstanding. And the basketball scene is one of my favorites and a standout moment in the film.







#10
THEY LIVE

They Live was another of Carpenter's film that I couldn't quite connect with as a kid but as I've grown older I've come to love the film more and more. They Live is one of Carpenter's most socially commentative films, shining a light on a world of subliminal control. To me this film feels a little like the end of a Carpenter era. There's a certain feeling and esthetic to Carpenter's films from 80's and 70's, from the narratives to the music to the actors, that I just love. Some of these esthetics go missing in the later films but not entirely. They Live possesses all the hallmarks of a Carpenter film I love.

Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Keith David, hands down one of the best fight scenes in all cinema! That fight is probably the standout scene for me in this film and later the immortal line, "I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."

They don't make movies like this anymore.







#9
VAMPIRES 

I remember this movie coming out during a Hollywood rush of vampire films. There was the original BLADE plus others like SUBSPECIES 4, THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES, RAZOR BLADE SMILES, and more. There was a vampire film craze going on which continued for the next few years. John Carpenter's VAMPIRES differentiated itself from the coven by being a unique mix of the horror and western genres. It was a higher profile film than most and showcased vampires in a different light than most. The vampires in this film are fairly animalistic and hard as hell to kill.

The opening scene sets the tone with a raid on a vampire nest. The following scene our lead vampire, Valek (played wonderfully by Thomas Ian Griffith) slaughters nearly all the hunters. The vampire Valek gets my vote for one of the most menacing vampires in all cinema. Really, the first twenty minutes of this film are incredible, matched only by the epic old west showdown at the end. This movie is one of my favorite vampire films as well as a favorite Carpenter film.






#8
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS

John Carpenter's Lovecraftian epic! I was first struck by the film's soundtrack, another composition of Carpenter's and Jim Lang (they also collaborated on the soundtrack for BODY BAGS). Then there's Sam Neill fresh from Jurassic Park, whom I couldn't help but like. But where this film really shines for me is in the creature designs and pervading infection of madness. I love me some monsters and this movie may have some of Carpenter's last great monsters. Jurgen Prochnow's character of Sutter Cane is unnerving and creepy. And the world's descent into madness is striking and terrifying.

The moment where Cane's agent axes through a window, asks Sam Neill, "Do you read Sutter Cane?" and prepares to kill Neill is one of my favorite unsettling scenes in the movie. Then there's the sequences at Hobb's End where we meet Sutter Kane and see these monsters from another world. I love H.P. Lovecraft's stories and the ancient evil mythos he created. Seeing Carpenter adapt Lovecraft was like seeing two of my favorite horror masters come together. There is no other Carpenter film or Lovecraft film adaptation quite like In The Mouth of Madness.







#7
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13

Westerns were once the most popular genre films, from the golden age of cinema through the silver age. During the silver age the western began transforming as audiences preferences changed. Thus was born the urban western. From urban westerns came modern action films. Assault On Precinct 13 may be my favorite urban western and one of my all time favorite action films. It's THE RAID before The Raid. It also contains two of the most underappreciated film characters in cinema: Napoleon Wilson and Ethan Bishop. Two characters from different ends of the spectrum discovering when their lives are on the line that they're not so different after all.

The movie is brutal. Shocking. An act of revenge unleashes a tidal wave of violence. The movie opens subtly, gradually setting all the pieces in place before erupting into a fast paced, high body count, intense action epic. I remember discovering this film well after having seen the Die Hards, the Terminators, the Rambos, and others and being floored by it. Assault On Precinct 13 was ahead of its time in terms of action, pacing, and violence but yet retained classic heroic character types from the bygone eras of cinema's rich past. There's no other movie like it. Highlights include... well the whole siege of Precinct 13, every line out of Darwin Joston's mouth, and Kim Richards death. As I'm typing this I feel the movie should be placed higher (closer to number one) on the list. But the following movies are just so damn good too!







#6
PRINCE OF DARKNESS

"Devil" movies all kind of follow a similar narrative. It's either possession or birthing the antichrist. Not John Carpenter's "Devil" movie. Carpenter breaks the mold with this bizarre, incredibly potent, sci-fi/religious horror masterpiece. A secret room in the basement of an old church is discovered, within lies a shrine and corroded cylinder filled with green glowing liquid. Since the discovery the sun has been acting strange. Homeless vagabonds have begun gathering around the church like mindless zombies. And whomever sleeps in proximity of the church experience strange dreams, almost like messages being sent to them. A team of students and scientists gather at the church to study the secret room and the cylinder when the green liquid escapes. And all Hell breaks loose.

