The Weekly Horror Movie(s) Thread

[Mitch Henessey]

Giving credit to Wally Dangerously, because it's a spin on a thread he created a little while ago.

The idea of this thread is to post about overlooked, underrated, forgotten, cult classic horror films (past and present), or horror films that are flying under the radar. And you're welcome to defend a critically panned horror film also.

The Conjuring, Friday The 13th, Halloween '78, the original Nightmare On Elm Street, and Night of the Living Dead 1968 are examples of films that are off-limits for this thread, because I'm not looking for widely praised and successful horror films.

But to add to that, you can submit a post about Halloween III: Season Of The Witch, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, or Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. While it's true each film is apart of a well established, and popular horror franchise, there's more than enough room to spark a debate for said film receiving an unfair amount of criticism or said film falling into a category for being overlooked, underrated, forgotten, maintaining a cult classic status, or possibly surpassing the original in the series for overall quality.

Also, if you're wondering, yes, this thread will contain spoilers. I'll start things off with one of my all-time favorites:

Fright Night Part 2 (1988)

[YOUTUBE]0uYdPX2EG5U[/YOUTUBE]​

Plot- Three years after the events of Fright Night (1985), Charley Brewster (Roddy McDowall) reunites with Peter Vincent to stop a different vampire.

Jerry Dandridge's (Chris Sarandon) sister, Regine (Julie Carmen) wants revenge for her brother's death, but Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) runs into some problems with a reluctant Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale). Charley is trying to focus on college, his new girlfriend, Alex (Traci Lin), and he wants to put the past behind him. A series of bizarre incidents bring Charley and Peter together for one more fight against Regine and her entourage, but Regine gains the upper hand with one bite........

My thoughts-

Filling Chris Sarandon's shoes for the primary antagonist in the sequel was not an easy task, but Julie Carmen did a wonderful job as Regine. Carmen's has the sex appeal, her performance has a nice flow to it, and she's the female counterpart for Sarandon's Jerry: a smooth, charismatic, and devious seductress. To give an example, Charley temporarily lowers his guard after Regine lures him into a dance:

[YOUTUBE]8OhLLRS67D0[/YOUTUBE]​

As far as Charley goes, with the exception of going to college, a new girlfriend, and a new college friend named Richie (long story short, Regine turns him, but Richie hides the bite marks with make-up), you won't see any major changes for his character. And of course, Roddy McDowall is still good for a few laughs, as the jumpy coward.

Part II features some noticeable changes, with Regine having an entourage, including Belle (another vampire), Louie (a werewolf), Bozoworth (a supernatural being, who eats insects). Remember, in the 1985 original, Jerry had Billy to watch his back, and that's it. On a side note, and I know this sounds like a nitpicky complaint, but Belle and his rollerblades annoy me. For some strange reason, Belle needs to use his rollerblades to attack his victims, and it's a slow motion shot every time it happens, so the attacks feel repetitive.

Also, there's no Amanda Bearse or Stephen Geoffreys as Evil Ed. I don't have any real complaints about Traci Lin as Alex. Geoffreys was good for comic relief (with one serious moment, when Jerry turns him in the alleyway) in the 1985 film, and you can say Jon Gries Louie is his replacement as the goofball.

I enjoy Fright Night Part II, but I have two major pet peeves for this one. For starters, they actually expect you to suspend disbelief to the point, where you can seriously buy into Peter and Charley denying the existence of vampires? Charley and Peter don't fully trust or believe in each other until the tail end of the film, when they join forces to fight Regine, and it's just ridiculous after the events in the first film. To make matters worse, they open the movie with a highlight reel of the big fight between Jerry (as a VAMPIRE), Peter, and Charley before they cut to Charley's therapy session. Unbelievable.

The big plot hole for Regine's revenge is really irritating. It's no secret Regine wants to enslave Charley for all eternity as a vampire, because she wants revenge for her brother's death. Well, the thing is, Peter is the only one, who knows about Regine's blood ties to Jerry. In fact, after Regine mentions Jerry, they never make an effort to elaborate on Jerry's death, so instead of a revenge story with some real potential and depth, it's just a "we have to kill another random vampire" storyline for Charley and Peter.

Part II has some noticeable flaws, and it's not prefect, but the sequel is an enjoyable film, and it's worth a try, if you're a fan of the original. Also, I have a thing for 80's horror, and Part II's nostalgic aura is something to remember. Everything from the characters, to the atmosphere, the music, and the look of the movie screams 80's, and Part II is one the rare films I can watch over and over again without getting tired of it.

As far as sequels go, it's not better than some horror number twos, but at the same time, it's nowhere near as bad as some other horror number twos (i.e. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge). The main problem is, the 1985 original is praised as an all-time classic, so Part II had to deal with the task of living up to high (and unrealistic) expectations.

A few bonus points for the genuine surprise with Dr. Harrison (Charley's Psychiatrist) turning into a vampire to attack Alex at the train tracks, and the ending, with Charley and Peter working together to stop Regine. The look of hopelessness on Ragsdale's face, Regine salivating in the thought of enslaving Charley, the timing, and McDowall's last second save to pull the rug out from underneath Regine. Everything leading up to the moment of Regine's demise is executed to perfection, and it's an easy choice for one of my favorite death scenes:

[YOUTUBE]X4_sTGMHAfk[/YOUTUBE]​

Fingers crossed for Scream Factory securing the rights for a collector's edition DVD/Blu-Ray set someday. Part II is out of print (has been for years now) on DVD and Blu-Ray, so of course, if you want a DVD or Blu-Ray, you're going to pay an outrageous price online ($400 and up for the Blu-Ray). To add that, I've read a number of reviews complaining about terrible VHS picture quality for the DVDs, and there's no sense in spending so much money for a standard one disc DVD.

 

[Boring]

I lost a long reply here weeks ago, disappointed there hasn't been more chatter here since.

I'm not a vampire fan, but both Fright Night Films had their moments. I really enjoyed the second films dance scene and can't give credit to Chris Surandon in any movie he's in whether I like it or not( The Princess Bride, Let The Devil Wear Black.) In conclusion, Fright Night 2 is a sure thing for any horror fan especially if your into 80s/90s nostalgia.

The movie I picked for this thread is the 1989 film Clownhouse by Victor Salva. I consider myself a horror movie fan as far as Michael Myers (aka The King,) Jason, Freddy, Chucky etc go but I'm not the type to search out non-brand name killers. If every horror movie was good, I'd watch, but there's alot of garbage out there in this genre.

What isn't garbage is Clownhouse. I've been a horror movie fan all my life and I didn't see/hear about it till my mid 20s. I finally saw the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The thing about this movie that is so scary and actually horrible, is that the director was molesting the lead, 12 year old male character. He also directed movies like Powder and the Jeepers Creepers series.

I watched the movie before knowing all of this, but after watching and looking up the back story, it added to creepiness of the film. The lead character in the film is obviously scared and disturbed and it's because he actually is.

I usually only enjoy horror movies I grew up with but Clownhouse is a must for any horror fan whose never seen or heard of it. The monster who made it is still making movies "Jeepers Creepers 3" in prod, but with a young Sam Rockwell and a well made film, this movie is probably in the argument for best clown movie ever made, considering it was 2 years before IT.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Yeah, I kind of forget about this one, but I'll post a proper update (probably The Descent) soon.

As far Fright Night Part II '88 goes, the DVDs and Blu-Rays are still horribly overpriced, but a little while ago, Amazon released a limited number of VHS tapes (not sure if they still have them) for the movie. I was browsing around, I picked up a copy (a little over twenty bucks with shipping and handling), and luckily my old VCR still works.

If every horror movie was good, I'd watch, but there's alot of garbage out there in this genre.

Currently?

If you're talking about the state of current/modern horror films, good (or great) horror films are out there, you just have to look for them (low profile Indie horror films, foreign horror films, or arthouse horror). More often than not, a lot of people generalize, when they see the same, same old with generic and formulaic mainstream horror films.

Ouija 2014 is a good example for something more recent. A bland, boring, and generic horror film, but it's a mainstream Hollywood horror film, so of course, you'll see all the commercials on TV and ads for the film plastered across social media.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown remake and Darker than Night (or Más Negro Qué La Noche) are two of my favorite horror films in 2014, but I can guarantee you not too many people knew about both films, because you had to do some real research to find them. I'm jumping around for the years now, but you can add the Maniac remake starring Elijah Wood to that list, and the first two REC films (the third is trash, and I haven't seen Apocalypse yet).

To add to that, I haven't seen The Babadook yet, but I've heard nothing but high praise for it, and for 2015, I'm really looking forward to It Follows, and the early reviews are praising it is a modern classic.

Another problem for the perception of horror films (this is past and present) is the habit of studios milking a great, good, solid, or so-so horror film to produce a shitty or sub-par franchise/film series (i.e. Saw and Paranormal Activity for modern examples) with one or two (three if you're lucky) memorable films, and a barrage of sequels. In some cases, the sequels are decent or surprisingly entertaining, but more often than not, you can just tell they're squeezing everything as much as they possibly can for another film.

Although, I'll say this, I'm glad Hollywood decided to bail on the trend of unnecessary J-horror (Japanese horror) remakes. They had something with The Ring, but the bandwagon really hit a wall with One Missed Call.

