Category Archives: Horror

1980 Films, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid, Drew Barrymore, George Gaynes, Horror, John Larroquette, Ken Russell, Science Fiction, Thaao Penghlis, William Hurt

Altered States-1980

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Altered States-1980

Director Ken Russell

Starring William Hurt, Blair Brown

Scott’s Review #82

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Reviewed July 1, 2014

Grade: B-

Altered States (1980) is a trippy, strange horror/sci-fi hybrid film (William Hurt’s debut) that is visually impressive. Still, the story is too far-fetched and implausible to be taken seriously.

It feels like an earlier version of The Fly, but inferior to that particular film.

Hurt plays an abnormal psychology professor obsessed with experimental schizophrenic hallucinatory drugs, which he takes, causing him to ultimately experience episodes of being half man, half ape through the use of a sensory deprivation tank, and a strange Indian tribe comes into play.

It’s a very silly premise, but it’s somehow believable to a point, especially in the first act.

The ending of the movie was ridiculous and uninteresting to me, and it seemed extremely disjointed as a whole.

There were lots of behind-the-scenes troubles with this film, which could explain the unbalanced feeling.

Otherwise, the sporadic, weird colors and patterns during the scientist’s episodes were effective.

Drew Barrymore’s first film (she plays a toddler).

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Score, Best Sound

1986 Films, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, Horror, James Cameron, Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Science Fiction, Sigourney Weaver, Walter Hill

Aliens-1986

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Aliens-1986

Director James Cameron

Starring Sigourney Weaver

Scott’s Review #80

Reviewed June 29, 2014

Grade: B+

Aliens (1986) takes away the rawness of the original Alien (1979) and infuses a glossier, slicker look to the film franchise.

The film was made eight years later, but story-wise, it is set fifty-seven years into the future when Ripley, played to perfection by Sigourney Weaver, awakens.

To her horror, she discovers that the aliens have colonized, and she is forced to return to prevent a catastrophe. The militia is in tow, adding a helping of masculinity that supports the film throughout.

This scenario perfectly sets the stage for what is to become an excellent sci-fi adventure story.

There are wonderful special effects that were quite extraordinary when the film was shot in 1986. The tunnels and spacecraft are perfectly lit and designed, creating a bright, fun setting, and the audience knows that doom is lurking.

The actual aliens are visually frightening and, compared to the original, are more plentiful.

Sigourney Weaver takes center stage and leads this film successfully.

I’m not sure many other actresses could pull off her level of authentic toughness and, in the process, give off no sex appeal and still get away with it.

The only detractor from the film is that it seems a bit dated in a purely 1980s way. It has an 80’s look to it, and that’s not a positive.

Not on par with the excellent original Alien, but otherwise, a well-made, supernatural thrill ride.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Actress-Sigourney Weaver, Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects Editing (won), Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects (won)

1964 Films, Connie Mason, Gore, H.G. Lewis, Horror, Horror-Camp, Independent, Independent Horror, William Kerwin

Two Thousand Maniacs-1964

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Two Thousand Maniacs-1964

Director H.G.Lewis

Starring William Kerwin, Connie Mason

Scott’s Review #79

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Reviewed June 28, 2014

Grade: B

Two Thousand Maniacs is a 1964 offering by gore director H.G. Lewis set in the South.

The premise surrounds a southern town, ironically named Pleasant Valley, slaughtered and destroyed during the Civil War. It is resurrected every one hundred years to enact revenge on northerners who are unlucky enough to stumble upon their town.

Local townspeople dupe five nice-looking, fashionable tourists headed to Atlanta into making a wrong turn and given the hero’s welcome by the town folk for a festive centennial celebration.

The welcome is, of course, a guise for a sinister plot to dismember and barbeque the tourists as part of the feast of the celebration.

The film takes a bit to get going, there is no killing until thirty minutes into it then excels into high gear as some of the most graphic, brutal deaths ensue.

A woman is tied to a platform as one townsperson after another attempt to hit a bullseye so that an enormous boulder falls, carnival dunk-tank style, stoning her to death.