This is such a crazy movie but so well done and oh so scary. It is such an original premise and unlike any horror film you've ever seen. Carpenter masterfully builds the tension in this film until it's practically boiling over at the climax. And the end is one of my favorite film conclusions. It's filled with wonderful characters and Carpenter regulars like Donald Pleasence, Dennis Dun (Wang from Big Trouble In Little China), Victor Wong (also from BTILC), and Alice Cooper! The movie has one of Carpenter's scariest film scores, with the help of composer Alan Howarth. All these elements come together to create one of my favorite horror films from any director and one of the best films in Carpenter's filmography.







#5
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA 

 By no means a horror film, but by god, this is one of the most enjoyable film I've ever watched. Like Prince of Darkness, this is one of Carpenter's craziest film premises: a martial arts action comedy Chinese ghost story. And it works! Kurt Russell is hilarious, doing his John Wayne impression the whole time, and being the most ineffectual lead hero in cinema history. At the same time, the hero sidekick played by Dennis Dun, is so badass and heroic. It's like the Green Hornet/Kato dynamic. And when Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) actually does something useful its by accident or a reflex action. 

 And there's plenty more to feast upon in this film. There's the crazy martial arts brawl near the beginning of the film. There's the menacing supernatural martial arts masters, the Three Storms (the bosses of the game if you will). The weird monsters that pop up here and there. And the wonderful opposing forces of Victor Wong (Egg Shen) and James Hong (Lo Pan) who engage in a video game like spirit battle. Big Trouble In Little China is exciting, funny, badass, and even a little scary at points. It's one of those movies that is so out there that you've never really seen anything like it. I could watch this movie over and over again.




#4
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK 

The pessimistic dystopian future action film. Again this is John Carpenter putting a spin on the western genre like he did before with Assault On Precinct 13. While Precinct 13 was an homage to the Howard Hawks classic western RIO BRAVO, Escape From New York assumes a darker spaghetti western personality in the vein of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. Snake Plissken is a dubious hero at best, caught between two opposing sides that he cares little if anything for. Snake is your classic outlaw forced through a situation not of his choosing. On one hand he is there to save the President from the criminals, but then you find out that the United States government are just as bad as the criminals they've locked away. The lines between good and evil become very blurred with a seemingly nihilistic criminal in Snake Plissken at the center.

John Carpenter's social commentary is thrust right in our faces. Kurt Russell does his own take on Clint Eastwood's MAN WITH NO NAME character with a little of Charles Bronson's HARMONICA thrown in for flavor. And it's all so cool. The premise is your classic "Rescue Mission Behind Enemy Lines" which is universally exciting but what makes it standout so well are the narrative motifs Carpenter turns on their heads. On top of it all there are outstanding performances across the board from Harry Dead Stanton, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasence as the President. And then there is presence of a genuine western icon and one of my favorite actors of all time, Lee Van Cleef. I already go full nerd over this whole movie but if it had had Peter Cushing in it as well I probably would've gone blind from sheer awesomeness.








#3
THE FOG 

One of my all-time favorite horror films, THE FOG stands out from Carpenter's other horror films in that it's a "camp fire ghost story" wrapped around an old murder mystery. On the 100th anniversary of their murder, the spirits of the dead return to wreak their revenge. The film is set up brilliantly from the opening sequence with actor John Houseman regaling the children with a spooky campfire tale, then moves into town where things slowly start unraveling. At first it's little things like car alarms suddenly going off for no reason. Then a chair moves by itself. And more until finally we see the fog bank that moves against the wind, seemingly with a mind of its own. I feel this film is one of Carpenter's best examples of narrative architecture.

The tension and suspense are wonderful, with the fog coming to eerie life and seeking out its victims. Originally the film never showed what was in the fog, but due to test screenings Carpenter and Debra Hill felt the film needed a bit more power. So they added in the ghost ship and ghouls. And I'm glad they did because the ghouls are among my favorite elements of this movie. The legendary make-up effects master, Rob Bottin, first collaborated with Carpenter on this film and designed the ghosts. These designs are incredibly potent and evocative of the Blind Dead knights templars from the films of Amando de Ossorio (horror film villains for which I have a soft spot for). The film's finale when the ghosts confront their final victim is a frightening scene, one which is forever embedded in my memory.








#2
THE THING 

How does one begin to describe perfection?

