Jason Takes a Page from Norman: Friday the 13th to Come to TV

Deadline is reporting that Sean S. Cunningham is taking his creation of Friday the 13th and bringing it to the small screen.

We all know the story of the ill-fated summer camp and surrounding lake of Crystal Lake that saw the death of a young boy that drown while in the care of camp counselors that were more into exploring each other's anatomy than taking care of the kids. Flash some 20 years later, the now closed down camp looks to reopen with a new crop of horny twenty-somethings looking more for a good time than a job. Once again dark days fall upon the camp as one by one the counselors die. This premise has now spawned a plethora of sequels and not only on e reboot, but a new as well.

While the movies follow our favorite honky mask wearing, machete wielding maniac the new series looks to go more in-depth with the town, its residents and the Voorhees themselves. No different than what is now being done with Norman Bates and his mom and the strange Twin Peaks type town they live in.

Terminator's Bill Basso and Jordu Schell from Avatar are on task to write the script that will take Jason through multiple time periods. Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films and Crystal Lake entertainment are the producing partners that are going to take the franchise to the small screen. No word as of yet on what channel will be the home of the new Friday the 13th Series.

In 1987 another (short lived) series of the same name hit airways. Origainally entitled the 13th Hour, producer Frank Mancuso Jr.(Producer of Friday the 13th Part 2) thought that changing the name to Friday the 13th would draw a bigger audience.

Mancuso's version followed the cousins Michelle "Micki" Foster and Ryan Dallion as they hunted cursed antiques that were sold by their uncle who had made (then broke) a deal with the Devil.

That series lasted 3 seasons.      

31 Days 31 31 Picks Trick Or Treat ( FULL MOVIE 1986) by Kas-g

Aaahhh, the horrors of playing your favorite heavy metal album backwards, something that kids today CAN NOT do.

Taken from the scourge of the 1980's Big Brother watch-dog groups the likes of which of Tipper Gore's (Al's wifey-poo) PMRC and the ever popular TV Evangelists (when they weren't throwing lavish sex parties... yes that means you Jim and Tammy Faye) when they would prowl Dateline type shows and Current Affair television (think E! News or that of Access Hollywood to know what the fuck I'm talking about), 1986's "Trick Or Treat" follows the poor outcast teenager Eddie Weinbaur after he learns of the demise of his fav heavy metal dude Sammi Curr.

Completely devastated, Eddie goes to his friend "Nuke" (Gene Simmons), a radio DJ who knew Sammi Curr personally. To take Eddie's mind off the death of his idol, Nuke gives Eddie the only copy of Curr's last and only unreleased album, "Songs in the Key of Death", on an acetate disc (Unlike ordinary vinyl records, which are quickly formed from lumps of plastic by a mass-production molding process, a so-called acetate disc is created by using a recording lathe to cut an audio-signal-modulated groove into the surface of a special lacquer-coated blank disc, a real-time operation requiring expensive, delicate equipment and expert skill for good results. They are made for special purposes, almost never for sale to the general public. They can be played on any normal record player but will suffer from wear more quickly than vinyl. Some acetates are highly prized for their rarity, especially when they contain unpublished material). Nuke plans to play the album in its entirety on-air at midnight on Halloween as tribute, since according to Nuke, that was always Sammi's plan for the album's debut. 

Once back home, Eddie falls asleep listening to the record and has a strange dream about the fire that killed Sammi Curr. When he wakes up he finds that the record is skipping and after listening to it for a few seconds he comes to realize that there is something not right about the words the record is stuck on. Having previous experience with hidden lyrics, Eddie plays the record backwards but receives more than he imagined: Sammi Curr speaking to him from beyond the grave.

Of course only things can go wrong from here... lol... Along with Gene, look for Ozzie playing a priest on TV news.

Until Next time...  

31 Days 31 Picks Sleepaway Camp (1983) [UNCUT] [HD] Full Movie

The 1980's spawned a plethora of wannabe 'Friday the 13th' films and 'Sleepaway Camp' is no different.

'Sleepaway Camp' follows the story of an introverted teen girl, Angela Baker, struggling with her self identity --in more ways than one. Angela's father and brother were killed in a strange boating accident when she was a young girl. Since Angela is so painfully shy she is sent to camp to possibly open her up emotionally. However things start to go horribly wrong after her arrival with an ending that needs to be seen.

