Sebastian Bendix's Blog, page 4
October 2, 2017
10/02/17 – day two of thirty-one days of horror!
While arguably more satire than straight horror, Brian “Carrie”
De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise nonetheless takes its primary inspiration
from Phantom of the Opera, which qualifies it for spooky season viewing in
my book. A great 70s rock n’ roll fable, the film is a Faustian (that’s a real
word, look it up) tale about a nerdy composer (the late great William Finley)
who finds his music stolen by an impish record mogul, played deliciously by
diminutive pop songsmith Paul Williams. Disfiguration and murder follow, as
well as some legitimately great musical numbers (several memorably performed by
willowy future Suspiria star Jessica Harper) and Gerrit Graham hamming it
magnificently as the glammed-up “Beef”. Plus it has one of the coolest helmets
found in any film related to the horror genre. This year why not make a stop by
the Paradise Theater for some rockin’ Halloween fun?
October 1, 2017
10/01/17 – day one of thirty-one days of horror!
I’m kicking off this year’s list with a Trick or Treat – no,
not the perennial Halloween anthology Trick r’ Treat, but the 1986 heavy metal horror entry directed by Charles Martin
Smith. Mark Price – known primarily as nerdy best friend Skippy on 80s sitcom
Family Ties – plays a high school metalhead who, upon playing a cursed record
backwards, unwittingly calls forth the evil spirit of dead rockstar “Sammi Curr”
to wreak havoc on his bullying classmates, resulting in a Carrie-inspired
concert from hell set to fist-pumping anthems courtesy of hard rockin’ Fastway. The concept alone was enough of a sell for my teenage,
metal-loving self, and the fact that my heroes Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne
made appearances made it a must-see. While not a classic by any stretch, Trick
or Treat nevertheless has a surprising amount of heart for what is in essence a
Freddy Krueger ripoff, good Halloween-time fun for those jonzing for a little
80s nostalgia and some big hair-raising mayhem.
October 31, 2016
10/31/16 – day thirty-one of thirty-one days of horror!
You’ve got to wrap up every Halloween list with a classic, and this year
goes to John Carpenter’s 1982 version of THE THING. This remake of
Howard Hawks’ THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD should have been Carpenter’s
crowning moment as a genre master at the top of his game, but sadly met
with critical and financial failure upon release. Thankfully time has
shown the world the error of its ways, and today this masterpiece of
suspense and groundbreaking, gruesome practical effects (courtesy
of the now reclusive genius Rob Bottin) has found its place in the
pantheon of all-time great movies. A bearded Kurt Russell leads an
all-male cast of Antarctica researchers contending with a shape-shifting
alien that can inhabit any one of them undetected, which creates the
perfect snowbound atmosphere of tension and paranoia. But you don’t need
me to tell you about THE THING, you just need to watch it again! Now!
So grab that deluxe new Shout Factory Blu-ray, crank your speakers to
soak up that sweet Ennio Morricone score and ready your eyeballs for the
greatest creature effects ever put on film. Happy Halloween!
October 30, 2016
10/30/16 – day thirty of thirty-one days of horror!
As an unapologetic fan of Mr. Sam Raimi, I couldn’t have been happier
when, after years as an A-list blockbuster director, he returned to the
horror genre with DRAG ME TO HELL.
Raimi’s brand of gross-out slapstick (coined “splatstick”) has always
tickled my blackened heart, and his 2009 re-skinning of MR James’
CASTING THE RUNES delivers the kind of energy and dare I say “fun” that
the horror films of the oughts were sorely lacking. The story of a young
woman struggling to define herself in the adult world while also
battling a demonic curse manages to have something to say about
post-housing crash America while still being a dizzying symphony of
scares, and though the CG gets a little distracting in moments, Raimi’s
EVIL DEAD chops still pack a punch. The cast, featuring Alison Lohman,
“Mac guy” Justin Long and Dileep Rao are game for Raimi’s abusive
shenanigans, and the score by Christopher HELLRAISER Young is a delight
of screeching gypsy fiddle with actual memorable themes, a rarity for
modern movies. This is a great entry point for a trick or treater
looking to graduate to horror cinema, though beware – the ending,
clearly an homage to classic EC horror comics – is a shocker.
October 29, 2016
10/29/16 – day twenty-nine of thirty-one days of horror!
Every generation demands its Dracula, so this year I celebrate FRANCIS
COPPOLA’S BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, the Dracula that – like Kurt Cobain –
spoke for mine. Now, you’ve seen this and likely have an opinion; it’s
the kind of movie horror fans either love or hate. Is Keanu Reeves
terrible in the film? Yes, he is! But having now read Bram Stoker’s
original novel, I see that the character of Johnathan Harker is pretty
much a charisma vacuum, so in that sense Reeves gets it right.
Winona Ryder doesn’t fare much better as Mina, but the real stars here
are Gary Oldman’s multi-faceted and over-the-top portrayal of the
Transylvanian count, Roman (Son of Francis) Coppola’s spooky and
innovative in-camera effects, the lush costume/production design and
Wojcieck Kilar’s unforgettable score. Also it’s got naked Monica
Bellucci as a super-sexy Dracula bride, so I mean, c’mon. With so many
things going right you can forgive the casting missteps, overcooked love
story and occasional lapses into cheesy melodrama; the truth is that
every cinematic version of the Dracula story has its problems. But
there’s no denying that this one is unbeatable in the eye-candy
department and at the very least makes for great background wallpaper at
any Halloween house party.
Day twenty-nine of thirty-one days of horror!
