Sebastian Bendix's Blog, page 10
October 6, 2015
10/05/15 – day five of thirty-one days of horror!
It’s wrong to let October slip by without mentioning Director John Carpenter,
but if you need me to remind you of his seminal 1978 Halloween at this
time of year, we should probably not be friends. Instead I am going to
recommend In the Mouth of Madness, Carpenter’s riff on both Stephen King
and godfather of modern horror, H. P. Lovecraft.
This is a film that was largely ignored upon release in the 90’s, but
has begun to be recognized as a stronger entry in the Carpenter canon as
it is full of dizzying shocks, disorienting surrealism and a healthy
dollop of good old fashioned creepiness. Plus it has Sam Neil who is
always a delight, especially in a horror role that demands his patented
brand of bug-eyed sweatiness.
October 4, 2015
10/04/15 – day four of thirty-one days of horror!
Today I am offering you…Burnt Offerings! There are few things I love
more than a weird 70’s supernatural thriller, and this is one of the
weirdest. I also love me some menacing, likely drunk on set Oliver Reed,
and throw in some Karen Black, Burgess Meredith and Bette Davis…
you’ve got the making of a classic. The pool alone scene is worth a
viewing, and there’s no arguing with director Dan “Dark Shadows” Curtis’
command of unsettling country manors. The novel its based on isn’t half
bad either. A fine offering for those who prefer subtle creepiness to
gore and jump-scares.
10/03/15 – day three of thirty-one days of horror!
Celebrating the recently passed Wes Craven today with my favorite of his
sleazy early period, The Hills Have Eyes. Drenched in 70’s sun-baked
mania, this tale of a dysfunctional vacationing family being menaced by
mutated desert cannibals is a skin-crawling classic, a perfect companion
piece to Craven’s equally scummy and masterful Last House on the Left,
and the film responsible for unleashing horror icon Michael Berryman
on the world. Also notable is the 2006 remake, which Wes produced, and
his own 1984 sequel which features a hilarious canine flashback. But
nothing beats the original, so fire up the Winnebago and head for the
Hills!
10/02/15 – day two of thirty-one days of horror!
Everyone loves crossovers these days, so when it comes to classic
monsters, you gotta go with the first and best. Written by the creator
of the original Wolf Man, this smackdown is full of awesome 1940’s
weirdness; a blind, stumbling turn as the Frankenstein monster by Bela
Lugosi and some surprising pathos for Lon Chaney Jr’s flop-sweated Wolf
Man. More monsters would be added later with House of Dracula and House
of Frankenstein, but today’s pick, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,
manages to feel less like a shameless cash grab and more like an
inspired bit of madness. Forget Avengers Age of Whatever or Batman Kills
Superman, this here is the real deal!
10/01/15 – day one of 31 days of horror!
So it’s time again for my 31 days of Horror recommendations to get you
in the mood for the greatest of holidays, Halloween. This year I begin
with the evilest of all movie studios – Disney! Look, this adaptation
of Ray Bradbury’s classic “Something Wicked This Way Comes” may have
been made by the Mouse House, but it’s somehow totally worthy. Jason
Robards is his always irascible self and Jonathan Pryce rules the night
as Mr. Dark, but really the film is a testament to the perfection of the
original story. Really you should read the book, one of the greatest
things ever put on paper, or even check out the incredible Christian
Rummel narrated audiobook version on audible.com, but you’re lazy so just watch the damn movie!
October 31, 2014
10/31/14 – day thirty-one of 31 days of horror!
Pound for pound, nothing gives me pure Halloween enjoyment than today’s pick. Fun, gory, scary, insane…this is the movie that truly cemented Sam Raimi’s genius, made Bruce Campbell an icon and gave the word “groovy” a new lease on life. It’s a Warner Brothers cartoon by way of blood-soaked madness, and is the kind of perfect entertainment that we just don’t see enough of these days. If you let October go by without watching this at least once you’re doing something wrong, so all there is left to say is “Hail to the king, baby” and get down with the greatest splatter comedy of all time — “Evil Dead 2”!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/?ref_=nv_sr_1
October 30, 2014
10/30/14 – day thirty of 31 days of horror!
Look, you don’t need me to suggest the original Halloween (1978 film) to you, or even the newly minted classic Trick ‘r Treat. You look to me for slightly left of center recommends, so when it comes to summoning that “Halloween” spirit, the best bet for an oddball but distinctly seasonal experience is today’s brain-boiling pick. No, you won’t find Michael Myers here (besides a sort of meta cameo) and the story is, well, insane, but there is something so wonderfully mean-spirited about this red-headed stepchild of a movie that you can’t help but kind of love it. Bad movie fanatics have come around to it in recent years, and if you haven’t yet heard the rallying cry, it’s high time you grasp hold of leading man Tom Atkins’ sexy ‘stache and join the cult of “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085636/?ref_=nv_sr_1
October 29, 2014
10/29/14 – day twenty-nine of 31 days of horror!
Lots has been said about Italian “master of horror” Dario Argento, but all that really needs to be said can be found in this film. Garishly vivid and unerringly nightmarish, the searing visuals are only matched by the throbbing, unforgettable score by the prog rock band Goblin. This is dream-horror at its best, a fairy tale descent into supernatural madness, and if you somehow have never seen it, or haven’t revisited it in a while, I urge you to make it a Halloween perennial. Today’s pick, the one, the only, “Suspiria”!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076786/?ref_=nv_sr_1
October 28, 2014
10/28/14 – day twenty-eight of 31 days of horror!
I must credit my good friend Jake Schachter for opening my eyes to this backwoods fairy tale of unholy, demonic vengeance. If you know me you know I love Lance Henriksen, and in this film he gets the rare opportunity to be the lead, a challenge to which he rises admirably. Sharing the stage with Lance is an awesome, iconic creature designed and directed by the late and legendary Stan Winston, and the alchemy created is undeniable. Even the “teenage” victims presented manage to garner some sympathy as the titular monster wreaks righteous, bloody horror upon them, and the creepy down-home score is one of the rare uses of harmonica that I can stomach. Today’s pick is Halloween classic in my household, so I highly recommend that you pay Haggis the witch a visit and conjure up “Pumpkinhead”!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095925/?ref_=nv_sr_2
October 27, 2014
10/27/14 – day twenty-seven of 31 days of horror!
Part Exorcist, part Rosemary’s Baby, this weird little film directed by Michael Winner is one of my favorite supernatural thrillers of the late 70’s. Starring Burgess Meredith, Beverly D’Angelo, Chris Sarandon and a terrifying mob of genuine sideshow attractions, this odd, unsettling movie eschews good taste for the benefit of some truly shocking scenes — but what would you expect from the director of Death Wish 1, 2 & 3? Not to be confused with the Kiefer Sutherland action film of the last decade, this crazy creepfest is the real deal. Today’s pick — “The Sentinel”.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076683/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