I'm not knocking mainstream horror films, because I enjoy most of them, but for every Insidious (the first film, Chapter 2 was pure dogshit) or The Conjuring, you'll have an Ouija, The Devil Inside, another forgettable found-footage horror film filled with unnecessary jump scares, or another unnecessary remake (i.e. A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010) to tip scale the other way.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Descent (2005)​

[YOUTUBE]WhZj0Q9rq9E[/YOUTUBE]​

Plot- After a whitewater rafting trip, the relationship between five friends takes an unexpected turn, when Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) loses her husband, Paul (Oliver Milburn) and her young daughter, Jessica (Molly Kayll) in a gruesome car accident. Unbeknownst to Sarah, Juno (Natalie Mendoza), one of her close friends in the group, was having an affair with Paul.

One year later, Sarah is struggling to cope with Paul and Jessica's deaths, relying on medication for help, but Juno suggests an expedition to a cave system to reinvigorate Sarah. Together, Juno, Sarah, Beth (Alex Reid ), Sam (MyAnna Buring), and, Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) reunite for spelunking, with some help from Juno's new friend, Holly (Nora Jane Noone).

Inside the cave system, a passage collapses behind Sarah, blocking the only known exit. But the group runs into a bigger problem, when flesh-eating creatures (or crawlers) emerge. The blind creatures use sound to hunt, and Holly's broken leg complicates the life-or-death dilemma.

My Thoughts- Patience. You'll need a lot of it for The Descent, because the movie kicks into high gear at the fifty-six minute mark, and the total runtime clocks in at 1hr. and 39 min. On paper, I know that sounds like a lengthy and tedious "twiddling your thumbs" wait, but the slow burn build is worth it, because The Descent delivers one hell of a payoff.

Director/writer Neil Marshall slowly builds the tension one step at a time. The exit collapsing behind Sarah, the confusion and anger, when Juno tells the truth about the expedition (more on that later), Sarah being the only one, who notices the crawlers tracking the group (Sarah's sightings are dismissed as hallucinations at first), Holly breaking her leg, and brief shots of the crawlers quietly waiting in the background.

It's only a matter of time before the crawlers attack. The constant teasing from Marshall really works, because you know the main characters are walking into massacre. It's one setback after another, as the story unfolds, and you can feel the impending sense of doom before the crawlers launch the first attack.

It's one close call nail-biter after another during the fight against the crawlers, and here's one of my favorite scenes:

[YOUTUBE]YiD9zhs0Lt8[/YOUTUBE]​

Friendship, betrayal, loyalty, and revenge. Four very important themes in The Descent, and each theme is intensified during the ups and downs in Sarah and Juno’s relationship.

Throughout the movie, Sarah suspected something between Juno and Paul, but she wasn't 100% sure. And to add an eerie touch to the situation, you get the feeling Paul was on the verge of a confession (Paul's uncomfortable body language in the car, and the look of guilt on his face are two dead giveaways) before the fatal car crash.

Natalie Mendoza delivers a solid and believable performance, and Marshall deserves some bonus points for the way he chooses to portray Juno. Juno stays in a grey area, because you want to believe she feels remorse for the affair, but at the same time, Juno never openly apologizes to Sarah for the affair, and she never offers an explanation. Instead, Juno believes the spelunking trip will cheer Sarah up, and she plans to name the undiscovered cave system after Sarah.

But here's the big problem with Juno's goodwill mission: For starters, Juno deliberately lied about the cave system. Originally, the group agreed on a spelunking trip to a known cave system (or a "tourist trap"), but Juno decided (without asking or consulting the group) to lead the group to the unknown cave system for a real adventure. There's a scene, where Sarah and the others gang up on Juno to call her out on all the BS behind her motivations, and in certain scenes, you get the feeling Juno is a pretentious phony with a big ego.

To end the movie, Sarah and Juno are the remaining survivors, and Sarah reaches a breaking point with Juno. When the crawlers launched their first attack, Juno accidentally wounded Beth with a pickaxe to the throat (she mistook Beth for a crawler), but Juno never told the truth about the accident. After Beth's death, Sarah finally learns the truth about the affair, and she maims Juno with a pickaxe to the leg. Sarah escapes, and a wounded Juno is left alone to fight a pack of crawlers.

Think about what Sarah did for a second. She could've easily killed Juno with no real problems, but she made the choice to cripple Juno, because she wanted her to suffer a slow and agonizing death at the hands of vicious flesh-eating creatures. That's revenge, and you can say Sarah had genuine feelings of hatred for Juno. The irony for Sarah crippling Juno? Throughout the movie, Juno flat out REFUSED to leave the cave (motivated by guilt and a second chance) without Sarah, when the remaining survivors were more than willing to escape, leaving Sarah alone in the cave with an "every man (or in the case, woman) for himself" mindset.

You can feel a grand sense of triumph and relief, when Sarah finally escapes the cave......but she didn't escape. Sarah pulls over on the side of the road to vomit, and she sees a pale Juno (covered in blood) sitting next to her. Here, it's revealed Sarah never escaped the cave. The escape was one big dream, and Sarah is still trapped in the cave. She hallucinates a celebration for her daughter's birthday (a reoccurring hallucination throughout the movie), but in reality, Sarah is kneeling on the ground, and she's staring at a torch.

The Descent is a chaotic, tense, and claustrophobic horror film, featuring a solid cast, and believable performances. The Descent is loaded with graphic violence, blood, and gore, and Marshall creates a series of striking visuals behind the camera. The crawler's lair (or "The Killing Floor") is one that sticks out. It's a horrifying and gloomy setting, with the bones of animals and humans scattered across the ground, and you'll see one of the more memorable gross-out moments in the movie, with Sarah slowly rising to the top in a pit of blood (look at the movie poster, if you need a visual). And the genuinely shocking swerve at the end really works, because Sarah as the sole survivor was supposed to be the big feel good moment in the movie, but they pull the rug out from underneath at the last second.

Characters and a story with real depth separates The Descent from other gory bloodbath horror films. It's a story about friendship, deception, betrayal, revenge, survival, and how far people are willing to go, when they're pushed beyond their limits.

 

[Dave]

You know, I haven't seen a properly good horror movie in a long time. I guess you can blame that on my better half being terrified of anything that can be slightly deemed horror. Nonetheless, I might give these two movies a watch and see if I can rekindle my interest in the franchises therein.

I did notice that the new Paranormal Activity, one of my favourites (I know, I know) was pushed back to the layer half of the year. Obviously this is a decent move for business but really has left a giant horror shaped home in the cinematic universe for a long time. I think the last horror movie I seen in cinemas was The Babadook. And that was a while ago now, come to think about it.

So what do you think, is there any good horror movies out there right now that I am missing? Are you like me and hate the start of the year since there isn't really any big horror movies on the horizon until at least August?

 

[Mitch Henessey]

A lot of red flags and uncertainty surrounding the Paranormal Activity franchise. The fifth film (Or Ghost Dimension) was supposed to hit theaters in 2013, and on top of that, Paramount changed the release date twice for the current date in October.

The Marked Ones was a nice surprise, but the movie had an underwhelming run at the box office, and you can blame a lot of that on the stigma attached to Paranormal Activity 4.

So what do you think, is there any good horror movies out there right now that I am missing?

Nothing for 2015 yet, but if we're talking about recent-ish stuff, The Town That Dreaded Sundown and Darker Than Night (or Más Negro Qué La Noche) were released (both films are remakes) during the tail end of 2014.

I don't know if you're into slashers or not, but The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a mix of a murder mystery/slasher horror film, and they take a breaking the fourth wall approach, with tie-ins to the 1976 film. Darker Than Night is an atmospheric horror film, with a solid cast and a slow burn build, but the wait is worth it.

Are you like me and hate the start of the year since there isn't really any big horror movies on the horizon until at least August?

Yeah, Hollywood usually dumps all of the generic and formulaic found-footage and possession horror films in January. More often than not, it's a pile of garbage, with one or two sleeper films (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is my pick for 2014, and Devil's Due was decent enough) in the mix.

For 2015, we have to wait until June to get to the first big release with Insidious Chapter 3, followed by the Poltergeist remake in July. But as I said before, it all goes back to researching and looking around before the big name films hit. It Follows (will have to wait for more details, but for now, I'm pretty sure the movie hits theaters on March 13th on a limited release) currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (with 24 total reviews counted), and a lot of early reviews are praising it as a modern horror classic, but for the most part, the marketing campaign is limited to word of mouth.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Over the last handful of months, Netflix has revived my penchant for revelling in off the radar non-Hollywood machine lower budget Genre films, so I though I'd draw some attention to some gems that I've enjoyed- so I'll start with this piece of surreal art that won't be for everyone:

Panos Cosmatos's directorial debut:

Beyond The Black Rainbow

​

Released initially in late 2010, with film festival versions in 2011, and the final American cut in 2012. A basic plot synopsis- in 1983, a young girl with extreme mental powers spends her life under heavy sedation and experimentation in a futuristic specialized facility, where she is the chief subject of a disturbed doctor whose intentions are unclear, until she determines that she needs to attempt to free herself, will not begin to do justice to what this film delivers as a viewing experience.