John Carpenter's THE THING may be the greatest horror film ever made, in my opinion. It's tension and suspense are second to none. The gore in the film is spectacular. And the monster is beyond anything your nightmares could dream up. I remember watching this film as an adolescent on Sci-Fi channel (before it changed to Sy-Fy) and being absolutely blown away (and that was the edited for television version!). I have since watched the film countless times and it never gets old. All the actors do an incredible job and Kurt Russell delivers one of the best performances of his career. Even Wilford Brimley is incredible in this film.

The only thing better than the superb performances in this picture are the monster effects. Not only is each and every monster in this movie shocking and horrific, but if you take the time to seriously analyze their compositions these "things" go beyond description. There's the skinless head of a dog on the end of what looks like an arm attached to a writhing mass of flesh and tentacles with spider legs, and two monstrous humanoid clawed arms reaching straight up for the ceiling. Then its belly (if that is indeed its belly) opens up revealing a veiny shaft with a venus flytrap like head. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are no other monsters in the whole of cinema like these and they truly embody the word "thing" because you literally can't point to anyone organism and say "oh, that's just a crab monster." It really is... the thing.

I love love love monsters. And this film, to me, is the king of all horror monster films.







#1
HALLOWEEN

What on earth could possibly beat the greatest horror film ever made (The Thing), you ask? It could only be John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. The cinematic merit of this film needs no explanation, but why it is number one on my list boils down to sentimental reasons. While far from the genesis of my love for horror, Halloween was what started my obsession with modern horror. I saw Halloween when I was in sixth grade, so I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it opened my mind to cinema as a craft and art form rather than a means of entertainment to pass the time. I first grasped the meaning and importance of "widescreen" or "letterbox" format from this film as well as the function of cinematography. It was due to this film also that I realized the importance of the director and became intrigued with the name "John Carpenter."

And of course there is the terrifying character of Michael Myers. The first Halloween film I ever saw was HALLOWEEN IV: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (I rented it from Davidson and Main Street because I thought the VHS cover looked creepy). I thought Michael Myers was scary as hell (again I was 11 or 12 years old). Eventually that film led me back to the original and Michael Myers took on a whole new meaning of creepy. The way he stalked the three young women in this film, always there, watching, at the very far corner of the frame I thought was incredibly unnerving and frightening. And then of course there is the "Van Helsing" of the series in Donald Pleasence. He's fantastic in Halloween and I have become a big fan of his work as a result of Halloween.

Halloween is the reason why I even started noticing directors and the reason why I looked in the direction of John Carpenter at all. To me Halloween is his greatest film and will probably always be in my eyes... although The Thing is very close. Very close.


And there you have it!

Are you fans of John Carpenter too?
Which of his films are favorites of yours?
Let me know in the comments below!

And for more top ten lists check out these others linked below!

TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES
TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI
THE 100 GREATEST KAIJU
TOP TEN FAVORITE KAIJU  
TOP TEN GIANT MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS
TOP TEN UNIVERSAL MONSTERS

 TOP TEN DC SUPER HEROES
  TOP TEN WOMEN OF DC  
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC WOMEN















 TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS




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HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 24: PHANTASM (1979)


Horror can take many forms. It can manifest in tragic events, those moments in life where reality becomes all too real. Horror can also rise in the moments where reality shifts into something surreal, those moments where we question what's real and what we thought we knew. Horror can be the inability to distinguish what's real from what's phantasmagoric.

Phantasm: the delusion of a disordered mind. A phantom. A spirit. A ghost.

Don Coscarelli's 1979 film PHANTASM is among the strangest and strikingly original horror films of all time. There isn't anything quite like the Phantasm films. It's a blend of the gothic, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It also contains a few distinct European horror esthetics such as leaving several events unexplained with things happening seemingly out of nowhere. Phantasm is one of those films that either grabs you from the start with its bizarre story and images or leaves you unsure of what you just watched. Either way, repeated viewings illuminate bits here and there and draw you in further. This is one of those films that really engages the viewer and leaves you to theorize and draw your own conclusions.

I wasn't sold on the film the first time I saw it. And to be honest I was in the group that wasn't sure what I had just seen. But given time, repeated viewings, and trekking through the sequels I have come to really enjoy Phantasm. I count it among the best of horror.

THE PLOT

Residents of a small Oregon town are dying off in strange ways. 13 year old Mike has been spying on the mortuary at Morningside Cemetery. Mike believes there is something strange about the undertaker, a tall and frightening looking man. Mike ventures closer, breaking into the mortuary one night. There he encounters the Tall Man and a host of ghoulish dwarfs, all trying to kill him. Mike escapes and tells his brother Jody and family friend, Reggie. The three of them together take a closer look and discover otherworldly powers at work within the mortuary. And they inadvertently place themselves in the cross hairs of the Tall Man.