Until next time...

31 Days 31 Picks: Dario Argento's DEMONS (1985)

You can't have a Halloween movie list without adding one of the Italian masters of the genre of horror in the name of Dario Argento. Argento is by far one of the greats.

This installment of "31 Picks 31 Days" is the 1985 film "Demons".

Demons follows a group of people that are trapped in a large movie theater in West Berlin which, unfortunately, is infected by ravenous demons who proceed to kill and then posses the humans one-by-one, thereby multiplying their numbers.

As the group of uninfected race to any exit they can find --only to find that they have all been bricked up-- they attempt to barricade themselves in the balcony. One of the demons, however, escapes into the city when a group of punk rockers break's into the building. Allowing the demonic infection has spread throughout the city of Berlin. 

Shades of the Spanish films "REC" anyone?

Until Next Time...  

RIP Jesus [Jess] Franco

He was known as the man with many names. But whatever he called himself, Jesus Franco, aka Jess Franco, famed Spanish director has passed away at the age of 82. After he was admitted to the Pascual Clinic in Malaga, Spain last Wednesday with symptoms related to a stroke.

With nearly 200 films under his belt [Jess] Franco ran the gamut of 

genres from everything from Horror to Science Fiction: Eroticism to Porn. Franco had even did a stint as a second unit director for Orson Welles on the film “Chimes at Midnight” that was shot in Spain. Along with Welles [Jess] Franco worked with great Christopher Lee as Lee reprised his role as the famed vampire Vlad Dracula in 1970’s “Count Dracula”. In this version, Dracula is an old man that grows younger from his consumption of blood from the veins of young mavens.

Born in 1930 in Madrid, Spain, [Jess] Franco debut as a director at the age of 18 with the 1959 film “We Are 18 Years Old”. In 1968, Franco, was nominated for the Festival of Berlin for the film “Succubus”. The nomination brought Franco international reputation. From there Franco’s life and career became more consolidated as he tackled the “B” film genre. Filled with endless creativity and talent Franco was able to deliver more than one film a year. Along with being behind that camera Franco acted in almost all his films. Usually playing some sinister character. Always working a micro-budget, Franco -along with the great Ed Wood- can be considered the Godfather of the Do-It-Yourself style of filming. Always finding funding for his films as an independent, and keeping soul control for his vision. However, Franco has always had a problem with getting films released. Most of which being direct to video. But he survived where others had failed and continued to write, direct and produce his movies up until his death. His latest release was the 2012 film “Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies” premiered in theaters on March 22nd.

[Jess] Franco was given an honorary Goya by the Spanish Film Academy for his “rich and varied filmography, and his absolute dedication and professionalism.” In an interview, Franco, that he considered “film as mere entertainment that helps people live. And feared its use to transmit messages of social-political” which he said was boring.

Some of the more notable films by Franco include: “Snakewoman” (2005); “Killer Barbys vs. Dracula” (2002); “Killer Barbys” (1996); “Slave of Crime” (1987); “Night of a 1000 Sexes” (1984); ‘Devil Hunter” (1980); “Jack the Ripper” (1976); “Female Vampire” (1973); “The Sinister Eyes of Doctor Orloff” (1973); “The Mistress of Doctor Jekyll” (1964).    

Until Next Time...

"Bates Motel" My Review

It had been staring me in the face for over a week. Just sitting on the screen telling me that me, that yes, I should come in and spend sometime at the “Bates Motel”. So, finally last night I did. I’m glad I did. But I am, at the sametime, also a tad bit disappointed as well.

When I first found out that A&E were bringing Norman Bates (NBC with Hannibal Lector as well) to the small screen I was overjoyed. (Although this isn’t the first time that Norman Bates has found his way television. In 1987 NBC ran a short lived spin-off of the same title) I have been saying for a long time now that if Hollywood wants to keep recycling the old nostalgic 70’s-90’s iconic horror characters then they should develop them for TV. It would allow creators to really explore the inner workings of the story, and revitalize the genre and franchise as a whole with a series that would last around 12-13 episodes. And basic cable -or that of regular cable (HBO, ShowTime and the like)- would be the perfect place for them to do it. First, I don’t think a horror television show centered around any of these characters could withstand a 22-26 episode season. It would grow stale fast. But with the short seasons I believe it would flourish... But I digress.

