The Legend Of Boggy Creek

     Being a child who grew up in Arkansas, of course I remember the story of the creature who terrorized the small town and surrounding area of Fouke. Known as the "Bigfoot Of The South", the story became quite well-known in the early 60s and early 70s. THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK is a documentary-like telling of the famous story masterfully done by Charles B. Pierce, an ad salesman from Texarkana.  He borrowed some money from a friend and set out to create a psuedo-documentary of the legend he had heard as a kid, and it's one of the best-known and most-loved Bigfoot tales ever to hit the silver screen.

     Released in 1972, it quickly became a drive-in sensation and one of the top ten highest-grossing films of the year.  On top of that, it kicked off a wave of Bigfoot sightings all over the country as well.  And it's actually quite scary.  I remember this film being absolutely terrifying as a child, and it honestly holds up rather well today.

     Best enjoyed on a dark and windy night, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK works on many different levels. It works first and foremost because it's based on actual events. Many of the same people who experienced these horrifying events actually play themselves in the film. The extreme low-budget of the film and its grainy look and feel really amps up the atmosphere of horror here, very much like the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. And director Pierce wisely refuses to show us the monster- instead we're only treated to short glimpses here and there, which just adds to the overall mystery. It's a fun docu-drama that's genuinely creepy at times, and utilizes camera effects, sound editing, and imagination to great effect here. It's like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT- it purposely shows us very little, and we're forced to use our imagination instead. If only THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES were done like this...

   This is a little slice of 70's drive-in horror that's developed quite the cult following over the years, and I believe two sequels were filmed and released. If you fail the find the Fouke monster story frightening, there is still plenty to be entertained by. This was the early 70's in southern Arkansas, after all. At times, it's harrowing, other times it's hilarious- but always fascinating. The film is painfully dated now, but still a perfect representation of 70's monster movies and hillbilly culture all rolled up into one nifty little homespun b-movie.  I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK.  

The Boogens

   
     THE BOOGENS was another horror film that somehow escaped my youth. I distinctly remember hearing about it, but never seemed to catch up with it.  Usually, when you finally get your hands on a lost horror movie that somehow escaped your grubby little hands, you're somewhat disappointed when you finally get to see it.  However, I can honestly say I enjoyed every single minute of THE BOOGENS!  Starring Rebecca Balding (SILENT SCREAM), Anne-Marie Martin (PROM NIGHT), and Fred McCarren (NATIONAL LAMPOONS CLASS REUNION), "The Boogens" is a wonderfully old-fashioned monster movie that looks sensational on blu-ray.

     The story goes something like this-the Silver City mine in Colorado is reopening after some 70 years of being closed down.  Turns out, the "Boogens" are monsters who dwell in the closed-up mine and are awakened by the miners descending down to see if it's unusable or not. Some college kids have rented a house in the woods nearby, and these "Boogens" seem to have taken over the basement of the house. It's an interesting premise, and it plays well off the dark, abandoned mine shafts and creepy old buildings. THE BOOGENS has some great atmosphere, a pretty good script, competent acting, good production values, and a surprising amount of suspense to boot. Probably because of budget restraints,  lots of POV shots of the monsters were used, and it's extremely effective. Director James L. Conway wisely keeps the monsters unseen throughout the entire film, until the ending. Some may laugh at the monsters when you actually get to see them, but I was having so much fun with THE BOOGENS up until then that it made no difference to me whatsoever.

     It's a great forgotten little monster movie of the 80'S. It's actually pretty good for a movie of this type.  I think it works so well because it lays on the suspense so think in the first half of the movie, so that when all hell breaks loose in the climax, we are thoroughly into what's going down onscreen. The characters are actually likable, for once- which certainly doesn't hurt matters. Hell, even the dog, Tiger, is actually quite talented and becomes a very likable character in his own right. Rebecca Balding was set to take over the title of Scream Queen from Jamie Lee Curtis in 1981- with her back to back roles in SILENT SCREAM (a great and underrated little slasher...) and THE BOOGENS, but seemed to just up and disappear without a trace.

