The Exorcist

     Lines around the block waiting to get into midnight showings.  Churches and protesters crying "blasphemy"!  Viewers fainting and puking in the aisles.  Reports of people being institutionalized after seeing it.  And at least one reported miscarriage blamed on the movie- 1973's "The Exorcist" is one of the most infamous horror movies of all time and generally known as one of the scariest, if not the scariest movies ever.  Audiences didn't quite know how to react to such a shocking, graphic tale of demonic possession, which is partly why this movie simply rocked the world.  "The Exorcist" made a huge impact on society back in 1973- just coming out of the turbulent 60s and the Vietnam War- it's easy to see why.  Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn give harrowing and amazing performances, and deserved Oscars for their work, if you ask me.

     "The Exorcist" was truly a cinematic milestone in 1973.  Yet sadly today, it has lost much of its effect on younger audiences.  It's easy to see why, actually.  "The Exorcist" was very influential- and has been duplicated and lampooned to death- most notably by Linda Blair herself in "Repossessed" and "Scary Movie 2".  And yes, "The Exorcist" is a slow burn to many.  I actually hate that it's so widely known as "the scariest movie of all time"- if you have never experienced it, it's hard not to go in with so many expectations.  The film does move somewhat slowly, but then again, this is not your typical 80 minute horror movie either.  It's an actual film with an actual plot and actual characters.  It takes its time to fully establish the characters- which in turn enhances the horror.

     Many subliminal tricks were used in the making of this film.  The recorded sounds of angry bees play almost inaudible to the human ear on the soundtrack, and quick flashes of the demon appear throughout.  Also recordings of bears and lions were used.  We don't actually hear these sounds with our ears, but we pick up on them subconsciously- and we are disturbed by them.  Supposedly many strange experiences happened during the making of this movie, which are supposed to be showing up in a documentary chronicling the making of the film in a special edition DVD at some point.  Something about those crazy 70's- they sure knew how to make great horror movies back then.  As for you youngsters out there, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" does not hold a candle to the granddaddy of all demonic possession movies.

Friday the 13th Part 2

     Words cannot describe my love for the sequel to FRIDAY THE 13TH.  I have vehemently defended this film since the 80's, and I'm pleased to say that it's finally getting the respect that it most certainly deserves. To me, it's one of the greatest slashers of all time, and was one of the scariest films to ever come out of the 80's. At least to me. Major nightmares, kids.

     It opens with a bang. Adrienne King, Alice from the first film, is trying to put her life back together after her ordeal at Camp Crystal Lake. She has an apartment not far from the camp, and dealing with it all through her art. She lives alone, and one dark night, receives a strange phone call. Alice instantly knows something is wrong, and so do we. It's a great, scary opening scene full of roving camera work and that frightening score that immediately sets a tone of dread and fear.  And most importantly, it establishes that Jason is very much alive, and hell-bent on revenge for the death of his mother.

Flash forward 5 years.  Camp Crystal Lake has been closed and abandoned.  But a nearby camp has opened, and once again a group of counselors roam the woods care-free, not knowing that they are being watched. And stalked.  It seems there truly is a death curse on Crystal Lake, and before you know it, the blood is flowing.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 is in my opinion one of the best and scariest slasher films ever. The final twenty minutes are quite scary, and overall, this is a bit more of a polished effort. Being a sequel, of course the body count is higher, although not quite as gory as the original. Doesn't matter though. This one makes up for its lack of gore with dread and suspense.

        Part 2 fully establishes the mythology of Jason Voorhees, and does it quite well, actually. The genius of FRIDAY THE 13TH is that the tale of Pamela and Jason Voorhees could be told around any campfire in any decade, and scare the kiddos to death. It presents the story as myth already. And that myth tells us that Jason never really drowned as a child, that he witnessed his mother's beheading and simply ran away to live in the woods, growing up to be this stalking, deformed mongoloid... which I can swallow. Sure. He could have ran off and lived in the woods, growing hair and whatnot. I can buy that. Much more than a Jason in space or in Manhattan.

         Like the original, it's actually much better than it's reputation- it's a good, solid creative effort all around.  It seriously contains some of the best stalk/chase scenes in any slasher flick I've ever seen. 2 isn't as gory as its predecessor, but that's the censors fault. They really cracked down on this one, and sadly, Carl Fullerton (who replaced Tom Savini on this one) found much of his effects left on the cutting room floor. I don't really think it hinders the film, though. At all.

