Metors, Zombies, and Aliens Oh My

One of Roger Ebert's criticisms of Day of the Dead (1985) was that the film's characters yell and shout too much, that what they are screaming about adds nothing to the movie. This false description of Day of the Dead's characters (okay, more wrong than false-its just his opinion) can actually be applied to the survivors featured in Undead (2003). Really this movie tries too hard to channel the Peter Jackson films Bad Taste and Dead/Alive, and it fails in that regard. I was entertained, sure, as some of the humor involved does work, yet the overall product is rather disappointing.

Which is a shame, as the film itself looks great and has good FX considering its relatively low budget. The zombies are not particularly interesting or remarkable, however, although there are good zombie movies where that is also the case. Yet the characters-the main strength of any zombie movie-really are nothing more than dull caricatures who substitute over acting and being outlandish for likability, which means the audience doesn't really care about them.

There is something to be said about the movie's weird, unexpected final act that represents a odd yet interesting tonal shift. It does leave some room for a sequel, although I'd rather not see one, even if there's a slim possibility it could be good. There is also something to be said about watching a conspiracy crazed fisherman who magically becomes a gunman out of a John Woo movie overnight, I suppose.

This Isn't a Pretty Place Where The Flowers Grow

Merely three years after The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and five years after The Last House On The Left, Wes Craven covered revenge again-this time using in bread cannibals instead of a group of escaped murders. A family makes the mistake of breaking down nearby an army base in the desert, and gets attacked by those lurking in the surrounding countryside.

Earlier Wes Craven was more brutal and nihilistic in his work than in his 80s and 90s films, and this movie is no exception. The family is forced to resort to crude and primitive methods to defeat the cannibals, while suffering greatly as a result. Although Craven does utilize the harsh landscape, he fails to fully explore its possibilities-perhaps due to lack of funding.

Still, this is a well made and disturbing movie, a look into a real "State of Nature" where one group wars against another group. Unapologetic in its display of extreme violence, once more Craven adds another good movie to his record. Even though when it comes to his films The Last House On The Left is a much better film, one that more properly covers the negative effects of violence on the American family.

Alien Slugs Burrowing Into Your Brain

Taking proper direction from such cult films as Shivers and Night of the Creeps, James Gunn creates his own great, yet disgusting, horror film. Alien slugs land, and proceed to take over a small town, in, well, that's not important. This film takes the concept of body horror to new heights, as those taken over become ugly, gross mutated creatures hungry for "Meat." One should really avoid eating while watching this movie.

Forced to deal with the situation is a hapless yet likable local sheriff, the town's profanity spewing mayor, and the wife of one of the infected, a man who just happens to be the main carrier for the outbreak. Her commitment to "Till Death Do Us Part" gets insanely tested in this movie. As nasty as it is, Slither has plenty of comedic and humorous moments. The outlandish and creepy parts often provide set up for really funny scenes, and most of the main characters bumble their way into dangerous situations.

Really though the mayor, played by Gregg Henry, has many of the movie's best one-liners, such as "That bitch is hardcore" and his complaining monologue about no Mr. Pibb being just another bad thing in a day filled with really bad things happening. Naturally the film has a crazy ending, too, and even features a scene where the sheriff has to fight an undead infected deer.

Don't forget to watch after the credits, and remember to look to the skies. Be it in fear, terror, or even wonder if you like. And of course I'll be joining the countless others in hoping for a sequel.

Living Forever is Grossly Overrated

There's something interesting about the fact that the original Nosferatu (1922) came about because its creators could not get the rights to Dracula, and thus gave birth to their own unique and creepy take on Stoker's classic tale. As a result, ever since there many vampire movies have chosen to even further deviate from the original standard vampire cliches, and the best ones have done this rather successfully. Cronos (1993), a modern update of the vampire lore, is one such movie, and Del Toro does a fantastic job of making a believable movie that is not just a horror movie.

