Celebrating My 50th with 50 Favorites ~ Part 3

Still counting down - here's numbers 30-21...

30. Session 9 (2001)

Psychological horror makes an indelible impression on me. A movie need not have even a drop of blood, if the story-line is compelling and plays with my emotions, I'm hooked.  Session 9 is one of those films, with its subtle yet ominous mood.  It digs under your skin until it finds a place to relax, then it hits you when you least expect it.  With the benefit of probably one of the greatest movie locations, the former Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts, the hulking ediface just screams haunted, so it is with great ease that one gets sucked into the atmosphere of quiet terror it presents. Gordon (Peter Mullen) owns a small asbestos removal company and he takes on the contract of removing the nasty product from the hospital, claiming that it will be done in one week.  He and his crew, led by Phil (David Caruso) begin the task as Gordon grapples with problems at home, and a sense of deja vu at the hospital.  Meanwhile, another crew member, Mike (Stephen Gevedon), becomes obsessed with the audio sessions of one of the patients, Mary Hobbes, who displays a number of distinct personalities.  To say more would ruin the film, so I'll leave it at that.  Seek this out if you haven't seen it.  It's disturbingly excellent.

29. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

"I'm sorry I called you a meatloaf, Jack."  John Landis's brilliant werewolf film is equal parts fright and fun.  Special effects by Rick Baker won an Academy Award and there's a reason for that - they are outstanding.  Poor David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), all they were trying to do is see the English countryside when even after being warned, they veer off the road and onto the moors, where they are promptly attacked by....something.  Injecting humor at every turn, Landis nonetheless creates a terrifying film with gruesome and suspenseful attacks. You're rooting for David to discover the truth, and with the help of new girlfriend Alex (Jenny Agutter), he's bound to figure things out, right?  I've loved this film since I was in high school, shortly after its release.  When it comes on TV, I'm compelled to watch it.  Likewise I can throw my BluRay in for some much needed comfort horror, it's just that good.

28. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) 

I love Donald Sutherland.  Who doesn't?  He's great in everything he does and this film is no exception.  With the benefit of a stellar cast including Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, and Veronica Cartwright, this remake of the 1956 classic is an unnerving look at an alien invasion that occurs much more inconspicuously than most sci-fi flicks.  When Elizabeth (Adams) comes to her co-worker at the Health Dept, Matthew, and describes the change in personality that her live-in boyfriend has been displaying, they take it upon themselves to investigate, realizing that something is happening all over the city.  People are devoid of emotion and completely unfazed by the growing epidemic.  Science fiction has never been my favorite, but when it's as exceptional as this I am totally all-in. 

27. The Fog (1980)

Following up with a film after Halloween must have been a difficult task for John Carpenter, and I'm not here to say The Fog is superior to Halloween even though it is higher on my list.  I just happen to find the themes and atmosphere of The Fog more intriguing.  I love the ocean, so anything creepy and set at the sea does it for me.  The Fog also has some serious horror heavyweights in it, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau, and Janet Leigh.   When the town of Antonio Bay is set to celebrate its 100th Founders Anniversary, a curse is let loose upon them - seems the original founders sunk a ship full of lepers before they made shore and then proceeded to steal all their gold to build the current town.  And the ghosts of the pissed off sailors exact a nasty revenge....

26. Gojira (aka Godzilla, 1954)

First things first - stay away from the 1956 Americanized version with Raymond Burr....just NO.
When I was a young whippersnapper, Mom and I used to watch Godzilla movies on Saturday afternoons and this was my first experience with the great monster from the deep.  And I LOVED it.  I still have unwavering love for the big guy, but I will always count this one as my favorite.  Long story short, giant dinosaur-like creature is awakened deep under the sea by hydrogen bomb testing and wreaks havoc on unsuspecting Japanese folks. Some viewers may say this is hokey, and of course they'd be right.  But Godzilla is KING OF THE MONSTERS and don't let anyone tell you different.  If you've seen all the remakes and sequels but haven't seen the original, you need to rectify that shit right now.

