Eric Butler's Blog, page 17
December 8, 2021
A number of ways to check them out
I just approved the audiobook for Donn, TX 1926 and am busy working on the ebook for Donn, TX 2002. These are my lame excuses for not having a completely original post for today. That said I wanted to let people know I have signed copies available of all 4 paperbacks on top of the amazing ebooks, regular paperbacks, and audiobooks for your horror-loving pleasure. If you are interested in a signed copy, the best way to make sure I know is to message me on Facebook - click ,here.
The final chapter of Volume 1 of The Donn, TX Collection is here on ebook &
Kindle Unlimited.
Or you can get the paperback collection of the first volume. It includes 1969, 1865, 1926, and the short story that started it all - Donn, TX 1952
The Donn, TX Collection Volume 1 - Paperback
The Sins of the Past is now available on audiobook. Joff Manning does an incredible job of making my characters come alive.
https://youtu.be/yCzEnOgPxrEHere's the prologue for you to check out ...
https://youtu.be/k-TI90ie8W0,The Sins of the Past Audiobook - Click Here
Don't forget you can order all my novels as a paperback, audiobook, or ebook. Plus all my ebooks are on Kindle Unlimited.
The Shadow Within
The Pope Lick Massacre
The Sins of the Past
A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to check out one of my books, stories, or blog posts. I can't tell you much I appreciate you choosing to spend your downtime with me. If you have read or listened to one of my books, I'd ask you to leave a review or a rating - if that would be easier. They really are important to the indie writer since the rating system is used for book placement throughout the sights.
You can find my books on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Audibles.
December 6, 2021
Horror movies from 1989
There are a handful of original films in 1989, but the studios are embracing sequels & remakes. So let's dig into what was important to horror fans, especially this one ...
One of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story is Pet Sematary. King's go-to director and friend George Romero was set to direct, but scheduling delays forced him to drop out of the project. Enter Mary Lambert, a director looking at only her 2nd feature but with a number of popular music videos under her belt. I think her fresh eyes on the genre, helped her to tackle the project in unexpected ways. It led to her making a truly scary film. Watch it on Netflix.
https://youtu.be/JMao8sg4DPABlurb - After tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead.
Before David Twohy wrote The Fugitive, GI Jane, and the Riddick trilogy, he wrote Warlock. This was one of the last films to be completed by New Line Cinema before they filed for bankruptcy so even though it was advertised in 1989 in theaters and released in foreign countries, the movie itself didn't show up in US theaters until 1991.
Steve Miner returns to his horror roots after a small run directing Soul Man & the main part of season 1 of The Wonder Years. If you remember, he cut his teeth on Friday the 13th Parts 2 & 3, and House - all of which were high on previous lists. Because of his background, when Julian Sands received the script he simply put it aside, thinking it was more of the popular slasher trend. After some time, he glanced at it and became excited about the project. I think because this movie is so different from what was hot at the time, it really stands out as something special.
The cast is fantastic, almost all classically trained, and they play their roles straight forward. Sometimes when you have a movie like this, the actors or director want to be in on the joke, and everything becomes very tongue-in-cheek. You don't get that with Warlock. The only issue I have with the movie is 1 special effect. Either due to budget restraints or simply still too early to take advantage of CGI, there is a flying scene that stands out. The rest is spectacular, including the ending which I believe does have a little CGI manipulation. You can watch it on Prime, VUDU, and tubi.
Blurb - A warlock flees from the 17th to the 20th century, with a witch-hunter in hot pursuit.
https://youtu.be/jrXieml4Mb4
I love this next movie, Leviathan. Directed by George P Cosmatos(Cobra, Tombstone, Rambo 2) and starring Robocop, one of the idiots from Home Alone, and a Ghostbuster, Leviathan is an underwater take on Alien or The Thing. It was 1 of 6 movies to come out with an unknown underwater entity theme in 89-90. 2 of the others will appear below, with one having an almost identical script.
This is my favorite of the horror movies with this theme. The cast is just perfect, and they have a very natural feel to their relationships. You have to rent/buy to stream right now, but it pops up on Prime from time to time.
Blurb - Perched on the hull of a wrecked Soviet freighter, a team of deep-sea miners led by head oceanographer Steven Beck comes face to face with a mutant creature that's the product of a failed genetic experiment.
https://youtu.be/u4ugObcErgc
Wes Craven returns to his Nightmare on Elm St ways with Shocker. Using a relatively unknown cast and crew, Craven was able to get this thrown together in 10 weeks on a pretty low budget. Director Peter Berg, in one of his first feature films, and Mitch Pileggi (Skinner on X-Files) face off. This ended up being another film that Craven had to submit to MPAA multiple times to get an R-rating.
The special effects are a bit hampered by the time, and both Berg and Pileggi ham it up a bit - one on purpose, the other because he's a terrible actor who later became a director, but it's a fun addition to the Craven catalog of films. You have to rent/buy to stream it.
Blurb - After being sent to the electric chair, a serial killer uses electricity to come back from the dead and carry out his vengeance on the football player who turned him in to the police.
https://youtu.be/VMS2dbL2hMo
Sam Neill pops up in another horror film after several dramas and manages to find himself as #3 in a cast of 3. Dead Calm is the first movie I remember seeing Nicole Kidman in, and Billy Zane shines as the psycho in this movie. Although you'd think his experience in this movie would have warned him off the Titanic.
This is based on a book by the same name. Orson Wells had almost completed his take on the book in 1970, but a death to one of the cast stopped him from completing it. So technically this could have been a remake and fall into our theme of the year. You have to rent/buy to stream.
Blurb - After a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.
https://youtu.be/SkqZd3h3f2U
Brian Yuzna, Producer of Re-Animator and writer of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, steps behind the camera to direct his first feature film, Society. He wanted to make this film and was able to work a deal where he'd direct Bride of the Re-Animator but the backers would allow him to make this movie first. The weird thing is even though it was released abroad in 1989-90, it would be seen in a US theater until 1992. It didn't make much noise in the States but has grown in cult status. Check it out on tubi, amc+, and Shudder.
Blurb - An ordinary teenage boy discovers his family is part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite.
https://youtu.be/inrBU8juGI8
So Part 7 didn't do so well at the box office, so instead of pursuing the Tina storyline, Paramount went with a new director and a new direction to give us Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. The only problem is Jason isn't in Manhattan for very long, which is weird since this is the longest of the Paramount Jason Films.
It's an interesting take on the series, but really not very important when all is said and done. This movie's biggest claim is that it failed so miserably at the box office, Paramount sold it to New Line Cinema. Paramount would regain control with the 2009 remake of the original. Stream it on Paramount+
Blurb - Jason Voorhees is accidentally awakened from his watery grave, and he ends up stalking a ship full of graduating high school students headed to Manhattan, NY.
https://youtu.be/w5fc43O3ynE
Freddy's back in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Honestly, the most impressive part of the big three is that they are still getting theater releases. many horror franchises that moved past 3 in the 80s & 90s started to head directly to video. And while this is the lowest-grossing film of the franchise, it was still pulling in cash to the studio. Simply put, audiences are starting to show Slasher fatigue. This combined with bad scripts and the number of cuts required to get past the MPAA gave fans a reason to stop looking for their thrills in these franchises. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - The pregnant Alice finds Freddy Krueger striking through the sleeping mind of her unborn child, hoping to be reborn into the real world.
https://youtu.be/LFm_jiI8RiA
For the 2nd year in a row, all of the big 3 had movies, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is the best 1 of those in 89. However slasher fatigue hurt this film as well, it also was the lowest box office grosser of the series.
Like part 2, this movie changes the ending of the previous movie so they can continue the story. Like Shocker, Nightmare, and Friday the 13th, Halloween 5 had to make a number of cuts to secure the R-rating. My previous thought that the ratings board was loosening what was acceptable seems to be challenged in 1989. They still let violence by, but they expected it in shorter bursts, and with no lingering shots. You can watch it on amc+ & Shudder.
Trivia fact - It's the only Halloween never released in Italy.
Blurb - One year after the events of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), the Shape returns to Haddonfield once again in an attempt to kill his now-mute niece.
https://youtu.be/gvTjz_LXvPo
I love the movie Murder at 1600, before Dwight Little (Halloween 4) directed that Wesley Snipe gem, he directed Phantom of the Opera starring Robert Englund. This is another movie that needed to make several cuts to get the R-rating. It stays pretty true to the original story, just with more violence and gore. It's not on any service right now but look out for it as Englund is great as the Phantom and it's Molly Shannon's cinematic debut.
Blurb - A young soprano becomes the obsession of a horribly disfigured composer, who has plans for those who oppose him or the young singer.
https://youtu.be/WMPlkaqBNSo
976-Evil is the 3rd Robert Englund project of 1989; this time he's making his debut in the director's chair. This movie was filmed in 1988 and the reason Stephen Geoffreys couldn't reprise his role of Evil Ed in Fright Night 2. It's a straightforward, low-budget horror movie. you can stream it on Starz.
Blurb - People who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. When Spike dialed 976-EVIL, he knew it was an expensive toll call, but he didn't know that he'd have to pay for it with his soul.
https://youtu.be/Dcn_0LOdu7o
Special effects expert Chris Walas gets his first crack at directing with The Fly II. Another movie that needed edits to get an R-rating, except instead of cutting, the director simply appealed the decision and it was pushed through. Some theaters had nurses on hand to help with any audience member sickened by the violence and gore of the film. It's not streaming anywhere right now.