As I was saying: I was really looking forward to the “Bates Motel”. Then two things happened. First they brought the story to the modern era. Something I wasn’t crazy about. But what the hell. Then I saw that some of the guys behind “Lost” were part of this. And while I was a HUGE “Lost” fan the first 4 seasons, that show’s creators and network did everything possible to screw it up and in the end it was all what they said it was NEVER going to be... but, again, I digress. Those two facts had me wondering if “Bates Motel” was worth my time. And then when I saw that was an early preview for it, and I debated. That is, until last night.

Now I am a huge fan of “Psycho”. And when I say that I mean of the original Alfred Hitchcock movie. While I have sat through all the sequels I thought that they were all poorly done. While “Psycho 2” did try to develop the story a little further all of them just sort retreaded the same story over and over. And not very well. (I know. I know. The same goes for all the “Friday the 13th”’s and the “Halloween”’s and the Freddy movies ect. ect.) And when it comes to the re-make, Gus Van Sant really didn’t do anything different from the Hitchcock film except make it modern and then make it feel yet un-modern, if that makes any sense. Anyway. With “Bates Motel” we are definitely in the here and now, as the story opens up somewhere new (Arizona) and we find a teenage Norman (Freddie Highmore) lying in bed. Norman hears something odd and when he goes to investigate finds his father dead on the floor in laundry room. Where, after a rampant search for his mother, Norman finds her just coming out of the shower. (here, for those of us who know the story and the background, we start to think if Norma (Vera Farmiga) has had a hand in the death of her husband.) Flash to six months later and we find mom and son on a road trip to new digs. And as it turns out, Norma has bought what will become the stage for the entire story of the Bates Legacy.

As the story plays out we find that Norma has purchased the motel and the famed house on the hill in a foreclosure. This fact plays as a major plot device. As we come to learn from a visit of the former owner, Keith, played by W. Earl Brown (Deadwood). Who makes his intentions quite clear: pack up and go. That the town will never accept them and then alludes to things probably left unfound about the property. Although, with Keith, he acts as someone who just lost his house would. He’s angry and hurt. But when it comes to most of the teenagers of the story, well, they come off overly friendly. I don’t know about any of you, but when I was ever the new kid in school there wasn’t a lot of: Lets get to know the new kid. I mean there were some. But not from all corners. Especially from the cheerleader types. Norman comes off as this complete chick magnet. Even one of his teachers seems to act as if she is making a play for him. Now Norman has always been a very good looking character -on screen. The character of Norman Bates in the original 1959 novel by Robert Block he is anything but. But, Hollywood being Hollywood made Norman a very attractive young man. A fact that I think was pure genius on Hitchcock’s part. The sheep in wolf’s clothing can be one of the scariest things of all. But he was never a chick magnet. Norman Bates was introverted to say the least. And controlled by a domineering mother. Again, I am interested to see how far they take the dynamics of the relationship that Norman has with his mother. They have already sort of alluded to those facts. And it seems that insest in TV is the black.

Things go from tense to just plain bad when it comes to Keith, who turns up later in the night after Norman has snuck out of the house to meet up with the girls he met at the bus stop. Keith breaks into the house and attacks Norma. Even as going as far as raping her. Something I was surprised to see on A&E. But before anything worse can happen Norman finally shows up home and jumps Keith, knocking him out. After Norman leave the room, Norma kills the hand cuffed Keith where he sits on the floor. Now comes the problem of what to do with the body. While taking the body down to the motel to place him in one of the rooms tubs, Norman drops Keith’s body, staining the carpet with blood. Then in a quick decision Norma and her son start to not only rip out the carpet in that room but the ones that have similar carpets as well. So it looks uniformed. During their little impromptu renovations Norman finds a weird sketch book under the carpet he is pulling up. The writing inside appears Asian and all the drawings are of women tied up. The the cops for whatever reason decide to show up. Here we have another addition from the “Lost” series as one of the cops is played by Nestor Carbonell. After a few tense moments where one of cops has to use the bathroom, the same bathroom where Keith is lying in the tub, we learn that Keith and Carbonell’s character are friends. After the cops leave, Norman and his mother are in a rowboat with Keith’s body. Here we start to see the true dynamic that is their relationship.

The end of the pilot throws in this added curve of a “Dragon Tattoo”-esque room where we see a girl chained to the wall, referencing the sketch found by Norman earlier.

