DISCOVER THE HORROR AT THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Howdy, folks!

Well, we survived the first week of October and we're getting ready for our second installment of Kicking the Seat's Friday Night Frights. This week's subject is the wildly divisive third chapter in Dario Argento's "Three Mothers" trilogy, 2007's Mother of Tears!

ALSO:

Tuesday, October 20, from 7:00PM – 8:00PM, Jon Kitley and I will return to the hallowed halls of The Chicago Public Library for an encore ONLINE presentation of:

 DISCOVER THE HORROR!! 

FIRESTARTER (1984) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 7
Total First Time Views: 5
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $448.14

Firestarter (1984) d. Mark L. Lester (USA) (114 min) (2nd viewing)

During a top-secret experiment that leaves the rest of their comrades insane or dead, two of the test subjects undergoing a pituitary gland enhancing drug series end up marrying and producing a child capable of starting infernos with her mind. The nefarious government agency, “The Shop,” observing from afar, decides that Charlie McGee’s (Drew Barrymore) talents should not go unharnessed and plan to spirit her away from her father Andrew (David Keith) and Vicky (Heather Locklear). On the run, Andrew and Charlie dodge and weave, using their extraordinary mental gifts as needed to stay alive and at liberty. The Shop recruits Native American tracker and assassin, John Rainbird (George C. Scott), to bring in their quarry, which he does with disquieting ease. But Rainbird quickly becomes obsessed with Charlie’s power, and so begins the struggle for who will control the young pyrokinetic, raising the question if anyone can….

EVER AFTER (aka ENDZEIT) (2018) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 6
Total First Time Views: 5
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $380.22

Ever After (aka Endzeit) (2018) d. Carolina Hellsgård (Germany) (90 min) (1st viewing)

In the wake of your standard-issue fast-running zombie epidemic, the world’s gaze turns to Germany where the only two surviving cities, Weimar and Jura, have each successfully created a perimeter barrier against the undead hordes. A locomotive shuttles between them on occasion but, on the whole, they remain isolated from one another. In Weimar, where infection is dealt with swiftly and lethally, shell-shocked adolescent Vivi (Gro Swantje Kohlhof) is pressed into duty fortifying the barricades until she witnesses the harsh reality of what happens should anyone – in this case her best friend – be bitten. She escapes, hopping the transport train to Jura (whose residents are supposedly seeking a cure for the virus) with the stoic, strong, and cynical Eva (Maja Lehrer), hoping against hope to survive the trip.

DAHMER (2002) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 5
Total First Time Views: 4
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $315.25

Dahmer (2002) d. David Jacobson (USA) (102 min) (1st viewing)

The story of mild-mannered Wisconsin serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer sent shock waves through the Midwest and the country when he was finally arrested in the summer of 1991, ending a reign of terror that spanned nearly two decades and claimed the lives of 17 men and boys. Dubbed “the Milwaukee Cannibal” and “the Milwaukee Monster” by the press, Dahmer became an instant household name, evoking a potent combination of revulsion and fascination from the American public. While the case specifics are exceedingly bizarre and perverse (cannibalism, necrophilia), writer/directory Jacobson’s filmic account elects to focus less on the gruesome details and more upon the individual that perpetrated them. It is this attention to Dahmer’s flawed humanity that elevates what could have been a ghoulish celebration of real-life atrocities into a genuine character study that offers no easy nor pat answers.

CRUEL JAWS (1995) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 4
Total First Time Views: 3
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $232.20

Cruel Jaws (1995) d. Bruno Mattei (as William Snyder) (Italy) (93 min) (1st viewing)

Released in some countries as Jaws 5, this decades-late Italian copycat doesn’t even bother to shoot any original shark menace footage for its action scenes. Instead, it nabs footage from countrymen Joe D’Amato (Deep Blood) and Enzo G. Castellari (The Last Shark), as well as going right to Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic well itself for underwater swimming and munching footage. But that’s not all director Mattei (Robowar, Night Killer, The Other Hell) “borrows” – there are direct character and plot references to Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, as well as the regatta race from The Last Shark.