The Blurb - The almost-human son of "Brundlefly" searches for a cure to his mutated genes while being monitored by a nefarious corporation that wishes to continue his father's experiments.
https://youtu.be/4cRmih3xUd0
As I mentioned earlier, there were 3 underwater horror films in 89, Deep Star Six is 1 of those. Directed by the producer/director of Friday the 13th, Sean Cunningham, who was forced to step in after Robert Harmon(Director of The Hitcher) stepped away from the picture. The cast is decent and the monster is fine, but this movie is no Leviathan. You can stream it on Prime and compare for yourself.
Blurb - A team of navy personnel stationed at a temporary base at the bottom of the ocean and tasked with setting up nuclear missiles discovers a huge underwater cavern which houses a giant prehistoric creature.
https://youtu.be/pouTM3jqZCM
I think of Abyss as a science fiction movie, but many deem it a horror movie so I'll throw it up as an honorable mention. James Cameron wrote and directed this film and the cast is jam-packed with big-name stars and Cameron regulars. Much like Avatar in the future, this movie was a logistics nightmare and suffered from some delays, but in the end, he made a great movie. You can stream it on Starz.
Blurb - A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
https://youtu.be/yBfNXaJAX_A
Finally, the last movie on the "horror" list is really a comedy, but it has all the trademarks of the old classic haunted house movies of the 30s & 40s. Tom Hanks and Rick Ducommun shine as nosy neighbors over-reacting to the new family on the block. This is right before Hanks went on the romantic comedy & Oscar-winning drama kick, and he is at his comedic best. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - An overstressed suburbanite and his neighbors are convinced that the new family on the block are part of a murderous Satanic cult.
https://youtu.be/pyRUijyrXr4
The top ten is filled with some great movies, but below are some of my favorites that didn't make bank in 1989. Erik the Viking is funny and insightful as Tim Robbins goes on a quest to discover his place in the world. Glory is one of my favorite movies; the acting is amazing. Spike Lee tends to jump the shark at times, but Do The Right Thing was a major influence for me.
Fletch Lives is almost as funny as the first one. Even though it's a funny, well-put-together movie, War of the Roses taught me an important lesson - don't see a movie about divorce with your mother who's just finishing up going through a divorce. One of the tensest movie-watching experiences I've had (and I saw Casualties of War with her). I love Gene Wilder, throw in Richard Pryor and you have comedy gold. One man is blind and the other is deaf, both are witnesses to a murder in See No Evil, Hear No Evil.
Before Marvel took over the cinematic world, they sold their rights to pretty much anyone who would pay. This resulted in a skull-less Punisher, but still fun. Before OZ was on HBO, Lock Up and An Innocent Man were shining examples of why you didn't want to go to prison. That and all the Norm McDonald jokes about prison rape ...
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]December 1, 2021
The Catalog Grows
The final chapter of Volume 1 of The Donn, TX Collection is here on ebook &
Kindle Unlimited.
Or you can get the paperback collection of the first volume. It includes 1969, 1865, 1926, and the short story that started it all - Donn, TX 1952
The Donn, TX Collection Volume 1 - Paperback
The Sins of the Past is now available on audiobook. Joff Manning does an incredible job of making my characters come alive.
https://youtu.be/yCzEnOgPxrEHere's the prologue for you to check out ...
https://youtu.be/k-TI90ie8W0,The Sins of the Past Audiobook - Click Here
Don't forget you can order all my novels as a paperback, audiobook, or ebook. Plus all my ebooks are on Kindle Unlimited.
The Shadow Within
The Pope Lick Massacre
The Sins of the Past
A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to check out one of my books, stories, or blog posts. I can't tell you much I appreciate you choosing to spend your downtime with me. If you have read or listened to one of my books, I'd ask you to leave a review or a rating - if that would be easier. They really are important to the indie writer since the rating system is used for book placement throughout the sights.
You can find my books on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Audibles.
November 29, 2021
1988 - Where Sequels and remakes rule the year.
Originally the subtitle was going to be "A Shift in the Horror Genre". And while I believe 1988 is a year where violence became more front and center in horror and action films, going through these I've noticed they were still fighting with the rating board. Below is my original opening and then throughout I'll notate when a movie was pressed for content ...
While there had been an increase in the violent content shown in both action and horror movies over the last few years, it wasn't until 1988 where there appears to be a visible shift at MPAA with how they applied their ratings. I'm not sure if someone was promoted or those in charge loosened the restrictions, but after a number of movies flirted with the X rating and the creation of the NC-17 rating, movies began to get away with more. The interesting part will be just how long was this uptick in violence left unchecked by the rating board.
This is a tough year to select the first movie to feature. There are some great ones in 1988 ...
Coming off their success with Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont continued their winning ways with the remake of The Blob. Looking at the list, I had 3 movies to choose from for the #1 spot. Luckily, I recently watched the Collector's Edition Blu-ray for this one so I knew it was my choice for 1988. The movie is the perfect blend of horror and comedy, something the 2 did so well in Nightmare 3.
Another reason I love this movie so much is its ability to rise above the B-movie feel it could have easily had. The cast is filled with character actors and up-and-comers but no one stands out or feels out-of-place. On top of that, the special effects weren't short-changed. They used $9 million of their $19 million budget on the special effects which give the audience some fun and creative kill scenes. The movie holds up even if Kevin Dillion's hair does not ...
It's a rent/buy to stream. If you like the movie and want to learn more, the Collector's Edition Blu-ray is filled with hours of features.
Blurb - A deadly entity from space crashes near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.
https://youtu.be/vq0our4mceQ
So no matter what, Child's Play was always going to be my #2. Tom Holland (a mainstay on the list - Fright Night, Psycho 2) returns to the horror genre after doing Fatal Beauty with Whoopi Goldberg - or maybe not if you've seen the movie.
Child's Play is a great movie with a solid cast, and a fun and memorable killer, who will span a number of sequels. The subject matter was too much for UA/MGM and they disowned the film after it came out, allowing Universal to scoop up the property and all future endeavors. Freddy and Jason both showed there was money to be had with the right face on your franchise. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
https://youtu.be/sjiyV8mtXiU
I watched Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 over Thanksgiving to make sure my memories of the movie were correct. I came away with 2 conclusions: yes & this movie wasn't going to unseat The Blob.
This movie is one of the reasons I mention a visible shift in the intro, which is funny since originally this movie got the X-rating. So even with the bits they removed, this movie is drenched in blood. They weren't shy about just showing the audience what was happening instead of using suggestion and letting imagination take over. The other problem is New World was forced to slash the budget as they were running out of money towards the end. It doesn't totally kill the film, but there are parts where the effects are questionable.
I remember seeing this as a kid in theaters and being blown away by just how much gore was up on the screen. The Cenobites are awesome as always, but I would have liked a little more of Pinhead. Of course, we will get plenty in future films. Stream it on HULU, Prime, tubi, and Shudder.
Blurb - Kirsty is brought to an institution after the horrible events of Hellraiser (1987), where the occult-obsessive head doctor resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites and their demonic underworld.
https://youtu.be/rd427TjMGxI
So The Unholy holds a special place in my horror-loving heart. Fans of horror movies who were around in the 80s & 90s got most, if not all, of their information from the magazine Fangoria. My first issue featured The Unholy in all its gory glory. I had my mom drive me to the gas station so I could check it out. I still remember walking in and picking it up.
Like everything I purchased for the first time as a youngster, this was a big decision. I'm sure it drove my mom crazy, but I was very meticulous before committing to a purchase.
Side note - it took me over an hour to decide which GI Joe was going to be my first when I was around 8-years-old. Knowing how insane I was, she planted me in front of them and went and did all the shopping while I compared the pros and cons of each one at the PX. I still hadn't made a choice when she came back ... there couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 to choose from. I finally went with Blowtorch.
So back to Fangoria. The cover was promising, listing a number of interesting and recognizable horror happening. I started flipping through it and was blown away. There was so much stuff packed into the issue and some extremely graphic pictures from the set of The Unholy.
I'd like to say I walked up to the counter and just bought it, but I pulled a GI-Joe and went over the magazine with a fine-toothed comb. I'm surprised that the clerk or my mother didn't appear to remind me I wasn't at a library. In the end, I bought it, and The Unholy went to the top of my list of must-see movies in 1988.
The Unholy was originally written around the time of The Exorcist & The Omen and has that old-school 70's vibe. The movie is creepy and gory, and a lot of fun but some effects could have used a CGI bump. You can stream it on VUDUfree.
Blurb - A priest battles a demon that kills sinners in the act of sinning.
https://youtu.be/3gsOOv1DNEo
With the Tommy Jarvis trilogy coming to an end with Part VI, the idea was to have Jason and Freddy meet on the big screen in Part VII. However, to no one's surprise, the big wigs at Paramount and New Line couldn't agree on compensation so the studio pivoted. Friday the 13th Part VII - the New Blood introduced Tina as the new protagonist.
The supernatural tone continued from Part VI with the bonus of Tina also having powers. This offers the opportunity for bigger fights and more impressive action on film. This is also the first movie Kane Hodder plays Jason. He makes for an impressive figure and gives Jason a menacing presence.
I stated in the opening that movies in 1988 seemed more violent as if the MPAA allowed for more to make it to the big screen. So imagine my surprise when I found a note that said this movie also flirted with an X-rating. It had to be submitted 9 times before they could get the R-rating they wanted. It remains the heaviest censored movie of the franchise. Makes you wonder what they wouldn't allow.
