Yup. ::cool::

Thank you for those kind words. Enjoy the rewatch.

Now that I think of it: zombie movies like Dawn could go well with beef jerky or licorice. What do you think?::big grin::

A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984 ★★★★½

- Please, God.
- This... is God.

People like referencing the more silly, one liner filled sequels, before pointing out that the original was genuinely scary. And I can only concur with the last part. And I love Freddy's sense of humour.

Wes Craven shows his genius in the genre. He wastes no time before grabbing you by the back of the neck. First with the fingerknives - one of the scariest and most intriguing weapons in horror. It just looks so cool and menacing and efficient at the same time. Everyone who saw this wants/wanted one. Full disclosure: Yours truly has a plastic replica at home as well.

Then with Tina's first nightmare. Proving that the danger can come from literally everywhere. Only letting up for small portions of time. Allowing the viewers to catch their breath before taking it away again.

The kills are all compelling and intense. You are drawn in and you feel for the characters. Even for Rod. He may be a jerk, but you don't want him to die nonetheless. Tina's death is still as scary as ever and I will never get tired of the death bed. Especially hearing the backstage stories, with Heather Langenkamp cheerfully reminiscing on how rickety everything on the set was. Making it even more impressive that they managed to make it work as well as it did.

The humor that colours the sequels is far away here. The closest thing to funny bits are the cassette bit with Depp and the hallpass moment. Or a dude looking like eighties Bill Hader reading Shakespeare. Speak up, man. We can't hear you over your shirt.

A must see for any horror fan. Hands down.

Tenebre 1982 ★★★★½

Dario Argento is a genius and this is a masperpiece.

His unique mix of beautiful imagery and exciting music immediately draw you in. Making you think that in the ideal world, you can walk down the street with an Argento soundtrack playing, with the same level of cool as Travolta did in Staying Alive.

The story like with many Giallos is a rather complicated murder mistery with a few red herings thrown in to keep you guessing.

But that's not really what you are there for. In order to fully enjoy an Argento-film, you must be completely immersed: in the music, in the gorgeous imagery, in the beatifully filmed kills,...

Daria Nicolodi once again delivers a great performance, though she did not have as much to work with as in, say, Deep Red. She still outshines the actor playing Peter Neal, though. And it has John Saxon as (a bit of) a shady publisher. What's not to love about that?

Well recommended.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge 1985 ★★★½

I remember that I was not as enthusiastic the first time I saw this one. Not to say that it was really bad. I think it was after I had seen some of the later sequels. Perhaps I missed the creativity of the kills and Freddy's humour back then more. Did the theme not resonate with me? Maye that too. Maybe I did not get it back then.

One of the things that struck me during this rewatch was how "down to earth" Freddy was in this one. No puppets on strings or Freddy worms, the fingerknives do more than their fair share or slashing and stabbing. Also, the line between the dream world and reality seems more blurred, with things like the toaster catching fire or the exploding bird. And of course, there's Freddy coming into the real world during the pool party. With Lisa's dad flipping burgers and playing Benny Goodman. Would a reboot feature a soup nazi-reference? No burgers for you! Haha.

Of course, there is the much discussed gay undertone of the film. From the very start, there are hints at Jesse being "different". Starting with the line "why can't he wake up like other people?". And we should not forget all the Schneider-scenes. Or the Grady-scenes.

We see Jesse struggling with what's happening. Sometimes explicit - he often expresses his fear and his confusion at what is going on - and sometimes more with facial expressions and body language, showing all sorts of conflicting emotions. Good job by Mark Patton there. In hindsight, some of the images in ANOES 2 can also serve as a metaphor for things like inner demons and self hatred.

The parents were a good metaphor for the eighties. The mother inadvertently makes him feel worse, but at least she's trying. The father, on the contrary, is one of those old-timey stern father types. Not saying things are perfect now, but I doubt many people would want to go back to that.

We also see the budding (b)romance between Jesse and Grady. Two buddies giving each other shit and hanging out. The subconscious effect on the viewer? Not sure. Side note: say what you will, but Grady has a bitching taste in music.

Lisa is more than the supportive girlfriend. She does the detective work on Freddy and she manages to keep the exposition short and sweet. Good on the screenwriter and Kim Myers there. That said, she does stick with Jesse until the very end, encouraging him to defeat Freddy in the end. Side note: If Kim Myers was really cast to look like Meryl Streep, it would in hindsight be funnier if her character was called Sophie. Maybe throw in a subtle nod to Sophie's Choice. Anyway.

All these things make me all the more interested in seeing Pattons documentary Scream, Queen. See and hear his version of the events. How much did Robert Rusler and Kim Myers know at the time? How did they handle that knowledge? Is Marshall Bell in this one? What's his story?

Final note: the grandmother-line keeps getting funnier every time I hear it.

Duel 1971 ★★★★

A good illustration of the type of movie that gets by on the mistery. It starts off relatively normal, with an argument between the main character and his wife. Thus giving him the motivation to get home asap.

Then it goes south quick. The main question being: why? What did he do to deserve this? What did he do to irk this truckdriver? And how come all he does only ends up making him look crazier? A plot that somehow paved the way for Rutger Hauer's moment of glory in The Hitcher. Who woulda thunk it?

The tension works well, though I remember the ending being more somber when I watched it the first time.

Well worth a watch. Even if only because it's the debut of one Steven Spielberg.

Deep Red 1975 ★★★★★

Argento's masterpiece starts off with jazzcats. Great.

