Celebrating My 50th with 50 Favorites

 So in just a few days, I'm turning 50.  While it sounds monumental and scary, I'm really okay with it.  It's better than the alternative, right? It's also important to mention that this blog is now ten years old.  In March of this year, it turned a decade old and it's still going, despite going bursts of time with no updates. 
 
In correspondence of these two "historic" events, I've decided to do a little countdown, because everyone loves lists and because it's been many years since I've done a favorites list.  Back in October of 2011, I did a list of 31 favorite films, in which I essentially just did a review of each of those films to celebrate the Halloween season.  
I have noticed that while many of my favorites still made the cut this time, I have replaced several of them with other films I have grown to love. 

So without further ado, here are numbers 50 - 41.

50. The Resurrected (1991)

This adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story is directed by Dan O'Bannon and stars Chris Sarandon as as Charles Dexter Ward, a man dedicated to the science of bringing the dead back to life. While some of the acting is campy, the special effects are very good and the story compelling enough to look past the hokey parts.  Ward's wife (played by Jane Tibbett) hires a private investigator (John March) to look into Charles's unusual behavior.  Unusual is quite the understatement, as you'll find out. What's so great about The Resurrected is the mood it sets and the unnerving feeling you get as you watch events unfold.

49. Pet Sematary (1989)

I couldn't leave this Stephen King adaption off my list.  It was one of the first King novels that I read so it holds a special place in my heart. When the movie came out, there's no denying it was downright scary.  From Victor Pascow's nightly jaunts to good ol' Jud introducing Louis Creed to the power of the "real" pet graveyard to Gage's accident and subsequent trip to the Micmac burial grounds to Rachel's sister Zelda, there is a whole lot to be frightened of.  And we can't forget Church. What a cat!

48. Subspecies (1991)

It's all about the atmosphere for this vampire tale set in Romania. Filmed on location in Bucharest, the ambience of rotting castles and vampire-fearing locals only adds to the film's appeal.  While the acting is actually pretty bad, it's a truly dark and moody journey into the heart of a (formerly) communist country.  Radu (Anders Hove) has killed his father, the vampire king (horror royalty Angus Scrimm), in order to be able to utilize the "bloodstone", an ancient relic that drips the life-sustaining blood of the saints.  Three beautiful college friends travel to Castle Vladislas to do research on the ruins and run smack into a power struggle between Radu and his extremely attractive half-brother, Stefan.  Chaos ensues.  Hilarity also becomes unavoidable once the stop-motion sub-species creatures come into play.  But I can overlook silliness for pure atmosphere....and a great soundtrack.

47.  The Shining (1980)

 This is a film I have watched countless times and would consider one of my go-to "comfort horror" favorites.  I know Stephen King isn't crazy about this version of his best selling novel, but there's no doubt it's a juggernaut of terror.  Jack Nicholson is over the top as Jack Torrance, a man with just enough inner crazy to be sent over the edge when holed up in a haunted hotel for the winter with his passive wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and young, psychically-enabled son Danny (Danny Lloyd).  So much shockingly ghastly goodness to love here but I'll say the blood-drenched elevators, the wacky ballroom party, the rotting woman in the bathtub and the last scenes of the chase in the maze all say horror to me, and in a big way.

 46. Rogue (2007)

It's kind of hard to find a good crocodile horror flick that isn't a comedy. But I have found it, and it's glorious.  Michael Vartan stars as a travel writer who hops on a touristy cruise down an Australian National Park river.  The always great Radha Mitchell is the guide for a group of folks that even includes the lovable Aussie John Jarratt (Wolf Creek).  Long story short, the gang runs smack dab into a giant crocodile's territory and getting out is one big pain in the ass (and a lot of other places).  Run aground and stuck on the edge of a small island about to be submerged by the tide, the group slowly stops placing blame and begins to work together to devise a plan for survival.  Great effects, stellar casting and a lovely yet fierce score make this one to admire.  If you haven't seen it, do get on that, stat.

45. Pumpkinhead (1998)

Now this is a film that wins me over every...single...time.  With superb creature effects by Stan Winston (who also directed) and the talents of the stupendous icon, Lance Henriksen, Pumpkinhead is a delight to be savored at each viewing.  What is thought of as B-grade horror is near the top of any discerning horror fan's monster flick list.  Henriksen plays Ed Harley, a backwoods proprietor of goods and the loving father to Billy, who sadly becomes the victim of the antics of a group of snot-nosed twenty-somethings out for a good time.  Ed, overcome with relentless grief, has the local witch conjure up a terrifying revenge.  And its name is Pumpkinhead.  Suspense and atmosphere are key here, with the monster effects certainly worthy of the great Winston name. 