Blurb - Jason Voorhees is accidentally freed from his watery prison by a telekinetic teenager. Now, only she can stop him.
https://youtu.be/Iu3ic0RgG6U
Next up is another sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. I have this #3 in the Elm St series and it is the one that made the largest box office(It was also the highest-grossing horror movie of 1988). As I've said many times before, Freddy was keeping New Line afloat. So much in fact, that Robert Englund got top billing for the first time. They also decided (rumored) to save some more cash by replacing Patricia Arquette with Tuesday Knight.
I'm pretty sure this is the first Elm St I saw in the theaters. So it does have a bit of nostalgia for me, but I do think it's a worthy addition to the franchise. It is Englund's favorite, and you can see how much fun he's having with the character throughout. His popularity grew so much that the studio decided to try it out on TV with Freddy's Nightmares, an anthology series hosted by the man himself. You can watch the movie on HBOMax but the show is unavailable.
Blurb - Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.
https://youtu.be/jc-9vF9F_eg
Who would have guessed another sequel that resurrects the cash cow, Michael Myers. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers brings back the original boogieman and gives horror fans what they wanted. The idea of making Halloween an anthology franchise fell flat, mostly due to the studio having Myers appear in the first 2.
Season of the Witch didn't get the response they wanted, and by the end of the 80s, everyone was gaga for the slasher. Freddy and Jason were humming along, and they saw the 10th anniversary of the first movie to be the perfect reason to bring Michael back. Never mind the ending to Part 2, they'd make it work. Find out if they did on amc+ & Shudder.
Blurb - Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?
https://youtu.be/rfvBru3MKsg
Phantasm II took a weird road to be made. Creator/Writer/Director Don Coscarelli completed Phantasm in 1979 and Beastmaster in 1982 and then nothing more than a Dio music video. Then Universal stepped in to finance the sequel to the original horror classic. And while they made it the lowest-budgeted film by Universal in the 80s, the $3 million was 10x the amount needed for the first one, and the largest amount of any of the sequels.
However, moving to Universal had its drawbacks. They were more hands-on, demanding certain aspects of the script be changed or ignored and refusing to allow the original actors to come back for the main roles of Mike & Reggie. Coscarelli dug in his heels, even having the 2 actors come in and audition for the roles they played almost 10 years earlier. The studio relented and allowed him to choose 1. He selected Reggie Bannister to reprise the Reggie role and recast Mike. You can stream it on tubi.
Blurb - Mike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, meets with Reggie, and discover his dreams (the events of the original film) are real, and they both journey to find and stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.
https://youtu.be/d3EA05pcefg
One of the last movies I saw at the Fort Rucker Army Base theater was Return of the Living Dead Part 2. The director Ken Wiederhorn was trying to get out of the horror genre but the studio would only buy his script if he made it a part of the Living Dead series. Many of the cast and crew would comment how little enthusiasm he had for the project as they were making it. While it shows at times, they were able to put together a fun adventure/coming of age movie planted in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The irony is after this film, he would only be offered horror/comedy opportunities. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - Curious kids unearth the barrels that previously helped revive the dead, which proves the second time's an undead charm.
https://youtu.be/wuko2euXYxw
Halloween III director Tommy Lee Wallace tackled another sequel with Fright Night 2. Holland was offered the film, but he was still working on Child's Play. However, they did bring back William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell to reprise their roles. While the movie has a good script and a terrific cast, it made hardly any noise at the box office. Many horror fans didn't even know it existed because of a nonexistent ad campaign and limited release schedule.
The producer in charge of the project was Jose Menendez, who was murdered by his sons soon after the film wrapped. Because he was the main cheerleader for the project, they lost all the backing needed to get the word out about the film. They also lost a chance at a trilogy. I wonder what part 3 might have been like? Part 2 is a rent/buy to watch.
Blurb - Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent must face more vampires, out for revenge.
https://youtu.be/CmUaC3EVLnM
The last sequel of note in 1988 was the return of Angela in Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers. Director Michael A Simpson wanted to take the film in the direction of some of the more popular slashers and introduce more comedy to the franchise. Felissa Rose read for the part, but she didn't click with the one-liners, and Angela was recast. They filmed parts 2 & 3 back-to-back in about 6 weeks. Stream it on Prime and Tubi.
Blurb - Angela, supposedly reformed and living under an assumed surname, is working at a summer camp. However, when the campers start misbehaving, she soon reverts to her old ways.
https://youtu.be/7C9gSLevPco
First-time director Anthony Hickox wrote the script for Waxwork in 3 days. This is one of the movies that made me think the MPAA was shifting as it is pretty gory in spots but compared to some of today's movies, it's not too bad. The cast is great, including Zach Galligan from Gremlins. The only drawback to the film is a hurried ending that suffers from the production running out of money. It's kind of silly, but it doesn't take away from the actual scenes within the "wax world". Stream it on VUDUfree & tubi.
Blurb - A wax museum owner uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world.
https://youtu.be/LbdebLeSOr8
Wes Craven throws his hat into the zombie genre with The Serpent and the Rainbow. Except not the kind of zombies hungry for brains, but the ones you find in Voodoo. This movie is more of a series look at religion and corporate greed clashing as one side wants to keep its secrets and the other is desperate to discover them. Bill Pullman is fantastic in this film, and the horror comes from the unknown and the world he finds himself thrust into.
Another one I saw at the Fort Rucker theater. I was so blown away by it, I went down and asked for the movie poster. He wouldn't give it up, but at the time it never occurred to me to offer him money for it. A missed opportunity. You can stream it with the Max app.
Blurb - An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.
https://youtu.be/LNRnOcW5yqs
George Romero's first studio picture was Monkey Shines. The film has an amazing cast Jason Beghe, Kate McNeil, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci, and Janine Turner but the final cut was controlled by the studio and led to the movie flopping at the box office.
I also saw this on base, but this was the only movie where a man in the audience stood up, announced "Holy Shit, I don't think so", and started to walk to the exit only to be dragged back to his seat by his buddy. Dude was huge. Stream it on Prime and tubi to see your reaction.
Blurb - A quadriplegic man has a trained monkey help him with his paralysis, until the little monkey begins to develop feelings, and rage, against its new master.
https://youtu.be/HD8TBmk6lIMThe final 6 movies that could have been on the list if I wasn't tired ...
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]Pumpkinhead is based on a Clive Barker story, Dead Ringers continues Cronenberg's dominance of horror films, Elvira is an icon and the movie is funny. Killer Klowns is a Cult classic and Brain Damage and Night of the Demons are gory fun.
Maybe I'll write more about them or you can just hunt them down and watch them.
November 24, 2021
Donn, TX continues and other news
Volume 1 of The Donn, TX Collection is coming to a close this November/December and will be collected into a paperback. The official parts of Volume 1 are 1969, 1865, & 1926, but the paperback will also include the short story that launched the idea of Donn, TX - 1952. To celebrate the event, I had Don Noble of Rooster Republic Press provide an original cover. Something I plan to do with every paperback collection of Donn, TX so get ready for some amazing art.
The full wrap for the paperback is a thing of beauty.
Once I have checked out the proof copy, I'll let everyone know when they can expect the paperback to go live.
Of course, there will be an ebook and Micah is already working on the audiobook. So there will be 3 ways to consume Donn, TX this Christmas season.
1926
The town of Donn, TX holds a dark secret. A secret Sheriff Charles Pike must navigate to keep the citizens, and most importantly, those he loves safe. As the town grows, Pike realizes prying eyes are taking interest in the strange activities surrounding Donn, TX.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. The citizens have long given up on the notions of right and wrong. Deals have been made, and promises must be kept. For, in the end, there is only the harvest.
Catch up here:
Donn, TX 1952 - ,ebook / audiobook
Donn, TX 1969 - ,ebook / audiobook
Donn, TX 1865 - ,ebook / audiobook
Micah is my U.S. audio narrator of choice. I think she is amazing and her narrations really make my stories come alive. My hope is everything I write based in the states will be ready by her until the day I stop breathing (or writing - probably not).
The Sins of the Past is set in Victorian England, and while I know Micah would be incredible reading it, I decided to go in a different direction. Enter Joff Manning who brings a ton of acting experience and a very smooth English accent to his narrations. The book is in the process of being vetted by the audiobook company but I hope to have this available within the first few weeks of December.
He was kind enough to record a new blurb for my book trailer for the paperback/ebook release. So here is the updated trailer and an introduction to the man who I hope to have narrating The Ephraim Godwin Chronicles for a very long time.
https://youtu.be/yCzEnOgPxrENovember 22, 2021
Horror movies from 1987 and Blog Post #200.
While a lot of garbage came out in 1987 in the horror genre, some heavyweights that arrived looking to take over 1987 and beyond. I had a terrible time putting these in any kind of structured order. There's a very good chance the top 3 would change depending on the day and my mood. But today, 11-22-19, this is the direction I went.
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is one of my favorite all-time horror movies. While it's not a Steven King project, he is the primary reason it got made. He was such a fan of the first one (check out the 1981 list) that he went around telling everyone in the movie business that they needed to fund this project.
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell return as director and star to give us an amped-up sequel to part 1. Since they couldn't obtain the rights to use any footage from The Evil Dead, they had to shoot the introduction to get viewers up to speed. This led to many people believing it was a remake and not a true sequel.
This movie is Evil Dead on speed. The kills are bloodier, the possessions more horrifying, and Bruce is more groovy in this movie. They tried to use tricks to avoid an X rating but they failed. Author's note - even though I discussed last week how Henry the Portrait of a Serial Killer was one of the movies to help the ratings board create NC-17 for movies this over the top, it wasn't around yet. So they ended up releasing it NR(not rated), which you might remember from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 limits just who is willing to show it in theaters.
