*** Official 10th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2009 *** - Page 7

The Roost (2005, FTV) - four people are on their way to a wedding when they decide to take a backroad due to traffic. A bat hits their windshield causing them to wreck the car, and now they're stuck in the middle of nowhere. Oh, but there's a farm down the road. Too bad for them the rest of the bats have chosen the farm's barn to roost in. Worse, the people that the bats attack turn into zombies for whatever reason. This film takes a very threadbare plot and does nothing with it. Not that they could really do much with it to begin with I suppose, but this is another boring effort where not much happens. The bat attacks are underwhelming and it's never explained why their victims become zombies. They just do. The character are whiney too, so I couldn't really invest in them. Cult director Larry Fessenden appears very briefly as an ill-fated tow truck driver. The whole film has a faux "Frightmare Theater" wraparound complete with horror host, but it was more annoying than it was effective at creating any type of nostalgia. Weak stuff all around.

Zombieland (2009, FTV) - I was a little hesitant to see this one as I feared it would be another Shaun of the Dead, which was a movie that I really hated. I couldn't resist though and thankfully it was a blast. Unlike that overrated British effort, this was actually funny and the characters won me over from the get-go. I had never seen her in anything else before this, but Emma Stone is flat-out gorgeous. Loved the Amber Heard cameo as well, not to mention another cameo that is better left unspoiled. Really got a kick out of that. The finale at the theme park is lots of fun too, and if they were to make a sequel, I would definitely be there to see it.

Pandorum (2009, FTV) - interesting space horror takes a while to get going. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid are two guys who awaken from cryo-sleep to find themselves stuck on a seemingly empty spaceship. The ship is shutting down so one of them needs to restart the ship's energy source, but he'll face plenty of obstacles along the way, most notably a horde of bizarre creatures running rampant in the shadows. This film is sullied by some rapid editing and dumb scenes, including one where a creature tosses his intended prey a weapon. Why? I guess so it would be a fair fight. There's also two random characters who seem to know a lot about fighting, though one never really knows why they would be so well-versed in it. That said, the film certainly does have it's moments and there are some intriguing ideas throughout. I ate up everything involving Tanis and the whole backstory. Reminded me of Solaris in a way, and apocalyptic scenarios are something I am very fond of in cinema. In the end, it doesn't really overcome it's flaws, but I am glad I saw it.

Children of the Corn V (1998)
 

Ethan Wiley
 

Fifth film in the series is once again a different direction but that doesn't mean it's going to work.  Six college friends are going to the cornfields so that they can spread the ashes of their dead friend.  When two are slaughtered the other four stay put so that they can find one of the members missing brother.  This leads to a strange home ran by a man named Luke (David Carradine) who is using the children to start a new cult.  After enjoying the previous entry this one here comes as a letdown for several reasons but the biggest being that this one here offers up a rather interesting cast.  A hardly recognizable Eva Mendes plays one of the college students, Kane Hodder of Jason fame plays a bartender and we've got Fred Williamson playing the sheriff.  Sadly Williamson and even Carradine are wasted in thankless roles that don't require either actor very much to do.  The story here isn't anything too original and writer/director Wiley doesn't try to do much with it.  There doesn't seem to have been too much thought going into the screenplay as we get the typical set up and everything that follows pretty much plays by the rules and doesn't offer any surprises or twists.  The entire "village" being ran by Carradine is rather bland and, as usual, doesn't make too much sense.  The performances are all a mixed bag but it's fun seeing veterans like Carradine and Williamson even if they aren't given much to work with.  Ahmet Zappa appears in a role and Mendes, in her film debut, doesn't offer too much either.  The film contains your typical murder sequences but none of them really stand out as being any good.  In the end, this film offers nothing new or entertaining and its 83-minute running time goes way too slowly. 
 

