Last year I promised more structure to the wrap-up. Going into this October, I didn't expect to watch so many movies, especially with the Red Sox in the playoffs (CHAMPS!), so I did not keep that promise. Counting the animated collection as one feature, I watched 43 (!) movies this month. I'm as surprised as you. Now that the month is over, I don't really know what to do with myself. Maybe get to know my son a little...
Most Common Year -- 1988
Most Common Decade -- 1980's
Most Common Presence -- Roger Corman (6)
Most Common Director -- Stuart Gordon (2, Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante also have two credits, but Gordon directed two features as opposed to a feature and a short or two shorts, respectively)
Most Common Actor(s) -- Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Vincent Price (2)
Countries Heard From -- 5
Featured Nudity -- 11
No Deaths -- 7 (I counted High Spirits because a dead character and living character switch places so it balances out)
Colons in the Title -- 6
Most Unique Weapon -- Dildos
Notable Subgenres:
Were-Creature -- 2
Giant Monsters -- 4
Regular Monsters -- 3
Psychopaths -- 6
Omnibus -- 3
Vampires -- 2
When Animals Attack -- 3
Demons/Witchcraft -- 6
Zombies -- 3
Ghosts -- 5
Aliens -- 4
Best in Show -- Phantom of the Opera
Biggest Surprise -- Daybreakers
Worst -- Venus in Furs or Rats: Night of Terror
Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts
Friday, November 1, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #38: The Strangers and Bleeders
The Strangers -- Bryan Bertino
The trailer for The Strangers is one of the most effective I've seen. The creepy atmosphere, those damned masks, the skipping record, all the crap going on in the background, "Because you were home." It all works. The first time I saw The Strangers I was underwhelmed. It would've been hard not to be given my expectations (the only thing tempering those were Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman). The ending put me off, though I can't imagine why now. It's still not a great movie. There's not a whole lot of depth to the characters or the story. Fortunately, the mood is practically overbearing in the best possible way. Things don't let up. And the sound design is masterful. If you've got a good surround sound system at your disposal, you're in for a treat.
I'm not really sure how to fit this in, so I'll just end with it. There's a character who I call Dick Hallorann much to my amusement. It will be obvious why.
Bleeders -- Peter Svatek
I know what attracted me to Bleeders. It stars Rutger Hauer, was co-written by Dan O'Bannon, and is based on "The Lurking Fear" by H.P. Lovecraft. I should've realized it fell deep into Hauer's career nadir and O'Bannon hadn't done anything worthwhile since Total Recall seven years prior.
There's really not a lot to say about Bleeders. Maybe with a better cast/director it could've been something interesting, but it's mostly a mess that telegraphs where it's going from nearly the start. Props to it having a creepy VHS cover and at least it doesn't shy away from killing kids. There's always a silver lining.
The trailer for The Strangers is one of the most effective I've seen. The creepy atmosphere, those damned masks, the skipping record, all the crap going on in the background, "Because you were home." It all works. The first time I saw The Strangers I was underwhelmed. It would've been hard not to be given my expectations (the only thing tempering those were Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman). The ending put me off, though I can't imagine why now. It's still not a great movie. There's not a whole lot of depth to the characters or the story. Fortunately, the mood is practically overbearing in the best possible way. Things don't let up. And the sound design is masterful. If you've got a good surround sound system at your disposal, you're in for a treat.
I'm not really sure how to fit this in, so I'll just end with it. There's a character who I call Dick Hallorann much to my amusement. It will be obvious why.
Bleeders -- Peter Svatek
I know what attracted me to Bleeders. It stars Rutger Hauer, was co-written by Dan O'Bannon, and is based on "The Lurking Fear" by H.P. Lovecraft. I should've realized it fell deep into Hauer's career nadir and O'Bannon hadn't done anything worthwhile since Total Recall seven years prior.
There's really not a lot to say about Bleeders. Maybe with a better cast/director it could've been something interesting, but it's mostly a mess that telegraphs where it's going from nearly the start. Props to it having a creepy VHS cover and at least it doesn't shy away from killing kids. There's always a silver lining.
Halloween Horror Watch #37: Animated Miscellany
I watched a bunch of half hour scare-related animation. I won't talk about each, but I'll link to many of them so you can watch along.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
I watched this last year and commented on it (as well as another TV special later in this list). You can find my comments here.
Pluto's Judgement Day
Lonesome Ghosts (my favorite Disney short ever. This poster hangs on my wall)
The Mad Doctor (also has an awesome Tom Whalen-designed poster)
Trick or Treat
Donald Duck and the Gorilla
Night on Bald Mountain
The Haunted House
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The embedding was disabled, but this is classic. As a kid, I only saw the edited for compilation version. Ichabod is kind of a dick in this and I kind of felt bad for Brom Bones. Amazing songs.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure (no link to full show)
Or, if you don't have time for everything, you should watch this because it rules and covers some of the same ground and a little more (all edited for time, though)
Happy Halloween!
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
I watched this last year and commented on it (as well as another TV special later in this list). You can find my comments here.
Pluto's Judgement Day
Lonesome Ghosts (my favorite Disney short ever. This poster hangs on my wall)
The Mad Doctor (also has an awesome Tom Whalen-designed poster)
Trick or Treat
Donald Duck and the Gorilla
Night on Bald Mountain
The Haunted House
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The embedding was disabled, but this is classic. As a kid, I only saw the edited for compilation version. Ichabod is kind of a dick in this and I kind of felt bad for Brom Bones. Amazing songs.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure (no link to full show)
Or, if you don't have time for everything, you should watch this because it rules and covers some of the same ground and a little more (all edited for time, though)
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #36: The Man from Planet X
The Man from Planet X -- Edgar G. Ulmer
The Man from Planet X is pretty unremarkable in nearly every way. Maybe I'm burning out on '50s sci-fi, but there is a considerable lack of charm in this movie. The titular man from Planet X is a terrible design and the way our heroes fight him is to grapple until they can turn off his air supply. Sure, it makes sense, but it's not very interesting to watch. Yes, there's one woman amongst scientists and yes, she gets captured by the alien. I don't feel the need to talk about that again, but there's another trope that is growing tiresome. The megalomaniacal scientist. He became a scientist for fame, fortune, and power and for some reason, the good scientists keep him around. Usually, they already know he has ulterior motives or a questionable reputation. Inevitably, he is responsible for the ensuing turmoil and most of the body count in these movies. He's a pretty lame stock character and The Man from Planet X is a pretty lame movie.