WHAT I LIKED

Phantasmagoria. That's my five dollar way of saying I like all the weird and twisty $#!+ in this movie. First there are the dream sequences like the iconic scene of Mike in bed with the Tall Man towering over him. There are a couple of these and they are some of the most chilling scenes in the film. Then the end of the film throws the audience for a major loop which makes you question what these "dreams" were and if they were even dreams at all. The movie plays with the audiences heads, engaging you and making you wonder about the story being told. This wonder extends to the central plot of the movie, not merely the dream sequences, but the Tall Man and everything in the mortuary.

The Characters. First and foremost is the Tall Man played by actor Angus Scrimm. The Tall Man is incredibly creepy, menacing, and ultimately terrifying. Scrimm brings an imposing presence to the role both in his demeanor and voice. And all the other strange elements add to the mystique of the character. Then there are the minions. The scary hooded dwarfs, at first, seem like an odd choice and almost laughable (like homicidal Jawas). But as the story progresses these dwarfs grow weirder and more frightening. The tuning fork-like rods that act as a gateway to another dimension and the silver spheres combine with everything else to create a completely odd and unique film experience. There is no other film like Phantasm... except for Phantasm II-V of course.

And then of course there are our heroes, Mike, Jody, and Reggie. These actors bring an authenticity to their characters, making them appear both real and larger than life. You can't help but like them. They aren't helpless. They aren't victims (yet some do fall to the Tall Man). What they are are real characters doing the best they can in a crazy situation. And they're really likable too.

The Atmosphere. At the moment the opening credits begin to role we are treated to a powerfully evocative score, one of the most frightening and iconic horror film scores in my opinion. This music sets the tone for the whole film and leads straight into a scene at the cemetery where the Lady in Lavender (the Tall Man?) claims the first victim of the film. This opening sequence launches us into a funeral where we glimpse all our main characters, antagonists included. From here the movie gets weirder and scarier. Then we receive a strange scene at a fortune teller's house where even more bizarre things happen. The film creates an eerie atmosphere where the viewer isn't quite sure what's real and what isn't, perfect for a film entitled Phantasm.

NITPICKS

I really enjoy this movie and given it was put together with tape and spit it is a miracle Don Coscarelli and everyone involved churned out such an incredible film. I really can't fault the film for anything and for the most part I can't find too many faults with it at all. It would've been nice to learn more about the fortune teller as I feel that was a plot thread in need of further exploration. We kind of get more in the sequels but not really. My only wish for this movie would be that the mine shaft the Tall Man falls into at the end didn't look so box-like. Ridiculous I know and such a small thing, but it kinda looks like a box sitting in a hole in the floor. Like I said, tape and spit. There is a three hour cut of this film somewhere and I wonder how much is explained in the longer version that we don't receive here.

THE VERDICT

Phantasm is a truly unique horror film and an essential viewing for all horror fans. It's weird and twisting. Filled with sci-fi elements, fantasy, and human drama. An atmosphere of anything can happen permeates the film, made stronger by the bizarre characters and frightening dream sequences. And Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man is bloodcurdling in presence and performance, truly a character worthy of the horror villains hall of fame. You'll either be sucked into this strange film or wonder what the hell you just watched. Repeat viewings only make this film more endearing. Director Don Coscarelli took the word Phantasm to heart when crafting this film for it is in every sense of the word phantasmagorical.
Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10

I honestly have no other horror movies to compare this one too. It really is a unique entity. The closest I can think of is WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, you know, cause of the Oompa Loompas.


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Monday, October 23, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 23: DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)


One of the most often engaged in conversations among cinephiles and genre film fans is discussing sequels one considers better than the original. With the horror film genre being rampant with sequels this is a quite fun conversation to engage in with fellow horror movie enthusiasts. And if there's one film you can set your watch by being mentioned it's none other than George Romero's classic DAWN OF THE DEAD. Considered among critics to be a superior film to the original (that's debatable in my opinion), Dawn helped usher a new era in horror, and his name was Tom Savini.

Night of the Living Dead was a revelation among horror films and cinema as a whole. It's plot was simple yet undeniably thrilling. The black and white guerilla cinematography married with graphic violence and modern horror sensibilities lend the film greater impact, frightening atmosphere, a place the film far ahead of its time. Night of the Living Dead was a very low budget film with a small cast set against the claustrophobic backdrop of a lone farmhouse closed off from the rest of the world.

