Halloween (1978 film)

I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil. - Dr. Sam Loomis

Greetings, Happy Horror faithful, and I hope you had an excellent Halloween!  We had a great one here, breaking our previous records for trick or treaters by five kids, and getting alot of compliments from people coming to the house.  The night before, I decided to watch Halloween as soon as I got home from work.  I should have worked this review out right after that, but I didn't, and didn't realize just how busy I'd be all day for Halloween, so now I'm extremely late in getting this done.  But, as I always say, better late than never!

So, Halloween!  The film that started it all for slasher films (outside of Psycho, of course).  In 1978, John Carpenter (no relation to me) was hired to make a film about babysitters being stalked by a mysterious killer, when the producer suggested theming the film around Halloween.  Made on a $300,000 budget, the film was made over a period of twenty days and filmed around the South Pasadena area.  Despite the theme, the film was actually made in April, which produced quite a few problems production-wise.  How did they do?

The film centers around the figure of Michael Myers (billed as "The Shape" in the end credits), a young man who killed his sister when he was 6 years old and was institutionalized for 15 years, only to escape the hospital he'd been living in 15 years later.  Arriving in his hometown of Haddonfield, he spies young Tommy Doyle and his babysitter, Laurie Strode, and fixates on them, following them around town and generally scaring the daylights out of them in general.  Come the night of Halloween, Michael starts doing more than stalking them...

This movie has come to be known as the progenitor of modern horror, or at least the slasher genre.  It features everything that the genre has come to be known by: a masked killer following and stalking several teenagers, then getting them alone and ending their lives in relatively gruesome ways.  It also seems to start the tradition of the "final girl", the survivor of the film who proves to be more resourceful than her friends (or, some would say, just more lucky).  John Carpenter mixed and wove together the elements that brought the characters to life.

The cast brought together for the film was excellent.  Donald Pleasence played Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael's psychiatrist and hunter, a part originally offered to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (who, according to Wikipedia, later told Carpenter that declining the role was the biggest mistake of his career).  Pleasence played Blofeld in You Only Live Twice, Dr. Kobras in Pumaman, as well as The Devonville Terror and Escape from New York.  Jamie Lee Curtis made her film debut here as our heroine, Laurie Strode.  She became known as a "scream queen", going on to star in such films as Prom Night, Terror Train and The Fog.  P.J. Soles played one of Laurie's friends, Lynda, who heads to the house another friend is babysitting at for a romantic tryst with her boyfriend.  She was also in the original Carrie and cult film Rock 'n' Roll High School.  Nick Castle played The Shape in most of his appearances.  He went on to direct The Boy Who Could Fly and The Last Starfighter, as well as Tag: The Assassination Game.

A true classic film, marred only by the one thing I'm guaranteed to dock a film for, so I give it a 4 out of 5.  Thank you for bearing with me throughout this whole month, and for being patient with my delayed article posting.  I'll be back soon with another article, but for now, I'll be taking a short break.  Thanks again, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Friday the 13th (1980 film)

Did Christy ever tell you 'bout the two kids murdered in '58? Boy drowning in '57? Buncha fires. Nobody knows who did any of 'em. In 1962, they was gonna open up... the water was bad. Christy'll end up just like his folks, crazy and broke. - Enos, the Truck Driver

Here we have the second of our Big Three.  It's kind of funny that I post these in reverse to when they came out, but it wouldn't do to have my review of Halloween two days before!  While it's true that Halloween set up a bunch of the conventions to slasher films, I think that Friday the 13th refined the process a bit.  It ups the ante on the amount of kills in the film, it adds a "Prophet of Doom" in Crazy Ralph (possibly the first Prophet character ever), and it hides the identity of the killer throughout all of the film, until the very end.  The "through the killers eyes" camera does well making you wonder if we're just seeing a regular shot like in any normal film, or if we're seeing what the killer sees.  There have been times in the film where I wondered, myself.

The film opens on Camp Crystal Lake in 1958.  After a gathering of the campers to sing, two of the counselors, Barry and Claudette, sneak off to have an intimate moment together.  Heading up the stairs in an equipment shed, they're making out when they hear a stair creak.  They get up and turn to the stairs and see someone watching them (we see this through the unseen person's eyes).  Barry starts to explain himself when he receives a stab to the gut.  Claudette panics and heads to the back of the loft, trying to keep something between her and the unseen assailant, but to no avail.  After this opening sequence, and the credits, we head to the present day (as present as 1980 is, at least), with Annie, the newly hired cook for the about-to-be-reopened Camp Crystal Lake.  When she asks directions in the local diner, all eyes turn to her like she said something foul.  Once given a ride (and encountering Crazy Ralph, who warns her that she's doomed if she goes up there), she heads for the camp...

Getting to see this again was fun, though the experience was slighly marred from watching it during the day.  Lots of shadows do not really lend themselves to daytime viewing, especially when all you see is a flashlight beam!  I did enjoy the film, as I said it was an interesting viewing.  Tom Savini worked on the special effects and make-up for this film, and even did a little stuntwork.  The only scene I really have a problem with is where the counselors kill a snake in a cabin.  Other than that, a great watch and a great piece of slasher film history.

Adrienne King played Alice, who's talked into staying at the camp for the summer to help out in restoring it.  She almost didn't take the part, but later decided to, and she also reprised her role in the sequel.  Following her appearance in these, she had some issues with a stalker, and so she dropped out of filmmaking for a number of years.  In 2008, she was at first offered a role in the Friday the 13th remake, but then was told they weren't going to have any previous actors appearing in the film.  She did go on to play parts in Walking Distance and Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming.  Kevin Bacon plays counselor Jack who's brought in to help restore the camp, as well.  He's had a long and storied career, with appearances in Animal House, Footloose, Flatliners, Tremors, The River Wild, Hollow Man and the TV series The Following.  Betsy Palmer played Mrs. Voorhees, a role she reprised for the second film.  She also was a regular panelist on I've Got a Secret, and has starred in The Fear: Resurrection and Bell Witch: The Movie.

Altogether, a true classic that still is as effective today as it was when it first came out.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Tune in tomorrow for the last of the Big Three... it's Halloween on Halloween!  As always, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 film)

Whatever you do, don't.  Fall.  Asleep. - Nancy

Welcome to the first of the Big Three reviews.  I will be covering the original films for the three biggest horror franchises of recent times: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Halloween.  These three films are synonymous with horror, due in large part to the efforts of their major antagonists: Freddy Krueger, Jason and Pamela Voorhees and Michael Myers, aka The Shape, respectively.  While other icons of horror, such as Leatherface, Chucky, Pinhead and Jigsaw, to name just a few, have "carved" their own nich (no pun intended), it's these three film series that stand out above and beyond the others.  Let's start with our celebration of the very first A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I never got to see the first three of this series in the theater, having to wait until they came out on video to see them (or, in the case of the third film, cable).  The first one, I remember watching it when I was probably 8 years old with my mom and my cousin who was living with us at the time.  I enjoyed the movie then, but I remember my cousin having a couch cushion in her lap and every time something scary would happen, the cushion would come up and hide her from what was happening.  Needless to say, she was not a horror fan!

The basic premise of the film is this: The teenaged children of Elm Street in Springwood, Ohio, all start dreaming of the same strange sweater-clad man with burns on his face and a knife glove on his hand.  This mysterious figure stalks them through their dreams, inevitably leading them to a boiler room.  As far as the teens know, these are just strange dreams, but when Nancy's friend, Tina, meets a seriously gruesom end, Nancy begins to wonder if her death isn't more than what it appears to be.

As I said, I enjoyed this film as a kid and it's only gotten better since.  The pacing is good, there's some very fine acting, the special effects are amazing... everything lines up for this film.  From the arm stretching gag to Freddy's face coming off to something simple like a burn makr on Nancy's arm, everything came together well.