     Amy Steel makes a great heroine here.  She's tough, and gives Jason a run for his money. She is a great and memorable Final Girl, and her appearing in APRIL FOOL'S DAY only ups her coolness factor. Warrington Gillette and Steve Daskawicz brought to life my favorite incarnation of Jason Voorhees- he's downright terrifying. There's just something very frightening about the sack cloth, and I never got the hatred of it. Steve Miner stylishly and steadily directs the shenanigans, and of course the iconic Harry Manfredini returns with the brilliant score. It has likable characters, it moves along at a brisk pace, and you can tell that a lot of creative effort went into the making of this installment. It doesn't come across as some sleazy excuse to knock off a bunch of teenagers. Sure, there's a body count- it is a slasher of the early 80's, after all.  But this film had a lot of talent and creativity involved, which ultimately raises it to a higher plateau. 

     1981 was a banner year for horror, and FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 was most definitely one of the stronger slashers to hit theaters that year. Not only is it a damn good slasher, but it's a fantastic time capsule of the early 1980's. Especially if you were eleven years old like I was when this hit theaters.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker/ The Night Strangler

    

        Eccentric and abrasive Las Vegas reporter Carl Kolchak stumbles upon the story of his life as a series of ghastly murders rock the city. It seems a modern-day vampire is preying on young women, and from the startling discovery of a dead girl's body stuffed into a garbage can in the opening scene, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" enthralled and terrified audiences as it aired on January 11, of 1972.  Legendary Dan Curtis, of "Dark Shadows" fame, produced one of TV's best and most-loved movies, and a memorable slice of 70's horror.  Darren McGavin is fantastic as the impulsive Kolchak- it's arguably one of the most memorable performances of the decade.  It's almost hard to believe it back then,  but ABC's Movie Of the Week was a big deal- and hands down tops of all TV-movies.  And during that time, some of the greatest TV shockers of all time aired- "Don't Be Afraid Of the Dark", "Trilogy Of Terror", and of course, "Kolchak". "The Night Stalker" offers just the right amount of creepy atmosphere and scary moments.  The movie was so popular, a sequel, "Kolchak: The Night Strangler" followed, then a weekly series followed that. 

      Based on science and folklore with a dash of supernatural thrown in, "Kolchak" was a ratings smash.  Since it was produced by Dan Curtis, you can see traces of "Dark Shadows" here and there throughout "The Night Stalker".  (And yes, I love "Dark Shadows"...).   You can also see how influential "Kolchak" would be in the future with "The X-Files".  This is a great vampire flick with a witty and atmospheric script by the great Richard Matheson.  Crackling with tension and paranoia, "The Night Stalker"  is great stuff.  They certainly don't make movies like this anymore.  But thanks to Netflix and DVD's, they can still be enjoyed today.  Often cited as the best TV movie of all time, the original and refreshing story of a modern-day Dracula terrorizing Las Vegas is a groovy, scary time capsule of the funky and weird 70's.  I recommend a "Kolchak" double feature and watch back-to-back with "The Night Strangler".

     Since "The Night Stalker" was such a huge success, ABC commissioned Richard Matheson to produce a follow-up.  Airing January 16 in 1973 and featuring a story about a serial killer stalking underground Seattle this time, "The Night Strangler" found lovable Carl Kolchak investigating a murderer who not only strangles his victims, but then with a syringe removes a tiny bit of blood.  Seems our Kolchak has left Vegas in disgust over the corrupt officials, and gets a job at the Daily Chronicle in Seattle.  Yes, folks, Kolchak is back, and soon stumbles across another wave of mysterious murders.  Even though it follows basically the same plot as the original, what helps the sequel this time around is an interesting and clever backstory to the killer- he's not a vampire this time, but more of a mad scientist,  with something about experiments to extend human life with elixirs made of human blood.  "The Night Strangler" also incorporates more humor into the scary moments this time around, but overall it's a strong and well-made sequel.  The creepy underground Seattle is truly a fantastic location- spooky stuff, to be sure.  The characters seem to be a bit more fleshed out this time around, and of course, how can you go wrong with Darren McGavin's performance in the first place?  He was simply born to play this role.  All in all a good, solid sequel that holds its own against the original.  Supremely entertaining and fun!

