A movie like The Terminator could’ve easily been a huge disaster. It featured an Austrian bodybuilder whose accent wasn’t the right tone for actors of the era. The “hero” dies at the end. And the main character is a young actress who was in that Children of the Corn movie. Oh, the director was alsoContinue reading “‘The Terminator’ Turns 40”
Category Archives: Flashback Friday Frights
Don’t Invite ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ To Your Holiday Get-Together
Getting together for Thanksgiving weekend is always a hassle for families. There’s all the cooking and the rearranging of family coming to visit. And then, you have law enforcement interrupt your plans by planning a raid where you have several people tied up in the basement. Or you’re stopping by a roadside motel only toContinue reading “Don’t Invite ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ To Your Holiday Get-Together”
‘The Dead Pool’ Is Dirty Harry’s Swan Song In Metafictional Thriller
A movie like The Dead Pool is now more famous for its supporting cast and the unrelated media franchise its named spawned. It is the fifth and final Dirty Harry movie as Clint Eastwood was well into his 50s by the time of the movie’s release in the summer of 1988. My thinking Eastwood madeContinue reading “‘The Dead Pool’ Is Dirty Harry’s Swan Song In Metafictional Thriller”
‘Return Of The Living Dead III’ Gives Zombie Horror Some Fresh Taste
By the time, Return of the Living Dead III hit theaters in the Fall of 1993, the zombie genre was for lack of a better word – dead. No one was really making movies about people who came back to life and ate human flesh or brains at this time. It didn’t help that theContinue reading “‘Return Of The Living Dead III’ Gives Zombie Horror Some Fresh Taste”
The ‘Candyman’ Can: Farewell To Master Of Horror Tony Todd
As is always the case with many icons of horror, they didn’t start out making horror movies. Kane Hodder was a stuntman and some of his earliest roles were in action movies like Lone Wolf McQuade or comedies like Hardbodies. Robert Englund appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Stay Hungry and Kris Kristofferson and Barbra StreisandContinue reading “The ‘Candyman’ Can: Farewell To Master Of Horror Tony Todd”
‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ Turns 40
By the Fall of 1984, the slasher subgenre of horror was at the bottom of the barrel of movies. The critics hated them. Parental groups were trying to get them removed from theaters. And major studios realized they weren’t making the money they once did. Most of the movies were independently produced on the pre-soldContinue reading “‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ Turns 40”
‘Homecoming’ Satire About Zombies Still Bites Hard Nearly 20 Years Later
Masters of Horror was an admirable attempt as an anthology by filmmaker Mick Garris to have most of the famous horror movie directors each episode. Directors such as Stuart Gordon, John Carpenter, John Landis, Dario Argento and Garris himself, took at stab at contributing to the anthology. Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons from Oct.Continue reading “‘Homecoming’ Satire About Zombies Still Bites Hard Nearly 20 Years Later”
‘The Blob’ Remake Makes A Bigger Splash On Reassessment
While it seems remakes/reboots are all the trends now with most of them failing, filmmakers decades ago seemed to get it right. John Carpenter’s The Thing is seen now as one of his best movies with a thrilling score by the late great Ennio Morricone. When Mel Brooks tapped David Cronenberg to do a remakeContinue reading “‘The Blob’ Remake Makes A Bigger Splash On Reassessment”
‘Fight Club’ Has 25th Anniversary: How So Many Got It So Wrong
Warning: This post contains spoilers. When Fight Club opened on Oct. 15, 1999, so many critics hated it. But did they get it all wrong? The year 1999 was a great and wonderful year as many directors made many great movies. Even though time has changed against it following the sexual abuse allegations on KevinContinue reading “‘Fight Club’ Has 25th Anniversary: How So Many Got It So Wrong”
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Turns 50
Let me start off by saying, I’m not a really big fan of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. By the time I saw it, I was in my teens and so much had been discussed of movie for over 20 years that I was expecting something bigger. Instead it was really just another anotherContinue reading “‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Turns 50″
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