Heather Langenkamp played Nancy, our main lead of the film and the one who realizes that the scarred killer in her dreams is really stalking her and her friends.  Her first film was The Outsiders, and she's gone on to reprise the role of Nancy in the third Nightmare on Elm Street film, as well as playing herself in Wes Craven's New Nightmare.  Other than the Nightmare series, she also did a cameo on Shocker and was in Star Trek Into Darkness.  John Saxon makes his second Happy Horrorween appearance (his first was in Blood Beach) as Lt. Don Thompson, Nancy's father.  Besides Blood Beach, he was also in The Night Caller (aka Night Caller from Outer Space), Queen of Blood and Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 classic Mitchell.  Robert Englund plays mystery man Freddy Krueger.  This was his first outing as the madman, of course, and hadn't developed Freddy's later characteristic joking manner (though he does play around with his victims somewhat).  Englund's become known primarily for his horror roles in such films as Eaten Alive, Galaxy of Terror, Phantom of the Opera, and the host of Shadow Theatre, one of my favorite horror showcase shows.  Johnny Depp made his film debut here, as well.  He went on to major stardom with such films as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, Dark Shadows and tons of others.  Also look for cameos from Lin Shaye (Dead End, 2001 Maniacs) as a high school teacher and Charles Fleischer (Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight, voice of Roger Rabbit) as a specialist in sleep disorders.

All in all, a fun viewing was had, and I gladly give this film a 5 out of 5.  Tomorrow, we go back to the woods to Camp Crystal Lake.  It's Friday the 13th!  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out.

C.H.U.D. (1984 film)

What are you, kidding?  Your man has a camera.  Mine has a flamethrower. - Captain Bosch

My original plan coming into the month was to cover the two Dr. Phibes movies yesterday and today, and to cover C.H.U.D. on the 10th.  Well, coming into the month, I couldn't find my copy of C.H.U.D., so I put in the substitution of It's Alive.  As today grew closer, I started looking for my Phibes films.  I found the first one... and I found C.H.U.D. in a place that I could've easily found it if I'd looked hard enough.  However, Dr. Phibes Rises Again proved to be elusive to my search efforts, so I came up with the alternate plan of running a classic article yesterday and a new one today... and with C.H.U.D. found, I knew exactly what to use.

So, on to C.H.U.D.!  Before today, I've had very little contact with this film.  I saw bits and pieces of it once, several years ago, but nothing really stuck with me then.  I am, however, very familiar with the "sequel", C.H.U.D. 2: Bud the C.H.U.D., it's one of my favorite films from my childhood.  So, going into the movie, I didn't have any expectations other than the usual hope to enjoy myself.

The movie opens on a woman walking her dog down the middle of a deserted New York City street as the camera pans down to a manhole cover that starts moving mysteriously.  Once the woman walks within reach of said manhole cover, a green, scaly, clawed hand reaches out and grabs her leg, pulling her and her dog into the hole and leaving nothing but her shoe on the street.  Next, we meet George Cooper, a photographer whose contact, Derrick, keeps trying to contact him for shots of a specific homeless woman he's been following.  We find he used to be a fashion photographer, as his girlfriend, Lauren, tells him she set up a photo shoot the next day for her to model and him to photograph her.  Finally, we meet Bosch, a captain of the police force who's troubled by the recent disappearances in his precinct.  Investigating another missing person's report, he goes to pay a visit to A.J. Shepherd who runs the local soup kitchen.  A.J. tells him that twelve of his regulars have gone missing.  What connection do the twelve disappearances have with the homeless woman George knows, and what connection does Bosch's superiors have to it?

This film was an interesting viewing for me.  It had a lot of action to it, especially near the ending of the film.  The acting was well-done, the sense of danger was high, and there were a few surprises in it for me.  The make-up was good on the C.H.U.D.'s, with them all looking somewhat different, and what wasn't done well was semi-hidden with quick flash cuts of their faces.  The shots of their hands look a little bit fake, but who knows what mutated skin would look like in this kind of situation?

We got a nice assortment of actors in the film.  John Heard played George Cooper, the photographer whose connection to the city's underground homeless leads him into contact with the hidden menace.  A very prolific actor, he's been in a LOT of films and television shows, sometimes multiple in the same year as of late, but some of his most noted are Cat People, the first two Home Alone films and Awakenings.  Daniel Stern played A.J. Shepherd, aka The Reverend, the man running the soup kitchen and one of the first to realize the homeless are disappearing and the government's covering it up.  Mr. Stern was also in the Home Alone films, as well as Little Monsters, Leviathan and Otis.  Kim Greist played George's girlfriend, Lauren, his support system and someone who gets drawn unwittingly into the situation.  She was also in original Hannibal Lector film Manhunter, Throw Momma from the Train and Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th.  Also watch for John Goodman in an early film appearance (his fourth) as a policeman in a diner.  He's graced the original version of Happy Horror in Wolfgang Nibori's review of Fallen, and also been in Arachnophobia and Matinee.

A pretty fun movie, with some good acting and some good special effects to it.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Tomorrow starts my coverage of the Big Three film franchises, with Nightmare on Elm Street.  Thanks to everyone who visited the site for my Haunted Airman coverage, you gave me the highest pageview count I've had yet.  Take care of yourselves, watch out for moving manhole covers, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Happy Horror Classic: Trick 'R Treat (2009 film)

Welcome to Happy Horror Classic.  From time to time, I'll repost something I have from the earlier version of my site on here, as it was there, under the title.  Today, since we're getting close to Halloween, I thought I'd bring you my review of the somewhat recent Halloween-themed anthology, Trick 'R Treat, that I posted in 2010.  As you'll see, I did a lot worse that October than I did this year.  So, enjoy this blast from the past, unedited, for your perusal!

You know, there are rules, you should be more careful. You might upset someone. - Henry

So, you're all probably wondering "What happened to the three weeks you promised us?  Why did we just get those guest video game reviews (amazing as they were)?"  Well, I'll come clean with you.  I had this whole month planned out, every day had something I was going to cover... but when it came time to do them, I just kept putting them off.  Some of it was lack of forethought (some of the movies I'd scheduled I didn't actually have, some of them I still don't).  The third week was a complete disaster, there was no way I was going to get that one out on time.  So, here's what I'm going to do.  Once October and November are over (because I have something planned for November, and this time I DO have the movies in hand to cover it!) I'll do what I can to get the movies I would've covered in those three weeks covered, and the three Hall of Fame entries up, as well.  So, with that proclaimed, let's get on with the review, and back on track!

A few years ago, I read about this movie in ToyFare Magazine, as one of a crop of horror movies that was going to be coming out soon.  The synopsis for Trick 'R Treat sounded interesting, and I waited to see when it was coming out... and waited... and waited.  Later, I found out that the studio was sitting on the movie, and it was unlikely to see any kind of release any time soon.  Well, two years later, in 2009, it was finally released, direct to DVD.  Was it worth the wait?  Pull up a chair and, like Mr. Owl says, let's find out!

Trick 'R Treat opens on a street.  We see a pair of legs cross in front of a car (whose driver has to slam on its brakes to avoid hitting the crosser), the owner of the legs pulling a wagon, as a couple come up the sidewalk.  The woman, Emma, wearing a bulky cardboard box-like robot costume starts complaining and starts taking the outfit off on the sidewalk, then bends down to blow out the jack o' lantern in front of the house.  Her boyfriend, Henry, warns her not to, that it's breaking tradition, and she scoffs at his reason and blows the pumpkin out anyway.  After they enter the yard, she starts to tell him to start taking the decorations down, but he doesn't want to, telling her Halloween's not over yet.  Finally, she caves in and tells him to go inside while she starts taking the stuff down, not realizing that she's being watched...

This movie is actually a bit of an anthology.  It tells five different stories based around the traditions of Halloween.  The stories sort of weave together throughout the film, touching on each storyline at different times, and even showing characters from other storylines in the background.  While I normally give a brief summary of each of the storylines (like I did with last year's reviews of Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror), I don't want to do it this time for fear of spoiling some things in the film.  By the end of the film, however, everything comes together.