Dawn of the Dead is the opposite of Night of the Living Dead in just about every way. It was filmed in color. Expansive, showcasing the effects of the zombie outbreak the world over and taking place over the course of several months. It is one of the great horror epics of our time.

THE PLOT

As the world is being overrun with the living dead, a group of four people take to the skies in a news chopper. Eventually they come upon an abandoned mall containing healthy supplies of everything they might need and more. But the mall is crawling with zombies. After considerable effort the four of them manage to clear the mall of reanimated corpses and reinforce the building so no other zombies can enter. For a time the four of them are living a veritable paradise within the mall. When a large group nomadic survivors spy the mall they make a move to loot the place. Will the four who worked so hard to make the mall their sanctuary just give it up to these violent nomads or will they defend what they believe to be theirs?

WHAT I LIKED

A Completely New Experience. Exploring the world of a zombie apocalypse is something we were denied in Night of the Living Dead but were allowed to do in Dawn of the Dead. And in color too! Like I briefly mentioned above, Dawn takes all the ideas of Night and expands upon them. Instead of being locked in a farm house for one night in this world we are shown the widespread effects across the country as well as allusions to what's happening with the rest of the world. And we get to spend months in this world and actually see the evolution (or devolution in some cases) of humanity and witness day to day life in a zombie apocalypse. We are even treated to a little satire and humor, most of which was absent from the predecessor. Where Night was a low budget compact film, Dawn was a comparatively big budget epic.

Tom Savini's Effects Crew. I often mention the horror renaissance of the 1980's and how the advent of realistic gore and make-up effects was one of the primary reasons for the horror film boom of the time. That's me talking about this guy, Tom Savini. His first two credits on IMDB for special effects are both from 1978 and both Romero films, MARTIN and Dawn of the Dead. The gore effects in Night were certainly striking and realistic. But Tom Savini's effects were above and beyond expectations, so much so that Dawn had to be released unrated theatrically or suffer extensive cuts. The zombie kills in this film are pretty epic, from a helicopter decapitation to being stabbed with machetes, screwdrivers, and more. And the human kills are noteworthy too, like the disembowelment scene. This film showcased the gore like few others before it and helped open the floodgates for horror films in the 1980's.

Humans Are Worse Than Zombies. Zombie Apocalypses were still fairly new by 1978 and had scarcely been explored yet. With time and the zombie boom of the 2000's most folks are familiar with the societal breakdowns of such a world. Once zombies have been dealt with we learn that human beings are the next threat and by some standards an even greater threat than the zombies. Dawn of the Dead was among the earliest of films to broach this eventuality, an aspect of the sub-genre that has now become expected with audiences. Leave it to Romero to create these reanimated cannibal corpses and then create an even greater threat in the form of our fellow man. We largely owe this aspect of the zombie genre to Dawn of the Dead.

Consumerism = Zombieism. Zombies are really a metaphor for us? Whaaaaaaaat?! Social commentary is one of the hallmarks of Romero's zombie films and Dawn of the Dead is ripe with it. See what you want to see, one can't help but draw parallels to Romero's zombies and their insatiable appetites to human beings own consumerism appetites. We buy and we buy and we buy some more while the zombies eat and eat and eat some more. Then there's the programming consumerism has embedded within us. Nowadays we go about our day to day mindless routines, returning over and over again to the same places for the same fixes and needs. Consumerism is in effect eroding those survival instincts and skills gained through thousands of years of natural selection and turning us into veritable zombies ourselves. That's just one thought on the subject. These aspects of Romero's films appeal to certain viewers analytical nature and provide plenty of food for thought.

NITPICKS

Pacing. My only real nitpick about this film lies within the movement of the plot. This movie starts fast and frenzied but then slows to a crawl before ramping up for the climax. The film is over two hours long, which isn't actually that long at all. Compared to the average 90 minute horror movie runtimes though, two hours is long. And with a decent portion of dead space in the middle the movie feels even longer. Both Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead clock in at 96 minutes which feels perfect for both films. Now, this "dead space" as I put it is there for a reason. It's there to reflect insight into the relationships between human beings, the relationship between materialism and humanity, as well as simply displaying an extended period of life during the zombie apocalypse. Romero doesn't waste a single moment in this film and the slower pace of this section is intentional.

