Pick O' The Flicks--Odd Horror Plus
Dueling Bloggers! Not really, but my favorite movie-reviewing sister posted a list of her Top 50 Horror Flicks (www.celluloitering.blogspot.com) Most of the flicks she picked I would have picked as well--she knows her stuff, she does--so I thought I'd add to her list with a few flicks that she didn't include but I would have, and a few just-plain-strange flicks that most sane people have probably forgotten all about.
The Omen (1976)--This movie still scares the pants off me. Richard Donner pioneered the modern American "set piece death scene" in this flick, the best example being David Warner's amazing decapiation with a sheet of glass.
Brain Damage (1988)--Tagline: "It's A Headache From Hell!" Actually, that's not strictly true, as anyone who has unearthed this weird little movie knows. Average-guy Brian finds himself saddled with a strange little penis-shaped pal named Aylmer who squirts joy-juice into his head so Brian will be happily out of it while Aylmer eats other people's brains. Aylmer has a funny sort-of British accent, for some reason. Oh, and he likes to sing. Frank Henenlotter writes, directs, produces and provides the voice of Aylmer under an alias.
Bug (1975)--I slept with the lights on for weeks after seeing this flick when I was a kid. Basically, Bradford Dillman discovers some truly ugly mutant alien bugs that eat ashes and set things on fire whenever they feel like it, sooooo he decides that the really really smart thing to do would be to allow them to mate with regular Earth cockroaches in an old diver's helmet. The Late Great William Castle, Master Of Maximum Marketing Ploys co-wrote the script and took a giant cockroach on a tour of theaters showing the flick. Jeannot Szwarc directed, so there are lingering pullaway shots of Patty McCormack all grown up (and on fire), and emotionally intense, sweaty close-ups of Bradford Dillman observing the roaches getting it on.
Theatre Of Blood (1973)--Vincent Price plus Diana Rigg plus William Shakespeare equals a majorly creepy-silly flick. There are some truly distubing scenes in this movie, not the least of which is Diana Rigg in reverse drag.
Hostel (2005)--American college students are busily pissing all over Amsterdam when they hear about a hostel in Slovakia that is supposedly jam-packed with loose hotties, so of course, they just have to go and get a piece! The first half of this flick plays just like any other piece of vintage slasher crap. The second half will have you on the edge of your seat, and possibly puking into your popcorn. Eli Roth, aided by whispers from Quentin Taratino and lots of influence from Japanese horror master Miike Takashi, presents a flick that exposes just exactly how clueless Americans are about attitudes and living conditions in other parts of the world. This movie is a must-see for any horror maven.
Misery (1990)-- "I'm your number one fan!" Novelist Paul Sheldon has the bad fortune to get into a car accident in the snowy Colorado mountains and be "rescued" by his "number one fan" Annie Wilkes, who is, to put it mildly, crazy mad insane. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Stephen King and William Goldman, Misery is incredibly frightening and incredibly funny at the same time. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes, and she earned it!
Saw (2004)--While Saw smells strongly of Seven (1995) it manages to be original in the execution. The character of "The Jigsaw Killer" is probably the coolest Bad Dude since Michael Myers busted out of the funny farm. His reasons for putting selected subjects into situations in which they could live or die depending on their reaction to the "fight or flight" instinct are ostensibly philanthropic and provide a mirror for the current plague of "diseases", addictions and bad choices excused by a social climate that doesn't just tolerate, but actually celebrates victimhood. The film even gives "Jigsaw" an arc of competency, as his first attempts at creating "teaching" situations are fundamentally faulty. It isn't until someone actually survives one of The Jigsaw Killer's games that he is able to recognize that his subjects require the sounding board of social interaction to enable them to recognize his message. First-time director James Wan made this movie at a lightning pace "on spec", which is to say that he took no up-front cash for his work, and the script managed to draw stars like Cary Elwes, Monica Potter and Danny Glover.
Videodrome (1983)--David Cronenberg's tale of media exploitation was way ahead of its time, as many of Cronenberg's movies are. Now that "reality television" is on every channel in some way, shape or form, it's not difficult to see where Cronenberg was coming from, particularly when it comes to shows like Survivor, in which the participants either rise or sink to whatever occasion is concocted for them by the network. The visual effects in Videodrome are remarkable for the time, and still pack a punch today.