Home For the Holidays

      HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a wonderfully spooky and effective 1972 teleslasher that concerns four sisters (Sally Field, Jessica Harper, Jill Haworth, and Eleanor Parker!) returning to their family home to visit their dying father for the holidays. Seems dear Dad has asked them all to come home and kill his new wife (played by the fabulous Julie Harris...), whom he suspects is trying to do the same to him.  Really! Gathered at the Morgan family home on a stormy Christmas Eve, family secrets and skeletons are drug from the closet and true feelings come to the forefront.  On top of all this family drama- which almost ventures into high soap territory here and there- this is an Aaron Spelling production, you know- there happens to be a pitchfork-wielding psychopath in a rain-soaked yellow slicker on a murderous rampage. And if all of that isn't enough, of course a raging storm has knocked the phone lines out and caused the roads to flood.  After the first sister is found murdered, it would seem that somebody wants the four sisters dead. Supreme entertainment.

     Written by Joesph Stefano, a man who just happens to have written a screenplay for a little film named PSYCHO, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS has all the classic horror movie elements- isolated farmhouse, storms, murderous motives, family drama, cut phone lines, washed out roads, chase scenes through the dark woods- you name it, it's here. It hums along nicely with many twists and turns.

     Sally Field was actually wanted by Sean S. Cunningham for the original FRIDAY THE 13TH, and after watching this, it's easy to see why. The scenes in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS where Sally is chased through the woods by the killer is something straight out of an 80's slasher. This TV thriller creates a surprisingly early slasher atmosphere, which obviously inspired BLACK CHRISTMAS, which inspired HALLOWEEN... it's neat how that works, isn't it? It runs at about 78 minutes, which results in a pretty tight and suspenseful production. It's also simple and straightforward- which in my opinion can sometimes be the most effective. Like I said, the atmosphere in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is one of the main ingredients here, second only to the fine acting ensemble involved.  It's interesting that this production was so low-budget, they couldn't even afford snow for the exterior shots. Instead, they used a simple thunderstorm. Yet somehow it all works and the Christmastime atmosphere is amazing- it truly helps the film.

      Sadly a relic of an era long gone- the great TV horror movies were all but extinct by 1990 or so. This is one of the best, by far. The killer is as scary as any slasher you would have seen in an 80's feature film. The cast is to die for, and it's a classy and suspenseful production all the way. Not to be confused with the same-named but hilarious HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr.

The Amityville Horror

     

     I love Margot Kidder.  I really do.  She alway seems like she'd be that cool aunt who would sneak up to the attic with you and pull out a joint at Thanksgiving.  Always saucy, Margot starred in the awesome BLACK CHRISTMAS, and of course will always be Lois Lane.Which brings us to that hoary classic we all know and love- THE AMITYVILLE HORROR starring Margot Kidder and James Brolin. Supposedly based on the "true" story of the Lutz family, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR successfully started a franchise of books and films, and made funny, triangular windows and barn-shaped homes instant icons of horror around the world.

     The movie is loads of fun and borders on high camp 90% of the time- gobs of flies, puking nuns, black goo oozing out of toilets, red eyes in windows, demonic voices, Rod Steiger scarfing up every bit of scenery along the way, and James Brolin packing some serious heat under those skivvies of his. Regardless of your opinion on whether all of this really happened, the movie itself has attained almost cult status and is one of the most famous horror films to come out of the 1970's. I'm sure by now you know the story. George and Kathy Lutz buy an unbelievably cheap house in Amityville, Long Island. The home was the sight of the infamous DeFeo murders the previous year. George and Kathy Lutz and their children move into the house on 112 Ocean Avenue and are instantly plagued by strange and frightening experiences until 28 days later when they leave all their belongings behind and flee for their very lives.

    THE AMITYVILLE HORROR has all the classic elements of a great ghost story- respected actors and director, an eerie back story, and a super-creepy score by Lalo Schifrin. This was one of my favorites growing up, and of course I own the box set (The DVD boxset contains some great special features if your'e a geek like me and find documentaries and the making of certain movies fascinating- it includes not one, but two History Channel documentaries on the actual Amityville murder case and the paranormal investigations that followed, plus a trip down memory lane with our favorite Margot in a featurette about making the movie.  Good stuff.) The cinematography on THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is top notch, and the use of colors work to great effect here-different tinted shots of the house, combined with some great exterior shots of fall foliage help the overall look. And the set design. Can you name a single more famous or well-known design of a "haunted house" in a film? It instantly struck a chord in movie-goers and became a pop culture phenomenon by the time the 80's rolled around.

