HORROR 101 with Dr. AC

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 5
Total Movies Watched: 63
Total First Time Views: 16
Amount raised: $485.10

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, sponsored by Christine Thom and Whit Spurgeon

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

59.
Squirm (1976) d. Lieberman, Jeff (USA) (4th viewing) 93 min

A downed power transformer in the small backwater town of Fly Creek, Georgia, sends thousands of volts of electricity into the wet ground and thousands of agitated biting Glycera worms to the surface. From this somewhat farfetched premise, writer/director Lieberman wrings a laudable amount of suspense, aided in no small part by his no-name cast who inhabit empathetic, intelligent, and resourceful characters worth rooting for. Following Hitchcock’s The Birds playbook, Lieberman spends the first act familiarizing us with the surroundings and likeable protagonists Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcey, and Fran Higgins, then isolates them to contend with the annelidic terror minus outside help. Legend-in-the-making Rick Baker created the memorable worm-face effect for R.A. Dow’s unfortunate bait farmer. Now making its Blu-ray debut via Shout! Factory.

60.
The Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar) (1984) d. Various (USA) (1st viewing) 77 min

Computer geek and fitness freak Jeffrey Byron (nice combo, that) and Flashdancing lady love Leslie Wing are transported into a magical mystery world lorded over by resident dark cloud Richard Moll. What follows are a series of seven “challenges” that Byron must go through in order to prove himself worthy, each of which directed by a separate player in producer Charles Band’s employ. To wit: Rosemarie Turko does “Ice Gallery,” John Carl Buechler handles “Demons of the Dead” as well as other makeup effects, Steve Ford delivers “Slasher,” Peter Manoogian unveils “Cave Beast,” stop-motion wiz David Allen cranks out “Stone Canyon Giant,” and Ted Nicoleau pulls co-editor duties whilst helming “Desert Pursuit,” with Band himself directing the wraparound and the “Heavy Metal” segment (featuring rock group W.A.S.P.). It’s as haphazard as it sounds, but it’s always cheesy and never boring, with boobs, blood, and beasts in rapid succession.

61.
Cellar Dweller (1988) d. Buechler, John Carl (USA) (1st viewing) 78 min

This nonsensically scripted but energetic creature feature about a werewolf-like beast drawn into existence by comic book artist Jeffrey Combs (who only appears in a pre-credits sequence, so don’t get your hopes up) has an attractive cast and a decent-looking Buechler-designed monster, but nary an ounce of true inspiration. In fact, the highlight of the enterprise, outside of a few naked nipples, is the exquisite graphic artwork by Frank Brunner, with able assistance by painted comic cover artists Keith and Laina Turner, and cartoonist John Foster. Oh, the story? Some nonsense about aspiring pen ‘n’ inker Debrah Mullowney going to Combs’ character’s former residence, now an artists’ colony run by Yvonne De Carlo, for inspiration and experience, but mostly it’s just an excuse to give Buechler more bodies to mutilate onscreen. The first produced feature script from Don Mancini, released the same year as his (much) more successful Child’s Play.

62.
War of the Worlds (2005) d. Spielberg, Steven (USA) (2nd viewing) 116 min

This big-bang-boom updating of H.G. Wells’ novel depicting hostile alien invasion includes several key elements missing from the 1953 version - namely the red root infestation and the tripod legs on the extraterrestrial marauders’ vehicles - and Dennis Muren’s FX team go all out in creating photorealistic scenes of grand scale mayhem. The biggest problem lies the casting of Tom Cruise as our everyman, not because of his performance (which I think is quite good), but because by following a central protagonist, we're forced to endure an endless parade of implausible close calls and near misses. Had screenwriters David Koepp and Josh Friedman spread the action out over a variety of characters, there would have been more opportunity for genuine surprise, suspense, and tragedy. As it stands, Cruise and insufferable moppet Dakota Fanning find themselves in scene after scene of crowd-filled catastrophes, yet miraculously find themselves free and clear (did everyone else run the other way?) for our moments of calm between storms. I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but Spielberg should have known better (or done it better, a la Raiders of the Lost Ark). However, no amount of goodwill can excuse the utter cop-out ending (and I’m not talking about Wells’ microbial deus ex machine) featuring cameos by Gene Barry and Ann Robinson, stars of the George Pal original. For shame, Steven.

63.
Tribes of the Moon: Making Nightbreed (2014) d. Carson, Greg (USA) (1st viewing) 72 min

Accompanying Shout! Factory’s release of the Director’s Cut of Clive Barker’s much tampered-with passion project, this feature-length doc excels in behind-the-scenes footage and 35-years-later talking-head segments with cast members Craig Sheffer, Doug Bradley, Anne Bobby, Simon Bamford, Hugh Ross, and Christine McCorkindale. What is, however, glaringly absent are contributions from Barker, David Cronenberg (a rare acting turn as Dr. Decker), or any of the top-shelf makeup artists who brought the director’s nightmarish vision to life. Likewise, Carson would have done well to pick the brains of genre scholars to discuss the film’s lasting legacy and how its studio-mangled failure essentially ended – with the exception of 1995’s Lord of Illusions–Barker’s reign behind the camera. Considering Midian’s passionate fanbase, deeper exploration of the subject would have been appreciated.

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 1 (but it's a doozey)

Total Movies Watched: 64
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $588.80

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

YOU CARING - AMY THE DOG'S TRAINING, sponsored by Dawn "Sam" Alden

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

64.

The Possession of Virginia (aka Satan’s Sabbath; The Devil is Among Us) (1972) d. Beaudin, Jean (Canada) 86 min

This pre-Cronenberg Cinepix horror effort offers no chills but plenty of unintentional laughter, embarrassing hairstyles and wardrobe choices, wildly inappropriate music cues, and WTF moments galore. Sadly, this doesn’t necessarily make it worthwhile viewing, as the brain-crushing tedium that transpires between the aforementioned episodes sucks all the momentum and joy out of the experience.

Paul, an acclaimed journalist, (Daniel Pilon) begins investigating the mysterious suicide of his friend, blowing up photographs a la David Hemmings, which lead him to suspect a strange little old lady (Rose-Rey Duzil) seen at the scene of being somehow involved. Unfortunately, his skullduggery arouses someone’s ire, as his cat is poisoned by a new carton of milk and his friend Louise (Daughters of Darkness’ Danielle Ouimet) is nearly done in by a glass of spiked Scotch.

Lured to a zany ’70s drug party by a co-worker, Paul meets up with renowned pianist Helene (Louise Marleau); the couple soon falls in love, or at least what passes for love between two somnambulist energy-sucks whose collective emotional arc runs the gamut from A to A. After Paul discovers Louise hanging dead in a church (after which her body mysteriously disappears when he brings the cops – via an ill-advised bottle through a store window), he SLOWLY comes to the conclusion that there’s a conspiracy afoot, one with sinister and potentially satanic intentions.

