Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" already had a reputation back in the day as being quite the infamous shocker. Yet I had never experienced it until recently. The mood just struck me, and I went with it. I figured why not, right? Now, I went in expecting absolutely nothing. The sorry state of horror has made me somewhat bitter and jaded these days, and I've been burned one too many times with false promises and over-hype. But I'd heard so many good things about the film over the years that I figured the odds were with me. So, I popped it in and settled down with "The Hills Have Eyes".
Even though the plot is nothing new- family gets lost on vacation in the desert and become stalked by a violent clan of inbred and mountain-dwelling cannibals- the raw and intense atmosphere is what easily sells the movie. The empty and creepy desert is terrifying, and becomes a perfect setting for a horror film.
Craven winningly directs the movie- he really conveys a sense of hopelessness and isolation here, and this film is a huge step up from the dreadful (in my opinion) "Last House On The Left". And much like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", the grainy, low-budget look of the film stock only adds to the movie. It just makes it scarier to me. All that, combined with excellent cinematography and rather impressive special effects for such a low budget, make a gripping and ruthless shocker that undoubtedly made a mark on horror and pop culture. It's a highly influential and cheap 70's exploitation horror film that, unlike "The Last House On The Left", actually lives up to its hype.
Brutal and harrowing, "THHE" manages to be one of the most disturbing and frightening genre flicks of the 1970's. On top of being classic Craven and one of his more creative, in my opinion. Possibly Wes Craven's greatest B-movie, "The Hills Have Eyes" certainly lives up to its reputation as a violent and shocking cult classic. This is a perfect drive-in movie here- an unassuming little shocker that doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. A simple and scary movie. And for the most part, it succeeds. Scream Queen Dee Wallace-Stone makes an appearance in this Craven classic that all fans of horror should experience!
I was ten years old when I first experienced "Poltergeist". I went to a friend's house to watch it because it had just hit HBO. I was told that I must see this movie immediately. I was dying to see it anyway. Needless to say, I was completely blown away by what I was seeing on the screen in front of me. "Poltergeist", directed by Tobe Hooper (although let's be fair here- this movie has Steven Spielberg's stamp all over it...), literally scared the hell out of me. But it was so much fun- a non-stop roller-coaster ride that never lets up for one second. It's completely entertaining on all levels. Besides being a top-notch thrill ride, it has the added bonus of some great writing and even greater acting.
Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, and the kids are sensational in their roles- they're 100% believable and even though the film boasts some astonishing special effects, the acting is what makes "Poltergeist" work. On top of the great family, we're treated to the wonderful Beatrice Straight and Zelda Rubinstein. This was every family I knew in the 80's. I lived this. I completely identified with every single frame of that movie. I was Robbie- terrified of the shadow on my closet door by the tree outside my window at night. I also had a super scary clown, I just chose not to keep it. "Poltergeist" was the second, big haunted house movie I had seen- the first being "The Amityville Horror". As much as I enjoyed "Amityville", "Poltergeist" seemed real to me at the time. It really made you think that it could happen to anybody, at anytime.
"Poltergeist" is hands down one of the greatest haunted house movies ever made. Besides having the talents of Tobe Hooper and Spielberg involved, we get the delicious and chilling score by Jerry Goldsmith and one of the most well-known and parodied lines from any movie... "They're heeere.....". "Poltergeist" is Steven Spielberg's vision of a haunted house/ghost story, and a great one at that. For some reason taking the haunted house out of the gloomy, cobwebbed mansion and bringing it into contemporary suburbia only made it all the more scary. It became the standard for haunted house movies to come. The film is making a comeback of sorts, it seems. I see it talked about more and more on horror blogs in the past couple of years, and next year (2012) will be the films 30th anniversary.
"Poltergeist" was one of the biggest and most influential movies of my youth, and it's impossible not to think of this movie when you talk of the 1980's. I know I had never seen anything like this before. It quite literally blew my mind. Sadly I did not get to witness this on the big screen, so I can only imagine the effect this had in that environment. Just watching it on a dark, rainy afternoon on a reasonably large tv as I did was extremely powerful. It was like "E.T." sort of... only scary. And as unbelievable as it all is- Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Oliver Robins, Dominique Dunne, and Heather O'Rourke firmly make you believe every second of it. They're very believable, and my mother actually resembled JoBeth back then. This movie, like so many from the 80's, never fails to entertain me. It's just such a huge part of my childhood. Luckily, I've never outgrown it, because it's still a hell of good movie. Maybe slightly dated because of the whole channels signing off at midnight thing, but overall it's still as sharp and witty as always, with the banter between Nelson and Williams priceless.