44.  The Wolfman (1941)

Universal monsters have a special place in my heart, as they do for many a horror fan.  I love all the classics, but a few of them I hold a little dearer, this werewolf story being one of them.  Lon Chaney Jr. portrays Larry Talbot, a man heading home to the family estate after the mysterious death of his brother. When the friend of his love interest Gwen (Evelyn Ankers) finds herself attacked in the dense fog, it's up to Larry to attempt a rescue.  Instead, he gets bitten by a wolf, at least that's what he thought...  With gypsies and silver bullets and transformations, The Wolfman has it all, topped off by the sheer charisma of Chaney.  And do keep in mind: 
Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night;
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.

43. The Birds (1963)

When Hitchcock finished Psycho, I'm sure he was wondering what he could possibly do to surpass the popularity and critical acclaim of that film.  Did he accomplish it here?  No.  But The Birds is a damn fine film in its own right, and I still love popping it in and singing a rousing round of "Risselty-Rosselty."  Ahhhh! Total ear-worm.  I digress.  I love The Birds. I love Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren, I love Jessica Tandy.  Hell, I even love Veronica Cartwright.  But what I love most is those birds. EVERYWHERE.  On the power lines, at the school, the monkey bars, the roof, the cars, the restaurants, the gas station....even in the attic.  Such a powerful statement these birds make, for just one bird is nothing...not scary in the least.  But put hundreds together and it's just totally unsettling.  In the best possible way!

 42. Misery (1990)

Misery, by Stephen King, is a fantastic read. And the film is just as extraordinary.  With two knock-it-out-of-the-park performances by James Caan and most especially Kathy Bates.  Centered on a writer who always finishes his novels in the same way, Misery introduces us to Paul Sheldon, a best-selling author who wrecks his Mustang in a snowstorm and is rescued from near death by one Annie Wilkes, who just happens to be his number one fan.  After treating his multiple injuries (because she is a nurse, you know) she neglects to notify his family and friends and proceeds to hole him up in her cabin and force him to re-write one of his novels after he had the audacity to kill off the main character that Annie lived and breathed.  Bates won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance and Caan is equally as stellar in his role.  The title is perfect for this one.  The film is equally as perfect.

41.  The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Based on a book by the genre favorite prolific horror writer Richard Matheson, Hell House is a British film that tells the tale of the Belasco house, supposedly the "Mount Everest of haunted houses".  Dr Lionel Barrett is tasked to prove one way or the other, and takes his wife and two psychics with him over Christmas holiday to debunk the mansion and all its ghosts.  Now, there's nothing I like better than a good haunted house flick, and this was one of my first experiences with one, I vividly remember watching this one on television with my mom on a rainy Saturday afternoon, so it holds very dear memories for me.  Through electromagnetic experiments, seances and other manners of ghost-hunting, they find the source of the hauntings, at least they think they do.  But all is not as it seems.  And Belasco is not finished with our ghost-busters.  Not by a long shot.  There's something very eerie and unsettling about this film, and I think it is just the tremendous bones the story itself has, and we have Matheson to thank for that.


Next up, numbers 40-31...

Friday Flashback: Misery (1990): One Big Bastard Of A Movie!

In keeping with our winter horror theme, we're going back to 1990 for a great film with a snowy setting, and a storm that figures in centrally to the story line.

An absolutely virtuoso performance by Kathy Bates highlights one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made.  Rob Reiner lends a careful eye to detail and keeps the fluff to a minimum in this at times chilling yet always entertaining film.

Paul Sheldon (James Caan, also fabulous here) is a multi-million dollar selling novelist whose fortune has come from penning sappy historical romance novels with a main character named Misery Chastain.  He's disgusted with himself, tired of selling out to Misery's success and ready to try out a new genre. He is back at the Silver Creek Lodge as per his usual course of action when he's finishing up his latest manuscript. This time though, it's a departure from the romance he's been doing.

Proud of his work and excited to turn it in to his agent, he starts off for home but gets caught in a menacing blizzard and goes over an embankment and into a deep snow bank.

Lucky for him, someone has been following him and hence treks down through the snow to rescue him from certain death.  Enter Annie Wilkes (Bates).  Paul Sheldon's Number One Fan.