Considering the complex plot, with ample exploitation elements of sex, drugs, and murder, I can only assume that screenwriters John Dunning and Andre Link were less than thrilled at Beaudin’s decision to mute everyone’s reactions to the point of catatonia and to depict every mundane chore in Paul’s life in real time onscreen. The results are dull, dull, dull, confusing, and more dull, not a great recipe for satisfying horror.

I’m fortunate that fellow cinematic adventurer Jason Coffman was there to accompany me for this odyssey into the abyss, as I might not have made it through alone. Then again, he was the one who suggested it, so I think we’re even.

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 2
Total Movies Watched: 66
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $607.20

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES’ HOUSE OF HOPE, sponsored by Sheila Ralston

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

65.

The Orphanage (2007) d. Bayona, J.A. (Spain) (2nd viewing) 105 min

Despite a few bloodcurdling shocks, this handsome Spanish ghost story follows in the suggestive, richly romantic tradition of Val Lewton’s chillers of the 1940s. Gifted with an extraordinarily expressive face, Belén Rueda is mesmerizing as a woman who has moved into the country home where she once lived as an orphan. Her young son reports encounters with invisible children and eventually disappears himself, leaving the mother distraught and increasingly open to supernatural explanations. Screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez intuitively taps into the crucial elements of the best cinematic ghost stories: Dread of the other side tempered by deep longing for those who have crossed over. There are several standout scenes, including one where medium Geraldine Chaplin attempts to contact the missing child, where I found myself gripping my armrests with that rare, joyful fear that brings genre fans back time and again. One of the best ghost stories in the past decade, equaling and/or surpassing The Sixth Sense, The Others, and executive producer Guillermo del Toro’s own The Devil’s Backbone.

66.
Death Spa (1989) d. Fischa, Michael (USA) (2nd viewing) 87 min

Not content to let David A. Prior’s ridiculous sauna slasher Killer Workout monopolize the health club horror subgenre, this goofy little late-80s entry explores technophobia, mental psychosis, possession, and restless spirits hungry for love and revenge, all set to a bouncing new wave beat and featuring enough dayglow spandex to choke a horse. Within the fully automated Starbody Health Spa, the attractive patrons sweat it out utilizing the most modern equipment (and some meticulously choreographed aerobic routines). When a spate of increasingly implausible freak accidents threaten the clients’ safety, manager William Bumiller suspects his computer geek brother-in-law Merritt Butrick and partners Robert Lipton and Alexa Hamilton of sabotage. While this isn’t entirely false, the real phantasmagorical story is that his year-dead wife Shari Shattuck is haunting the joint, jealous of Bumiller’s taking up with comely blonde Brenda Bakke and ready to lay waste to the place to get him back. Director Fischa deserves points for dishing out the creative kills and hot bods in equal measure, complete with rib-cracking, face-melting, body-slamming gore set-pieces every 12 minutes or so. It’s a shame that his interstitial pacing and deadly dull characters occasionally bog things down, but once the over-the-top finale gets rolling (blender hand, resurrected frozen eel, sauna shard to the face, exploding mirror/head), Death Spa approaches cheesetastic classic status. With Rosalind Cash (The Omega Man), Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead), Chelsea Field (Dust Devil), and Tane McClure (Crawlspace).

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 2
Total Movies Watched: 68
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $625.60

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

SEASON OF CONCERN, sponsored by Dan Kiggins

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

67.
Dust Devil (1992) Stanley, Richard (South Africa) (2nd viewing) 103 min

Gorgeously conceived and executed by an expert technical team, writer/director Stanley (Hardware) returned to his native South Africa to shoot this dense, lyrical horror tale of a wandering demonic spirit (Robert John Burke, decked out in the world’s coolest leather duster) preying upon travelers of the lonely Namib Desert roads. But Stanley had more on his mind than just another supernatural slasher, as the film tackles such weighty issues as racism, sexism, domestic violence, police brutality, poverty, and the “progress” of Westernized civilization. Assigned to a brutal ritualized murder case, Detective Ben Mukurob (a never-better Zakes Mokae) uncovers the titular killer’s bloody past, stretching back much further than a normal human’s lifespan; at the same time, Wendy Robinson (Chelsea Field, rendering an impressive South African accent) is fleeing her abusive husband (Rufus Swart), trekking across the Namib in her red VW bug toward a seemingly predestined encounter with Burke’s cold, steely blade. Simon Boswell’s haunting score is an unquestioned highlight among many, and Stanley’s script delves deep into African myth and mysticism but is never less than accessible. Miramax’s bungled trim job and lackluster distribution rendered the film toothless and senseless, confusing viewers and condemning it to obscurity; all praise to the tenacious Stanley who eventually regained the rights to his passion project, and to Subversive Cinema for releasing the restored director’s cut (as well as the 115-minute “Workprint” version) to DVD in the late 2000s.

68.
Prison (1988) d. Harlin, Renny (USA) (2nd viewing) 104 min

Substantially more dark and atmospheric than much of Empire Pictures’ output, it’s easy to see how Finnish-born Harlin landed his Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master gig based on the nightmare logic and gore gags of this bizarre little supernatural entry, but there’s also a welcome amount of attention given to the large ensemble of characters inhabiting a decrepit old penitentiary recently re-opened to accommodate the overwhelming incarceration rate. Lane Smith dominates the film with his energetic turn as an over-the-hill hardass warden, glowering from under his beetle brows or bugging his eyes in surprise, and he’s well matched by supercool fresh meat Viggo Mortensen (in his first lead role), who just happens to bear an unsettling resemblance to a prisoner Smith helped send to the chair 30 years prior. John Buechler handled many of the gruesome effects, with famed cinematographer Mac Ahlberg creating impressive mood on a budget. Chelsea Field represents the lone female in a sea of testosterone, playing a thankless (and ultimately pointless) role as a steamrolled prison board official, but at least she’s no screaming mimi.

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 4
Total Movies Watched: 72
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $662.40

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

RIC O'BARRY'S DOLPHIN PROJECT, sponsored by Michelle Courvais

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

69.

The Stepford Wives (1975) d. Forbes, Bryan (USA) (3rd viewing) 115 min
Sexy and funny, inflammatory and spooky, William Goldman’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s bestseller is that rare animal: a socially relevant, yet thoroughly entertaining sci-fi/horror thriller. Frustrated photographer Joanna (Katharine Ross) escapes the big-city madness with her husband (Peter Masterson), moving to the idyllic Connecticut suburb of Stepford. Before long, the liberated lass (along with gal pals played by Paula Prentiss and Tina Louise) observe that the local female population is a submissive, domestic lot, unnaturally preoccupied with fulfilling their husbands’ every passing desire. With scenes both humorous and claustrophobic, Forbes ratchets up the tension as our heroine grows increasingly suspicious of Stepford’s sinister “Men’s Association,” ultimately fearing for her life and soul. This genuinely chilling mystery slyly keeps its social agenda intentionally ambiguous, leaving interpretation to the viewer. Cautionary women’s lib tale or gentle mocking of raving feminists? Nail-biting conspiracy yarn or satire on sexual politics? Science fiction or social fact? Audiences saw all of this and more, sparking controversy and heated discussions in print and/or coffee shops, and it is a testament to Goldman’s taut screenplay, sharp performances, and top-notch final act that it still packs a wallop today. Ross and Prentiss are particularly good, as is Patrick O’Neal’s creepy masculinis chauvinist. Look sharp for Dee Wallace’s screen debut as Louise’s maid, with Mary Stuart Masterson doing likewise as daddy’s little girl. Rated PG, despite its constant sexual innuendos and some partial nudity in the final reel.

