The Boogeyman (1980) and Return of the Boogeyman (1994) - Joint Review

So, sorry for the extremely long delay in posting this.  I'm going to do my best to salvage the rest of the month, and to cover what I meant to cover in the weeks following.  This was intended to go up the third and fourth of this month, but due to the convention I went to, plus an unexpected allergy, I was down for a little bit and then got sidetracked with other things, so everything got pushed back more and more.  But, I'm ready to finish off the week!

So, this post finds us with a supernatural slasher, 1980's film The Boogeyman, and its 1994 sequel, Return of the Boogeyman.  There was another sequel in there, The Boogeyman II, but I didn't get a chance to see that one.  The Boogeyman took a bit of flack from critics for supposedly cribbing stuff from Halloween and The Exorcist.  Were there similarities?  Maybe a few.

The film begins with two kids, Willy and Lacey, as they watch their mom getting a bit intimate with her boyfriend, whose head she covers with the panty hose she's wearing.  Seeing the kids watching through the window, she yells at them and the boyfriend grabs Willy and drags him to his room, tying him to his own bed and gagging him as Lacey watches on.  Soon afterwards, Lacey brings a knife in and cuts Willy free.  Willy and Lacey sneak up to the room where Mom and the boyfriend are still making out, him still wearing the panty hose on his head.  As Lacey watches in the mirror, Willy creeps up and stabs the boyfriend in the bed.

Twenty years later, the children have grown up into not-so-adjusted adults.  Willy hasn't spoken a word since that night (and has secretly been collecting sharp knives in his top drawer).  Lacey is married, with a little boy, but her guilt over the incident is starting to carry over into her everyday life.  Trying to find refuge in both religion and psychology, she freezes up during dinner when she spots a mirror.  A later encounter with the original mirror unleashes a murderous force on anyone in its vicinity.

I'm sort of on the fence with this film.  On the one hand, I was entertained by it, which is the goal of any movie out there, but I felt that it could have been more.  The climax is exciting, but not a lot happens leading up to it.  The rest of the film just felt like... buildup.  Other than the boyfriend getting stabbed, there aren't a lot of killings leading up to the finale, which causes the film to sort of drag on.  The film's villain felt less like a boogeyman and more like Death in Final Destination, except more outgoing and manipulative of events.  Some may say it's just a product of its time, but many films before and after it gave a better feeling to me than this one did.

Adult Lacey was portrayed by Suzanna Love, the wife of the director, Ulli Lommel, at the time, and also co-wrote the script with him.  She was also in The Devonsville Terror, BrainWaves and the original sequel, The Boogeyman II.  Her brother, Nicholas Love, played her brother, Willy.  He was also in Jennifer 8 and The Dead Pool.  Probably the most famous actor in the film is the late, great John Carradine, playing psychiatrist Dr. Warren who Lacey turns to to try to exorcise her mental demons.  His list of films is extremely long, with a few excerpts being The Monster Club (with Vincent Price), House of the Long Shadows (with Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing), The Howling, and many more.

All in all, I give this film a 3 out of 5.  It was alright, but it could've been a lot better.  Now, the reason I decided to cover both of the films together is that they are extremely similar.  So similar that the sequel uses a lot of footage from the first film!  I figured I'd combine the film reviews like I did with Mystery of the Wax Museum and the original House of Wax last year.

So, The Return of the Boogeyman deals with a new woman, Annie, receiving psychic visions of the first film's events, along with flashes of current happenings.  The psychic visions take the form of the footage from the original movie.  In a way, it reminds me somewhat of the sequel to the original The Hills Have Eyes, which featured a LOT of flashbacks to the first film, as well.  Even the dog flashed back in that one!  Getting back to this film, Annie's been seeing what she calls the Faceless Man, really the Boogeyman from the first film still with the panty hose over his head.  A psychiatrist, Dr. Love, is trying to help her sort out her visions.  We only get one new kill in this film, with all the other deaths happening in footage from the first one.