The Man from Planet X is pretty unremarkable in nearly every way. Maybe I'm burning out on '50s sci-fi, but there is a considerable lack of charm in this movie. The titular man from Planet X is a terrible design and the way our heroes fight him is to grapple until they can turn off his air supply. Sure, it makes sense, but it's not very interesting to watch. Yes, there's one woman amongst scientists and yes, she gets captured by the alien. I don't feel the need to talk about that again, but there's another trope that is growing tiresome. The megalomaniacal scientist. He became a scientist for fame, fortune, and power and for some reason, the good scientists keep him around. Usually, they already know he has ulterior motives or a questionable reputation. Inevitably, he is responsible for the ensuing turmoil and most of the body count in these movies. He's a pretty lame stock character and The Man from Planet X is a pretty lame movie.
Halloween Horror Watch #35: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things -- Bob Clark*
This was an interesting viewing experience. I was never really sure where Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things was taking me until it took me there. That's a good thing, but it made the journey sort of confusing. The main character, Alan (who would fit in quite nicely in today's society, 40 years after the movie was made), is overly obnoxious and the only thing that keeps the viewer from checking out instantly is that we all know or know of someone much like him. The fact that everyone else hates him helps, too. Alan is leading a group of actors to an island for some Satanic ritual. Apparently, he pays them to do this. It's not clear what the acting part of the job is unless they all thought they were going out to a remote area to rehearse. The whole acting troupe/getting paid part is really confusing and exists only to give Alan some power over the rest of the crew.
Eventually, they collect a corpse from a graveyard and bring it back to the old resort building they're staying in. There's all sorts of strangeness that happens with this corpse including a fake wedding and Alan going to be with it (not in the biblical sense). Crazy stuff starts to happen with thirty minutes left in the run time, which if you watched the trailer, you already have a sense of. It's an unusual film but worth checking out. Bob Clark (Black Christmas, A Christmas Story, Porky's) directs and one wishes he'd had a more impressive career. His career peaked in 1983 and amongst his final movies before his death were two Baby Geniuses and The Karate Dog. He deserved better.
*I'm fascinated by the fact that his name is really "Benjamin" but he went by "Bob."
This was an interesting viewing experience. I was never really sure where Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things was taking me until it took me there. That's a good thing, but it made the journey sort of confusing. The main character, Alan (who would fit in quite nicely in today's society, 40 years after the movie was made), is overly obnoxious and the only thing that keeps the viewer from checking out instantly is that we all know or know of someone much like him. The fact that everyone else hates him helps, too. Alan is leading a group of actors to an island for some Satanic ritual. Apparently, he pays them to do this. It's not clear what the acting part of the job is unless they all thought they were going out to a remote area to rehearse. The whole acting troupe/getting paid part is really confusing and exists only to give Alan some power over the rest of the crew.
Eventually, they collect a corpse from a graveyard and bring it back to the old resort building they're staying in. There's all sorts of strangeness that happens with this corpse including a fake wedding and Alan going to be with it (not in the biblical sense). Crazy stuff starts to happen with thirty minutes left in the run time, which if you watched the trailer, you already have a sense of. It's an unusual film but worth checking out. Bob Clark (Black Christmas, A Christmas Story, Porky's) directs and one wishes he'd had a more impressive career. His career peaked in 1983 and amongst his final movies before his death were two Baby Geniuses and The Karate Dog. He deserved better.
*I'm fascinated by the fact that his name is really "Benjamin" but he went by "Bob."
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #34: Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon -- Jack Arnold
I follow a blog on Tumblr that frequently shows amazing images from Creature from the Black Lagoon. These inspired me to re-watch the film having only seen it once. And... meh. The creature is a great monster and perfectly realized but, as with most of these sci-fi/horror movies from the '50s featuring scientists at work, there is a TON of awful exposition, most of which is unnecessary. I don't know why this genre thinks its audience is comprised of morons who can't think for themselves but between the exposition and voiceover, very little is left to the imagination.
Maybe that's the biggest issue with Creature from the Black Lagoon. There is nothing subtle about it. Every time Gill Man makes an appearance, he's accompanied by an epic music queue. It's kind of cute at first, but by the end one wonders if the filmmakers had ever heard of building suspense. The music throughout is overbearing, so I guess it's par for the course.
One aspect of this genre that has become glaring (especially after Attack of the Crab Monsters and Invisible Invaders) is how little the women characters matter. Most of the time they could easily be written out. Women exist only to be objects for men to fight over/protect (count the number of times Julie Adams [bill as "Julia"] is told to "stay here" or "go there") or to be a victim of the monster. As a huge fan of the genre, this trope is really starting to get me down to where it's hard to enjoy the movies.
Great monster. Cool underwater photography (the little ballet between Gill Man and Julie Adams is justifiably iconic). Adequate execution.
This post taught me I cannot type lagoon without making a typo my first try.
I follow a blog on Tumblr that frequently shows amazing images from Creature from the Black Lagoon. These inspired me to re-watch the film having only seen it once. And... meh. The creature is a great monster and perfectly realized but, as with most of these sci-fi/horror movies from the '50s featuring scientists at work, there is a TON of awful exposition, most of which is unnecessary. I don't know why this genre thinks its audience is comprised of morons who can't think for themselves but between the exposition and voiceover, very little is left to the imagination.