THE VERDICT

Dawn of the Dead is everything one could hope for in a sequel. It zooms out to show the widespread effects of the zombie uprising on a global scale. It's in color and follows the characters from the big city across the country to a shopping mall where we spend a few months with them and this world. We see what happens when two groups of survivors come into conflict and learn that your fellow man is a greater threat than the zombies. Romero loads the film with social commentary providing plenty of food for thought. And Tom Savini's incredible gore and make-up effects round out one of the greatest horror films ever.

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

For more Romero films and zombie movies check out the films below

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Sunday, October 22, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 22: THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)


The 1980's may have been the last true horror cinema renaissance but it wouldn't have happened had it not been for the films of the 1970's. Mario Bava's TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE a.k.a. A BAY OF BLOOD, William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST, Wes Craven's THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and many other films introduced whole new levels of darkness, violence, and onscreen gore never seen before in cinema (and in some cases still yet to be surpassed). The films of this decade set the precedent for the horror films of the 80's and defined modern horror.

Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is one of the most important horror films to come from the 1970's. Chainsaw changed the look and sound of horror films and how horror films were made. It has inspired countless filmmakers including Ridley Scott and his work on ALIEN (1979) as well as more modern filmmakers such as Alexandre Aja and Rob Zombie. The most obvious enduring element from the film is the character of LEATHERFACE, now one of the most recognizable horror icons of the last 50 years.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre changed the face of horror forever.

THE PLOT

A mass grave robbing incident spurs a group of friends to pile in a van to see whether or not their relatives' graves were among the desecrated. On their way they decide to stop at an old farmhouse that they had inherited. While there they discover another farmhouse far off the beaten path. Two of the friends approach the farmhouse in hopes of borrowing some gasoline. A massive man in a mask emerges from the house killing them both. As the day wears on the other friends start trickling over to the farmhouse in search of the others, each meeting the same grizzly fate as the first two until only one is left alive. As night falls the lone survivor runs for her life from a crazed killer wielding a chainsaw.

WHAT I LIKED

Raw Authenticity. The film looks terribly rough from start to finish. The movie opens on a black screen with strange sound effects. Then we get a flash of light in the dark and a new jarring sound. This repeats, the flashing of light eventually revealing a number of desiccated corpses. The first fully light shot of the movie is of a bizarre corpse sculpture made of many different bodies, contorted and wrapped around a monolithic headstone. Then the credit roll occurs and we get our first exposure to the disturbing film score (which can barely be classified as music, which makes it all the more unnerving).

Once we finally see the first shots of the cast and the narrative begins moving along the film takes on an unrefined documentary appearance adding an odd dimension of realism to the images and characters on screen, again feeling incredibly raw. All of these elements work to set the audience ill at ease from the start and the uncomfortable feeling only grows as the film progresses. This raw appearance subtly makes the viewer stop thinking they're watching a work of fiction and wonder if the images on screen are actually real. Very few horror films have a overall presentation as potent as this.

The Acting. Continuing the authentic raw feeling of the film is the incredible performances of the cast. The five protagonists look and feel natural. Their reactions are believable and never is there the logicless moments where the characters do something stupid (a classic horror trope). Marilyn Burns has the hardest task of all being the heroine and she nails it. Then there's the Chainsaw Family, Grandpa, Cook, Hitchhiker, and Leatherface. These four deliver genuinely frightening, disturbing, and some of the most convincingly insane performances in cinema history. All these actors kill it (pun intended). Marilyn Burns, Jim Siedow, and Edwin Neal are all deserving of more praise and recognition for their performances.

The Visuals. I talked about the opening sequence with the corpses and graveyard art but there is so much more demented macabre imagery in this film. The set design of the Chainsaw Family's farmhouse is incredible. Dirty, covered in bones and feathers, and terrifying. There are lamps made from human skulls, furniture made of severed human limbs, and so much more. Leatherface's look is shocking and bizarre as well as the Hitchhiker with his strange mannerisms and facial birthmark. And of course the finale at the dinner table is an unparalleled masterpiece of madness and horrifying cinema. Marilyn Burns deserves an Academy Award for that scene.

The cinematography and the music are the wicked and weird icing on this gruesome cake which I cannot speak enough about nor heap enough praise upon.

NITPICKS

I have no complaints about this film whatsoever. I'm even straining my mind to come up with one. To me this is one of the great horror masterpieces of cinema. I have heard that director Tobe Hooper cut as much of the gore as he could in hopes of getting any rating other than an X. I will admit that I deeply wish to see a director's cut of this film with the censored gore restored in its entirety. In all honesty I don't feel the film needs anything else. I just want to see what the director's original vision was like.