70.

Dementia 13 (1963) d. Coppola, Francis Ford (USA) (3rd viewing) 75 min
From such humble beginnings, legends are born. After wrapping a shoot in Ireland, erstwhile producer Roger Corman allowed his assistant, a fledgling writer/director by the name of Coppola, to shoot his debut on the leftover castle sets. The no-frills shocker begins with great promise, as Luana Anders’ husband suffers a heart attack aboard a rowboat (eerily accompanied by tinny rock n’ roll on the transistor radio) before her eyes. As the scheming spouse connives to cover up his death long enough to get her battle-axe mother-in-law (Eithne Dunne) to change the will, she uncovers a dark family secret. The film’s first half is the stronger, with several suspenseful, shadowy sequences within the Haloran estate; it’s when Coppola abruptly shifts gears with a bold Psycho-like axe murder of one of his main characters that the film sadly loses its way, leaving us in the hands of Patrick Magee’s muttering country doctor playing amateur sleuth amidst the familial squabbling. The fetching, sharp-eyed Anders is the movie’s biggest asset, her duplicitous intensity overpowering co-stars William Campbell and Bart Patton (neither of which speak with any accent whatsoever, despite their implicit Irish heritage). Though an engaging enough late-night chiller, Coppola’s script is notably weak on character development, there are glaring continuity errors (Anders’ underwear changes color underwater), and the obvious foreshadowing of the killer’s identity doesn’t help matters. The gore is limited to b/w blood trickling down axe handles, a laughably fake decapitation, and a body hanging on a meat hook (a device Tobe Hooper would one-up a decade later with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre).

71.

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) d. Corman, Roger (USA) (3rd viewing) 72 min
Filmed in two days with a $27,000 budget, this hysterical black comedy about a man-eating plant is proof positive that people, not dollar signs, make good movies. Producer/director Roger Corman hijacked a set after another studio had finished filming, dressed it as Mushnik’s Flower Shop, and proceeded to populate it with screenwriter Charles B. Griffith’s memorably wacky characters. Jonathan Haze stars as Seymour Krelborn, the nebbishy hero who invents a new hybrid of plant in the hopes of saving his job, only to find that it has a taste for human blood. And it’s not shy about expressing it either, as the puppet-like pod mouth opens to plaintively whine, “Feeeeed Meeee!” The more it eats, the bigger it gets, and soon the flower shop business is booming, but at a grisly price. The rest of the cast is terrific, especially Mel Welles’ meshugenneh shop owner Gravis Mushnik, torn between financial success and his wavering conscience. Jackie Joseph is deliciously daffy as Audrey, the object of Seymour’s affections, endowed with a gorgeous figure and a penchant for malapropism. Dick Miller’s stoic, petal-nibbling customer is a low-key treat, Myrtle Vail steals every scene as Seymour’s hypochondriac mother, and a very young Jack Nicholson delivers a priceless turn as a masochistic dental patient. Initially dismissed as one of “Corman’s cheapies,” the film eventually developed a cult following and inspired a hit off-Broadway musical, which was in turn adapted as a big-budget screen musical in 1986. Hilarious, innocuous fun.

72.

Santa Sangre (1989) d. Jodorowsky, Alejandro (Mexico) (3rd viewing) 123min
This tale of a circus owner Orgo (Guy Stockwell), his religious zealot wife Concha (Blanca Guerra), and their emotionally damaged offspring Fenix (played in young and older incarnations by the director’s sons, Adan and Axel) is one of the finest combinations of horror movie and art-house film. Every inch of screen is filled with stunning, original imagery and characters, accompanied by Simon Boswell’s near-constant musical soundtrack that both supports and juxtaposes its visual counterpart. The elaborate “elephant funeral” sequence, the Tattooed Woman’s (Thelma Tixou) seduction of Orgo and the tragic aftermath thereof, the asylum inmates’ journey into the unnamed city’s seamy underbelly, Concha and Fenix’s “amazing hands” nightclub act, each set-piece is more beautifully twisted and fully imagined than the last. Though consciously borrowing from the Psycho playbook for the horror sequences, Jodorowsky does so with such vibrant uniqueness of vision that we never condemn the appropriation, but celebrate it. Wonderful, theatrical characters populate an operatic world, with circus performers sharing time with residents from high and low society. Unlike anything else you’ve experienced, possessing heart, mind, blood, and soul. A must-see.

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 4
Total Movies Watched: 76
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $718.20

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, sponsored by Adam Rockoff

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

73.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) d. Zombie, Rob (USA) (3rd viewing) 89 min

Four young road-trippers (Rainn Wilson, Jennifer Jostyn, Erin Daniels, Chris Hardwick) encounter an off-the-beaten-track gas station/chicken shack/monster museum, only to discover that “The Murder Ride” lives up to its malevolent title. The writer/director’s breakout debut is, to my mind, his most satisfying, in that it provides a whirlwind of savage imagery, as well as keeping his antagonists in their proper roles of repellent sadists without asking the audience to identify with them. We also are able to operate under the faint hope that our young quartet of potential young victims stands a chance of surviving their horrific ordeal. Zombie’s gift’s for lively visuals are a foregone conclusion at this stage of the game, but a decade ago, his music video sensibilities provided fresh and exciting ways of playing haunted house for moviegoers. Like Texas Chain Saw Massacre– an obvious inspiration – the sensory overload perfectly complements the emotionally hysterical narrative, and the sense of underlying dread and uncomfortable humor is palpable throughout. The film revived the careers of longtime character men Bill Moseley and Sid Haig, turning them into overnight horror con superstars, and they are well supported by the likes of Karen Black, Robert Mukes, Tom Towles, Dennis Fimple, Matthew McGrory, Harrison Yong, and Sherri Moon, who wed the director shortly thereafter.

