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Category: Cult Films

  • Combat Shock (1986)

    Combat Shock (1986)

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    The Vietnam War is arguably one of the most controversial wars in history. From 1955 to 1975, American troops were sent in to fight against the Vietcong. By the end, more than 3 million people lost their lives in the conflict, including over 58,000 American troops. But for the survivors, the worst was not over for them. After the war, many American troops started experiencing shell shock, aka Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This led drug abuse, depression, and an overall detachment from reality. There were even cases of veterans committing suicide. Soon after the war, filmmakers started exploring what such a conflict could do to someone. Films like The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now were among the first. Then, in 1984, aspiring filmmaker Buddy Giovinazzo brought us a film showing how a Vietnam veteran tries and fails to reintegrate into society with disastrous results. That film was Combat Shock.

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    The film centers around Frankie Dunlan (Rick Giovinazzo), a Vietnam veteran who is struggling to make ends meet. He has been out of work, his wife Cathy (Veronica Stork) is stuck at home taking care of their deformed baby, and they are about to be evicted. We learn through flashbacks that Frankie had been held captive and tortured for months before being taken to a hospital. While he was physically fine, he was and still is emotionally scarred from what he experienced. Back home, things are even worse: he goes to the unemployment office only to be told that there are no jobs for him, he owes money to a mob boss who won’t take no for an answer, and a childhood friend of his has become a junkie. This ultimately leads to Frankie spiraling out of control until he just can’t take it anymore.

    Without a doubt, Combat Shock is one of the bleakest and most shocking films of its kind. While it does have similar elements to Taxi Driver, the two are quite different. As dark and gritty as Taxi Driver is, Travis Bickle still saves the young girl, lives and has his job, and ends up with the love interest. Such is not the case with Combat Shock. It starts out bleak and depressing, and it stays that way. Even though the film is clearly low-budget and not the most well-made, this actually works to the film’s advantage. The gritty and grimy look really captures just how bleak the situation is. Plus, the performances here, especially from lead Rick Giovinazzo, are excellent. Just from his facial expressions, you can see the pain and anguish Frankie is going through. The music is also top-notch, capturing just how isolated and alone he feels.

    This film has an interesting production history behind it. Director Buddy Giovinazzo grew up in a family of musicians, though he was more interested in film. Since youth, he was always fascinated by classic horror films like Frankenstein and The Wolf Man. He was captivated by the sympathetic monster or the man becoming a monster against his free will. For his first film, he wanted to examine what it would be like if someone had a day where everything that could go wrong does. Filmed for very little money over the course of a few years, Giovinazzo struggled to make his vision a reality. The film was eventually picked up by Troma, the studio behind The Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke ‘Em High, and Troma’s War amongst others. Unfortunately, they had to cut the film for an R-rating and was marketed as more of an action film.

    In spite of this, Giovinazzo has nothing but nice things to say about Troma and understands why they had to cut the film. In fact, Troma president Lloyd Kaufman didn’t want to have the film cut at all. Sadly, with the way the market is, audiences wouldn’t have been ready for a film like this if it were marketed correctly. Thankfully, more and more people have seen it and recognized it as one of the better films from Troma. It’s a very atypical film from the studio known for their over-the-top gore, gratuitous nudity, and generally comedic tone. Not only is this a film that explores how someone’s life can go downhill so fast, Combat Shock also shows how passion and talent can create such a breathtaking film.

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  • The Undertaker (1988)

    The Undertaker (1988)

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    Joe Spinell is probably one of the most prolific character actors of all time. Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably seen him in at least one movie. Spinell has been in some of the biggest movies of the 70s, including The Godfather, Rocky, and Taxi Driver amongst others. For cult movie fans, he’s probably best known for movies like Starcrash, The Last Horror Film, and most notably Maniac. Despite his rough exterior, he was one of the kindest and most well-liked people to work with. In the 80s, he wasn’t getting as much high-profile work as before, but he still found work nonetheless. Unfortunately, Spinell was in failing health, not helped by his alcoholism and drug use. He sadly died of a heart attack in 1989, but is still thought of fondly. Prior to his death, he was featured in the forgotten 1988 horror film, The Undertaker.

