Tag Archives: horror

“The Brood” (1979) REVIEW

February 19, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

As far as I can remember, this is the first horror movie I ever saw. My mom and sister were watching it on TV, and it scared the shit out of me.
I’ve always preferred David Cronenberg to David Lynch when it came to “what-the-fuck-did-I-just-watch” cinema. In fact, it’s this point exactly that makes The Brood so scary: it’s so far out there…just the idea of what’s happening will give you goosebumps and freak you out. A description of the film from Wikipedia (since I really couldn’t put it into words any better):
“The film depicts a series of murders committed by what seems at first to be a group of children. These are in fact the psychosomatic offspring of a mentally disturbed woman, whose husband fights for custody, and finally the life, of their daughter.” Terrifying, right?

This movie has it all: body horror, killer kids, and even a statement about the topic-at-the-time, Women’s Lib.

80s & 90s, Reviews

“In the Mouth of Madness” (1995) REVIEW

February 19, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

When it comes to American horror directors, no one has been as consistent – besides Wes Craven, in my opinion – as John Carpenter (I’d say Cronenberg, but he’s Canadian, and Argento and Fulci hail from the Boot.) While there are a few bombs in his catalog, and he’s always willing to explore the full spectrum of horror – from suspense, to sci-fi, to fantasy. In the Mouth of Madness is Lovecraftian in material, from the surreal plot to the New England location.

Sam Neill plays an investigator who’s hired to find a popular horror novelist, Sutter Cane, who just disappeared after his most recent book was released. After reading some of the author’s material, Neill starts to have weird dreams and visions that haunt him constantly, even while he’s awake. He soon discovers a hidden map, created when the covers of all the books are rearranged. He figures the map will lead him to Cane’s whereabouts, so he follows it to a bizarre, desolate town called Hobb’s End. Everything starts to fall apart after that, and in the end you’re never really sure what was reality and what was “madness”.

This one was super overlooked when it came out in 1995, but I loved it the first time I saw it. So much weird shit happens, so many creepy visuals.

Trivia: this is the final film in Carpenter’s ‘apocalypse trilogy’, following The Thing and Prince of Darkness.

00 - Current, Reviews

“Cropsey” (2009) REVIEW

February 18, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

This entry may be a bit controversial since it’s a documentary, but since it deals with urban legends and the boogeyman, I thought I’d include it. Plus, for a documentary, it’s utterly terrifying — I mean, what if an urban legends were real?

The filmmakers start out by detailing a myth of their youth: “Cropsey”, a boogeyman type who hunted and killed the children of Staten Island. This eventually turns into the filmmakers exploring several missing children cases from their neighborhood when they were younger. What they discover is that the urban legends of Cropsey turn out to be completely true.

I forget how I stumbled across this, but it came out in 2009 and I watched it just last year. Bottom line is it’s incredible, I’m so glad I watched it. I love documentaries and true crime as it is, but it plays to my horror fanatic side as well. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a documentary like this: it plays out just like a horror movie. Like a real life Candyman.

After you watch a scary film, when the lights come up and the credits start to roll, you can take a breath and say it was just a movie. But if you want to watch something that you cannot dispute and won’t be able to shake, watch Cropsey.

80s & 90s, Reviews

“The Burning” (1981) REVIEW

February 18, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

The Burning was released shortly after Friday the 13th and has often been called a ‘rip-off’, but that isn’t the case — despite several glaring similarities.

Yes, both are set at a summer camp (Burning in New York, Friday in New Jersey); the antagonist in both films is a lumbering, disfigured unstoppable monster; and, oddly enough, Tom Savini did the make-up for both films (to GREAT effect, I might add). But despite the similarities, The Burning is actually quite a refreshing watch after seeing the Friday canon about a hundred times over.

The film sees a hapless janitor (named Cropsy) fall victim to a prank gone awry, wherein he is severely burned and disfigured. However, he survives — and after laying low for awhile — decides to exact his revenge on some kids at the same camp. The weapon he chooses to maim the kiddies — pruning shears — is particularly brutal.

This film is notable in the fact that it stars future names like Holly Hunter, Jason Alexander, and Fisher Stevens. Not only that, but it was written by Harvey Weinstein (yes, that Weinstein) and produced by his brother Bob. In fact, it was the first movie produced by their company, Miramax. It was also produced by a very young, pre-Paramount CEO Brad Grey.

If you like it when slashers attack kids at camp, but need a break from ol’ Jason, give Cropsy a try.

80s & 90s, Reviews

“Maniac Cop” (1988) REVIEW

February 18, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

This one has been shit on for years and I really don’t know why. It stars the great Bruce Campbell and the great Tom Atkins and it was directed by William “Maniac” Lustig.

The premise isn’t spectacular, but it’s still creative: a by-the-book cop (Robert “The Chin” Z’Dar) gets jailed on a technicality, and while incarcerated, is attacked by several inmates he helped lock up. Left for dead, he’s removed from the prison and sent to the morgue. Soon after, criminals and bystanders alike are being killed on the streets of New York. When the wife of a young cop (Bruce Campbell) winds up dead, it’s assumed that he’s been doing the killing all along. However, Campbell aims to prove his innocence and find out who has actually been doing the killing. Eventually he uncovers the truth: Z’Dar wasn’t actually killed in prison — just maimed and disfigured — and now he’s out for revenge on everyone.

Sure, the plot has some loopholes, the main one being: he wasn’t killed in prison, he merely had a faint pulse (as admitted by the coroner)…but how come he’s suddenly able to withstand getting shot numerous times, including in the head? Like, did getting jumped in the shower somehow make him supernatural?

Look, you’ll just have to suspend disbelief and roll with it. It’s 80s horror at it’s best: crime, undead cops exacting revenge, and New York – as filthy as ever.

80s & 90s, Reviews

“Nekromantik” (1987) REVIEW

February 18, 2015 Doc Leave a comment

This experiment in exhumation hails from Der Vatherland during the late-80s punk rock horror boom. At the time — and maybe even now, still — it was extremely controversial due to it’s subject matter (corpse-sexing).

A young man works for a body removal unit and it allows him to indulge in his favorite pastime: necrophilia. His girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind much, as she partakes in the ghoulish going-ons. However, the man never seems satisfied, and his icky urges escalate. He loses his job and his girlfriend; soon he begins killing randomly people. The poor guy can’t catch a break.

The movie ends on a bittersweet (?) note as the man is able to achieve his greatest sexual urge while at the same time ending his reign of madness. It’s as jaw-dropping of a scene as they come.

At 75 minutes, the movie flies by. The special effects are nice and sloppy and recall a young Peter Jackson. Enjoy this one with grandma and the kids!