Simply put if you can't see yourself enjoying a movie that intentionally dispels any attempt to "make sense" in a traditional manner, while delivering a sensory onslaught, and occasionally(or constantly depending on your viewpoint) bordering on a unique degree of pretension, then don't even waste your time on the trailer.

As for a description that can best give a degree of understanding to what it is that this film actually delivers before watching it, my best attempt would go like this:

David Cronenberg decided he wanted to return to his roots in the Sci-Fi horror field, while choosing to take a time machine back to the early 80s to make the film. The only entertainment that he brought along on the trip was a tablet loaded with 2001: A Space Odyssey, MK Ultra conspiracy videos, and the entire Daft Punk discography. As well as a sheet of LCD.

Now if that sounds at all intriguing than this film may be worth your effort. Some people believe the movie was intentionally created to be viewed during an acid trip.

Other warnings: There is only one prominent speaking role in the entire film, and along with disturbing and possibly confusing imagery, the minimalist dialogue is delivered in a painstakingly deliberate fashion.

I LOVE the film but it is decidedly immersive and assaulting and aimed at those who appreciate bizarre works of sci-fi cult cinema that are specifically pointed toward visual and visceral engagement.

Other oft-cited and/or easily spotted influences: Goerge Lucas's THX 1138, the original Tron, the works of Bava and Argento(Suspiria perhaps especially), David Lynch films(most notably Eraserhead), Aronovsky's Pi, Tarkovsky's Solaris, Daft Punk's Electroma, other works of Stanley Kubrick beyond 2001, and as for more recent films- the works of Gaspar Noe.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Chopping Mall/Killbots (1986)

[YOUTUBE]n3_3OkxIoiE[/YOUTUBE]​

Plot- Six shopping mall employees/couples use a furniture store in the Park Plaza Mall for an after hours party, with Rick (Russell Todd) and Linda (Karrie Emerson) as the lone married couple in the group. After work, Mike (John Terlesky) and Leslie (Suzee Slater), and Greg (Nick Segal) and Suzie (Barbara Compton) start the party. Ferdy (Tony O'Dell) and Alison (Kelli Maroney) are having second thoughts, but they reluctantly agree to join the party after a talk with Greg and Suzie.

At first, the party is a success, and Ferdy falls for Allison during a late night showing for Attack Of The Crab Monsters 1957. Unbeknownst to the group, a series of lightning strikes damages the control center for the mall's new security force: Three armed robots (or "killbots"). After the first set of malfunctions, the robots murder two technicians and Walter (a janitor).

Leslie pushes Mike to buy her a pack of cigarettes during the killbot's first patrol. One of the killbot's murders Mike near the vending machine, and Leslie tries to escape after discovering Mike's corpse, but a robot uses a laser blast to kill her during a chase.

The remaining survivors are trapped after the mall's state of the art security system locks and blocks every exit in the mall, and the doors don't open until 6:00 am. Rick, Linda, Greg, Suzie, Ferdy, and Allison plan a strategy to fight the killbots and escape the mall, but a series of careless mistakes complicate a tricky dilemma. Will the group survive the night? Or will the killbots eliminate all the trespassers?

My Thoughts- First of all, the opening in the trailer is 100% false. Rick, Greg, and Ferdy DID NOT break into the mall. The entire group camped out in the furniture store before the mall officially closed. The shot of Rick, Greg, and Ferdy breaking the glass in the trailer is from the scene, where they break into the sporting goods store to steal weapons, so they can even the playing field in the fight against the killbots. My only guess for the false advertising is to add a more dramatic effect to the trailer.

If you look at the movie poster above, there's a chance you're thinking Chopping Mall is some brutal and bloody gore fest. A creepy robot hand holding a bag full of body parts? It's too much!

Well, to be honest, Leslie's death scene is the only true gross-out moment in the trailer. Leslie's head literally explodes (pay attention to the 0:37-0:40 time frame in the trailer) after a laser blast from one of the killbots, and it's a nasty sight, but that's about it. Sure, you'll see a fair amount of blood throughout Chopping Mall, but it's nothing too extreme.

The Killbots? Yeah, they're really not intimidating, and you won't see anything resembling the creepy hand in the poster. They're a perfect fit for an 80's horror film, but the killbots have a clunky design:

Spoiler

If you go into Chopping Mall expecting a hardcore bloodbath, you'll be disappointed. It's that simple. Chopping Mall is a VERY cheesy 80's B-movie. It's a low-budget (i.e. the special effects for Walter's death scene) horror film, and you'll know what type of movie you're in for after a few corny one-liners. A few of my favorites:

"They know we're in here. They're trying to french fry us!"

"Let's go send those fuckers a Rambo-gram!"

Bottom line, you're not suppose to take Chopping Mall too seriously. I mean, it's a movie about eight teenagers trapped inside a shopping mall, and killer robots are hunting them. What else do you expect?

Although, two familiar horror movie tropes in Chopping Mall really annoy me. The first is the usual "Let's split up!" trope, and the other one involves Suzie freaking out in the air ducts. Longs story short, the women retreat to the air ducts, so they can safely crawl to the parking garage. Suzie (randomly) freaks out, forcing the group to follow her into the mall, and of course the killbots attack. Yeah, let's abandon a safe and secure hiding spot, and completely ruin a good plan, so we can increase our chances of walking into a massacre.

With all that said, Chopping Mall is a fun little old school 80's treat, if you're into campy and cheesy B-movie horror, and it's on a long list of my personal 80's horror favorites. A few good laughs, and there's just enough blood, gore, and nudity (courtesy of Barbara Crampton and Suzee Slater) to satisfy the most die hard horror fan.

For me, Chopping Mall features a few memorable moments. One that sticks out is Greg, Ferdy, and Rick walking together in slow motion with weapons (Ferdy is clutching a propane tank ), and the blaring theme song in the background is a perfect fit. The other is Alison shouting "Have a nice day!" as she throws a road flare to destroy one of the killbots.

Also, Chopping Mall features one of my favorite theme songs. It's catchy, and Chopping Mall's main theme has a strong nostalgic 80's vibe to it:

[YOUTUBE]Ai5zM4EfVKI[/YOUTUBE]​

Oh, and if you're wondering, who the sole survivor is, it's Alison....and they throw a little curveball, with Ferdy (you're lead to believe Ferdy is dead after he risks his life to save Alison from a killbot) joining her at the end. You can see Alison as one of the final survivors coming from a mile away. She's the cute and innocent heroine, the scene where she meets Ferdy for the first time is a dead giveaway, and here's a pic from that scene:

Spoiler

For those, who don't know, Julie Corman (Roger Corman's wife) produced Chopping Mall. Originally, Chopping Mall was released as Killbots, but the movie was a failure at the box office, so they re-released it as Chopping Mall. Also, they don't refer to the robots as killbots in the movie. You'll see killbots in the opening credits sequence, but that's it.

To add to that, two versions of Chopping Mall exist. Apparently, the TV edit features extra footage, including more scenes with Alison and Ferdy, and there's the scene with Ferdy and Alison watching Attack Of The Crab Monsters (ironically enough, Roger is the director for that film).

I say apparently, because I don't own the DVD. Last time I checked, Chopping Mall is still available on DVD for reasonable prices online, or you can buy it in one of those eight horror movie pack DVD sets. Although, you should do some research (I have to look at the films included in the set) first and be careful. More often than not (this is coming from experience), the VAST majority of films in five, six, or eight pack horror DVD sets are just awful. There's a reason why you're paying five bucks or a little bit more for five or eight movies.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

[YOUTUBE]nPazfR_DyAo[/YOUTUBE]​

Plot-Living in New York City, Leon (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling photographer, who's looking for his first big break. Leon constantly scours NYC for the perfect photograph, but Leon accidentally uncovers a horrific secret, when he decides to follow and investigate a butcher named Mahogany (Vinnie Jones).

Leon suspects something fishy, when he recognizes a missing model from one of his photographs, but no one believes his story about a butcher murdering unsuspecting passengers during nighttime hours on a subway train. Leon decides to put his career as a photographer on hold to focus on Mahogany, and in the process, he ignores his girlfriend, Maya (Leslie Bibb), his friend Jurgis (Roger Bart), and Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields), the one person, who's more than willing to legitimize and support Leon as a photographer.

When a detective dismisses Leon's pleas, his obsession with Mahogany leads him to a one on one confrontation on the subway train. Unbeknownst to Leon, Maya and Jurgis break into Mahogany's apartment to look for clues, and Mahogany captures Jurgis. Maya joins Leon on the train in an attempt to recuse Jurgis, but Mahogany quickly derails any plans for an escape. Is Leon willing to risk everything to stop Mahogany's murderous rampage?

My Thoughts- When you think about all of his Oscar nominations and Oscar nominated films, it's easy to overlook or forget about Bradley Cooper starring in The Midnight Meat Train. Cooper delivers a solid performance in the leading role, and he did a good job of pulling off the unhinged side of Leon's personality during his descent into madness, but director Ryuhei Kitamura breathes life into this film. The Midnight Train is loaded with striking visuals, and Kitamura's vibrant approach and his inventive work behind the camera helps the movie rise above average status for your usual horror movie bloodbath.