Then, like the best freejazz, it goes off the rail and off the chain in amarvelous way. The kills – especially the first one – are filmed within an inch of their lives. The horror maestro always finds a way to add an echanting beauty to everything he films. As gruesome as what you see may be.

The two leads take the cake. David Hemmings as the stylish, yet sometimes immature Mark Daly (if he were real, could he be on The Daily Show? Bah dum tss) and Daria Nicolodi as the feisty, energetic Gianna Brezzi. She knows what she wants and when she does, she goes for it, not taking no for an answer. Her boisterous laugh only makes her all the more adorable.

Since this is an Argento-film, one can not go without mentioning the breathtaking soundtrack by Goblin. Groovy, awesome, automatically sweeping you up in the atmosphere of the scene. Leaving you wondering wether they used a theremin (probably) and how some bits were echoed in a Quentin Tarantino-film. Then again, with Quentin Tarantino-film school being a thing, what is not echoed in his films?

This never gets old and I loved it.

The Manitou, 1978. 6.5/10

Directed by William Girdler

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Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, 1971. 6.5/10

Directed by Roy Ward Baker


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Hatchet for the Honeymoon, 1970. 8/10

Directed by Mario Bava


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I would have to go with licorice...Red of course::wink::::big grin::!

HOT DOG:THE MOVIE (1984). A goofy comedy in a decade that was fun of them with a "Snobs VS Slobs" plot and skiing being the crux of it.
Goofy it may be, but there are some funny parts, amazing skiing stunts and plenty of 80's T&A , especially provided by PLAYBOY's Shannon Tweed (11/81) and Crystal Smith (09/71). **1/2

Scream Blacula Scream 1973 ★★★★

From what I understand, this falls into the blaxpoitation genre, with a black Dracula, appropriately called Blacula.

I like what they did with the main character. You can tell it still relates to the classic Lugosi portrayal of the iconic vampire and Blacula speaks the posh English of a wise man. Not unlike Vincent Price's better moments.

That said, they do put on some different nuances. In my opinion, using voodoo to bring the vampire back to life was a very nice touch. The surrounding also mentions small tidbits of African culture and heritage, which adds to the story, making it more believable. Though I have to admit that I did not understand (most of) these references.

One scene that particularly struck me was the clash between Blacula and the pimps. When he tells them that they are “making their sister into a slave”, welll... there certainly are more subtle metaphors. But it is also a part of his character, noted in his protectiveness over Lisa, portrayed by Pam Grier.

Just like I was struck by the storyline in the beginning about the power hungry “heir” who wants to be the leader by any means necessary. Which ends up being his undoing. Now he has to live as Blacula's underling, a Smithers to his Burns. That does, however, also bring one of the funniest moments in the film when he is all mopey because he can't see himself in the mirror.

Pam Grier is stylish as always and William Marshall does a great job, portraying Blacula as a distinguished gentleman. Especially at the end, with a sole look conveying despair, betrayal and heartbreak, all at the same time. Great stuff there.

Recommended for fans of Vincent Price, vintage horror and blaxploitation.

De kollega’s maken de brug 1988 ★★

This movie is based on a Belgian tv series that was very popular in the late seventies and early eighties. The story centers around a group of public servants who don't really do much and thus have a lot of time to loaf about. That gives the chance to focus on the dynamics between the characters, resulting in a tone sometimes similar to what Ricky Gervais later did in The Office.

The story in a nutshell: a prankster puts a note about a day off strategically, knowing that the person responsable will probably forget to read it. He does so and everyone shows up on the day off. Once they find out, they want to leave, only to find that both the elevator and the stairs are out of order for different reasons. Ie, they're stuck until someone frees them.

It's a typical eighties-film, by which I mean that it has not aged very well. The story is not as captivating as it used to be and upon this rewatch, some of the characters seemed to be (a lot) meaner than I remember them being. Also, for a show considering itself dramady, it has quite the bit of drama (a marriage falls apart, a metoo incident occurs) and very little to laugh at. Apart from the scene where the two pranksters argue after a long dinner about who is more chablis-terated.

A document of its time. No less, no more.

Demons 1985 ★★★★½

The perfect load of outrageous, gory, fourth wall breaking fun. Every minute of it is a veritable feast for a horror fan. With Natasha Hovey as (what looks like) a great final girl and Bobby Rhodes as a badass pimp.

Prom Night III: The Last Kiss 1989 ★★★★

I was looking for something silly and stupid and boy, did this deliver.

The concept? The closest thing that I can think of is: imagine if the blowjob dream scene from Ghostbusters came alive and was stretched into a 90 minute Prom Night sequel. What would that be like?

You would end up with a main character having sex with a ghost and then waking up naked, wrapped in the Stars and Stripes for no apparent reason. Or the inexplicable POV shot of a character being buried.

That should give you an idea of where this movie is heading, complete with a silly plot, funny and creative kills and hilarious dialogue. For one, listen principal Weatheroff's odd speech. He has nothing on Lassard. Or the main character calling his parents in the best “they're not even trying”-phonecall I have heard in a long time.

It should also be noted that the script was probably written by someone who clearly has (more than a few) frustrations about his time in school. What with lines like “Who will miss another science teacher?” or “It was not a person, just a guidance counselor.”

One more thing that struck me: a sequel to Prom Night only works up to said prom when they are over half way through. The prom itself is only the last 20-25 minutes, complete with a Guns n Roses knockoff, the zombies clapping for the Prom King and Queen and the death of tonight's Artie Ziff.

Well recommended for those in the mood of something they can cackle their ass off at and not take it too seriously. Because, hey... if you want something dumb, then at least have something that does dumb well.