74.
The Devil's Rejects (2005) d. Zombie, Rob (USA) (3rd viewing) 109 min

Though it met with a surprising amount of critical acclaim upon its initial release (including yours truly), I find TDR hasn’t aged as well as its more bonkers older brother. Continuing the murderous exploits of the Firefly clan but changing the aesthetic from that of a haunted house to a 70s road movie, there are plenty of vivid characters (without a likeable one in the bunch), but the attempts at comedy are clumsy at best and aggressively offensive at worst. But in what would soon become identifiable as Zombie’s aesthetic, we are given no one with whom to ally ourselves, left to stand on the sidelines and watch reprehensible acts of violence perpetrated by both the Fireflys (led again by Haig, Moseley, and Moon Zombie, with an overripe Leslie Easterbrook stepping in for Karen Black) and William Forsythe’s sadistic lawman, bent on revenge against his brother’s murderers. There’s not much in the way of suspense, and humanizing the villains only makes them psychopathic degenerates as opposed to the soulless boogeymen of two years prior. Still, Zombie’s growth as a filmmaker is apparent, and the slow-mo, blood-splattered finale enlivens that old Skynard chestnut “Freebird” in a whole new way.

75.
Halloween (2007) d. Zombie, Rob (USA) (2nd viewing) 109 min

The dust has long since settled, with horror fans across the globe agreeing to disagree, but I figured having already revisited the first two Zombie films, I’d take a trip back to Haddonfield 2.0. Nope, still don’t like it, and I’ve got a laundry list of reasons why (which I will detail in a future post, but it’s nothing you haven’t heard before on a million message boards in the past seven years). Bottom line, even without comparing it to Carpenter’s original, this is not a good horror flick. It's not a good flick, period. It's a not-bad slasher, and for a studio-released blockbuster remake from a major horror player, we deserved better. Is it the worst movie I've ever seen? No. Did it disappoint? Absolutely. If you liked it, great. I’m happy for you. In fact, I wish that I could have been in the same boat, because I really wanted to like it. But I didn’t and I don’t.

For more eloquent Zombie-related rantings, visit last year's The Lords of Salem write-up.

76.
Kill List (2011) d. Wheatley, Ben (UK) (2nd viewing) 95 min

This wild little Brit flick takes one of the more extraordinary third-act left turns in recent memory – even though the actions are more or less justified, you’ll never see it coming. Needing to pay the bills, hit man Jay (Neil Maskell) comes out of his shell-shocked semi-retirement for a new assignment that proves to be a dark Pandora’s Box that threatens to consume him completely. The viewer is immediately drawn into Maskell’s plight and presenting the assassin as a regular family guy with everyday problems (paying the rent, arguing with the wife, picking up their kid from school) allows us to connect with our protagonist in spite of the thick accents and frequent emotional outbursts. Our doughy lead is not a typical badass, which is why when his violent side explodes to the surface – which it does in several vivid blood-soaked sequences – it proves doubly shocking. While the WTF factor of the last reel may alienate some, director/co-writer Wheatley has earned our respect to that point and there’s no denying its bold narrative gutpunch. Highly Recommended.

Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 2
Total Movies Watched: 78
Total First Time Views: 17
Amount raised: $815.10

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

EXTRA LIFE, sponsored by Dave Gray

To showcase your charity, send an email to drach101@gmail.com with your pledge amount and the charity's website!

77.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) d. Spielberg, Steven (USA) (2nd viewing) 129 min

Placeholder reviews until I can get back to this. (IT IS HALLOWEEN AFTER ALL.) My biggest impression this time around was that David Koepp's script is so horrible that one would be better off to simply shut off the sound and watch the dino action in relative peace, except for the ridiculously fantastic narrow escapes that turn it all into a cartoon. Some decent moments, but only a big budgeted brainless popcorn burner. I'd hoped for better, but considering how the original has also dropped in my estimation, perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

78.
Jurassic Park III (2001) d. Johnston, Joe (USA) (2nd viewing) 92 min

Another placeholder. Bringing back Sam Neill's Dr. Grant (the original JP element that continues to hold up upon repeat viewings) was a good start, and creating a semi-plausible reason for anyone to set foot on that accursed island was a decent follow-up, and giving us a not completely annoying juvenile character was yet another plus. Overall, this might be the least pretentious and most enjoyable entry overall, with the highest level of rewatchability. (And, of course, it's the one that earned the least at the box office.) That said, Tea Leoni, who I've had a crush on since 1996's Flirting with Disaster, is given nothing to do but screech and caterwaul and make a general nuisance of herself. Someone should have fought harder to make the lone female character a stronger, more fully realized one.

Challenge Totals:

Movies Watched Today: 3
Total Movies Watched: 81
Total First Time Views: 18
Amount raised: $846.45

Today's showcased SCARE-A-THON Charity:

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION, sponsored by Stephanie Weller Castelluccio

79.
The Doctor and the Devils (1985) d. Francis, Freddie (UK) (1st viewing) 93 min

This not-bad dramatization of the notorious Burke and Hare murders (with the names changed to protect...I'm not sure who) covers little new ground and, more significantly, fails to capture the haunting immorality of the crimes and those complicit in them. As the Dr. Knox character (here called Dr. Rock), Timothy Dalton is righteously indignant at the priggish lawmakers thwarting scientific progress, but even a hint of moral quandary as he knowingly turns a blind eye – allowing thuggish grave robbers-cum-murderers Fallon and Broom (Jonathan Pryce and Stephen Rea) to keep providing illegal cadavers for dissection – would have gone a long way. Despite handsome production values and a fine cast of British thespians that includes Sian Phillips, Patrick Stewart, Julian Sands, Beryl Reid, and Twiggy (don’t laugh, she’s quite good), this is hardly an improvement over John Gilling’s The Flesh and the Fiends or (Robert Wise’s The Body Snatcher, for that matter).

80.
Nightbreed (1990) d. Barker, Clive (USA) (2nd viewing) 121 min

Based on his novel Cabal, Clive Barker’s follow-up to Hellraiser exhibits as many of that film’s strengths (vivid, original storyline, exemplary makeup effects) as its weaknesses (uneven performances, gore without scares, jarring jokes). Craig Sheffer stars as Boone, a troubled mental patient whose implication in a series of violent murders leads him to Midian, an underground “other-world.” Within this subterranean city, we encounter the “Nightbreed,” a wonderfully grotesque collection of freaks and mutants (wonderfully realized by makeup designer Paul L. Jones) that populate the shadows of the human world, unable to venture into the light. Painting his monsters as the sympathetic characters, Barker attempts some fine points about the human tendency to hate (and consequently destroy) anything we find foreign and/or ugly. Unfortunately, even in the restored “Cabal Cut,” his message is often drowned out by effects-for-effects’-sake and smart-alecky dialogue, diminishing the emotional resonance. With two-dimensional characters (whiny heroes, growling Nightbreed, bullish cops, redneck good-ol-boys), viewers might struggle for anyone to identify with, forced to content themselves with the noisy, cartoonish mayhem, extraordinary art direction, and latex creations by a venerable team of makeup technicians, including Bob Keen, Geoffrey Portass, and Kate Murray. Legendary Canadian director David Cronenberg steps in front of the camera, lending a spooky aloofness to the role of Boone’s psychiatrist, Dr. Decker.

