THE STEPFATHER

     A great underrated thriller from the 80's is THE STEPFATHER starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack. It's a curious film, as it's not sure at times whether it's a suspense/thriller or a slasher, but always manages to be entertaining and suspenseful. Terry O'Quinn is fantastic as a good old-fashioned family values man who murders his wife and children in cold blood after discovering they weren't perfect. He changes his identity and soon finds himself another family, and here's where Shelley Hack and Jill Schoelen step in.

     THE STEPFATHER is one of the more memorable horror films to come out of the late 80's, if you ask me. Jill Schoelen is always welcome on screen, and Joseph Reuben assuredly directs the shenanigans. More FATAL ATTRACTION than FRIDAY THE 13TH, THE STEPFATHER was a refreshing change of pace at this time in horror. By the film's release in 1987, we had been bombarded with all the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and FRIDAY THE 13TH films- which are great and all- but it was nice to see a more realistic story brought to screen. THE STEPFATHER could absolutely happen- it has happened before, and that's one of the reasons why this little film works so well.

     Obviously THE STEPFATHER made an impact on pop culture, as it spawned two sequels and a 2000's remake. However, like most remakes, it simply wasn't needed. Terry's maniacal performance is timeless, and the film surprisingly holds up better than I expected today. It hasn't dated that much, even with Shelley Hack in a lead role, haha.

     THE STEPFATHER is a great film to watch in the fall, with many shots of fall foliage and raking leaves. It's a rather stylish film, with lots of genuine suspense and some occasional black humor. Much more of a psychological thriller than out and out horror movie, but Terry is creepy enough to warrant the film a spot in any horror section.

     For some reason, I find the early 80's to be a much more rich and creative time period of the decade than the latter part- I don't know how to explain it, really. To me personally, the horror films released between 1980 and 1984 are by far the best of the decade, but once in a while a gem would emerge after 1985. THE STEPFATHER is one of those gems, kids. Indeed.

THE CONJURING

     So I watched THE CONJURING as soon as it was released in 2013, and I must say, I wasn't impressed with it. I'm honestly not a James Wan fanboy- as a matter of fact, I felt INSIDIOUS was one of the most ridiculous horror movies I'd ever seen, and honestly didn't go into THE CONJURING with very high hopes. I sat through it and quite literally forgot about it until recently as THE CONJURING 2 was being released, and started hearing the rave reviews of the sequel. As it so often happens, suddenly I became obsessed with seeing the original again, convinced I hadn't given the film a proper chance and was perhaps missing out on a lost classic, which always gets me excited. I re-watched THE CONJURING, and I must say the film was far more enjoyable the second time around. In fact, dare I say I loved it?

     Yes, dear readers, I loved every single minute of THE CONJURING the second time around. What the hell I was thinking the first time around is beyond me. James Wan brilliantly takes us back to the retro golden age of horror, the 70's and 80's, and delivers a top notch ghost story that thankfully doesn't rely on silly and bloated CGI effects, but instead instead utilizes camera work, good actors, a great story based on actual events, and pure suspense to frighten us. And does a damn good job at it.

   
     THE CONJURING is based on Ed and Lorraine Warren's most famous case, the story of the Perron family. Supposedly this was their most frightening and disturbing case that they kept hidden from the public until recently, and their involvement with the Amityville case got all the publicity. It was high time the Warrens were portrayed on film, and Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga do a delicious job bringing the campy duo to life. Ron Livingston and Lily Taylor realistically breathe life into Roger and Carol Perron as well, and honestly there's not a bad performance to be found anywhere in the film. I loved that THE CONJURING for the most part keeps it real- it strays away from the ironic, self-aware mentality of many horror films today, and setting the film in 1971 just seems to make it all the more authentic anyhow. If the film were set today, the girls would have been taking pics of the demons and posting them to Instagram or some shit.