That is a lot of pumpkins.

The film has a really great cast to it.  Brian Cox plays Mr. Kreeg, a crotchety old man who has an encounter with a VERY persistent trick or treater.  He's been in a lot of films, including The Ring, the original Hannibal Lecter (or Lecktor, as it was spelled in the film) in Manhunter, Red Eye, and this year's new release Red.  Leslie Bibb plays Emma, the woman with no respect for Halloween traditions in the opening.  She was also in The Skulls, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Law-Abiding Citizen and the Iron Man films.  Dylan Baker plays Mr. Kreeg's neighbor, the school principal with a bit of a secret of his own.  He's been in quite a few movies, himself, including Fido, Spider-Man 2 and 3, and Hide and Seek with Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning.  Anna Paquin plays Laurie, a teen girl trying to find a date for a party and ends up walking alone through the woods dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.  She's been in a ton of things, including the X-Men series, Open House, the True Blood TV series and the upcoming Scream 4.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film and have no problems giving it a perfect 5 out of 5.  Stay tuned for the Big Three reviews I always do at the end of the month.  Until next time, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Haunted Airman (2006 film)

Everyone is psychotic to some degree. - Sister Sally Grant

Welcome to the last of my three "lost" articles.  I was sent this one to review shortly after it came out to DVD in the US, and while I did watch it with the intent to review, I never got around to actually writing up a review for it.  I don't remember if I was just too busy at the time, too lax in my duties, or just didn't know how to put my thoughts towards the film into words, but I'm ready to rectify that.  So here, after so long, is my review of The Haunted Airman.

The film centers around Toby Jugg, an airman paralyzed after being shot in the back during a bombing run in World War II.  Sent to convalesce at a sanitarium that seems to specialize in servicemen, Toby spends his days writing to his aunt, Julia, who he has a romantic relationship with (relax, she's his aunt by marriage).  He also is rather standoffish towards Dr. Hal Burns, who's trying to treat him of his depression and nightmares.  It's hard to go too much into the story without spoiling things, but the film becomes a question of whether or not Toby can trust what his mind shows him.

The film was interesting.  The plot was a bit slow at times, with some questions about what was really happening, especially near the end of the film.  The acting was good, the scenery was beautiful, and the atmosphere worked, but the story itself just sort of plodded along, and the ending leaves a bit of confusion as to what's really happened.  I won't give it away, though, but after two viewings of the film, it's still just as confusing the second time as it was the first.

The cast is somewhat minimal, with a few really recognizable faces.  Playing Toby Jugg is a pre-Twilight Robert Pattinson.  He did do well with the part, and was very convincing as a paralyzed man.  In addition to the Twilight series, he also played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (as well as appearing in a flashback and as a picture in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).  Julian Sands played Hal Burns, the doctor trying to help Toby.  Another of my favorite actors, Mr. Sands was also in Warlock (and its first sequel), Arachnophobia, Boxing Helena and Stephen King's Rose Red, as well as voicing crime boss Valmont on the Jackie Chan Adventures cartoon for the first three seasons.  Rachael Stirling played Julia, Toby's aunt.  She was also in Snow White and the Huntsman.

An alright movie with a somewhat slow plot but some great acting to redeem it.  I give this one a 3 out of 5.  It's just not up my particular film-going alley, but it had enough to keep my interest, for the most part.  Tomorrow, I'll be posting a classic article, from the original version of the site, and then I'll be doing a delayed one from earlier in the month.  Then, it'll be time for the Big Three.  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Ghost Story (1981 film)

Dance with me, you little toad. - Eva

Our final entry for 1981 Week was a bit of an unknown to me.  I first came across Ghost Story when I was looking through a book on Hollywood special effects, and a couple of the photographs showed makeup effects from this film.  I hadn't heard about it before then, and I rarely heard about it since, outside of a random TV Guide listing.  But, thanks to the magic of Netflix, I was able to rent this somewhat forgotten gem and bring you my opinion on it.  Needless to say, I had no idea what to expect!

The film is about four men in their 80s, lifelong friends, who get together and tell each other scary stories.  This group, who call themselves the Chowder Society, have a collective secret, one they've never talked about but haunts their dreams.  But, when the son of one of the group dies, the Society's members, with the help of the remaining son, must come to grips with their past or face the vengeful wraith their actions produced fifty years before.

What a way to close off 1981 Week!  There's something to be said about going into a title 'blind', so to speak.  When all you really have to go on is a small descriptive sentence to waht the film's about, and a couple of production stills etched in your memory, sometimes you just have to take a chance, and I'm glad I did here.  In addition to the make-up effects, we get some great acting from the Chowder Society (all known celebrities), an intriguing story, a well-done fall effect (no Pumaman-esque diagonal or sideways dropping here!), all really well-done.

Besides being based on a book by Peter Straub, the cast is probably one of the biggest selling points of the film.  (Due to such a wide variety of films, I'll only touch on certain genre examples for each one.)  We have Fred Astaire, the great dancer, playing Ricky.  He was also in The Towering Inferno, as well as in a number of films that showcased his dancing skills and acting ability.  Melvyn Douglas played Dr. John Jaffrey.  He also played in the original 1932 The Old Dark House (with Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton and Gloria Stuart), The Vampire Bat, and 1971's Death Takes a Holiday.  Douglas Fairbanks Jr. played Edward Charles Wanderley.  John Houseman played Sears James.  He was also in the original Rollerball, The Fog, Scrooged, and his last film was the original Naked Gun.  Alice Krige played the role of Eva in this film.  She went on to play the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact (a role she reprised for the Voyager series), Sleepwalkers, Reign of Fire, and Silent Hill.

An altogether great viewing experience for me.  I had fun with this one and am suprised it isn't more well-known.  I hope to remedy that here.  I give it a 5 out of 5.

Thanks for reading my 1981 articles.  It truly was a great year for horror, one I may revisit another time.  For now, we have our last "lost" article tomorrow, and then the final countdown to the Big Three horror franchises.  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Burning (1981 film)

Right now he's out there. Watching. Waiting. So don't look; he'll see you. Don't breathe; he'll hear you. Don't move; you're dead! - Camp counselor

Tonight, I bring you a movie that I'd never seen before, and never even heard of before reading Horror Hound Magazine.  That movie: The Burning.  I can't believe I'd never seen or heard of this film before.  I know I normally reserve the post summary paragraph for this, but I have to say, I really enjoyed this one, and can highly recommend it.  On to the summary!

The film starts with a group of five kids at Camp Blackfoot plotting vengeance against the camp caretaker, Cropsy.  It seems that Mr. Cropsy has been terrorizing the kids at the camp for years and these five decide to pull a prank on him to get even and make themselves legends.  Unfortunately, the prank goes wrong and Cropsy and his cabin go up in flames, Cropsy himself running out more or less a fireball, landing himself in the water.  Five years later, Cropsy's released from the hospital... and ready for a little revenge of his own.  Him and his garden clippers.

As I said above, I loved this film.  It's been a while since I've seen a good, new (to me) slasher film, and this one had quite a bit going for it.  First, it had a unique killer in Cropsy.  This film was written before Friday the 13th Part 2, so the idea of a deformed killer stalking a summer camp was pretty unique, plus I can guarantee I've never seen a killer use garden shears as a weapon exclusively.  Second, it had a phenomenal cast of characters, with four or five current well-known actors getting their start here.  Third, Tom Savini did a phenomenal job on the effects and makeup.  And fourth (and this is my own humble opinion), this is a highly underrated film that's fallen into the cracks of larger (and just as good) franchises.