Every generation demands its Dracula, so this year I celebrate FRANCIS
COPPOLA’S BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, the Dracula that – like Kurt Cobain –
spoke for mine. Now, you’ve seen this and likely have an opinion; it’s
the kind of movie horror fans either love or hate. Is Keanu Reeves
terrible in the film? Yes, he is! But having now read Bram Stoker’s
original novel, I see that the character of Johnathan Harker is pretty
much a charisma vacuum, so in that sense Reeves gets it right.
Winona Ryder doesn’t fare much better as Mina, but the real stars here
are Gary Oldman’s multi-faceted and over-the-top portrayal of the
Transylvanian count, Roman (Son of Francis) Coppola’s spooky and
innovative in-camera effects, the lush costume/production design and
Wojcieck Kilar’s unforgettable score. Also it’s got naked Monica
Bellucci as a super-sexy Dracula bride, so I mean, c’mon. With so many
things going right you can forgive the casting missteps, overcooked love
story and occasional lapses into cheesy melodrama; the truth is that
every cinematic version of the Dracula story has its problems. But
there’s no denying that this one is unbeatable in the eye-candy
department and at the very least makes for great background wallpaper at
any Halloween house party.
October 28, 2016
10/28/16 – day twenty-eight of thirty-one days of horror!
I think of this one as a no-brainer, but am always surprised to learn
that many haven’t seen Thomas Alfredson’s 2008 Swedish vampire classic
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. Set in the bleak, snowy world of 1980s Sweden,
Alfredson’s film – adapted from a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist – is a
coming-of-age story about a bullied middle school boy and his burgeoning
romance with a 12 year-old “girl” who is (spoiler) revealed to be a
vampire. Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson are brilliant
and otherworldly as the star-crossed youths, and though the film leans
heavily on the emotional journey of the characters, it still manages to
deliver some moments of true shock and horror. Also, there’s a crazy
scene of cats attacking drunks, so that alone speaks to this movie’s
merits. Everything about the production is great, from the direction to
the atmosphere to the screenplay, so when Hollywood decided to make an
American version in 2010 for the subtitled impaired, naturally I
bristled. But Matt CLOVERFIELD Reeves’ remake, re-titled LET ME IN and
starring child actor wunderkind Chloe Grace Moretz, is actually very
faithful to the source material and not half-bad as far as these things
go. Still, unless you really hate a little reading with your movies, let
the Swedish original be the first you let into your blackened,
blood-craving heart.
October 27, 2016
10/27/16 – day twenty-seven of thirty-one days of horror!
Look, the truth of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is that it was all a
money-making hoax, but one element was factual – a few years before the
Lutz family moved into the allegedly haunted Long Island house, Ronald
DeFeo killed his entire family with a shotgun. So what better way to
follow up the success of the original than with a prequel that posits
these horrible murders were the result of demonic possession? If you
think that’s a sleazy move, wait until you see AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION!
Helmed by Italian director Damiano Damiani, this torrid affair has the
anything goes attitude of a Giallo, reveling in seedy story
embellishments, one of them being an incestuous relationship between
Ronnie and his nubile teen sister, played here by BETTER OFF DEAD’s
Diane Franklin. Throw in drunk dad Burt Young and Andrew Prine as the
local priest and you’ve got a recipe for scummy fun that, for my money,
is far more entertaining than the turgid 1979 original. A staple of
early 80s late night cable, this is a film that deserves to be
celebrated in its schlocky glory, so make it your one stop at Amityville
this Halloween.
October 26, 2016
10/26/16 – day twenty-six of thirty-one days of horror!
Arguably the best thing to come out of the post-SCREAM horror boom, the
FINAL DESTINATION series boasts more good entries than bad, no small
feat for a franchise where the killer is the invisible specter of death
itself. The films are beloved for their OMEN-inspired Rube Goldbergian
kills, often elaborate scenarios of ever-escalating “accidental” death
traps, and for my money the entry that mines the most fun out of this
premise is FINAL DESTINATION 5. The opening bridge collapse
alone is worth the price of admission, but director Steven Quale and
writer Eric Heisserer keep the carnage coming, capitalizing on common
phobias and innocuous situations with gruesome and often hilarious
results. It all ends in a twist that bookends the whole series, and
while I would like to see another go-around with the Grim Reaper (whose
corporeal emissary takes the form of Tony CANDYMAN Todd), I couldn’t ask
for a better capper. It’s actually a fine starting point towards your
Final Destination, so go on – death awaits!
October 25, 2016
10/25/16 – day twenty-five of thirty-one days of horror!
While the original 1958 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS still stands as
an effective metaphor for 1950s McCarthyism, the 1978 Philip Kaufman
remake takes the creepy tale of conformity and effortlessly transposes
it to post 60s baby boomer yuppie culture. Set in San Francisco and
starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
and Veronica Cartwright, the story about alien pod people replacing our
loved ones with soulless replicas timelessly resonates in any
culture where the individual struggles against oppressive conformity,
assuring it a place in our shared psyche as long as there’s a human
race. But putting the text aside, this is just a creepy and suspenseful
sci fi chiller that will gross you out and make your skin crawl. Kaufman
masterfully ratchets up the paranoia, (something John Carpenter would
expand on a few years later with his own 50s remake of THE THING)
delivering a terrifying soul-punch of an ending that will give even the
most seasoned horror fan a shiver. The perfect Halloween movie to show a
room full of phonies what you really think of them, or to make you feel
justified in your isolating, hermetic life choices.