"Poltergeist" was so successful and popular it would start not only a franchise, but an undying urban legend about the so-called "Poltergeist" curse that is slowly and methodically killing off all involved with the films. The film would garner 3 Academy Awards, and ranked # 80 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments and #69 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes for "They're Heeere...". "Poltergeist" would gross over $78 million dollars and become the highest-grossing horror film of 1982. It has become a bona fide horror classic, and well deserved at that. This was some serious nightmares for many kids my age, and I know of a few who are deathly afraid of clowns because of it. But overall, it's still such a fun movie to watch. I love this movie. Dearly.
So I finally got around to seeing "Let Me In". And can I just say FINALLY a vampire that is NOTHING like "Twilight". This was a spectacularly creepy vampire movie in my eyes, and I found it more violent and suspenseful than the original Swedish version. I can't even remember the last time a vampire movie has impressed me so much. What's great about "Let Me In" is it's kind of hard to pinpoint exactly which genre this movie is. It's mostly a horror movie, but also touches on bullying, loneliness, love, trust, and family drama. And calling it just a vampire movie is rather disrespectful, because there's far more going on here than just vampires sucking blood.
I honestly couldn't find anything to complain about after watching "Let Me In". I know that many fans of the original blogged themselves into a frenzy about this Americanized version, but just like the complaints for "Quarantine" as opposed to "REC"- I found it all silly. This is an extremely well-done movie and it's extremely watchable. It doesn't rely on a lot of special effects or over-the-top gore like a lot of horror movies out there today, and transcends the horror genre, instead offering depth, emotion, and a great story. And the acting! The two child leads are nothing short of sensational and most definitely help sell the film. With lesser talents, the movie would not have worked. But the children make it work.
I really enjoyed watching "Let Me In", and it gave me hope that the "Twilight" fever is almost over. I think the last, good vampire movie I've seen was "Interview With the Vampire"... and how long ago was that? Normally I don't like modern vampires- give me Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, or some "Salem's Lot" anyday. THOSE are vampires- not Robert Pattinson or Wesley Snipes. Movies like this don't come often in horror, and they are a welcome retreat from the mindless Zombie films or pallid re-makes of classic movies. I give this one a thumbs up.
The inevitable sequel to the mega-hit THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is actually just as entertaining as the original, in my opinion. A prequel to the original that's based on the book "Murder In Amityville" by famed parapsychologist Hans Holzer, AMITYVILLE 2: THE POSSESSION is really nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be, which is usually pretty often. Or at least it used to be. Seems the movie is seen in a different light today, and I never understood why it was so frowned upon in the first place- it's got some incredible scenes in it. I loved it just as much as the first film, and felt the underrated Rutanya Alda was just as good a leading lady as our Margot.
Maybe it's just me, but this film almost has a seedy and sleazy feel to it, which only adds to the horror, I think. It opens with a great and sweeping shot of the Amityville house surrounded by fog, (or the studio's interpretation of the actual house, that is...), and that shot immediately sets the tone for the rest of the film. What it lacks in some production areas here and there, it more than makes up for it all with a downright evil, menacing atmosphere and some first rate special effects.
This movie oozes evil from every frame, and is widely considered to be the darkest and most frightening of the series. On top of all the supernatural shenanigans going on, there is a sinister, underlying tension present within the family. Sure, the demonic presence in 112 Ocean Avenue is spooky, but the real-life horrors presented here are just as unsettling- physical abuse, incest, rape, family quarrels. It's all very disconcerting. You can feel all the problems within the family bubbling under the surface, ready to erupt at any moment. This is a somewhat stressful movie to sit through.
Loosely based on the actual DeFeo case, AMITYVILLE 2: THE POSSESSION offers up some slick, spooky camera work and that awesomely scary Lalo Schifrin score help the film tremendously. The music is truly frightening and why this particular score has never officially been released on cd is a shame, I tell ya.
To be fair, you could say that the climax of AMITYVILLE 2 basically degenerates into a low-rent EXORCIST. It pretty much does. You could even venture to say that it's a shamelessly exploitative and sensationalistic movie ripping off the tragedy of the DeFeo family. It is. However.....I still love this movie. This was supremely scary stuff back in the 80's, and besides some dated 80's trappings, it's by far the scariest Amityville movie ever made. It's a great and underrated B-movie that makes a great double-feature with the original.
Throwing in a rather shocking incest plotline, the always entertaining Rutanya Alda, 80's icon Diane Franklin, and you have by far the best sequel out of the entire series. This is really the most sinister and scary of all the AMITYVILLE films!