25. From Beyond the Grave (1974)

Another Amicus anthology starring Peter Cushing as the owner of an antiques shoppe, it has four stories that involve antiques purchased at said shoppe.  Each customer tries to trick or rob the proprietor, but he has the last laugh.  A man buys a haunted mirror that talks to him and requests victims; a disgruntled husband finds love with a match & shoestring salesman's bizarre daughter; a witch warns a man of an 'elemental' on his shoulder; and after purchasing a door from the shoppe a man finds more than he bargains for after installing it in his home.  Of note, Donald Pleasence and his daughter Angela (who truly is very creepy, whether she means to be or not) star in the second segment. What can I say?  I love Amicus and their anthologies.  There are many more of them, such as Tales from the Crypt, Asylum, and The Vault of Horror, just to name a few. They are all fairly dated, having been produced in the late 60's and early 70's but they are all worth a look!

24. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

One of the newest films on my list of 50, this movie is a joy to behold. I don't particularly like comedy in my horror unless it's done right (as in An American Werewolf in London) but this is truly one of the funniest movies, any genre, that I have ever seen.  With a random group of vampires from many different eras all sharing a flat, you can expect laughs - and this delivers.  Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi wrote and directed this independent film from New Zealand that has a quartet of vampires trying to fit in to "normal" society, with hilarious results.  There is a supposed sequel in the works that involves the werewolves (not swearwolves) in the film, and an American television program based on the film heads our way in 2019.

23. Jurassic Park (1993)

I know what you're thinking.  Jurassic Park (and all its counterparts) is not a horror film, and while I would agree with you on a grander scale, this is my blog and I think anytime you have man-eating dinosaurs, it feels like horror to me.  As the Steven Spielberg train keeps a' rollin' down this prehistoric track even today, Jurassic Park is the one that started them all and still packs the biggest punch.  Who wasn't psyched to see those dinos out on the grasses just like Dr Grant & co?  But of course the greatest thrills in the film come from the Velociraptors and the big man himself, the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  I can honestly say the huge lump in my throat when the T-Rex made his presence known is just as big as any other horror film I have been terrified by.  And those raptors in the kitchen? Yikes!  I love dinosaurs, and who doesn't? I would be happy if there was a Jurassic Park sequel every few years FOREVER.

22. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Yes, I know The Devil's Rejects is a better film.  No, I don't usually love exploitation films. Yes, I know this movie is trashy.  But damn if I don't adore it.   Rob Zombie has a mixed bag of tricks in his director bag, and there are a few of his I could toss by the wayside.  But I truly appreciate his devotion to the genre because I know he is a true-blue fan.  House of 1000 Corpses plays like a 90 minute music video by Zombie, which would seem unbearable.  And though the film falters a bit at the end, the first hour is just so much fun.  With humor (intentional or not) rife throughout, the 70's vibe is spot on and the disturbed Firefly family is ridiculously over the top, but in a good way.  Zombie's wife, Sheri Moon, has a starring role as is the norm in his movies, and here she plays Baby with all the demented intensity she can muster.  Playing her mom is genre favorite Karen Black, and Bill Moseley as Otis and Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding make up the craziest motley crew you've seen since the Sawyers in rural Texas.  Chris Harwick as Jerry and Rainn Wilson as Bill bring their girlfriends along on a road trip to discover unique roadside attractions.....and they hit the mother lode when they stop at Captain Spaudling's.

21. Candyman (1992)

Candyman is actually a fairly frightening film. It benefits by the great Tony Todd starring as the title character and Virginia Madsen as the fearless Helen Lyle, a graduate student focusing on urban legends for her thesis.  She hears the local story of Candyman and goes in search of the truth behind the speculation.  It's a gritty look at the seedy underbelly of a major city, where the lore usually comes from actual events in the past - and I'm not sure what's scarier, the made-up stories or the truth.  The Cabrini Green housing projects of Chicago figure prominently into the plot, and to me, they are vastly more scary than anything else on screen, with its graffiti-laden walls and fiercely protective gang members.  When Helen comes face to face with the evidence, it all backfires and she becomes the hunted, much like Candyman was in his bleak and depressing past, where just falling in love comes with a price.  Clive Barker's tale is brought to the screen with fervor and passion, and a captivating score by the great Philip Glass adds an extra layer of depth. 

