HAROLD'S GOING STIFF (2011) movie review

Harold’s Going Stiff (2011) d. Wright, Keith (UK)

With a tagline like “The Nicest Zombie You’ll Ever Meet,” hardcore horror fans might be a little reluctant to saddle up with this Brit import fearing it to be an overly cutesy spin on the exhaustingly prevalent walking dead. While it’s not likely to send any shivers down the spine or lunches lurching down the loo, Harold is a sublime piece of filmmaking and a thoughtful reinvention of the shambler mythos.

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) movie review

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) d. De Palma, Brian (USA)

Two years before he emerged as a superstar filmmaker with Carrie, De Palma concocted this comedy/horror re-working of Phantom of the Opera. When enigmatic studio magnate Swan (Paul Williams, in a stroke of inspired casting) steals aspiring composer William Finley’s rock opera version of Faust, the spurned tunesmith swears vengeance. As he attempts to sabotage the Death Records offices, Finley’s face and vocal cords are destroyed in a horrific record pressing accident, transforming him into a masked freak haunting Swan’s new rock opera house, the Paradise.

Fool's Views (9/9 – 9/30)

They warned me that my eyes would fall out someday if I kept watching this crap...

My friends!

Another slow month, but rehearsals for The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail down in WV have kept me occupied during the times when I wasn’t bashing away at HIDDEN HORROR (which is taking shape slowly but surely, and a shapely lass she is). But for the most part what we saw was worth seeing, and now it’s time to clear the plate before diving into the abyss that is the October Movie Challenge! I don’t expect this year to be nearly as bonkers as the past two (where I topped the century mark both times) – too much on the plate these days to do a full-on Scare-A-Thon, although I might take a stab at it in an alternate month in 2014, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, as always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

MIRROR MIRROR (1990) movie review

Mirror Mirror (1990) d. Sargenti, Marina (USA)

Enjoyable little riff on the old haunted mirror gambit (although oddly enough there’s not a lot that is related in any way to reflecting or vision, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity, but I digress). Rainbow Harvest plays an achingly shy misfit relocated from Los Angeles after the sudden death of her father, trying to start anew with kooky mom Karen Black.

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR TRILOGY (1979 - 1983) Blu-ray Review

On November 13, 1974, at his residence of 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, NY, Ronald “Butch” DeFeo strode from room to room and methodically shotgunned his parents and four brothers and sisters to death in their beds. He later claimed during his trial that he was instructed to carry out these murders at the behest of disembodied voices. 13 months later, the Lutz family moved into the vacated house, only to flee 28 days later claiming to have been besieged by paranormal phenomena. The Lutz’s story was turned into Jay Anson’s “true-account” haunted house bestseller in 1977, which was subsequently adapted into a feature film in 1979. The film was critically savaged, but enormously successful with moviegoers, eventually grossing over $86 million. With the sequel-happy ’80s just around the corner, it was a no-brainer that follow-ups would ensue…and did they ever. As of this writing, there are 11 separate Amityville films, including the not-bad Ryan Reynolds/Susan George remake of 2005, the first three of which have been recently given the Blu-ray treatment by the superb folks at Shout! Factory.

ADAM CHAPLIN: VIOLENT AVENGER (2011) movie review

Adam Chaplin: Violent Avenger (2011) d. De Santi, Emanuele (Italy)

Remember when the Italians were the masters of splatter? The ’80s heyday of Fulci, Argento, Lenzi and Deodato is long behind us, but there’s a new fellow in town named Emanuele De Santi who invites happy comparisons to these past masters of the red sauce. One catches a glimpse of the man’s work ethic in his chiseled abs and bulging biceps (he stars as well as writing and directing), but this is clearly no empty-headed Chippendale dancer. Santi unloads a double helping of stylish gore and gory style in his debut feature, a jaw-dropping (and jaw shattering) extravaganza that evokes an especially bloodsoaked manga, complete with stark, panel-ready imagery.

THE BUNNY GAME (2010) movie review

Bunny Game, The (2010) d. Rehmeier, Adam (USA)

A down-on-her-luck prostitute’s (Rodleen Getsic) painful existence takes a serious left turn into hell when she is abducted by a psychotic trucker (Jeff F. Renfro) who chains her in the back of his 18-wheeler to do with as he pleases. It’s an 71-minute assault on the senses and the soul, one that packs moments of such incredible intensity and honesty into its opening act that I had already cleared a spot for it on my list of “most impressive releases of the year” before it had reached the 30-minute mark.

PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) Blu-ray Review

Prince of Darkness (1987) d. Carpenter, John (USA)

With a story centering on a 7-million-year old canister in the basement of a Los Angeles church, kept secret by the Catholics for millennia, this heady brew of quantum mechanics, Christianity, occult legend and science fiction transmissions from the future left critics and audiences puzzled and dissatisfied upon its release in 1987. Over the years, however, it has slowly gained traction among the horror faithful. While I’m still no card-carrying convert and I’ve yet to drink the “unsung classic” Kool-Aid, I’m more willing a couple decades later to give it the benefit of the doubt. Not sure if this says more about the movie or my ever-slipping quality standards, but where I used to find it poorly performed and irretrievably cheap and convoluted, I now find it slightly less offensive in all departments. Damnation by faint praise? Maybe, but it’s a decided step up from the vitriol I was doling out before.

CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: Interview with Daniel Farrands and Thommy Hutson!

One of horror history’s most recognizable icons is given the star treatment in a brand new 6.5 hour (!) documentary, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (based on the bestselling book by Peter M. Bracke). Writer/director Daniel Farrands and producer Thommy Hutson, who previously teamed up for 2010’s award-winning Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, have assembled interviews on their four-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack (two of each) with approximately 150 cast and crew members from all twelve Friday the 13th films. (When purchased through the Crystal Lake Memories site, buyers will also receive a bonus DVD with nearly 4 hours of extended interview material.)

Fool's Views (8/19 – 9/8)

Howdy folks,

Another long patch of time with not as many flicks, but the Doc’s hands have not been idle, I promise. The journey toward the completion of the new book, HIDDEN HORROR, continues to move inexorably forward, which required much of my focus over the past few weeks. But the good news is that things are shaping up nicely and we should have a lovely new addition to your bookshelf sooner than later. Keep you posted!

That said, it was a pretty good stretch of flicks and we’ve done our best to give them all their moment in the sun. I’m not going to give much ink to Edgar Wright’s The World’s End because, well, frankly you can read up on it elsewhere and I’m not feeling all that inspired about or by it. (Sorry, Simon. Being loud and muggy and obnoxious does not necessarily equal laughs. Hell, I liked you more in the Star Trek sequel that I didn’t really like.)

As always, feel free to leave us your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

THE BATTERY (2012) movie review

Battery, The (2012) d. Gardner, Jeremy (USA)

Every so often I encounter an independent venture that makes me want to stand up and cheer. And then there are the ones that make me want to devote myself entirely to making sure everyone else sees it.

Writer/star Gardner’s directorial debut is one of those films.

Forget the zombie trappings. Forget that it was made for $6K. Forget that it contains no major stars or studio backing or that you've never heard of it before now. Just watch and revel in the breathtaking creativity, intelligence, resilience and filmmaking savvy on display. The Battery is this year’s must-see horror effort, providing as much offscreen inspiration as it does onscreen entertainment. Go. Find. Watch. NOW. (streaming link available at the bottom of the page)

DAY OF THE DEAD (1985) Blu-ray Review

 

Day of the Dead (1985) d. Romero, George A. (USA)

Following one of the biggest worldwide horror sensations was no easy feat for writer/director George A. Romero. When his sequel to Night of the Living Dead turned out to be as successful and arguably just as influential, one would think that finding backing for a third installment would be easy as falling off the proverbial log. But, lest we forget, Dawn of the Dead nearly didn’t find its way to the screening room, at least not without the threat of studio interference, until Italian horror icon Dario Argento and sibling Claudio stepped up with the bankroll. Long looked upon as the poor relation of the original trilogy, time and context (i.e. the even more divisive sequels that followed) have been kind to Day of the Dead, which has now earned its rightful place of respect and honor among its undead brethren.

THE LORDS OF SALEM (2012) Blu-ray Review

Lords of Salem, The (2012) (2nd viewing) d. Zombie, Rob (USA)

Rob Zombie’s sixth feature generated a strong outburst of mixed emotions during its highly anticipated midnight screening at SXSW earlier this year, which I dutifully chronicled HERE. I admired the man for so wholeheartedly embracing his own artistic ideals, but bemoaned that we were subjected to a movie that jangled pell mell down the narrative hill, crumbling and dissipating in dramatic power as it went. In spite of my frustrations, I was eager to revisit the film – something I have yet to cajole myself into doing with his Halloween reboots – to see if it yielded more sustenance with expectations allayed (and a few more hours of sleep under one’s belt).