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    The film features Spinell as Uncle Roscoe, a local mortician who goes around killing young women and taking their bodies back to his basement. His nephew Nicky (Patrick Askin) suspects something is amiss with his uncle, so he tries to get the help of his teacher Pam (Rebecca Varon). She doesn’t believe him at first, but after Nicky gets killed by Roscoe, Pam decides to investigate further. All the while Roscoe is killing both young women and people who either annoy him or are suspicious of his actions. As Roscoe continues his killing spree, the police aren’t having much luck taking him down. Pam, along with her friend Mandy (Susan Bachli) and her boyfriend Kevin (Joe Magle), tries to figure out what Roscoe is up to.

    Unfortunately, that’s all I can really say about the plot without giving it away. However, there’s another reason why it’s somewhat difficult to talk about what happens here. I’ll get into that later as it ties into some of the problems I have with the film. Without a doubt, Joe Spinell is easily the best part of the whole film. Regardless of what follows, he is insanely captivating as the depraved mortician Uncle Roscoe. While not as menacing as his Frank Zito character from Maniac, Roscoe is so creepy and sleazy that it works. You can tell that Spinell is really giving this role his all, which is unfortunate given the rest of the cast. But going back to the positives, the film has a good look to it. It has a very grimy and gritty quality that makes it slightly more sleazy and disturbing.

    Sadly, that’s where most of my positives for the film end. Aside from Spinell, the rest of the cast is really not that interesting. A lot of the acting is pretty bad, and I doubt many of them acted again. Also, the movie is very slowly paced to the point of boredom. No joke, the first time I watched this, I nearly fell asleep. Normally, I don’t mind a slow burn that takes time out to establish the characters and what not. But here, there are times where the film really feels like it’s dragging. In addition, there are numerous subplots that are either given no introduction or are just dropped. This honestly feels like a film that’s both finished and unfinished. While it clearly looks like it’s completed, it also feels like they didn’t quite get to finish it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more here originally.

    In the end, it is pretty easy to see why this film was largely forgotten. It’s pretty slow, the acting isn’t very good, and it feels like a jumbled mess. There is some gore and gratuitous nudity, but it doesn’t help much, especially since there isn’t much. Even still, the movie is worth it just for Joe Spinell alone. His performance is honestly way too good for this film. I don’t mean to bad mouth the filmmakers since it seems like they tried. For that reason, The Undertaker is worth discovering, but be prepared for something with this many flaws.

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  • Blood Diner (1987)

    Blood Diner (1987)

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    As I mentioned in my review of Evil Dead II, horror-comedies can be a tricky balance, where sometimes they stray a bit too far into either direction. That being said, the 1980’s seemed to be a great time for horror-comedies given the number of them that came out. Films like An American Werewolf in London, Gremlins, and Ghostbusters have gone on to become certified classics. Then, there are films like Student Bodies, Night of the Creeps, and TerrorVision that, while not as popular, still have become cult favorites. One that is often overlooked that deserves more attention is a little gem from 1987 called Blood Diner. Originally conceived as a pseudo-sequel to the 1963 splatter film Blood Feast, Blood Diner is so outrageous and so over-the-top that once you see it, you’ll never be able to forget it.

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    We follow two brothers, Georgie and Mikey, who witness their Uncle Anwar (Drew Godderis) being gunned by cops as children. Years later, the two grow up to start their own restaurant. However, it turns out the brothers are cannibals who are serving human meat to their customers disguised as health food. Georgie (Carl Crew) works as the chef, while Mikey (Rick Burks) works the floor. While Georgie is very socially awkward and neurotic, Mikey is very charismatic and a bit of a ladies man. One night, the brothers dig up their uncle’s grave to retrieve his brain and bring it back to life. Once restored, their uncle tells them to prepare a blood buffet and a body to resurrect the goddess Sheetar. The brothers go about killing various women and taking their body parts. Meanwhile, officers Mark Shepard (Roger Dauer) and Sheba Jackson (LaNette La France) are on the trail.

    To say that this film is pretty silly would be massively underselling it. This movie is flat-out ridiculous from beginning to end. Between the brain resurrection, the brothers serving human flesh to customers, and them trying to summon an ancient goddess, this is one crazy flick. What makes the movie work especially well are the brothers and the chemistry they have together. Carl Crew plays George with such manic energy and off-the-wall ferocity that it’s fun to see just how crazy he gets. One highlight is when he goes into the ring to fight famed wrestler Jimmy Hitler (yes, seriously). Rick Burks as Mikey, on the other hand, has such a suave charm and personality that you buy how he can have such an effect on women. While not as memorable as Carl Crew, Rick Burks is still fun to watch and he helps balance out Crew’s insanity.