Brian Backer played the somewhat creepy peeping tom character Alfred in the film.  He went on to play in Fast Times at Ridgmont High, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, and most recently 2012's Vamps.  Larry Joshua played the bully, Glazer, who terrorized Alfred for spying on his girl so much.  He's had a long career, since 1978, with appearances in Dances with Wolves, The Shadow and Spider-Man.  Jason Alexander played Dave, the camper who can get you anything you want, and was pretty funny in the film.  The Burning was his first film.  He's also been in Pretty Woman, Jacob's Ladder, Coneheads and was one of the main actors on the sitcom Seinfeld.  Fisher Stevens played Woodstock, one of Alfred and Dave's group of friends.  This was his first film, as well.  He went on to play in the two Short Circuit films, the series Early Edition, Awake and a few episodes of Lost.  Holly Hunter also holds The Burning as her first film.  She went on to play in Raising Arizona, The Incredibles, Always and she won an Oscar for The Piano.

Really, I cannot recommend this movie enough.  If you've seen it before, then get reacquainted with it.  If you haven't, and this style of movie is up your alley, then I think you'll be in for a treat.  I give it a very well-deserved 5 out of 5.  Tomorrow marks the end of our 1981 Week with another overlooked film of that year: Ghost Story.  Until then, stay safe, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Blood Beach (1981 film)

This never would've happened in Chicago. - Sergeant Royko

I remember my mom renting this movie shortly after it came out, but she didn't watch it all the way through.  I think I saw it a few years later on cable and remembered enjoying it, and so I thought I'd look it up when it came time to decide what movies to watch for 1981 Week.  Was it as good as I remembered it being?  Well, we'll find out!

The movie's about a creature in the sand at the beach that sucks people under and eats them.  The only telltale sign of its presence is of a bit of sand falling into a cone shape nearby, sort of like an ant lion's nest would be.  The police, initially thinking they have a normal missing person's case on their hands with the first disappearance, soon discover something weird's going on when a girl buried in the sand complains about something biting her and her friends bring her up to find her legs all bloody and cut up.  The police, along with the harbor patrol, start searching the beach for the creature, as the crowds stay away in droves.

Sorry for the disjointedness of the summary up there, I just don't like to give away too much plot, so I just wanted to touch up on the important stuff.  So, now my thoughts.  The movie was fun, though the DVD was somewhat marred by low volume on voices, plus a lot of muffling.  There were a couple technical issues in it, too, but nothing that really detracted from the film itself.  (Hey, I sometimes like seeing a boom mike hovering into frame!)  The film did well for its budget, and the reveal of the creature near the end was interesting.

David Huffman played Harry Caulder, the head of the local Harbor Patrol.  He was in Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby and St. Helens, a dramatization of the eruption of the titular volcano.  He was tragically murdered when he tried to stop a thief in Balboa Park.  Marianna Hill played Catherine Hutton, daughter of the first victim and Harry's ex-girlfriend.  She was also in Schizoid, Messiah of Evil and The Godfather: Part II.  Burt Young played the (rather abrasive) Sergeant Royko, a Chicago transplant to the LAPD.  A character actor, he's been working pretty steady since 1970 in such films as Carnival of Blood, the Rocky series, Amityville II: The Possession, Circle of Fear, and even a part on an episode of Tales from the Crypt.  Last, but certainly not least, is John Saxon as Captain Pearson.  The IMDb lists him as being in over 200 films, including A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3 (we'll be looking at 1 in a few days), From Dusk Till Dawn, My Mom's a Werewolf and Nightmare Beach.

A fun film, with only a few problems to it.  I give this one a 4 out of 5.  Tune in tomorrow for a true classic, where a deformed killer stalks teenagers and counselors through the woods of a summer camp.  It's... The Burning!  (Did you expect me to say something else?)  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Great White, aka The Last Jaws (1981 film)

Only the greatest movie poster ever!

Gentlemen, absolutely nothing is going to happen. - Wells

Here we have another film that I actually hadn't heard of until I read Horror Hound Magazine, first in an article covering horror films that hadn't received a DVD release yet, then mentions in the 1981 tribute issue I mentioned yesterday.  From what I read, this movie was only in theaters a short time before Universal (owners of the rights to the original Jaws) filed a lawsuit against the makers of this film for being too much like theirs, resulting in the film being pulled from screens all over the United States.  Upon reading that, I started wondering if I'd ever get a chance to see the film.  Luckily, Amazon came to the rescue!  Thanks to them, I have my own copy of the film to bring a review to you.

The film is, of course, about a Great White shark terrorizing the coastal town of Port Harbor.  Our heroes this time are a writer, Peter Benton, and a shark hunter, Ron Hammer, who try to take the fight to the great white.  Naturally, there's an authority in town who doesn't want to hear about a shark attack, William Wells, as it would be bad for the upcoming wind-surfing regatta he had planned.  Will our heroic duo be able to stop the shark in time, or will the town become a shark's smorgasbord?

The film was interesting.  Other than the fact that it features a great white attacking people near a city near the ocean, it doesn't really seem to have that much in common with Jaws to me.  Ron Hammer is, however, definitely similar to Quint, but no other characters match up that well to anyone else from Jaws.  The events are different, the characters and victims are different, just about everything feels different, outside of the shark.  But Universal decided, since Great White was making some big money when it hit theaters that it had to give them a cease and desist.

James Franciscus played Peter Benton, and he played the part really well.  He was also in The Cat o' Nine Tails, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and the Judgment Night episode of The Twilight Zone.  Vic Morrow played Ron Hammer, and he did really well channeling his inner Quint.  Vic Morrow was a really well-respected actor, and he died tragically on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie.  When filming a sequence late at night with a pair of child actors, the three of them were killed in an accident with a damaged helicopter.

I enjoyed this film.  The effects and the acting were good.  The shark was more visible here than in the original Jaws (they must not have had the same troubles Spielberg had with his mechanic shark), edited in with some shark stock footage where appropriate.  I give the film a 4 out of 5.  Tomorrow, we have another beach movie, another forgotten classic of 1981: Blood Beach.  Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... you can't get to it!  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

The House by the Cemetery (1981 film)

Yes, it's possible.  It's a typical example of the local architecture.  There are probably hundreds of houses like it in the area. - Norman

Day 2 of 1981 Week and we have an... interesting one, to say the least.  I can't remember if I saw this film at the video store when I was younger or not.  I kind of remember the box art, but it could have been from another, similar movie.  Either way, my interest in the film was peaked when I saw the art in Horror Hound's 1981 Horror Tribute article.  (The issue in question, btw, was #29, May/June 2011.)  I happened to have picked up the Pure Terror 50 movie box set not too long ago and this film happened to be in the set, so I considered myself lucky.  It also played a factor in the reason I decided to try a 1981 week in the first place!

The basic story is that a family of three, Norman and Lucy Boyle and their son, Bob, move into the titular house by the cemetery.  A colleague of Norman's has committed suicide and Norman's determined to step in and finish his work.  Bob keeps seeing a little girl that nobody believes is there, Lucy seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Norman seems somewhat oblivious to it all.  As weird sounds start permeating the house and the history of the place comes to light, can the family be saved before the past comes back to haunt them?

I came into this movie with an open mind.  I wanted to like it, I really did, and for the most part, I did.  It was directed by the great Lucio Fulci, of Zombie fame, and it had some good gore effects (including the ever-present worms and maggots that are so prevalent in Italian horror) and make-up and the scenery was beautiful.  That being said, there were several problems I found in this.  First off, there were several plot holes left in that might have been addressed in the film's original Italian, but I'm not sure.  Why did several people recognize Norman, even though he claimed to have never been there before?  Why did the babysitter, Ann, decide to remove the boards blocking the cellar door one night?  And how did Norman and Ann seem to know eachother, if my reading of their eye contact is correct?  My other major gripe is my complete and total confusion over what happens in the ending.  No spoilers, but it comes out of nowhere and left me scratching my head in befuddlement.

