PHENOMENA (aka CREEPERS) (1985) UHD BLU-RAY REVIEW

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Perhaps the only “insect detective” movie out there on the shelves, featuring a very young Jennifer Connelly (released one year before Labyrinth) as the daughter of a famous American movie star sent away to study at an exclusive Swiss girl’s academy, whose students just happen to be falling victim to a homicidal killer. But as this is an Argento movie, things are hardly what they seem.

PLAY DEAD (aka SATAN'S DOG) (1983) / DEVIL DOG: HOUND OF HELL (1978) MOVIE REVIEWS

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

 
Following the worldwide success of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, theaters were flooded with “animals attack” films, featuring everything from terror bears (Grizzly) to killer whales (Orca) to giant rats (Food of the Gods) and even voracious worms (Squirm). Unsurprisingly, there was also a wave of titles featuring crazed carnivorous canines, everything from Dogs (1976), The Pack, Zoltan: Hound of Dracula, and Day of the Animals (all 1977).

THE RINGU COLLECTION BLU-RAY REVIEW

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Ringu (1998) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, so it's a great time to dive into Arrow Video's three-disc box set, packed with all four original Ring films, as well as commentaries, featurettes, interviews, and much more!

THREE RING KING SPRING FLING: CUJO, CHRISTINE, and THE DEAD ZONE at 40!!!

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Four decades ago, in the latter half of 1983, three films based on the works of a rising horror star hit theaters. Having already attracted such established veterans Stanley Kubrick and George A. Romero, as well as rising stars like Brian De Palma and Tobe Hooper, to helm the big-screen adaptations of his novels, STEPHEN KING was quickly becoming a pop culture icon, such that having his name attached to a project (almost) insured box office success.

THE RETURN(S) OF LAURIE STRODE: HALLOWEEN H20 VS. HALLOWEEN/KILLS/ENDS

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

The Night HE Came Home… and SHE Came Back! (And then came back again!)

In 1998, after a downward spiral of increasingly inferior sequels, Jamie Lee Curtis returned to the role that made her a star with HALLOWEEN H20: TWENTY YEARS LATER. The backstory: Laurie Strode faked her death in order to escape her psychotic sibling, and is now living a fragile existence as an alcoholic, overly protective single mother and headmaster of a private California high school. (A move that pleased some fans and enraged others, since the events of the previous three installments are essentially ignored here.)

THE TERROR WITHIN (1989) / THE TERROR WITHIN II (1991) Movie Reviews

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

Belgian filmmaker Gert Verbeeck takes a quick break from the antics at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (aka “The BIFFF”) to discuss a pair of Roger Corman quickies from the late ’80s/early ’90s. These post-apocalyptic survival yarns boast the distinction of ripping off not only Alien AND its 1986 sequel, but also Corman’s own Humanoids from the Deep (1980).

HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1973) / HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE (1973) Blu-ray Reviews

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

 
Jon Kitley (of Kitley’s Krypt) is back to discuss Horror Rises from the Tomb and Hunchback of the Morgue, two of Spanish weightlifting star-turned-horror icon Paul Naschy’s 1973 features, both of which celebrate their 50th Anniversary this year.

THE YOKAI MONSTERS COLLECTION Blu-ray Review

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

Fanzine legend Dave Kosanke (Liquid Cheese) returns to the Doc’s office as they both explore the heretofore unfamiliar territory of THE YOKAI MONSTERS, now available in a new box set from Arrow Video.

TO DIE FOR (1988) / TO DIE FOR II (1991) Movie Review

***CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

 
Belgian filmmaker and horror enthusiast Gert Verbeeck and AC continue their journey through the 80s/90s Direct-to-Video (DTV) boom, assaying a pair of double-fisted, double-fanged vampire flicks that emerged in the wake of the mid-1980s bloodsucker bash that served up such popcorn classics as Fright Night, Near Dark, The Lost Boys, and Vamp!

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

In 1973, Tobe Hooper and a group of young actors and technicians ventured out in to the Texas wilderness to shoot a low-budget horror film that would go on to become one of the greatest landmark cinematic achievements in history. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE was a smash hit upon its release the following year and has not lost any of its ability to shock and terrify and influence other filmmakers over the ensuing five decades.

THE CRAZIES (1973) Blu-ray Review

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO***

Creator and performer of YouTube star Chad the Bird, Josh Zagoren, steps into the Doc's office to celebrate George A. Romero's landmark infection film, THE CRAZIES, on its 50th anniversary. While not a hit with audiences or critics in upon its initial release, the cult favorite has slowly garnered favor through the ensuing years and now stands proudly among the horror icon's finest hours. We also discuss the merits of the 2010 remake starring Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black, Rogue) and Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Deadwood), as well as the ways in which it differs from its predecessor.

THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED (1969)/ACCION MUTANTE (1993) Blu-ray Reviews

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Jon Kitley of Kitley's Krypt returns to the Doc's office to discuss dos peliculas muy bueno! The debut features from and both changed the face of Spanish horror upon their releases, and happily both have recently received Blu-ray releases, so it's high time we sat down to talk about them!

SCANNER COP (1994) / SCANNER COP II (1995) Movie Review

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Belgian filmmaker and horror enthusiast Gert Verbeeck is back in the Doc's office, this time to talk about a couple of belated sequels to David Cronenberg's 1980 class-sick, SCANNERS. Apparently, the Canadian wunderkind signed away the rights to his characters at some point to producer Pierre David, who decided to crank out Scanners II and Scanners III (both 1991), and then these two law enforcement-themed flicks three years later!