THE BLOOD DRINKERS (1964) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 3
Total First Time Views: 2
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $156.33

The Blood Drinkers (1964) d. Gerardo de Leon (Philippines) (88 min) (1st viewing)

After the suave and smooth-pated Dr. Marco (Ronald Remy) shows up under cover of night at a small village with his small entourage in tow, he installs himself at the local crypt on the outside of town. Seems the not-so-good doctor is of the vampiric stripe, and has arrived with his ailing bride Katrina (Amalia Fuentes) and her mother (Mary Walter) in order to procure the heart of Katrina’s twin sister Charita… literally. Yep, following several blood transfusions courtesy of some involuntary donors, Marco plans to perform a straight-up organ transplant and put his lady love to rights. Needless to say, Charita is not wild about this plan, nor is her boyfriend Victor (Eddie Fernandez), and the two of them fall in with an aged priest who possesses knowledge of how to contend with such supernatural surgeons.

 

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (aka THE GATES OF HELL) (1980) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 2
Total First Time Views: 1
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $90.02

City of the Living Dead (aka The Gates of Hell) (1980) d. Lucio Fulci (Italy) (93 min) (5th viewing)

In the village of Dunwich, Father Thomas (Fabrizio Jovine) mopes around a graveyard, looking suitably bummed out by his existence. He decides to shuffle himself off this mortal coil courtesy of a length of rope and a nearby tree branch, and manages the job quite handily. Unfortunately for the rest of us, his act of self-slaughter has opened one of the fabled Gates of Hell and if the darn thing doesn’t get closed by All Saint’s Day, humanity is D-O-O-M-E-D. In addition to that happy bit of news, the priest’s death also sends NYC psychic medium Mary (Catriona MacColl) into a cataleptic stupor during a séance, with the poor gal getting buried alive. After being saved by intrepid investigative journalist Peter Bell (Christopher George), she dusts herself off and entreats Peter to help her find the resting place of Father Thomas so that they can close the gate in time….

ANTEBELLUM (2020) Movie Review

Scare-A-Thon Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 1
Total First Time Views: 1
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $63.50

Antebellum (2020) d. Gerard Bush / Christopher Renz (USA) (106 min) (1st viewing) 

Addressing racism and especially the Black experience of slavery on film is an undoubtedly a sensitive task, especially within a horror film where realistic scenes of rape, torture, murder, and intimidation can easily be perceived as gratuitous. In the same way that the rape/revenge subgenre is predicated on the fact that we must first watch a woman being violated against her will in order to “enjoy” watching her mete out justice to those who wronged her, these scenes of unrelenting violence against people of color achieve their desired effect, such that shocked viewers’ sympathies inherently align with the onscreen oppressed.

SCARE-A-THON 2020, YOUTUBE LIVECAST ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND MORE!!

Hello, everyone! Welcome to SCARE-A-THON 2020, with all donations benefiting BOXVILLE.ORG

As always, the official October Horror Movie Challenge is to watch 31 horror movies in 31 days, 16 of which have to be First Time Views (FTV). This year, however, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Scare-A-Thon (and with the assistance of some tech-savvy friends), we decided to step up our game a little: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYKXcGvuYE 

Tonight will mark the first of five, count’ em, five Friday Night Frights livecasts on YouTube, sponsored by Ian Simmons and Kicking the Seat. This week, Ian, Bryan, and AC, along with special guests (YES, WE HAVE SPECIAL GUESTS) Lee Shoquist and Jon Kitley, celebrate the 40th anniversary of Lucio Fulci’s splatterpiece, City of the Living Dead, better known by horror fans of a certain age as The Gates of Hell! 

Fool's Views (9/1 – 9/30)

"Um, it's a month early for Trick or Treat. GO AWAY."