81.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) d. Coscarelli, Don (USA) (5th viewing) 92 min

Expanded from Joe R. Lansdale’s terrific short story, this enthusiastically original tale became an instant cult classic and remains just as satisfying over a decade later. The mind boggles at its very premise: Following a hip-breaking stage fall, Elvis (Bruce Campbell in a career-best, atypically nuanced performance) is discovered alive and not-so-well in a Texas old folks home, agonizing about his empty present, wasted past, and a curious growth on the end of his wiener. The King of Rock-n-Roll’s dreary daily monotony is abruptly ended, however, with the appearance of the titular Egyptian mummy, who begins to suck the souls out of his fellow geriatric residents … through their poop chutes. (Insult, meet Injury.) Hobbling into action to defend his debilitated rest home against the undead menace, Elvis is joined by his neighbor Jack (a droll Ossie Davis), a man who believes himself to be John F. Kennedy despite the fact that he is, well, black. Directed and scripted with style and panache by Don Coscarelli, the result is a satisfying venture on multiple levels, as much a reflection on aging and life’s regrets as monster movie. Ella Joyce offers terrific support as Elvis’ caregiver, with admirable contributions from Phantasm’s Reggie Bannister and longtime monster kid Daniel Roebuck. With Brian Tyler’s marvelous, evocative soundtrack leading the way, don’t be surprised to find a tear trickling down your smiling face as the sun sets on Lansdale’s eccentric characters, perhaps the unlikeliest heroic duo ever conceived.

Total Movies Watched: 81
Total First Time Views: 18
Amount Raised: $846.45

And that, my friends, brings us to the end of another glorious Scare-A-Thon and October Horror Movie Challenge. My thanks to everyone who participated in some way, whether it be reading the reviews, pledging, sponsoring a charity, watching alongside, or just stopping by to chat. It makes the long nights go by so much easier knowing that one’s efforts are noticed and appreciated.

BONUS CHALLENGE STATS:

Total Time: 7615 min

Average Length: 94 min
Longest Movies: ALIENS (137 min), WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (134 min)
Shortest Movie: THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (64 min)
Longest "Day" (24-hour Music Box Massacre 10/11-12): 12 movies, 1125 min.
No-Movie Days: 3 (10/6, 10/7, 10/13)
Oldest Movie: THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (1921)
Newest Movie: EXISTS, THE BABADOOK (2014)

OTHER FUN FACTS:

Actors
Vincent Price: 8
Christopher Lee: 7
Peter Cushing: 4
Boris Karloff: 3

Directors
Noriaki Yuasa: 7
Terence Fisher: 4
Roger Corman: 3
Rob Zombie: 3

Countries Represented: 13
USA, UK, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Mexico

Scare-A-Thon 2014’s “Pick Your Poison” spin allowed a number of fantastic organizations to be showcased (instead of focusing on one sole charity), and while we didn’t quite reach the one-a-day goal I’d envisioned, we still managed to lend a hand to 24 deserving causes. Listed below are those two dozen, along with the individuals who led the charge for each. Consider dropping a buck or two their way if you haven’t already, or if it inspires you to donate somewhere else, that’s fine too. It’s all about Caring and Sharing through Scaring.

REACH COUNSELING- John Pata
TRILLIUM PERFORMING ARTS - Sheila Jordan
THE TIME COMMUNITY THEATER - Gavin Schmitt
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY - Christine Thom
THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND - Whit Spurgeon
GRAMEEN FOUNDATION - Alan Ball
THE FRIENDS OF CHILDREN - Jeff Cummings
MO MONEY FOR PIGS - April Atwood
UNITED WAY OF GREENBRIER VALLEY - Sheila Ann Jordan
ACT ONE ARTS INITIATIVE - Becca M. Engle
THE INNOCENCE PROJECT - Fawn Krisenthia
LCC K9 COMFORT DOGS - Mark Matzke
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS - Kevin Theis, Siri Buurma, and Gianine DeFrancesco
SMART – START MAKING A READER TODAY - Patrick Mathewes
SEASCOUTS CHICAGO - SHIP 5111 - Drew Martin
THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY - John Pata
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - Christine Thom and Whit Spurgeon
YOU CARING - AMY THE DOG'S TRAINING - Dawn "Sam" Alden
ST. MARTIN DE PORRES’ HOUSE OF HOPE - Sheila Ralston
SEASON OF CONCERN- Dan Kiggins
RIC O'BARRY'S DOLPHIN PROJECT - Michelle Courvais
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION- Adam Rockoff
EXTRA LIFE - Dave Gray
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION - Stephanie Weller Castelluccio

Finally, here's a handy day-by-day guide of what was viddied, with links to reviews for each film.

10/1

1. EXISTS (2014)

10/2 - 10/3

2. GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER (1965)

3. GAMERA VS. BARUGON (AKA WAR OF THE MONSTERS) (1966)
4. GAMERA VS. GYAOS (1967)

10/4 - 10/5

5. GAMERA VS. VIRAS (AKA DESTROY ALL PLANETS) (1968)

6. THE DEVILS (1971)

10/6 - 10/8

7. GAMERA VS. GUIRON (AKA ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS) (1969)
8. GAMERA VS. JIGER (AKA GAMERA VS. MONSTER X) (1970)
9. GAMERA VS. ZIGRA (1971)

10/9 - 10/10

10. GAMERA: SUPER MONSTER (1980)
11. GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (1995)
12. GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION (1996)
13. GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (1999)

10/11 - 10/12

14. THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (1921)
15. THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939)
16. CAT PEOPLE (1942)
17. CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961)
18. THE BORROWER (1991)
19. NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1979)
20. DEAD SNOW: RED VS. DEAD (2014)
21. NIGHTMARE (AKA NIGHTMARE IN A DAMAGED BRAIN) (1981)
22. SHAKMA (1990)
23. DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT (1973)
24. JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981)
25. AUDITION (1999)

10/13 - 10/14

26. JUG FACE (2013)
27. THE BABADOOK (2014)
28. THE BATTERY (2012)
29. TOOLS OF IGNORANCE: MAKING THE BATTERY (2014)

10/15 - 10/16

30. THE CRAFT (1996)
31. RESTORATION/AIR CONDITIONS (2014)
32. NIGHTMARES (AKA STAGE FRIGHT) (1980)
33. SWEET SIXTEEN (1983)
34. ASMODEXIA (2014)

10/17

35. VAN HELSING (2004)
36. THE SQUAD (2011)
37. HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)

10/18 - 10/19

38. BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)
39. DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)
40.DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)
41. TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)
42. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
43. DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972)
44. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973)
45. DRACULA (1979)

10/20

46. END OF THE LINE (2007)
47. THE WILLIES (1990)
48. GRIM PRAIRIE TALES (1990)
49. ALIENS (1986)

10/21

50. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964)
51. THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
52. HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959)
53. RETURN OF THE FLY (1959)
54. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962)