Children of the Corn 666 (1999)
 

Kari Skogland
 

The sixth film in the series is a mildly entertaining if rather needless direct sequel to the first film.  This time out a young girl (Natalie Ramsey) goes back to Gatlin to try and find out who her real mother is.  Once there she awakens Isaac (John Franklin), the original film's leader of the children.  Soon he is back preaching his religious stuff with hopes of passing it on to his son.  If you've seen the original film then you know it's impossible for Issac to be in a coma here let alone have the possibility of coming back to life but this is a horror series so you'll just have to put that out of your mind.  I thought the first half of this movie was rather slow without too many  good things going on but the final half really picks up and makes for a mildly interesting film.  The story is pretty much what we've seen in the previous films with a group of religious nuts spitting out gospel but this time there seems to be something a tad bit deeper in their motives.  A few minor changes makes for an entertaining second half that includes a rather exciting ending.  Ramsey does a pretty good job in the lead role and Franklin doesn't miss a beat in stepping back into the role he last did fifteen years earlier.  Stacy Keach is good in a thankless role as a doctor and Nancy Allen is on hand looking better than ever.  The two are in here for their name value but both are good.  The special effects are a tad bit better than average as is the editing and various other technical things.  The music score is also a step up but the killings are all rather bland with the exception being a suicide that happens towards the end.  I doubt fans of the first film are going to jump all over this "conclusion" since there are many unanswered question or facts that are overlooked. 
 

Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001)
 

Guy Magar
 

The seventh and final film in the original series has a young woman (Claudette Mink) traveling to Omaha when her elderly grandmother doesn't answer her phone.  The woman discovers her grandmother missing and with the help of a cop they start to investigate her past, which leads them to a cult that she was in many years ago where several kids killed themselves.  Now, it appears, the ghosts are back and looking for new victims.  As with many of the sequels, this one here has very little to do with the original short story by Stephen King but this one here goes out and tries to mix in a little of THE SHINING as well.  The film is a complete mess as it doesn't work as an entry in the series and it isn't strong enough to work on its own.  The entire premise is rather predictable as we know why the grandmother is missing and we know who the mysterious children are long before our leading lady.  The entire movie runs only 80-minutes but it feels much long as I was having a hard time just making it through to the end.  The performances are all bland to decent with Mink making for an interesting lead, although she isn't given anything to do.  Michael Ironside appears as a strange priest but doesn't add too much.  The violence this time out isn't overly graphic and the gore is at a rather low count but even if it had been more it probably wouldn't have helped the movie. 
 

Disciples of the Crow (1983)
 

John Woodward
 

Just about everyone, horror fan or not, has heard of CHILDREN OF THE CORN be it the original Stephen King story or the 1984 film, which has since gained six sequels and a remake (to date).  What most people might not remember is that the 1984 film wasn't the first to adapt the King short story.  This film starts off in 1971 as a child leads other children into killing all of the adults in town.  Jump forward to 1983 as a couple are driving through Nebraska when they accidentally run over a kid and soon run into the evil cult.  Having seen all of the CHILDREN OF THE CORN movies (including the remake) I must admit that this is the best of the bunch.  Perhaps part of this is due to the fact that this runs a quick paced 18-minutes but it doesn't contain any stupid subplots and instead just delivers the goods in terms of creepy atmosphere and a rather suspenseful ending.  I'm not sure what the budget was on this thing but it was obviously low and that helps the small town atmosphere that it gets.  The movie has an effective music score, nice editing and just an all around great pacing.  Eleese Lester does a pretty good job as Vicky and Gabriel Folse isn't too bad either as the husband.  The film shares a lot more in common with the eventual 2009 remake as the husband and wife are constantly fighting and the ending here is one used in the later film.  Speaking of the ending, it manages to pack a pretty good punch and makes this film worth viewing.

 

Deadgirl (2008) - two high school outcasts, J.T. and Ricky, ditch school and decide to waste time at an abandoned mental asylum. While exploring the basement, they come across a girl who is bound and covered with a plastic sheet. While Ricky wants to get out of there and call the cops, J.T. has a more disturbing urge. He wants to have some fun with her first. It isn't long before he realizes that she's undead, and now he has himself a zombie sex slave to keep him company. I saw this last month but figured I'd revisit it for the challenge. If one can get past the questionable character decisions that the story is built around (like the lack of concern for disease, etc.), this is a pretty effective film. The guy playing J.T. was terrific. It's his show through and through. His performance reminded me a great deal of Christian Slater. Aside from all that, this film is quite warped. The very premise of a zombie sex slave, but also taking it further with things like wanting to use oozing bullet wounds for sexual pleasure, putting a magazine pic over the deadgirl's face after she's been beaten to a pulp and the high school stud having the worst bowel movement imaginable. Great use of music too, and the film certainly looks better than it's budget. To cite another fault, a lot of these indie flicks seem to feel the need to add in random quirkiness for some reason. A silly scene in a gas station parking lot doesn't work. Still, this is solid overall, like a more deranged version of River's Edge.