The cast was really good in this film.  Playing Lucy Boyle was Catriona MacColl, a British actress who starred in two other Fulci films, City of the Living Dead and The Beyond.  Anin Pieroni plays the baby sitter, Ann.  She also played in Dario Argent's Inferno, and in Fracchia contro Dracula, her last film.  Giovanni Frezza played Bob Boyle, son of Norman and Lucy, who seems to have an invisible playmate.  His last film before seemingly retiring from acting was Demons.

So, all in all an interesting movie with good actors and special effects but, for me, a bit too confusing with unanswered questions.  I have to give this one a 3 out of 5.  Join us tomorrow for an Italian take on Jaws with... GREAT WHITE!  Take care of yourselves and this is Red Hawk signing out!

An American Werewolf in London (1981 film)

A naked American man stole my balloons. - Kid at the zoo

Welcome to Happy Horror's 1981 Week!  I never realized before reading an article in Horror Hound Magazine just how much of a banner year 1981 was for horror.  Starting with Scanners and ending with Ghost Story, there were at least 40 different horror films that came out in that magic year alone.  We had Halloween II, Friday the 13th Part II, Blood Beach, The Evil Dead, Student Bodies, the list goes on and on.  And so it inspired me to do six days worth of films from that magic year, starting off with one of the most iconic, An American Werewolf in London.

So, years and years ago, I can remember my mom and I going to a movie rental place in Sodaville, OR.  While there were rental stores in my hometown of Lebanon, this place had what the others didn't: laserdiscs.  (For any readers who don't remember them, or were too young, laserdiscs were kind of a giant-sized precursor to DVDs where were big for a while in the 1980s.)  Playing on a TV at the rental place was the famous transformation sequence from today's movie.  However, I didn't get to see the whole movie until several years later.

The film starts with two friends, David and Jack, backpacking through the English countryside.  Jack's upset with David over robbing him of his chance to go to Rome with a girl he's had a thing for for years.  Getting dropped off at a crossroads by a sheep truck, the driver warns the two to stay off of the moors.  Heading to East Proctor, the friends stop in at a pub called the Slaughtered Lamb (inviting name!).  Becoming the center of attention, everyone watches them sit at a table before going back to what they're doing.  Unfortunately, an ill-timed inquiry on Jack's part sends them back out in the cold, with another warning to stay off the moors, and a further warning: beware the moon...

Well, I don't want to give too much more away!  This film has stood the test of time, with the aforementioned transformation scene standing out an an example of the effectiveness of practical special effects.  Rick Baker didn't wan an Academy Award for this film for nothing!  In addition to the werewolf makeup and animatronics, Baker aslo did extremely well with victim makeup.  Our werewolf friend gets visits from his victims in varying states of decomposition and the makeup is just amazing.

David Naughton plays David, our main character who doesn't initially believe he's becoming a werewolf.  He's also been in Midnight Madness (one of my personal favorite "road race" type films), was in the famous Dr. Pepper "I'm a Pepper" ads, and 1995's Ice Cream Man, Amityville: A New Generation and John Carpenter's Body Bags.  Jenny Agutter played Alex, David's nurse and eventual girlfriend.  She's been in other genre movies like 1987's Dark Tower, Child's Play 2, an uncredited cameo in Darkman and she also played in The Avengers, and will be in the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier film.  Also, watch for a cameo early on by Frank Oz as a representative from the American Embassy.  Even after seeing his name in the credits, it's weird hearing Fozzy Bear's voice coming from a living person after hearing it coming from a bear for so many years!

One thing I thought was interesting in this film is that every single song in it has the word "moon" in the title.  From Blue Moon to Bad Moon Rising, the only songs missing are Moonshadow by Cat Stevens and Moonshiner by Bob Dylan, who both refused because they didn't think the film was appropriate for their songs.  Also missing is Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London, which would've been perfect for the film.

So, an iconic film, some great acting and fantastic special effects all add up to a 5 out of 5 on my part.  Tune in tomorrow where my string of 4's and 5's takes a small hit.  Join me at... The House by the Cemetery.  Until then, have a good day, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990 film on Blu-Ray)

I want to kill somebody. - Otis

So, I know this is getting posted a bit late tonight, but better late than never!  This is another film I was sent to watch (this time on Blu-Ray) but didn't get a chance to because of other obligations popping up.  However, I like to try to fulfill my word that I'll get it covered, so here's my review of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

The film is loosely based on the life of Henry Lee Lucas, an infamous serial killer from the late 1970s to early 1980s.  We follow Henry as he kills a few people (in the beginning, it goes from him observing people on the street to a scene of their death, not getting overly graphic in the details until later).  We also meet his roommate, Otis, who met him in prison.  Otis's sister, Becky, moves in with the two in the beginning and starts falling for Henry.  As the film goes along, Henry's habit for killing starts to rub off on Otis, who takes to it really well.  But cracks begin to form in the partnership as time goes on...

This was an interesting movie, and definitely a bloody one.  It was shot for $110,000 and very loosely follows part of the life of Henry Lee Lucas.  The director/screenwriter got the idea from an episode of 20/20 focusing on Lucas.  This film is not for the faint of heart.  Michael Rooker, the actor playing Henry, really got into his part (so much so that he stayed in character even off camera until the filming was over), and he definitely nailed the role.  I'll have more about him in my traditional cast section.  The budget was so low that the filmmakers had to use people they knew for extras or in scenes (one actress played three different murder victims!).  The results really paid off, though.

The cast was really good in this.  As stated above, Michael Rooker really dove into his part.  He's been in a lot of movies, including The 6th Day, Mallrats, Cliffhanger, and the TV series The Walking Dead.  Tom Towles played Henry's friend and sidekick Otis with a seriously creepy vibe.  He also played in the 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake, House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects, as well as having a cameo in Rob Zombie's "Werewolf Women of the S.S." trailer in Grindhouse.  Tracy Arnold plays the innocent Becky, Otis's sister, who's drawn into things against her will.  She was also in 1991's The Borrower (along with Tom Towles again, and Rae Dawn Chong).

I did enjoy this movie, but it was also highly disturbing.  There's some subject matter in here that can get pretty extreme, and I'm not just meaning the killings.  With that, I will give this film a 5 out of 5, but definitely give out a caveat with it: watch at your risk.  This was an interesting one, and I was glad to be able to bring it to you.  Tomorrow starts 1981 Week on my site!  I promise to post the next article a lot earlier than this one was!  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Evil Dead (2013 remake)

Everything's gonna be fine?  Nothing's fine.  I don't know if you noticed this, but... everything's been getting worse... every second. - Eric

So, Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert did what many fans thought was unthinkable: they remade one of Raimi's most popular films of all time.  No, not Darkman!  Not Spider-Man, either, that one was already redone.  Nope, the film that was remade this time was Raimi's 1981 cult classic The Evil Dead.  Instead of starring in it as Ash, Bruce Campbell joins Raimi and Tapert as a producer on the film.  So, how does the film hold up, both on its own and against the original?

In this film, we have a similar dynamic to the original: five friends, two of which are brother and sister, head out to an old cabin.  This time, however, the brother and three friends are staging an intervention attempt for the sister, Mia, to try to get her off of drugs after she nearly overdosed.  While in the cabin, the group finds evidence of a black magic ritual in the cellar, including a strange book wrapped in plastic and barbed wire.  When one of the group, Eric, opens the book and reads an incantation from it, all hell starts breaking loose, Mia becomes possessed by something a little stronger than drug withdrawals, and the group starts succombing one by one to the evil presence taking hold over the area.

I watched this film with a friend and he was absolutely critical over everything in it.  He disliked the departure from the original film's somewhat more simplistic storyline, criticizing the intervention storyline.  I, on the other hand, thought that it added a bit more depth to the somewhat single-dimension characters we had in the original film.  They aren't just there to have a good time in this one, they have a purpose.  Also of note, there wasn't a person named Ash here at all.  There were several instances where a character acted similar to how Ash would have, but I think this worked to the film's benefit.  Anyone playing Ash would have a big chin... er, big shoes... to fill!