      THE BOOGENS is a movie that by all rights should have been terrible... but I honestly enjoyed it very much. It's far better than its reputation, I think. It's a rare, almost forgotten monster movie that was all but swallowed in the glut of slashers that dominated the horror genre in the early 80's, although was briefly popular on HBO for a bit. It's a funky little fan favorite that I think is slowly gaining a respectable cult reputation, and because of the recent blu-ray release, looks sensational. Watch it!

Cloverfield

     Leading up to its release in 2008, CLOVERFIELD had been hyped for months via viral marketing and media coverage.  Sometimes I get weary of mass marketing of a movie- there are times where the finished result just didn't live up to all the hype.  So did CLOVERFIELD live up to all the hype, you ask? Absolutely. It is one of the most enjoyable and original monster movies I've ever seen. By using the same hand-held camera technique as THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, CLOVERFIELD immediately places you directly in the action and terror with no knowledge or warning, which is quite disorienting. Presented as "footage" found after a monster attacks and destroys New York City, a camera is found in what was formerly known as Central Park. Imagine GODZILLA meets the THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and you get this film. And it's an amazingly visceral experience. As unbelievable as the scenario is, what you're seeing does seem quite realistic It's also completely un-conventional. If you're the annoying type of movie-goer who demands tons of details, a happy, tidy ending, and a hip soundtrack full of popular songs that have nothing whatsoever to do with the movie- then CLOVERFIELD might not be for you. As with the whole "hand-held" thing going in,  people are either going to love it or hate it anyway.

      But to me, it's a brilliant premise and presentation, and there are many prime examples. For one, like THE BIRDS, the film has no score. It has a disquieting and eerie effect. After a misleading and relaxing start, the viewer, along with the characters, are suddenly thrust into a terrifying and unpredicable situation. And not knowing anything about what's going on, we feel as if we're really there with the characters. After the city "earthquake" that starts the frenzied monster attacks on the city, I sat there with a tummy full of butterflies, absolutely glued to the screen. The movie is scary, suspenseful, and thoroughly entertaining. Overall, there is just not a dull moment to be found anywhere in CLOVERFIELD.

     And it's certainly not your typical cookie cutter, Hollywood film. J.J. Abrams (LOST) delivers a monster movie that dares to be different, and it thoroughly succeeds. This movie is meant to be watched more than once, too.  I notice something new everytime I see it. The special effects are some of the most seamless and realistic I've ever seen in a movie, and I like that the monster itself is never shown in its entirety. We get glimpses, quick cuts, and far away shots- and are left to piece together the full monster. I find this movie to be an excellent piece of filmmaking, and a hell of a lot of fun. Monster movies seem to be back with a vengeance, and that's a great thing in my book. CLOVERFIELD, along with THE DESCENT and THE MIST are great examples of the genre.  Monstrously fun!

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.

Dawn of the Dead

     "Dawn of the Dead" is George A. Romero's 1979 follow-up to his classic "Night of the Living Dead".  Basically the same scenario as the previous, the action has moved from the Pennsylvania countryside as the undead have taken over the land and spread to immense numbers.   Bleak and unapologetic, "Dawn" instantly became a worldwide sensation and horror classic.  Romero's scathing attacks on mass consumer capitalism have been discussed ad nauseum, but satire aside, "Dawn of the Dead" is essentially a kick-ass monster movie.

      The movie opens with an apocalyptic tone, and fifteen minutes into the movie you already know that this probably won't be having a happy ending.  While a worldwide zombie apocalypse approaches, the films opens in Philadelphia as the city is besieged by the walking dead.  The National Guard has been called in, but there really doesn't seem to be much hope.  Soon our four desperate survivors- two military men, a helicopter pilot and a TV reporter, barricade themselves inside a shopping mall, slowly and inevitably attracting hordes of zombies, and gives Romero plenty of satire to work with.  You see, the zombies submerge on the mall, because one it was an important place to them... Get it?