So while it wasn't a massive box office success, it did make back its money and then killed in on home video. Evil Dead 2 was and is an instant cult classic. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - The lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.
https://youtu.be/s7WNgzilRBw
So 12-year-old me is putting his foot down for #2. I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors as much, if not more, than Friday the 13th Part 6. They probably were on the same VHS tape. I think this is my favorite Freddy movie, nudging past part 1 by a razor.
There are a lot of firsts with this movie, but an important one is the return of Wes Craven. He avoided the first sequel, not convinced there was a franchise there, but after it made more money than the original, he came back to pitch in with the overall story. It's the acting debut of both Patricia Arquette and Jennifer Rubin. And while they both do a good job and go on to be long-time Hollywood players, maybe the biggest first is the creative team of Chuck Russell & Frank Darabont.
They sold the script with the condition that Russell would get to direct. This movie really showed Hollywood just how talented these 2 up-and-coming talents were and both went on to success. Russell on The Blob, The Mask, & The Scorpion King and Darabont on The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and the creative mind behind AMC's The Walking Dead.
This movie has some of my favorite Freddy kills, and one-liners, which Englund often adlibbed. It continued to support New Line Cinema and made more money than its predecessor once again. Freddy Kruger was a household name. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
https://youtu.be/a1VrDnrwJdI
I don't remember being in love with this John Carpenter film when it first came out. Prince of Darkness is one of my favorite horror movies now. Maybe I needed to get older to appreciate all the nuances of the film and the subject matter. Or maybe my fear of homeless people taking you to their underground layer(thanks Hill Street Blues) was magnified by Alice Cooper and his army of possessed homeless. Who knows what was going through my pre-teen mind?
John Carpenter returns to his horror roots after Big Trouble in Little China bombs at the box office. He also takes a break from the controlling madhouse that is the Studio system. This is his first independent picture since Escape from New York. It combines his fascination of religion with his love of science and gives us a look at how the 2 just might lead to the end of the world. Add in Jameson Parker's amazing mustache and you have a must-watch movie that you can stream on Peacock.
Blurb - A group of graduate students and scientists uncover an ancient canister in an abandoned church, but when they open the container, they inadvertently unleash a strange liquid and an evil force on all humanity.
https://youtu.be/PkBSEWy8WfY
Honestly, I would have Hellraiser lower if it wasn't such a defining film in horror cinema. I've enjoyed some of the films but I've never seen any of them more than once after the first 2. I think I've seen this one a handful of times, and the sequel 2 times. I do remember thinking during the 2nd one, "Man that is a lot of blood," but we'll talk about that when we get to 1988. I'm not a big torture horror fan, and that's what I think of when I think of Hellraiser. I promise to revisit it in 2022 and see if maybe I've been wrong all these years.
So let's take a quick peek into this movie and franchise. It's based on Clive Barker's novella The Hell-bound Heart, and taking a page from Stephen King's book, he worked out a deal to write and direct the movie. He was disappointed with previous attempts to film his work and decided he needed to have full control.
Funny enough, this is another film where the MPAA found the movie too over the top and demanded a number of scenes to be removed or Hellraiser would get an X rating. Barker and the studio agreed to it to avoid the impossible rating or releasing the movie Not Rated. It went on to make almost $13 million over its $1 million budget. Stream it on Prime, amc+, tubi, and Shudder.
Blurb - A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body so he can escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their sadistic underworld.
https://youtu.be/8mOn4h0lgKQ
Before Joel Schumacher nearly destroyed Batman in movie theaters, he made my 2nd favorite vampire film is The Lost Boys. At the time, many of the cast were no names or up-and-comers, but when you look back you see a who's-who of the late 80s and 90s: Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Jamie Gertz, Edward Herrmann, Dianne Wiest, and Alex Winter. The film hits all the right notes with scares and laughs. You have to rent/buy to enjoy this one but I've seen it on Prime and HULU so it may be back.
Blurb - After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.
https://youtu.be/r1Iqy6m7U7c
With an outline provided by Stephen King and a script written by Creep Show director George Romero, Creep Show cinematographer Michael Gornick directs his only feature film Creep Show 2. It follows the same formula, but with only 3 segments instead of 5. I loved it as a kid, and while it pales to the original, it's still a good anthology film. Stream it on Prime, AMC+, tubi, & Shudder.
Blurb - Three more bone-chilling tales that include a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and a hitchhiker who wants revenge and will not die.
https://youtu.be/Xem6527jVTM
Let's be honest the unknown is scary, and the idea of Voodoo is both. The Believers feeds off that fear and gives us a creepy and at times frightful experience. The movie has a great director and cast - although I did find Sheen's constant yelling a bit off-putting. The coolest thing though is the writer of one of my favorite novels did the screenplay.
Mark Frost also worked on Twin peaks, but I love his book The List of 7. It's like a Sherlock Holmes mash-up with The Mummy. So much fun, and part of the reason I wanted to try my hand with the Ephraim Godwin series.
Back to The Believers. It's really a police procedural with Voodoo undertones at first, but then it just keeps building up and soon you have a really frightening face-off between a father and a cult. Stream it on Prime.
Blurb - A New York psychiatrist finds that a brujería-inspired cult, which believes in child sacrifice, has a keen interest in his own son.
https://youtu.be/6-NmMuukdYE
The Monster Squad is a fun and entertaining creature feature with an old-school horror movie feel. Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, and the mummy all show up in a small town where a young group of horror enthusiasts lives. Written by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon & Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (House & Night of the Creeps), it's a movie for horror fans of all ages. Stream it on Paramount Plus.
Blurb - A young group of monster fanatics attempt to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his monsters.
https://youtu.be/4xaxW6R8UJc
These next 2, I've never thought of as horror but they show up under the genre. First up is Predator. I can't believe there's anyone who doesn't at least know what Predator is, but just in case, Alien hunter shows up and kills everything it can. Arnold gets in the way. This movie is a fun and gory action film. A top 3 film in Arnold's lengthy filmography. You can stream it with IMDBTv through Amazon.
Blurb - A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
https://youtu.be/X2hBYGwKh3I
I loved this movie as a kid/teen. I never thought of it as a horror movie, but it has some elements and I don't want to miss a chance to share it. Nightmare on Elm Street 2 director, Jack Sholder returns behind the camera with The Hidden. Part alien abduction movie and part buddy cop movie, the film does a perfect job of balancing the two in a way that helps the viewer to believe all the fantastical parts and staying grounded at the same time. Kyle MacLachlan is perfect as the FBI agent. You'll have to rent/buy to stream.
Interesting side note - Michael Nouri was considered for the role of Riggs in Lethal Weapon but turned it down to play a cop in this film. He's great in the movie, but movie fans dodged a bullet there.
Blurb - A cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.
https://youtu.be/bl-iB4WAB0o
Italian horror master, Dario Argento (Suspira) is at it again with Opera. Filmed in his classic style, the film is beautifully shot but suffered a number of issues and tragedies and led Argento to believe the movie was suffering from the Macbeth curse. Stream it on VUDU and tubi.
Blurb - A young opera singer is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.
https://youtu.be/fuFAhoFEGzE
Stuart Gordon (Re-animator & From Beyond) directed Dolls at the same time as From Beyond. The post-production work carried the movie over to 1987 while From Beyond came out in 1986. It's tamer in gore and violence, and many Gordon fans were put off by the film initially but it's a cult classic now.
Trivia time - It's the film debut of the girl(Bunty Bailey) from the A-HA video "Take on Me".
Stream it on tubi and Prime.
Blurb - A dysfunctional family of three stop by a mansion during a storm -- father, stepmother, and child. The child discovers that the elderly owners are magical toy makers and have a haunted collection of dolls.
https://youtu.be/aFaNbnLGRoM
Honestly, this movie is on here for 1 reason only, Peter Jackson. That's right the genius behind the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies cut his teeth on this work of art. It took 4 years to film as he primarily worked on it during the weekends. He paid for everything until the end when he gained some notice from New Zealand's Film Commission and they provided him with the needed funds to complete the picture. He's going to pop up later in these lists, but this is where he got his start. Stream it on tubi.
Blurb - The population of a small town disappears and is replaced by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain.
https://youtu.be/7IHwKJOZZ6U
This is one of those movies that I somehow missed out on. I've never seen Near Dark or worst I've seen it and totally forgotten it. Directed by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow(Hurt Locker), and starring quite a few actors from Aliens(her husband was James Cameron at the time), Near Dark is a vampire movie that actually never says the word vampire. In fact, she wanted to make a western, but the genre was not popular at the time so she added the horror element to sell it.
The only way to see it is with Directv I guess. The DVD & Blu-ray are all at collector's pricing and no one seems to have it for streaming except Directv. That said, I've never been able to find a movie on their service when it was this hard to find normally.
Blurb - A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.
https://youtu.be/VllIQYnC20s
Last up is a movie Vincent Price hated. From a Whisper To A Scream. He later said he was sold a false premise but couldn't back out of the picture. The movie is another anthology film, with Price acting as the historian. I love Price and unfortunately, we are nearing the end of his filmography.
Blurb - In a small Tennessee town, a historian relates four horror stories to a reporter.
FYI - Trailer is NSFW
https://youtu.be/_YDP4MDo0gw
I was doing a last-minute check and found Angel Heart came out in 1987. It needs to be on the list. DeNiro and & Rourke are fantastic in this creepy supernatural mystery. The film didn't do well at the box office but gained cult status once it came out on VHS.
Blurb - A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.
https://youtu.be/0iKzekw3xn8I only picked 6 "other" movies, focusing on the ones most important to me.
