November 12, 2008
Halloween 2008 - TronFest!
Our intrepid hero, tron, regales you with details of his Halloween film fest.
Par for the course, this time of year is extremely busy for me what with work and Cybermonkey weddings and all (congrats Lady L and Magnificent!!) but one thing I try and make time for is my traditional Halloween movie-fest wherein I sequester myself (and anyone else of similar bent) with with tons of choice horror cinema and proceed to OD on fear incarnate. The early half of the day is dominated by the classics, traditionally Dracula pictures (an equal mixture of Bela Lugosi/John Carradine and Christopher Lee), segueing into modern films of disreputable ilk. This year, to shake things up, I threw over the vampire in favor of our hairy friend the werewolf, largely inspired by seeing the Howling (1981) in HD a few days before. I am also usually a stickler for the Halloween series of films which I also eschewed, largely inspired by Bruce Campbell. As always, I attempt to provide a guideline for good spook-filled film watching or further Halloween gatherings. Without further ado here's what I had brewing:
The Wolf Man (1941): Universal Films really defined the horror film in 1931 with the double header of Dracula and Frankenstein and have been roundly criticized for a "decline" in quality as the studio focused in churning out hits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although House of Frankenstein (1944) or the later Mummy films do have more of a "camp" feel Universal, in the later part of the 40s through 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon, still turned out top-notch horror films. Largely in part to Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance as a man affected by a horrible curse and his transformation from not only man to wolf but of skeptic to grudging believer to flat-out werewolf, plus great supporting work from Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi and Maria Ouspenskaya really made The Wolf Man an indelible cultural icon of horror. Rating: 9
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943): How could you not then go into the direct sequel to The Wolf Man? Picking up from there and the end of Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), this film becomes an exploration of Larry Talbot and his quest to end the werewolf's curse by use of Doctor Frankenstein's "Secrets of Life and Death". Mainly this is because the studio edited all but the merest appearances of Bela Lugosi, including emotive speaking scenes right out of the picture (it figures too - blackball him for not playing Frankenstein and then when he finally does a reportedly stellar job cut him to ribbons). Monster mayhem does eventually ensue and leaves the monsters in place for House of Frankenstein. Nothing super-innovative but a worthy sequel to both franchises and one of the first pairings of the classic horror icons. Only eclipsed by adding more monsters reaching it's apex with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Despite it's flaws a monster good time. Rating: 7
Making of an Invisible Man (2004): This is a byproduct of indecision. I thought about Creature from the Black Lagoon but the Claude Rains/James Whale connection also crossed my mind so I watched this documentary from the Legacy Collection on the entire Invisible series and one thing you forget is how amazing Claude Rains is as an actor. Almost his entire role is voice-acting (seeing as he's invisible the whole film) yet he still pulls off a memorable and iconic performance. James Whale was at the height of his talent and trying desperately to not do a sequel to Frankenstein and the technological advancement and techniques used were astounding for 1933. Darn good documentary. Rating: 7
Old Dark House (1932): James Whale won out (and he did direct Frankenstein who was in the last film so theme-wise we're all right) with this quirky tale of travelers stranded by a storm seeking shelter at a creepy mansion with a host of eccentrically unsavory hosts who hide dark secrets and proudly display a homicidal mute manservant by the name of Boris Karloff. Ostensibly a dark comedy (as shown by Whale's love of over-the top performances from supporting cast such as this film's Eva Moore), there is enough stifling atmosphere and sense of dread carried through by Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton and the rest of this A-list cast to make a pretty creepy little picture. One of the greats and absolutely worth tracking down. Rating: 9
Sundown (1990): Ok, so you can't entirely escape vampires. Heck, who'd want to? I ran into It Ain't Cool's Chris Cargill at Ryan's Buffet and he tipped me off to this film's whereabouts on dvd and damned if I didn't go get it. A charming tale centered around David Carradine's Dracula and his vampire hoard who have retired to a sleepy desert town to synthesize blood and live life in peace. Enter a radical vampire fringe led by M. Emmit Walsh and a socially inept descendant of Van Helsing played by Bruce Campbell which insure things turn messy. A comedy-horror treat that sadly has been mostly forgotten, now unearthed and encapsulated for your future viewing pleasure. Think about it; Bruce Campbell vs. Vampiric David Carradine. Rating: 7