Vinnie Jones doesn't speak one word throughout the movie, but he makes up for a lack of dialogue with a believable intimidating demeanor and facial expressions, and he's a perfect fit for the Mahogany character. Leslie Bibb is decent enough, as the supportive girlfriend, and her character is limited to sporadic appearances, but Brooke Shields is a nice addition to the cast, as the icy and pompous ("punctuality means nothing to me; it's a virtue for the mediocre") mogul. Also, Quinton Jackson has a small part as a passenger, but he doesn't last too long in a fight (Mahogany receives some help from the conductor) with Mahogany.

The only real drawback I can think of is the relationship between Bibb and Cooper. The boyfriend/girlfriend relationship between the two feels cliched, and as a couple, Leon and Maya's story doesn't add anything to the film. There's a scene, where Maya tries to break Leon's habit of constantly snapping pictures of Mahogany. Leon tries to play along, but he's clearly not interested in taking pictures of Maya, so Maya bursts into tears. This scene is a prime example of overkill, and you just get the feeling they're trying to force a disingenuous sympathetic reaction for Maya.

The Midnight Meat Train teeters on the edge for crossing a line of absurdity, when the mysteries behind Mahogany murdering innocent passengers and the creatures are revealed during the big finale. And it's not hard to put the pieces of the puzzle together, when Leon develops a taste for bloody meat (he's a vegan) towards the end.

Still, The Midnight Meat Train is one of the more memorable Clive Barker adaptations (the movie is based on Barker's short story of the same name), and I won't go as far as labeling it an all-time classic, but with more time, The Midnight Meat Train is definitely capable of achieving a strong cult classic following. The Midnight Meat Train is a brutal, gruesome, and bloody mystery/horror film, and there's more than enough savage mayhem to satisfy any gore fiends.

Also, The Midnight Meat Train is not for the squeamish type. The death scenes are graphic and nasty, the aftermath of the big fight between Leon and Mahogany is loaded with genuine gross-out moments, and you might need a few barrels to measure the amount of blood here.

 

[SSJPhenom]

There are several of these types of movies from the 1990's. I could spend days talking about them but the first one that comes to mind is this one:

Plot: This movie is about the classic Rumpelstiltskin character from the old fairy tales. He ends up cursed in the midevil times until someone sheds a tear on his shell(something like that). His shell is found in an antiques store and the main character/damsel sheds a tear on it and he comes back to life to start killing and stealing babies again.

My Thoughts: This movie was actually pretty good. That is if you like the funny/gory horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street or Child's Play. It had a mediocre plot, however, the acting and action is actually pretty good. Also, did I mention that this movie is funny as hell. I used to like to get high or drunk and watch this with my friends and we'd laugh our asses off.

If you haven't seen it, I suggest that you do. You'll like it.

 

[three count bout]

Martyrs.

This move is disturbing on several levels including long stretches of man on woman violence but the idea of a shadowy organization that tortures young woman in an attempt to verify the existence of the afterlife is pretty crazy as well.

The movie seems to blend or transition through several genres starting as a ghost story, then becoming a revenge story, until it reaches the final stretch where it's hard to define what the movie has become exactly.

The two main characters are Ana and Lucie who share a friendship established at an orphanage they both live in. Lucie was previously held at an abandoned abbatoir and abused for a lengthy amount of time before escaping to the orphanage and befriending Ana.

Years later Lucie arrives at a home and immediately kills a seemingly normal family viciously who she is certain were affiliated with her torturers. Lucie has been plagued by a ghost which is the manifestation of guilt she feels for leaving another girl behind years ago. After killing the family she realizes the ghost is still tormenting her and that she will never overcome her guilt and kills herself.

Ana explores the house and finds a victim that is bound to a chair and realizes Lucie was right about the family. Before she can escape a group of people arrive and kidnap Ana and also reveal they were behind Lucies kidnapping.

From here the movie gets pretty in your face with the violence Ana experiences. She is shown receiving daily beatdowns that are all pretty brutal in nature. Her spirit is broken until she finally let's go and achieves a transcendent state of mind. Everything Ana and the other victims have gone through has been done so a group of like minded people in a secret society can verify what the afterlife holds.

The movie is tense, dark and never really let's up in it's eeriness. It stuck with me long after watching it and I haven't watched it again. This movie has received moderately decent reviews, I wrote about it more so because I assume not enough people are familiar with this particular gem. Its a french film and a damn good one that will make you think about the ending for awhile.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It's not out yet (no official word, but I guess they're aiming for a 2016 release date), but a Martyrs remake was completed not too long ago, and the movie premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Although, going by a handful of reviews I've read on horror websites, Martyrs 2015/2016 is a disappointing and tamed remake, following the tedious shot-for-shot remake formula.

For anyone, who's interested, a Fright Night documentary is set for a release in 2016. It's a low-budget production, but it could be a satisfying documentary for fans of the series. But it looks like they're only covering the 1985 original and the 1988 sequel, because there's no mention of the 2011 remake with Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin, and that shitty cash-grab sequel Fright Night 2: New Blood.

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Spoiler

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)

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Plot- After a menacing stranger murders Ellie Grimbridge's (Stacey Nelkin) father in Dr. Daniel Challis'(Tom Atkins) hospital, Ellie and Daniel team up to solve the mystery of Harry's (Ellie's father) death. To further complicate the bizarre series of events, Harry issued one final cryptic warning ("They're going to kill us") moments before his death. Ellie and Daniel's investigation leads them to a small town named Santa Mira, the Silver Shamrock Novelties company, Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), the proprietor of Silver Shamrock Novelties, and the growing popularity of his signature Halloween masks.

In Santa Mira, Daniel and Ellie meet The Kupfer Family, a disgruntled shop owner named Marge Guttman (Garn Stephens), and Cochran comes off as a seemingly harmless and charming businessman during a tour of the Silver Shamrock Novelties factory. But after one night in Santa Mira, it's clear something is not right in the small town with a curfew, and Cochran is clearly hiding something.

Unbeknownst to Daniel and Ellie, Marge Guttman is killed during a "misfire" after tampering with the Silver Shamrock logo on one of the masks, but Cochran quickly dismisses the accident as a minor problem, and he reassures Ellie and Daniel Marge will receive the best treatment money can buy at the factory.

Daniel's numerous attempts to alert the authorities are unsuccessful, and Daniel's ex-wife, Linda (Nancy Kyes) ignores his pleas for help. One night, a group of Cochran's android henchmen kidnap Ellie, foiling Ellie and Daniel's plans to escape and warn the outside world.

Daniel tries to rescue Ellie from the factory, but the androids eventually capture him. With Ellie and Daniel neutralized as hostages, Cochran finally explains his evil masterplan to Daniel and the deadly secret behind the Halloween masks. Time is running out, and any child wearing a Silver Shamrock mask during the big giveaway at the end of a televised horror marathon sponsored by Silver Shamrock is in for an unpleasant surprise after this commercial on Halloween night:

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My Thoughts- Wait a minute. No Michael Myers, no Laurie Strode, and no Dr. Loomis? Bullshit! That was my first reaction to Season Of The Witch, when I watched it for the first time years ago. In fact, it took a while for Season Of The Witch to grow on me, and now it's one of my all-time favorites for horror films.

Dan O'Herlihy's Conal Cochran is definitely one of the more memorable villains in the Halloween series. At first, he's this charismatic and generous mogul with a welcoming presence, but he shows his true colors, as this maniacal monster towards the end. O'Herlihy blends both personalities together with ease to produce a suave and cold-blooded sociopathic villain, and Cochran's callous speech about his masterplan during the finale is one of the major highlights in Season Of The Witch.

As the primary setting for Season Of The Witch, Santa Mira plays a big part in Halloween III's eerie and gloomy aura. It's a quiet and desolate town with a curfew that's constantly under surveillance, and the shots of the empty streets and locals (including the androids) watching Ellie and Dan's every move is a nice touch. The only thing that's missing to complete Santa Mira's creepiness is a big tumbleweed rolling through the town's main street.

Tom Atkins and Stacey Nelkin share good chemistry as an unlikely duo. Ellie is this young and attractive woman, who's determined to solve the mystery behind her father's death, and she has feelings for Daniel. On the other hand, Daniel is a divorcee, who abandons his kids after making a promise, so he can run off with a woman (and a six pack of beer) that's half his age and his wife's age (Tom Atkins makes fun of his character in the documentary on the collector's edition) for a brief fling. Oh, and he's going to solve a murder mystery for someone, who's (for the most part) a complete stranger to him.

For years, Halloween III: Season Of The Witch was the black sheep in the Halloween franchise. Fans were upset at the experiment and the absence of central characters, and Season Of The Witch disrupted the continuity in the series. But over the years, Season Of The Witch has earned a reputation as a cult classic and a film that was misunderstood during its initial run in theaters. It's kind of a shame, and I know this is wishful thinking at its best, but remove Halloween and III from the title, and Season Of The Witch could've been an instant horror classic without the backlash back in the 80's.

