For a while, John Carpenter seemed to be on fire. After a small start in the 1970s with Dark Star and Assault on Precinct 13, he made Halloween in 1978 and spent the next 10 years banging out a movie almost every year, as well as the 1979 Elvis television movie, the first collaboration withContinue reading “‘In The Mouth Of Madness’ Spins A Tale Of Hallucinations, Monsters And Murder”
Category Archives: Flashback Friday Frights
Warwick Davis Has A Lot Of Electric Boogaloo As Evil Lead In ‘Leprechaun 2’
It’s hard to believe Warwick Davis was just a wee lad when he first appeared as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi. He was 12 during the filming of the movie and went he finally got the lead in Willow, he was only 18. Unfortunately, there weren’t that many roles for dwarves inContinue reading “Warwick Davis Has A Lot Of Electric Boogaloo As Evil Lead In ‘Leprechaun 2’”
Why ‘Scream 3’ Deserves A Second Chance
Scream VI premieres this weekend in theaters. After the surprisingly well made fifth movie, it seemed that no one but Wes Craven could helm the franchise that rejuvenated the slasher genre in the mid-1990s for better or for worse. And early reviews for the sixth one are very favorable. Craven, along with screenwriter Kevin Williamson,Continue reading “Why ‘Scream 3’ Deserves A Second Chance”
‘Innocent Blood’ French Vampire Hunting Mafia Goons? Fuggetaboutit!
Some directors have one movie that they can’t seem to break free of. When he was planning to do a music video for “Thriller,” Michael Jackson seeked out John Landis following the success of An American Werewolf in London. Jackson hadn’t seen The Blues Brothers, National Lampoon’s Animal House or Kentucky Fried Movie, his previousContinue reading “‘Innocent Blood’ French Vampire Hunting Mafia Goons? Fuggetaboutit!”
How ‘The Silence Of The Lambs’ Saved Horror And Shook Up The Oscars
By the time The Silence of the Lambs hit theaters in mid-February of 1991, horror movies had pretty much been reduced to the bottom of the barrel. Thanks to the, for lack of a better word, overkill of slasher movies in the 1980s, it seemed most horror movies were just pure schlock. They would featureContinue reading “How ‘The Silence Of The Lambs’ Saved Horror And Shook Up The Oscars”
‘Caligula’ A Pornographic Biopic Of Epic Awfulness, Filth And Horror
Caligula is a horror movie. It’s a lot of things, but good is not one of them. It’s pornography and by that I mean, it’s the textbook definition. I’m not talking about all the scenes of nudity or unsimulated sexual scenes are meant to be arousing. It’s the definition of pornography as having no artisticContinue reading “‘Caligula’ A Pornographic Biopic Of Epic Awfulness, Filth And Horror”
‘My Bloody Valentine’ Original Is For Those Who Have A Love For Slashers
The original 1981 My Bloody Valentine is a slasher that is so notorious for pushing the envelope, rumors have persisted for decades that some original footage that had to cut is lost forever. To capitalize on the slasher craze as movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th had become popular, Canadian movie producers scooped upContinue reading “‘My Bloody Valentine’ Original Is For Those Who Have A Love For Slashers”
‘Bloody’ Good Remake Of Valentine Horror/Slasher Classic
They say the best way to criticize a movie is to make a better movie. No one was calling for a remake of the 1981 horror/slasher classic My Bloody Valentine. But as the old saying goes, “What’s old is new again.” The 3-D format had become popular again around the end of the 2000s andContinue reading “‘Bloody’ Good Remake Of Valentine Horror/Slasher Classic”
‘Transylvania 6-5000’ May Not Be The Best To Phone Home About
Every now and again, a movie is made for a perculiar reason. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was made by the Quaker Oats Company because they had obtained the rights to the use of Willy Wonka for a candybar line. As it turned out, the candybars melted too quickly and the line flopped. ButContinue reading “‘Transylvania 6-5000’ May Not Be The Best To Phone Home About”
Eastwood’s Directorial Debut ‘Play Misty For Me’ Still Great Decades Later
Clint Eastwood’s Lothario ways have been known throughout Hollywood for years. The fact that he worked as a lifeguard at Fort Ord when he was in the Army just adds to his manly man tough attitude that he portrayed on screen early in his career. He appeared as The Man With No Name in SergioContinue reading “Eastwood’s Directorial Debut ‘Play Misty For Me’ Still Great Decades Later”