Howdy, folks!

A quick glance at the calendar should let you know that we’re kicking off the October Horror Movie Challenge and SCARE-A-THON 2020 in a matter of hours and it’s going to be a great month, with Friday Night Frights on YouTube, special guests, and daily reviews, all in service of raising much-needed funds for Boxville, Chicago’s first (and community operated) shipping container mall. Let’s put September to bed and get rolling!

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

Enjoy!

SCARE-A-THON 2020: THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

Hello, friends and fellow fiends! It’s that time of year again, when autumn leaves rustle louder, darkness arrives sooner, and mask wearing is happily embraced by the masses….

IT'S SCARE-A-THON 2020

THE BEAST MUST DIE (1974) Blu-ray Review

The Beast Must Die (1974) d. Paul Annett (UK) (92 min)

Combining elements of Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, James Blish’s short story “There Shall Be No Darkness” is given an blaxploitation horror twist when eccentric millionaire Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart) invites eight diverse individuals to his island estate for a weekend of hunting… without telling them that they are the quarry in question. Our intrepid adventurer has it in his head that one of his guests is a lycanthrope and is eager to face the supernatural foe face to snarling face. As the hours click by and the moon waxes full, suspects become victims, the game is afoot, and the question on everyone’s lips is, “Who Is The Werewolf?”

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962) Blu-ray Review

The Phantom of the Opera (1962) d. Terence Fisher (UK) (84 min)

When tragedy strikes Lord D’Arcy’s (Michael Gough) London opera house during an opening night performance, it’s soon clear that the “accident” is the work of a deranged madman – The Phantom (Herbert Lom). After Christine (Heather Sears), cast as the lead in this new version of Saint Joan, is contacted by the shadowy specter, her producer/lover (Edward De Souza) investigates, tracking the ghostly Phantom to his secret underground lair. Disfigured and nearly destroyed, the former composer and musician now demands hellish revenge on those who have wronged him, with Christine, the sole glimmer of light in his dark, violent life.

EYE SEE YOU (2002) Blu-ray Review

Eye See You (aka D-Tox) (2002) d. Jim Gillespie (USA) (96 min)

After a serial cop-killer racks up nine victims with no leads in sight, the Feds assign Jake Malloy (Sylvester Stallone) to the case, not knowing the agent is the real target for torment. Seems our intrepid lawman fouled up the psycho’s intricate masterpiece of murder involving prostitutes a few years back and vengeance is now on the menu, first in the form of Red (James Kidnie), his best buddy in blue and then Mary (Dina Meyer), his lovely fiancee. Distraught and suicidally alcoholic, Malloy is encouraged by his superior (Charles S. Dutton) to visit a specialized detox center in remote and snowy Wyoming, where he joins an array of similarly addicted keepers of the peace of every stripe… who immediately start getting bumped off by our supposedly dead killer.

Fool's Views (8/17 – 8/31)

Yep, six months later, still feels a bit like this....

Greetings, friends! It’s September and I see you!

Wrapped up the month with a couple of overarching themes, that of shapeshifting ape-folk and a pair of wunderkind siblings bent on tackling every cinematic genre known to man, woman, or child. Sprinkled throughout is the usual hodgepodge of randomness that makes the grass grow, so hopefully you’ll find something to suit your fancy.

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

Enjoy!

STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY Movie Review

Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story (2020) d. April Wright (USA) (85 min)

Remember when Joan Wilder took her big slide down the mountain in Romancing the Stone? Or when Trinity raced against traffic on a motorcycle in The Matrix Reloaded? Or when Kara and Letty beat the crap out of each other (wearing evening gowns) in Furious 7? These are some of the most memorable moments in their respective films, and you’ll notice that I refer to them by their character names, as opposed to the performers that played them. That’s because for each of these moments, it’s not Kathleen Turner, Carrie-Ann Moss, Ronda Rousey, or Michelle Rodriguez whose actions we’re applauding, but rather those of the less-recognized Jeannie Epper, Debbie Evans, Heidi Moneymaker, and Renae Moneymaker taking falls, burning rubber, and kicking ass. This is the world of the stuntwoman and, as narrator/exec producer Rodriguez declares in the intro of director Wright’s eye-opening documentary, “The best ones are invisible… until now.”