Another victim has each limb tied to a horse as they gallop in different directions, thus dismembering him.

Still, another is forced into a barrel laced with nails and sent rolling down a hill.

Another has her thumb and arm chopped off and served for dinner.

These are gruesome deaths.

A film like this is done for fun, thus the term horror comedy, but it undoubtedly heavily influenced other macabre films that followed, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Deliverance (1972).

The southern rednecks are played to the hilt by mostly actual townspeople, and the cheerful song “The South will rise again” sticks in the viewer’s mind long after the film ends.

The tone is bright and cheerful, and the townspeople, on the surface, seem happy-go-lucky and warm. They even kill with charm.

Two Thousand Maniacs (1964) is a fun, splatter film from one of the genre’s most revered filmmakers.

2011 Films, Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, Horror, Jeremy Kasten, Karim Hussain, Richard Stanley, Tom Savini

The Theatre Bizarre-2011

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The Theatre Bizarre-2011

Director Tom Savini, Douglas Buck

Starring Udo Kier, Lena Kliene

Scott’s Review #77

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Reviewed June 28, 2014

Grade: B+

The Theatre Bizarre is a little-known horror treat from 2011 that was only shown in horror festivals upon its release and is otherwise, shamefully unknown.

Horror buffs must give this film a chance.

The main story centers on a young woman’s attraction to an odd theater in her neighborhood and her hesitant pursuit of the theater. Once she musters the courage to enter, she is treated to six stories told by the strange owner of the theater, who is a wax figure.

The audience also experiences the stories in one-by-one vignettes.

The stories range from the morbidly gruesome (A bitter, angry woman castrates her cheating boyfriend. An unstable woman serves her boyfriend to her friends for dinner), to poetic, (a young girl and her mother discuss the process of death upon witnessing a deadly motorcycle crash).

The first vignette (Mother of Toads) was not one of the best, but the subsequent stories fascinated me.

The ambiance, especially inside the theater, is dark, dream-like, and surreal, which adds much atmosphere to the film.

It reminded me quite a bit of Masters of Horror, a popular series on Showtime in the mid-2000s.

Highly recommended gem for horror fans.

2002 Films, Gore, H.G. Lewis, Horror, Horror-Camp, Independent, Independent Horror, John Waters, Slasher

Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat-2002

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Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat-2002

Director H.G. Lewis

Starring J.P. Delahoussaye, Christy Brown

Scott’s Review #65

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Reviewed June 24, 2014

Grade: B

Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002) is a sequel to the original Blood Feast from over thirty years ago.

It is not necessary to see the original before seeing this film (I hadn’t). The original killer’s grandson is the gruesome caterer/maniac in this installment.

Director H.G. Lewis heavily influenced John Waters, who has a fantastic cameo as a perverted reverend. This movie is so over the top and campy that it is not to be taken at all seriously.

The premise, if one can call it that, involves a lunatic caterer intent on using various female body parts to concoct a scrumptious meal to serve at a wedding.

The film is more of a comedy than a horror film in the traditional sense.

The victims are bubbleheads, mispronouncing words and traipsing around in skimpy outfits (or less) for no reason. The mean-spirited mother of the bride is a delight.

Scenes of taste testing and the presentation of “ladyfingers” are hilariously creative.

Campy in every way and poorly acted, but good late-night fun.

1979 Films, Don Stroud, Eddie Barth, Helen Shaver, Horror, James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Michael Sacks, Murray Hamilton, Rod Steiger, Stuart Rosenberg

The Amityville Horror-1979

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The Amityville Horror-1979

Director Stuart Rosenberg

Starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger

Scott’s Review #60

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Reviewed June 23, 2014

Grade: B-

The Amityville Horror was undoubtedly more thrilling upon its original 1979 release, but sadly, time has not been kind to this film, and it does not hold up well any longer.

It feels dated, but that is not to say it is at all unenjoyable.

The movie’s atmosphere, building tension, and sense of dread are effective. The audience knows bad things will eventually occur.

