Frat Monster (Pledge Night, 1990)

In this cautionary tale about frat hazing, we meet the next horror icon… Acid Sid.

Or maybe not, as I bet for most people, even horror fans, that elicited a bit of a “huh” reaction.

Pledge night tells the tale of Bonner, a college man who is pledging the biggest frat on campus. They are the standard “humiliate and terrorize your pledges” type of group. And somehow, they have raised the ire of the spirit of Acid Sid…a hippie pledge who died in a pledge prank in the 60’s.

Acid Sid gets his name because he was thrown in a tub in which the frat had poured a bunch of ingredients…including some acid (by accident). So, he has a gooey visage and one liners. Sid works his way through the frat trying to kill everyone including Bonner, who the audience already knows is the son of Sid, as his mother stopped by to fill him in.

Sid seems like he has the power of Freddy Krueger, able to cause crazy deaths, but people can still run and hide from him. You add to that, he almost rape’s Wendy, the love interest of Bonner and when Bonner stops him, he tells him the murder spree was only to protect him. Are we suddenly supposed to see Sid through a sympathetic lens? He did not just target the frat brothers, he targeted the pledges as well. Wendy clearly did not support the hazing, why was she a target?

The one liners in this film do not stand out much, and Acid Sid fails to capture the imagination like other 80’s monsters and slashers. So, after several days of this month highlighting forgotten or at least lesser remembered gems, I have to say…there is good reason people don’t talk about Pledge Night.

October 15, 2019 0

As Little Children (Dolls, 1987)

Charles Band really loves his little monsters. Sometimes you get Skull Heads. But other times? You get Dolls.

Young Judy is on a road trip with her father and step-mother. Neither seem to thrilled to have young Judy along and they constantly belittle her for…well being a kid. After their car breaks down, a sudden storm forces them to seek shelter. They come across a remote house occupied by an elderly couple. The storm also brings in two young punk chicks and a driver who had offered them a ride. He is a bit of a doofus to all the adults, and the girls accuse him of being a sex creep.

The couple give everyone a place to sleep that night, and that is when it all gets strange for them. Each room is packed full of dolls. Now, Judy is thrilled when the old man offers her a doll for the night to take the place of her lost teddy bear. But the adults show the dolls no respect. And that leads to mayhem.

Playing off a certain creepiness of the uncanny valley with dolls, director Stuart Gordon effectively plays the story out making the most of the creepy ambience of the setting. Ed Naha has written a story that manages to be both fun and creepy. The old couple are doll makers with a dark secret, while the supposes sex creep turns out to be a decent guy (which is definitely to his benefit as they try and survive the night). But the reveal of the truth behind the toy makers doll is good old creepy fun. It also leads to a darkly happy ending.

Dolls is a great little 80’s supernatural horror film and worth a watch.

October 14, 2019 0

Hunting Opener (The Prey, 1983)

Opening with a middle aged couple camping in the wood being being murdered after finishing their dinner, the credits play over a forest fire. The film never makes it fully clear what this has to do with things.

This one is probably even more forgotten than the Burning, though they share a premise of a severely burned man stalking and killing people. The film credits him as the Monster and the promotional materials claim he is not human and he has an axe. But being severely burned does not make you less human. But I guess I am nitpicking.

Apparently, the European cut of the film chops out a lot of the nature shots and adds 20 minutes about a Romani Colony that is burned to death and that is the full origin of the killer.

This is a basic slasher film, a group of friends go into the woods, most of them are going to die…but it is really nicely shots with some great nature footage that makes it stand out. It also has a really dark ending, never showing what becomes of the final girl…but audio that indicates her fate.

Odd little fact, the film stars Jackie Coogan who played Uncle Fester in the original TV series and Carel Struycken who played Lurch in the two Addams Family theatrical films.

While the story itself is nothing special, this is a pretty good slasher from the birth of that part of horror.

October 13, 2019 0

Spikes (Splinter, 2008)

Polly and Seth are looking for a cheap motel after ruining their tent while camping, only to run across Dennis and Lacey, criminals on the run whose car has broken down. After they hit an animal on the road, they have to replace the tire, only for one of them to contract a bizarre virus or parasite that looks like an oily splinter. It takes over the host, turning them into some sort of strange spike covered creature. They then find themselves trapped in a gas station trying to keep the monsters out and determine a way to escape.