      This was huge stuff back in the late 70's, with the original murders and the whole Lutz debacle. Regardless of how good or bad the movie actually is, its infamy will live on. On an interesting note, if it weren't for the true story of the DeFeo massacre that actually happened there, would the movie itself be so memorable and well-loved? For me personally, it's impossible not to think of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR when the 1970's are brought up, it's that ingrained into my psyche, I guess. So I would say yes, it would.

Alien

"In space no one can hear you scream."

     The crew of the spaceship Nostromo are on their way back to Earth when they pick up a distress signal on an unknown planet.   Stopping to investigate the suspected SOS, they instead find an extremely lethal alien life form that boards their ship. One by one, the crew members fall victim to the terrifying monster.

     One of the greatest monster movies ever, Ridley Scott's "Alien" completely gets under your skin.  The way he shot this movie, combined with H.R. Giger's unbelievable designs, create a claustrophobic, tension filled nightmare.  It's amazing that even though this movie is over 20 years old, it really hasn't dated much. It's still as bleak and futuristic today as it was upon its release in 1979. The atmosphere on this movie is simply amazing. Claustrophobia reigns supreme here- but the film offers so much more. Everything about this movie is amazing- acting, directing, set design, music- pure movie-making perfection. Scott's deliberately slow pacing and editing create an overwhelming sense of fear and dread.   The opening titles perfectly set the tone and mood of this movie.  The audience instantly knows what it's in store for. We know something horrible is going to happen, we just don't know when.  And by the time things do get really scary, we're already sucked in. Jerry Goldsmith's score also greatly enhances the terror here- the movie simply wouldn't have worked near as well without it.

         Almost set up like a classic slasher movie in outerspace, we soon find the crewmembers being knocked off one by one until the final showdown between Ripley and the Alien.  But ALIEN is certainly not your standard "Hollywood" horror movie.  There are no moments of comic relief.  No messages of hope. It refuses to give the audience breaks in the growing tension. And the characters don't suddenly lose all sanity for the sake of a death scene. Everything in ALIEN unfolds just as it would in real life. For some, it's hard to get into a movie like this.

      Sigourney Weaver created one of the most successful characters in movie history with her Ripley. She owns this movie-I simply can't imagine any other actress playing her character.  And she proved that a female character could carry a type of movie usually reserved for males. But the praise doesn't just go to Sigourney- the entire cast deserve full credit here.  The Alien itself is one of the greatest monsters in movie history, a truly original and terrifying creation, and the film was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for film preservation.  Oh, and the trailer is hands down one of the greatest horror movie (or any movie...) trailers I've ever seen- if I were sitting in a theater and saw this, I would have to see this movie immediately. A film that never gets old and it always entertaining.

Psycho

     A woman steals $40,000 and flees town.  During a bad thunderstorm, she stops at an out-of-the-way motel to spend the night.  What follows is one of the most infamous scenes in horror history.

               "Psycho" is pure movie-making genius.  Hitchcock's masterpiece is a brilliant exercise in music, cinematography, editing, acting, and directing. I can only imagine sitting in an unsuspecting audience in 1960, completely unaware of what was about to happen on the screen. NOTHING had ever been done like this movie before, especially the infamous 'shower scene'.  With the heroine of the film brutally butchered during the first 30 minutes, Hitchcock suddenly and shockingly announced that from now on, all bets were off.  Horror was no longer safe.  Anything could happen. "Psycho" undoubtedly paved the way for the likes of "Night of the Living Dead","The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and "Halloween", and so many others.  It's so engrained into our culture now that you don't even have to have seen the movie to know the story.  (Although I would have to say you have no business watching movies if you don't...)  You can even buy a shower curtain with "Mother" weilding a knife on it, it's so well-known.          

      Anthony Perkins made such an impact as Norman Bates, that he never was able to escape the role.  He was forever known as Norman.  Can you think of any other memorable role of Anthony Perkins?  He is simply too good in the role.  His Bates is truly spooky- and he cast the mold for Michael Myers, Hannibal Lecter, and such.  "Psycho" was the first true slasher, inventing a genre and changing the face of horror movies forever.  It's Hitchcock's scariest moments on celluloid I think, besides "The Birds".  And still holds up magnificently, especially next to some of the pale remakes bombarding us today.  It's still crisp and fresh.  I can't imagine anybody not having seen this classic example of tension and suspense. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?  This is one of the greatest of many great Hitchcock movies, and the grandfather (or should I say mother?) of all slashers.  Words really can't do the movie justice, though.  Just watch the movie.  You'll see what I'm talking about.