Octoberfest Five: 5 Doomed Romances In Horror

  Bram Stoker's Dracula

 It would be hard to consider a list of unfortunate couples without including the ultimate love story, so let's just get this one out of the way first. In Francis Ford Coppola's opulent retelling of the classic novel, destiny brings two lovers together again in another lifetime only to be torn apart by hatred. Though Mina Murray is already betrothed to the (horribly cast) Jonathan Harker, when she meets Prince Vlad she is inexplicably drawn to him and is soon meeting him in secret and allows herself to be courted by the mysterious Count. Things take a tragic turn for the worst when the Prince's true identity is discovered and he is determined to steal away with his long lost love.
Love never dies, people.

An American Werewolf in London

Werewolf movies are always a kick in the pants to romance.  And perhaps none more so than ill-fated love affair of David and Alex.  After losing his best friend to a gruesome "animal" attack and suffering injuries himself, David's charms score him a place to stay with sexy nurse Alex. However, as we all know, that wasn't just some animal that worked David over, it was a werewolf.  And we all know once the moon is full and the CCR starts playing on the radio, the carnage begins.  Alex has only one task as the sweetheart of a hairy beast....slay him after professing her love.  Beware of the moon....

Christine

Yep, I'm putting Arnie and his babe of a car on this list because love breaks down all stereotypes.
Nerdy Arnie and his popular jock best friend Dennis happen upon a junkyard in which sits the the most beautiful girl in the world, a 1958 cherry-red Plymouth Fury.  Though she's in shambles when Arnie hastily purchases her, Christine quickly comes alive and takes hold of Arnie with an unmatched love. And Christine will stop at nothing to possess Arnie's heart and soul.....but mostly his soul. She's bad to the bone.

The Evil Dead

Ash and Linda were just a couple of crazy kids headed to the obligatory cabin in the woods with some friends for a weekend of fun.  As we all know, that didn't exactly work out too well when the deadites showed up.  When Linda is possessed by one of the demons, Ash is forced to stab her when she attempts to kill him. Dragging her out into the shed, he tries to dismember her but is too broken-hearted to do it, so he just buries her in the yard.  Naturally, in this world, the dead don't stay dead and Linda raises from her shallow grave and once again tries to attack Ash.  This time he takes off her head with a shovel.   Love....sometimes you just can't get ahead.  Sometimes you can.

Cannibal Holocaust

Well, it served them right, didn't it?  When documentary filmmaker Alan and his girlfriend Faye trek into the Amazon rainforest with their two cameramen,  they should have known what they were getting themselves into.  Trying to film a documentary about previously undiscovered indigenous tribes was always a bad idea - but they agitated the living hell out of the Yacumo tribe by gang-raping one of their virgins and shooting another in the leg in order to locate their village.  The couple and their friends had already murdered various creatures in the forest, which for me is a death sentence anyway - and they certainly got their due, in particular Faye who is violently gang-raped and beheaded while Alan watches from behind some trees. But don't worry, he doesn't last long after that.  The other other white meat....it's what's for dinner.....


Honorable mentions:  Creepshow (Something to tide you over), Eden Lake, Thirst

31 days, 31 faves: An American Werewolf in London

I'm thinking I might as well just pull out all the films from 1981 in one fell swoop, 'cause I've got another one right here. An American Werewolf in London is my favorite werewolf movie, and with good reason. John Landis is a savvy son of a bitch, and I like it.

While I love Dog Soldiers for its brutality and The Howling (another '81 film, I'll have you know) for its big scary wolves, AAWIL has the perfect blend of horror and humor, and I'm sure that's what keeps it so high on many a list of favorite horror.