10/22

55. THE RAVEN (1963)
56. THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963)
57. WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968)
58. DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972)

10/23

59. SQUIRM (1976)
60. DUNGEONMASTER (AKA RAGEWAR) (1984)
61. CELLAR DWELLER (1988)
62. WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005)
63. TRIBES OF THE MOON: MAKING NIGHTBREED (2014)

10/24

64. THE POSSESSION OF VIRGINIA (1972)

10/25 - 10/26

65. THE ORPHANAGE (2007)
66. DEATH SPA (1989)

10/27

67. PRISON (1988)
68. DUST DEVIL (1992)

10/28

69. THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975)
70. DEMENTIA 13 (1963)
71. THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960)
72. SANTA SANGRE (1989)

10/29

73. HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003)
74. THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005)
75. HALLOWEEN (2007)
76. KILL LIST (2011)

10/30

77. THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (1997)
78. JURASSIC PARK III (2001)

10/31

79. THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS (1985)
80. NIGHTBREED (1990)
81. BUBBA HO-TEP (2002)

That's it! Thanks again, everyone. See you next year....

Exists (2014) d. Eduardo Sanchez (USA) 86 min.

“Since 1967, there have been over 3,000 Bigfoot encounters in the U.S. alone. Experts agree the creatures are only violent if provoked.”

So begins Exists, which marks Sanchez’s noteworthy return to the “found footage” format that he and co-director Daniel Myrick helped popularize in the summer of 1999 with their wildly successful indie venture The Blair Witch Project. But what a difference a decade and a half can make; in the age of the iPhone, the faux documentary style that was once a novelty has become a Hollywood-adopted subgenre, and the question of “Why would they keep filming?” has been answered a billion times over by countless YouTube video subjects far less interesting than mysterious dangling stick figures or hairy missing links.

However, unlike many of their contemporaries, Sanchez and longtime screenwriting partner Jamie Nash (Seventh Moon, Lovely Molly, V/H/S/2, and their criminally underrated alien flick Altered) are still interested in making the found-footage conceit accord with cinematic logic. Rather than phantom cinematographers capturing impossible angles and editing that defies explanation, Exists focuses on social media geek Brian (Chris Osborn) – and his dozens of GoPro cameras – out with his brother Matt (Samuel Davis), Matt's buddy Todd (Roger Edwards), and their girlfriends (Dora Madison Burge, Denise Williamson) for a cabin-in-the-woods getaway.

Obsessed with shooting everything in the hopes of capturing a magic moment, it is through Brian’s lens that viewers catch their first glimpse of a strange humanoid figure among the trees. But as the story progresses, the blurry images come into sharper focus, both literally and figuratively.

Fans of the mythical Sasquatch will be thrilled to know that Sanchez isn’t shy about putting his beast front and center, thanks to the special effects wizards at Spectral Motion and suit performer extraordinaire Brian Steele. Not since Harry and the Hendersons has the big hairy fellow enjoyed this much screen time, but unlike Steele’s time in the yak fur for the television incarnation of Harry, this Bigfoot is a terrifying beast more inclined to rend limbs than help put the groceries on the top shelf.

I can easily say that of the five Bigfoot films I've seen this year (Happy Camp, Willow Creek, The Legend of Bigfoot, and The Capture of Bigfoot), Exists offers the most Sasquatch bang for the buck. Plus, I dig that Sanchez fellow. Check it out.

Exists is now available from Lionsgate on VOD (and limited theatrical release).

The Squad (2011) d. Jaime Osorio Marquez (Argentina/Spain/Colombia) 107 min

A premise with promise is nothing without proper execution. That’s the lesson to be learned from this exercise in military horror, one that covers nary an inch of fresh ground that GP 506, The Bunker, Deathwatch, The Objective, and any number of its cinematic band of brothers haven’t already explored with varying degrees of success. Here, the titular squadron of soldiers seizes a deserted Colombian guard-post only to discover that their former comrades have been brutally and mysteriously slain, the only survivor being a terrified woman, her tongue brutally cut out.

It's a solid enough jumping-off place, but Marquez spends the next 90 minutes abusing his depth-of-field lenses (seriously, if I had a nickel for every tracking shot with someone’s head in the center of the frame and blurry shapes in a halo around him, I’d have the budget for another, better movie), and narratively running in place and around in circles. There are sporadic moments of violence, amidst the brow furrowing and jaw-tensing tedium, as the squad is predictably whittled down, but mostly I was just waiting for something – anything – to happen.

The pre-closing-credits stinger hints at what might have been a more interesting film, but as it stands, this is a 30-minute Twilight Zone episode padded out to a near two-hour running time. It’s also a bit disheartening that Marquez can’t be bothered to reveal anything about his characters such that we might, oh, care what happens to them, focusing instead on pumping up the fog machines and keeping the lights dim. Bleah.

"Can you see the plot? Me neither."

The Squad is now available on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory (a brief making-of and theatrical trailer being the sole extras) and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/the-squad

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

The Doctor and the Devils (1985) d. Freddie Francis (UK)

This not-bad dramatization of the notorious Burke and Hare murders (with the names changed to protect. . .I'm not sure who) covers little new ground and, more significantly, fails to capture the haunting immorality of the crimes and those complicit in them. As the Dr. Knox character (here called Dr. Rock), Timothy Dalton is righteously indignant at the priggish lawmakers thwarting scientific progress, but even a hint of moral quandary as he knowingly turns a blind eye – allowing thuggish grave robbers-cum-murderers Fallon and Broom (Jonathan Pryce and Stephen Rea) to keep providing illegal cadavers for dissection – would have gone a long way.

Despite handsome production values and a fine cast of British thespians that includes Sian Phillips, Patrick Stewart, Julian Sands, Beryl Reid, and Twiggy (don’t laugh, she’s quite good), this is hardly an improvement over John Gilling’s The Flesh and the Fiends or (Robert Wise’s The Body Snatcher, for that matter). Still, for those unfamiliar with the Burke and Hare story or who have only seen John Landis' comedic version starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis, this isn't a bad place to start.

The extras, which at times are more engaging than the film itself, include an informative audio commentary track from the always reliable Steve Haberman, and interviews with executive producer Mel Brooks (yes, that Mel Brooks), producer Jonathan Sanger and former Brooksline development executive Randy Auerbach.

The Doctor and the Devils is now available on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/the-doctor-and-the-devils

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

The Last Man on Earth (1964) d. Ubaldo Ragona / Sidney Salkow (Italy/USA)

“Another day to live through. Better get started.” From its opening shots of barren city landscapes littered with lifeless corpses to its bleak conclusion, the first screen version of Richard Matheson’s novel I am Legend is a downer all the way. But considering the subject matter, this is no surprise, and director Ragona (with additional material inserted by Salkow for its U.S. run) is to be lauded for remaining true to Matheson’s apocalyptic spirit.