The film’s look is dark and creepy, and the leads, James Brolin and Margot Kidder, are adequate.

The main problem with the film is that all along, there is a feeling that I am watching a pale version of The Exorcist (1973) or The Omen (1976), far superior films, with the religious theme that was heavily used in the horror genre throughout the 1970s.

Also, horror in 1970’s cinema was at its best, and by 1979, horror had shifted into the knife-wielding maniac vein.

Add to this the fact that the supposedly “true story” has since been proven to be a silly hoax, which takes away any shred of seriousness.

The scene involving the herd of flies is scary, but other scenes seem silly and inconsequential.

The Amityville Horror (1979) is not a bad movie, but similar films are far superior.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Score

2006 Films, Amber Heard, Brooke Bloom, Horror, Jonathan Levine, Luke Grimes

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane-2006

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All the Boys Love Mandy Lane-2006

Director Jonathan Levine

Starring Amber Heard

Scott’s Review #38

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Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: B-

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is an interesting, experimental type horror meets art film from 2006.

On the surface, it appears to be a by-the-numbers slasher throwback involving a group of teens spending a boozy weekend on a Texas farm, of course, in the middle of nowhere.

They are systematically offed one by one. This sounds standard, but there are some moody, artistic, beautiful scenes mixed in, hence the horror/art-house label.

There is a certain “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” charm to it as well.

The story, however, makes little sense and the protagonist’s motivations are confusing and never explained, so while adventurous in parts, the film ultimately fails based on the story’s inconsistencies.

The characters are also rather unlikable, perhaps intentionally so, as these are the characters the audience enjoys seeing hacked to bits.

2013 Films, Horror, Jemma Dallender, Lowest Rated Films, Steven R. Monroe

I Spit on Your Grave 2-2013

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I Spit on Your Grave 2-2013

Director Steven R. Monroe

Starring Jemma Dallender

Scott’s Review #30

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: F

I have seen the original I Spit on Your Grave from 1978 and loved it. The 2010 remake was pretty good, but this “sequel”, which has nothing to do with either of the others, is awful.

As horrific as the original was to watch, it was raw, the perpetrator’s motivations were clear, and the subsequent revenge made sense.

In this one the attacker’s torture and abuse for the sake of it with no rhyme or reason and some thinly brushed over “hating Americans” excuse.

Furthermore, the “revenge” pales to what the victim endures so there is no winning moment.

Unsurprisingly, there are plot holes galore, for example, the attackers can transport the victim to another country with no passport, customs, etc.

Fail!

2013 Films, Damien Leone, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Katie Maguire

All Hallows’ Eve-2013

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All Hallows’ Eve-2013

Director Damien Leone

Starring Katie Maguire

Scott’s Review #19

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Reviewed March 25, 2014

Grade: B+

All Hallows’ Eve is an above-average, low-budget, independent horror film from 2013 reminiscent of the wonderful Showtime series Masters of Horror (2005-2007).

The film has the main story, then divided into three tales, and finally, all mesh together, which is very effective.

A babysitter and her two charges find an old VHS tape and, of course, watch it. Three short films are on the tape.

The antagonist is a horrific supernatural clown that reminds me of Pennywise from “It”. The motivations of the clown are not explained, nor is that necessary.

One of the three stories feels out of place, but the other two are excellent.

Anyone looking for some late-night fright should watch this creepy little film called All Hallows’ Eve (2013).

1988 Films, Amanda Donohoe, Catherine Oxenberg, Christopher Gable, Comedy, Gina McKee, Horror, Horror-Camp, Horror-Comedy, Hugh Grant, Ken Russell, Peter Capaldi, Sammi Davis, Stratford Johns

The Lair of the White Worm-1988

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The Lair of the White Worm-1988

Director Ken Russell

Starring Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant

Scott’s Review #15

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: C+

The Lair of the White Worm (1988) is a very strange film.

Set in Scotland, it tells the tale of a giant snake skeleton unearthed in the ground, which leads to a series of strange events.

A wealthy Lady, brilliantly played by Amanda Donohue, begins a sinister plot to sacrifice the townspeople.