      Chock full of high tension and terror, THE CONJURING wonderfully takes a wholly unoriginal premise- the haunted house- and present it to an audience in a totally fresh and creative way. While a smart throwback to THE EXORCIST, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and THE CHANGELING, it's also an inventive but modern ghost story that's earned a place alongside the greats. There's a lot to admire about a modern horror film that has the audacity to honor and embrace the classic American horror films of the 70's and 80's and stand tall and proud amongst the wretched sea of anemic remakes, teen 'slashers', and sequels that pass for most horror films today. And can we talk about this damn doll?  Of course, dolls are always creepy, and have been used many times to great effect in horror movies throughout the years. Annabelle, the terrifying doll used in THE CONJURING, is no exception. It's the doll of nightmares, and instantly striking a chord in audiences, became a new icon of terror. Enough to get its own spin-off, at least.

          THE CONJURING has no sex, gore, extreme violence, or even swearing, which would normally alienate your core audience- yet the film was still slapped with an R rating due to its scariness and became a box office smash, grossing $318 million in the US alone. That's kind of badass, if you ask me. I'm not the biggest fan of James Wan's work, but his obvious love for the last golden age in horror shines through on this retro/modern ghost story that to me, easily ranks alongside the greats. This is the rare ghost story that actually works, and I'm rushing to see the sequel as soon as possible.

Behind the Scenes

These films are so iconic to us we forget that at the end of the day, they were simply actors playing roles in movies being made. It makes them all the more extraordinary.

FRIDAY THE 13TH on the Big Screen

     So last night, we saw the original FRIDAY THE 13TH on the big screen for the very first time.  I was just a bit too young to see it in theaters (I caught these gems late at night on HBO), so I really kinda missed out.  Well, just so happens our local theater has a Midnight Madness series going, and FRIDAY THE 13TH was one of the October selections.  Well of course I wouldn't miss it for the world, so we went.

     The film itself looked sensational up on the big screen.  We sat with roughly thirty people, and surprisingly most of them were young.  There was a 40ish lady with the nervous giggles throughout the entire film, and although slightly annoying at first- it soon became infectious, and the mood suddenly shifted in the audience.  All of a sudden, we were all participating, all part of something.  Going to see films like this are fascinating when you check out the audience.  There were people of all ages- people like us who had grown up watching these, and young people who had possibly never actually seen the original, only having heard of the name handed down over the years in pop culture.  Before we knew it, we were all laughing and screaming at the film, and FRIDAY THE 13TH was doing exactly what it was supposed to be doing.

     Two young girls, probably 19 or 20, were sitting directly behind us.  It was actually quite entertaining watching her during the big, scary moments- poor thing had her eyes covered the entire way, and nearly jumped right out of her skin when Jason comes out of the water at the end.  It was October, we were all in Halloween mode, and we were our own little audience at FRIDAY THE 13TH. At the risk of sounding corny, it was actually a big deal for me, seeing it up on the big screen like that. It was so much fun, and a perfect way to spend a fall, Saturday night with good peeps.   All in all a great night.  Next up- the original HALLOWEEN on the big screen this October 29th.  This is certainly my lucky October, so far.

Essential October Viewing Part 2

     Okay kids, here's another 20 films that are essential watching during the month of October.  Here we go.  By the way, these are not in any particular order.  They're all fantastic in their own right.

     20.  SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS  I love this deliciously diabolical tv movie that features Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd together way before "Charlie's Angels", and Scream Queen Pamela Franklin to boot.  This tv flick has some great atmosphere.

     19. ROSEMARY'S BABY  This devilish horror classic has been silently creeping us out for years now, so why not include it in this list?  I can't think of any reasons, can you?

     18. HORROR OF DRACULA  I am thoroughly addicted to Hammer horror films, especially the Dracula series.  Christopher Lee is perfectly menacing here, and if you can't appreciate some classic Drac in the month of October, then there's no hope for ya.

     17.  DAWN OF THE DEAD (1979)  George A. Romero's legendary sequel belongs in permanent rotation all through the entire month of October, right after the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. These movies are Halloween.