Piranha 1978 ★★★½

As much as it is a cult classic in its own right today, Piranha started off as one of the many Jaws-knockoffs that the late seventies spawned. It makes no bones about it with among others the computer game in the beginning. Or the crooked business man replacing the Jaws-mayor. A suit with anchors on it? I would not put it beyond him. Would you? Much like its "muse movie", it also shows no mercy towards children.

That said, better well stolen than poorly made up. And this one does have qualities. The kills get more and more gruesome and bloody as the story continues. Some of the beats of the genre, like the scientist making the heroic sacrifice, are actually well done. Or the scarety cat kid ending up saving people.

And let's not mince words, the bit where the main characters try to get the raft to shore in time was genuinely scary. The piranhas eating away at the chords, the logs breaking off and floating away one by one,... Good stuff. The decisive sequence, though tension filled as well, even looks a bit pale in comparison.

Two thumbs up. Or at least as far away from the water as possible.

Miss Marple: 4.50 from Paddington 1987 ★★½

Two trains cross and one passenger from the one train just happens to see a murder being committed in the other one. And she just happens to be friends with Miss Marple. Who woulda thunk it?

Enjoyable, but not memorable. Your typical Agatha Christie story with all the tropes: red herrings, the dramatic outburst followed by the big cough,... Also, does every single Agatha Chrstie-story have a character named Edmund?

THE TOY (1982) . The spoiled son of a ultra-Millionaire decides to make a black employee his new "toy". Painfully unfunny "comedy" that follows the plot of how friendship must be earned and not "bought"-not even Richard Pryor can get much of a laugh here. As offensive as the main plot is, there is also a scene involving Ned Beatty (one of my favorite character actors) being told to "...Take off Your pants" that must have been uncomfortable for him, considering He had to do that in an earlier (and much better) film that also showed off his humiliation. *

Boy, I'll tell you, mister Hat. Movies in the 80s were... weird.

ESCAPE TO WITCH'S MOUNTAIN (1975). Two siblings with extraordinary powers escape from a millionaire who wants to exploit them and return "home".
While the premise isn't bad and there is some lovely California scenery, this is a Disney film. And as such is overloaded with far too many "cutesy" and "ha Ha" moments that really aren't.
It is nice to see Donald Pleasance in a big budget film playing the aide to Ray Milland, who was typical for this time plays an abrasive rich asshole. **

"Cannibal Campout" is a 1980s grindhouse style horror film about a group of teens out camping in the rural mountains, not knowing there is a family of young brothers who are bloodthirsty and flesheating cannibals already camping in those hills, and the cannibals are always out looking for other campers to turn into their next victims. There are a lot of beautiful artsy nature shots throughout this film. There is also a lot of good humorous dialogue and well developed characters. The kill scenes are overall intense with good fake blood and make up fx. Those into the old school done right grindhouse horror films should not be let down by this one.

::danger::

"Video Violence" is another 1980s grindhouse style horror film about a married couple who just moved from New York City to a small secluded town after the husband owned his own movie theater in New York City and now owns his own local video store in the small town they moved to. The video store begins to receive home made snuff videos of people getting tortured and murdered in a lot of sick cruel bloody ways from random customers, and the local police department refuses to get involved. The husband then loses a worker who gets abducted from his own store, then tries taking matters into his own hands. The victims turn out to be those who are passing through, only to get abducted by locals who do the torturings and killings. This also has a lot of good dialogue and well developed characters, along with the kill scenes being overall well done. Those into the old school done right gory and artsy grindhouse style horror films should also find this one worth a look.::danger::

"Woodchipper Massacre"is actually a comedy horror that is meant to be stupid and campy looking but funny, parodying the grindhouse style horror films, and it is entertaining in that sort of over the top way. The dialogue is overall very humorous in over the top ways, and the characters are well developed, also in over the top parody ways. Even the kill scenes, despite very bloody and gory, are also silly but funny in creative satirical ways. This one is not great but still funny for those into those sorts of comedy horrors and maybe those into the grindhouse style horror films, if they can go without taking this one seriously.
::devil:: ::danger:: ::cool::

Asylum 1972 ★★★

Asylum was an anthology film with stories about patients in a mental hospital.

The build up, the main idea and the twist are all reminiscent of Patient Seven.

It will not blow you away, but it's a good way to spend 90 minutes. Even if only for all the British celeb actors of the time. With horror icon Peter Cushing in a starring role and appearances by Britt Ekland and others.

Ghostbusters 1984 ★★★★★

First of all, there seems to be a group of people that consider this movie as horror. My question to them: what are you smoking? Because I want some.

From the first minute, this is an amazing comedy. Just things like the confrontation with the first ghost. How Ackroyd and Ramis glance at Murray and he gives a “oh, for fucks sake” sigh and rolls his eyes before going in. Or the “we should split up” dialogue. The uberdry delivery by Murray when he goes “yeah, we can do more damage that way”. Brilliant.

Ghostbusters has all the things an entertainment classic should have
laugh out loud moments: the are you a God-moment
excitement and spectacle by the pound
a villain you love to hate
cameos for easter eggs. Is that Ron Jeremy? And holy shit, it's the dad from Family Matters.
And so on, and so on

Five stars across the board. Well deserved.

The Hitcher 1986 ★★★★½

From the very first shot, the movie sets its gloomy, somber tone. You immediately know what you are in for.