JUNGLE CAPTIVE (1945) Blu-ray Review

Jungle Captive (1945) d. Harold Young (USA) (63 min)

This second sequel to Captive Wild Woman is notable primarily for (Caucasian) Vicky Lane replacing Acquanetta as Paula Dupree and for the presence of Universal’s “Monster without Makeup” Rondo Hatton, cracking necks like nobody’s business as “Moloch the Brute,” in his second showcase role following The Pearl of Death with Sherlock Holmes (1944). Seems that a certain endocrinology enthusiast, Mr. Stendahl (Otto Kruger), is a Frankenstein in the making, obsessed with reviving dead tissue, viewing the resurrection of Paula Dupree (last seen in Jungle Woman) as his Mt. Everest to climb. Recruiting Moloch to steal her corpse from the morgue and then later to kidnap his assistant Ann (Amelita Ward), Stendahl plots a synthesis of electricity and blood transfusions (and brain transplanting, just for good measure) in order to demonstrate his superior intellect to the world.

JUNGLE WOMAN (1944) Blu-ray Review

Jungle Woman (1944) d. Reginald LeBorg (USA) (61 min)

Paula Dupree (Acquanetta) is back… and killed in the first scene when she attacks Dr. Fletcher (J. Carroll Naish), who is then brought to trial for her murder (cue the flashback sequences). It seems that our glandular mishap survived her fate at the end of Captive Wild Woman and was nursed back to health by the good doctor, who had also acquired the late Dr. Walters’ sanitarium and continued in his research, thereby transforming Cheela/Paula back to her human form. In what amounts to a retread of Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People, we discover that whenever Paula is sexually aroused – as she is by Fletcher’s assistant Bob (Richard Davis), who has a thing going with his boss’ daughter Joan (Lois Collier) – she has a tendency to get a little hairier and homicidal.

CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943) Blu-ray Review

Captive Wild Woman (1943) d. Edward Dmytryk (USA) (61 min)

When Cheela, a female gorilla exhibiting nearly human-like emotions, is captured and brought to the circus by famed hunter and animal trainer Fred Mason (Milburn Stone), she attracts the attention of gland specialist Dr. Walters (John Carradine) who plots to kidnap the giant beast for his own experiments. Through a combination of injections and brain surgery (compliments of his unwilling assistant, played by Fay Helm), Cheela is transformed into the beautiful Paula Dupree (Acquanetta), who subsequently develops a rather deep attraction to Mason, himself in the thick of creating a daring new circus act. Unfortunately for all, except perhaps Mason’s fiancee Beth (Evelyn Ankers), Walters’ success proves only temporary, and Paula begins devolving back to her previous primal self.

THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941) Blu-ray Review

The Monster and the Girl (1941) d. Stuart Heisler (USA) (65 min)

After her brother Scot (Phillip Terry) is framed for murder, small-town girl Susan Webster (Ellen Drew) pleads with the court to show mercy, explaining her hard-luck story of being tricked into a life of prostitution by crime boss W.S. Bruhl (Paul Lukas). Unfortunately, due to some fancy talk by the District Attorney (Onslow Stevens), Scot is tossed in the clink and sentenced to death. On the eve of his execution, the hapless prisoner is visited by a mysterious Dr. Perry (George Zucco) who asks if he can have Scot’s brain for his radical experiments; frustrated and afraid, the condemned man grants permission – and wakes up with his brain inside of a gorilla! Instead of bananas, however, this particular ape now has a burning hunger for... revenge.