Maybe that's the biggest issue with Creature from the Black Lagoon. There is nothing subtle about it. Every time Gill Man makes an appearance, he's accompanied by an epic music queue. It's kind of cute at first, but by the end one wonders if the filmmakers had ever heard of building suspense. The music throughout is overbearing, so I guess it's par for the course.
One aspect of this genre that has become glaring (especially after Attack of the Crab Monsters and Invisible Invaders) is how little the women characters matter. Most of the time they could easily be written out. Women exist only to be objects for men to fight over/protect (count the number of times Julie Adams [bill as "Julia"] is told to "stay here" or "go there") or to be a victim of the monster. As a huge fan of the genre, this trope is really starting to get me down to where it's hard to enjoy the movies.
Great monster. Cool underwater photography (the little ballet between Gill Man and Julie Adams is justifiably iconic). Adequate execution.
This post taught me I cannot type lagoon without making a typo my first try.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #33: Invisible Invaders
Invisible Invaders -- Edward L. Cahn
George Romero rightfully gets credit for being the father of the modern zombie movie (as opposed to Voodoo zombies). I can't help but think that Invisible Invaders held some inspiration for him. Romero was 19 at the time of its release, a perfect age to notice a good concept in an imperfect movie and log it away for later use.
Invisible Invaders is about an invisible alien force who plan on taking over the world. Initially, one of these aliens inhabits a recently deceased corpse (played by the always awesome John Carradine) to communicate to one prominent scientist that he must spread the word of the impending invasion or face annihilation. This makes some sense as the alien as some visual aids and, being invisible, it would be hard to get the scientist's attention. But for whatever reason, the invading force keeps taking up residence in dead individuals and wandering the earth looking for humans (even more perplexing is why they stumble around mindlessly when the John Carradine alien was not only eloquent, but well-coordinated). If an invading force is going to attack, why give up your greatest asset? It allows our heroes to capture one and eventually figure out how to kill them and shows them where they are.
Invisible Invaders is a pretty poor entry in the nuclear horror genre, but it holds several elements for what would become Night of the Living Dead (a quick google search of "George Romero" and "Invisible Invaders" shows I'm not the only one who thinks this), so I won't knock it too hard.
George Romero rightfully gets credit for being the father of the modern zombie movie (as opposed to Voodoo zombies). I can't help but think that Invisible Invaders held some inspiration for him. Romero was 19 at the time of its release, a perfect age to notice a good concept in an imperfect movie and log it away for later use.
Invisible Invaders is about an invisible alien force who plan on taking over the world. Initially, one of these aliens inhabits a recently deceased corpse (played by the always awesome John Carradine) to communicate to one prominent scientist that he must spread the word of the impending invasion or face annihilation. This makes some sense as the alien as some visual aids and, being invisible, it would be hard to get the scientist's attention. But for whatever reason, the invading force keeps taking up residence in dead individuals and wandering the earth looking for humans (even more perplexing is why they stumble around mindlessly when the John Carradine alien was not only eloquent, but well-coordinated). If an invading force is going to attack, why give up your greatest asset? It allows our heroes to capture one and eventually figure out how to kill them and shows them where they are.
Invisible Invaders is a pretty poor entry in the nuclear horror genre, but it holds several elements for what would become Night of the Living Dead (a quick google search of "George Romero" and "Invisible Invaders" shows I'm not the only one who thinks this), so I won't knock it too hard.
Halloween Horror Watch #32: Basket Case 2
Basket Case 2 -- Frank Henenlotter
It's been a while since I watched the original Basket Case but I remember it as being pretty serious, though darkly comic. The first thing one notices about Basket Case 2 is that it's going to be a lot wackier. For half of the run time, I wasn't on board with this decision. It felt like the tonal shift from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 only less extreme. As the movie went on, I was able to appreciate its particular charms, including the stilted line readings of Kevin Van Hentenryck.
There are a few flashbacks to clips from the original and I was wistful for the look of that film. I say it every time, but what happened to film stock in the late '80s to early '90s? It looks so bland. For an R-rated movie, the kills pretty tame. If not for a few "fucks" and some very brief nudity, Basket Case 2 could easily be PG-13. But there are some great designs on some of the "unique" individuals featured. I'm surprised that this movie doesn't come up more in discussions of great makeup design in horror movies. Perhaps more accurately, I'm surprised this movie doesn't have a larger cult championing its merits. It's probably always going to be an afterthought to the original, but Basket Case 2 deserves a wider audience.
It's been a while since I watched the original Basket Case but I remember it as being pretty serious, though darkly comic. The first thing one notices about Basket Case 2 is that it's going to be a lot wackier. For half of the run time, I wasn't on board with this decision. It felt like the tonal shift from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 only less extreme. As the movie went on, I was able to appreciate its particular charms, including the stilted line readings of Kevin Van Hentenryck.
There are a few flashbacks to clips from the original and I was wistful for the look of that film. I say it every time, but what happened to film stock in the late '80s to early '90s? It looks so bland. For an R-rated movie, the kills pretty tame. If not for a few "fucks" and some very brief nudity, Basket Case 2 could easily be PG-13. But there are some great designs on some of the "unique" individuals featured. I'm surprised that this movie doesn't come up more in discussions of great makeup design in horror movies. Perhaps more accurately, I'm surprised this movie doesn't have a larger cult championing its merits. It's probably always going to be an afterthought to the original, but Basket Case 2 deserves a wider audience.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #31: The Little Shop of Horrors (Director's Cut)
Little Shop of Horrors (Director's Cut) -- Frank Oz
I felt a little bad about watching Little Shop of Horrors as the scary movie with my friends last night even though it was voted on by the group. It was our Halloween scary movie and it's not really scary. This was the first musical I ever liked, and by "liked" I mean "LOVED." I did a school presentation on it with a classmate where we built a small model of Audrey II. So good.