    The rest of the cast is also enjoyable, especially Roger Dauer and LaNette La France as Officers Shepard and Jackson. They work well off each other, between Dauer’s blatant chauvinism and La France’s badass take-no-crap attitude. Drew Godderis, though his screen time is limited, is pretty memorable as Uncle Anwar. When he’s on screen, he’s insanely creepy and has a menacing presence to him. When it’s him as the voice of the brain, he’s very funny and sarcastic, especially when he insults his nephews. The movie has so many crazy and memorable moments that I can’t list them all since it would take some of the fun out of discovering it for yourself. Suffice it to say, this movie has topless aerobics, a naked kung-fu chick, zombies, and a stomach vagina that eats people. If none of that entices you, I don’t know what will.

    What might be surprising is that the film was directed by a woman, specifically Jackie Kong. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have many directing credits to her name. Including this, she also directed The Being, Night Patrol, and The Under Achievers. Even with a small body of work, her direction is impressive here, and it’s unfortunate she hasn’t done much else. Also, I’d be remiss without mentioning that Rick Burks died two years after the movie in a car accident. While primarily a musician, he still gave a solid performance, and it’s sad what happened to him. Still, the cast and crew have nothing but nice things to say and tell stories about how great he was. Overall, Blood Diner is a true gem in the horror-comedy genre that more people should be made aware of.

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  • Cherry 2000 (1987)

    Cherry 2000 (1987)

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” column_structure=”2_3,1_3″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]In 1987, Orion Pictures released the sci-fi action classic film Robocop. However, that same year, there was another sci-fi action movie they released called Cherry 2000. Directed by Steve De Jarnatt, who previously wrote Strange Brew, this film has an interesting history. For years, he was trying to get his pet project Miracle Mile off the ground. Around this time, he was given the script for Cherry 2000 from Orion after they were having trouble finding a director. After some things fell through, he decided to take the script and work on the film. It was filmed in 1985 and was supposed to come out in ’86, but for whatever reason, it only got a theatrical release in Europe. It wasn’t until ’88 when the film was released direct-to-video in the US. The film has since developed a cult following, so let’s see why people are devoted to Cherry 2000.
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    Synopsis

    Set in the far future of 2017, the film features David Andrews as Sam Treadwell, a mild-mannered businessman living with his wife Cherry. Played by the late Pamela Gidley, Cherry is actually a robot, and she ends up shorting out during a make-out session involving dish suds and bubbles. He tries taking her in for repairs, but unfortunately the repairman says that the Cherry 2000 model is no longer being manufactured anymore. However, the repairman tells him that there are leftover Cherry 2000’s in Zone 7, which is a lawless area full of dangerous bandits and scoundrels. Treadwell decides to take the chance and he hires a tracker named E. Johnson, played by Melanie Griffith. While making their way through the zone, they run into gang leader Lester (Tim Thomerson). Turns out he doesn’t take too kindly to trackers, and soon Treadwell and Johnson are on the run.

     

    Review

    One of the things that makes this movie work so well is the fantastic cast. David Andrews does a great job playing a mild-mannered working man whose world is changed once out of his home. When he leaves his futuristic city and is thrown into the desert, he sees what life is really like. Pamela Gidley, though her screen time is limited, is very stunning and fun as Cherry. The movie also has some great character actors in the mix. Some of note include Harry Carey Jr., Brion James, Ben Johnson, Tim Thomerson, and Robert Z’Dar. Thomerson, in particular, is very memorable as the eccentric Lester, who is very intense but also enjoyable to watch. Also noteworthy is Cameron Milzer as Sam’s ex-girlfriend Elaine who’s renamed to Ginger and is with Lester. She is very funny with great comedic timing and has some of the best lines in the movie.

    The real stand-out, of course, is Melanie Griffith, despite what she may think of the movie. Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she is also an awesome badass here. She’s arguably more of the hero here than Sam is. She kills tons of guys, spouts out tons of one-liners, and does some pretty impressive car stunts. One particularly memorable one has her car dangling hundreds of feet in the air while being fired at with rocket launchers. The direction and set design are on-point, and the score from Basil Poledouris is excellent. The movie also has some relevant themes, such as the idea of love and relations being made a business. Plus, the idea of robots taking the place of real people for companionship and how robots can never replace a real human. Also, watch out for a small appearance by Laurence Fishburne.