At first, Paul thinks he has to be the luckiest man in the world. Imagine your luck, wrecking your car in a major snowstorm. Easy to imagine it would be your last hours on earth, waiting to slowly freeze to death and perhaps not being found until the spring thaw.  But Paul is found, carried out (yes!) to safety by a big brute of a registered nurse. He's then driven to her humble abode and tucked into a nice warm bed. 

When he awakes, Annie is at hand with pain meds and an explanation of the severity of his injuries, including compound fractures of several bones in both legs, rendering him utterly helpless.
At first, all seems well.  Annie is a very attentive nurse, always ready with food, comfort, and stories of just how much she loves Paul's books.  What a crazy coincidence!  Snowbound at a house where someone doesn't just love his books, she lives and breathes them.

They get along like gangbusters for a while, with Paul even agreeing to allow Annie to read his unpublished manuscript (which she conveniently managed to dig out of his wrecked car as well), which makes her so excited she can barely contain herself. Annie also assures Paul that once the storm stops and the phones are up, she'll get in touch with both his agent and his daughter. She even introduces him to her pig, Misery.
Yikes.

There is a creepy moment of clarity however, when the two are discussing Paul's new novel -which Annie doesn't like in the least due to excessive profanity - and she flies off the handle, spilling hot soup on Paul.  Though she profusely apologizes, Paul gets a first hand look at the other side of Annie Wilkes.  And it's not pleasant.

Unfortunately, the final Misery book is released during Paul's extended stay at Annie's isolated farmhouse. Naturally Annie grabs up the first copy of the novel while shopping in town and digs in.  One night, Paul is awakened by a very pissed-off Annie, who has finally gotten to the part where Paul killed off Misery Chastain. And then, things get really (in Annie's words) oogy.

The local sheriff Buster (Richard Farnsworth), meanwhile, is following leads and doing his own investigating in an attempt to locate the missing author. Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) also fears the worst as she tries to track him down as well.  He finds some newspaper articles about a trial that involved Annie and several dead infants at a hospital she was employed at. He matches one of her quotes from the trial with a line from one of the Misery books and presto!

But Annie isn't letting Paul get away with killing off Misery.  She exacts a revenge custom suited to her needs by forcing Paul to first burn his unpublished manuscript and then setting him up with a typewriter to write a new Misery book - one that will bring her back from the dead.  For inspiration, she puts on her Liberace records. 

But Paul isn't just going to lay down and give up.  He's getting stronger every day, and when Annie makes trips to town, he ventures out of his confinement and attempts to find a way out that he could manage while still in a wheelchair.  Sadly though, this idea ends badly when Annie finds out Paul has been out of his room. If you've seen this film, then you know what comes next. 

Misery doesn't shy away from showing how bad an unhealthy obsession can get. The film is torturing us just as Annie does the same to Paul, physically.  Paul's struggles to get out mirror Annie's struggle to keep him there at her house forever. When she admits she's never called anyone - that no one is coming to get him, and that no one even knows he's there - it's probably the most frightening moment of the entire film.  When you realize just how bat-shit crazy she really is, it's too late. You're completely engrossed. And loving every minute of it.

Like I said, Kathy Bates was so excellent, portraying what is now known to be one of the scariest horror villains (male or female) in all of movie history.  Put Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter with Kathy Bates here and you have a set of horror bookends that's hard to beat. And they have the Oscars to prove it.
At times it's hard not to feel a little bit bad for Annie- she's obviously a sad soul -but then you have to shake it off, remember that she killed a bunch of babies, and is more than one fry short of a Happy Meal.

But that's what makes Misery so deliciously good!

"The rain. Sometimes it gives me the blues. When you first came here, I only loved the writer part of Paul Sheldon. Now I know I love the rest of him, too. I know you don't love me, don't say you do. You're beautiful, brilliant, a famous man of the world and I'm…not a movie star type. You'll never know the fear of losing someone like you if you're someone like me."
~ Annie Wilkes

Snowbound: Winter Horror Films To Keep You Warm ~Part 2

 GHOST STORY (1981)