The same goes for our main character. From the moment we see him, John Ryder gives out a menacing appearance, making Jim uncomfortable as hell. To then further up the ante with the coll, dry delivery of his actions and his threats. This is one scary dude. The late Rutger Hauer was at one of his peak moments here. Unrelenting, killing everyone in the way of him tormenting and torturing poor Jim. Even a small victory like throwing Ryder out of the car turns out to be only temporary.

And it never lets up. The moment you start to feel the slightest bit of comfort, you had better buckle up, because something scary is coming. Like the shot with the teddy bear. Jim's response just makes him look like Crazy Ralph's cousin. Or the moment in the diner where he's eating and then... wow. Talk about fish fingers.

The setting and the tone are simply amazing. The vast landscapes and the seemingly never ending roads make you feel like you can escape and yet, the danger can come from anywhere. Granted, you need a good spoon of suspension of disbelief, but with a movie this scary, you happily accept that.

Final thought: I don't care what imdb says here. The fear of hitchikers along with the eeriness and dark ending make The Hitcher into a horror film. And a great one at that.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child 1989 ★★

Without a doubt the worst in the series. Bland across the board.

The kills were better than I remember, but the goofiness kept them from being really good.

The only upsides were the take on me-kill and Freddy screaming "It's a boy!". And I may be in the minority, but I kinda like Super Freddy. Still better than Aquaman.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child 1989 ★★

Without a doubt the worst in the series. Bland across the board.

The kills were better than I remember, but the goofiness kept them from being really good.

The only upsides were the take on me-kill and Freddy screaming "It's a boy!". And I may be in the minority, but I kinda like Super Freddy. Still better than Aquaman.

Child’s Play 1988 ★★★½

Let's rewind all the way back to march of 1976. A promsing, young actor named Brad Dourif is at the Academy Awards, at what is undoubtdely the highlight of his career so far. Imagine pulling a Back to the future on him at the afterparty. No, Brad. Your career defining role will be thirteen years from now. When you play... a killer doll. Correction: a ginger killer doll.

You know, it's uncanny. Not only how the Chucky-franchise managed to last as long as it has so far – crossovers, reboot and all. But also the impact Chucky has had, with people calling him scary as hell and with professional atheletes (like soccer players Roman Yaremchuk and Hirving Lozano) being nicknamed after him.

And all this based on a movie that should not even be all that good based on the premise: a serial killer in the body of a what? A three foot tall doll?

The transition in the opening scene is silly and Brad Dourif's delivery of the line “Oh God, I'm dying”? Well, it's... something. That's for sure. And a child with a doll getting a train ticket just like that? That's not very believable either.

In all fairness, the movie does have qualities. Some of the scary moments do work. The kills are well done and they turn the premise into an advantage. Because of the silly premise, the makers need to be creative in how they let Chucky kill people. And they are. Throughout the franchise.

And you have to admit: the bit where the doll holds a voodoo doll is pretty funny.

Brad Dourif is great as Chucky, positioning himself as one of the icons of the genre and Alex Vincent overcomes his challenge as a child actor to deliver an adorable performance. In a role he would regularly revisit later in his career. Talk about growing up with a character.

Child's Play, for those who have already seen it, it's always good for a laugh and a good time. And if you have not seen it yet... what are you waiting for?

The Omen 1976 ★★★★

A movie like The Omen deservedly belongs in the canon of classics of the broad seventies (an era which in my opinion starts in the late sixties with Night of the living dead and ends somewhere in the early to mid eighties with... maybe The Fly?) and is also one of the better religious horrors out there.

One of the main reasons is the casting. Having an experienced class actor like Gregory Peck helming this project. He gives Robert Thorn the class and dignity that elevates this character above the rest. With the rest of the cast being no slouches. They are all in their place. With miss Baylock being suitably scary as the replacement nanny and father Brennan getting just the right dose of sombreness and perceived madness. He is aware of the looming danger, yet unable to articulate his feelings without sounding like a madman.

That is shown in the scary moments. With the first whammy being a big one. The glee in the eyes of the nanny as she commits suicide... brr. Or the chase scene with the rotweilers in the graveyard. Bone chilling and edge of your seat intense. And of the course, there is the decapitation scene for the gorehounds. Holy crap, that hit hard.

And of course the final glance and wave. The knowledge that evil has won. Brr indeed.

Ps: fun fact: I only found out today that the actress playing Miss Baylock was the lady behind the fascist-hag exchange in Hot Fuzz. Her very last role, no less. So... the more you know.

House 1985 ★★

House is a funny little bit of eighties horror. Not in the least because of the number of recognisable actors: Creighton Duke and Bubba from In the heat of the night as the two requisite starstruck cops (and I could swear I recognised the other cop from somewhere), George Wendt as the comic relief, the later Frau Ferbissinau even had a small part. In the starring,we have William Katt, whose smile still delivers the charm as when he played Tommy Ross.

What is this movie's main problem? Hard to tell. On the one hand, you can tell that it's dated. It really looks very eighties in the special effects and the tone and what not. On the other hand, it never seems clear what this movie really wants to be.

We know one thing: while the sequels went full on goof, this one was in essence at least (trying to be) somewhat serious. But otherwise? Are they going for scares in the vein of Poltergeist? Or are they going in a more horror comedy direction, like Evil Dead? Heck, one or two moments even had a Back to the future-like vibe to them.

The villain looks cool, but not scary and the Vietnam-link and the missing link never really managed to capture me.

It has not aged well, but it remains a nice bit of campy fun. I recommend watching it with a few friends, because it makes for good drinking games. Example: every time you see Wendt, someone shouts “Norm!” and the others do a shot.