Jane Levy played Mia, the poor girl who becomes the initial instrument of the Deadites.  She did really well with the part and brought alot of intensity to it.  Jim McLarty played Harold in the opening sequence, father to another possibly possessed girl.  In addition to several roles on various seasons of Power Rangers, he also had small parts in films like The Tommyknockers, Meatballs, and The Frighteners.  Shiloh Fernandez plays Mia's brother, and probably closest Ash variant, David.  He's also played in Deadgirl and Red Riding Hood.

For the most part, all the special effects seem to be practical, with a few things going to CGI.  One thing I noticed, in the scene where possessed Mia shows her true colors, a voice clip of the original film's Cheryl can be heard, briefly, reciting the curse she places on the group.  All in all, a good mix of new material as well as an homage to the original films (there's stuff here that made me think of all three movies!).

In my opinion, this gets a 5 out of 5.  In comparison to the original, I give it a 4 out of 5.  Even with the higher budget, more detailed storyline and all that, it just doesn't have Ash.  But it might!  There's talk of three more films: one a sequel to Army of Darkness, one a sequel to this, and a third that would tie the two versions together.  We'll see what happens when we get there, though!  Tune in tomorrow for a look at the second of the "lost" articles of Happy Horror, one of the films I didn't get to review before.  We'll be looking at Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Evil Dead (1981 Original film)

We can't bury Shelly.  Sh-she's a friend of ours. - Ash

When the remake to this film came out earlier this year, one of my friends suggested I do an article comparing the two versions.  The idea intrigued me, but I never got a chance to see the remake in the theater, so the idea never came to fruition... until now, that is.

So, a little of my own personal history with this film.  My first experience with it was actually from its second sequel, Army of Darkness.  I'd seen the second movie's box at the video store (with its cool-looking skull with eyes), even saw a clip from the second movie on Shadow Theatre with Robert Englund, but it wasn't until later on that I realized Army of Darkness was any relation to Evil Dead.  I finally got to see the movie after receiving it for Christmas several years ago.  So, my thoughts on it?  After the summary, of course!

The movie starts with five friends (Ash, Scotty, Linda, Shelly and Cheryl) traveling across the Tennessee border to a small cabin out in the woods (Ash and Linda are a couple, as are Soccy and Shelly, and Cheryl is Ash's sister).  After a close call with a road-hogging truck, followed by another at the rickety bridge, the fivesome finally arrive.  After an initially spooky incident Cheryl has with some automatic drawing, everything seems fine in the cabin... until a strange book and tape player are found.  All hell soon breaks loose... quite literally!

When I first saw this film, it had a major effect on me... it scared me silly!  What's more, right after seeing it, I had to go get something out of the car afterwards, a task I did not look forward to, considering how late it was (after midnight).  The visuals in the film are really effective, especially the slightly overhead shot following the car near the beginning... it's one long tracking shot following them to the cabin and as it draws closer, the sound of the porch swing hitting the wall gets steadily louder and louder.  It's a good setup for the atmosphere and mood to come.

Some differences between The Evil Dead and its sequels; for one thing, the tone.  Barring a few scenes near the beginning, this film is most definitely NOT a comedy.  It's gory, scary, nasty and it will make you uneasy.  Second, the evil book that starts the activity isn't called the Necronomicon here, it's called the Naturum De Montum.  It is the same book, however, some of the interior artwork matches glimpses of the Necronomicon shown at the beginning of Army of Darkness.  Finally, Ash here isn't as he is in later films.  It works, though, as the film shows his start into the realm of badassery.

Ash is, as always, played by the great Bruce Campbell.  One of my favorite actors, he also has parts in the first three Spider-Man films, the second Waxwork, and Oz, the Great and Powerful.  He also played the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills in Escape from L.A.  Ellen Sandweiss played Cheryl pretty well here.  Before this, she played Ellen in 1978's Within the Woods, a prototype of Evil Dead that was filmed to drum up investors for this film.  She took a 20 year hiatus after this, returning to acting in 2006's Satan's Playground.

All in all, a really great film that has stood the test of time, one that I gladly give a 5 out of 5.  Tune in tomorrow for a look at the remake, and how it compares.  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2

Incoming mail! - Chop Top

On the first run of the original version of my site, I reviewed this film after rewatching it after I purchased it.  This was the first film in the franchise that I saw, and when Hollywood Video did one of their VHS purges to make room for more DVDs, I had to purchase it.  So, when I was scheduling for this month and decided to review the original Chain Saw, I thought, 'You know what?  Why not put them back to back?'  Combined with the loss of the original site, it's a perfect reason to rewrite the article.

The film starts (after a text infodump telling us what happened after the first Chain Saw) with a pair of idiots driving the backroads and shooting mailboxes and signs just for fun, driving a truck off the road in the process.  Along their joyride, they call in to the local radio station's request line and talk to the DJ, Stretch.  Later that night, the doofuses call in again, just in time to run into the previously mentioned truck on a bridge.  As they try to get past it, it matches their speed driving backwards.  Someone pops up in the back of the truck dancing around, before pulling out a chainsaw and attacking the idiots' car, driving them off the road and over an embankment.  And Stretch captures the whole thing on tape...

Tobe Hooper did it again with this film.  Directing, scoring and producing this film (with a bigger budget this time around), the film picks up where the first left off, thirteen years later.  We get two plotlines: the plight of Stretch as the demented Sawyer family comes after her for playing the tape of the attack over the air, and the story of Lefty, uncle to Sally and Franklin Hardesty from the first film, as he tries to find what's happened to them.  The special effects are great here, as well, being handled by the great Tom Savini.  We get a lot more blood here than the first one delivered!

So, on to the cast.  stretch was played by Caroline Williams, who also played in Stepfather II, Leprechaun 3 and Rob Zombie's Halloween II, among many other films.  She did great with the part, showing the right amount of panic and fear at the right times.  Lefty was played by Dennis Hopper, who's been in Land of the Dead, Super Mario Bros., Speed and Blue Velvet.  He lets himself go wild in this film, obviously seeming to have fun with it.  Playing Chop Top (twin brother to the Hitchhiker from the first film) is Bill Moseley, one of my favorite actors.  In addition to this film, Mr. Moseley was also in Repo: The Genetic Opera, Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (and its sequel, The Devil's Rejects), the 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake, and 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, where he played the role Robert Englund originated, Sheriff Buckman, as well as playing Drayton Sawyer in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D movie.  He was incredibly manic here and did really well with the role.  Leatherface was played by Bill Johnson here.  He did an excellent job, aided by the more expressive make-up used for Leatherface in this one.

A good continuation, good casting, great score, fantastic makeup, all add up to a 5 out of 5 from me.  Tobe Hooper went bigger, better and more unbelievable here, and it worked.  Tune in tomorrow for another American horror classic.  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974 film)

I think we just picked up Dracula. - Franklin

So, today we have a true American horror classic in Tobe Hooper's 1974 original masterpiece, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.  I only saw this film the second time today, right before I'm reviewing it for you.  The first time I saw it was on a movie rental after the original remake came out, I wanted to see what the original was like after seeing the new one (something that happened when we saw House on Haunted Hill, as well).  I was blown away by the film.  It's not all that graphic, really, but it's dark, it's gritty, and it's intense.

The story could be the blueprint for just about any slasher film.  After reports of grave robberies, a group of friends travel to the cemetery where the robberies happened, hoping that Sally and Franklin Hardesty's grandfather's grave hasn't been disturbed.  After making sure it was okay, they decide to head out to the remains of their grandfather's house, picking up a very creepy hitchhiker along the way.  After ditching the hitchhiker, they finally make it to the old homestead.  After their friends Kirk and Pam find out about a local swimming hole, they decide to go check it out.  Then, they don't return...