Early on the movie is largely setup, but with a very large payoff. Without properly establishing Jesus' tender relationship with his granddaughter, or giving us strong hints into how much Angel despises his uncle, what happens later in the film would have no emotional strength to give it character or strengthen the overall movie. Even though the beginning narration feels oddly lifted from some PBS documentary about the dangers of trying to live forever. "You see, this fellow here decided to create a very special device...."

How the rest of the movie plays out is very interesting, as Del Toro slowly but surely builds and continues to layer the foundation, making Jesus' plight into something even more sinister and eerie. Even though certain elements of this movie are not at all horror, the film itself belongs to the genre based on the fact that its not only creepy mostly throughout, but also the obvious: Jesus becomes midway through the movie a vampire. Not your typical vampire, of course, yet nevertheless a creature of the night seeking blood.

This is mostly articulate through several moments, primarily when Jesus in a moment of weakness actually licks blood off of the bathroom floor. The rational response would be for one to react in horror; however since Jesus is a rather sympathetic character, one feels pity for his condition instead. Cronos is fascinating not just in how the movie plays out, with Angel's rage and anger going against him, but also for moments of real tenderness and love as displayed towards Jesus by his granddaughter, Auroa. Who even though she quickly recognizes that the device has transformed her once loving grandfather into an ancient monster, does not judge but continues to care for him, which comes off as surprising and touching.

Honestly this is one of those few horror movies where the ending manages to be unexpected, not to mention open ended, without resorting to tricks, jump scares, or being overly depressing. Which is really quite refreshing for a change, as is the movie's overall tone and style. Powered also by a rather understated and beautiful score, and complimented by its rather good cast, this is an outstanding addition to the vampire sub-genre of horror movies.

Small Town, Big Secrets

1981 really was a banner year for horror movies, primarily when it came to werewolves: An American Werewolf in London, Wolfen, and The Howling. From the writers of Alien, Dan O' Bannon and Ronald Shusett, and the director of Raw Meat, Gary Sherman, came a lesser known and somewhat underrated flick called Dead & Buried. Just like Raw Meat and Strange Behavior, this film was quite different from much of the horror fare that was more commonly found in the genre at the time.

In fact, much of this movie has the feel of a lost 80s Twilight Zone episode, or a short story from some famous horror novelist. The small town of Potters Bluff, nestled in New England has some rather dark secrets. Primarily the fact that the residents kill off anyone who has the misfortune to stop by in the town, or just be passing through. Unlike some other films, this movie gets right to the point with that fact: the opening scene quickly descends into a crowd of locals burning a hapless victim alive.

Despite some clearly obvious cliches, Sherman and O' Bannon aim for a distinctive atmosphere that actually works. The characters themselves aren't too well drawn out, but the local town corner and the in over his head sheriff are rather interesting people, and they help drive the film's plot. Most of the kills are rather shocking due to the rather simple fact that ordinary people ganging up on you and murdering you with a smile and not even thinking twice is something straight out of many nightmares.

Naturally a film like this has to have some rather stark twists, and this one does not disappoint. Even though Dead & Buried has a couple of rather large plot holes, and the movie at times is sketchy, the twists and the movie's being overall solid is enough to overcome those. And all things considered, this was really just a dry run for O' Bannon's 1985 cult classic Return of the Living Dead.

Pretty Pictures Full of Blood

When it comes to the giallo subgenre of horror, you get slasher movies that are more unique, twisted, and imaginative than the average "Lovely woman gets chased by machete wielding psychopath." Dario Argento was one of the genre's giants, creating many memorable and well crafted giallos. Deep Red, his 1975 film, is one of his more famous creations, although not as well known as Suspiria, which came out only two years later. This movie has a lot in common with Argento's fellow Italian director Mario Bava, who also made a couple of giallos as well and is just as renowned, particularly concerning his cult classics Blood and Black Lace and The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

Just like his other giallos, Argento has a brilliant score that only adds to the film's atmosphere and is remarkable. In this case, it is done by Goblin, who also created the eerie score for Suspiria, and was also responsible for the score to George A. Romero's masterwork Dawn of the Dead. Argento of course must have a hapless protagonist, be it male or female-in this case, it is Marcus, played by David Hemmings. Marcus is a lonely jazz pianist who lives in Rome, has an alcoholic buddy, and lives a rather solitary life. It is unfortunate for him that, on a dark and bleak night, that he stumbles into a murder mystery, and also ends up having to deal with a nosy and chatty journalist.