POSSESSION (1981). Art film by Andrzel Zulawski is lovely to look at, but an extremely weird story that will have You scratching Your head trying to figure it out. Early Sam Neill as a spy trying to work out an extremely toxic relationship with his wife, the lovely Isabelle Adjani, all sorts of odd goings on and involving a plot of what I can guess to be doppelgängers. Definitely not for all tastes. **

"Mountain Of The Cannibal God" is an Italian giallo jungle and cannibal themed horror film from the 1970s, directed by Sergio Martino. It is about a lady an her brother searching for her missing husband who was last seen on a search expedition for highly valuable natural products deep in the jungles of New Guinea! The government believes he got killed in the depths of the jungles, where there is a lot of dangerous and deadly wild life and cannibals out there. The lady and her brother say they do not want to give up on the search unless they can find out for sure that the missing husband is actually dead. They meet an American guide who currently resides out that way and is an expert on the jungle and wildlife, and knows that certain jungle real well. He also has a good amount of natives who know and life him. They agree to guide them on the expedition, searching for the missing husband, but encounter many surprise attacks from crocodiles, long venomous snakes, cannibals, and the like. They even lose the natives to those attacks pretty fast, but the lady and her brother insist on continuing. The lady also gets caught by a cannibal who tries to kill her, but then gets saved by another American guide who happens to be on another expedition out that way. He also agrees to help guide on that search because he is also very familiar with that jungle and wildlife, along with how dangerous and deadly it can be out that way. This movie has a lot of action and adventure to it with plenty of good stunt work and staged combat. It also has a lot of good drama and dialogue, and well developed characters. It even had a good well developed plot and story line. There is also a lot of artsy and amazing looking nature and wildlife shots throughout the whole film. Even the kill scenes with a lot of blood and gore are still done in good artsy and creative ways. There are also plenty of good twists and turns in the story. Out of the cannibal and jungle themed horror films, this is definitely one of the better ones out there.

"The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail" is an Italian giallo horror film from the 1970s, directed by Sergio Martino. It is about a wealthy man's widow inheriting a million dollars after he dies in a plane explosion, only to have stalkers threatening her, saying they are entitled to large amounts of that inheritance. They even go to extents of hiring lawyers and even hitmen to break into hotel rooms she is staying at in attempting to kill her and/or steal the money. Even investigators working on the case have to deal with people breaking into hotel rooms they are staying at in attempts to kill them as well. There is also a lone masked killer who breaks into places to kill a few of the ladies involved in the case. There are a lot of twists and turns in making it look like the killer is one person, only to have that person get it next, or having that person talking to another person off camera, not showing who the other person involved is. There is a lot of great action and suspense in this film, along with a lot of great drama, dialogue, and well developed characters. This film also has one of the bigger shockers on who the killer actually is, of all films that have surprise endings on who the killers actually are. Those into murder mysteries and the Italian giallo horror era should not be disappointed with this one.

THE HONEYMOON KILERS (1970). Sleeper film based on the "Lonely Hearts" killings of the 1940's, although some of the facts were tweaked Shirley Stoler is great as Martha, the unhappy and overweight (in the articles based on the case, it seemed that Martha's weight was always listed) nurse looking for some companionship. She answers an ad and gets involved with a Giglio/Con Man (Ray)who courts lonely women and absconds with their money. Martha joins the act as Ray's sister, but her extreme jealousy and nasty temper tend to make things complicated. ***

70/80 movies
 

The Strangler of the Swamp (1946) I have never even heard of this one before. It was run on "Lord Blood Rahs Nerve Wracking Theater" (the host is pretty knowledgeable about films) A number of swamp land men have died by strangulation and the inhabitants believe that an innocent man they hanged is seeking revenge on all of the male descendants of those responsible for his death. Maria, granddaughter of the guilty ferryman, decides to operate the ferry service. Chris Sanders, a son of one of the men who did the hanging, and Maria fall in love. I found it to be enjoyable. However, most of the scenes take place in the titular swamp, which seemed rather claustrophobic for the actors.

TWINS (1988 ) Comedy that has aged quite well with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger having great chemistry together and Kelly Preston at her most appealing. Look for a young Heather Graham. ***1/2

Messiah of Evil, 1974. 7/10

Directors: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz

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The Dead Are Alive, 1972. 6/10

Director: Armando Crispino


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Clownhouse 1989 ★★★

Clownhouse is an enjoyable slasher about three mental patients disguising as clowns.

The kills are mostly offscreen, but the creepy atmos and the score make up for that. And the clowns do look pretty scary. Especially the leader.

Good stuff. Worth a check.

Fun fact: The douchy brother Randy saw Sam Rockwell (he of Vice-fame) in one his very first roles.

Less fun fact: The bigger horror took place behind the scenes. No need to go into details, but those who want to know more can suffice by googling the director.

The Devil’s Men 1976 ★★★

The devil's man is one of those fun little gems that pop up every now and then when browsing Netflix. Proving that finding your own way through the algorythm is better than believing the birdbox.

It stars Donald Pleasance as a priest with both gravitas and, at times, a bit of humor. At least when confronted with reckless drivers. He investigates a satanic cult lead by Baron Corofax (played by Peter Cushing). Okay, Corofax is a pretty British sounding name for someone claiming to be from the Carpathians, and why the satanists look like fashionable klansmen is beyond me. But what the hey.

Pleasance teams up with Milo, portrayed by Kostas Karagiorgis. Milo is a New York detective in the stereotypical sense of the word: brash and loud. Is that the worst stereotype in the movie? No.

Also, what's up with that Father Ted-hairdo he's sporting?