WEIRD WISCONSIN: THE BILL REBANE COLLECTION Blu-ray Review

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE***

Author, fanzine legend, and authentic Wisconsinite Dave Kosanke (Liquid Cheese) joins AC for a rollicking, rambling tour of the life and career of maverick independent filmmaker Bill Rebane, best known for his 1975 drive-in smash, The Giant Spider Invasion.

ORCHESTRATOR OF STORMS (2022) Movie Review

Orchestrator of Storms: The Fantastique World of Jean Rollin (2022) d. Dima Ballin/Kat Ellinger (USA) (112 min)

In the press release, we are presented with the following, “Has there been a genre artist more fundamentally misunderstood and inappropriately discussed than Jean Rollin? He remains one of genre cinema’s most singular poets, a theatrical fantasist, interpreter of dreams, orchestrator of storms. His recurring use of twin or paired protagonists and surrealistic interpretations of vampirism, with tones that were often in the midnight space between gothic literature and fairy tale, his sense of humour and intellectual musings, his sumptuous visual ideas, coming together to make inspired works of genre art that ran against nearly all traditions of the times they were made in.”

Fool's Views (1/1 – 1/31)

I know, right? Who the holy heck is this?

Yup, giving this another go, after two years of lax and laze. The intention is that it’s going to be a bit more freewheeling and fun, with less self-imposed pressure to deliver the game-winning pass every time. Instead, we’re going to run this ball down the field yard by ever-loving yard and that’s about it for the sports metaphors.

We started off the year with a smattering of old and new in many regards, with the current prestige pics mixing with the 1970s schlock, amply supplemented with a nosh of noir. In other words, it’s business as usual around the Doc’s office, and we hope you enjoy the buffet.

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

Enjoy!

Civilian 2022 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

And we’re back!

Having addressed the horror genre in the previous entry (hey, this is HORROR 101 after all), it’s now time to give the Civilian flicks a moment in the sun.

This year, however, was bound to be different. As an experiment in time management, I implemented a policy that (for the most part), I would only watch movies in the company of another human being or if I was planning to discuss said film for a scheduled event (podcast, lecture, etc.) As a result, the random flights of fancy (chasing down an actor or director’s C.V. or various other infinite rabbit hole themes) which had made up my viewing patterns for the past 40 years were almost entirely absent. The results were equal parts frustrating, fascinating, and liberating.

Dr. AC's 2022 Horror Wrap-Up Extravaganza!

Hello, my horror-loving homebodies!

It’s been a curious year, where I once again was less-than-vigilant about setting down thoughts on every flickering image that passed my eyebrain. However, despite its complications, 2022 proved to be a shift back toward “the good old days” where I actually started venturing out of the house to enjoy horror-themed events amidst the faithful.

ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS (2022) Movie Review

All Jacked Up and Full of Worms (2022) d. Alex Phillips (USA) (72 min)

Motel mop-boy Roscoe (Phillip Andre Botello) is introduced coming down from a trippy tantric experience involving Samantha (Betsey Brown) and third wheel Jared (Noah Lepawsky). “I think I just killed my own childhood,” he breathlessly proclaims to his giggly, gurgling girlfriend, followed shortly by “I think that’s enough hippie stuff for today.” Meanwhile, across town, the schlubby, unkempt Benny (Trevor Dawkins) thrills at the arrival of his mail-order infant sex doll, intending to lovingly nurture it, excited at the prospect of finding a partner with whom to share his bundle of plastic joy. His initial choice, Henrietta (Eva Fellows), is a gentle, groovy prostitute who, unflapped by her would-be client’s inability to perform sexually, offers up a box of hallucinogenic worms as an alternative means of pleasure. Initially repulsed by the notion, Benny later returns to discover Roscoe tidying up and, upon consuming the creepy crawlers, the two strike up a surprisingly warm if twisted friendship that leads to encounters with strange, dark places and stranger, darker people.

SCARE-A-THON 2022 FINAL RESULTS!!!

And that, legions of licorice-loving loonies, brings us to the end of Scare-A-Thon 2022 and yet another OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE!

As always, the Challenge itself is to watch (at least) one fright flick for each of those glorious 31 days that make up the month of October, 16 of which must be first time viewings. I am happy to report that goal has been handily accomplished, with all of the 31 official Scare-A-Thon movies being FTVs as well as being released (wide) between 2020 and 2022. (Call it the year of "catching up." Thanks, Chicago Public Library!!) 

Along the way, thanks to the generous hearts and minds of fans like you, over $6,000 has been raised for the WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ASSISTANCE PROJECT, with additional funds still coming in, making this the most successful Scare-A-Thon EVERRRRRRRR!

Thanks to the 17 (!) guests who showed up at all hours from across the globe to chat on the HORROR 101 with Dr. AC YouTube channel, as well as everyone who participated in some way, whether it be making a contribution, liking a Facebook post, watching or listening to a partner podcast, leaving a comment, suggesting a movie, or just chatting about what we were respectively watching this month. 

The October Challenge can actually be pretty lonely work at times, but such was not the case this year and I'm deeply grateful for all the connections made and shared. Extra Special Thanks to Gert Verbeeck for his tireless efforts in creating video thumbnails, testing out AV equipment, and countless other favors. I owe you one, amigo!

Below are the 31 "official" features viewed (with links to full-length reviews), as well as 15 additional horror and horror-adjacent titles "just for fun". Before we get to that, however, there is the usual assemblage of useless factoids to ponder while you're thinking ahead to next year's costume.

Have fun!

CHALLENGE STATS: 

Total Movies Watched: 46
First Time Views: 37
Total Scare-A-Thon Donations: $6,120