The only way you're not going to like Little Shop is if you hate the music. The cast is amazing, featuring Rick Moranis (be in movies again!), Ellen Green, Steve Martin (in the role of the most beloved abusive asshole ever. Seriously, his song is the best and he's hilarious. As a kid I never really understood the abuse part and it makes me feel really guilty for still thinking he is the best part of the movie), John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. The sets are the sort of perfect mix of convincing and fake. I want to wander aimlessly around them. Frank Oz' direction has never been more impressive. And the puppet...
I can't imagine how difficult it was to build and operate Audrey II, but I've never been so impressed. It's the sort of thing you don't appreciate as a kid because movies are still magic then. I can't wait to watch Little Shop with commentary just so I can find out more about it. If you've never seen the original ending, it's mind-blowing. I can't believe how much work must've gone into it to be scrapped for the, to steal a phrase, "Love Conquers All" ending.
This movie is the best.
I felt a little bad about watching Little Shop of Horrors as the scary movie with my friends last night even though it was voted on by the group. It was our Halloween scary movie and it's not really scary. This was the first musical I ever liked, and by "liked" I mean "LOVED." I did a school presentation on it with a classmate where we built a small model of Audrey II. So good.
The only way you're not going to like Little Shop is if you hate the music. The cast is amazing, featuring Rick Moranis (be in movies again!), Ellen Green, Steve Martin (in the role of the most beloved abusive asshole ever. Seriously, his song is the best and he's hilarious. As a kid I never really understood the abuse part and it makes me feel really guilty for still thinking he is the best part of the movie), John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. The sets are the sort of perfect mix of convincing and fake. I want to wander aimlessly around them. Frank Oz' direction has never been more impressive. And the puppet...
I can't imagine how difficult it was to build and operate Audrey II, but I've never been so impressed. It's the sort of thing you don't appreciate as a kid because movies are still magic then. I can't wait to watch Little Shop with commentary just so I can find out more about it. If you've never seen the original ending, it's mind-blowing. I can't believe how much work must've gone into it to be scrapped for the, to steal a phrase, "Love Conquers All" ending.
This movie is the best.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #30: The Uninvited and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Uninvited -- Lewis Allen
I blind-bought the new Criterion release of The Uninvited because I love when Criterion releases horror movies and I had a gift card. I was expecting something along the lines of The Innocents So color me surprised when The Uninvited opens with a pseudo-screwball opening with (grown) siblings chasing their dog that is chasing a squirrel through an abandoned house. The levity continues throughout the film and is maybe its greatest asset (aside from the appealing performances). It makes the characters easy to like and when supernatural things start to happen, it's more believable because the characters are feel like real people.
Another great thing about The Uninvited is that the siblings move into the abandoned house and quickly discover it's haunted (there had been prior warning), but instead of being terrified, they try to figure out what's going on. It reminded me of The Changeling starring George C. Scott (also terrific). The ending gets a little hokey, but I'm used to that, especially from older movies where things always have to end happy, but The Uninvited was a tremendous surprise and a great blind-buy.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken -- Alan Rafkin
I'm not surprise that The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was disappointing as I've been disappointed in just about every Don Knotts vehicle I've watched in the past year (including The Apple Dumpling Gang, How to Frame a Figg, The Reluctant Astronaut, and The Private Eyes). I was really hoping the second movie in my haunted house double feature would feature more time in the haunted house. That's the big problem. Maybe fifteen minutes are spent in the house with Knotts and the rest is him being lauded for writing a great newspaper article or in a courtroom. I can't imagine that's what anybody came to see. It's cute enough for what it is and it was neat seeing many recognizable faces show up (many from The Andy Griffith Show). There were some interesting choices to linger in scenes and on jokes that slowed the movie down but were good character beats or just funny so the choices played well enough. The scary house looks exactly like the Psycho house and it was shot on the Universal lot, but IMDB trivia assures me that it's not the same house. However, The 'Burbs was shot on the same lot, so that's awesome (I love this stuff).
I blind-bought the new Criterion release of The Uninvited because I love when Criterion releases horror movies and I had a gift card. I was expecting something along the lines of The Innocents So color me surprised when The Uninvited opens with a pseudo-screwball opening with (grown) siblings chasing their dog that is chasing a squirrel through an abandoned house. The levity continues throughout the film and is maybe its greatest asset (aside from the appealing performances). It makes the characters easy to like and when supernatural things start to happen, it's more believable because the characters are feel like real people.
Another great thing about The Uninvited is that the siblings move into the abandoned house and quickly discover it's haunted (there had been prior warning), but instead of being terrified, they try to figure out what's going on. It reminded me of The Changeling starring George C. Scott (also terrific). The ending gets a little hokey, but I'm used to that, especially from older movies where things always have to end happy, but The Uninvited was a tremendous surprise and a great blind-buy.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken -- Alan Rafkin
I'm not surprise that The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was disappointing as I've been disappointed in just about every Don Knotts vehicle I've watched in the past year (including The Apple Dumpling Gang, How to Frame a Figg, The Reluctant Astronaut, and The Private Eyes). I was really hoping the second movie in my haunted house double feature would feature more time in the haunted house. That's the big problem. Maybe fifteen minutes are spent in the house with Knotts and the rest is him being lauded for writing a great newspaper article or in a courtroom. I can't imagine that's what anybody came to see. It's cute enough for what it is and it was neat seeing many recognizable faces show up (many from The Andy Griffith Show). There were some interesting choices to linger in scenes and on jokes that slowed the movie down but were good character beats or just funny so the choices played well enough. The scary house looks exactly like the Psycho house and it was shot on the Universal lot, but IMDB trivia assures me that it's not the same house. However, The 'Burbs was shot on the same lot, so that's awesome (I love this stuff).