An Annoying Autobiographical Pause--I was a huge special-effects makeup fan when I was a teenager, back in the days before CGI took over from good old-fashioned latex and corn syrup. I'd watch any piece-of-crap flick if it featured makeup by Tom Savini, Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Werner Keppler, Stan Winston, William Tuttle or any other major makeup magician. Great makeup has catapulted many a crappy movie to cult status(Friday The 13th--I'm looking at you!) Here are a few flicks that are awful, awful movies with fantastic makeup effects:
The Incredible Melting Man(1977)--Makeup by Rick Baker. An astronaut survives a terrible space accident and becomes a blood-craving, human-being-shaped Jell-O mold. Remarkable ONLY for the amazing makeup effects achieved by Rick Baker, but they are truly remarkable, especially when you consider that a great deal of the movie is shot in daylight.
The Burning (1982)--Makeup by Tom Savini. This flick has incredibly good makeup and some really interesting death scenes that were achieved using inventive and never-before-used techniques. Also, it features Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander, both of whose characters actually survive, which is a departure from the usual Everyone Dies Save One philosophy adopted by most slasher flicks.
Pumpkinhead (1989)--Makeup by Stan Winston. A breakout flick for robotic effects. While Winston is not credited for makeup, all of the special effects artists were trained by him, and it is rumored that a number of the special-effects devices were taken home and retooled by Winston because they weren't up to his standards. Lance Henriksen, at his oily best, stars as a father who summons a vengeance demon to avenge the death of his son, only to turn around and try and stop it while he has Eyes Of Laura Mars flashes of the hideous grueling deaths of the people he wanted to kill in the first place.
It's Alive (1974)--Makeup By Rick Baker. Mutant killer baby runs wild in New York City. This awful movie, written and directed by Larry Cohen, is basically saved by Rick Baker's amazing makeup and creature creations, although it manages to achieve true pathos for about twelve seconds at the end.
The Stuff (1985)--Makeup by Ed French. Tagline:"Are you eating it, or is it eating you?" Another flick from auteur Larry Cohen. Ed French pioneers camera techniques that have since been used in modern classic horror flicks such as Nightmare On Elm Street. Also, there are some neat uses of pneumatic devices combined with stop-motion photography.
The Alligator People (1959)--Makeup by Dick Smith. A terrific example of Dick Smith's early work, The Alligator People is really all about the makeup and set a standard for makeup and special effects in the schlocky quick-flicks of the 1960's.
Maniac (1980)--Makeup by Tom Savini. This flick is so bad it is nearly unwatchable, but for the prosthetic effects and magical cinematic sleight-of-hand. However, it is flicks like this that paved the way for decent movies like Henry:Portrait Of A Serial Killer. It also paved the way for a slew of rip-off-flicks that follow the formula of Guy Gettin' Revenge For Terrible Childhood And/Or Gross Bodily Mutilation By Teenagers. Shot and released within weeks of Friday The 13th, Maniac has much better makeup effects, probably due to a major dose of mojo brought on by the rush of creativity generated by the challenges that Friday The 13th presented for Tom Savini. The highlight effect is a gunshot-to-the-head achieved using a plaster-lined latex head mold of Savini himself, a load of chicken guts and a real shotgun. The Mythbusters would be proud!
Now that I have two small children, I don't get out to the movies very often and rentals tend to favor Pixar and Disney instead of hard-core modern horror offerings. Besides, I have to be in a certain mood to absorb a horror movie that I want to hit me with everything it's got the first time I see it and truly, after a day of wiping orfices, breaking up arguments over what crayons taste like and picking up teeny-tiny toy shards I'm not really up for seeing someone's viscera thrown about with abandon. I got lucky when my husband rented me Hostel--the kids were on a sleepover with Grandma and he had little interest in watching the film so I was able to watch it alone, in the dark, for maximum impact. After reading about some of my sister's horror picks that I haven't seen, I really want to go and rent 'em and send the kids to Grandma's!