Season Of The Witch is a true gem from the 80's horror era, and it's definitely my favorite 80's Tom Atkins' horror movie (The Fog is a close second). It's an eerie sci-fi horror film with a distinct gloomy aura, the movie features a number of genuine and shocking surprises (the revelation for the androids, android Ellie attacking Daniel towards the end, Cochran revealing his plan, etc.), some gory moments (i.e. Marge Guttman's death), and Atkins screaming "STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (someone should've pulled that kid away from the TV at the gas station) during the final Silver Shamrock commercial to end the movie is a great cliffhanger. And you can throw in some cheesy moments and comedy, with The Kupfer Family (poor Little Buddy was the guinea pig during Cochran's demonstration) providing most of the comic relief

On a side note, Scream Factory's special 30th Anniversary Silver Shamrock Collector's Edition (check out the photo for the Blu-Ray cover above) features some more great box cover art, and the special features are pretty good. A little 15-20 min. documentary (Stacey Nelkin still looks good after all these years), another Horror's Hallowed Grounds special (long story short, it's a little documentary series that takes a behind the scenes look at the original shooting locations used in horror movies and the host gives a "Did you know?" backstory for said locations), and the special features includes the original promo material (trailers, TV spots, radio spots, etc.). Highly recommended for fans of Season Of The Witch.

 

[X]

First off: why have I not seen this thread before? I apologize Mitch, I would have been all over it had I. Secondly, on the subject of remaking the film Matryrs, fuck that. There are very few cases where a great film really needed a remake, and almost always when Hollywood finds a great foreign film they want to adapt with Americans, it turns out to be shit. Almost always, there are a few very rare exceptions like the original Ring, or more recently Let The Right One In, but I just don't have high hopes for anyone being able to recreate the lofty philosophical streak of the original. That's what I love so much about that movie, it's not just a perfect example of the New French Extremity movement but it also poses serious questions about death, pain, and the afterlife. That's something organic and just hard to recreate.

And third and finally, fuck yeah Halloween III. I love Season of the Witch without shame, despite hating it on first viewing as a seven year old wanting his next Myers fix. I grew to love it quickly by the time I was a teenager on multiple rewatches though, and of course it helps that Tom fuckin' Atkins is in it. Tom Atkins, for those non 80s horror lovers, is like mixing Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, and Bruce Campbell into a blender and coming out with this wisecracking, badass, surly old fuck who popped up all over 80s horror films to genre fan's delight. I didn't see you mention it so in case you haven't seen it Mitch, please do immediately check out Night of the Creeps, a great cheesy sci-fi/horror jumble with zombies and aliens and humor and Tom Atkins at his best, firing off one liners and getting to spout some truly amazing dialogue while chewing B-movie scenery. It's great.

I am always down to talk about horror man. I just haven't been around the forum much the last few years until the last few months.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

First off: why have I not seen this thread before? I apologize Mitch, I would have been all over it had I.

Lulz. I have to take the blame for that, because I forget to bump this thread every now and then, so it gets lost in the shuffle or buried in here. I'll try to keep things going with more consistent updates from now on.

Agreed 100% with your take on American remakes for foreign horror films. A very low success rate, and the shot-for-shot complaints for the Martyrs remake? That's a big red flag. There's a fine line for paying homage to the original film, and producing a lazy retread to draw in fans of the original with morbid curiosity.

Yeah, Tom Atkins is pure 80's horror/ B-movie gold, and Night Of The Creeps has been on my must-watch list for a long time now. I have a fairly large stack of 80's horror movies still wrapped in plastic (the recent-ish collector's editions for the original Sleepaway Camp, II, and III, From A Whisper To A Scream, My Best Friend Is A Vampire, etc.), but I'll definitely get around to it as soon as possible.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Honeymoon (2014)

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Plot- At first, Newlyweds Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway) enjoy a peaceful honeymoon at Bea's family cabin in her small hometown, but things change after an awkward and tense encounter with Bea's old childhood friend, Will (Ben Huber) and his wife, Annie (Hanna Brown).

One night, Paul finds a disorientated Bea alone and naked in the woods near the cabin. Paul immediately panics, but Bea dismisses the incident as harmless sleepwalking. Bea tries to reassure him, but Bea's erratic and bizarre behavior troubles Paul, so he decides to investigate to find answers.

After a series of unusual incidents, it's clear Bea is hiding something. An unhinged Paul ties Bea to the bed, and Paul relentlessly interrogates Bea, but Paul is forced to deal with a bigger problem, when Bea reveals the truth.....

My Thoughts- Honeymoon is one of those of small, low-budget horror films that caught my eye a while ago after the first trailer, so I decided to give it a try.

The story between Paul and Bea takes center stage in Honeymoon. They're a young and happy married couple, but things go downhill after the sleepwalking incident. Usually, when I see a trailer or read a synopsis for a low-budget horror/sci-fi flick, I expect some bland and generic film that relies on too many jump scares, but the writers put a surprising amount of effort into Paul and Bea's relationship.

After Paul catches Bea sleepwalking, you can clearly see Paul is hesitant to trust her, and there's some uneasy tension between the two. On top of that, Paul suspects foul play and the possibility of an affair with Will. The second-guessing, the mistrust on both sides, and Bea's suspicious activities. Honeymoon takes the time to tell the story of two people, who are having second thoughts about each other, trusting each other, and what happens, when the bloom is off the rose in the early stages of marriage, and it's a refreshing approach.

Director/co-writer Leigh Janiak (in her debut film) doesn't rely on jump scares. Instead, she takes a more a claustrophobic approach to create an unsettling and tense atmosphere in Honeymoon, and the nighttime scenes in the woods are genuinely eerie.

The big reveal at the end? I have mixed feelings for it, and it's a real double-edged sword. Janiak does a good job of building the suspense, and slowly piecing together the mystery with a series of head-scratching clues.

On the flip side of that, when Bea finally tells Paul the truth, it's not that hard to take a shot at guessing the identity of the culprits (ALIENS!!!!). It's never 100% confirmed, but you have to believe extraterrestrial interference is the source of the problem(s), when Bea goes into her explanation about what happened in the woods. Let's see, someone mysteriously returns to an original location with no clothes, and at first they have no memory of what happened. To add to that, there's a scene, where Annie and Bea are drawn to bright lights. Does any of that sound familiar?

Still, Honeymoon's ambiguity is a positive attribute. The final series of events are thought-provoking, and the less is more approach was the right move. The gory and bloody stuff is kept to a mimnuim here, but I'll say this, there's a nasty scene, where Bea tries to use a fire poker to solve the problem. And shortly after that, there's another gross-out moment, when a slimy creature with tentacles is revealed.

Honeymoon is not without its flaws, but it's a solid little sci-fi/horror film, and Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway share good chemistry. You can buy into Paul and Bea as a happy couple, and when things go south, Leslie is believable as a nervous and emotionally unstable trainwreck, and kudos to Treadaway for making the transition to a delirious and paranoid man, who refuses to believe anything that comes out of Bea's mouth. It's not a sleeper hit, not by a longshot, but Honeymoon is MUCH better than your run-of-the-mill low-budget horror/sci-fi film about aliens (presumably), bright lights, and unexplained mysteries in a small town.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

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Plot- During the Christmas season, a young Billy Chapman is anxious to meet Santa Claus, but during a visit to an institution, Billy's deranged grandfather crushes Billy's hopes and dreams. Grandpa Chapman (Will Hare) warns Billy about Santa's merciless wrath for punishing naughty children on Christmas, but Billy's mother dismisses Grandpa Chapman's warnings as meaninglessness babble from a crazy old man.

After his grandfather's story, Billy is terrified at the thought of meeting Santa Claus, and things get worse, when the family runs into a man dressed in a Santa suit during the trip home after the visit to the institution. Billy's parents see an opportunity for Billy to meet Santa Claus and erase any doubts, but the man uses car trouble to lure Billy's parents into a trap. The man murders Billy's parents, leaving his infant brother Ricky in the car, but Billy manages to find a safe hiding spot, and he survives the attack.

Billy and Ricky spend the rest of their childhood years in a Catholic orphanage run by nuns, and Billy is still afraid of Santa Claus. At the orphanage, Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick) tries to comfort and understand a traumatized Billy, but the strict and ruthless Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) constantly punishes and beats Billy.

As an adult, Billy (Robert Brian Wilson), with some help from Sister Margaret and Mother Superior, lands a job at Ira's Toys. Billy tries to adjust and live a normal life, but things take a turn for the worst, when Mr. Sims (Britt Leach) picks Billy to be the store's meet-and-greet Santa Claus for the children.

A disturbed Billy tries to hold it together in the Santa suit, but numerous incidents during a Christmas party at Ira's Toys, ending with Billy witnessing a co-worker named Andy (Randy Stumpf) trying to rape another co-worker named Pamela (Toni Nero), triggers a series of flashbacks. Billy finally snaps to start a brutal killing spree as Santa Claus, and as the body count rises, Billy eventually returns to the orphanage with plans to murder a wheelchair-bound Mother Superior on Christmas Day.....

My Thoughts- Back in 1984, Silent Night, Deadly Night sparked a good amount of outrage, including protests. To add to that, notable critics, including Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, and Leonard Maltin publicly condemned the film, so it was only a matter of time before TriStar Pictures was pressured into pulling SNDN from theaters. The film was later re-released by Aquarius Films in an attempt to capitalize off of the controversy. Of course, Silent Night, Deadly Night has gained a sizable cult following over the years.

If I'm looking at this from an objective standpoint, going by 1980's standards, I guess you could say Silent Night, Deadly Night was too much, but still, I have a hard time buying into "crossing the line" complaints.