Friday, October 25, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #29: Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit -- Nick Park and Steve Box
Curse of the Were-Rabbit is one of those movies that I hope becomes a seasonal classic. There's very little that would date it and the humor is pop-culture reference free (something Dreamworks struggles to avoid). Even the famous actors providing voices, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham-Carter, are inconspicuous.
Yeah, this movie should have legs. And why not? It's hilarious; filled with sight gags and puns and some surprisingly adult humor. The animation is great, seamlessly mixing stop-motion and CGI. Wallace and Gromit are so darn lovable that the only thing preventing it from becoming a classic is if people don't show it (I booked it at my theater last October and it did really well, so that's encouraging).
There's really not much to say about Curse of the Were-Rabbit except that it's aces all around. And Ollie loved the theme song.
Curse of the Were-Rabbit is one of those movies that I hope becomes a seasonal classic. There's very little that would date it and the humor is pop-culture reference free (something Dreamworks struggles to avoid). Even the famous actors providing voices, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham-Carter, are inconspicuous.
Yeah, this movie should have legs. And why not? It's hilarious; filled with sight gags and puns and some surprisingly adult humor. The animation is great, seamlessly mixing stop-motion and CGI. Wallace and Gromit are so darn lovable that the only thing preventing it from becoming a classic is if people don't show it (I booked it at my theater last October and it did really well, so that's encouraging).
There's really not much to say about Curse of the Were-Rabbit except that it's aces all around. And Ollie loved the theme song.
Halloween Horror Watch #28: Don't Torture a Duckling
Don't Torture a Duckling -- Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci is my favorite of the major Italian genre filmmakers. Like his contemporaries, he's made his share of clunkers, but when he's on, he offers some of the best terror and gore you're likely to find anywhere. His movies are inventive and often trippy as hell (watch A Cat in the Brain of The Beyond). Argento my have a better eye for a shot, but Fulci's films have better momentum.
Don't Torture a Duckling is relatively early Fulci and firmly in the Giallo genre. It's a mystery without much gore but a pretty compelling story about a town where someone is murdering children. The movie is kind of sprawling in terms of characters at the sacrifice of character development. We're really just rooting for the crime to get solved. Fulci does a good job of keeping the audience guessing, though if you pay any attention to run times, it's always evident when you're coming to a dead end. Sometimes I think I should put a piece of tape over that time timer...
Many view this as one of Fulci's best (and supposedly, he does as well). It lacks in the visceral thrills I crave from Fulci but is plenty entertaining without them.
Lucio Fulci is my favorite of the major Italian genre filmmakers. Like his contemporaries, he's made his share of clunkers, but when he's on, he offers some of the best terror and gore you're likely to find anywhere. His movies are inventive and often trippy as hell (watch A Cat in the Brain of The Beyond). Argento my have a better eye for a shot, but Fulci's films have better momentum.
Don't Torture a Duckling is relatively early Fulci and firmly in the Giallo genre. It's a mystery without much gore but a pretty compelling story about a town where someone is murdering children. The movie is kind of sprawling in terms of characters at the sacrifice of character development. We're really just rooting for the crime to get solved. Fulci does a good job of keeping the audience guessing, though if you pay any attention to run times, it's always evident when you're coming to a dead end. Sometimes I think I should put a piece of tape over that time timer...
Many view this as one of Fulci's best (and supposedly, he does as well). It lacks in the visceral thrills I crave from Fulci but is plenty entertaining without them.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #27: Attack of the Crab Monsters
Attack of the Crab Monsters -- Roger Corman
Seven years before getting stranded on Gilligan's Island, the Professor (Russell Johnson) was stranded on another island with giant crab monsters. It's not the same character, but he is tasked with building a radio in Crab Monsters, so he may as well be.
I enjoy these cheesy sci-fi flicks from the '50s. They fun and entertaining, they don't waste a lot of time (this is just over 60 minutes), feature lots of amusingly casual sexism no matter how smart or authoritative the woman is (and there is usually one woman), and take the subject seriously. The latter part is especially welcome given that we live in the Irony Age.
Much like Godzilla, Rodan, Them!, and several dozen others, the crab monsters are created in the wake of nuclear testing. A crew of scientists are sent to the island to investigate the effects of the radiation and are picked off one by one. What's great about Crab Monsters is that it's suitably nuts. After the crabs eat someone, they absorb that persons brain and can speak to the humans through metal devices such as a gun or the morse code lever-thing. Not only that, but knives and other weapons do know damage to the crab monsters and actually pass right through them because the crabs are made of negative energy. It's awesome.
There are all the normal pitfalls of cheesy sci-fi like bad exposition and clearly fake monsters (terrific fake monsters. I want one for my yard), but you don't watch movies like this without that in mind going into it. It's just fun times.
Seven years before getting stranded on Gilligan's Island, the Professor (Russell Johnson) was stranded on another island with giant crab monsters. It's not the same character, but he is tasked with building a radio in Crab Monsters, so he may as well be.
I enjoy these cheesy sci-fi flicks from the '50s. They fun and entertaining, they don't waste a lot of time (this is just over 60 minutes), feature lots of amusingly casual sexism no matter how smart or authoritative the woman is (and there is usually one woman), and take the subject seriously. The latter part is especially welcome given that we live in the Irony Age.
Much like Godzilla, Rodan, Them!, and several dozen others, the crab monsters are created in the wake of nuclear testing. A crew of scientists are sent to the island to investigate the effects of the radiation and are picked off one by one. What's great about Crab Monsters is that it's suitably nuts. After the crabs eat someone, they absorb that persons brain and can speak to the humans through metal devices such as a gun or the morse code lever-thing. Not only that, but knives and other weapons do know damage to the crab monsters and actually pass right through them because the crabs are made of negative energy. It's awesome.