Rather than hop the next plane to America, he decides to stay instead and investigate, which of course has to happen-otherwise the movie wouldn't continue. This is one particular case of the protagonist defying reason, something that happens a lot in not only giallos but also slasher films, too. This is particularly showcased later when Marcus decides to explore a crumbling mansion late at night, all by himself. Luckily for him he's the main character, so nothing really too serious is going to happen to, him. At least for most of the movie, anyways, despite another close call that makes the viewer wonder if Marcus is smart enough to survive.

Not content to merely make a good movie, Argento once again aims for a distinct visual style, although this movie isn't half as gorgeous as Suspiria. These visual flourishes though only add more to the movie's strong levels of tension and suspense, which are added even more by Argento's willingness to go beyond the pale. Many of the movie's rather disturbing scenes are merely Argento diving into fears he was sure plenty of people held at the time, and thus this makes the death scenes all the more horrifying.

Of course it also wouldn't be an Argento movie without a last act that is both shocking, although in this case I would say that this film, for now, features arguably his best and most brazen ending. With Deep Red, Argento crafts one of his best films, and continued to build upon his reputation in the 1970s as one of the top horror auteurs. This is slightly better than Suspiria and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, and defiantly superior to Inferno, partly due to Hemmings' brilliant and understated performance, but also due to being a bit better made. The characters in this one are less sketchy than the other films, and really Argento goes the extra mile here, which is decidedly noticeable.

The 1950s Are Alive With the Sound of Screaming

Really its a shame that "Popcorn" came out at the tail end of the slasher genre craze, considering that its smarter and savvier than some of its lesser competition. The changing of directors midway through shooting, and switching actresses as well, apparently lead to this movie going from having a supernatural feel and being really out there, to instead being turned into your seeimgly typical "Killer on the loose" film with some certain twists involved. Also I have to note that "Possesor" certainly makes for one twisted and bizarre short film, although these days it would pass for a not weird enough music video, certainly outdone by say, something from Nine Inch Nails.

Despite the fact that this movie is engaging and entertaining, there's really not much to write home about. The film isn't particularly deep or truly interesting in that regard, even if its better made than say, some of the latter Jason or Michael Myers movies. There's our hapless heroine, plagued by terrifying and mysterious dreams that do not make any sense. The rest of the cast is filled out by college students, led by a teacher who's your typical college professor sleeping with one of his students. What makes this movie a cut above the average masked killer movie is really its setting, which is an abandoned movie theater cleaned back up to host a scary movie festival.

Another movie released two years after this one, Joe Dante's "Matinee," probably pays better homage to the campy 50s and 60s horror movies that "Popcorn" so lovingly displays and mocks to a certain degree. I admit not having seen that movie, so I cannot say for certain, aside from judging based on Dante's previous body of work. Still, "Popcorn" is certainly not without its charms, and certain elements were clearly taken and used by Wes Craven later on in "Scream 2," which is a more clever and better movie than this one.

What's That Buzzing Sound?

At this point, I've seen a decent amount of David Cronenberg's work, so I have a fair grasp of many of his themes and ideas. Despite not having yet dived into his 90s and most of his 2000s movies, I still have viewed a lot of his 70s and 80s films, ones that dealt with body mutilation, mutation, sex, and featured lots of gore and disgusting moments. His remake of the 1958 sci-fi picture "The Fly" is no exception, only there's something more at work here. Aside from a plot that was inspired by Kafka, to a certain degree.