Overall, this is a nice flick. The plot is your generic Satan-sacrifice bladibla, with holy water saving the day. Even though it looks more like nitroglycerine. But okay, sure. Fine. Whatever.

The acting is solid and the soundtrack composer got free reign to indulge in all his seventies synth related quirks. Resulting in an odd yet somehow fascinating score and a theme song worthy of cult status.

A nice addition for fans of Pleasance and Cushing.

The Lost Boys 1987 ★★★½

For a vampire movie, this one has surprisingly little bitey action.

It was however well paced and entertaining and Kiefer Sutherland finds the right balance between cheeky and menacing. And Corey Feldman makes for a good comic relief.

Also nice to see Alex Winter pop up.

Misery 1990 ★★★★

I can't get the review out of the cock-a-doodie keyboard!

Anyway...

Misery falls into that category of movies that somehow managed to elude me for a long time. Somehow, the timing never seems right or something else gets in the way. Some of you will know what I mean.

However, I finally got around to relaxing and watching and it delivered on all levels. The master Stephen King delivers a compelling story about a phenomenon all successfull artists will know all too well: the obsessive fan who does not take too kindly to them choosing a different direction. And who go a little overboard in their response to that.

Like a lot of the better King-stories, this one relies mostly on characters. Thus giving the actors an opportunity to shine.

Especially Kathy Bates. Boy, did she deserve that Oscar. She really made Annie Wilkes believable as that insecure psychopath with every innocent word capable of making her snap. Which is especially scary with that sugarcoat of friendliness and homeyness on top. You can tell that she loves baking cookies and be generous and giving. And then she turns on a dime and kills you.

James Caan... I always remember that story that Rob Reiner told on 100 scariest movie moments. I can just imagine Caan being like: Oh no... I'm in bed? A-gain? Really? Wonder if that was frustrating for him. Nonetheless, he delivers a great performance here. Emoting very well the fear and the insecurity that Paul feels. Especially in that one pivotal scene that pretty much everyone knows and talks about. You know what's coming and still... oh... my... goodness.

And while ninety percent of the movie relies on Caan and Bates, it would be remiss of me not to give a nod to the performances by Richard Farnsworth and Frances Sternhagen. They share good chemistry, even though Sternhagen does not get a lot of screentime. Farnsworth shines as the small town sheriff who slowly but surely works out what's going on.

The only point of criticism might concern the final jumpscare. From a superficial point of view, it might feel unnecessary and could easily be cut. And I am more than willing to believe that this is one clear example of “the book did it better”. But it does fit the point King wanted to get across. A part of me even tends to think this was one of the first moments he had in mind while writing this novel and somehow worked up to it. But that's just the fan boy spitballing and speculating.

Four well deserved stars.

Amsterdamned 1988 ★★★★

I got the idea for this rewatch from a Letterboxd-member who claimed this to be “the most Italian non-Italian giallo I’ve ever seen”.

And you know what? He could be on to something. Some elements come back that remind me of giallos I have seen.

- The score: very seventies and the bit just before the car chase definetily has some Goblin vibes in there.
- The colors: in certain shots, they definetily give off that sensation
- The cast: With his five o'clock shadow and his posture, Erik Visser may pass for a southern macho. And Martin does look like a giallo killer. In that aspect, I liked how they kept him ambiguous until the end.
- The imagery: There were more, but the ones I have written down include the mortician holding the blade, the shot of the bookcase with Laura in front of the cd-player, Martin playing the piano or the killer preparing for another honest day's work. Part of me wants to include Willy in front of the candle, but now that I think of it... giallos never really had many kids in them, did they?

Sure, some of the story is silly and goofy, but there is still plenty to enjoy.

The kills were either suitably elaborate (the house boat) or brutal (the knife between the legs or the shot of the first victim sliding over the boat).

The banter between Eric and his daughter is funny – the shot with the cat food never misses to get a chuckle out of me. Or the way Anneke berates for forgetting the ha-gel-slag.

Credit where credit is due: the opening shots of the killer swimming through the canal and the final confrontation right before the big reveal do have a dose of creepiness. I also love the shot with the Chinese kitchen at the start. You don't have to understand their language to hear the chef going “where's the damn knife?” and the other guy “huh?”. “Where's the fucking knife?!” “How the hell should I know?” *bicker bicker*

And let's not forget the cheesy cop movie jokes and last but not least, a speedbot chase scene through the bloody Amsterdam canals. With a speeboat jumping over a bridge! How cool is that?!

This movie has a special place in my heart and there is no way it will ever gets less than four stars.

Final note: beschuitlul might just be one of the best insults ever.

A Bay of Blood 1971 ★★★★

The opening credits immediately have the snarks covered. Paola Rubens? Is there something to Pee Wee Herman that we do not yet know? Some Angela Baker-ish backstory? Moving on.

The plot sometimes feels a tad messy and complicated, but that's not the point of these movies. It's all about style and atmos. And kills, obviously. And they are fittingly brutal. Especially that decapitation. Holy fucking shit, that's awesome. Or the ending? Wow. Did NOT see that coming.

But that meatcleaver kill? Ugh. Such a rip off of Friday the 13th part 4. You will not catch Steve Miner with this kind of silliness. Boy I'll tell you.

I also liked how they threw shade on pretty much everyone. Like the Burt Reynolds-looking Simon, with the creepy laugh. And of course in true giallo style, the movie is full of beautiful shots and gorgeous women.

Great stuff.

The Crazies 1973 ★★★★

This George A Romero jumps straight into the action. An opening scene with two cute children in a house finding a crazy man tearing up the place. In fear, they look for their mommy and... oops.