I guess The Running Man could be horror, but I always thought of it as Science Fiction. It also continues Stephen King's run alive as he wrote it under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Full Metal Jacket was the last movie I remember seeing in the theater with my dad before my parents got divorced. Amazing movie. Robocop is the over-the-top action/fantasy/science fiction movie I love to look for. Summer School has a pre-Gibbs Mark Harmon teaching a bunch of kids English over the summer. 2 of them are horror movie freaks, very funny movie. Dragnet was right before Tom Hanks started getting all serious. And Spaceballs is another great Brooks spoof movie that's very funny.[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]My records indicate this is blog post #200. It may actually be higher as I've deleted or turned off some posts to appease Amazon's Kindle Unlimited requirements. That said we know at least 200 posts are up and I wanted to let you know I appreciate everyone who checks them out. Means the world to me.
November 17, 2021
1985 15 non-horror movies that have influenced or entertained me throughout the years
So usually I include a gallery of films that I love at the end of each year I've focused on horror movies. This will be the 2nd time when the number and importance of the movies will force me to move from a gallery to a full post. That said, I am limiting the number of films I highlight in this post. No movie from the Box-Office top ten is here, those are a given. Many of these movies are classics now, but at the time many were bombs and didn't find their audience until cable or home-video. So in no particular order let's begin ...
There was a period in the 80s were Spielberg's name was used to promote a film even when he wasn't directing. Young Sherlock Holmes is one of those films - he is an executive producer - but it allowed Chris Columbus(Harry Potter) to have his 3rd script in 2 years filmed and released (Gremlins & Goonies are the other 2). The Director chair was manned by Barry Levinson, a huge director of the '80s and 90's - he was coming off of Diner & The Natural. With this kind of firepower, you would expect this to be a big hit, but it barely made back its $18 million budget.
In 1985 and throughout the rest of the decade, I watched this movie a ton. I loved the Egyptian mythology tie-in, the amazing special effects, and I found the 2 unknowns they selected for Holmes & Watson to be engaging and well done especially when you factor in their ages. Now, when I see the movie, it is with a sense of nostalgia and a fondness that overlooks the flaws of the film.
I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but I am not a purist and will many times search out books and movies that add a twist to the character, not in the original works. However, that can't be said for many of the detective's fans. While the movie is based on the characters, the very nature of them being children at school changes so many essential truths of the Holmes-mythos.
This includes the family structure of Holmes, the introduction of a love interest for Holmes, and the complete loss of Watson's military essence as the so-called sidekick. The stiff upper lip attitude and doggedness of the character are replaced with a boy whose weakness for sweets almost proves his undoing. And yet, even with such obvious miscues, the movie is fun - including a number of Easter eggs for fans of the stories.
It's beautifully shot, taking the viewer to Victorian England - all-be-it a less dirty one than we may get in today's renditions of the time. The performances are well done and include an impressive lineup throughout the film. The special effects are great from stop motion to the fact this is the first movie to have a completely CGI-created character on screen (the glass knight).
While it might not be the best Sherlock alternate story ever done on film. It has a special place in my heart. You can stream it on Paramount+.
Blurb - When assorted people start having inexplicable delusions that lead to their deaths, a teenage Sherlock Holmes decides to investigate.
https://youtu.be/PVTHS6vyOZw
One of my favorite animated movies, The Black Cauldron, almost bankrupted the studio as they mismanaged the project after a change in leadership at the house of the mouse. In an attempt to capture the attention of teenage fantasy readers and expand their regular animated movie fan base, they worked on this adaptation of Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series. The resulting animation was so dark the movie was delayed almost 8 months to try and rework some of the footage and make it more appealing to a wider audience.
They went from potentially being the first movie ever released by Disney to get a PG-13 rating to the first animated movie they'd ever released to get a PG rating. It lost over $20 million and received the tag, "The film that almost killed Disney". They were so upset with the film, they refused to release it until 1998. Interesting side note - Tim Burton worked on the film just before going out and directing his own films.
As an adaptation, it fails, but as a singular movie, I think it's one of the best ones they did - especially pre-Little Mermaid. As an added bonus, if you hate all the singing in Disney animated films, you're in luck. There isn't any in this film. I'm pretty sure you can stream it with Disney +
Blurb - A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.
https://youtu.be/4W3Lk82FFW0
Before doing My Cousin Vinny & The Whole Nine Yards, Johnathan Lynn directed Clue. I love this movie. It's darn near perfect and Tim Curry leads an impressive collection of talent in this whodunit based on the board game. One of the cool things about the movie, when it came out, was the fact there were multiple endings. Depending on where you saw it, you would get ending A, B, or C. Now when it came out on VHS, they included all 3 endings with the clever line "or it could have happened like this." Stream it on Paramount+.
Blurb - Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.
https://youtu.be/KEXdWfsKZ1k
I love Chevy Chase, especially 80's Chevy because of movies like Fletch. He gets to show off all his talents, and the attitude that made him so hated behind the scenes, helps him shine on camera. The studio wanted Mick Jagger or Burt Reynolds, but the author of the book series had final say and selected Chevy. Showing once again, the big wigs rarely know what they are doing.
It's a must-see funny movie, and probably the reason I was such a sarcastic ass as a teenager. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher is a newspaper reporter being offered a large sum to off a cancerous millionaire, but is on the run, risking his job and finding clues when it's clear the man is healthy.
https://youtu.be/4sMMt2M3RiU
As much of a fan of horror as I am, I am just as big a fan of any film that incorporates sword and/or sorcery. Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon, Goonies) gives us just that in the movie Ladyhawke. Add in my first real movie crush, Michelle Pfeiffer (Don't forget Grease 2 made my list in 1982), and funny-man Matthew Broderick really how could anyone resist?
The idea is simple but well-executed, Broderick is a thief who escapes from a castle and is being forced to help a man sneak back in. The movie is really a love story hidden in an old fashion Knight's tale, but there's a fantastic mix of action, adventure, comedy, and fantasy. With the lovers cursed to never see one another again, we get to witness Broderick's interaction with both a wolf and a hawk which adds to the mystic element throughout the picture. It's a rent/buy to stream. I wish I could recommend the blu-ray, but the only one I've found has no extras.
Blurb - The thief Gaston escapes the dungeon of medieval Aquila through the latrine. Soldiers are about to kill him when Navarre saves him. Navarre, traveling with his spirited hawk, plans to kill the bishop of Aquila with help from Gaston.
https://youtu.be/b0BTs66JAgM
Another big-time director dipping his toe into the world of fantasy was Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) with Legend. Tom Cruise versus the Devil, or at least a devil/demon for the hand of Mia Sara. But wait, you're telling me Tim Curry is the demon and he has 3-foot horns on his head(remember this is before CGI could have been used to just digitally put them in) and goes around terrorizing Cruise and some unicorns ...
Unfortunately, the US release isn't really a good representation of what Scott originally intended. He let doubt creep in and trimmed his movie from 2.5 hours to just over 1.5 hours. The movie bombed and Cruise refused to speak about the movie for years. It wouldn't be until 2002 before fans were given the opportunity to see the original movie in a DVD director's cut release. You have to buy/rent to stream this one. 11-year-old me was okay with the shorter one, but it really isn't very good so look for the uncut version if you do.
Blurb - A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
https://youtu.be/als5pGB3Tfg
Before we shift back to more of the comedies that shaped my sense of humor, I have to throw in this curveball. 9 years after his last western, Clint Eastwood starred in and directed Pale Rider. What is so unusual and unique about this movie? I hated westerns, did for years after this movie, but something about Pale Rider transcended the genre for me. Could be the fact TMC played this movie 24-7 once they got the rights, but this became one of those movies that no matter where it was when I ran across it, I watched it until the end.
It was the only western he made in the 80s, and it was the highest-earning western of the decade as well. It wouldn't be until Unforgiven and Tombstone before I turned my back on my dislike for the genre, but that's for another blog post. You'll have to rent/buy, but on occasion it will pop up on Prime.
Blurb - A mysterious preacher (Clint Eastwood) protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.
https://youtu.be/SGzz3hh1jHc
Animator Savage Steve Holland started as a director in Hollywood. His first picture starred John Cusack trying to kill himself in Better Off Dead. The 2 would pair up again the next year for one of my all-time favorite movies, One Crazy Summer, even though Cusack hated this movie once he saw the finished product. Blows my mind as I think this is one of his most heartfelt roles and a very funny movie. He did come around later, and I get the feeling he's a bit of a drama queen. I can't find it anywhere to stream, but I'm sure it will pop up soon.
Blurb - After his girlfriend ditches him for a boorish ski jock, Lane decides that suicide is the only answer. However, his increasingly inept attempts bring him only more agony and embarrassment. Filled with the wildest teen nightmares.
https://youtu.be/NdSavg_i_lw
John Hughes had 2 movies come out in 1985 and both are on this list. First up Weird Science. After 1983's Wargames showed us the dangers of computers, Hughes gave us a peek at the computer's role in online dating mixed with a dash of Bride of Frankenstein. This movie has Robert Downy Jr in a small role before he hit it big, and the Hughes's staple of Anthony Michael Hall. Bill Paxton plays a sadistic older brother, and Road Warrior's Vernon Wells has a cameo as an evil biker.
It's the kind of movie every young man needs in his rotation as he tries to figure out the opposite sex. You can stream it on Cinemax, so maybe HBOMax as well.
Blurb - Two high school nerds use a computer program to literally create the perfect woman, but she turns their lives upside down.
https://youtu.be/9qd04u2Yj44
The other Hughes masterpiece is The Breakfast Club. An intimate look at 5 high school students in detention, this film shows that no matter the background or social status, these students were more alike than not. It's a well-written and performed film, and one of my favorite movies. You can stream it on amc+ and peacock premium.