Dog Soldiers (2002): Neil Marshall, properly praised director of the Descent (2005), was next with one of the best werewolf films ever committed to celluloid (see? Back on track theme-wise). Simply put, a group of Army soldiers (led by Sean Pertwee, a monkey fave) are on exercises when they stumble across a Black Ops team totally ripped apart. Things go from there to werewolf in like 2 seconds and the squad is forced to take shelter in the only house for miles... the werewolves' home. Now the wolves can't just leave, they're there. Things go from bad to werewolf even faster and damn, that's a great film. Really recommended if you like werewolves, guns, the British or awesome. Rating: 9
Abominable (2006): Theme-wise this is kind of a stretch but it was killing in the woods by a big hairy creature, plus Ryan Schifrin's debut picture was a hit at Fantasticfest 2005 where I caught it the first time and ran with it. Far and away the best bigfoot movie ever, Abominable features cameos by Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Dee Wallace Stone (Howling connection and thin theme justification) and Rex Linn, nudity, gore, a score by Academy Award Winner Lalo Schifrin and Bigfoot (though to be fair, the big facial reveal is lame but he does then bite face so cool!)! A naked chick gets pulled through a window! Crippled dude is the hero (hello Cripple X!)! A guy gets his face bit off!! This movie has tons going for it and deserves a view. Rent it now. Rating: 7.5
Monster Squad (1987): Directed by Fred Dekker, the man who gave us the greatest ever 80s flick Night of the Creeps (1986), this is one childhood gem everyone saw when they were ten except me (to be fair I was 16 and really loved Universal so I probably felt it was heresy at the time). I made up for that a year or so ago and when it's 3am and you need one last movie with a werewolf in it this is the one ("wolfman has nards"). Fun, has all the monster greats, the kids aren't terribly annoying, everyone has a nickname like "Fat Kid" and "Scary German Guy" and it's the Creeps director. If you haven't seen this film I urge you to do so. If you have I urge you to rent it again. Rating: 8.5
And there is another Halloween down. I actually run films as much as I can a few days before and after so Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and the Lonesome Ghosts short (1937), as well as 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum also got ran (among others). Suffice to say, I hope this helps next time a spooky marathon, or any good horror film is needed. As to next year's theme? The Creature is still swimming and there are a lot of Frankenstein films...
And now - some trailers!
Dog Soldiers
Abominable
Wolfman
The Wolf Man (1941): Universal Films really defined the horror film in 1931 with the double header of Dracula and Frankenstein and have been roundly criticized for a "decline" in quality as the studio focused in churning out hits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although House of Frankenstein (1944) or the later Mummy films do have more of a "camp" feel Universal, in the later part of the 40s through 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon, still turned out top-notch horror films. Largely in part to Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance as a man affected by a horrible curse and his transformation from not only man to wolf but of skeptic to grudging believer to flat-out werewolf, plus great supporting work from Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi and Maria Ouspenskaya really made The Wolf Man an indelible cultural icon of horror. Rating: 9
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943): How could you not then go into the direct sequel to The Wolf Man? Picking up from there and the end of Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), this film becomes an exploration of Larry Talbot and his quest to end the werewolf's curse by use of Doctor Frankenstein's "Secrets of Life and Death". Mainly this is because the studio edited all but the merest appearances of Bela Lugosi, including emotive speaking scenes right out of the picture (it figures too - blackball him for not playing Frankenstein and then when he finally does a reportedly stellar job cut him to ribbons). Monster mayhem does eventually ensue and leaves the monsters in place for House of Frankenstein. Nothing super-innovative but a worthy sequel to both franchises and one of the first pairings of the classic horror icons. Only eclipsed by adding more monsters reaching it's apex with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Despite it's flaws a monster good time. Rating: 7Making of an Invisible Man (2004): This is a byproduct of indecision. I thought about Creature from the Black Lagoon but the Claude Rains/James Whale connection also crossed my mind so I watched this documentary from the Legacy Collection on the entire Invisible series and one thing you forget is how amazing Claude Rains is as an actor. Almost his entire role is voice-acting (seeing as he's invisible the whole film) yet he still pulls off a memorable and iconic performance. James Whale was at the height of his talent and trying desperately to not do a sequel to Frankenstein and the technological advancement and techniques used were astounding for 1933. Darn good documentary. Rating: 7