    If there are any issues I have here, one is the lack of chemistry between Andrews and Griffith. They work well as partners but not so much as love interests. Eventually, they warm up to each other, but it still feels a bit far-fetched that they’d end up together. Also, when they find the new Cherry 2000, she acts like a child, which is odd considering how the original acts like an adult. And while you do get a sense of the world the movie takes place in, the movie doesn’t really explore the world they created. Flaws aside, I still think this is a fun and entertaining gem that is worth a watch. With a great cast, fun action, and some relevant themes, Cherry 2000 is an underrated gem of a movie.

     

    Buy Cherry 2000 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/47xjvsO.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Cherry 2000 (1987)

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  • The Apple (1980)

    The Apple (1980)

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    After the massive success of Saturday Night Fever, various movies were made to capitalize on its success. Some of these included Thank God It’s Friday, Skatetown USA, and Roller Boogie. But then, there was Can’t Stop the Music, which bombed at the box office and led to the creation of the Razzies. Alongside it was Xanadu, which was a financial disappointment, but it has spawned a cult following. Around the same time, there was The Apple. Directed by Menahem Golan of The Cannon Group, this was to be his big hit. Golan planned on having this film be the next big thing, hoping that this would be his big break in the American film industry. Sadly, this wasn’t the case as the film was destroyed by critics and audiences. Overtime, it found its audience and now has a new appreciation. So what is it that makes The Apple so special?

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    Set in the far-off (at the time) future of 1994, the film takes place in a world dominated by BIM. BIM, which stands for Boogalow International Music, is a major record label that more or less runs the world. At the Worldvision Song Festival, BIM is showcasing their two latest stars, Pandi and Dandi. Things change when a young couple, Alphie and Bibi, show up to perform. While hated at first, the crowd starts to love them. Mr. Boogalow ends up sabotaging them, but still wants to sign them for a contract. While Bibi agrees to sign, Alphie realizes this isn’t right and refuses. Unfortunately, Alphie is thrown out and living in a flophouse while Bibi is a major superstar. As time goes on, Bibi realizes how evil BIM is, and she manages to get out of the contract and reunites with Alphie at a hippy commune.

    To say that this movie is crazy would only be scratching the surface of just how ludicrous this movie is. There are musical numbers almost every five minutes. It’s very colorful, it has elaborately designed costumes, and the set design is amazingly weird. Being the feature film debut of Catherine Mary Stewart, she’s pretty decent and really does come across as a young naive woman. While she does lip sync, it’s done so well that you actually believe she’s singing. George Gilmour who plays Alphie isn’t terrible, but it does feel like acting isn’t really for him. Grace Kennedy and Allan Love, who play Pandi and Dandi respectively, are a lot of fun to watch. Vladek Sheybal completely owns his role as Mr. Boogalow, and he’s clearly having a blast here. Also of note is Ray Shell as Boogalow’s assistant Snake, who is so wild and over-the-top, he is wonderful.

    While I do love this movie, I can totally understand why people wouldn’t like the film. It’s very ridiculous, nonsensical, and very loud and bombastic. The movie is very weird, it’s out there, and it has one of the biggest deus ex machina endings ever. Audiences in 1980 were not very kind to this movie. At the premiere, guests were given free copies of the soundtrack, and they hated the movie so much, they started throwing the soundtracks at the screen. Golan was so distraught by how much hate the movie got, he almost jumped off a balcony to his death. Luckily, his business partner saved him, and he may have gone a bit too far, but it’s very understandable. Here was a movie he put his heart and soul into, and people are booing it and throwing things at the screen.

    However, as time went on, a cult following started to develop and people started liking it. There are people who love it ironically, but there are those who legitimately love it. Personally, the movie is so much fun to watch that it’s hard for me to hate the movie. It’s so crazy, weird, and out there, but The Apple is the kind of movie that is too much fun to hate.