Blurb - Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.
https://youtu.be/BSXBvor47Zs
While the movie poster is screaming "For small children", Starchaser The Legend of Orin in 3-D was a sophisticated science fiction animated adventure. It was the first animated movie to be released in 3-D(this isn't like the cool 3-D we got in the 2000s, this is like ancient 3-D technology). It says in the tradition of Snow White and Dark Crystal, but it's more like here's all the stuff we borrowed from Star Wars and Star Trek. I've watched it recently, and it still holds up: Great animation, talented voice work, and a solid scy-fy story. It's been on Prime but right now it is rent/buy only.
Blurb - Set on the subterranean Mine-World, a band of human worker are treated like slaves under the power of the evil overlord Zygon until one, Orin, unearths the hilt of a mythical sword that only he can master. Escaping the planet, he runs into the rogue smuggler Dagg and a pair of helpful droids and the princess, who all team up to return to the Mine-World with a plan to defeat Zygon and free Orin's enslaved people.
https://youtu.be/x8UZ2WfLG70
Keeping with the science fiction genre is one of my favorite movies of the 80s. Wolfgang Petersen, coming off The NeverEnding Story, gave us a look at overcoming your prejudices and seeing your enemy as more than that with Enemy Mine. It's a beautiful film about tolerance, and in the end, the love true friendship can produce.
Of course, it's wrapped up in a kick-ass space movie with aliens and spaceships and everything a fan of the genre could ever want. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr are fantastic in this movie and I don't think either gets enough praise for their work here. It's a rent/buy to stream for now.
Blurb - During a long space war, the lives of two wounded enemies become dependent on their ability to forgive and to trust.
https://youtu.be/dRUdNhYoP_U
The Road Warrior is a top 5 movie to me. In 1985 we are given the final part of the Mel Gibson trilogy with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Originally not a part of the series, it was supposed to be an apocalyptic Lord of the Flies, which explains the different feel this movie has with its predecessors.
"2 men enter, 1 man leaves." The most mind-boggling thing to me is the director of all the Mad Max movies is the same guy who did Happy Feet. Stream it with HBOMax.
Blurb - After being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.
https://youtu.be/9JKZKjFjHDM
The director of 1984's Firestarter returned to give us one of Schwarzenegger's greatest roles in Commando. I had to watch this as many times as Predator if not more. This is one of those over the top action movies that defined the decade. There's a kill count of 109 in this movie, with Arnold responsible for like 102 of them. That's Jason level of commitment. This movie also co-starred Vernon Wells in a much larger role than he got in Weird Science. It's rent/buy to stream for now.
Blurb - A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
https://youtu.be/pPhISgw3I2w
Is Gymkata a good movie? No. Should you pay to rent/buy to stream? Also no. However, it was a mainstay on HBO for a few years after coming out and I've seen this gem more than a few times. What happens when you combine the non-existent acting skills of a gymnast with the director of martial arts movies like Enter the Dragon & Game of Death? Pure terrible movie gold. Wait for it to stream, and then bask in the glory of ...
Gymkata!
Blurb - An American gymnast travels to a foreign country to compete in a deadly game not won by anyone other than a native in more than 900 years.
https://youtu.be/12DtHOU_2qoSo there you have it, 15 movies from 1985 that helped shape the movie-loving idiot I am today. See you Monday with the top Horror movies of 1987.
November 15, 2021
1986 - Where nostalgia rears its head to destroy the list
We've reached the tipping point I think. That period of time where I saw these movies if not at the theater, then on video soon after they were released on VHS. Sprinkle in the few I saw on the Cable pay channels - HBO, TMC, and the others that started to pop up, and we have 2 lists converging. The list of influential and important horror movies of 1986 and the list of horror movies I loved during my childhood and teenage years.
If you were around in the 80s and wanted to be able to rewatch something or share it with friends, you had to record it with your VCR. Other than buying it outright, which no regular person did because the prices were insane until the 90s. So you had your own personal streaming service, but on huge bricks that took up a ton of space and could only hold 2-3 movies if you were lucky. Many on this list were part of my collection of VHS tapes which means I watched them a lot.
I still want to keep the list to 10-15 movies of importance for each year. To do that I may be forcing out a more critically acclaimed or even a fan-favorite movie but I will note them at the end. They just won't get the same love I gave on the 1975-1985 lists. Case in point my #1 might be lower on every other person's list, but it's one of my favorites and I watched it multiple times a year every year until my early 20s. Now I watch it at least once a year.
Pivoting a bit from the serious horror nature of the Friday the 13th franchise, Producer Sean Cunningham (the man behind the franchise) and director Steve Miner (directed Friday the 13th parts 2 & 3) gave us one of the first real horror-comedies, House.
Many horror movies have comedic moments, but House embraced the comedy - many times putting it over the horror. So much in fact, that Hollywood considered it a transition movie which allowed Miner opportunities to direct in other genres (Soul Man and Wonder Years were his next projects).
In the mid-to-late 80s, many filmmakers took a closer look at the Vietnam War and the effects it had on the soldiers. Even though House is a horror-comedy, it also gives us a look into the psyche of a man dealing with the guilt of surviving the war. It's a heavy subject but done in a way that doesn't take away from the overall experience of the movie.
The special effects are well done, the monsters are incredible to look at, and there are some really creepy and maybe even jump-worthy scenes. The cast is top-rate for a low-budget horror movie, featuring a lot of familiar faces from popular TV shows. You can stream it on Prime, amc+, tubi, and Shudder.
Blurb - A troubled writer moves into a haunted house after inheriting it from his aunt.
https://youtu.be/9TSRT-cl-y8
Next up is probably (Part IV is the choice depending on my mood) my favorite film of the franchise, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. This movie introduces the supernatural Jason to the franchise and takes it in a totally different direction. It also gives us our third Tommy as the part is recast once again. The actor from part V was born-again and decided to pass on playing in the series anymore. I think this ends up helping the series as Thom Mathews is perfect in the role.
I had a copy of this on VHS and watched it as much as House in my younger days. However, it had been quite a few years since my last viewing. I recently got the Scream Factory box set and threw it in.
Still holds up, and in fact, may be even better than I remember. It's funny - in a good way, with lots of inside jokes and tongue-in-cheek situations. There's a ton of blood and some very clever and very fun kills. And while I remembered it as a very sexual movie, it's not. There is one sex scene, but it's quite tame compared to the rest of the franchise. It's the only Friday the 13th movie to have no nudity.
As I mentioned above, it does introduce us to a new version of Jason. With his death in Part IV and - spoiler alert - the red herring in Part V, the movie opens up with the Tommy character accidentally rising Jason from the dead. With this new twist, the director took full advantage of the kills and direction of the character. While this movie was the first not to break $20 million at the Box Office, it allowed the studio to continue to milk the franchise for all it was worth. They wanted a Jason and this movie delivers. Stream it on Prime, Paramount+, and Crackle.
Blurb - Tommy Jarvis exhumes Jason Voorhees to cremate his corpse, but inadvertently brings him back to life instead. The newly revived killer seeks revenge, and Tommy may be the only one who can stop him.
https://youtu.be/7vRvcCXstko
Is Aliens a horror movie or an action/science fiction mashup? I guess the best answer is yes. While it isn't a true horror movie like the original, it took everything that made Alien scary and turned it to 11. I remember the first time I saw this movie - at a friend's house during a sleepover the night it premiered on HBO. I was still scarred from the chest-bursting scene from the original and was prepared to watch it from behind the couch. However, from the opening scene, I was hooked and sat front and center the whole time.
James Cameron comes into his own after directing Piranha 2 & the Terminator and his cast is filled with familiar faces from all his projects. If you haven't seen the movie you are missing out on a real treat. As an adult, this is a special movie to me as it's one of the last times my son & I were able to go to a theater (a special one-night-only showing) and see a classic before his Crohns went into overdrive. You can stream it on amc+ and Showtime.
Blurb - Fifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen about the predators.
https://youtu.be/oSeQQlaCZgU
David Cronenberg continues his run of impressive films with The Fly. I'm a huge fan of the original, but this updated version is amazing. Cronenberg fought to have Jeff Goldblum as the star of his movie, who then, in turn, fought to have his real-life girlfriend Genna Davis cast. The casting couldn't have been better. Goldblum is always at his best playing the quirky scientist but he dominates the screen as his dark edge comes out throughout the film. Goldblum is fascinating to watch as he begins to go through the transformation and the emotion between the two as it happens becomes a third character on the screen. You can stream it on HULU & Paramount+.
Blurb - A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.
https://youtu.be/Z-V3X963DRI
Stuart Gordon continues his Lovecraft-based movies with From Beyond. Interestingly enough he does so with two of the stars from 1985's Re-Animator, Jeffrey Combs & Barbara Crampton. Now I don't remember seeing this movie ever during my younger years, but it has quickly shot up my list of personal favorites.
Gordon has a talent for making smart and entertaining horror films. The only issue you might have is the limitations on some of the special effects. We are in that weird no man's land before CGI became the norm. However, even that is forgivable when you factor in the time. The real treat of this movie is the performances of Combs & Crampton. It's a complete 180 from the roles they had in Re-Animator.
Combs is no longer the cool & confident Herbert West. Instead, we are given a broken man whose fragile psyche is broken by his experiences with the sixth sense. Crampton goes from the girlfriend/damsel in distress to a strong and confident psychologist who dominates the screen as the movie progresses. Those 2 performances really made me a big fan of these actors. You have to rent/buy to stream this one.