Old Dark House (1932): James Whale won out (and he did direct Frankenstein who was in the last film so theme-wise we're all right) with this quirky tale of travelers stranded by a storm seeking shelter at a creepy mansion with a host of eccentrically unsavory hosts who hide dark secrets and proudly display a homicidal mute manservant by the name of Boris Karloff. Ostensibly a dark comedy (as shown by Whale's love of over-the top performances from supporting cast such as this film's Eva Moore), there is enough stifling atmosphere and sense of dread carried through by Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton and the rest of this A-list cast to make a pretty creepy little picture. One of the greats and absolutely worth tracking down. Rating: 9Sundown (1990): Ok, so you can't entirely escape vampires. Heck, who'd want to? I ran into It Ain't Cool's Chris Cargill at Ryan's Buffet and he tipped me off to this film's whereabouts on dvd and damned if I didn't go get it. A charming tale centered around David Carradine's Dracula and his vampire hoard who have retired to a sleepy desert town to synthesize blood and live life in peace. Enter a radical vampire fringe led by M. Emmit Walsh and a socially inept descendant of Van Helsing played by Bruce Campbell which insure things turn messy. A comedy-horror treat that sadly has been mostly forgotten, now unearthed and encapsulated for your future viewing pleasure. Think about it; Bruce Campbell vs. Vampiric David Carradine. Rating: 7Dog Soldiers (2002): Neil Marshall, properly praised director of the Descent (2005), was next with one of the best werewolf films ever committed to celluloid (see? Back on track theme-wise). Simply put, a group of Army soldiers (led by Sean Pertwee, a monkey fave) are on exercises when they stumble across a Black Ops team totally ripped apart. Things go from there to werewolf in like 2 seconds and the squad is forced to take shelter in the only house for miles... the werewolves' home. Now the wolves can't just leave, they're there. Things go from bad to werewolf even faster and damn, that's a great film. Really recommended if you like werewolves, guns, the British or awesome. Rating: 9
Abominable (2006): Theme-wise this is kind of a stretch but it was killing in the woods by a big hairy creature, plus Ryan Schifrin's debut picture was a hit at Fantasticfest 2005 where I caught it the first time and ran with it. Far and away the best bigfoot movie ever, Abominable features cameos by Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Dee Wallace Stone (Howling connection and thin theme justification) and Rex Linn, nudity, gore, a score by Academy Award Winner Lalo Schifrin and Bigfoot (though to be fair, the big facial reveal is lame but he does then bite face so cool!)! A naked chick gets pulled through a window! Crippled dude is the hero (hello Cripple X!)! A guy gets his face bit off!! This movie has tons going for it and deserves a view. Rent it now. Rating: 7.5
Monster Squad (1987): Directed by Fred Dekker, the man who gave us the greatest ever 80s flick Night of the Creeps (1986), this is one childhood gem everyone saw when they were ten except me (to be fair I was 16 and really loved Universal so I probably felt it was heresy at the time). I made up for that a year or so ago and when it's 3am and you need one last movie with a werewolf in it this is the one ("wolfman has nards"). Fun, has all the monster greats, the kids aren't terribly annoying, everyone has a nickname like "Fat Kid" and "Scary German Guy" and it's the Creeps director. If you haven't seen this film I urge you to do so. If you have I urge you to rent it again. Rating: 8.5And there is another Halloween down. I actually run films as much as I can a few days before and after so Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and the Lonesome Ghosts short (1937), as well as 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum also got ran (among others). Suffice to say, I hope this helps next time a spooky marathon, or any good horror film is needed. As to next year's theme? The Creature is still swimming and there are a lot of Frankenstein films...
And now - some trailers!
Dog Soldiers
Abominable
Wolfman