One of my very favorite films is steeped in cold dread as four men face the irresponsible and costly mistakes of their youth. A freezing winter setting is perfect for the ghostly happenings that descend upon the small New England town of Milburn. There is a quiet uneasiness about the whole film as it follows a group of older gents that when in college, met the beautiful and enigmatic Eva Galli. A horrific accident puts Eva in her grave - but she doesn't quite stay there.  While some people complain about it being too slow, or that it doesn't follow author Peter Straub's book close enough (and I've long considered Straub's book my favorite novel) - it didn't bother me. The weather plays a big part in Ghost Story, as their little Vermont town is front and center and overtaken by snow at every turn.  It even has some lovely wintery deaths (a man falls off a bridge into a frozen river, another is attacked in his car while driving down a snowy road and ends up into a snow bank, etc.) and then there's the fact that Eva Galli has been under snow and ice in the pond for over fifty years...and she's pretty pissed.  A well-worth it slow burn with loads of atmosphere and many chilling scenes that will stick with you for a long time to come. /CH

COLD PREY II (2008)

Having survived the massacre at the abandoned hotel, Jannicke finds her way to a hospital. Much to her chagrin, the body of the maniac she tossed over an icy precipice has been recovered along with her dead friends, and brought to the same hospital. On closer inspection, the doctors discover he is not dead at all… Cold Prey II is a supreme slasher sequel. Picking up directly where the first film leaves off (in the first of many nods to Halloween II) it maintains the suspense and adds to the back-story. Aware of its status as a slasher sequel, but not in a Kevin Williamson kinda way, it has a bigger cast, higher body count and more elaborate kills, but still unravels as a refreshingly intelligent horror film. The body count may be higher, but the bodies are fully developed characters that react realistically to their predicament. The draughty, eerily deserted hospital setting emphasises the isolation and vulnerability of the characters. The explanation for its emptiness is rooted in social commentary and mirrors the plight of many small rural communities in Norway. Adding to the creepy atmosphere is the ever-wintry environs of the rural setting. Not a good place to be stranded when a psycho is on the loose…/JG

WHITEOUT (2009)

Looking for meteorites near the South Pole, an unexpected murder investigation goes south as Kate Beckinsale tries to discover who is on the right side of the law. When an unknown body is discovered in a remote location, it doesn't take anyone too long to realize death by ax in the Antarctic isn't exactly the norm. While it's somewhat hard to fathom Beckinsale as a US Marshall, I suppose belief can be suspended for a few hours while we watch her try to nab a killer. Time is of the essence though, as if they are too late boarding the final plane out before a monster storm, they will be stuck there for six months - with a murderer.  Not the best plot ever, but the howl of the antarctic wind, the brutal temps and non-stop blizzard conditions pack a frigid punch. /CH

CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944)

This ‘tender tale of terror’ was a follow up Cat People, the first in a series of moody, literate horror films produced by Val Lewton in the 1940s. It told of Serbian immigrant Irena who believes she descends from a race of people who turn into slathering panthers when their passions are aroused. Her marriage to the All-American Oliver becomes increasingly strained, and when Oliver begins an affair with his co-worker Alice, Irena’s heartbreak and jealously unlocks a side of her she had previously tried to suppress… Whereas Cat People, one of the first films to reference the work of Sigmund Freud, plays out as a dark and unflinching study of sexual repression and anxiety, Curse unravels as a haunting study of childhood fears and psychology, as Oliver and Alice’s young daughter makes a new friend who bears an uncanny similarity to her father’s now-dead first wife. Is her friend imaginary or is something more sinister afoot? Directed by Robert Wise, Curse is another evocative Lewton production which demonstrates how effective the ‘less is more’ approach to horror can be. Choosing to suggest horror rather than show it outright, Curse is a beautifully moody and atmospheric tale. Much of the story unfurls around Christmas time and there’s a particularly memorable moment when Irena reveals herself to Amy in the garden; light and shadows dancing and moving across the snow-covered scene./JG

MISERY (1990)One of the best Stephen King adaptations to date, Misery not only showcased the stellar acting talents of both Kathy Bates and James Caan, but it made everyone think twice about admitting to being a "number 1 fan:" of anything.  Paul Sheldon leaves his writing haven during a blinding snowstorm and finds himself down an embankment and into a snowbank, soon to be rescued by one Annie Wilkes. Conveniently, Annie is a former nurse with knowledge of orthopedic injuries and an endless supply of pain killers.  Unfortunately for Paul, she's also fucking crazy.  The tension that ensues as Paul begins to realize he may never get out of Annie's remotely located snowed-in farmhouse only ratchets up further when she finds out he's been out of his locked room.  Not only that, but he killed off Annie's favorite character in his famous Misery Chastain romances. Over time the snow piles up higher and higher, as does Paul's fears - until he devises a plan to escape.  But Annie's punishments are ever-so hobbling humbling. A really great film to watch on a snowy Sunday afternoon./CH