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  • 8 Million Ways to Die (1986)

    8 Million Ways to Die (1986)

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    After the release of Bonnie & Clyde, The Graduate, and Easy Rider, there was a major shift in filmmaking called the New Hollywood Movement. Throughout the 70s, many prominent directors made films that challenged social norms and taboos. Among those directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, was Hal Ashby. Ashby was an editor on The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and In the Heat of the Night. He then transitioned to directing his first film The Landlord in 1970. He also made other notable films like Harold & Maude, Shampoo, and Being There. While many directors went on to continued success in the 80s, others couldn’t reach the same heights as before. With Ashby, his later films either had a troubled production or were commercial/critical failures. This came to a head in what was his last film, 1986’s 8 Million Ways to Die.

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    Based on the Lawrence Block book, the follows Matthew Scudder (Jeff Bridges), an ex-cop turned private detective who struggles with alcoholism, which gets him fired, divorced, and distanced from his daughter. After an A.A. meeting, he’s invited to a club run by Chance Walker (Randy Brooks). There he meets a call girl named Sunny (Alexandra Paul), who goes back to his place. Failing to seduce him, she confides in him her fear of Chance and asks Scudder to convince Chance to let her go. After Scudder is told that Chance treats the girls well, Sunny ends up kidnapped, murdered, and thrown off a bridge. Soon, Scudder is convinced that a local drug dealer/crime boss known as Angel Moldonado (Andy Garcia) is responsible. Digging even deeper into the investigation, Scudder uncovers a plot by Moldonado to deal drugs through Chance’s legitimate businesses.

    Getting into what really works, the cast in this movie is phenomenal. Jeff Bridges does a great job playing a former alcoholic struggling with his demons trying to redeem himself. Rosanna Arquette, on top of being gorgeous, is also great as a call-girl who overtime develops a relationship with Scudder. Andy Garcia absolutely steals the show as Angel, always bursting with manic energy and going toe-to-toe with Scudder. While she has a smaller role, Alexandra Paul is quite gorgeous and is what starts the conflict. Randy Brooks is also fun as Chance who, while he is a crime boss, does have a set of ethics. Also, be sure to look out for James Avery, aka Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as a D.A. The score by James Newton Howard is great, who uses mostly synth music that gives it that gritty 80s vibe.

    Unfortunately, this movie was quite the problematic production. For one, the script, originally written by Oliver Stone, was heavily rewritten by R. Lance Hill. Hill was actually hired after Ashby wrote 50 pages of a potential script, which the producers actually liked. Ashby stopped upon finding out the studio hired Hill for rewrites, not helped by Hill only reporting to the producers. Then, Hill’s version of the script was heavily rewritten by Robert Towne, under the pseudonym David Lee Henry. Honestly, you can tell since there are some plot points that are dropped and some things don’t make sense. Also, the editing in the film is very choppy, feeling almost haphazard. There are scenes that just happen without much explanation, as if scenes leading up to them were cut out. A large part of this is due to Ashby being fired after principal photography ended and the studio took over.

    Sadly, the movie was a massive flop when it came out, making only $500,000 against an $18 million budget. While it was not liked by critics at the time, it has gone on to something of a cult following. There are people who love it and people who hate it, both sides of which I can understand. But in spite of the movie’s flaws, I still actually enjoyed it. While the movie could’ve been better had the producers not interfered, what is there is still a well-done crime thriller. The cast is great, the performances are memorable, the action sequences are fun, and it has a solid 80s vibe. Overall, 8 Million Ways to Die is a flawed but well-made and underrated crime thriller.

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  • Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

    Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

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    Today, when people think of clowns, they usually picture scary clowns like the clown doll from Poltergeist, the sadistic Captain Spaulding from House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, or the villainous Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT, either played by Tim Curry or Bill Skarsgård. But back in the 80s, with the exception of the doll as mentioned before, clowns weren’t really seen as the stuff of nightmares in popular culture. They were just seen as they were traditionally were, as buffoons who often get hit with a pie in the face or trip over themselves for our amusement. That is, until 1988, when the Chiodo Brothers, special effects artists known for their work on films like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Critters, and later Team America: World Police, gave us a new terrifying vision of clowns with their magnum opus, Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

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    Synopsis

    The film begins like many sci-fi B-movies of the 50s, with young people camped out in their cars for a good time, when suddenly an apparent shooting star falls near them. As per tradition, a bumbling old man and his mangy dog follow where the star fell, only to find a giant circus tent. Too bad for them that this is no ordinary tent, for it’s actually a spacecraft that the titular killer klowns use as transportation from wherever far-off planet they come from. Soon, Mike Tobacco, played by Grant Cramer, and his girlfriend Debbie Stone, played by Suzanne Snyder, decide to check out the tent, only to find that the aliens have been harvesting people in giant cotton candy cocoons. They try reporting it to the authorities, including Dave Hansen, played by John Allen Nelson, and the curmudgeonly bitter Curtis Mooney, played by the scene-stealing late great John Vernon, but of course, they don’t believe them. It isn’t too long before the klowns strike and cause havoc throughout the town, using a variety of weapons including popcorn guns, pies filled with acid, and ray guns that encase people in cotton candy cocoons.