This film very smartly keeps it’s premise small. A weird zombie inducing parasite could easily be used in a big actioner, but the focus on the four characters trapped allows their arcs to build dramatically.

The visual of the monster is really cool and unnerving. It has a take on Evil Dead 2’s severed hand that is less comedic, but still effective.

I really enjoy this film, it is a great bit of indi horror and deserves more recognition.

October 12, 2019 0

All In the Family (American Gothic, 1987)

A rowdy group of young adults take their friend on a weekend getaway only for their small plane to have engine trouble. Landing on a small island to try and determine the issue.

They search the island and come across an empty house. While exploring the house, they are startled by the homeowners, Ma and Pa. The couple offer them a place to sleep for the night, with Pa saying a friend is coming to the island who could help them with the plane. Ma and Pa seem a bit trapped in the past and a bit on the wacky side of religious.

But the biggest surprise is the couple’s three grown children Fanny, Woody and Teddy. While clearly pushing 50, the three behave as if they are children.

The next day, we discover that the kids are not merely mentally imbalanced…they are homicidal. As the young friends begin to disappear, the friends think that tragic accidents have befallen them until the eccentric family’s darkest secrets are revealed.

American Gothic is one of those films that I found back in the days of VHS. It never seemed to achieve the notoriety of other 80’s horror…but it has a solid twist at the end and boasts great creepy performances from Yvonne DeCarlo (known best for her role as the sweet and kind Lily Munster) and Rod Steiger as Ma and Pa, as well as the “children” played by Janet Wright, Michael J. Pollard and William Hootkins.

American Gothic is one of those good little horror films that I feel deserve wider recognition.

October 11, 2019 0

The Process of Grief (Midsommar, 2019)

Dani and Christian’s four year relationship is dying out, but neither has the strength to end things, especially after Dani faces a horrifying tragedy. They are invited by a friend, Pelle, to visit his home land for a unique festival. Christian and Dani are joined by Josh and Mark and the five make their way to Sweden.

What seems to be a fun time of hallucinogenic experiences and communal partying, turns out to be a frightening series of trials.

Midsommar is the second film from Ari Aster. Hereditary was a masterpiece of dread and so the question became…could he manage it a second time? Well…yeah. Right from the start, this film pummels the viewer with the pain and heartbreak Dani is having to confront.

When we arrive in the small and remote Swedish village, it seems almost mythically wholesome. Everyone is kind and friendly. They want to share their celebration. But as the film progresses, things begin to become unnerving and the film starts build the sense of dread. The threat is real and horrifying.

The characters are compelling. This is due more to what we experience than what we learn about their background. Really, the only Dani, Christian and Pelle get much history. But William Jackson Harper and Will Poulter both turn in performances that allow you to care about what happens to them.

But Florence Pugh really shines as she runs the gamut of broken pain and grief and joys.

Visually, the film is gorgeous. The setting really draws you in, even when you know something terrible is bound to happen.

Aster really has impressed me with both of his efforts and I look forward to his next exploration in horror.

October 10, 2019 0

Cropsey’s Revenge (The Burning, 1981)

Inspired by the urban legend of Cropsey, the Burning begins at a summer camp. A group of boys pull a prank on the camp janitor which goes tragically awry. Severely burned he undergoes multiple failed attempts to restore his face and body. Driven mad he returns to the camp grounds to mete out his revenge.

Truthfully, for most viewers today, the Burning probably seems like just another slasher. And, to be fair, it does not bring anything new to the genre. It came along right at the beginning of the 80’s slasher craze.

But part of what makes the Burning stand out is that it is an early Tom Savini gore fest. He picked the Burning over the sequel to Friday the 13th, and the Burning definitely wins here. Savini’s effects are gruesome and the look of Cropsey is memorable.

Another bit of fun trivia relates to the cast. Holly Hunter, Jason Alexander and Fischer Stevens all made their feature film debut and the music is composed by Rick Wakeman of Yes.

The Burning is a fun old school slasher. It does not have any real surprises, like Sleepaway Camp, but it works pretty well and has some crazy moments as Cropsey works his way through the campers.