WIND CHILL (2007)

Revolving around two unacquainted university students driving home for Christmas and becoming stranded in a snow storm on a haunted stretch of road in the middle of nowhere, Wind Chill has much to recommend it. Described by its screenwriter Steven Katz as an attempt to create “the world’s smallest ghost story”, the majority of the film is set within a small, draughty car stalled on the snow-smothered roadside. Boasting a creepy intimacy which is enhanced by well-drawn characters, an unnerving atmosphere, claustrophobic setting and unrelenting chilliness, much of the uneasiness, to begin with anyway, comes from the frosty relationship between the two characters. Although events eventually venture out into the snowy night beyond the relative safety of the car, they do so only briefly, and what unfolds there, in the dark, icy forest, will have you longing to be back inside the car. Disturbing encounters and spectral visions bolster the wintry tone and up the tension, as do the secretive and ambiguous nature of Ashton Holmes’ character, and his true intentions regarding his offer to drive Emily Blunt home. Sadly, if the overall foundering atmospherics don’t freeze your blood, the unsurprising reveal will leave you feeling somewhat cold…/JG

LET ME IN (2010)

When it was announced that an American remake was in the works for the already perfect LTROI made only a few years before, outrage within the horror community seemed imminent. The original film, based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist, was a fantastic tale about a adolescent young boy and his relationship with a cold-hearted killer - a vampire stuck in the body of a twelve-year-old who has been feeding off humans for decades. The remake tells the same story, basically. The two actors in the main roles (Chloë Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee) were excellent as Abby and Owen, able to convey true depth of emotion well beyond their young years. As the two get to know each other in a snow-covered courtyard of their apartment building, we slowly become aware that Abby is something other than just your average pre-teen.  Winter horror abounds here, with frozen lakes, snowy schoolyards, and plenty of the red stuff on white. For as quietly wonderful and genuinely terrifying as the original film is, this redux is - while not its equal - an extremely good Americanized version. In my opinion not to be missed, and I don't say that about too many remakes! /CH

Female Villains in Horror: Annie Wilkes

So here we are.
The official start to Women in Horror Recognition Month.
As promised, I begin my month-long spotlight of female horror villains to you starting with one of my all-time favorites:
Annie Wilkes.

[**Please keep in mind every entry this month in this series has possible (and probable) spoilers.
I am not responsible for raining on your parade**]

***

"I'm your number 1 fan...."

Yikes. Hearing that sentence makes most people cringe these days, due to the powerhouse performance by Kathy Bates as the hot-tempered, way-off-kilter psychopath Annie Wilkes in the movie Misery.

The outstanding book by Stephen King (one of his best) makes Annie even more of a terror, in my opinion. For instance, she doesn't shoot the town sherriff in the basement, she runs him over outside with a riding lawn mower. And she doesn't just sledgehammer Paul Sheldon's feet, she cuts one off with an ax. But alas, for the movie to turn out slightly less gruesome than say, Saw, changes were made. (I for one, would have loved to have seen the lawnmower demise....call me sick, I can take it.)

So why is Annie so obsessed with making Paul her prisoner? Well, she really doesn't see it that way - and that is the most disturbing part. Coincidence and bad luck put Paul on that snowy highway at just that time. His wreck and eventual rescue was just a really (exceptionally) bad day, actually.

If he'd have just waited until after the snowstorm to leave the hotel....
Yeah, well... he didn't.



And what a lucky break for our favorite psychotic nurse! Finding her favorite author along the side of the road - and having the medical skills (?) to save him - and the inhuman strength to heave him over her shoulder and lug him up a hillside through two feet of snow!

So she takes him home and locks him away in a lovely room with a view and at first, all is peachy. But then Paul allows her to read an ARC of a book he is finishing, she is appalled at his use of derogatory language and content. Here, after a fit of rage and some spilled soup, is where Paul realizes all hope is possibly lost.

Things continue on a downward spiral when Annie picks up a copy of Paul's latest Misery book and finds out he killed off her favorite character. That is where things get rather slippery.

Annie is a classic sociopathic personality. Apparently she had been arrested and tried for some suspicious deaths at the hospital she worked at. (In the book she was responsible for several other murders, including her own father) She can't see anything outside the restraints of her own mental illness. And to watch her slip further into madness is anything but boring.

Kathy Bates absolutely deserved the Oscar she won for her performance in the 1990 movie.

She owned that role, scared the shit out of me, and will forever go down as one of the greatest female villains of all time.




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