      Once again filmed almost "documentary style", "Dawn Of the Dead" also manages to come across as almost cartoonish at times.  Tom Savini's shocking effects are devastatingly brutal, and this still may be the goriest mainstream film to ever be released in the United States. So much gore, in fact, that it almost becomes monotonous at times.  And oddly, most of the violence in this movie is directed at the zombies, not caused by them. Far more intelligent than it's given credit for, this movie is sometimes unfairly known as just a mindless gore-fest, but it's actually far more than that.  Romero is one smart dude- this is much more than just a bunch of  blood and guts. Sometimes horrific, sometimes absurd- "Dawn Of the Dead" is a truly shocking and influential horror film.  A slew of zombie knockoffs followed- some pretty good, most terrible.  Go with the Anchor Bay Special Edition DVD of "Dawn of the Dead"- the transfer makes the movie look as if it were filmed yesterday.  You gotta love Anchor Bay!

The Howling

     An anchorwoman goes away to a retreat in the woods after being attacked by a psychopath.  But what she doesn't realize is that the retreat is overrun with werewolves...

     Not only is "The Howling" an awesome werewolf flick in its own right, but the fact that it was released in 1981 only ups its coolness factor.  In my opinion on an equal plane with "An American Werewolf In London"- I think they are simply the two best werewolf movies I've ever seen.  I can't decide which I like better because they're both different and I shouldn't even have to compare them in the first place.  I also love "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" equally as well.

     I love "The Howling" because I love Dee Wallace-Stone and as usual she gives a standout performance.  I love the utmost respect "The Howling" has for 1941's "The Wolf Man" and other classic werewolf mythology- and how this movie has that old-fashioned monster movie feel to it. I love seeing a director (in this case Joe Dante) show so much creativity with so little budget.  I love the many in-jokes and references to other figures in the genre.  I love the great and moody soundtrack by the great and moody Pino Dinaggio(who also did the scores for "Carrie" and "Dressed To Kill"...).  I love the cinematography and art direction.  I love the smart satire running fresh through the entire movie.  And of course the werewolf effects are so good that they still haven't been topped today, even with CGI.

      "The Howling" effortlessly meshes scary tension to tongue-in-cheek humor, all without missing a beat.  It's easily one of the best werewolf movies of all time, and has earned the right to stand proudly beside "An American Werewolf In London".  "The Howling" borders on camp at times, but it's overall a spooky and effective movie.  A bona fide 80's classic.

John Carpenter's The Thing

     Exactly how a remake should be done, John Carpenter took an interesting story ripe with possibilities and flat out kicks ass with it. Very underrated when first released, (it opened up against cuddly E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL- guess who won?) THE THING now has a reputation for the one of the best sci-fi/horror movies of the 80's, and definitely one of Carpenter's best. Kurt Russell leads an all-star cast as a group of scientists in Antarctica who find a spaceship buried deep in the ice. Unknown to them, there is some sort of lifeform in the ship and it's able to get inside other living creatures without anybody knowing it and take on their shape. That's when the fun begins.

      Besides being extremely claustrophobic- you firmly believe that these men are truly trapped on a polar ice cap and have absolutely nowhere to go, Carpenter treats us to some mind-blowing, stomach-churning effects as the scientists confront the shape-shifting alien who assumes the appearance of the person it kills.  The isolation, the snow, the paranoia- all elements used extremely well in THE SHINING also greatly add to the tension here.

     I don't even know if I would consider this a sci-fi movie- it's pretty much straight-forward horror. Carpenter manages to create a wonderfully dark and paranoiac atmosphere, and his effects simply blow away any modern CGI hocus pocus. These were the days when special effects artists actually earned their paychecks, unlike today when a computer does everything.  It also boasts a haunting, moody synth score by the great Ennio Morricone.

      THE THING is one of the most entertaining horror films of all time- it's smart, brooding, apocalyptic, and as unconventional as a Hollywood movie can get.  And also one of the best movies to watch in anamorphic widescreen- it's truly remarkable. Today, THE THING is considered one of the greatest cult movies of the 80's that's absolutely on the level of 1979's ALIEN, and makes a great double feature with that film. A perfect Creature Feature.