My overall view of the pilot episode of “Bates Motel” is that it was just okay. I mean there were parts that seemed a little rushed, then they made it a point to bring in parts to reference the original “Psycho”. And if they were making it a more modern entity, and it was just being the beginning, they didn’t have to. I know why they did. But it did not have to be episode one.  

I give “Bates Motel” 3 out of 5 severed heads.

Until next time...     

How Masked Horror Villains Should Jump the Medium

Ah, yes. What I am sure is going to be the next “low-rent” re-hash of one of my favorite horror flicks makes it’s way to the movie theaters today. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” has had some worthy notes to the franchise and some rather full fledge duds as well. And this latest incarnate of Leatherface has me feeling that this is on the latter side of the sequel/remakes.

This time around “TCM” gets a name makeover to the awesomeness of “Texas Chainsaw 3D” (yes, for whatever the fucking reason we get to see Leatherface in all his gory glory in 3D… yay! And yes I am being sarcastic when I say “YAY”). Hollywood seems to still have a hard-on for that for some moronic reason. Sure we have the supper hot Alexandra Daddario for our heroine but is that enough to make me cough up ten plus dollars to sit in the theater, and in January no less. Because we all know that January is the dumping ground for crap movies. That and I have been fucked over too many times with these updates/reboots that have just sucked. (“Friday the 13th” anyone?)

Hey. I am all for a good telling of the same old story. (Just ask any of my friends who get to sit through one of my drunken retellings of days gone by to anyone new and/or willing to listen.) I think with how horror has finally jumped mediums and moved into television we can truly explore some of the old 80s villains. (Hell, they already have Norman Bates & Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lector cued up, ready to go.) Just look how widely respected “American Horror Story” and “Walking Dead” have become. This makes me think that it might be time to explore that thinking. How good of a story do you think can come out of story lines like “Hellraiser” if given a 13 episode run instead of trying to pound 3 lbs of shit into a 80-90 minute flick? Same goes to Freddy, Jason, and the aforementioned Leatherface.

Hopefully Hollywood is watching and taking note if “Bates Motel” takes off. Imagine the great TV horror fans and fans of the great masked villains would be given.

Until Next time…

The "Evil Dead" remake: REDBAND Trailer; Thoughts of It

Okay. I admit it. I was not a fan of Hollywood remaking “Evil Dead”. Not even with the fact that Raimi had something to do with it. However, I am now eating those words after watching the REDBAND trailer for it.

The original “Evil Dead” (the Bruce Campbell ones) I found, while shot on a low budget, pure masterful. Even though they were of more a dark comedy than actual horror (especially 2 & 3) per say. And when I heard the rumor mills start with Hollywood looking to remake the classic from my teen years I was appalled. Because lets face it. Most of the remakes, especially of the horror variety, have pretty much sucked balls. Then they went and attached Diablo Cody’s name to the new version & I was ready to jump out a window. Now its not like Cody is a bad writer and all (I found “Juno” quite good, and I even defended her at times when people talked shit about her), I do believe that she is slightly overrated especially when she talked about being such a huge horror fan and that how she really wanted to do a horror film then gave us the god-awful “Jennifer’s Body” I felt that she should have been taken out and flogged. A little extreme I know, but I really disliked that movie that I had such high hopes for. When I heard Cody’s name pop up with he rewrite for “Evil Dead” I was really starting to think that this remake was going give us tremendous levels suckage.

But all is starting to be forgiven. And I’ll admit that I will be more than happy to eat any amount of crow for thinking and bitching the way I did about the remake of “Evil Dead” if it lives up to what the trailer is promising.

Hell Night (The Movie) My Fifteenth Must See Pick of the Halloween Season

The video above is the whole movie of "Hell Night", and not the trailer


Aaahhh, now here is some college coed fodder… “Hell Night!”

Linda Blair tried to get away from the horror genre with awesome disco flicks like “Roller Boogie” but like Pacino as Michael Corleone, “They keep pulling me back in!”, so goes the “Exorcist” star, Linda Blair.