What Romero does very well is show the chaos that comes with a crisis of this type. In 2022, we can not help but be reminded of the pandemic. But other than that? The inept reponse, the lack of adequate at the place where it is needed,...

Or the bureaucratic top secret hoo ha with the voice recognizer, much to the chagrin of Doctor Watts, a role in which Richard France already shows a few traits that would later come back in Dawn of the dead. One could even argue that The Crazies is sort of a proto-version of Dawn, with this one focusing more on the chaos that ensues (the epithomy of whcih being the scene where Doctor Watts gets quarantained after a misunderstanding), while Dawn starts with the pandimonium and focusses on what comes afterwards.

I was also struck by the sympathy I felt for some of the characters. I felt the same type of sympathy for the Fauci's of this world. I empathise with Peckem, a man doing an unrewarding job under difficult circumstances, with people seemingly existing to make your life a living hell. The frustration of the mayor is understandable and the scene where the policeman dies in a skuffle. He feels awful about it, even when he knows he did the "right thing". And I as a viewer feel for him.

The main characters are a pregnant nurse escaping with her fiancé and two people they come across. Whereas the characters in Dawn get a bit of relief, the air never clears for these people. With the threat coming from either the soldiers looking to kill or quarantaine them or the threat from the virus. Is this person traumatized? Or are they infected? Maybe, maybe not.

Throughout this pandemonium, Romero shows the horror and the creativeness, best shown with the nitting needle kill. All while remaining entertaining.

Well worth watching.

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde 1971 ★★★½

If I had any recollection of really getting in touch with the Hammer films, than it disappeared from my memory. I think I saw one or two before, but I cannot for the life of me remember which, let alone when.

So for comfort's sake, I will consider this one as my introduction to Hammer films. A Dr Jekyll-Jack the Ripper crossover set in nineteenth century London. Now that I think of it, there is a tv film on Jack The Ripper with Michael Caine that also features Jekyll and Hyde. Wonder if this parallel goes any further.

I must say, for an early seventies horror, the special effects are already a tad bit underwhelming. I realise it's not fair (It's still six years until Dawn), but even more than ye old English, the old time stabbey fun give it more of a vintage vibe. This looks more like it was filmed in the (early) fifties than in the seventies. Apart from a few good looking hand transformation scenes.

This puts the emphasis more on the drama and the characters and that is well done. First of all, the Sister Hyde-idea adds a nice twist to the classic Jekyll and Hyde story. Secondly, and in hindsight more importantly, it inadvertently opens up the possibility to interpret this as a pro transgender movie. A lot more than, say, Sleepaway Camp.

The upstairs neighbours see Sister Hyde and just accept her at face value. She looks like a woman, eats like a woman, walks like a woman and (probably) swims like a woman, so it's probably... Howard even makes out with Sister Hyde and never is the wiser.

The story also decides to make Sister Hyde a killer as well, perhaps even more ruthless and vicious than Doctor Jekyll is. From her stance and inflection, you can deduct that she would have no trouble dealing with the seedy types where Jekyll acquires his “research material” or putting them in their places.

The movie owes a great deal to the actors. Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick do the best as the disturbed Jekyll and the wicked Hyde. The rest were perhaps not great, but not terrible either. The costumes also add to the athmosphere, as well as that typical English. The only line missing was something akin to 'I say, old girl, you just stabbed me. Stuck ya throat cutter in me neck, you did.' And, lest we forget, a nice dramatic conclusion with perhaps a nod to King Kong.

A good start for my Hammer exploration and a recommendation for every Hammer enthusiast who has not seen this one yet.

Alien 1979 ★★★★★

For someone so used to streaming and watching TV at your own tempo as I am, spending the weekend with relatives does have its perks. Like reintroducing you to watching linear tv. My face when I think “oh cool, Alien is on”. The anticipation, the aimless channel flipping to kill time. Also, the downers. If you doze off during the film, there is no rewinding here, baby. Haha.

To be honest, I thought I had already written my review for this one, but maybe I was mistaking. Perhaps partly because the first thought on my mind was “What can I say or add”. And that in itself says a lot. Alien is one of those tried and true classics that stood the test of time and never gets old. Even on a fifth or tenth rewatch.

From the very start, you can tell the difference. Where Star Wars and other films were grand and majestuous and clean, this one is dirty and grimey. The main thing is the cargo and the crew's comfort is not all that important. Hence, the banter and complaining about the food. And subtly foreshadowing the later reveal.

The tension is palpable. Partly due to the fact that the danger can come from pretty much everywhere and that there is neither an escape route or help coming. In space no one can hear you scream indeed. And that's supposing anyone would want to send help in the first place. As Mother puts it after some pushing by Ripley... “crew expendable”. And Ash? Well, he's a robot anyway, so, you know... but still, that reveal scene still stands as well.

Another reason is the nature of the Xenomorph. The speed with which it evolves and grows, its size, the fact that you cannot shoot it or that its “blood” easily melts through the floors and ceilings,... and once it gets you, you're a goner. Like when Dallas gets it.

But the first kill is the most iconic. John Hurt convulsing in agony, not knowing what is happening to his body before the Alien bursts out. A terrifying way to go. Reinforced by the reactions of the other crew members. Horror afficionados probably already know the story of how Ridley Scott deliberately kept the crew in the dark about the specifics of the scene in order to make the terror on their faces as genuine as possible. Poor Veronica Cartwright, whose face was completely covered in blood.