There are all the normal pitfalls of cheesy sci-fi like bad exposition and clearly fake monsters (terrific fake monsters. I want one for my yard), but you don't watch movies like this without that in mind going into it. It's just fun times.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #26: Rodan
Rodan -- Ishiro Honda
I didn't start out the afternoon intending to watch Rodan. I selected The Call of Cthulhu, a silent film made in 2005 that is only 45 minutes long. It only took me a few minutes to realize I was going to hate the crappy digital photography made to look like an old silent film with fake scratches and shutters and other post-effects. Not for me, friends. Not for me.
Instead, I watched the American version of Rodan with the crappy, racist-ish dubbing where many of the voices sound the same even though it's different people talking. As a result, I don't feel completely qualified to talk about Rodan. It's a shame that the powers-that-be think so little of Americans that they can't trust them to read subtitles (it's equally a shame when Americans prove them right). I don't know which I hate more, crappy dubbing or crappy, unnecessary remakes. At least the former is thrifty.
Released two years after Gojira (also directed by Honda), Rodan has little of the magic (again, American version). At 75 minutes, it still feels like it takes to long to get to the monster and without a compelling human element, the monsters are all we have. When Rodan(s) finally show up, they'd be better suited teaming up with Captain Planet as they only have the power of wind with destruction taking the form of building blowing over with little monster smashing. There are lots of explosions in the finale, but it's all one-sided with the army bombing the shit out of a mountain side. I did enjoy that the bug monsters early in the movie turn out to be mere food for Rodan. It was an unexpected turn. I'll still probably give the Japanese version a shot, but this was a pretty big disappointment.
I didn't start out the afternoon intending to watch Rodan. I selected The Call of Cthulhu, a silent film made in 2005 that is only 45 minutes long. It only took me a few minutes to realize I was going to hate the crappy digital photography made to look like an old silent film with fake scratches and shutters and other post-effects. Not for me, friends. Not for me.
Instead, I watched the American version of Rodan with the crappy, racist-ish dubbing where many of the voices sound the same even though it's different people talking. As a result, I don't feel completely qualified to talk about Rodan. It's a shame that the powers-that-be think so little of Americans that they can't trust them to read subtitles (it's equally a shame when Americans prove them right). I don't know which I hate more, crappy dubbing or crappy, unnecessary remakes. At least the former is thrifty.
Released two years after Gojira (also directed by Honda), Rodan has little of the magic (again, American version). At 75 minutes, it still feels like it takes to long to get to the monster and without a compelling human element, the monsters are all we have. When Rodan(s) finally show up, they'd be better suited teaming up with Captain Planet as they only have the power of wind with destruction taking the form of building blowing over with little monster smashing. There are lots of explosions in the finale, but it's all one-sided with the army bombing the shit out of a mountain side. I did enjoy that the bug monsters early in the movie turn out to be mere food for Rodan. It was an unexpected turn. I'll still probably give the Japanese version a shot, but this was a pretty big disappointment.
Halloween Horror Watch #25: DeepStar Six
DeepStar Six -- Sean S. Cunningham
1989 saw the release of three major release deep sea monster adventures: The Abyss, Leviathan, and DeepStar Six (The Abyss was the only to feature a benevolent monster). Leviathan is my favorite because it's tons of fun. The Abyss is good, but I don't much cotton to the work of James Cameron and everything of his I watch gets worse on repeat viewing so I won't be revisiting this film. DeepStar Six is, by far, the worst.
There are movies that are so entertaining that you don't care nothing makes sense. DeepStar Six gives the viewer little recourse but to nitpick. The characters are practically swimming in water from uncharted depth of the ocean (typically in the freezing range) yet have no ill effects. One character even drapes his soaking wet sweater over another to keep her warm. What the? The people in the crew are varying degrees of incompetent. A heavy-duty lock breaks randomly to slam a door on some poor soul. Not just breaks. Splits in half. By itself. The monster is interesting looking but only jumps out of the water and flaps it's more than two number of lips around (think Predator). It's not very dynamic. There's a lot of the "here's a glimpse of my life before the shit hit the fan" then that character dies. Love it...
I'll give the film credit for delaying the reveal of the monster for as long as it did. And the cast is affable with many familiar faces but few familiar names. We get Miguel Ferrer in the Miguel Ferrer role. That's mostly fun. At least DeepStar Six ends exactly how you think it will.
1989 saw the release of three major release deep sea monster adventures: The Abyss, Leviathan, and DeepStar Six (The Abyss was the only to feature a benevolent monster). Leviathan is my favorite because it's tons of fun. The Abyss is good, but I don't much cotton to the work of James Cameron and everything of his I watch gets worse on repeat viewing so I won't be revisiting this film. DeepStar Six is, by far, the worst.
There are movies that are so entertaining that you don't care nothing makes sense. DeepStar Six gives the viewer little recourse but to nitpick. The characters are practically swimming in water from uncharted depth of the ocean (typically in the freezing range) yet have no ill effects. One character even drapes his soaking wet sweater over another to keep her warm. What the? The people in the crew are varying degrees of incompetent. A heavy-duty lock breaks randomly to slam a door on some poor soul. Not just breaks. Splits in half. By itself. The monster is interesting looking but only jumps out of the water and flaps it's more than two number of lips around (think Predator). It's not very dynamic. There's a lot of the "here's a glimpse of my life before the shit hit the fan" then that character dies. Love it...
I'll give the film credit for delaying the reveal of the monster for as long as it did. And the cast is affable with many familiar faces but few familiar names. We get Miguel Ferrer in the Miguel Ferrer role. That's mostly fun. At least DeepStar Six ends exactly how you think it will.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #24: Night of the Cobra Woman
Night of the Cobra Woman -- Andrew Meyer
The problem with most exploitation movies is they boil down to a great one sentence synopsis but are made by inept filmmakers hoping to make an easy buck. How can you go wrong with "a woman needs sex to prevent her from turning into a cobra?" Apparently, it's real easy. I don't even want to describe the various ways Night of the Cobra Woman fails because I fear it will still sound interesting enough for people to want to watch. The only way someone will get scared by this movie is if he or she is terrified merely by the idea of snakes. Cobra Woman should sufficiently make that person's skin crawl. Otherwise, it's going to feel like the longest 75 minutes of your day.