This is why Cronenberg's horror movies are a cut above typical horror movie fare-he operates within a certain perimeter of ideas, never wavering from his vision no matter how disturbing that vision may end up being. Jeff Goldblum's Brudle is a scientist playing God with powers he does not even understand, and in the process this completely backfires on him.

Clearly Cronenberg is covering disease and its nasty effects upon the human body, and one could even make a case that this movie is partly about the AIDS epidemic that by 1986 was ravaging America. Even though by the third act his body is falling apart, his girlfriend Veronica refuses to abandon him, perhaps out of love, but also out of guilt of some kind. In some ways I'm reminded of Scanners, where a man clearly not entirely human still is able to stay with a normal, regular human being.

Several scenes in this movie are key, especially a dream sequence that is beyond terrifying, and a last act that clearly shows the mad scientist being turned into a full blown monster. A man going from creator to creation is something that Cronenberg has done before, primarily in Videodrome, and it works even better here. Although he has made several other movies that are better than this one, his remake brashly takes an older version and gives it a modern update that's nastier, more brutal, and more shocking. I am aware there is a sequel, but I doubt without Cronenberg's daft touch or Goldblum and Davis's honest, raw performances its even half as good.

Horrorfest 2011

Every year since 2008, I've tried to watch a bunch of horror movies from August to early November. This year will be no different, although considering that I'm starting to run out of the more famous and major horror movies, as the years go on the lists will probably feature more modern and lesser known films.

Total Viewed: 25 films

First Six List: (out of 100, or ****)

Die Monster, Die! (1965)-62, **
The Fly (1986)-95, *** 1/2
Night of the Ghouls (1959)-21, * 1/2
Popcorn (1991)-75, ***/** 1/2
Deep Red (1975)-92, *** 1/2
Dead and Buried (1981)-82, ***

Average Rating: 71, or ** 1/2

Next Up:

Cronos (1993)-93, *** 1/2
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
The Shiver of the Vampires (1971)-74, ** 1/2 or ***

Family Video Rentals:

*Dawn of the Dead (2004)-90, *** or *** 1/2
*Cat People (1982)-90, ***
*A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)-75, ** 1/2 or ***
*Halloween H20 (1998)-80, ***
*The Hitcher (1986)-85, ***
*The Hills Have Eyes (1977)-80, ***
*Innocent Blood (1992)-81, ***
*Slither (2006)-94, *** 1/2
*Pulse (2001)-88, ***
*Undead (2003)-64, ** 1/2 or **

Average Rating: 82, or ***


DVR:

*The Gorgon (1964)-71, ** 1/2
*Dementia 13 (1964)-80, ***
*The Devil's Bride (1968)-84, ***
*The Changeling (1979)-95, *** 1/2
*Christine (1983)-85, ***
*Ginger Snaps (2000)-95, *** 1/2

Average Rating: 85, or ***

Meh, Monster, Meh!

Many movies have been inspired by, and based off of, H.P. Lovecraft's many stories that he wrote back in the early 1900s. Die Monster, Die! (!965) is one of those, based on Lovecraft's tale called The Colour In Space, which I will admit I've never read. Still that story has to be more engaging and entertaining than this picture, which doesn't do Lovecraft any kind of justice.

Despite containing many gorgeous visuals, the movie comes off as more of a House of Usher ripoff than anything in the Lovecraft mythology. If maybe the story it is based off of is very similar to the movie, knowing something of Lovecraft I bet that his story has heavy atmosphere, is quite creepy, and works very well. Sometimes certain ideas and stories don't translate well from the printed word to the silver screen, and this is certainly one of those cases.

Which is too bad, because some scenes work really well, Boris Karloff gives it his usual all, and the last act is quite bizarre. Too bad that what comes before it is a relatively uninteresting movie that could have stood to use more creepiness. Certainly this movie is sadly a dud, and a rather forgettable one at that.