October 9, 2019 0

Following In Their Footsteps (Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, 2006)

Freddy. Jason. Michael. Pinhead. Leslie. You’ve heard of Leslie right? No? Well, of course you haven’t…yet.

The conceit of Behind the Mask is that all the slasher villains are real land live in one big old extended universe. A news team with the hopes of making a name for themselves have connected with Leslie Vernon, an aspiring slasher villain.

Leslie’s back story is that he committed some evil acts as a child, a mob threw him off of a bridge and now a couple decades later, he has returned to seek vengeance. His plan revolved around teens going to have a party at his old family farmhouse.

The movie plays with the tropes of the slasher, such as when Leslie explains to the reporter and her crew that his training is important…because while everyone is running as fast as they can…he has to keep up while making it appear that he is walking. Then there is the obsessed psychiatrist who is in dogged pursuit of Leslie, Doc Halloran. In a brilliant bit of stunt casting, the Doc is played by Robert Englund.

Part of what works so well is how you have these human moments between Leslie and the news crew. For instance, they have dinner with a retired slasher Eugene (played by the late Scott Wilson) and his wife. It is this regular setting as Eugene cooks dinner, but is reminiscing about killing and then getting philosophical about how guys like Freddy and Jason totally changed the game.

The filmmakers have a lot of fun with their premise, and it is clearly made by people who have a love for horror. This is one of those films that seemed like it might make a splash…but it seems like I don’t hear people talk about it much anymore. Which is to bad, it is a lot of fun and makes the most of its high concept.

October 8, 2019 0

Stupid College Kids vs Demon Nuns (The Convent, 2000)

The film opens with a an attractive girl in a leather jacket and sunglasses enters a convent and proceeds to blow away nuns with a shot gun before burning the place down… all played to the strains of “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore. This is a highly effective scene. There is a tongue in cheek tone set by this that carries through the whole film.

The film jumps ahead to the present (well, 2000). A bunch of college kids visit the convent to smoke dope, make-out and commit acts of vandalism. But some aspiring satanists show up, hoping to get power with a ritual sacrifice. Except, these are one of the most inept groups of satanists you will likely ever meet.

As noted, the Convent is a very tongue in cheek film. And the dialog tends to be pretty solid. The performances are pretty good, in large part because everyone seems to be having a lot of fun with it. There is a character in the film that reminds me totally of Richmond from the IT Crowd…but, uh the movie came first. Adrienne Barbeau is also awesomely badass in the film.

It is also full of gore, though all the demons seem to have neon blood, making it all very cartoonish.

I will say, there is some humor that has not aged particularly well. It is amusing when two guys are tied up as ritual sacrifices and one character suggests they have sex. The joke plays out to long, and goes from funny to uncomfortable as it pushes the gay character into the role of a predator continuing to push the other guy for sex.

But the Convent is a whole lot of gore infused fun, and just does not seem to be recognized much anymore. I would recommend it, as it still holds up as a fun flick.

October 7, 2019 0

The Lost Broadcast (The Last Broadcast, 1998)

Two guys who have a cable access show devoted to the paranormal hire a third party for their planned investigation into the veracity of the legend of the Jersey Devil…but only one of the three returned and he was put on trial for the murder of the other two.

The Last Broadcast is the Documentary that seeks to find the truth, believing it possible that the man found guilty of the murder of the other two men may be innocent…and the filmmakers may be on the verge of discovering the true killer.

While mock documentaries are nothing new, they were a rarity for horror in the 1990s. They were mostly the domain of Christopher Guest and comedy. The Last Broadcast plays itself serious for the entire film. It is interesting to watch it unfold if you can find it.

Remember how I mentioned Kolobos get steamrolled by the Blair Witch Project? Weeeeell… The Last Broadcast was made at about the same time as the Blair Witch, but it actually came out first. Maybe if it had come out a year or two later it could have ridden the wave. Instead it became largely forgotten.

My only big criticism with the film is upon revealing a twist to the story, it just drops the documentary format entirely for conventional movie story telling. And this fails to make much sense. But otherwise, this is a bit of a lost gem.

October 6, 2019 0