Following a worldwide plague that transforms the living into vampiric undead, lone survivor Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) spends days dispatching former friends and neighbors with wooden stakes and nights tearfully watching home movies while the infected batter away at his barricaded home.

The stark black-and-white scenes of shambling undead, some former loved ones, cannot help but conjure images of Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (still half a decade away). Through haunting voice-over, Price projects the appropriately weary tone of a man isolated for nearly three years, torn between apathy and a base animalistic desire to survive, even if his less-than-athletic screen presence makes him an unlikely and/or unconvincing hero at times. (In the face of Uncle Vincent’s limp-wristed stake-pounding, one cannot help but imagine what Peter Cushing – originally considered for the role – might have done with it.)

The flashback sequences of the plague’s early days never quite pack the punch they should, due to the cast’s oddly mannered acting, but with the help of a strong third-act twist, the film musters an ending both tragic and satisfying. An admirable effort overall, leaps and bounds ahead of 1971’s The Omega Man and 2007’s I am Legend based on the same material.

The Last Man on Earth is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, a dandy improvement over the multitude of public domain versions plaguing (ha! see what I did there?) marketplace. Supplements include a very worthwhile audio commentary by authors and enthusiasts David Del Valle and Derek Bohtello, and a vintage interview with the late Matheson in which the author explains from whence his "Logan Swanson" credit is derived, and how he came to employ it following screenwriter William Leicester's pass.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) d. Roger Corman (UK)

The last of Corman’s Poe adaptations is certainly one of the best-looking, due to terrific exteriors shot in the English countryside (the notoriously tight-fisted producer/director was looking to explore a different look from the previous studio-bound installments). Adapted from Poe’s slim story “Ligeia” by future Oscar-winning scribe Robert Towne, the film revels in its morbid gothic atmosphere and excellent performances. In the midst of a well-photographed foxhunt, the Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd) comes across grieving widower Verden Fell (Vincent Price) and his groovy period shades.

Immediately drawn to his mysterious nature, she insinuates herself into his life, and the two happily court and marry. Following their honeymoon, however, she observes the return of her husband’s dark mood, accompanied by increasingly strange behavior.

Under hypnosis, she reveals Price’s darkest fear: The spirit of his previous wife, the dark, exotic Ligeia (also played by Shepherd), is intermittently inhabiting the body of his new bride, fulfilling her dying curse that she “would be his only wife.”

If all this seems a little much, it is, with Corman and Towne blatantly borrowing elements from previous AIPoe outings (hallucinatory dream sequences, black cats, fiery climax). But the costumes and sets look great, and Price dives into the role of madman clinging to sanity with his usual aplomb, ably matched by Shepherd in her dual roles of tormentor and savior.

The Tomb of Ligeiais available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, and is packed with supplemental goodies, including three, count 'em, three separate commentary tracks (1) Corman, (2) Shepherd, and (3) historian Constantine Nasr (who provides background history on pretty much everyone involved in the film, onscreen and off), as well as a still gallery, theatrical trailer, and a vintage intro / wrap-up from the star from when he hosted an Iowa public television showcase of his films. For all this, you can't beat the Price.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

House on Haunted Hill (1959) d. William Castle (USA)

This classic fright-fest frivolity from producer/director Castle stars Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren, offering $10,000 to five diverse guests if they can spend the entire night in the titular haunted house; thrills and chills ensue.

Castle has never been more adept at creating straight-faced spooky atmosphere, and Robb White’s snaky screenplay provides characters and mystery adequate to hold our attention through the film’s zippy running time. Doors creak open and slam shut, decapitated heads appear and disappear, and vats of acid bubble deliciously in the cellar, with a wonderfully cheesy skeleton topping off the delightful buffet.

The mental (and sometimes physical) tug-of-war between Loren and willful wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) provides an additional layer of tension to the proceedings. Their beleaguered guests include Richard Long’s dashing jet pilot and cute Carolyn Craig (a great screamer, though not much more should be asked of her). Elisha Cook, Jr. is top-drawer as a frightened mouse of a man, alternating between shots of whiskey to ease his frazzled nerves and doom-filled warnings to anyone who’ll listen.

This is the film where eternal showman Castle revealed his classic “Emergo” stunt of flying a skeleton on wires over theater patrons, but even without gimmicks the film stands strong on its own, supplying equal measures of eerie jolts and campy fun. (Favorite moment: the floating servant woman.)

House on Haunted Hill is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, and is the showcase piece of the pie, with three featurettes on the star ("Vincent Price: Renaissance Man,""The Art Of Fear," and "Working With Vincent Price") and a delightfully informative audio commentary by noted film scholar Steve Haberman. You're not going to get all these extra goodies on your public domain 50-pack, so consider upgrading today. If you're short on cash, I'm sure Mr. Loren would be happy to offer you a place at the next gathering.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

Return of the Fly (1959) d. Edward Bernds (USA)

Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) follows in his father’s buzzy footsteps by resurrecting the transporter machine – much to the chagrin of Uncle Francois (Vincent Price) – only to be pitched into it alongside another winged traveler by his duplicitous business partner (David Frankham). Hilarity ensues.

As a straight-ahead goofy ’50s monster movie, this thoroughly laughable sequel to the previous year’s classic is undeniably entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons. Rather than a true follow-up, it’s best seen as a parody, with a multitude of goddawful effects, unintentional comedy, cartoonishly huge fly heads, and plot inconsistencies galore.

From Halsey’s inexplicable entomophobic histrionics to the detective/guinea pig switcheroo to the matted fly photo with Halsey’s head stuck on it crying “Help me!” (minus the corresponding arm and leg that should be on there, considering his humanoid counterpart), Bernds’ script is a litany of ridiculousness from start to finish, played admirably straight by all involved. It's terrible, but Turkey-liciously so.

Return of the Fly is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, and in keeping with its second-class status, the extras are also a pale shadow of their 5" brethren. Yes, there is a still gallery, a theatrical trailer and TV spot, but what should have been the main attraction turns out to be a crashing bore. I'm speaking of the audio commentary with Halsey and film historian David Del Valle, in which they attempt to treat this bastion of bungles with some sort of respect, but even Del Valle can't resist mocking it openly as a stunt man (not Halsey, the star is quick to point out) wearing a giant fly head and huge fly flipper slippers crashes around in a lightly wooded forest.

The majority of the running time is comprised of our lead actor failing to remember anything of note from the shoot, despite constant prompting, although he is decidedly generous when discussing all of his co-stars. Halsey also comes right out and confesses that he didn't want to do the picture, but that the studio head at Fox hinted in no uncertain terms that it would be best for contract players to do as they were told and that he would be rewarded since the movie was going to be a hit (which, of course, it was).

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

The Raven (1963) d. Roger Corman (USA)

A childhood fave that continues to hold up half a century later, thanks to the game comic performances from screen scream veterans Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre. Concerned that they might be repeating themselves, Corman and screenwriter Richard Matheson opted to spin the dark and forlorn premise of Poe’s best-known poem into an extravagant slapstick romp involving quarreling wizards, magic spells, duplicitous wives, and warnings from beyond the grave.