     

    Review

    I’m just going to come right out and say that this movie is an absolute blast! This movie is so much fun to watch and I feel that this is the kind of movie that you simply can’t watch without a smile on your face, unless you’re deathly afraid of clowns that is. While not exactly a straight-up parody or spoof, the movie definitely feels like the Chiodo Brothers are paying homage to the old sci-fi creature features of the 50s and 60s, movies like The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Invaders from Mars, and Forbidden Planet. The movie hits a lot of the same beats as those movies, from the authorities not believing the youngsters and thinking they’re just a bunch of delinquents, to the klowns’ ship crashing to Earth like a meteorite. It’s also interesting to note that the movie was originally just called Killer Klowns before the Chiodos decided to add from Outer Space to clue the audience in on the humor. While the klowns obviously steal the show, I would be remiss to not talk about the main human characters. Grant Cramer, while mostly playing it straight, intentionally overemphasizes his lines to make them sound more dramatic, but not too much to where it feels like they’re beating you over the head with it. Suzanne Snyder does ham it up a bit, but not to the extent that Cramer does, though she is still very likable and fun. John Allen Nelson is more of the straight man in this, but he does have his moments where he shines. Aside from the klowns, John Vernon dominates the few scenes he has in the movie, and you can tell that he’s having a blast in the movie. Then there’s the Terenzi brothers, played by Michael Siegel and Peter Licassi, who are the main comic reliefs in the film, and at times they can be kind of annoying, but it is still fun seeing them bicker with one another and trying to pick up chicks.

    To go into the more technical aspects, the special effects, even thirty years later, still hold up. This is a classic example of why practical effects will always be better than modern CGI. You’ve got guys in costumes, fully-articulated heads, puppets, some stop-motion animation, and some great make-up effects as well. It is just brimming with style and creativity, and you can really see the Chiodo Brothers’ talent on display. Also worth mentioning is the instantly catchy theme song by the punk rock group, The Dickies. It is the perfect song to get you in the mood for some killer klowns shenanigans, and it will stick with you even after the movie is over. All in all, this is a really fun and inventive horror-comedy that takes something harmless and fun, and completely turns it on its head. Now, here’s hoping the Chiodos make that sequel that we’ve been asking for. After all, if we could be subjected to three Big Momma’s House movies, then I think we’re due for a Killer Klowns from Outer Space 2.

     

    Buy Killer Klowns from Outer Space from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MhA5Ve.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

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  • Sisters (1973)

    Sisters (1973)

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    On May 13, 2018, tragedy struck when Margot Kidder, most famous for playing Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, passed away at the age of 69. While the cause of death at time of writing this is unknown, her health had been questioned ever since her 1996 incident, where she had a manic breakdown and was found in the backyard of a homeowner in Los Angeles with her teeth caps having been knocked out due to a rape attack. Since then, it’s been widely publicized how she’s suffered from bipolar disorder and how she had been working for years on recovering and ensuring she wouldn’t suffer from any more nervous breakdowns. As most people are paying tribute to her through the Superman movies, there are others who are looking to some of her genre work as tribute, such as Bob Clark’s 1974 slasher Black Christmas and the classic 1979 haunted house movie, The Amityville Horror. Another title that got brought up, which I’ll be talking about in this review is Brian De Palma’s 1973 thriller Sisters.

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    Synopsis

    Not to be confused with the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy of the same name, Sisters tells the story of siamese twins Danielle and Dominique (Kidder), one nice, innocent, and sweet, the other more evil and sinister. One day, Danielle brings a guy back to her apartment much to the dismay of her sister, and after he goes out to get her medicine and a birthday cake, the lover ends up getting stabbed viciously by Dominique. While bleeding to death, the murder is witnessed by a neighbor through her window named Grace Collier, played by Jennifer Salt. She calls the police to report on the murder, but while she’s arguing with the cops, Danielle and her ex-husband/psychiatrist Dr. Emil Breton work to clean up the murder scene and make it seem like nothing happened. While the cops dismiss this as a crazy woman making false accusations, Grace is determined to prove that a man was indeed murdered, and what she finds is way more than she bargained for.

