Movies I Watched in October, Part 2

The ground is covered with snow (for now) and Thanksgiving is just a few days away, so I'd say it's about time we wrap up the October movie recaps. Once again, let's make this brief...


Obvious, this one is best seen on a big screen in a crowded theater with a like-minded bunch of midnight movie maniacs wearing various combinations of women's underwear and horror props, but I watched it on a small screen alone, and you know what? It's still a lot of fun. The songs are infectious, and Tim Curry obviously gives a performance for the ages. About the only part that drags is the introduction of Rocky, but things (high) kick back into gear for the finale. One thing I noticed this time around: Besides the obvious reasons (aka talent and looks), Susan Sarandon must've been cast for those wide eyes of hers. Half the fun of the movie is watching her astonished reaction to what's going on around her. We devoted an Out of Theaters podcast to this one, by the way -- listen to it here .


Another rewatch for an episode of Out of Theaters (listen to it here). I've seen this movie dozens of times, including a first-run viewing and another in the early 1990s when one of the first alternate cuts made its debut. Still great stuff, and it's funny how all the criticism about the sets being the only worthwhile element have faded away as critics (and modern audiences) have come to appreciate the deeper themes of the movie and the rich performance of Rutger Hauer, arguably playing the hero of the film.


Here's a horror movie that I'd heard plenty about (including the kee-razy twist ending, which I won't spoil here) but had somehow never seen. Thankfully, I spotted a copy of the limited edition Blu-ray (!) at the local used video store and, after watching it in a bit of pre-Halloween prep, I was not disappointed. It's just the sort of early 1980s slasher movie I love, one savvy enough to rip off the central elements of the genre -- summer camp, misbehaving teens, mysterious killer -- but idiosyncratic enough to give those elements a personal twist that makes everything that much stranger. In this case, it's the central character, a virtually mute girl named Angela (Felissa Rose) who is at the center of a series of increasingly gruesome (and clumsily staged) murders. Like I said, I won't spoil the twist, which arrives in the very last frames of the film, but I will say that there are enough plot holes, weird undercurrents and goofball performances to keep you entertained until the big twist arrives. Also, once you've seen the movie, be sure to listen to the How Did This Get Made podcast episode devoted to it. It takes them 15 minutes just to sort out what the heck is happening in the first scene of the movie.


Another great early '80s horror movie, though this one's a lot better made (and acted and shot and scored) than "Sleepaway Camp." Director John Landis hits just about the perfect combination of comedy and terror, and it remains one of the best movies about a regular, likable guy who gets involved in monstrous, supernatural circumstances. Rick Baker's special effects still look amazing after more than three decades, and because they're practical, they don't have the instantly dated sheen of computer effects from just a few years (hell, months) ago. But what ties the whole movie together are the performances of the three leads -- David Naughton as the werewolf, Jenny Agutter as the nurse who falls in love with him and Griffin Dunne as his murdered best friend. Withou them, "An American Werewolf in London" would just be some good (hell, great) special effects and an ironic soundtrack. With them, it's a genuinely involving movie that just happens to have a werewolf in it. Keep an eye out, by the way, for the late, great Rik Mayall of "Young Ones" fame as one of the patrons of the The Slaughtered Lamb.