The problem with most exploitation movies is they boil down to a great one sentence synopsis but are made by inept filmmakers hoping to make an easy buck. How can you go wrong with "a woman needs sex to prevent her from turning into a cobra?" Apparently, it's real easy. I don't even want to describe the various ways Night of the Cobra Woman fails because I fear it will still sound interesting enough for people to want to watch. The only way someone will get scared by this movie is if he or she is terrified merely by the idea of snakes. Cobra Woman should sufficiently make that person's skin crawl. Otherwise, it's going to feel like the longest 75 minutes of your day.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #23: Damien: Omen II
Damien: Omen II -- Don Taylor
I don't know if I understand the mechanics of the Omen universe. Damien has the mark of the beast but the evil forces seem pretty formidable without him having to do anything at all. From his birth to when he turns 13 lots of people die, theoretically without him having a hand in it. He learns he has telekinesis of some kind early in Omen II but doesn't make use of it until much later. So how does this evil force operate and where is God in all of this? At least in the Harry Potter books Voldemort keeps getting defeated along the way to regaining his full power. It's all winning for Damien. Oh well...
The biggest issue with Omen II is that it should be all about Damien coming to terms with who he is (if we are to start at age 13). Instead there is a big plot point about a business man who has some sketchy ideas about buying property and the former owners farm on it to help solve world hunger, or something like that. This guy is also a minion of Satan, apparently, who works for Damien's uncle. I love William Holden, but all this business should be in the background without as much detail. Good kid actors are hard to come by, so I can see why a screenwriter would be afraid of focusing the whole story on Damien as a kid, but seriously, it's a drag.
Jerry Goldsmith (who is my film composer) comes up with a score that I thought was a lazy knockoff of his score for the original Omen. I was very disappointed to learn that it was him. When you're that prolific, I guess you can have a few clunkers in there.
I don't know if I understand the mechanics of the Omen universe. Damien has the mark of the beast but the evil forces seem pretty formidable without him having to do anything at all. From his birth to when he turns 13 lots of people die, theoretically without him having a hand in it. He learns he has telekinesis of some kind early in Omen II but doesn't make use of it until much later. So how does this evil force operate and where is God in all of this? At least in the Harry Potter books Voldemort keeps getting defeated along the way to regaining his full power. It's all winning for Damien. Oh well...
The biggest issue with Omen II is that it should be all about Damien coming to terms with who he is (if we are to start at age 13). Instead there is a big plot point about a business man who has some sketchy ideas about buying property and the former owners farm on it to help solve world hunger, or something like that. This guy is also a minion of Satan, apparently, who works for Damien's uncle. I love William Holden, but all this business should be in the background without as much detail. Good kid actors are hard to come by, so I can see why a screenwriter would be afraid of focusing the whole story on Damien as a kid, but seriously, it's a drag.
Jerry Goldsmith (who is my film composer) comes up with a score that I thought was a lazy knockoff of his score for the original Omen. I was very disappointed to learn that it was him. When you're that prolific, I guess you can have a few clunkers in there.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch 23: Room 237
Room 237 -- Rodney Ascher
I had a professor at Boston University who, on the first day of class, gave a lecture on how the Odessa Steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin is really about fear of anal sex. I don't know how the rest of the class took it, but I was blown away. Not because I bought into it but because my professor had the balls not only to think about it, but put it right out there. It was a lesson in film studies that I took to heart but never put in to practice (well, maybe once): be bold. As long as you have built up strong enough evidence to support your theory, there is no "wrong." I don't entirely believe it, but I fully endorse the sentiment.
Room 237 features many people swinging for the fences with theories about The Shining. In several instances, I'm not convinced the person actually knows what his or her thesis is. Then there's the guy who is 100% convinced that The Shining is indisputable proof that Kubrick faked the moon landing footage. Another person sees Kubrick's face in the clouds during the opening helicopter shot and a desktop organizer turn into an erection. And I don't know how the guy obsessed about the number "42" can not mention its being the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything (Hitchhiker's Guide came out seven months prior to The Shining's release, so why not?). If you approach Room 237 with the wrong mindset, you might strain your eyes from all the rolling they are going to do.
All the crackpot theories aside, there are some interesting observations such as the carpet pattern changing after the ball rolls to Danny or how Kubrick uses cross-fades (the latter I don't think means anything other than matching shots to create smooth transitions). Then there's the guy who ran The Shining backwards and forwards at the same time. Again, I don't think it means anything, but there are several moments where the images line up in interesting ways.
The use of movie footage to fill in gaps the images from The Shining can't is a unique choice but it doesn't seem meaningful or useful. Even less so when it's not footage from Kubrick movies. Maybe the people offering their thoughts didn't want to be on camera and there's only so many times you can show Danny wheeling around on his little bike or the key to room 237 in the door, but if you're making a movie about the meaning of another movie, make your images count.
Room 237 is a silly diversion that I hope won't ruin watching The Shining for me. I'm just glad that my obsessiveness about things is no where near the level where I freeze-frame through a whole movie. I wonder what Kubrick would have thought about all of this...
I had a professor at Boston University who, on the first day of class, gave a lecture on how the Odessa Steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin is really about fear of anal sex. I don't know how the rest of the class took it, but I was blown away. Not because I bought into it but because my professor had the balls not only to think about it, but put it right out there. It was a lesson in film studies that I took to heart but never put in to practice (well, maybe once): be bold. As long as you have built up strong enough evidence to support your theory, there is no "wrong." I don't entirely believe it, but I fully endorse the sentiment.