    Sadly, that’s all I can really say about the plot without giving away the many twists and turns the movie takes.

     

    Review

    Throughout most of his career, De Palma was often criticized for, among other things, being a rip-off of Alfred Hitchcock. Personally, I would consider himself more a genuine fan of Hitchcock rather than a rip-off of him since he takes a lot of the tropes and conventions that Hitchcock used and does his own thing with it. While Sisters shares a lot of similar elements to films like Rear Window and Psycho, it still tells its own story. Granted, there had already been a similar evil twins movie made the year prior called The Other, which I have not seen at the time of writing this, so I don’t know if Sisters took anything from that movie. What I do know is that De Palma got the idea for this movie from an article written in the late 60’s on Russian conjoined twins Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova, where he saw a picture of them where one had a very stoic and serene look on her face, while the other had a more sinister look to her. This is what led to the idea of twins who were conjoined but separated and had split personalities.

    Margot Kidder stands out as both Danielle and Dominique. When she’s Danielle, she’s very unassuming, sweet, innocent, and even a little flirtatious. As Dominique, she’s deranged and seems almost animalistic in her rage. Jennifer Salt is also great as Grace Collier, who’s very feisty and determined to get to the bottom of this. What’s great about her character is that she’s a very strong and independent female character who doesn’t just seem like a man-hating ball-buster, but rather a woman who’s motivated by a desire to get things done and prove to others what she can do. There’s also some fun comedic relief in the form of her mother, played by Salt’s real-life mother Mary Davenport, who responds to Grace’s talk of following the case and solving the murder with lines like, “Are you on diet pills again?”

    The one actor who truly steals the show is the late William Finley as the sinister Dr. Emil Breton, who, while being an obvious red herring, is still genuinely terrifying. He’s very cold and chilling, and you can see that he has his own personal agenda and will stop at nothing to make sure everything goes his way. Once you find out more about what’s going on, he becomes even more diabolical. Another actor of note in the film is character-actor Charles Durning, who plays a private investigator hired by Grace to help prove that a murder had taken place. While his screen-time is somewhat limited, he’s still a source of entertainment and makes for a fun counterpart to Salt’s Grace character.

    While this wasn’t the first movie he had made, this was the first horror film that De Palma had directed, and this would lead to a long and illustrious horror career, with movies like Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, and Blow Out amongst others. Even with the low budget and some of the little mistakes that are noticeable throughout, the movie still works as an effective horror/thriller. It has some great performances, it’s got great suspense, the use of split screens and long, tracking shots are phenomenal and help give a sense of unease, and the score by the late-great Bernard Hermann is terrific. If you’re a fan of Hitchcock’s work and you’re looking for something a bit lesser known featuring Margot Kidder, this is definitely a great one to watch, especially if you want to see some of Brian De Palma’s early work.

     

    Buy Sisters from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ohopiO.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Sisters (1973)

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  • Army of Darkness (1992)

    Army of Darkness (1992)

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    After hitting it big with Evil Dead II and Darkman, director Sam Raimi decided to revisit Ash Williams once again with Army of Darkness. While the second film was more of a comedy than the first one, it was still more or less a horror film. With this one, they decided to seemingly toss out anything horror-related and make the third entry more of an action-comedy. Though, it technically is horror since it follows two horror films and there are some horror elements in it, but not much. With a budget of $11 million, more than the first two combined, this had a lot to live up to. So how does a series that started with college kids trapped in a cabin go to having a medieval setting? Well, with a pretty strong cast, fun battle sequences, and a great sense of humor, chances are it really worked.

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    Synopsis

    Picking up from where the last film left off, our lovable smartass hero Ash is now stuck in the past. Unfortunately, he’s greeted with hostility and fear as he’s taken prisoner by King Arthur and his men. After surviving a battle between two deadites with his chainsaw, Ash manages to climb out and punch out the King. Now having proved himself, Ash must embark on a quest to reclaim the Necronomicon to stop the evil forces. Ash reluctantly sets off in the hopes of this leading to him going back to his own time. Along the way, he meets his evil twin, who he kills, eviscerates, and buries, but not before being warned. Once he gets the book, Ash ends up accidentally releases an army of the dead. Now led by Ash’s undead evil twin, the army is after the book and will kill anyone in their way.