THE VERDICT

A true milestone and masterpiece of horror cinema, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre redefined horror movies forever. Every aspect about this film works on its audience, making the viewer uncomfortable and pushing that feeling as far as possible. Leatherface and the Chainsaw Family are the perfect picture of madness. Unparalleled, iconic, and most of all scary. This film works on your senses like no other and shows you what true horror really is.

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

For more of the Chainsaw Family, Tobe Hooper, and films in a similar vein, check out these movies below

 
 
 
 
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Saturday, October 21, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 21: INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 (2013)


Insidious was one of those films that was made on a low budget, expected to earn a modest amount in the box office, and be done. But Insidious did something very few horror films had done: make an utterly terrifying PG13 film that made everyone forget that they were watching a PG13 film. The ending, in reality just a tried and true horror trope, had (one of) the villains succeed leaving the story open for a sequel. Insidious took a classic plot and gave it a fresh spin, offering audiences something familiar and new at the same time. And the scares were crafted extremely well, perhaps the most crucial element to this film's success.

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2, directed by James Wan, came out the same year as The Conjuring, also directed by James Wan. We'll skip over the fact that James Wan, in the span of one year, produced two incredibly potent horror films (something very few directors have done). Again PG13, Insidious 2 showed everyone that, when done right, a PG13 horror film can be just as effective as The Conjuring's R rating. The Conjuring being R rated may have given it the edge over Insidious 2 but the fact remains that both films were very well done. Insidious 2 has, what I feel is, an even stronger story than the first, and even greater scares.

Sadly James Wan would abandon the Insidious films in favor of the burgeoning Conjuring franchise, but he did finish the story he began telling in the first Insidious giving us a completed story.

THE PLOT

Josh and Renai Lambert's nightmare continues as the police investigate Elise's murder, suspecting Josh as the killer. Renai isn't quite sure what she saw in the camera lens that night, but she can't deny that something is off about Josh. With their son, Dalton, revived from his coma the family decides to spend a few nights at Josh's mother's house. To the family's horror the poltergeists have returned and a new ghost, a pale woman in white more malevolent than the others, begins haunting them. Who is this new ghost and what is her connection to the Bride in Black spirit that has haunted Josh all his life? Their only hope may lie with a dead woman.

WHAT I LIKED

The Story. Leigh Whannell pens the script once again and provides, in my opinion, an even stronger script than the first Insidious. The brilliant choice was made to abandon the lesser-received demonic character from the first film to further explore the Bride in Black, arguably the more potent of the first film's ghoulish characters. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this film's story is the non-linear structure and the interweaving with seemingly none-connected moments with the first film. Insidious 2 shows us that there was more going on in the first films and it does it in an original and exciting way. Not only does Insidious 2 continue the story but it also reinforces the first film as well.

PG13 without Sacrificing the Scares. To deliver an effective horror film and be rated PG13 is an incredible challenge. The fact that this film is just as scary, if not more so in areas, as the R rated Conjuring is a true testament to the talents of the filmmakers. The Bride in Black is incredibly scary and the Woman in White maybe even more. Very few of the films scares fall flat, nearly all refined to a razor's edge. Joseph Bishara once again composes the score and his music adds tremendously to the thrills of the film. His music for the series is an essential ingredient in the success of these films. The score elevates the images on screen and heightens the tension. His work is one of the best recent examples of the effectiveness of music on film.

NITPICKS

There's kind of a major plot hole in this movie which really isn't addressed at all: Where's the demon? Now I know that the demon, when it was fully revealed in the first Insidious, didn't quite strike the right cord with audiences. Most everybody I talk to about Insidious mentions how big of a letdown the demon reveal was citing that the demon looked laughable. I get that and can see why the filmmakers chose to disregard the character in the future films. And this film didn't really need the demon at all. But according to the story, the demon knows where Dalton's body is.

Dalton only outran the demon back to his body. Shouldn't the demon be hovering around Dalton waiting for another opportunity to strike when next Dalton ventures into the Further? Like I said, I know and understand why the demon was left out of this film, a creative choice most likely due to the negative reactions to the character from the first film. But shouldn't it at least be acknowledged in some way? They could explain away this plot hole in a later film but as it stands it's the only shaky aspect of an otherwise wonderful script.