Who Can Kill a Child? (1976) - while on vacation, a man and his pregnant wife visit an island that the former knows from his past. They arrive to find that the place is not how he remembered. In fact, it appears to be quite deserted aside from several children. It isn't too long before they come across an adult. Pity the kids get to him first, killing him and stringing his body up for use as a human pinata... For my money, this film's a masterpiece of the genre. It makes other killer kid films look like jokes in comparison. Originally seeing it via the Island of the Damned cut, it's a very tense and unsettling film with some interesting socio-political subtext as relates to child violence. The very likable main characters really struggle here, both physically and morally, in a picture as bleak as they come. It has such an impeccable mood and atmosphere to it. The closest comparison I can make is to that of Werner Herzog's short documentary, La Soufrière - Warten auf eine unausweichliche Katastrophe. The isolated, disquieted feel of the island... very predominant. It's unfortunate that director Serrador faded into the land of television after this film. He clearly had a lot to offer the genre.

Then why do they even call it "BLACK CHRISTMAS", if it's really just some other horror movie entirely which happens to be based around Christmas? They steal the original title and then try to capitalize off it. It would be like if they had called SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT "Black Christmas" as well because it takes place on Christmas, just to hook some diehard fans of the original in. I liked 2005's HOUSE OF WAX and the 2004 DAWN OF THE DEAD even though they had NOTHING whatsoever to do with their originals of the same title. They really could/should have called these two something else.

But I'm generally with you that if a movie idea is going to get remade, it should be very different from the original (rather than a strict note-for-note remake). This at least gives some uniqueness and originality to both versions (though the new one should have a different title to make it a separate entity  ... say like how THE OMEGA MAN is different in both name and content from THE LAST MAN ON EARTH).

I just watched the original BLACK CHRISTMAS for the first time only recently. I thought it was a good horror picture, if not a great one. But Michael, your description of the "remake" here makes me think about possibly seeing this one somewhere down the road. Partly because it sounds so different and effective; partly because I don't really have any personal allegiance to the original in this case.  

Oct 4

04) The Beast with Five Fingers (1946)

I am going to consider this one a first-time view. I had an 8mm condensed version of the "best parts" when I was a kid, and saw parts of it on TV,  but this may be the first time I've dutifully sat through the entire film. The story centers on a grouchy old one-handed pianist who's dying and leaves his assets to a beautiful young woman he loves, but stiffs everyone else in his circle. There are some flashes of chilling mood established by director Robert Florey, but not enough to make it a good solid horror classic. The most chilling moments involve a demented Peter Lorre, who's a delight as the pianist's former spurned secretary, who begins to see the dead man's severed hand tormenting him at every turn.  It's always a pleasure to have J. Carrol Naish on hand in a film, but he's underused here as a police inspector, and is also saddled with a really silly epilogue.   

TV Episodes:
08) The Munsters: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up"
09) The Munsters: "Eddie's Nickname"

Hahahaha, Travis ... I thought I was alone in the Black X-mas appreciation.  I think it's such a stupid, stupid movie, but it's also plenty of FUN.  I love the sharpened candy canes, the yellow baby and the eyeball fetish. 

Thankfully, this had a different tone from Bob Clark's immortal classic.  Had they merely tried to redo the original film, I do not think it would've worked in the least.  Watching the remake with a group of friends, spiked egg nog and Christmas cookies in December has become a tradition of mine.  Again, I think it's very silly, but a very good time.

10/4 viewings:

The Stepfather (1987) - There's a very good reason that this is considered one of the best horror films of the 1980s in many circles.  It's a great suspense tale with good characters, steadily mounting suspense and, of course, an AMAZING performance by Terry O' Quinn.  80s screem queen Jill Schoelen plays the feisty daughter who suspects something is terribly wrong with the new family man, and begins digging into his past.  I've loved this one since seeing it on VHS in the late 80s and it stuck with me every since.  This classic is finally available on DVD (soon) and, if you haven't seen this one yet, I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on this.  The DVD is great, too! 