     

    Review

    Given its fairly large budget, you can definitely see the money on the screen. From the immense sets to all the creatures and effects, this has a much larger scope than the previous films. It reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail with its grand setting, sets, and costumes, but more comedic. That said, I feel like the bigger budget and larger production also hurts the film in terms of the style. It lacks the gritty and creepy feeling that the first two films had, and it feels a bit too polished. This one does feel more like a big-budget studio picture, but for what it is, it’s still better than others. Also, there are times where the comedy tends to clash with some of the more serious moments, to where the movie has a bit of a tone problem.

    All that being said, I still really enjoy this film. It’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s got some great special effects and action sequences, it’s fully aware of itself, and it features Bruce Campbell at his most badass. While the film did make a profit (it made $21.5 million against its $11 million budget), it wasn’t as big of a hit as they were hoping, and it didn’t get as warm of a response from critics as the last one did. Even still, the movie has gone on to become a major cult hit, and it’s also quite possibly one of the most quotable movies ever!

    Hail to the king, baby!

     

    Buy Army of Darkness from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i0oDsW.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Army of Darkness (1992)

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  • Evil Dead II (1987)

    Evil Dead II (1987)

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    After hitting it big with The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi and company were not having much luck finding work. In 1985, Raimi, his producing partner Rob Tapert, and co-producer/star Bruce Campbell teamed up to make Crimewave. Written by The Coen Brothers, famous for Raising Arizona, Fargo, and Miller’s Crossing, the film, unfortunately, was a disaster. Between issues with the producers to difficulty with cast members, the film as Bruce Campbell “wasn’t released, it escaped.” Needing a hit, Raimi and company decided to return to the cabin for the 1987 follow-up, Evil Dead II, also known as Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn.

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    Synopsis

    Following the first film, Ash’s stuck in the cabin with no escape, and the demonic forces psychologically torture him. Meanwhile, a young woman named Annie (Sarah Berry) meets up with her partner Ed (Richard Domeier). Annie is the daughter of Professor Knowby, who initially found the Book of the Dead. The two decide to go to the cabin after not hearing from her father in some time. With the help of local rednecks Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobbie Joe (Kassie Wesley), they get to the cabin only to find Ash, who just cut off his hand and accidentally shot Bobbie Joe. Trapped within and dealing with a witch in the cellar, our heroes must fight to survive the night.

     

    Review

    Frequently, horror-comedies can be a tricky balance, where sometimes they stray a bit too far into either direction. However, Evil Dead II is one of those great examples where they are blended perfectly. When there’s humor, it’s genuinely funny in a very dark and grotesque sort of way. When there’s horror, there’s a great sense of dread and a foreboding nature that gets under your skin. Like the first one, this one is insane with the gore, though dialed back to avoid an X rating. You’ll notice throughout that the blood changes colors, including a bright red, black, green, and more of a dark red. So long as it didn’t look like real blood, it’s all good.

    I think this film is an excellent showcase of Bruce Campbell’s acting abilities. He starts as a shellshocked person who has survived this horrible series of events and slowly loses his sanity, especially having killed his girlfriend twice. A few highlights that show this include a small moment where he sees a rocking chair moving on his own till he goes over to it, and it stops as soon as Ash reaches his hand out, as well as a moment where his reflection leaps out at him to tell him how crazy he is. Once the new group arrives, he eventually steps up to be the badass hero we all think of him as. Although, I’d like to mention Sarah Berry as Annie, who’s easily the best actor after Campbell.

    To sum it up, I enjoy this film. As I said, the first one will always hold a special place in my heart. Even still, this one is a solid recommendation from me. This one has achieved significant cult status like the first one and is even considered the best of the trilogy. Even curmudgeonly old Roger Ebert gave it three stars, saying it is “a comedy disguised as a blood-soaked shock-a-rama. It looks superficially like a routine horror movie, a vomitorium designed to separate callow teenagers from their lunch. But look a little closer, and you’ll realize that the movie is a fairly sophisticated satire.” If that does not sell you on the film, I don’t know what will.

     

    Buy Evil Dead II from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tgCwbT.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Evil Dead II (1987)

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