THE VERDICT

The story of the Lambert Family is brought to a close with this second installment in the Insidious franchise. By and large the script is stronger and creatively interwoven with the first film. The scariest aspect of the first film, the Bride in Black, takes center stage in this film and the scares climb with the introduction of the Woman in White. Joseph Bishara once again delivers a powerful film score enhancing the frightful experience. Being PG13 doesn't hurt this film in the slightest as it is one of the scariest films, R rated or otherwise, that I've seen in a long time.


Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For more films in the vein of Insidious check out these movies below!

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Friday, October 20, 2017

HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 20: I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978)


Reflecting societal feelings and tensions of the time, 1970's cinema brought unparalleled reality and in some cases extremely harsh brutality to film. During the 1970's we saw a rise in exploitation film as well as more graphic content in mainstream R rated features. Movies like THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, SALO, THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE, and others showcased rape and graphic violence on levels few films before had dared. I'm not saying these types of films didn't exist prior to the 1970's but rather films like these weren't as available as they were in the 70's. These films pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in cinema as well as the boundaries of what audiences could endure.

I have my own term for these particular kinds of films: SOUL CRUSHERS. Have you ever come out of a movie feeling like you just lost a piece of your innocence and a piece of your soul? Have you ever come out of a movie feeling so sick to your stomach that you questioned whether or not it was the film that made you sick or yourself for having watched something so disgusting? Images from the film are forever seared into your memory and not the kind you want to remember. You feel like you've witnessed something that you weren't meant to see and you feel your soul needs a good rinse afterwards. You feel that a piece of yourself just died inside. These kinds of feelings are what accompany a viewing of a Soul Crusher film.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE a.k.a. DAY OF THE WOMAN is a film I'd characterize as a Soul Crusher. Every year I sneak in one of these to feel bad about myself afterwards.

Breathes deeply, "Okay... here we go..."

"Why? Why? WHY?!"

THE PLOT

Jennifer is an aspiring writer and working on her first book. She rents a cottage in rural Connecticut to get away from city life and focus on her writing. All the residents of the sleepy little town in which Jennifer is staying take notice. Some of the local men are put off by Jennifer's cultured demeanor and independence. Four of these men jump her in the woods and each take turns ravaging her. Left for dead, Jennifer barely makes it back to the cottage. Once she has healed she goes about planning her revenge, picking off the four men one by one.

WHAT I LIKED

??? I'm not sure I liked anything about this film. It's not that I feel there was anything technically wrong about the production. In fact I don't have any real nitpicks about it either. But it's that I don't particularly find the subject matter appealing. It's just my personal preference and that's what it comes down to.

This is a REVENGE film and one of the most potent of Revenge films.

True Horror. The definition of horror is: an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. What really horrifies people varies from person to person. The subject matter of this film I guess is what truly horrifies me. In real life there aren't werewolves, zombies, or vampires (or are there?). This film portrays real life monsters and what these real life monsters do actually disgusts me and makes my stomach churn. So in that respect this film does a good job of showcasing real monsters.


An Emotional Reaction. While I may not find this film entertaining in the least it did evoke an emotional response from me. I felt physically ill watching this movie. I felt a desire to see those four men die in the worst ways possible. I hope those four men are writhing in Hell and being torn apart and raped over and over again for all eternity. So for a film to illicit such a reaction from me shows the power of the images and narrative on screen. Few films have actually made me sick and driven me to genuine anger.

NITPICKS

I didn't notice anything technically wrong with this film, but then I only watched it this one time. I think I was too busy being nervous for what was coming and disgusted by what I was seeing to be technically analytical about the film. So instead I'll issue a word of caution: DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO BE PUSHED TO YOUR LIMITS.

If there ever was an example of a film that ISN'T for everyone, IT'S THIS FILM. 

Now, I have seen far harsher films that make this one look tame by comparison. Some of you more experienced film masochists may not bat an eyelash at this film as the gore level is quite low. But the subject matter of this film should not be taken lightly at all.


THE VERDICT

 I Spit On Your Grave is a pure visceral Revenge film and one I'd consider a Soul Crusher. You won't feel good after watching this film. This film will push the uninitiated viewer's boundaries to their limits. Real world evil is on full display in this film. If that is something you desire to see than look no further. Whether or not you find such films entertaining or not I'll leave to you. But for me personally I have no desire to watch this film ever again. That's not to say the film was put together inadequately but rather I found little entertainment value in it. 

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Rated high for effectiveness NOT for entertainment value
Nude-O-Meter: 6 out of 10

For more Soul Crushers "WHY? WHY WOULD YOU?!" check out these other films below "DON'T!"

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