This film has earned its place as a masterpiece of the genre.  Several slasher film cliches have found their start here.  The masked, possibly mutated killer; the use of power tools as a murder weapon; the group of friends in an abandoned area being stalked by a killer.  The budget for the film was less than $300,000 and they used the money they had well.  The actors they used were also largely unknown, local talent who more or less used the film as a launching point into Hollywood.

So, on to the casting.  Marilyn Burns played Sally Hardesty.  Other than this film and a cameo appearance in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D film, she was also in Eaten Alive and Helter Skelter.  She definitely delivered in this film, especially in the scenes where her character seems to be losing her mind.  Playing her brother was Paul A. Partain, who also did well in the part.  He had a cameo in Texas Chainsaw: The Next Generation and also played in Race the Devil with Peter Fonda.  Edwin Neal played the Hitchhiker who they pick up.  I was surprised to see, when I looked him up in my research, that he went on to play Lord Zedd from the second season of Power Rangers on.  He's also become a top voice acting talent, voicing three characters on DC Universe Online, The Lord of the Rings video games, Metroid Prime 3, as well as a record-setting 26 voices in the Gatchaman anime.  Gunnar Hansen played Leatherface, the mask-wearing killer, here.  A native of Iceland, he cameoed in the Texas Chainsaw 3D film, as well as Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Mosquito and Freakshow.

A 5 out of 5 from me.  If you're in the mood for a piece of horror history, then you will definitely find something to enjoy in this film.  I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane.  Tomorrow will be my first redo of a past article, where I'll be bringing you the sequel to this one, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (don't worry, I'm not doing a Chainsaw Week!).  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Cujo (1983 film)

Nope.  Nothing wrong here. - Advertising mascot the Professor

So, it's storytime here at Happy Horror again, folks!  See, when I was little, my mom and her friend would take turns watching me while they went to the movies... Mom would go in the daytime and her friend would watch me, then her friend would go at night while I stayed home with Mom.  Well, when this movie came out, my moms friend was driving an old Pinto.  The night she saw the movie, she was driving home and happened to see a huge St. Bernard walking down the street.  She was just hoping she wouldn't have car trouble!

Cujo is something of a milestone for me.  It was, to the best of my knowledge, the first "siege" type movie I'd ever seen, also possibly the first killer animal film.  The story is pretty basic.  Woman and her son take a car out to a mechanic's, only to find the place deserted, except for a very sick, very rabid St. Bernard.  Everything she does from that point is to try to calm her little boy, and to survive the killer animal outside the door.

The film is very effective.  The dogs they have are well-trained, and look the part of the sick pet.  The cast does pretty well, also.  Dee Wallace plays mother Donna Trenton.  She did very well here, possibly the best of any King film actress.  She's also in ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, The Howling and Critters.  Ed Lauter played mechanic Joe Camber here.  He's also been in The Number 23, Night of Terror and 1976's King Kong remake.  Kaiulani Lee played his wife, Charity.  She didn't have a really long part, but she did well with it.  She was also in 1981's The Fan, an episode of Tales from the Darkside ("Deliver Us from Goodness") and Hush.  Billy Jacoby played Brett Camber, Joe and Charity's son and Cujo's owner.  He had a really intense scene with Cujo in the fog early on in the film.  He was also in The Beastmaster, Bloody Birthday and The 'Burbs.

Now, we come at a bit of an impasse here.  In my It's Alive review, I mentioned that I couldn't give a movie a perfect score that hurt a cat in it.  Well, here we have a dog that gets hurt repeatedly.  However, I do find a difference between killing an animal off needlessly (as in It's Alive, Man's Best Friend, Drag Me to Hell, etc.) and having the animal be a killing machine.  Without the killer dog here, we wouldn't have a movie.  For example, I saw a movie years ago that had the plotline of feral/possessed cats attacking people.  If I were to review that film today, I wouldn't dock points from it, even with cats getting hurt in it, because that's the driving force behind the plot.  In short: sick/possessed/wild animal attacking people as part of the plot: a-okay with me.  Animal getting killed or hurt just to draw sympathy from the audience, or show just how mean the villain/monster is: not good in my book at all.

With that out of the way, I give the film a 5 out of 5.  Stephen King has gone on record stating that it's one of his favorite film adaptations, and who am I to disagree there?  So, on to the next!  Tomorrow, we're going to have a true classic, and contender for best horror film of all time.  What film is it?  You'll have to wait to find out!  Until next time, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Dead End (2003 film)

Last year's Christmas was great.  We took the Interstate! - Laura

So, here we have another film I originally saw on one of those multi-movie deals from Hollywood Video.  As you can probably tell, I love horror movies, and this one looked interesting, so we decided to give it a viewing (our opinion in those days was, if it was a bad movie, at least we weren't paying to see it, since it was included in the full rental plan!).  So, what was the verdict on the film?  First, the summary!

On Christmas Eve, the Harringtons (Frank and Laura and their son and daughter, Richard and Marion and Marion's boyfriend, Brad) are on their way to Laura's parents' place along a back road.  Frank decides to try something different than the usual Interstate route so he decides to take a shortcut.  Along the way, they all fall asleep... including Frank, who's driving... and almost collide with an oncoming car.  Completely rattled, Frank gets out to make sure there was no damage to his car.  Getting back in to continue driving, they soon find that the road is long... really long... and keeps going on and on and on.  And why are there suddenly no other cars coming?

Being made in France for $900,000, this film made that budget back and then some in DVD sales for $77 million.  I really enjoyed this film every time I've watched it.  I didn't even realize, before doing my research today, that the film was from France (not that that matters, of course, I embrace horror films from all over).  The lower budget doesn't come into play at all, it's got good makeup effects at times, a great cast, in my opinion, it really delivers.

As I said, a great cast is present, with two especially strong actors playing parents Frank and Laura.  Frank's played by Ray Wise, who's best known for Twin Peaks, but has also appeared on the series Reaper, and the movies Robocop, One Missed Call and X-Men: First Class.  Playing Laura was the great Lin Shaye, who's been in a number of horror movies, including Nightmare on Elm Street, Insidious (Chapters 1 and 2), Critters 1 and 2, and the 2001 Maniacs movies, as well.  There's also a cameo appearance near the end by Steve Valentine, the host of SyFy's old Fear Factor-style game show Estate of Panic (I miss that show!).

A good plotline, an excellent cast and a fun time all add up to a 5 out of 5 for me.  I really enjoyed this film, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in a really good, low-budget and seriously creepy film (which still supplies a good bit of laughs at times).  Take care of yourselves, everyone.  We're going to start delving into some classics next, with some reviews of some older films, including a pair of masterpieces of the genre.  Until then, as always, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Manhater (2010 screener DVD)

I'm your dream girl, Rob, but you can't keep me in a cage! - Enyo

Storytime, Happy Horror fans.  I have a nasty habit of putting things off, and that sometimes gets in the way of my obligations.  Three or four years ago, right after I had a bout of computer trouble that kept me offline for the most part, I was given the opportunity to review this film for Canyon Falls Productions.  I accepted the offer, but I didn't get a chance to watch the film or review it like I wanted to then.  Now, for this Happy Horrorween, I finally go through with what I intended to do then.

The storyline is this: following a series of bad relationships, culminating in a marriage to a very abusive man, Vonda has decided that all men are scum.  Staying with a friend, she starts wallowing in misery, when her friend suggests she go to a local mystic, Eileen.  After weeks of talking out her feelings to Eileen, she's given a potion to help make her forget all her troubles.  When she drinks it, she passes out onto her bed and beside it appears Enyo... a spirit born and driven by Vonda's hatred for her exes.  Now, they're dying one by one, and unless Vonda can find a way to stop her, Enyo will completely ruin her life.

I can't believe I waited as long as I did to watch this film.  It's a low budget one, but the acting was great, the special effects were amazing and the film score fit the film perfectly (and won an award for Best Original Soundtrack at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema 2010).  I really enjoyed this one.