PSYCHO III (1986) Blu-ray Review

Psycho III (1986) d. Perkins, Anthony (USA)

After the critical and commercial slamdunk of Psycho II and with sequel fever in full swing, it came as no surprise when word arose that the Bates Motel would be re-opening for business. Having engendered a generous portion of goodwill, the prevailing spirit was one of optimism, especially when it was revealed that Anthony Perkins would not only be reprising his signature role, but assuming the director’s chair for the first time in his illustrious career. If anyone knew Norman, it was Tony...or so we thought.

PSYCHO II (1983) Blu-ray Review

 
Psycho II (1983) d. Franklin, Richard (USA)

Being a dead-icated young pup, I dutifully read Robert Bloch’s 1982 literary follow-up to Psycho before seeing its celluloid counterpart on cable during its HBO run, even going so far as to ask the local bookmarm to conjure it via interlibrary loan. I found it satisfying enough, including its key twist of leaving Norman Bates by the wayside early in the narrative. However, with Anthony Perkins returning to the role that had loomed large over his career for the past two decades, it was even money that screenwriter Tom Holland would not be following Bloch’s game plan – even as a lad I knew that Hollywood couldn’t squander an opportunity like that for the sake of a clever plot twist. (Then again, Hitchcock had done something mighty similar 22 years earlier, to memorable success, so who knew...?)

SCANNERS II (1991) / SCANNERS III (1991) Blu-ray Review

 In 1980, David Cronenberg continued to expand his "body horror" oeuvre, following up the rage dwarf/child custody drama The Brood with his most financially successful effort to that point, Scanners. Thanks in no small part to Chris Walas’ literal mind-blowing special effects and a ferociously menacing turn by Michael Ironside, Cronenberg’s flick changed the face of the horror landscape; we’d seen telepaths and telekinetics before, but the Canadian auteur imbued the fanciful tale with a combination of impressive biochemical gravitas and onscreen carnage that elevated it above the likes of Escape from Witch Mountain and Bewitched. However, somewhere along the line, he also signed away the creative rights to his story and characters, laying the path for original producer Pierre David and partner Rene Malo to line their pockets with a pair of belated and unrelated sequels (both released in 1991), now available on a DVD/Blu-ray pack from Shout! Factory.

Fool's Views (7/29 – 8/18)

Howdy folks!

Some days it's good to be the Doc...

Wow, we’re actually caught up again. Amazing what a few quick rounds of Fool’s Views Haikus will do, combined with the fact that I haven’t been turning and burning the flicks the way I have during summer months of yore. Thanks to the good folks at Shout! Factory for providing most of the thrills and chills during the three week period covered herein, although Kitley’s Krypt provided a couple highlights as well. (Razorback, Yor)

Let’s see what kind of mischief we can get up to. As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

HUMAN CENTIPEDE II (FULL SEQUENCE) (2011) movie review

Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) The (2011) d. Six, Tom (Netherlands)

Centering around Laurence R. Harvey’s rotund, bug-eyed misfit’s unhealthy obsession with 2009's notorious midnight movie sensation, Six’s follow-up knowingly goes further in every respect than its predecessor and this glorious excess brings the film’s black humor to the fore. It’s hard to recall the last time someone married such vile screen imagery with such a sense of glee, including the viewer in the joke instead of merely assaulting us.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE) (2009) movie review

Human Centipede (First Sequence), The (2009) d. Six, Tom (Netherlands)

Even before its release, the jaw-dropping premise behind this notorious horror flick from the Netherlands had already made its way into the public vernacular. Roger Ebert even felt it necessary to reveal the entire plot as a “public service announcement” to his readers in one of his rare “un-starred” reviews. For myself, I never felt this necessary; in fact, the ideal scenario would be for someone to see the film without knowing anything about it, so it could deliver the true impact that writer/director Six deserves.

COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES (2012) Blu-ray review

Cockneys vs. Zombies (2012) d. Hoene, Matthias (UK)

En route to its home video debut, this scrappy undead flick with the dubious title has stirred up a passel of goodwill at a multitude of festivals on both sides of the Atlantic and so arrives on Scream Factory’s shiny silver Blu-ray disc (their first non-revival release) with a fair amount of buzz and expectations attached. While Hoene’s zom-com may not be the gut-busting gut-munching game changer you’ve heard, it does manage to deliver some well-earned chuckles and more than its fair share of eye-popping splatter gags.