Stepfather II (1989) - Respectable sequel to the original classic sees the return of Terry O' Quinn's titular psychopath.  This time we see how the madman selects his victims and we get the chance to watch him integrate himself into the life of his love interest (Meg Forster) instead of already being attached (like in the original).  There's nothing new or different here, but we get another great, wacked out, O' Quinn performnace and a solid, if rushed, climax.  It's not a fantastic film, but it treats its predecessor with respect and stands as a decent effort. 

DAY THREE:  October 3rd (continued)

The stupid jerk is actually a brain surgeon...



11.  MAN WITH TWO BRAINS. (1983)  Just my regular October viewing of this silly Reiner/Martin 80s comedy/horror.  It's one of my favorite films that doesn't get mentioned nearly enough.  Certainly "the drunk test" scene is a classic. 

HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL:  9

"Into the mud scum queen...!"  I want one instance in my life where I can justify yelling that out to somebody! 
_________________________________

You think the crazies in the woods get all excited when they see them coming?  It may be like Christmas and they even have a box of special decorations that put out for the occasion.  Well, box of body parts and sharp instruments. 



12.  WRONG TURN. (2003) You know they're running out of ideas when they drag out the mutated mountain cannibals (no spoiler there, they give it away during the credits!!  WTF??? ).  Still, I was somehow compelled to find out what happens to GROUP OF STRANDED TWENTY-SOMETHINGS #112.  Really wasn't anything to be disappointed about.  I knew what I was getting into and the film looked and sounded good.  Overall, underwhelming but still a fun romp thru the woods watching the cast get thinned out.  There are...uh hum, similar films...many of those have waaaay more suspense than this one. 

HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL:  7

Why you should pay attention to all road signs...you could end up here. 

___________________________

Best day so far happens...

DAY FOUR:  October 4th

Most doctors sell their soul to Satan in order to cover the cost of medical school. 



13. ROSEMARY'S BABY. (1968) Upconverting performed miracles with this disappointing DVD transfer.  I was constantly gasping at how much better it looked.  Only problem is later in the film, the character of Rosemary is made to look a little closer to healthy with the additional color. She should look "as white as chalk" but only looks that way occasionally.  This small alteration didn't   deter much from my enjoyment.  Had an awesome good time with Rosemary and didnt' even think about who directed it.  It's a classic slow build with a classic punch ending.  Horror films taking place in the big city are a huge draw for me (beat out slightly by seaside settings).  A big plus is this film is set in the year of my birth 1966!  Check out MY eyes!!  

HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL:  MAX'D OUT! 

Best of 'thon so far!
_______________________________

What are your neighbor's up to....



14. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. (2007)  After Rosemary, I was craving THE SHINING for some reason.  Resisted the urge....

Every once in a while a severely uneasy fright film comes along that you didn't expect.  Maybe there's a familiar celebrity directing for the first time and as the plot unfolds you can't believe this person isn't doing more in this area.  Because your still thinking about the film many hours after it's over.  The film I'm talking about is Bill Paxton's 2001 effort called FRAILTY.  That film surprised the hell out of me that year.  The story material for THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is deep, dark and depressing, just like that in Paxton's film, but unfortunately the production is highly lacking and it just doesn't have the level of impact it could have had. Sure, the final 3rd is edge of the seat and I wanted to turn away from what I was seeing but couldn't.  With that said, I'll label this a misfire with future remake potential.  Seriously, this could be a classic bit of cinema not for the squeamish. As it is, a "TV movie" quality film not for the squeamish.  

HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL:  8   

Mine just torture me with their lawn decoration choices. 



15-19. (coming soon)

Edited by Mario Gauci - 10/5/09 at 8:00am

Busy weekend so only one movie watched.

The Fog (1980) - John Carpenter's movie still manages to creep me out.  I can't help but think about the film whenever I have to drive or walk through fog.

October 3rd:

 

DRACULA(1931)-

This movie gets a lot of flack for being "static" and "stagey". Frankly, it gets better every time I see it(about once a year  ). Lugosi is still the definitive Count Dracula, Dwight Frye is the greatest cinema Renfield, and the hypnotic and eerie atmosphere is all pervasive, even during the "slow" scenes.