     16.  HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT 2  This odd and quirky sequel to the 1980 slasher classic has grown on me quite a bit over the years.  I used to not know what to think about it, but I've grown to appreciate it.

     15.  SUSPIRIA  Dario Argento's infamous shocker is always found on tv during the month of October, and with good reason.  A total mind trip of a horror film, it's classic horror all the way. Weird, violent, beautiful... and some of the scariest music ever recorded.

     14.  THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE  Another kick-ass ghost story that's got your classic haunted house atmosphere for days.  This was always on the late show on Friday nights as a child, and I distinctly remember being about 9 and staying up one dark, windy night in October to watch it. A frightfully good time.

     13.  PSYCHO The granddaddy of all slashers.  'Nuff said.  Norman Bates is so iconic, why not have a back-to-back double feature and watch the amazing sequel, PSYCHO 2?  Crazy, heh?

     12. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS  I'm including both the 1956 and 1978 versions here, well, because they both rock in their own way.  Both are undeniably creepy, and both are classic horror films.

     11.  THE SHINING  I could write an essay on how much I love this film, but I'll reduce it to this is one of the greatest horror films of all time so of course it's great to watch in October on or around Halloween.

     10.  COUNT DRACULA  The BBC adaption starring Louis Jordan is, besides the first few Hammer vampire films, one of the creepiest Dracula presentations of all time.  Weird, haunting, dark- this deliciously Gothic telling of the classic vampire tale is a superb Halloween selection.

      9.  THE DESCENT  Because it's frigging scary, that's why.  Monsters and Halloween go hand in hand.  And these are some pretty scary monsters here.

      8.  CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN  Hammer's classic and lush re-telling of Mary Shelley's immortal tale is an excellent film to curl up to on the sofa on a cold, windy afternoon while the leaves fall outside.  Christopher Lee's monster is rather disturbing in its own right, and Peter Cushing was born to play Dr. Frankenstein.  Love me some Hammer.

      7. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON/ THE HOWLING  I love both equally and I couldn't choose a favorite if I had to and I shouldn't have to pick just one anyway because I love them both and they are the best werewolf movies ever made so why not watch them both this time of year?

      6.  THE EVIL DEAD  Sam Raimi's undying classic works great on a cloudy, overcast day with a jack-o-lantern on the front porch.  I don't know, it's just always seemed natural to watch it during the month of October.

      5.  DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW  This classic piece of tv terror takes place around Halloween, and although it is guaranteed to creep you out any time of the year, it does make a nice touch this time of year. Good, creepy fun.

      4.  A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET  Wes Craven's original shocker is prime Halloween entertainment.  I've fallen in love with the 1984 slasher again, and all of a sudden I want to watch it right now.  Ah, when Freddy was still scary and not a cheesy comedian!

      3.  SLEEPY HOLLOW  As much as I'm NOT a Johnny Depp fan (go ahead and sue me), I must admit, it's not really October without it.  There should be a law forbidding Tim Burton and Depp to collaborate on anymore projects, but they certainly got it right with this one.  Awesome Halloween atmosphere, and a great score to boot.  Good stuff, indeed.

      2.  NIGHT OF THE DEMONS  The 1987 classic positively reeks of the Halloween spirit, and it's absolutely perfect for parties.  Can't go wrong with this gem in October.

      1.  CREEPSHOW  C'mon, if any film (besides HALLOWEEN) personifies the spirit of October 31,CREEPSHOW is it.  It's always excellent to watch, but it's just a bit more glorious during your annual Shocktober festivities.  Don't you think?  Besides, the opening scene takes place at Halloween, as there is a jack-o-lantern in the window.  And it's awesome.

Here's the link to my first list of Essential October Viewing.

http://screamsofterror.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-list-of-perfect-movies-to-watch.html

Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House

     I loved this record as a child.  I would sit up late, alone, in my bedroom with the lights out, listening to the Chilling, Thrilling, Sounds of the Haunted House.  Good times, kids.  Good times.