Room 237 features many people swinging for the fences with theories about The Shining. In several instances, I'm not convinced the person actually knows what his or her thesis is. Then there's the guy who is 100% convinced that The Shining is indisputable proof that Kubrick faked the moon landing footage. Another person sees Kubrick's face in the clouds during the opening helicopter shot and a desktop organizer turn into an erection. And I don't know how the guy obsessed about the number "42" can not mention its being the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything (Hitchhiker's Guide came out seven months prior to The Shining's release, so why not?). If you approach Room 237 with the wrong mindset, you might strain your eyes from all the rolling they are going to do.
All the crackpot theories aside, there are some interesting observations such as the carpet pattern changing after the ball rolls to Danny or how Kubrick uses cross-fades (the latter I don't think means anything other than matching shots to create smooth transitions). Then there's the guy who ran The Shining backwards and forwards at the same time. Again, I don't think it means anything, but there are several moments where the images line up in interesting ways.
The use of movie footage to fill in gaps the images from The Shining can't is a unique choice but it doesn't seem meaningful or useful. Even less so when it's not footage from Kubrick movies. Maybe the people offering their thoughts didn't want to be on camera and there's only so many times you can show Danny wheeling around on his little bike or the key to room 237 in the door, but if you're making a movie about the meaning of another movie, make your images count.
Room 237 is a silly diversion that I hope won't ruin watching The Shining for me. I'm just glad that my obsessiveness about things is no where near the level where I freeze-frame through a whole movie. I wonder what Kubrick would have thought about all of this...
Friday, October 18, 2013
Halloween Horror Watch #22: The Haunting of Hell House
The Haunting of Hell House -- Mitch Marcus
The Haunting of Hell House feels like it was a paycheck for everyone in the cast and crew. I learned a long time ago not to judge these people for taking a paycheck, but that's what this is. The only thing I hate more than a bad movie is a movie with no ambition at all (not mutually exclusive). The Haunting of Hell House is bland. I toyed around with the idea of writing "meh," and leaving it be. Maybe I should have.
I feel like an emerging theme of these Halloween Horror Watches is to stay away from Roger Corman productions after 1985, or at least to tread lightly (after all, Slumber Party Massacre II came out in 1987). The most interesting thing about The Haunting of Hell House is that, viewed after Castle Freak, it offers the flip side of Castle Freak's mother-takes-her-anger-out-on-her-son plot point. Not all that interesting. Meh...
The Haunting of Hell House feels like it was a paycheck for everyone in the cast and crew. I learned a long time ago not to judge these people for taking a paycheck, but that's what this is. The only thing I hate more than a bad movie is a movie with no ambition at all (not mutually exclusive). The Haunting of Hell House is bland. I toyed around with the idea of writing "meh," and leaving it be. Maybe I should have.
I feel like an emerging theme of these Halloween Horror Watches is to stay away from Roger Corman productions after 1985, or at least to tread lightly (after all, Slumber Party Massacre II came out in 1987). The most interesting thing about The Haunting of Hell House is that, viewed after Castle Freak, it offers the flip side of Castle Freak's mother-takes-her-anger-out-on-her-son plot point. Not all that interesting. Meh...
Halloween Horror Watch #21: Castle Freak
Castle Freak -- Stuart Gordon
My expectations were high for Castle Freak. It reunites Stuart Gordon, Barbara Crampton, and Jeffrey Combs who together made the fantastic movies Re-Animator and From Beyond (I'd like to not that I no longer view From Beyond as "high quality cheese." It's stone-cold awesome). The VHS cover for Castle Freak literally haunted my nightmares when I was a kid. I should know better.
In the ten years between From Beyond and Castle Freak it seems like Gordon lost his ability to go batshit crazy. The filmmaking here feels like some middle of the road journeyman who thinks a dutch angle is a daring choice. Combs and Crampton are completely wasted playing nothings of characters who have marital problems because he drunk drove their kids home and wrecked, killing one and blinding the other. There isn't even any good use of the blind daughter and how she experiences what is happening. It's a shame as there is lots of potential and very little followthrough.
Castle Freak does some good things. The freak is a great monster and should be minimally as iconic as Pumpkinhead (which is a far worse movie), but I bet he's not because this movie went straight to video. The actor, Jonathan Fuller, uses his body masterfully. The final pursuit through the castle where the freak is chasing the wife and blind daughter is solid. Lots of suspense and one legitimately awesome, if unlikely, moment.
A letdown, no doubt, but Castle Freak will still hold a special place in my heart if only for the VHS cover.
As a side note, I will always love the "I can't believe we inherited _____ from our long lost _____" as a trope in horror movies. But if you're going to use it, your movie shouldn't take itself so seriously.
My expectations were high for Castle Freak. It reunites Stuart Gordon, Barbara Crampton, and Jeffrey Combs who together made the fantastic movies Re-Animator and From Beyond (I'd like to not that I no longer view From Beyond as "high quality cheese." It's stone-cold awesome). The VHS cover for Castle Freak literally haunted my nightmares when I was a kid. I should know better.
In the ten years between From Beyond and Castle Freak it seems like Gordon lost his ability to go batshit crazy. The filmmaking here feels like some middle of the road journeyman who thinks a dutch angle is a daring choice. Combs and Crampton are completely wasted playing nothings of characters who have marital problems because he drunk drove their kids home and wrecked, killing one and blinding the other. There isn't even any good use of the blind daughter and how she experiences what is happening. It's a shame as there is lots of potential and very little followthrough.
Castle Freak does some good things. The freak is a great monster and should be minimally as iconic as Pumpkinhead (which is a far worse movie), but I bet he's not because this movie went straight to video. The actor, Jonathan Fuller, uses his body masterfully. The final pursuit through the castle where the freak is chasing the wife and blind daughter is solid. Lots of suspense and one legitimately awesome, if unlikely, moment.
A letdown, no doubt, but Castle Freak will still hold a special place in my heart if only for the VHS cover.
As a side note, I will always love the "I can't believe we inherited _____ from our long lost _____" as a trope in horror movies. But if you're going to use it, your movie shouldn't take itself so seriously.
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