Yes I know- it's the most hated of the franchise. Virtually everybody in the world it seems to absolutely detest HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH. But in all honesty, that's hard for me to swallow. I'm used to being in the minority anyway when it comes to the things I truly dig, so here goes. I actually find the third installment much more entertaining and creative than the rest of the franchise. Yes, I said it. It's true. And I'm not ashamed to admit this either...
This was a terrible flop when released, as audiences in 1982 simply wanted gore and more gore, and they wanted Michael Myers providing it. HALLOWEEN 3 came hot off the heels of the sequel, which grossed $25.5 million in 1981. Movie-goers didn't quite feel the same way about the third, and I just can't understand why. I honestly believe that if the movie was never released as a HALLOWEEN film at all, it would have an entirely different reputation. The only reason people hate this movie so much is the absence of Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis. If it had simply been titled SEASON OF THE WITCH, with no reference to the HALLOWEEN films at all, I think the film's reputation would have been far greater today.
Because in all honesty, it's actually quite good. I'm being totally serious here. This movie is nowhere as "bad" as it's supposed to be, and there's lots to love here.People just can't seem to grasp the concept that Carpenter and crew figured that Michael Myers was actually dead at the end of HALLOWEEN 2,and that they never intended to be an anthology of films featuring him anyway, so why bring him back?
Instead, they thought that a whole slew of spooky stories about October 31st would be a much more creative and energetic series. The original idea was to do a Twilight Zone-like series of movies, all having something to do with the actual date of October 31st, but not the storyline of the original. No Haddonfield. No Laurie Strode. No Dr. Loomis. No Michael Myers. Just a bunch of creepy stories centering around Halloween and all its rich atmosphere. So after the success of HALLOWEEN 2, the powers that be figured audiences would be ready for this new direction in the series. Which... they weren't. Slashers were white hot at the time- fantasy/horror hadn't become popular yet. Audiences still wanted a masked killer with a knife offing horny teens, and I think this film was a bit too intelligent and ahead of its time.
I still firmly believe that the original concept would have been a much more rewarding and creative series of movies. I mean, think about this for a minute. Imagine the possibilities of say, ten different films, all taking place on or around October 31st, but all different, original storylines... Are you seeing what I'm getting at here? Imagine the possibilities!
SEASON OF THE WITCH is actually much better written, has much better cinematography, direction and acting, and is honestly just put together better overall than all of those later HALLOWEEN films combined. It's actually a dark and strange little horror movie, the kind of story you might find in an old issue of "Tales From the Crypt" or a hoary old episode of that late-night staple, "Tales From the Darkside". It offers a taste of what the series could and should have been, instead of the disappointing and annoying HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS... This movie offers an amazing sense of dread and fear- great atmosphere. Superb October atmosphere, to be exact.
The film is based on an idea that there is a evil plot by a mask company who with the aid of witchcraft, intend to kill the children of America on Halloween night through a series of masks- witch, skull, and jack-o-lantern. Sounds silly, right? Sure. It is silly. But HALLOWEEN 3 really is just like a good episode of the old "Tales From the Darkside" that I used to watch late at night. I mean, you get Tom Atkins, first and foremost, which I'll take in any movie. It's Tom Atkins! Plus you get a great and eerie electronic score (brilliantly synthesized and moody!), creepy Stepford-like men in suits, an INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS-type conspiracy, witchcraft, tons of bugs and snakes, and some clever homages to the original HALLOWEEN and other classic horror films. Oh and that damn Silver Shamrock jingle that will not leave your head once you've heard it. I find myself endlessly fascinated and mystified by SEASON OF THE WITCH, because it's just so different and daring. And dark. This really is a twisted and diabolical little movie. It's just frustrating because so many people have such a closed mind when it comes to this movie.
Now as far as actually being as 'scary' as the original? No, it's not. But it is a quietly disturbing little horror movie that actually does have a lot to offer, if only given the chance. People complain about how formulaic and un-creative Hollywood can be, yet when they actually do try something creative, they're crucified for it. Let's face it- the latter HALLOWEEN movies are just nowhere near the level of the first two films in the series. They are mindless sequels only made to satisfy the masses and to top the latest FRIDAY THE 13TH and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET installment. And it shows. Get some half-assed Michael Myers killing teenagers. That's basically about it. If you ask me, those movies have tarnished the good name of the series, not the third installment. At least this movie had some creative thought behind it, even though it didn't turn out as good as it could have been. Not a perfect movie by any means, but it's still far better than most make it out to be. I actually find this to be a very cool movie, and there's a reason why it's always shown on television around Halloween. I love it! The original, the sequel, and this one make the perfect October trilogy. Skip the rest. Trust me.