If you haven't seen the movie, I do have some spoilers in the recap below. But hell, if you haven't seen it, I'm not sure we can be friends.

So.... David and Jack are on a lovely walkabout in jolly old England. I've never actually been to England though, so I can't say just how jolly it truly is. Truth be told, if I'm going by this film, Britain doesn't look all that inviting - in particular the eerie moors, where our two friends end up after a ride with a load of sheep. Due to rain, they are drawn to the nearest stop - a pub on the outskirts of town (in actuality it's pretty damn far out of town).

The Slaughtered Lamb isn't your average pub. (Well, then again maybe it is. Again, I've not been across the pond, so some of you in the know will have to enlighten me.) When they stroll in, all action in the pub stops and everyone looks at them like they each have two heads. They're told there is no food there, but that they could be lucky enough to get some tea.
There is some bumbling conversation and when Jack asks why there is a pentagram painted on the wall, looks could certainly kill. The tension lies pretty thick, as all the locals eye them up and end up warning them, imploring them if you will, to stick to the road during their travels and avoid the moors at all cost.

Feeling waaaay to awkward to hang around there any longer, they make haste and start strolling along the road, debating the eccentricities of the pub, the weather, girls back home, and the fact that perhaps they should have started their backpacking adventure in Italy.

Soon, they hear a strange howling sound in the distance. If I were a gambler (and I am, on the first Saturday in May) I'd have never left the pub in the dead of night in a rainstorm in the first place, no matter how odd the folks were. Nonetheless, the menacing howling noise continues, seemingly getting closer with every step they take in the opposite direction. Extreme nervousness sets in and the guys start to practically run back to The Slaughtered Lamb.

Not so fast. When Jack trips and falls down, David tries to help him up but Jack is immediately attacked by some sort of creature. I'm thinking you can guess what it is considering the title of the movie. David turns and runs, then his conscience tells him to go back and see if he can help. Instead, he sees Jack ripped up like a rag doll and then is ambushed by - okay let's just say it! - a werewolf.

Before he can say Blue Moon, shots ring out and the wolf (?) is dead. From his vantage point on the ground, David loses consciousness just as he sees a man, naked and bleeding from several gunshot wounds, lying nearby. The men from the pub stand over him and watch the events unfold as he closes his eyes.

Waking up in the hospital with little recollection of said events, David is attended to by Doctor Hirsch and Nurse Alex Price. They explain that Jack is dead and he's been out like a light for several weeks. David argues with them that it was a wolf that attacked Jack and him, but when he is questioned by the police they assure him it was "just an escaped lunatic" (as if that's okay!)

As Nurse Price tends to his every need, he sleeps and has wild, inexplicable dreams in which he is naked and running through the woods, pouncing on deer like they are prey and chomping on their dead bodies like a deranged hunter of some sort. Worse yet is the bizarre dream about Nazi zombies coming to his home in America and killing his entire family, militia-style.

Making things even more unbelievable is the fact that David begins to get visits from Jack. Looking just like the recently deceased should, Jack argues with David that he was killed by a lycanthrope and that David's fate was sealed when it also bit him. He says that when the moon is full David will senselessly murder innocent people and that he has to take his own life before it comes to that. Jack also makes mention that anyone David happens to kill will be unable to move on - they'll be stuck in limbo until the curse is lifted.

These scenes in the film are my absolute favorite, with Jack sitting alongside David in his hospital bad, eating his toast from his breakfast tray and discussing his own morbidity. Fascinating stuff! The special effects (practical all the way) are stellar. Rick Baker is a freaking genius and anyone who wants to go into that line of work could take a lesson or two just from watching this movie. But I'm sure you know that, right?