A young Jack Nicholson is also on hand, and his hilarious interplay with onscreen patriarch Lorre provides many of the biggest laughs. Price is clearly in his element, smirking and mugging away, but Karloff’s subtler facial expressions and gestures often manage to upstage both of his hammier co-stars.

Lovely Hazel Court isn’t given as much to do as Price’s not-so-much-lost-as-loose Lenore, but she makes the most of her vain and self-serving temptress, while blonde and bland Olive Sturgess is serviceable as the requisite ingénue. The frothy blast concludes with a memorable wizards’ duel, each jousting spell more charming than the previous, and brought to vivid realization by effects man Pat Dinga.

The Ravenis available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, with supplements that include interviews with Matheson and Corman (previously recorded for the MGM DVD release), both of whom speak with great affection for this entertaining trifle, as well as a still gallery, theatrical trailer, and a vintage intro / wrap-up from Price from when he hosted an Iowa public television showcase of his films in the 1980s.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

The Comedy of Terrors (1963) d. Jacques Tourneur (USA)

After the success of The Raven, AIP attempted to tap the comic vein a second time but with decidedly diminished returns, both artistically and financially. The premise of a funeral home recycling its one coffin and occasionally helping the town’s populace into them is an amusingly dark one, but despite its terrific veteran cast, the comedy feels much more forced and mean-spirited, with Price’s tyrannical drunken lout snarking at underling Lorre and wife Joyce Jameson (who had memorably appeared opposite the two stars in “The Black Cat” episode of that year’s Tales of Terror).

Karloff is back as well, but given little opportunity to shine, relegated to “what’s that?” deaf jokes and snoozing under those distinctive bushy eyebrows. One can understand the temptation to flip the antagonistic relationship between Price and Lorre, but it just doesn’t play as well as watching the little fireplug tear into Uncle Vincent towering above him.

Not to say there aren’t a few amusing moments, such as Jameson’s ear-and-glass shattering attempts at opera and Basil Rathbone’s Macbeth-spouting cataleptic that just won’t stay dead, but it’s unfortunate that screenwriter Richard Matheson couldn’t have come up with better zingers than simply having Price endlessly bellow “Shut up!” Great title, though.

The Comedy of Terrors is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, and sports another vintage intro / wrap-up from the star (from when he hosted an Iowa public television showcase of his films) extolling the good times he had with his fellow fiends. There's also a brief interview with Matheson, and while we won't speak ill of the dead, it bears noting that the late great scribe was known much, much more for his skill in crafting an intelligent, suspenseful sci-fi tales than with his laugh-inducing wordplay. There's also a still gallery and theatrical trailer to round things out.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) d. Robert Fuest (USA)

After the surprise hit of the original Phibes, Fuest and Price returned for another go-round of mirthful murderous mayhem, this time with the mad doctor hoping to revive his lost love via a sacred papyrus scroll and the mythical “River of Life” in Egypt. Robert Quarry co-stars as a millionaire equally consumed with the river’s life-restoring properties, one not at all amused by Price’s propensity for knocking off his expedition members through varied outlandish means.

As before, myriad elaborate murder scenes are the highlights, with victims stung by scorpions, blasted by sand, and jugged in giant gin bottles, though expectant viewers may express some chagrin at the lack of a pervasive theme – it’s simply “kill ‘em all and make it extravagant.”

On the other hand, the black comedy in Fuest and Robert Blees’ script is much better incorporated, with everyone seemingly in on the joke this time around. Price, allowed to smirk and waggle eyebrows as he enjoys fine champagne through his neck-port, is clearly having more fun, and the always game Quarry makes for a formidable foe.

Phibes’ assistant Vulnavia (now pronounced “Vul-nay-via”, rather than “Vul-nah-via”) is played by Australian beauty Valli Kemp, while Peter Cushing and Terry-Thomas make brief appearances (with Caroline Munro again unbilled as Phibes’ beloved, despite numerous close-ups. Strange, what?) In the end, the sequel actually surpasses its predecessor for sheer entertainment, while never quite matching its intellect. (The following year’s Theatre of Blood manages to combine all of the above, and remains my personal favorite of the three.)

Dr. Phibes Rises Again is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory as part of their excellent The Vincent Price Collection II, though it must be noted that it receives the least in the way of supplementals - only a theatrical trailer and still gallery to sate fans' appetites. Granted, it was likewise neglected in its MGM DVD incarnation, but since the first Phibes boasted not one, but two audio commentaries on S!F's Vincent Price Collection last year, my hopes were definitely raised. Ah, well.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

Squirm (1976) d. Jeff Lieberman (USA)

A downed power transformer in the small backwater town of Fly Creek, Georgia, sends thousands of volts of electricity into the wet ground and thousands of agitated biting Glycera worms to the surface. From this somewhat farfetched premise, writer/director Lieberman wrings a laudable amount of suspense, aided in no small part by his no-name cast who inhabit empathetic, intelligent, and resourceful characters worth rooting for.

Following Hitchcock’s The Birds playbook, Lieberman spends the first act familiarizing us with the surroundings and likeable protagonists Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcey, and Fran Higgins, then isolates them to contend with the annelidic terror minus outside help. (Legend-in-the-making Rick Baker created the memorable worm-face effect for R.A. Dow’s unfortunate bait farmer.)

Now making its Blu-ray debut via Shout! Factory, fans are finally treated to the lively and engaging audio commentary that was clearly recorded for the 2003 MGM DVD release that, somehow, never made it onto the disc! In it, Lieberman, in his distinctive New Yawk honk, points out numerous flubs and flaws, but is also clearly proud of what he and his able crew were able to pull off on a slim budget (such as hiding a troop of cub scouts under a tarp covered with rubber worms and telling them to move up and down to create an undulating onscreen sea of slimy terror.

He also mentions alternate casting choices that, in hindsight, might have brought his film more visibility, citing Martin Sheen's original involvement before he exited the project, and Kim Basinger and Sylvester Stallone's interest in playing the roles ultimately inhabited by Pearcey and Dow. (Lieberman says he could never imagine the too-lovely-for-words Basinger living next to a worm farm, and that Stallone had just too urban a vibe.)

Other extras include on-camera interviews with Lieberman and Scardino (the latter now a successful TV director and producer), as well as solo featurette with Lieberman discussion the story's origins. All in all, it's a terrific hi-def love letter to the little creature feature that could.

Squirm is now available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/squirm-collector-s-edition

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/23)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/24)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/25 - 10/26)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/27)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/28)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/29)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/30)

OCTOBER MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/31)

SCARE-A-THON 2014 (FINAL RESULTS!!!)

EXISTS (2014) movie review

THE SQUAD (2011) Blu-ray review

THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS (1985) Blu-ray Review

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) Blu-ray review

THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964) Blu-ray review

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