However, she is not the main star of the movie. That honour goes to Sigourney Weaver. She can convey the determination and the take no crap-attitude that makes her the badass she still is. Not to mention being right all the time. Don't bring in Kane with the facehugger still on him... Oh crap, they did. Motherf...

And the ending sequience in the escape pod... phoah. You feel for Ellen as she gets in her suit with fear pulsating in every part of her body. Or how she rallies herself by singing “lucky star”. As much as I can empathize with Ridley Scotts frustration (spending the entire production penny pinching and arguing about money and then in five seconds a truckload of money heads out the door), even he has to admit in hindsight that it worked. And her relief as she signs off is the perfect ending to a timeless.

A must see for every horror fan and every cinephile in general.

Christmas Evil 1980 ★★

Two Christmas movies, only suitable for the time of year. Although, this one...

Being a non-American, I have never had the “pleasure” of watching a faith based movie in general, let alone a Pureflix movie. But based on their reputation and things I heard on YT, this one approaches their levels of what the fuckery.

The Return of the Living Dead 1985 ★★★★½

What a way to celebrate New year's Eve. Wolfing down (cult) classics.

I absolutely love this one. It has more ham than a parmesan butcher and so many screams even Shaggy and Scooby would say that it's a bit too much.

And does The English patient have 45 grave on the soundtrack? I believe not.

Return of the Living Dead Part II 1988 ★★★

All in all a fun watch, but not the over the top balls to the wall fun that part 1 was.

Invitation to Hell 1984 ★★★

When shitty days come up with a nice surprise. Like stumbling across a Craven-flick you never heard of before.

Invitation to hell is tv movie and it shows. The title being but the first example. The intro being a good second. A guy in a car just mowes down a lady in the middle of the road. She gets up without a scar or bruise, points her fingergun at him and shoots him on fire. Leading to him burning to death in agony. And of course offscreen because tv movie. What the hell?

A family moves to silicon valley where the dad gets a big job at a tech company. So you would think that they have it made. Nope. In order to really go places, they have to join the... country club. A country club of course run by the killer lady from the opening. That has more to it than meets the eye.

It's not up there with his classics like ANOES or The hills have eyes, but it's still solid. Even under these circumstances, what with the drabness of the story and the limitations in the effects, Craven manages to entertain and deliver a decent flick with a fairly smooth pace, while at the same time ticking off all the tropes.

NIGHTMARE SISTERS (1986). Three less than glamorous College girls hold a seance which turns them into sexy killing machines.
Direct to video release scores by having three premier "Scream Queens" in the cast; Linnea Quigley, Brooke Stevens and Michelle Bauer (the prettiest one for Me), but scenes just drag out, especially those involving the leads get naked and while the "Queens" have charisma (and long careers to boot), the rest of the cast is horrid and it's honestly difficult to make it to the end. *

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986 ★★★★½

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.

Ferris Bueller's day off is one of the staples of 80s comedy. Along with Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Gremlins,... they will never get old and never lose their sting. At least not to my generation.

A great outrageous comedy with plenty of quoatable lines and laugh out loud moments:

the phone call with “mister Peterson”
Jeannie knocking out principle Rooney
Cameron debating on wether or not to go
the post credit scene with Ferris in the shower
Jeannie hooking up with a young Charlie Sheen (who looked low on tigerblood here)
Vito from Do the right thing joyriding with the precious rare Ferrari...
Cameron standing up to his father (side note: At the time or writing I noticed an interesting contrast. Here, the rebellious teenager is the climax after starting off as a good boy. In the much more movie that started my evening (Fall), it starts off with rebellion and ends up with reconcilliation. Sign of the times? What do you think?)
...

A must watch comedy with, at the core, a message of enjoying life and taking the moment

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Basket Case 1982 ★½

Eighties cornball fun that for some reason managed to spawn sequels.

The concept is goofy, the acting is questionable and the kills are sometimes downright laughable.

Campy fun with beer and joints.

Wait. What. One and a half stars??

https://64.media.tumblr.com/79d903ab...v3r1o1_400.gif

Masterpiece. ::cool::

I don't think I would call it a masterpiece, but certainly 1/2* is too low....at least a ***.

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE (1987). Decent comedy of a nerd paying his gorgeous neighbor money to pose as his girlfriend for a month, so He can be part of the "cool" crowd. His social stature rises, but He loses sight of who He really is and the price for that loss is quite sobering. Better than I thought with Patrick Dempsey ("McDreamy" from GREY'S ANOTOMY) pretty good. ***

Down by Law 1986 ★★½

A not too terribly interesting Jim Jarmusch-movie. Apart from a few funny moments, like the we all scream for icecream raindance, it was not very memorable.

Benigni was pretty funny, though.

Cheerleader Camp 1988 ★★

A slasher from the end of the eighties slasher era. Formulaic and by the numbers. Based on the opening shot, you would expect a much bigger kill count. Now we stick with a half dozen.

At least the bitchy contest leader – or whatever you want to call her – gets it.

Dune 1984 ★★★★

A bewildering (it's Lynch, so duh), but intriguing movie. David Lynch had an interesting venture into sci-fi. Lynch tapped into the majestic type of sci fi and added an artsy, philosophical layer that I certainly want to explore further sometime in the future.

Kyle McLachlan was good in this and it was fun seeing a pre-Picard Patrick Stewart.

Also, this has a scene in which Kyle McLachlan kills Sting. And you just know... that somewhere ... Stewart Copeland is going "Yaaaassss!!!"

Horror High 1973 ★★

Seventies horror with a suitably groovy score. Sadly, the story was not very intriguing and the kill count was a tad lowish.

One or two good kills saved it, though.