Sure, I understand why portraying Santa Claus as a murderous lunatic in a horror film sparked the controversy and outrage for numerous reasons, but I can't think of one truly jaw-dropping or outrageous scene in Silent Night, Deadly Night. If we're talking about nudity and sex, SNDN is a very tamed film. Gore, blood, and violence? Please, I've seen far worse in other 80's slashers (The Prowler, My Bloody Valentine, etc.).

With all that said, if you're looking for a worthwhile Christmas horror film, Silent Night, Deadly Night 1984 is not a bad choice. SNDN '84 is the epitome of cheesy 80's B-movie horror films/slashers. The movie is loaded with a number of funny conrball moments, with Grandpa Chapman's kooky ominous warning to Billy as the main highlight (one minute he's a crazy old man, and in the blink of an eye, he's silent and seemingly stuck in a comatose state). Also, to add to the humorous stuff in SNDN, there's a scene, where Billy randomly uses his axe to behead a snowman, and as a kid, Billy punches a man in Santa suit after he refuses to sit on his lap (under Mother Superior's orders).

If we're talking about performances, Lilyan Chauvin takes the top spot, as this callous and cold-hearted disciplinarian, and Robert Brian Wilson delivers with the hammy unhinged lunatic act. Charles Dierkop is appropriately sleazy and despicable as the Santa, who murders Billy's parents, and 80's scream queen Linnea Quigley (as Denise) fills the usual role of a scream queen here.

SNDN features a handful of grisly images and brutal deaths, including Quigley's bloody corpse impaled on the antlers of a deer head, Billy using a set of Christmas lights to strangle Andy, and a claw hammer stuck in a dead Mr. Sims' forehead. And the cliffhanger with Billy's axe pointing towards Ricky, and Ricky saying "naughty" as a warning to Mother Superior sets up the sequel.

Of course, the Christmas setting and the story helps separate SNDN from the crowded pack of 80's slashers, and SNDN feels genuinely sleazy, with a number of immoral and scumbag characters.

 

[X]

Few things in life prepared my ten year old self for the opening scene of this film, in which our main character's father is shot, his mother is raped and then has her throat slit, all by a man in a Santa Claus outfit. No wonder I became such a well adjusted person!

Have really been meaning to rewatch this the past two years, during both the Halloween and Christmas seasons, and haven't gotten around to it either times. Has been a few years but though it drags in a few spots, it's great fun once the killings start. I mean, come on, if you have Linnea Quigley in your 80s slasher film, it's worth watching because you know you're going to be seeing her tits at some point and Linnea Quigley is hot and awesome.

Plus her kill is the best in this film on the antlers. Talk about implants! Ba-dum-tssh.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

SNDN is one of my favorite Christmas horror films, easily, and I try to squeeze it in every year around Halloween or during the Christmas season. The subtle hilarity for Quigley's half nude scene always pulls a laugh out of me. When she decides to let the cat in the house, she goes outside in freezing sub-zero weather topless, but somehow she has the wherewithal to put on shorts. Only in horror movies, especially 80's slashers.

Yeah, SNDN is dull in certain parts, but I'd say a lot of that is due to the film taking the time to show how Billy turned into a sociopathic murderer. It's definitely a tedious step by step process at times, showing everything in chronological order starting in Billy's childhood years, with everything leading up to the moment, where he finally snaps. Although, depending on the film and the story, I actually prefer slashers with a storytelling style similar to SNDN over the usual random nutjob with a vague backstory running around and hacking everyone to bits with their weapon of choice.

A new post for Part 2 is coming soon, and thoughts on the other SNDN films. 'Tis the season!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

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Plot- Following the events of Silent Night, Deadly Night, Billy's younger brother, Ricky Caldwell (Eric Freeman) tells his story during a psychiatric evaluation with Dr. Henry Bloom (James L. Newman) on Christmas Eve. As an eighteen year old man, Ricky is confined to a mental institution after brutally murdering numerous people, including his girlfriend, Jennifer Statson (Elizabeth Kaitan). During the evaluation, Ricky is forced to relive a series a traumatic events from his past, including the man dressed as Santa murdering his parents, his childhood in the orphanage, and Billy's killing spree and his death.

Dr. Bloom is looking for answers and a breakthrough during the evaluation, but Dr. Bloom triggers another murderous rampage, when he finally pushes Ricky over the edge. Ricky escapes the institution after murdering Dr. Bloom, and after murdering a Salvation Army Santa, Ricky steals his Santa suit.

Dressed as Santa, Ricky plans to finish what his brother started with Mother Superior (Jean Miller). Mother Superior is still wheelchair-bound, living alone, and she's recovering from a stroke. Can the police and Sister Mary (Nadya Wynd) save a defenseless Mother Superior before it's too late?

My Thoughts- If you pay close attention to the trailer, you'll notice the vast majority of the footage used in the trailer is from the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. If we're talking about the balance for archived footage from the original and Part 2's storyline, it's definitely an uneven split.

Here's the thing about SNDN Part 2's flashback approach. The majority of the flashbacks are not limited to short clips. A handful of scenes are replayed in their entirety throughout the movie, with Freeman playing the role of a narrator.

When the story finally makes the transition to focus on Ricky 100% as the main character after Billy's death, SNDN Part 2 continues the Ricky intimidates Dr. Bloom before jumping into his next story, flashback, switch to the present, repeat style of storytelling. Of course the main difference is, you see new flashbacks chronicling Ricky's descent into madness starting with his life after the orphanage, with everything leading up to escape from the institution.

SNDN Part 2's technique for using and relying on footage from the first film as a storytelling device feels tedious at times, and it can be annoying. But after watching Part 2 a few times over the years, I've mellowed on my disdain for the constant flashbacks and using footage from the original. Like it or not, there's a method to the madness. It's a double-edged sword. SNDN Part 2 answers all the "Why?" questions, pinpointing each crucial moment in Ricky's past with flashbacks from the present storyline and the original film. Yes, you could say overkill is a problem, but the flashbacks are well-placed, so they work as tie-ins for the current storyline.

Replacing Lilyan Chauvin with Jean Miller for the new Mother Superior is another big problem here. Mother Superior was a cold-hearted and remorseless authority figure in the first film. But in Part 2, she's this feeble and crabby old lady. It's a problem, because the new Mother Superior ruins the big climax during the final showdown between Superior and Ricky. Sister Mary? There's no need for a in-depth explanation for her character. Think about another Sister Margaret from the first film. She believes he can change, and she wants to help him as a support system. Just replace Billy with Ricky, and reduce Sister Mary's screen time.

Eric Freeman is SNDN Part 2's saving grace, easily. His hilarious and over the top performance as this nutty and unhinged psychopath is the main highlight here. He's SNDN 2's pulse, and without him, the first sequel is an unwatchable film.

From a quality standpoint, it's hard to come out and recommend SNDN Part 2 with a big thumbs up. There's a good chance the constant flashbacks (including a hefty amount of footage from the first film) will irritate or bore some people, and you could say SNDN Part 2 is a "strictly for SNDN fans" film. And if you try to question the logic behind the story, you'll give yourself a headache. For starters, you'll wonder how Ricky vividly remembers the sleazy Santa murdering his parents (keep in mind, he was still an infant, when it happened), and how he conveniently wanders into the woods to catch and kill a scumbag, who's trying to rape his girlfriend. And to add insult to injury, there's an embarrassing moment, when Mother Superior's severed head is sitting on the ground during the closing moments of the movie, because you can clearly see signs of a prosthetic dummy head.

But the movie features a handful of redeeming qualities as a guilty pleasure. Freeman's performance, Ricky's "garbage day" (popularized as a meme) killing spree, and for horror fans, SNDN Part 2 features some inventive and nasty deaths (Ricky using an umbrella to kill Rocco The Loan Shark, Ricky using jumper cables to electrocute Chip, etc.). Also, SNDN Part 2 delivers some good laughs every now and then (i.e. the fiasco between Ricky and the jerk at the movie theater). SNDN Part 2 is low on the totem poll for horror cult classics. The movie is loaded with problems, but if you're a fan of Christmas horror, the first film, or if you're interested to see what happens after the cliffhanger in the original, SNDN Part 2 is worth a try.

A quick rundown for the other Silent Night, Deadly Night sequels and the remake.....

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!

Spoiler

It's the first Silent Night, Deadly Night film that chooses to drop the killer Santa theme, and I'll give it a few bonus points for trying something different. Still, it's a mediocre sequel, Dr. Newbury is an annoying character, and Bill Moseley is an underwhelming replacement for Eric Freeman's Ricky. Samantha Scully does a good job with her performance as Laura, but Better Watch Out! is still a chore to sit through.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation

Spoiler

They completely drop the Christmas killer/Santa killer theme here, and Part 4 ignores the storylines in the original, Part 2, and Better Watch Out! with a new set of characters. It's a refreshing entry in the series. After three films, the Christmas murderer and the crazy Santa stuff had run its course, so it was time for a change. Overall, Kim is a STUPID main character, but Initiation is decent enough, and it's a repulsive and disgusting horror film, with some genuine gross-out moments.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker

Spoiler

Harmless. It's the first word that comes to mind, when I think about The Toy Maker. The screenplay is pedestrian, and the acting is so-so. To add to that, if you're looking for blood and gore, you'll be disappointed, because when it comes to violence, The Toy Maker is a tamed film. Also, Micky Rooney slammed the original Silent Night, Deadly Night film, but he has a part as one of the main characters here.