It’s Halloween Night and the campus is in full party mode, swinging and rockin’ as only college campuses can. But not only is it Halloween but it is also Hell Week for the poor fucktard pledges that for whatever the reason want to be part of the “Greek Life“. And for the pledges of Alpha Sigma Rho it is do or die time (little did they know how literal that term would be). Marti (Linda Blair), Jeff (Peter Barton), Seth (Vincent Van Patten), and Denise (Suki Goodwin) are told that they are suppose to spend the night in the old Garth Manor. Where of course twelve years prior was the scene for murder-most-foul. Turns out that old man Raymond Garth had enough of the family life so he set out and strangled his dear wife for besetting him with three mongoloid kiddies. After dispatching his wife-y Daddy Raymond went about killing the children as well. When he was done, Raymond set himself up a little noose and chair dove into oblivion. However, legend has it that one of the youngsters survived, witnessing the carnage reaped by dad and is still living somewhere upon the grounds.

Peter (Kevin Brophy), the Alpha male of Alpha Sigma Rho locks in his four pledges for the evening, but he is not about to tempt fate and has set up along with his two dimwitted assistants hidden scares and sound effect devices to make it hard on the new blood. Because lets face it, no one wants wimps on their team. So if all goes according to plan Peter has what he newbie’s or fodder for the fire. But we all know, when it comes to horror nothing ever goes according to plan. And when the bodies start piling up who knows who is going live through “Hell Night”.

I found “Hell Night” simplistic but well done, and I am surprised it didn’t spawn countless remakes since the 80s were great for really starting that trend in horror because they really left the door wide open for it. Thankfully “Hell Night” only turned out to be one shot and there seems to be “NO” remake on the horizon which is an added plus.

So sit back, roll a fatty (…lol), and much some popcorn with a couple of hotties.

Until next time…  

"The Entity" My Thirteenth Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

It seems like some of the best horror films are “based on a true story” as in the “Exorcist” or “The Amityville Horror” (just to name two), so goes my 13th overall pick for Halloween viewing fun: 1981’s “The Entity”

Although one can break up with a abusive boyfriend that fact does not always have the outcome one so desires -even when they are DEAD!, as poor Barbara Hershey finds out.

Hershey plays Carla Moran a single mother of three who works during the day and goes to school at night trying to make things better for her family.

Poor Carla awakens one night by strange noises and as she begins to investigate she is smacked and tossed onto the bed and raped. The act causes her to flee with her children afterwards to a friends house. When she explains to her friend that she had been raped she confesses that that she did not see anyone there. Unfortunately for Carla this is only the beginning of long ordeal that leaves her fighting alone until she decides to enlist help from the paranormal community to prove once and for all to everyone (and herself) that she is not bat shit crazy.

As the researchers investigate what is happening to Carla they discover that some sort of evil entity has attached it’s self to her. And as the attacks increase and become more violent the researchers have to figure how to stop it.

For an early 80s flick “The Entity” boasts some cool effects and Hershey does a great job pulling off being raped by an invisible being.

Look for the compressed, hand marked boobs being made by nothing.

Until next time…

The Silent Scream (1980) My Ninth Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

Word to the reader: The video above ^^^^^ is the actual movie and not a trailer. Below vvvv are my thoughts of the film…

You know nothing ever good can come about with screaming police sirens or when detectives enter the house find bodies, so goes the opening scenes of ‘Silent Scream”, an 80’s scare fest along the lines of “Psycho”.

College student, Scotty Parker (Rebecca Balding) finds that she waited so long to register for her college semester that there is not any dorm room or any campus housing and most of the off campus palces have been filled as well. But she lucks out and gets a list of places renting rooms but with the awesome administrative words of wisdom “They haven’t been check yet. So who knows what they look like…” Ah, nothing like sending your daughter to a quality school.

While house hunting Scotty comes across a creepy looking mansion (and this being a horror film you know what that means: creepy places like that hold dark secrets and it is no different with “Silent Scream”) renting rooms. But before she can seal the deal, rich kid, Peter Ransom (John Widelock) tries to steal the room from out from under Scotty. Although all is well because as it turns out creepy teenager, Mason (Brad Rearden) that not only lives there but is the landlord (in-between his viewing pleasures of war flicks and smack-them-around porn) in stead of his mother played by none other than “Lily Munster” herself, Yvonne De Carlo (because for some reason lives in a room in the attic), has two rooms for rent.

Good natured Peter offers to take all his new roommates (there are four including him) out for dinner to celebrate the last night of freedom before the start of school. Unfortunately, for Peter, he gets turned into a drunken pincushion on his way home from the restaurant -the rest of his roommates were kind enough to leave him passed out on the beach.