The film is campy and way over the top, though Donohue is delicious and seems to have fun with the role of a slithering, sexy, bisexual creature.

The gloomy ambiance is fantastic, mixed with many psychedelic sequences that are entertaining.

It’s a somewhat fun, late-night B-movie, to be sure, but the plot did not seem to make much sense to me, especially in the final act.

Lair of the White Worm (1988) is a trippy experience to say the very least.

I may need to see it again.

1972 Films, Amy Farrell, Frank Kress, Gore, H.G. Lewis, Hedda Lubin, Henny Youngman, Horror, Horror-Camp, Independent, Independent Horror

The Gore, Gore Girls-1972

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The Gore, Gore Girls-1972

Director H.G. Lewis

Starring Frank Kress, Amy Farrell

Scott’s Review #12

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Reviewed May 14, 2014

Grade: B+

The Gore Gore Girls (1972) is a fun, late-night, campy horror film by the “Godfather of Gore”, H.G. Lewis.

An unknown assailant is hacking strippers to bits using very unusual methods. An investigator is hired to find out whodunit.

It’s an entertaining experience, and I love the way the whodunit is mixed with horror. I enjoyed the reveal of the killer.

Influenced by John Waters (even the music seems identical!), it’s a hearty viewing of wildness, merriment, and debauchery.

Comedian Henny Youngman appears, though he later denied being in the film.

The strippers are over-the-top and unique, and the investigator (sort of a Sherlock Holmes type) is wonderful to watch.

Quite a low budget, with the audio tough to hear at times and the video fuzzy, but this only enhances the fun.

Continuity errors for miles, but it hardly matters.

1970 Films, British, British Horror, Freddie Francis, Horror, Horror-Camp, Independent, Independent Horror, Michael Bryant, Pat Heywood, Robert Swann, Slasher, Ursula Howells, Vanessa Howard

Girly-1970

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Girly-1970

Director Freddie Francis

Starring Vanessa Howard, Michael Bryant

Scott’s Review #11

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Reviewed June 14, 2014

Grade: B-

Girly (1970) is an unusual British horror film about an affluent, clearly deranged family who kidnaps victims and forces them to become “members” of the family by participating in game-playing escapades for their delight.

The premise of the film is appealing and intriguing, and it’s unclear how it will play out. The family members (Mumsy, Nanny, Girly, and Sonny) are played with gusto by the cast but are never over the top.

My favorite is “Mumsy”, wickedly played by British actress Ursula Howells.

The film itself has a fairy-tale quality, with the sets of the house they share. The primary victim (a male gigolo) is a miscast (too old, not sexy enough). It begins a cat-and-mouse game of trickery, plotting the family against one another until the inevitable bodies pile up.

The film loses steam midway through, and its ending is unsatisfying.

Why are the victims not able to escape the vast property, which is weak (a 7-foot-tall flimsy fence??)?

“Curious” film that becomes a tad boring towards the conclusion.

1967 Films, Elizabeth Davis, Gore, Gretchen Wells, H.G. Lewis, Horror, Horror-Camp, Horror-Comedy

The Gruesome Twosome-1967

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The Gruesome Twosome-1967

Director H.G. Lewis

Starring Elizabeth Davis, Gretchen Wells

Scott’s Review #8

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B+

The Gruesome Twosome (1967) is an offbeat treat, an extraordinary, super-low-budget horror film from influential director H.G. Lewis.

This film is an enjoyable, campy, midnight-movie type of experience. The acting is completely over-the-top and played for laughs, purposely.

It felt like watching a horror version of a John Waters film, and the atmosphere and acting style undoubtedly influenced Waters.

Shots were added to fill the running time to warrant a film release. KFC and Michelob products are featured, and one favorite scene is a sorority-type slumber party where the girls dance while eating KFC.

The seven-minute intro of the talking foam heads is wonderfully strange and not to be missed.

While campy, there is one intensely gruesome scene towards the beginning of The Gruesome Twosome (1967), and it is a must-see for cult horror and/or late-night film fans.