Silent Night (2012)

Spoiler

It's a loose remake (very loose), and the only noticeable connections between the '84 original and the remake are in the title and the killer Santa theme, and that's about it. You'll see a completely different story with new characters. No nostalgia, and no real winks or nods to the original, so if you're looking for a film that's going to pay homage, you're in for an unpleasant surprise.

With all that said, Silent Night is a solid "remake." Santa is more menacing without any hokey humor attached to his character, a flame thrower is his signature weapon, and the dark eyes for the mask are a nice touch. Silent Night 2012 doesn't feel like a Silent Night, Deadly Night film (parts I & II), but it's definitely worth a try, if you're into Christmas horror.

The Home Media Situation

For years, the combo pack containing Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) and Part 2 on DVD was out of print.

Spoiler

Well, you could buy a few rare copies, if you were willing to pay for the ridiculously overpriced sets on Amazon, Ebay, and other places online. But when Anchor Bay Films secured the rights to Silent Night, Deadly Night, they re-released the combo pack a few years ago, and I didn't hesitate to reserve it and pick it up on the release date. Also, Anchor Bay Films released a special 30th anniversary Blu-Ray for the original last year:

Spoiler

It's hard (and damn near impossible) to find Parts 3, 4, and 5 as individual DVD sets, so it's easier to pick up the combo pack containing all three films. I've had it for a few years now, but when I picked up the combo pack, I got it for a cheap price:

Spoiler

 

[Mitch Henessey]

New Year's Evil (1980)

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Plot- As a popular punk rock superstar, Diane Sullivan or "Blaze" (Roz Kelly) hosts the Hollywood Hotline Countdown Show, a call-in show featuring music, a live crowd, and punk rock music performances, at a hotel to celebrate the New Year on New Year's Eve. Blaze's husband, Richard (Kip Niven) is in Palm Springs, and Blaze's son, Derek (Grant Cramer) joins the party with plans to surprise Blaze with a special announcement, but Blaze shuns Derek. Blaze and her manager, Ernie Moffet (Jed Mills) are more concerned with producing a successful show, but an unexpected dilemma pops up, when Blaze's assistant, Yvonne (Alicia Dhanifu) mysteriously disappears.

Blaze enjoys the party and the show, but things change, when the first caller delivers an ominous warning to Blaze. To hide his true identity, a stranger named Evil uses a voice changer mouthpiece, and he promises to murder various women during each countdown to the New Year in different time zones. And towards the end of his killing spree, Evil promises he will murder Blaze.

At first, the threat is dismissed as a cruel prank call, but Evil proves he's not joking around, when he brutally murders a nurse at a sanatorium. The body count rises during the countdown, and Lieutenant Ed Clayton (Chris Wallace) and Sergeant Greene (Jon Greene) try to protect and reassure Blaze, but Blaze is stuck in a life-or-death struggle, when Evil finally confronts and corners her at the hotel. To make matters worse, Blaze's emotions might jeopardize her chances of survival, when Evil reveals his true identity......

My Thoughts- New Year's Evil is short on likable characters. Blaze? She's the main character, but in the early stages of the movie, before her character hits the sympathetic victim stage(s), Blaze comes off as an annoying and self-absorbed control freak, and she only shows interest in a mother/son relationship, when it's convenient for her. Derek is someone you want to feel sympathy for, but throughout the movie, it's clear Derek has a few loose screws, and they constantly tease the possibility of Derek being the killer.

So who's the killer? It's....wait for it........





It's Richard! Yeah, Richard doesn't wear a mask during the murders, and you'll see his face from beginning (with the one exception for the scene in the trailer) to end. New Year's Evil doesn't reveal the husband/wife connection between Diane and Richard until the final stages of the movie, and Richard uses disguises and fake names to hide his true identity throughout the movie.

The big twist at the end is decent, and yeah, you could say it's a genuine surprise, but I won't go as far as jaw-dropping. True, they don't reveal the connection between Blaze and Richard until the very end, so you don't know Evil is Blaze's husband. I know it's a nitpicky complaint, but you can see Richard's face over and over again, so a mask or some kind of covering for the face could've helped the secrecy for Evil's character.

Gore and blood? Eh, you'll see some blood in New Year's Evil, but if you're looking for nasty gore, you should try another 80's slasher. For the most part (Evil using a large marijuana bag to strangle one of his victims is the lone exception), they never show the kills in New Year's Evil. There's the one scene, where they show Evil raising the switchblade, the silhouette of Evil's arm stabbing the nurse, and the bloody switchblade, but still, they never show Evil murdering the nurse. You'll only see the aftermath, with bloody and mangled corpses during Evil's killing spree. With all that said, New Year's Evil actually delivers some truly gruesome images, with a dead body sliding down a children's swing set as my standout pick.

New Year's Evil is loaded with horror cliches (i.e. creaky doors slowly opening) and tropes, included the ditzy blonde (the woman sitting in the backseat in the trailer at the 0:59-1:00 mark) aimlessly running through the woods, while the maniac (Evil) chases her. To add to that, New Year's Evil is a very campy and corny slasher, and it's hard to not laugh, when Evil calls Blaze on the hotline and he introduces himself with "It's Eeeeeeeeeeevilllllll!" using the voice changer, or when he tells Blaze "I'm going to commit muurrrder at midnight." Also, if you're looking for a fair amount of nudity in New Year's Evil, you'll be disappointed. There's a scene, where a woman in a van flashes (don't blink or you'll miss it) another car, and you have Teri Copley's (the woman in the backseat) semi-topless scene, but that's about it.

The "I'm going to finish what my father started" cliffhanger, with Derek sitting in the front seat and driving the ambulance after murdering the medic works, and it softens the blow for Evil's lame and anticlimactic suicide jump. To add to that, Kip Niven's performance is the only true highlight here, and he's genuinely creepy, when he confesses to Blaze to reveal his true colors as this misogynistic psychopath.

I wish I could tell you New Year's Evil is an underrated horror film, and I wish I could tell you the soundtrack is something special, but it's not. If we're talking about New Year's Evil's cult classic status, it's a bottom of the barrel slasher at best, and without the holiday themed story, New Year's Evil is just another interchangeable and forgettable 80's slasher. Also, if you pay close attention to the trailer, you'll see Blaze dangling from handcuffs in an elevator shaft. It should be a tense, nail-biting fiasco, and one of the more promising scenes in the movie, but it's not. Instead, the elevator shaft scene is by far one of the bigger letdowns in New Year's Evil. As far as the music goes, the title track is kind of catchy, but that's about it.

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New Year's Evil is a formulaic 80's slasher from start to finish, but I still enjoy it as a passable guilty pleasure, and I can understand why others enjoy it with a "so bad it's good" mindset. IF you're a die hard horror aficionado, if you're into 80's slashers, or if you're looking for holiday horror films, New Year's Evil is a decent enough film to take a chance on, and the runtime is fairly short (somewhere around 1hr. & 23min. mark), but at the same time, you're not missing anything truly special with New Year's Evil.

I can't remember the exact date, but Scream Factory secured the rights to New Year's Evil, and they released the movie on DVD and Blu-Ray (separately, not as the usual combo pack) sometime last year. If you're interested in New Year's Evil, you can watch it on YouTube. New Year's Evil is definitely not the type of film you should go out and buy without watching it first, so a test run on YouTube is probably the best option. As I said before, the runtime is short, so don't pay attention to the runtime that's somewhere around 1hr. & 45min. mark on YouTube, because whoever uploaded it recorded some other show and commercials also.

For now (thinking about My Bloody Valentine for February), that's it for holiday horror stuff, so things will be back to normal with the next series of posts.

 

[X]

I'm with you on this one again Mitch, I gave this one a viewing a few years back because of the holiday novelty and my affinity for the classic slasher era, but it's simply not one of the better ones from that time period. In fact it's actively bad in a lot of places. The idea of a punk rock radio station DJ getting stalked on New Years Eve by a killer was one that had me thinking I'd get some mileage out of this one, but no dice.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The idea of a punk rock radio station DJ getting stalked on New Years Eve by a killer was one that had me thinking I'd get some mileage out of this one, but no dice.

Same here. I remember reading the synopsis, looking at the movie poster for the first time years ago, realizing New Year's Evil was an 80's slasher, and thinking to myself "I have to see this!" But it's almost impossible to ignore the feeling of soul crushing disappointment after the first twenty something minutes.

Usually, I'm against remakes, but New Year's Evil is one of those obscure 80's slashers with a lot of room for improvement. Pure fantasy stuff, but re-work the story, with an urban legend attached to Evil as this boogeyman, who only comes out on New Year's Eve to kill and punish his victims (as the narrator in the trailer suggests), because Evil focusing on Blaze's character as his main target is one of the many the setbacks in the movie.

But I'm probably getting my hopes up for nothing with a Hollywood remake for an 80's slasher, because it's hard to forget about the previous failures with Prom Night and The House On Sorority Row.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Night Of The Creeps (1986)

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Plot- In 1959, during a scramble on a spaceship, an alien releases a canister containing an experiment. The canister falls to earth, landing in the woods near a highway, so Johnny (Ken Heron) temporarily postpones his date with Pam (Alice Cadogan) to investigate the phenomenon. But as Johnny approaches the wreckage, a slug creature from the canister leaps into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Pam sits in Johnny's car on the highway alone. Pam anxiously awaits Johnny's return after listening to an APB about a murderous maniac, who escaped from a local mental institution. The maniac is armed with a bloody axe, and unbeknownst to Pam, the maniac is standing right behind her. Pam's eyes are fixed on the woods, so the maniac uses the axe to murder her.