Blurb - A group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.
https://youtu.be/d3D9O9vrDjw
Tobe Hooper returns to the franchise that made him famous 13 years later, but with a twist. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre plays on what you don't see, many times suggesting violence and gore but not showing it. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 throws all that out the window, giving us a very gory and in-your-face experience. It also takes the serious nature of the first movie and flips it on its head. This movie is filled with jokes, puns, and visual gags.
This movie is so over the top that the MPAA gave it an X when it was first summited. It was banned in Australia for 20 years, and when submitted to the UK, they were told they had to cut 20-25 minutes before it would be allowed to be shown there. It was banned in Germany until 2016. Cannon decided instead of dealing with the ratings board to just release the film NR(not rated) this move often hurts movies because many theaters will refuse to run it but TCSM2 almost doubled its budget. And while many fans of the original hated the sequel at first, it now enjoys a huge cult following. Watch it on HULU, Paramount+, and Amc+.
My memory of watching this was my mom fixing me an amazing roasted chicken dinner and me peeling off the skin to eat right as Chop-Top decided to eat some human skin.
Blurb - A radio host is victimized by the cannibal family as a former Texas Marshall hunts them.
https://youtu.be/kjdf6DSHdM4
Tobe Hooper shows his versatility with another release in 1986. Invaders From Mars is a remake of the classic 1953 movie of the same name with an updated script provided by Alien's creator Dan O'Bannon. This movie is the direct opposite of TCSM2 in tone and approach to horror. Stream it on tubi.
Blurb - A boy tries to stop aliens who have taken over his town and are attempting to brainwash its inhabitants.
https://youtu.be/MBBdJVr_8kE
First-time director, Stephen Herek (who went on to direct Bill & Ted, The Three Musketeers, and Mr. Holland's Opus) teams up with Dee Wallace (Cujo, Howling, E.T.) to give us Critters. It continues the 1986 theme of aliens attacking. The movie has a solid cast including Scott Grimes's first movie role, Terrance Mann, Billy Zane, and M Emmet Walsh. You can stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - A group of small but vicious alien creatures called Crites escape from an alien prison transport vessel and land near a small farm town on earth, pursued by two shape-shifting bounty hunters.
https://youtu.be/9V3YGz-u2Ts
Little Shop of Horrors is a remake of a classic horror movie from the 1960s and features another alien invasion. This movie is more comedy-musical than a true horror film. However, it was a favorite of mine when it came out and I watched it as often as I did my favorite slasher horror movies. Watch it on HBOMax.
Blurb - A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
https://youtu.be/QqFZuR6UzjA
The Golden Child is an odd duck. Originally intended to be very serious, but when Mel Gibson turned it down and it went to Eddie Murphy. At first, they kept it the same, but Paramount chickened out once test audiences saw it. They were used to funny Eddie Murphy from Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours and weren't ready to accept a serious role Eddie Murphy. The studio made them go back and film short "Eddie Murphy" scenes and re-cut the movie to feel more like his previous works. It's also his first film not rated R because of language.
As a kid and teenager, I loved this movie. It's funny, has action, and a fascinating Far-East storyline but as an adult, I would love to see the original and see just how Murphy handled the material. The horror element focuses on a special child who will be sacrificed to get him out of the way of dark forces. There are demons and some cool special effects. John Carpenter was supposed to direct at one point, and I would have loved his take on the material - instead we get the awesome Big Trouble in Little China so I think in the end humanity won.
Stream in on Netflix, Prime, and Paramount+.
Blurb - A private detective specializing in missing children is charged with the task of finding a special child whom dark forces want to eliminate.
https://youtu.be/5aoGFs05NfY
Before Michael Rooker was "Mary Poppins" he was a very scary dude in his first movie, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Although this movie was completed in 1986, it wasn't officially given a theatrical release until 1989. The movie was so different from what the producers were expecting, they simply shelved it.
However, it made the behind-the-scenes rounds and got Michael Rooker several acting jobs because of his amazing performance. This is one of those movies you watch and realize the real monsters are just everyday people. This movie (along with 2 others) made the MPAA create the rating NC-17(no one under 18 because of the maturity of the material) because they wanted to rate it X but the porn industry had hijacked that for their industry. You can stream it on peacock, amc+, tubi, and Shudder.
Blurb - Arriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.
https://youtu.be/PBDbeoxHpow
Yes, I understand this movie is terrible, yet there is something about it that captivated me as a youngster. Maximum Overdrive is not only Stephen King's big movie of 1986, it is his first director's gig. The rumor is he is was so high on coke or black-out drunk while doing this project, he has no real memories of it. When you go back and watch it with that in mind, you kind of see it.
That said, it's a fun gore-filled feast for your eyes with a cast that is filled with people you'd recognize from the time. Emilio Estevez is great as the main character and sets the tone for the movie. AC/DC was hand-picked by King to provide the music and it's a great soundtrack. All that said, it's a terrible movie and is only on here because I loved it so much as a kid. You have to rent/buy to view this masterpiece.
Blurb - A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.
https://youtu.be/ggWS4tTzs60
Starring Melissa Leo in one of her earlier roles and Scott Valentine, Mallory's boyfriend Nick from Family Ties, comes a darker collection of familiar bedtime stories. I think it would make it on a normal top list of 1986, but it was one in heavy rotation in my youth so it has to appear on mine. I'm a sucker for a werewolf and this movie gives us that and some witches to go with the 3 bears. You can stream it on VUDU & tubi.
Blurb - A babysitting uncle tells his nephew three horror stories about killer witches, Little Red Riding Hood and a werewolf, and "Goldi Lox" and the three bears.
https://youtu.be/7C4SiiBCb_U
Although she's not on the poster, Barbara Crampton also is in the classic Chopping Mall. It's refreshingly different from the alien attack and serial killer movies of 1986 as we discover the cost of technology if it goes on a wild killing spree. When will humanity ever learn - Don't mix your hookup parties with killer robot guards? I've watched this recently and it's still quite enjoyable, with lots of action and killer special effects. Stream it on amc+, tubi, and VUDU.
Blurb - A group of young shopping mall employees stay behind for a late night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lock-down before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions, and goes on a killing spree.
https://youtu.be/yzVoN6SD9cQ
I'm a sucker for Gene Wilder, and I love throwback movies that work at capturing the old horror movies from Hollywood's golden era. Haunted Honeymoon has both. This was a special project for Wilder, the last film he would direct, as his wife Gilda Radner had a role in the film. At the time they wouldn't realize it would be the last movie she appeared in before losing her fight with cancer in 1989. This movie isn't on any streaming sites right now, but I've seen it in the past on Prime. If you like the old 1930's Universal horror films, this will be right up your alley.
Blurb - Two radio voice actors are getting married. Larry has fits of fear. A shrink needs 36 hours to scare him to death and cure him - a family reunion at a scary family castle.
https://youtu.be/A33OxMfB0WESo that's 15 movies. Some of them really are terrible, but they have a special place in my heart. Below are a few who might have been higher on the list. I have to be honest with you, I think The Hitcher would be but I never saw the original because I suck.
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]And now a group of movies that impacted my love of movies from 1986. There are some gems on this list and really enough to get a post focusing on them, but I'm swamped with getting the first paperback complete for Donn, TX.
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]The Great Mouse Detective might be my favorite Disney movie. Vincent Price's voice work is perfect. One Crazy Summer is one of my favorite Cusack movies. I'm a big fan of Candy and Levy in Armed and Dangerous. Danny Devito had 2 very entertaining movies - Ruthless people made the top 10 in Box Office but for some odd reason I watched Wise Guys a ton in 1986 -1990. Club Paradise is a very underrated Robin Williams movie and has a number of funny supporting actors. The Three Amigos is a classic and while Big Trouble in Little China was a bomb the year it came out it is a must see classic now. Yes, Howard the Duck is terrible but I was 10-11 when it came out so please forgive me. Firewalker is some weird Indiana Jones rip off but Norris and Gossett have great chemistry. The final 3 are iconic films - the bad guy in Highlander is Mr. Krabs, Cobra is one of my favorite Stallone movies and has serial killers, and Platoon is one of my top 5 favorite all-time movies.
November 10, 2021
Running on Empty
So I'm feeling a little burned out today so this post is going to be a bit thin. If you haven't had a chance yet, please go checkout the Horror Movies - Year in Review. We're gone through 10 years, and there are some classics just waiting for you to rediscover them.
The 4th Donn, TX story is coming later this month. It will focus on the birth of the motel and give you more background on the town and The Pale Man. It will be available on ebook and audiobook. This one will complete the first volume, and there will be a collected paperback with an original cover. I'm super excited to share it with you, so stay tuned. While you wait, now's a good time to catch up or revisit Donn, TX. Links below ...
There’s a place in Texas the locals avoid, where the lost go missing and the damned reside. You won’t find it on any map, there are no road signs to guide you, and if you have the misfortune of finding it, may God have mercy on your soul.
Run, run as far as you can, for when The Scarecrow wakes, the harvest of blood begins.
Welcome to Donn, TX.
Gateway to Hell.
1969, 1865, 1926
And the short story that started it all:
Donn, TX 1952
You can read the ebook or listen to the audiobook on my site for free! Click here.
November 8, 2021
1985 - Horror Top Heavy Once Again
It's tough to pick which movie should have the number 1 spot this week. There are 4 that I feel are worthy, but I love Fright Night too much to drop it. I'm not a big vampire fan outside the classic Dracula character, but there are a handful of movies that get it right. This movie does just that. It's also the first movie I remember my father announcing there wasn't a chance in hell he'd be seeing it when we saw the preview in theaters.