October 4th:

 

DRACULA'S DAUGHTER(1936)-
 

"Even more sensational than her unforgettable father!" said the trade ads for this underrated gem. DD is the last of the great Laemmle era horror films, and it's restrained story and excellent performances make it one of the most interesting and satisfying of all Dracula films. The presence of the Count and his curse is palpable during the entire movie, even though we only get a couple of brief glimpes of the Prince of the Undead at the beginning of the movie. Gloria Holden is a very effective and alluring Countess. I find the comedy relief to be genuinely funny(unlike many other folks). A great musical score, uncredited(though historians say Heinz Roemheld was the composer). Excellent dialogue and intelligent characterization.

SON OF DRACULA(1943)-1/2

If Lugosi were in this film, it would get the full four star treatment. Chaney Jr. is effective as a physically intimidating vampire, but his Count lacks the finesse needed for the role. Otherwise a great movie, with standout performances by Louise Albritton, Robert Paige and Frank Craven. Exquisite atmosphere and photography. Another gem from Universal.

I rewatched House Of 1,000 Corpses about a month and a half ago and I still think the first hour or so is pretty good but the last 30 minutes just destroy the movie for me.

13. Prom Night (1980)
Kids who did something bad 6 years ago, go to prom and someone takes revenge in this slasher classic. The slightly amateur look of the movie (most scenes set in the dark are hard to see and that's probably due to a lack of lights rather than the disc's trasnfer) and mostly novice actors add to my enjoyment of it. I like to think that the disco music and dress styles help anchor in a very specific time period. That's probably just a nice way to say that it's extremely dated.

I do find Prom Night to be a dated movie as well, but I still have a good time with it.

The slasher's motivations are pretty well anchored in reality and that one chase scene through the halls of Hamilton High ranks pretty high in the annals of the subgenre - our killer weilds a pretty mean axe, after all.

Plus, is there a better red herring in the subgenre than Mr. Sykes? 

I saw this one on the big screen last Halloween, which is why I'm not including it in this year's festivities, but I do try and give this guy a watch every few years.  I still dig it.

Invisible Ghost (1941)

Ah cheesy fun. A man (Bela Lugosi) who lost his wife is hynotized by her spirit to commit a string of murders. I had alot of questions after watching this one. This sure wasn't a good movie but entertaining as hell. What can I say, it had Bela Lugosi. Great seeing him again.

The Alligator People (1959)

Ah, another good one. A doctor experiments on horribly disfigured mangled accident victims, hoping to bring them back to health, to make them whole. Since an alligator can re-grow a severed limb he feels that by injecting his patients with a hormone from an alligator, will restore his patients back to full health. Beverley Garland is Joyce Webster, newly wed to one of these patients. When her new husband disappears on their wedding night she spends months trying to locate a trace of him which brings her to his family home down in the bayou.

 

In the description of this movie, the synopsis refers to the doctor as a mad scientist. He's not really mad, just misguided for he thought he was helping these patients. Beverley Garland is quite good here as the poor newlywed. Richard Crane plays Paul Webster her husband and he does well enough here playing mostly in make-up and prosthetics. Lon Chaney has a small part as a drunken estate hand who likes to shoot at alligators. Sure it's cheesy and especially the make-up at the end, but it was so entertaining, one I would re-visit often. Love these kind of movies.

I managed to see another horror film, that's 3 already! 

A film I haven't watched in ages - Interview With The Vampire, based on the novel by Anne Rice, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It's dated well in this post-Twilight teen vampire era and is actually better than I remember it being, lot's of atmosphere, creepiness and good performances from the stars. Kirsten Dunst especially memorable as the vampire woman trapped in a little girls body. A special mention for Eliott Goldenthals moody score.

Tom Cruise got some flack when it was announced he was to play the vampire Lestat, but I thought he was pretty effective in the part. Lestat would reappear in another movie, Queen of the Damned, this time played by Stuart Townsend, a vapid portrayal which makes Cruise's seem like a masterclass in supernatural evil by comparison.

14. He Knows You're Alone
A maniac kills brides-to-be because he was jilted by his bride-to-be. Easily the most famous thing about the movie is that Tom Hanks has two or three scenes as a girl's love interest. I remember the opening (which was more or less re-used by Scream 2) scared the crap out of me when I was a little kid and it's still pretty effective today. Not the best slasher but the opening sequence gives it a fond place in my heart.

Well, you also think HARDCORE is actually a remake of THE SEARCHERS, so there you go.     But you know, Michael... I really don't think you read all of my post above (#184). I actually believe you only read this opening part which you quoted here and then didn't continue reading the rest, even when I tried to agree with you later about remakes being 'better' when they try something different ... and when I told you that your remarks about the re-do of BLACK CHRISTMAS actually made me interested in checking it out.