I give it a 5 out of 5.  If you want to see some more about the film, and find out how to get it for yourself, head over to http://www.manhatermovie.com/home.html or http://www.manhatermovie.com/store/, either site works okay.  Back to the normally established movie reviews tomorrow, but next Saturday will be another "lost film".  Until then, take care of yourselves and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Identity (2003 film)

If he tries anything, I'm gonna shoot him.  And if anything tries to come in here, I'm gonna shoot it.  And if any of us moves, I'm gonna shoot them.  You got that? - Rhodes

In the middle of the Nevada desert, in a small roadside motel, a fight for survival is raging.  Eleven strangers meet at the motel in the middle of a rainstorm: a family of three, a newlywed couple, a chauffeur and the actress he's driving, a police officer and his prison transfer con, a call girl and the motel's desk clerk.  Someone starts picking them off one by one.  Who is it?  Well, that would spoil the surprise, now wouldn't it?

I first came across this movie in online advertisements.  There was a website for it that had a sort of mini-game on it that you could follow through to find clues about it.  I found the website interesting and the game fun, though my computer couldn't really handle all of it at the time.  So, when ads on TV started showing, I knew this was one I had to see in the theater.  Now, ten years later, it's my honor to bring it to you.

The film is more in line with a classic murder mystery, something of an homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None/Ten Little Indians.  The suspense and fear builds up really well until the final reveal of the true identity of the killer.  It'll definitely keep you guessing!

We have a major ensemble cast here, from John Cusack (1408, 2012 and The Raven) to Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and the Mother's Day remake), Amanda Peet (2012 again and Changing Lanes) to John Hawkes (From Dusk Till Dawn, Wristcutters: A Love Story and S. Darko), Ray Liotta (Turbulence and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), Jake Busey (The Frighteners, The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting, and Wristcutters: A Love Story again), Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark and Spider-Man 2), John C. McGinley (Hear No Evil, Seven and Office Space), the list goes on and on.  You don't see a cast like this very often anymore, outside of the Machete movies!

I give this film a 5 out of 5.  I've always enjoyed the murder mystery format like this, where the killer's identity isn't revealed till late in the game, and this one does not disappoint.  Thanks for joining me for this one.  Tomorrow, we'll have one of my lost films, Manhater.  Take care of yourself, enjoy your weekend, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

It's Alive (1974 film)

I assure you, Mrs. Davis, that your baby is very much alive. - Dr. Norton

From the mind of one of my favorite directors, Larry Cohen, comes the killer mutant baby epic, It's Alive.  I can remember seeing bits and pieces of this film when I was little, and of its sequels, and my mom telling me a bit about it, as well, but I didn't see it all the way through for a while.  I picked the film up at Wal-Mart when I saw it for sale in the cheapie bin.  I just opened it tonight just so I could bring you a review for it!  Take note, the film was remade a few years ago, but this is the original version!

The film starts with an expectant mother, Lenore Davis, waking her husband, Frank, up to take her to the hospital to give birth.  When they get there, everything seems to be fine.  The doctor comments about how large the baby is, but expects that the delivery will be smooth.  Meanwhile, Frank sits in the waiting room, talking to three other guys.  The talk turns to chemicals and additives to water and smog, when Frank gets up and walks down to see the new babies in the nursery through the window.  While standing there, he sees, out of the corner of his eye, an orderly stumble through the double doors, covered in blood, who promptly collapses.  Running through the doors, he races down to his wife's delivery room, a doctor and orderly in hot pursuit.  Getting there, Frank finds the doctors and nurses dead, the umbilical cord chewed through, and a hole in the skylight above.  There's something not quite right with the Davis baby...

Let me start out by saying this film was done on a budget.  Larry Cohen is a master of shooting amazing things with not alot of money, and it shows through on this film.  Whether it's using his own home for the Davis' house's interior, using a real hospital, delivery room, AND doctor in the hospital scene, using real police in other scenes, Mr. Cohen did very well here.  Also done well were the makeup and puppet effects by Rick Baker, who went on to win Oscars for make-up in American Werewolf in London, Harry and the Hendersons and Ed Wood, among other films.  Lastly for behind the scenes, the film's composer was Bernard Herrmann who scored Psycho, North by Northwest, Citizen Kane, and his last movie, Taxi Driver.

John Ryan played Frank Davis, father of the killer baby.  He was also in Futureworld, The Postman Always Rings Twice and probably his best known film, Runaway Train, among many, many others.  Sharon Farrell played Lenore Davis, and she definitely portrayed the role well, as the woman seems to slowly slip off of the deep end as the movie goes.  Her other roles include Night of the Comet, Arcade from Full Moon, and television appearances in Freddy's Nightmares and a long-running role on The Young and the Restless.

One thing I found interesting in the commentary was this.  When Cohen first made the film, he had the backing of Warner Bros.  When he finished the film, the leadership at the studio had changed, and Warner had wanted to focus more on higher budget, more uplifting type films, and here came a killer baby movie.  Warner did as little as possible with the film, giving it an ad campaign that didn't really focus on what the movie was about, trying it in test markets where it really wouldn't do well.  It actually did better overseas than it did in the US.  Three years later, Warner's regime switched again, so Cohen resubmitted his film.  This time, the head liked the film and gave it a wide release, with a better ad campaign, and it managed to make a fortune for Warner Bros. and Larry Cohen.

This film was an interesting ride.  The only problem I really have with it is that a cat gets harmed in it.  (Obviously, the cat wasn't hurt in real life, but as a cat owner, it's hard for me to see it even if it's made up.)  With that, I give it a 4 out of 5.  Tune in next time for some more interesting horror films.  We're going slightly more recent tomorrow!  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Ju-Rei: The Uncanny (2004 film)

Long-time readers of my original site know that I'm a big fan of Japanese horror (and, well, Japan in general).  When Hollywood Video had one of their rental deals, I took advantage of it by renting a bunch of Japanese horror movies.  Among such offerings as the Tomie series, I found this film, Ju-Rei: The Uncanny.  The picture reminded me of Ju-On/The Grudge (one of my favorite horror series of all time), so I decided to give it a shot.   What I found was an interesting presentation of the traditional grudge-type curse.

The film starts at Chapter 10 and works backwards through a curse, eventually showing the source of it and how it spreads to each person that's shown.  As such, since I normally give a summary of events here, any such summary would probably be laden with spoilers and I want to avoid that as much as possible. 

The film was, for it's chronologically backwards state, very straightforward.  I also want to point out that the summary on the back of the box has very little, if anything, to do with the plotline of the film.The acting here was pretty well-done.  The effects were interesting, as well.  There was very little to no blood in the film.  What I found interesting was the effect over the ghost actors.  When shown on camera, as a ghost, they're either shown with their entire body completely out of focus, or as a dark shadow standing in the background.  That's another thing I enjoyed in this film, that sometimes the ghosts will appear in the background, watching the chapter's current protagonist.  It's a very creepy touch that works.

Chinatsu Wakatsuki played Noriko Maeda, Chapter 9's protagonist.  She was also in Otoshimono.  Yurei Yanagi played Juku-koshi Kasahara in the film, and may be recognized from Ring and Ring 2, Ju-On: The Curse 1 and 2, plus Ju-On: The Grudge, Death Water, Exte: Hair Extensions and A Slit-Mouthed Woman.

So, an interesting film in the vein of Ju-On and Ring.  I give it a solid 4 out of 5.  It's good, but it's not one of the best I've seen.  But I do enjoy it quite a bit.  Next up on the Happy Horrorween marathon, we have a film from 1974 to serve up for you... the original killer baby film, It's Alive!  The tagline says "The ONE Film You Should Not See Alone."  Well, I'll be seeing it alone and serving it up to you.  Until then, take care of yourselves and this is Red Hawk signing out!