If you've been following each year, you'll remember the name Tom Holland. The magic he worked with the Psycho 2 script (plus the work on Cloak and Dagger, The Beast Within, and Scream for Help) got him an opportunity to direct. Fright Night is his first project. Even better, the studio heads were all tied up with other projects they thought would be bigger hits and left him alone. What we get is a funny, touching, and scary vampire movie that holds up today. Stream on amc+.
Blurb - A teenager discovers that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire, so he turns to an actor in a television horror show for help dealing with the undead.
https://youtu.be/TGQ1yMnKjUY
The only reason Re-Animator isn't #1 is I came to the party a little later than I did with Fright Night. I remember seeing bits and pieces here and there, but never sitting down and consuming this masterpiece start to finish. I rectified that a few years ago with the Arrow Collector's Edition and had immediate regrets. All those years I went Re-Animator free ... what a waste.
This movie has quite a few reasons to be on a top-list.
The movie itself is an amazing mix of horror and comedy with over-the-top gore. This is Stuart Gordon's directorial debut. He will pop up in future lists as he puts his stamp on the horror genre. Jeffrey Combs is spectacular as Herbert West. He oozes the self confidence and arrogance needed to pull of the character. Barbara Crampton throws her hat in the ring for the title of generational scream queen. She will show up in many lists in the future. Although by the end of filming, it wasn't a faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story, it is one of the best based on any of his work. You can stream it on tubi, amc+, and shudder.Blurb - After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.
Be warned this is the cleanest preview I could find but you're going to see some backsides.
https://youtu.be/zf-5_Je_D80
The Return of the Living Dead is next up. Quick note - it's not a part of the Romero Zombie franchise. No these zombies can talk, are smart, and will make you laugh. The movie is directed by Dan O'Brannon, one of the co-creators of Alien. He also suffered from Crohn's before they really knew what it was. My son battle's Crohn's and I like to remind him that even though there were a ton of ups and downs for O'Bannon he was able to follow his dreams. And this was at a time when people were way less understanding about such issues. This one is on HBOMax.
Blurb - When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.
https://youtu.be/KeSAFGWzft8
If you've been following along, then you know Paramount killed off their slasher cash-cow in The Final Chapter in 1984. Deciding this was a mistake, the big wigs greenlit Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. The plan was to have Corey Feldman reprise the role of Tommy, who know suffers from PTSD from the incidents of the 4th movie. The only problem was Feldman was busy making The Goonies and had to settle for an opening scene only. Instead they aged the character and we got TV actor John Sheperd in the Tommy roll (he speaks 24 words in the movie - not lines, words).
The director attempted to go all out with the sex and violence but the MPAA demanded last minute changes to 16 scenes to get them to change the rating from X to R. By this time an X rating was the kiss of death for movies. It was better to get a NR(not rated) and skip the board than an X but both were nearly impossible to get into certain theaters, especially in the U.S. south.
While this movie doesn't have anything to make it special, it is important to the cannon because it continues the legend of Jason and shows the character is still a cash cow. Stream it on Prime and Paramount+
Blurb - Still haunted by his past, Tommy Jarvis, who, as a child, killed Jason Voorhees, is sent to a secluded halfway house in the countryside, where the killing of a young man triggers a brutal series of murders in the area.
https://youtu.be/e_q7Pz2HNJc
Silver Bullet just falls outside of the big 4 but not by much. Stephen King's reign continues as he has 2 more movies in 1985. This is easiest the best of those and off the top of my head is a top 5 movie in a list based on his material. I'm a sucker for a werewolf movie, and this one delivers.
I was a huge fan of the book it's based on, Cycle of the Werewolf. I remember the first time I saw it. It was on a table just outside the Fort Rucker PX next to Baskin Robbins. A lady was selling comics, and horror books and there it was kind of between both. I thought the cover was great and I hadn't soured on King yet ... I mean I was 10 or 11 at this point, still plenty of time. But it was the interior art that made the book a must have. I asked the lady to hold it and I peddled my butt off to scrape together every spare cent I could. Thank God for couch change.
[image error][image error]But enough about the book, back to the movie. While Corey Feldman was making waves in Friday the 13th, his buddy Corey Haim got to face off against a werewolf in his electronic wheelchair; throw in Gary Busey as the crazy uncle and you got magic. This movie had a first time director but the screenplay was written by Stephen King, and in the end they made a very entertaining movie. This one is rent/buy right now, but it usually pops up on Prime a few times during the year.
Blurb - In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.
https://youtu.be/n1dClCykQys
Silver Bullet wasn't the only werewolf picture to get released in 1985. They finally released a sequel to The Howling with Howling II: You're Sister is a Werewolf. Like The Return of the Living Dead, the costume designer embraced the mid-80s in this movie and the director filled it with the music of the time. Stream it on tubi.
The biggest plus of this movie is the inclusion of horror icon, Christoper Lee. Although when he meet the director of the first Howling, Joe Dante, he did apologize for appearing in this movie. He stated that he did it because he had never been in a werewolf picture before.
This movie took place in the US and Eastern Europe. It was when they arrived in Czechoslovakia that the crew discovered Lee was a war hero from his action in WW2. He never spoke of it since he was a part of the British Intelligence agency. He killed a top Nazi official in the country and worked to free the people under Nazi rule. He later went on to hunt Nazis after the war.
Blurb - A man discovers that his sister was a werewolf, and helps an investigator track down a gang of the monsters through the United States and eastern Europe.
https://youtu.be/y36te2qOSWk
Another sequel to come out in 1985 was A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. With the success of part 1, New Line recognized it had a money maker in the Nightmare Franchise and pushed for a sequel. Wes Craven wasn't interested in returning and they didn't even think of bring Nancy back, so we have a new cast behind and in front of the camera. This movie takes place 5 years after the first, and is set in the same house Nancy lived in the first movie. While this movie made money, enough to keep New Line in the black, it is one of the weakest of the Elm Street movies.
It is Kim Myers debut and can be streamed on HBOMax.
Blurb - A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.
https://youtu.be/9iqNVyjwLFA
George Romero returns to the Zombie genre that made him so popular with the end of his Dead trilogy, Day of the Dead. While this had the lowest box office gross of the trilogy, it is Romero's favorite. He had a more ambitious screenplay, but they couldn't gather enough funds so his ideas didn't come to life until 20 years later in Land of the Dead. Stream it on peacock, crackle. and shudder.
Blurb - As the world is overrun by zombies, a small group of scientists and military personnel dwelling in an underground bunker in Florida must determine whether they should educate, eliminate or escape the undead horde.
https://youtu.be/5g9XorBCikM
The man who brought the horror world Suspiria, Inferno, and Tenebra produced and wrote the screenplay for Demons. It continues his reign as Italy's King of Horror. You can stream it on Popcornflix with ads.
Blurb - A group of random people is invited to a screening of a mysterious movie, only to find themselves trapped in the theater with ravenous demons.
https://youtu.be/-4Ru1UChaUU
Dario Argentino also wrote, produced, and directed Phenomena. This is Jennifer Connelly's first starring role in a film, and has Halloween's Donald Pleasence. It joins the number of beautifully shot but violent horror films Argentino provided fans throughout the years. Stream it on tubi, amc+, and shudder.
Blurb - A young girl who has an amazing ability to communicate with insects is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.
https://youtu.be/upUJetCHYFc
With a screenplay by Stephen King and the talents of James Woods & Drew Barrymore, Cat's Eye follows the formula of the classic anthology horror films of the past. The cat takes the viewer on a story that interweaves 3 stories. This is the first King movie to get the new PG-13 rating. It's on HBOMax.
Blrub - A stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.
https://youtu.be/rqzTazrYx5M
Maybe this should be higher, but I think I need to rewatch it before making any rash decisions. Lifeforce was directed by Texas Chainsaw Massacre & Poltergeist Director Tobe Hooper and the screenplay was worked on by Dan O'Bannon and his partner at the time. The cast includes Patrick Stewert, Peter Firth, and Mathilda May as a bonus. I know the European cut is a bit more in both the sex and violence but I haven't seen that version to tell you if it's better than the cut released in the States. It's a rent/buy to watch right now.
I will tell you I came up with an idea for a book about space vampires before being reminded about this movie and the book it's based on ... Space Vampires.
Blurb - A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos.
https://youtu.be/MOF0Ov8isvI
From the director of Q(see 1982) and the It Lives franchise, comes The Stuff. A funny horror film with a message, be careful what you consume because it might just consume you. Stream it on amc+, tubi, and shudder.
Blurb - A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation, but the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world.
https://youtu.be/e_ROA_ZEGfA[image error][image error]Finally, I'm going to put these 2 films together. I haven't seen The Bride in 30 years so I can't remember if it's anymore than a watered down version of The Bride of Frankenstein. The only thing that stands out is it is Beals's second film and Sting's first film after Dune.
https://youtu.be/vD4ZVUDtvZwThe Doctor and The Devils is another movie based on the Burke and Hare case. They were the guys who dug up bodies for doctors in Victorian England to cut up and advance their knowledge. These 2 decided it was easier and more profitable to kill the people and deliver them fresh. The cast is fantastic - Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Twiggy, Julian Sands, Stephen Rea, and Patrick Stewert. It's directed by Freddie Francis who did a number of horror films from the 60s and 70s for Hammer and Amicus. But I've watched it recently and something about it is flat. It's one of those movies you watch to see these actors more than to watch the movie itself. Both movies are rent/buy to stream.
https://youtu.be/M1Ms62bDmyA1985 was another year where several of my favorite movies while growing up came out. So many that they'll get featured either Wednesday or in one of the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.