I know Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD. And other than picking a shopping mall to hide in for the 2004 re-do (rather than a cave or something), there was no relation. The zombies were nothing like the ones in the 1978 flick, and neither were the situations or story (what little potential there is for any). They could have called it ATTACK OF THE ZOMBIES, or THE DEAD LIVE!... but of course they wanted that cult Romero audience to see it.

I know the 1953 Vincent Price HOUSE OF WAX as well as the 1933 MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM, and the 2005 Paris Hilton modern slasher film of the same title was nothing resembling them. You must have seen some other early '50s 3-D movie than I did if you think these were in any way significantly similar.

And that's why I enjoyed these two. They were different, and in no way challenged the older movies. Which is what I thought was at least something regarding "new remakes" that I felt you and I were actually seeing eye to eye on (with my post #184). Be happy ... you are coming closer to aiding me in accepting more "modern remakes".

 Radioman, you want Nazi Zombies? Well, you need to see Shock Waves. Unless of course, you already have, then you need to watch it again. I think i will, and i will also add Dead Snow to my NetFlix!

I watched a couple of movies last night. After watching American Werewolf, i had to follow it up with...

The Howling 
Whats not to love, it has Slim Pickins, John Carradine, Patrick Macnee, and about 10 other old timers i cant remember, at the moment. You also cant forget the bondage werewolf chick who wears the leather. Lets not forget about her.

Night Caller, From Outer Space 1/2
Old 1960s british movie. It has William Shatner wanna be John Saxon. Any movie with him gets an extra star, just because its JOHN SAXON, baby!
The movie kept me guessing, and it didnt follow the numbers. It actually did a few things different! A bit talky, not much of an alien, but its less than 90 minutes. It was OK, dont need to see it again. 

The X-Files, episode Home.
I have seen this episode a dozen times. Still, after all these years it freaks the shit out of me. better than most horror movies. If you have never seen this episode, you must!

Thinner (1996) - while being pleasured as he drives, a piggish lawyer runs down the really old daughter of a really old gypsy and gets off scot free thanks to friends in high places. As a result, the gypsy curses the very overweight man with weight loss. More like a blessing than a curse, yeah? It would be if he could stop losing the weight, but that isn't in the cards. It's been a few years since I last watched this, so I figured I'd break it out for the challenge. Count me as one of about five people who actually enjoy it. Aside from Fright Night, this is my favorite film from director Tom Holland. Yes, I like it more than the ever popular Child's Play. Much like the pie in the finale, it really hits the spot. The only difference is that I don't feel bad afterwards. Now that I think about it, it probably would've been a better idea to double bill it with Drag Me to Hell when I revisit it later in the month, but oh well.

If you really believe the bolded text then I'd like to know why on Earth you run around slamming any remake you can even before you know what that remake is offering up.  I'd also like to know all these remakes that aren't different from the original.  I can name perhaps PSYCHO and THE OMEN as two recent films that didn't change anything.  TCM, F13, PROM NIGHT, THE FOG and various others pretty much took a few central things but took them into a different direction.  The majority of scene for scene remakes happened in the early days of cinema.  Today's remakes are about as different as the March and Tracy versions of Jekyll and Hyde.  Hell, might be as different as the two versions of the story from 1920 (who knows about the third version which is lost).


Re: THINNER

I've loved this movie since watching it opening day way back when.  I mentioned it in various threads but I'm shocked more people didn't pick up the DRAG ME TO HELL connection as both films contain the same set up and the exact same twists and turns in the story.  I'm surprised King didn't have a bitch fit.