I had always wanted to see "The Food Of The Gods", and finally, I got my wish. O...m...g... This trashy adaption of H.G.Wells' classic story is just something that has to be seen to be believed. Simple as that. It's just so wild and bizarre- and somehow manages to be hilarious, disturbing, ridiculous, and somewhat creepy all at the same time. The plot goes something like this. Basically some farmers, one being Ida Lupino, discover some weird goop mysteriously bubbling up from the ground on their land. Thinking it a gift from God, they start feeding it to their chickens.
Which soon results in a barn full of giant chickens. It's absurd for sure, yet kinda scary at the same time. Giant birds are spooky anyway, but a giant chicken? Yikes.
To make matters worse for them but awesome for us viewers, rats, wasps, and other vermin have managed to get into this "food of the gods"- resulting in, guess what? You got it. An island crawling with giant critters. One of the many man vs. animal movies of the 70's, this one is a sight to behold, that's for sure. This is total drive-in schlock. Completely batshit and over the top.
Now as sublimely cheesy as this movie is, it does get really disturbing once the giant rats come into the picture. As the movie goes on and the humans become more and more desperate for survival, the rats seem to take center stage- which results in lots of rats getting blown away. Many people were disgusted and shocked by the violent scenes of the rats being shot and destroyed. And it is disgusting and shocking. Some claim that it's all done with paintballs and special effects, but it quite obvious that you're seeing many rats visibly killed in some of the film's most infamous scenes. A source of controversy for years, it's somewhat surprising that as late as 1976 acts of cinematic cruelty to animals would be allowed to be shown on film, especially in mass quantities like in "The Food Of The Gods".
Bottom line- "The Food Of The Gods" is one of those movies that starts off so bad, you just have to keep on watching to see what happens next. There are many sublimely ridiculous moments- I myself will never forget the sight of Ida Lupino desperately beating the giant plastic worm supposedly chewing on her arm. The special effects are pretty laughable, but somehow all this works, to a certain degree. I'm not saying I love this movie, or even like it. But I own the movie, so I must like it somewhat... Okay, I do like it, okay? Fine. I like it! This is most definitely a movie I would love to see on MST3K. It would be a hoot, for sure. Overall, as cheesy and laughable as the movie gets at times, it still manages to be entertaining. The film has achieved a cult status of sorts, and it's certainly not the worst horror movie out there- although it does almost reach Ed Wood level at times. Which of course is why it's so watchable and why I recommend Bert I. Gordon's classic nature's-revenge opus from 1976. You just gotta love the 70's, man.
Believe it or not, FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER actually was intended to be the very last Jason Voorhees movie. But with it grossing $32 million dollars at the box office, the powers that be said they weren't retiring the hockey mask so quickly after all. And it's a shame, because it's such a doozy of a film that it could've ended the series with a strong bang.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER is one of the last, great slashers of the 80's, and unfortunately the last truly good film of the franchise (well, besides the sixth installment, which we'll get to later...). Picking up right
where the previous FRIDAY left off with Jason lying in a barn with an ax in his head, the fourth installment kicks off in high gear and never lets up for a second.
THE FINAL CHAPTER was the goriest entry to date, with the great Tom Savini returning in the effects department. Savini has said that since he basically "created" Jason, he wanted to be the one to "destroy" him once and for all, which makes perfect sense to me. Jason is still a hulking, scary menace- he's superbly portrayed by Ted White, who perfectly continues what Richard Brooker did in Part 3.
Director Joe Zito generates some genuine unease and good, solid scares along the way- which blend well with the top-notch effects by Tom Savini. Zito also throws in some nice homages to the first three films, bringing the story full circle.
It really should have ended for good after this one. They would have had 4 relatively strong and influential slashers to go down in history as a remarkable series- but they didn't. They have honestly milked Jason Voorhees for all the poor guy's worth- the same fate has also been bestowed on Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, if you ask me.
This is it kids- the last, great one before the franchise would mercilessly jump the shark and become more and more ludicrous with each passing film. This is Jason's swan song. It's over the top, more of a rollercoaster ride than a movie. There's not much of a plot here, but does it really matter at this point? Jason is found dead in a bard and taken to the morgue. Of course he's not dead, and escapes. He goes back to the woods to kill more. That's pretty much all you need to know- and it's a helluva lot of fun.
THE FINAL CHAPTER provoked strong audience interaction and participation in theaters as the movie-going public ate up every single frame flickering on the big screen. The film was a hit, grossing $32.9 million in the US- even though the slasher film craze was starting to end. Besides, you know you're usually in for a good time when Corey Feldman shows up. Throw in Kimberly Beck who makes a great Final Girl, some DoubleMint Twins, Crispin Glover, and a wicked sense of humor and you've got a great 80's slasher that holds up well today.