After the discovery of poor “Pincushion” Peter, things begin to settle down long enough for the other roommate, Jack (Steve Doubet), to score with Scotty. However, while Scotty is turned in a pincushion of the fleshy kind with Jack, things do not bode well for other roommate, Doris, because she gets to meet the other person they share -unbeknownst to them- the place with. And when you meet someone you do not know about in the basement of the creepy mansion you are living in you know nothing good can come about it.

From there it just gets crazier.

Look for “Dark Shadows” (TV series) alum, Barbara Steele.

Until next time…

Fade To Black (1980) My Eightieth Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

The late 70’s and early 80’s horror was on the cusp of something truly great and it is unfortunate that the decade got so bogged down with endless retreads of the same old characters and the same old stories that horror genre is still trying to pick up the pieces as Hollywood has now decided to remake all those money makers from the 80’s. So for today’s pick for my Must See Movies for the Halloween Season: “Fade to Black” is truly a lost classic.

Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) is a shy, quiet person who is obsessed with movies to the point that he would rather spend his life sitting in a darken theater than deal with the real world. A fact that makes Eric look rather odd to most people, and with people like Eric they quickly become a target for people (bullies really, and one of which is a rather young, and rather normal looking Mickey Rourke) that do not understand him. And with any good obsession it turns into something more along the lines of psychosis after Eric crosses the path with a young blonde bombshell Marilyn O’Connor (Linda Kerridge) that reminds Eric of his favorite on screen legend, Marilyn Monroe.

The two hit it off after a chance meeting in a dinner, and set up to meet later that night. Unfortunately, Marilyn stands up (unintentionally) Eric who then feels that he has been duped once again by people that don’t understand him and want too. Sending Eric along a path homicidal rage and the need for revenge against all that have he believes done him wrong. But like any true cinematic nut job Eric wants to it in style and dresses up as some of his favorite characters from some of his favorite films.

Eric starts with his wheel-chair bound bitch of an aunt Stella, sending her rolling down a flight of stairs ala 1947’s “Kiss of Death” to a more glorious kill of a prostitute that once snubbed his advances (how fucking sad is that when a hooker makes fun of you?) dressed as Count Dracula. And the fun stuff is just beginning leading to an ultimate climax that is the stuff of Hollywood legend.

A real must see for Halloween.

Until next time…  

"My Bloody Valentine" 1981 My Seventh Pick for the Halloween Season

A friend of mine in the UK (that would be the country Britain for those who do not understand abbreviations… lol) was asking about old skool 80’s slasher films, so this is one is for you, Andrew Moody.

Now I usually hold this film off for another special holiday. That one being the awesome “Valentine’s Day”, and if you are into the old skool slasher films then “My Bloody Valentine” is right up your proverbial alley. Now I am not talking that shitty ass 2009 3D remake that was pure crap, but the original 1981 version. Hence the term “OLD SKOOL”.

The town of Valentine Bluffs (go figure), Nova Scotia has not celebrated the famed day for lovers and wannabe lovers since 1961 when, in response to a horrible mining accident claimed the lives of several miners a year earlier (1960) because people were to preoccupied of the local Valentine’s Day party plans, sole survivor, Harry Warden, took matters in his own hands the following year and nicely -or should I say non-to-nicely- removed the hearts of the mining authority that he deemed negligent for the accident with a stern warning not to celebrate the holiday ever again.

Flash forward 20 years and the local twenty-something’s decide that it was high time to bring back Valentine’s Day and have a party. At first the township is okay with  the idea -it had been twenty years and all and good-old-Harry was locked up tight as a drum in the local metal ward, or so they thought. But as the celebration nears the sheriff (Don Francks) receives a heart shaped candy box. Unfortunately for the sheriff the box actually contains a heart. From there things get worse as the sheriff soon discovers another heart in the box and that of the lonely Harriet who owns the local laundry mat who ends up as a fleshy drier sheet in one of her own driers.

The discovery of Harriet is enough for the sheriff and the mayor to cancel ones again the Valentine celebrations with their worst fear coming to fruition: that of the return of Harry Warden. But as the town’s twenty-something’s move the party to the coal mine facilities despite the sheriff’s warnings, the mayor and the sheriff learn that Harry Warden died in the metal hospital he was in. So whoever is doing he killing is not Harry but someone posing as Harry. And when a few party goers decide to head down the mine shafts they come across their worst nightmares.