Lobster Man from Mars (1989)
 

Stanley Sheff

This "movie within a movie" has its heart in the right place but the end results simply don't work.  A money making producer (Tony Curtis) finds out that he simply made too much money and Uncle Sam is after him for taxes.  He needs to produce a turkey movie within the next six days but fate steps in in the form of a 17-year-old kid who produced his own movie called "Lobster Man from Mars".  The film tells the story of a spaceship landing from Mars with a lobster man who plans on stealing the Earth's air.  This film place homage to countless "B" movies like ROBOT MONSTER and TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE but there's a problem when you try to make a cult movie.  The movies this thing is spoofing didn't set out to be funny or campy.  They work so well because the directors took them so serious and tried to deliver a good movie but failed miserably.  That's how they get their laughs.  The problem with a movie like this is that they set out to make a bad, funny and campy movie but to me that's not how camp works and that's why this film doesn't work in the end.  The biggest problem is that every single second of the film is just too silly and it gets so silly that you'll be getting bored by not laughing.  Again, the film's heart is in the right place and I did laugh a few times like the scene where "Ro-Man", from ROBOT MONSTER, shows up and gets into a fight with the lead where we hear some Three Stooges type sound effects.  The stuff with the producer is pretty dry and I'm not sure to smile for getting to see a legend like Curtis or cry that he's doing a film like this.  Fans of those bad movies might want to give this a try as over time this too has gotten a cult following.  I really wanted to like this thing more than I did but it just didn't work for me.
 

Sinister Flesh (1976)
 

Stanley Sheff
 

Silent two-reeler from the man who would later make the cult item LOBSTER MAN FROM MARS with Tony Curtis.  This film tells the story of a mad scientist who knows his son will never have kids so he is determined to find eternal life so that the family name can live on.  With the help of his hunchback, they kidnap women in hopes of finding a way to live forever.  After a funny prologue about the producer, a DeMille, wanting silents to survive in the seventies, the film takes off with a rather beautiful technical quality that will remind horror fans of the Gothic period of the early 60's.  My eyes nearly popped out of my head seeing some of the rather amazing visuals in this film including a fog drenched castle and many scenes inside the laboratory, which was clearly influenced by and paying homage to those early German horror films like NOSFERATU and THE GOLEM.  The one problem with the film is its actual story that's pretty much all over the place and really can't support a 26-minute movie.  Fans of silents will want to check this out but I'm not sure how many actual horror fans will eat this up.
 

15. Terror Train
Jamie Lee Curtis and friends are stalked on a train by someone they wronged in the past. This is probably my least favorite of JLC's scream queen movies but I like some aspects of it (like that the killer changes costumes with his victims after he kills them or that young David Copperfield and Vanity are in it).

012) 10/03/2009 The Invisible Ray (1936) 1/2

Karloff and Lugosi are re-teamed for this sci-fi/horror film about a scientist who can kill people just by touching them thanks to a botched experiment.  Karloff is the bad guy, Lugosi a sympathetic peer.  The film has a good start but turns into a ho-hum revenge story and loses steam as it nears the climax.

013) 10/04/2009 Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Picking up right where Dracula left off, professor Van Helsing is arrested for Dracula's murder.  But a mysterious Countess steals the body and becomes attracted to the psychiatrist who's trying to help Van Helsing.  Really strong, atmospheric sequel to Dracula features great turns from Gloria Holden as the daughter, Irving Pitchel as her sinister servant, and Otto Kruger as the hero proper.  Somewhat muted by too much comedy, but overall very good.

014) 10/04/2009 Son of Frankenstein (1939) 1/2

Frankenstein's son (Basil Rathbone) discovers his father's creation (Karloff's last turn as the monster) is alive - barely - when he inherits his father's estate.  In addition to Rathbone and Karloff's fine work there is also Lionel Atwill as the one-armed Inspector Krogh, and, especially, Bela Lugosi as Ygor, the best friend the monster ever had, who steals every scene he's in.  A really terrific sequel that is marred slightly by the fact that the monster fades into the background here.  He can no longer speak and is little more than Ygor's murderous puppet.  But Karloff still has several fine scenes, especially as the exciting climax builds.

015) 10/04/2009 Black Friday (1940) 1/2

Entertaining if absurd story of Karloff's scientist performing a brain transplantation on his dying friend (Stanley Ridges).  But Ridges receives a gangster's brain, and may know the whereabouts of $500,000.  The film is a variation on the Jekyll/Hyde tale and Ridges is very good and makes the movie.  Karloff is fine but his character's motivations make him rather loathsome.  Lugosi has a minor role as a gangster also looking for the loot.

Them! may just be my favorite 50s sci-fi film.  The Bad Seed is rather dated given all the evil kid movies since, but it has its moments.  And Patty McCormick plays a real bitch.

John,

I find Patty McCormick to be the most frightening child I have probably ever seen in film.  She plays that part almost too well.