The Omen (1976)--This movie still scares the pants off me. Richard Donner pioneered the modern American "set piece death scene" in this flick, the best example being David Warner's amazing decapiation with a sheet of glass.
Brain Damage (1988)--Tagline: "It's A Headache From Hell!" Actually, that's not strictly true, as anyone who has unearthed this weird little movie knows. Average-guy Brian finds himself saddled with a strange little penis-shaped pal named Aylmer who squirts joy-juice into his head so Brian will be happily out of it while Aylmer eats other people's brains. Aylmer has a funny sort-of British accent, for some reason. Oh, and he likes to sing. Frank Henenlotter writes, directs, produces and provides the voice of Aylmer under an alias.
Bug (1975)--I slept with the lights on for weeks after seeing this flick when I was a kid. Basically, Bradford Dillman discovers some truly ugly mutant alien bugs that eat ashes and set things on fire whenever they feel like it, sooooo he decides that the really really smart thing to do would be to allow them to mate with regular Earth cockroaches in an old diver's helmet. The Late Great William Castle, Master Of Maximum Marketing Ploys co-wrote the script and took a giant cockroach on a tour of theaters showing the flick. Jeannot Szwarc directed, so there are lingering pullaway shots of Patty McCormack all grown up (and on fire), and emotionally intense, sweaty close-ups of Bradford Dillman observing the roaches getting it on.
Theatre Of Blood (1973)--Vincent Price plus Diana Rigg plus William Shakespeare equals a majorly creepy-silly flick. There are some truly distubing scenes in this movie, not the least of which is Diana Rigg in reverse drag.
Hostel (2005)--American college students are busily pissing all over Amsterdam when they hear about a hostel in Slovakia that is supposedly jam-packed with loose hotties, so of course, they just have to go and get a piece! The first half of this flick plays just like any other piece of vintage slasher crap. The second half will have you on the edge of your seat, and possibly puking into your popcorn. Eli Roth, aided by whispers from Quentin Taratino and lots of influence from Japanese horror master Miike Takashi, presents a flick that exposes just exactly how clueless Americans are about attitudes and living conditions in other parts of the world. This movie is a must-see for any horror maven.
Misery (1990)-- "I'm your number one fan!" Novelist Paul Sheldon has the bad fortune to get into a car accident in the snowy Colorado mountains and be "rescued" by his "number one fan" Annie Wilkes, who is, to put it mildly, crazy mad insane. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Stephen King and William Goldman, Misery is incredibly frightening and incredibly funny at the same time. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes, and she earned it!
Saw (2004)--While Saw smells strongly of Seven (1995) it manages to be original in the execution. The character of "The Jigsaw Killer" is probably the coolest Bad Dude since Michael Myers busted out of the funny farm. His reasons for putting selected subjects into situations in which they could live or die depending on their reaction to the "fight or flight" instinct are ostensibly philanthropic and provide a mirror for the current plague of "diseases", addictions and bad choices excused by a social climate that doesn't just tolerate, but actually celebrates victimhood. The film even gives "Jigsaw" an arc of competency, as his first attempts at creating "teaching" situations are fundamentally faulty. It isn't until someone actually survives one of The Jigsaw Killer's games that he is able to recognize that his subjects require the sounding board of social interaction to enable them to recognize his message. First-time director James Wan made this movie at a lightning pace "on spec", which is to say that he took no up-front cash for his work, and the script managed to draw stars like Cary Elwes, Monica Potter and Danny Glover.
Videodrome (1983)--David Cronenberg's tale of media exploitation was way ahead of its time, as many of Cronenberg's movies are. Now that "reality television" is on every channel in some way, shape or form, it's not difficult to see where Cronenberg was coming from, particularly when it comes to shows like Survivor, in which the participants either rise or sink to whatever occasion is concocted for them by the network. The visual effects in Videodrome are remarkable for the time, and still pack a punch today.