Feeling bad for David and obviously attracted to him as well, Alex decides to let him come back to her flat (because everybody should pick up strange American men once in their lives). David is feeling all He-Man suddenly, and the two have a rousing bout of glad-to-meet-ya sex in the shower and beyond. I still can't hear Van Morrison's Moondance without picturing those scenes in my head. And just when David thinks he might be doing okay, Jack makes a return visit, this time even more decomposed than before and getting more and more pissy about David's need to off himself.

Alex heads off to work the next day and David's just hanging around the apartment (flat for all you Brits) doing nothing when it suddenly hits him. And just like that, he starts to turn into a werewolf. Almost certainly the best part of the movie, we watch limbs stretch and contort as David screams in pain and falls to the floor. The end result is a rather nasty looking wolf with no man left to speak of. Though I will say I prefer the wolf in The Howling (sorry!) because it seems more badass, I don't think the actual turning could have been better than in this film.

Off David (in his wolf form) goes to wreak panic on the streets of London (sounds like a song to me), eventually killing several unlucky souls before waking up in the zoo in the wolf pen. Pretty cool, huh? David is without apparel, so after some quick thinking on his part, he coaxes a young boy to give him his handful of balloons (great scene!). He then steals an extremely ugly red coat off a bench and rides the subway home. All in a day's work.

David realizes everything Jack said is true and decides to commit suicide, calling home to the states to wish everyone goodbye. When it comes down to it though, he pussies out. Needless to say, Jack accosts him at a sleasy porno theater and brings a cache of David's victims with him to discuss the various ways of killing himself. Time is his enemy though, and when it turns dark outside and the moon is full, David morphs into his wolfey alter ego and runs amok in Picadilly Circus.

As in most werewolf movies, it never ends well for the wolf. Most horror fans have seen this one, but I won't spoil the logistics of it here. Suffice it to say, it really wasn't a marvelous night for a moondance.

"A naked American man stole my balloons..."

After watching two really mediocre attempts at horror, I resigned myself that good horror is hard to come by. Great horror is nearly impossible to find. Crappy horror is a dime a dozen. Probably two out of every ten horror films produced are even remotely entertaining...


Hence my little sit down with my flat screen and one of my all-time faves, An American Werewolf in London (1981).


Exactly the right mix of horror and comedy, courtesy of the brilliant John Landis (who on a side note, directed the late great Michael Jackson in his masterpiece video, Thriller.)....





So, in lieu of posting a review (cause if you haven't actually seen it, what the hell are you reading this blog for?) - I decided to pick 10 reasons I love "An American Werewolf in London".

Listed in reverse chronological order (for no reason other than that's just how I roll), here you go:

10) Nazi-monsters who jump into David's house all SWAT-like and wipe out his entire family and slit his throat. Ta-dah, it's a dream...... But wait! Then they jump through the window at the hospital and kill Nurse Price... Ta-dah... another dream... Time to wake up.




9) Corpse Jack sitting on the couch holding Mickey Mouse: "Hi David!"






8) Sex in the shower with someone you just met. Someone from another country. Who was attacked by a 'lunatic' on the moors. Who is having mixed perceptions of reality and seeing his dead friend, and is almost convinced he's a werewolf. But it's sex, in the shower, right? I mean, really?





7) The transformation + "Blue Moon". Brilliant.





6) The scary scene in the tubes - the man alone in the underground subway being chased... and he finally trips up the escalator. Only then do you see the werewolf coming on screen, and only then do you really see how BIG he is. Probably the scariest part of the movie.




5) The scene in the theater where all the folks David slaughtered are discussing ways he can kill himself. Jack is miffed that they are so cruel. "Do you mind? The man's a friend of mine..."

4) A werewolf running up and down Piccadilly Circus. Classic.





3) The Slaughtered Lamb - "You made me miss. I've never missed that board in my life...".....
"There's no food here!".....




2) Speaking of the quirky pub off the beaten path in East Proctor - how about the strange folks who congregate there who seem to know a secret but aren't tellin'. "Remember the Alamo!"

1) Stick to the road, stay off the moors, and beware of the moon.

(advice Jack wishes to hell he'd have listened to...)