In 1986, Chris Romero (Jason Lively) is infatuated with Cynthia (or Cindy) Cronenberg (Jill Whitlow), but he's too scared to make a move, so his best friend James Carpenter Hooper (or "J.C.") tries to break the ice for him. Chris is desperate to impress Cynthia, so he decides to join a fraternity with J.C. (Steve Marshall). Unbeknownst to J.C. and Chris, Brad (Allan J. Kayser), the leader of the fraternity, is Cynthia's boyfriend.

Chris and J.C. have to earn their stripes first, so Brad entrusts them with the task of completing a prank for their initiation: Chris and J.C. must steal a cadaver to place on the steps of a nearby sorority house. In the science lab at the university, Chris and J.C. find Johnny's frozen body in a cryogenic tube. They remove the body, but after Johnny shows signs of life, Chris and J.C. run before it's too late, dropping the body.

Eventually, a zombified Johnny infects a scientist from the university with another slug, and things take a turn for the worst, when Johnny visits Cynthia's sorority house. Johnny uses old memories to find Pam, but more slugs burst out of Johnny's immobile corpse at Cynthia's sorority house, sparking an epidemic.

Detective Ray Cameron (Tom Atkins) leads the investigation, but the case stirs up a series of haunting memories involving Pam (his ex-girlfriend), when Ray suspects the escaped maniac as the primary suspect. At first, Ray has trouble making heads or tails of the bizarre occurrences, but seeing is believing, when Ray comes face to face with the resurrected maniac.

Meanwhile, after Brad bullies J.C. and Chris in front of a crowd, a disgusted Cynthia shuns Brad, and Cynthia eventually asks Chris to the formal. On the night of the formal, an infected dog releases more slugs on a bus full of Brad's frat brothers after the dog startles the driver.

Armed with a flamethrower, a shotgun, and Detective Cameron's revolver, Chris, Cynthia, and Detective Cameron team up to stop the invading fraternity of zombies surrounding Cynthia's fraternity house. The trio manages to hold their own in the early stages of the fight, and one glimpse of Pam's photo gives Ray a much needed boost to fight back, but the supply of experimental human brains, and a horde of alien slugs in the basement threatens the group's chances of survival......

My Thoughts- "What is this? A homicide, or a bad B-movie?"

It's a good thing you don't have to wait too long for Tom Atkins' snappy dialogue and catchy one-liners. Ray Cameron is a wisecracking loose-cannon, and the character is a perfect fit for Atkins. Atkins delivers another entertaining and hilarious performance, and Atkins is front and center during the vast majority of highlights in NOTC.

Jason Lively appropriately fills the role of the timid (the look on Lively's face, when Cameron confesses to murdering the maniac is priceless) and likeable protagonist, and Steve Marshall is good for some laughs in the goofy sidekick role. Whitlow is believable as the sweet and innocent dreamgirl, and Allan J. Kayser is a riot as Brad. Brad is the stereotypical "big man on campus," or the fratboy ******** (blonde hair, he's a cocky jerk, he refers to himself as " The Bradster," he drives a red convertible, complete with a BRADSTER license plate, and his girlfriend is beautiful), but Kayser adds some cheesy charisma to the character for a few funny scenes.

I've probably re-watched Night Of The Creeps two or three times after watching it for the first time, and it's quickly growing on me as one of my favorite cheesy 80's horror B-movies. It's a fun mashup with sci-fi horror, aliens, zombies, and throwing in the axe-wielding maniac is a nice touch. Night Of The Creeps gives horror fans everything they could possibly ask for, with a nice nostalgia buzz, good laughs, and you have to appreciate the attempts to pay homage to the horror genre, including the middle and last names of famous horror filmmakers for the main characters and the university. Tom Atkins yelling and wildly firing his revolver, and the images of Whitlow and Lively standing together, while Whitlow is armed with the flamethrower and Lively is clutching the shotgun during the finale? You're beyond help, if that's not enough to put a smile on your face.

I guess I haven't seen the original ending, because after doing some research, it's clear I've only seen the version with the alternate ending, but after reading a description for the original ending, I think it's safe to say I'm not missing anything special. Thanks for the recommendation and the reminder, X. Definitely adding this one to my collection, when I buy my next round of horror movies.

 

[X]

Love this film, Tom Atkins best work and that's saying a lot since he's an actual God gifted to us in human form. My favorite way to describe this film is just to ask someone if they want to see Rusty Griswold defend a sorority house from a zombie invasion with a flamethrower and that's usually enough to pique someone's interest.

You covered all the things that make this such enjoyable cheese. I just wanted to agree with them.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Something I forgot to mention is Atkins having a smart ass remark, when someone tries to verify his identity:

"Detective Cameron?"

"No. Bozo The Clown."

Atkins is glorious, and my only regret is waiting so long, and constantly putting Night Of The Creeps on my "I'll watch it later" list.

Night Of The Demons (1988)

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Plot- It's Halloween night, and with some help from her best friend, Suzanne (Linnea Quigley), Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade) plans to throw an unforgettable Halloween party. Angela wants to terrorize her party guests, so she chooses Hull House, an abandoned funeral home with a dark past, for the party's location.

Judy Cassidy (Cathy Podewell) reluctantly agrees to go to Angela's party after her date for the night convinces her to ditch the Halloween dance at school. Jay Jansen (Lance Fenton) wants Judy all to himself at the party, but Judy is quick to reject Jay's advances. Angela invites Stooge (Hal Havins), Roger (Alvin Alexis), Helen (Allison Barron), Max (Phillip Tanzini), and his girlfriend, Frannie (Jill Terashita) to complete the guest list, and the uninvited Sal Romero (Billy Gallo) crashes the party after bribing Judy's little brother, Billy (Donnie Jeffcoat) for an inside tip.

The friends enjoy some harmless fun with dancing and music, but a power shortage puts a damper on the early stages of the party. The group agrees to a seance for the first party game, but things go awry, when they unknowingly unleash a demon from the crematorium downstairs. The demon possesses Suzanne first, and Suzanne eventually passes the demon to Angela with a kiss.

After a series of strange and bizarre occurrences, a terrified Roger and Helen agree to leave together with Angela's car, but the gate and the entranceway to Hull House mysteriously disappears, as the duo searches for an escape route outside. During the search, Helen suddenly disappears, leaving Roger alone with no help.

Inside Hull House, Angela and Suzanne seduce and possess Stooge and jay, while Judy, Roger, and Sal team up to fight back. The search for an exit is unsuccessful, but the trio has one shot to escape Hull House alive, if they can outlast and dodge the demon attacks until sunrise. Will the remaining survivors escape Hull House alive? Or will Angela and her minions succeed in their quest to possess more victims?

My Thoughts- Hull House is the ideal setting for Night Of The Demons. It's a dirty, rundown hellhole, and they did good job with building up Hull House's dark mystique, as Max tells stories about Mr. Hull sharing a "carnal" relationship with his clients. You also have to appreciate the effort to break Hull House out of the ordinary haunted house mold during the early stages of the movie. When Judy starts asking questions, Angela talks about the differences between a haunted house, ghosts, and Hull House being a possessed house with demons, who are pure evil. Good stuff.

Night Of The Demons definitely features one of Linnea Quigley's more memorable roles and characters. Cathy Podewell nails the sweet and innocent good girl act, Lance Fenton is believable as this tool, who's only interested in cornering Judy for sex, and Billy Gallo, Phillip Tanzini, Alvin Alexis, and Hal Havins are good for some laughs. Amelia Kinkade's dance scene is the highpoint and the main highlight for her performance as Angela, and when Angela finally makes the transition to her full demon form, the ironic and corny one-liners and jokes might pull a few cheap chuckles out of you.

They never released an official soundtrack for Night Of The Demons, because Kevin Tenney (the director) and the powers that be never believed in a truly successful run at the box office, or a strong fan following for the movie. It's a real shame, because Night Of The Demons features one of my favorite soundtracks, including the theme during the gothic style intro, and each song is a perfect fit for the select scenes they're used in throughout the movie:

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Night Of The Demons is the quintessential 80's horror film, with some good 80's nostalgia, it's a lot of fun, and NOD is tailor made for horror fans. Nudity (courtesy of Linnea Quigley, Jill Terashita, and Cathy Podewell), a good amount of blood and gore (i.e. Angela using her demon fangs to rip Stooge's tongue out of his mouth during that looooong kiss), a few grotesque images (Angela's mutilated, flaming hands, Max's severed and possessed bloody arm), and a few spooky nighttime scenes inside Hull House and near the wall outside. If you're into campy and cheesy 80's horror comedies, Night Of The Demons should be a top choice on your must-see list.

As usual, Scream Factory delivers with another special edition re-resale. The box cover artwork is simply amazing, the cast/director commentary from Tenney and others is hilarious, and the extras are pretty good, with Amelia Kinkade's one on one interview, the promo reel, and Allison Barron's trip down memory lane.