An Annoying Autobiographical Pause--I was a huge special-effects makeup fan when I was a teenager, back in the days before CGI took over from good old-fashioned latex and corn syrup. I'd watch any piece-of-crap flick if it featured makeup by Tom Savini, Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Werner Keppler, Stan Winston, William Tuttle or any other major makeup magician. Great makeup has catapulted many a crappy movie to cult status(Friday The 13th--I'm looking at you!) Here are a few flicks that are awful, awful movies with fantastic makeup effects:
The Incredible Melting Man(1977)--Makeup by Rick Baker. An astronaut survives a terrible space accident and becomes a blood-craving, human-being-shaped Jell-O mold. Remarkable ONLY for the amazing makeup effects achieved by Rick Baker, but they are truly remarkable, especially when you consider that a great deal of the movie is shot in daylight.
The Burning (1982)--Makeup by Tom Savini. This flick has incredibly good makeup and some really interesting death scenes that were achieved using inventive and never-before-used techniques. Also, it features Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander, both of whose characters actually survive, which is a departure from the usual Everyone Dies Save One philosophy adopted by most slasher flicks.
Pumpkinhead (1989)--Makeup by Stan Winston. A breakout flick for robotic effects. While Winston is not credited for makeup, all of the special effects artists were trained by him, and it is rumored that a number of the special-effects devices were taken home and retooled by Winston because they weren't up to his standards. Lance Henriksen, at his oily best, stars as a father who summons a vengeance demon to avenge the death of his son, only to turn around and try and stop it while he has Eyes Of Laura Mars flashes of the hideous grueling deaths of the people he wanted to kill in the first place.
It's Alive (1974)--Makeup By Rick Baker. Mutant killer baby runs wild in New York City. This awful movie, written and directed by Larry Cohen, is basically saved by Rick Baker's amazing makeup and creature creations, although it manages to achieve true pathos for about twelve seconds at the end.
The Stuff (1985)--Makeup by Ed French. Tagline:"Are you eating it, or is it eating you?" Another flick from auteur Larry Cohen. Ed French pioneers camera techniques that have since been used in modern classic horror flicks such as Nightmare On Elm Street. Also, there are some neat uses of pneumatic devices combined with stop-motion photography.
The Alligator People (1959)--Makeup by Dick Smith. A terrific example of Dick Smith's early work, The Alligator People is really all about the makeup and set a standard for makeup and special effects in the schlocky quick-flicks of the 1960's.
Maniac (1980)--Makeup by Tom Savini. This flick is so bad it is nearly unwatchable, but for the prosthetic effects and magical cinematic sleight-of-hand. However, it is flicks like this that paved the way for decent movies like Henry:Portrait Of A Serial Killer. It also paved the way for a slew of rip-off-flicks that follow the formula of Guy Gettin' Revenge For Terrible Childhood And/Or Gross Bodily Mutilation By Teenagers. Shot and released within weeks of Friday The 13th, Maniac has much better makeup effects, probably due to a major dose of mojo brought on by the rush of creativity generated by the challenges that Friday The 13th presented for Tom Savini. The highlight effect is a gunshot-to-the-head achieved using a plaster-lined latex head mold of Savini himself, a load of chicken guts and a real shotgun. The Mythbusters would be proud!
Now that I have two small children, I don't get out to the movies very often and rentals tend to favor Pixar and Disney instead of hard-core modern horror offerings. Besides, I have to be in a certain mood to absorb a horror movie that I want to hit me with everything it's got the first time I see it and truly, after a day of wiping orfices, breaking up arguments over what crayons taste like and picking up teeny-tiny toy shards I'm not really up for seeing someone's viscera thrown about with abandon. I got lucky when my husband rented me Hostel--the kids were on a sleepover with Grandma and he had little interest in watching the film so I was able to watch it alone, in the dark, for maximum impact. After reading about some of my sister's horror picks that I haven't seen, I really want to go and rent 'em and send the kids to Grandma's!
posted by Fistandantalus | 1:37 PM
1 Comments:
I cannot believe I forgot the Omen and Videodrome. And while we're at it, I forgot Scanners and The Brood, too. The Omen really, really scared me when I was little (as I am sure you can remember, since you showed it to me). What always got me was the guy who rigged the gun to kill himself, and the nanny who jumped off the building. I need to add an addendum to my list...or I should have made it 100 instead of 50!
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