While the original is not the greatest of slasher films (really just a retread of Michael Meyers), the film is a classic of the 80’s horror genre and by far better than the ’09 remake.

Until next time…  

"The Zero Boys" My Sixth Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

What do you get when you take “Wrong Turn” and add a bunch of wannabe survivalists/paint ball game players and make it in 1986?

You would get “The Zero Boys” that’s what.

By 1986 the horror market, especially horror set out in the backwoods (think the “Friday the 13th series) was rapidly growing stale and I found the “The Zero Boys” a nice, if not a cliché, departure from the big three (Jason, Michael, & Freddy) but still giving us all the basic needs when it comes to the genre: babes, babes for fodder, dudes for fodder, booze, sex, and we can not forget the main attraction: that being crazed hillbillies living in the backwoods doing dastardly things to un-expecting saps that happen to run across them.

The film opens up with a red hearing, the surrounding countryside appears to either be the intro of one of those 80’s apocalypse films that B-movie Hollywood loved to turn out at the time or this it could be a suburb of Tijuana. They both look pretty much the same. However, both choices are wrong and it turns out to just be a paintball survival game.

We follow our heroes to the path of victory as the main Zero Boy, Steve (Daniel Hirsh) puts a well place blob of paint goo into the forehead of a dude dressed as a Nazi SS officer, and in effect winning their little side bet. That of SS guy’s girlfriend, Jamie (80’s Scream Queen, Kelli Maroney).

After a little tension and an early version of a bad music montage where we see the rest of the team get together with their girlfriends and head out for a long weekend away from the city we finally get out to the woods and learn a little backs story on why the Zero Boys call themselves that. I won’t go into the full details other than they used to suck as a paintball team and they didn’t get awesome until they started training with REAL weapons. (Don’t all awesome paintball teams train that way?)

Of course while the group is out playing in the woods Jamie thinks that she sees someone running in the distance. Of course, at first, no one believes until they hear a woman scream from off in the said distance. Which then leads them the group to discover -and to forget about the scream- a house and barn off the well beaten path. At first the group thinks they have stumble upon some rich dudes haunting lodge and do what any normal person does when they find someone else’s house in the woods: make themselves right at home.

And this being horror all the fun comes to a crashing halt when Steve and another of his posse stumble across the fun and excitement that is the barn. Turns out the owners of the house have set up a sweet little snuff movie production pad out in the barn. And now it looks as if the Zero Boys are next of the play list.

So check it out. While not the best of production values it does hold up well with the other 80’s offerings of horror and in my opinion surpasses some of the mainstream sequel retreads early mentioned.

Until next time…

The Omen III:The Final Conflict(1981) My Third Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

While I don't really consider "Omen 3: The Final Conflict" an actual must see, the first two "Omens" are by far better movies, but this being 2012, and an election year and all, not to mention that tonight is also the Presidential debates, I thought that "Omen 3" would be a fun inclusion into the the must see picks for Halloween.

We find good old Damien Thorn (Sam Neil) all grown up in "Omen 3" and head of his late uncle's international conglomerate, and like his adoptive father in the first film Damien is appointed Ambassador to Great Britain. However, unlike the previous "Omen" films, the adult Damien is now entirely aware of his unholy lineage, and his destiny.

With the coming alignment of the stars in the Cassiopeia region causes the generation of a 'superstar', described in the film as a second Star of Bethlehem. Damien realizes that this is the sign of the Second Coming of Christ and he orders all boys in England born on the morning of March 24, 1982 (the morning when, in the story, the Cassiopeia alignment occurred) to be killed in order to prevent the Christ-child's return to power.

Meanwhile, Father DeCarlo (Rossano Brazzi) and six other priests armed with the seven daggers of Megiddo - ancient holy weapons which are the only Earthly weapons which can harm the Antichrist - hunt Damien in the hope of killing him before he can destroy the Christ-child. However, one by one, Damien kills off all the priests (some in horrific circumstances) until only DeCarlo survives.

Heavy with sub-plots (a poorly done romantic affair and Damien's ambitions of becoming President) "Omen 3" doesn't have the same feel as its two predecessors, however, "Omen 3" does tie things together and is a definitive ending to the "Omen" series even though Hollywood tried and failed to keep the series going with a horrible fourth installment and a remake.   

But then again what do you expect from Hollywood lately?

Until next time...