There are some surface flaws that keep this movie down, most of which is the narration of the previous events.  Lacey gets a new name, Natalie, from Annie as she looks to the past, and the aunt and uncle her and Willy were staying with are referred to as her parents (even though we see her mother in the flashbacks to the opening scenes of the film).  A lot of this could be explained as Lacey considering her aunt and uncle as parents since they did raise her and her brother; also, the name change could be chalked up to what she thought Lacey's name was, like a miscommunication in how her psychic link works.  However, these explanations are never given and that leaves a bit of confusion: one wonders if the original names were forbidden from use in this one, even though the same guy directed it.

All said, this is a rather mediocre effort.  I hate to do it, but I give the film a 2 out of 5.  The presentation of the original film again (something that was also done in The Boogeyman II, apparently) wrapped up in very little new footage just didn't work for me.  So, that concludes my reviews of The Boogeyman films.  If I get a chance to see The Boogeyman II (aka, Revenge of the Boogeyman), I'll be sure to add it to the site.  Until next time, take care and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Halloween II (1981 film)

Original Theatrical Poster

Sam Loomis: I shot him six times!  I shot him the heart but... HE'S NOT HUMAN!

Welcome to another October-long celebration on the New Happy Horror.  Yes, it's time for Happy Horrorween again!  This year, with a very few exceptions (including the usual Big Three reviews I originally founded the event on), this time I'm going to try to review all films I've never seen before.  Thanks to Netflix and Frightpix on the Xbox 360, I'll be able to find more than ever before!

So, we start with a review of Halloween II.  I was supposed to cover it last year at the end of the month, but I couldn't locate my copy of the film at the time.  But, I found it so I'm finally bringing it to you again!

The film starts were the first leaves off.  Doctor Loomis (the late, great Donald Pleasance) has saved Laurie (Jamie Less Curtis) from certain death by shooting his former patient, Michael Myers, and sending him out of a second story window.  However, this seems to have barely winded Michael, who vanishes from the yard.  As the paramedics wheel Laurie out, Michael targets another girl in a nearby house, using a knife stolen from an old couple's house.  As Loomis and the police try to track him down, Michael heads for the hospital Jamie's been taken to.

This one was pretty fun.  It was good to get back to an earlier installation of the series... heck, it was good to get back to an earlier film, period!  Halloween's been a constant favorite of mine, series wise. This film was supposed to be the last Michael Myers installation, with director John Carpenter wanting to take the name in a new direction by focusing on a different aspect of the Halloween holiday each year, starting with the masks of Halloween III: Season of the Witch.  How did that idea go?  We'll find out at the end of the month!

The film pushed some interesting ideas, things which would become canon and rather well-known, mostly the link between Michael and Laurie, and the idea that Michael is more than human as he stalks his intended victims.  There are a few hints towards some things that get paid off in the sixth film.

In addition to the main two actors, we had a good cast.  Lance Guest played Laurie's would-be love interest, Jimmy.  He went on to play main character Alex in The Last Starfighter alongside Dan O'Herlihy who played his alien trainer, Grig, and also played main villain Conal Cochran in Halloween III: Season of the Witch.  Mr. Guest also played Michael Brody in Jaws: The Revenge. Speaking of Jaws, the coroner, Graham, was played by Jeffrey Kramer, who played Sheriff Brody's deputy in both of the first two Jaws films.  He also played the Motorist in board game turned movie Clue.  And playing Michael himself, aka The Shape, was Dick Warlock, who has 150 stunt credits to his name.  He was also in Pumpkinhead, Firestarter, and most recently Camp Massacre.

All in all, a good film, easily a 4 out of 5.  Tune in next time for a Japanese film from the 1970s.  It's freaky, in a good way!  Until then, take care of yourselves and this is Red Hawk signing out!

My Bloody Valentine (1981 original)

It happened once, it happened twice.  Cancel the dance, or it'll happen thrice. - Valentine heart poem

Happy Valentine's Day!  The past few years, I've been wanting to review this one, but I just never got around to it.  Either I was still somewhat burned out from the previous October run, couldn't find the movie itself to review, or else just let it slip past.  Well, this year I decided to sit down, rewatch the film and crank this review out.  I hope you enjoy it!

The film takes place in the mining town of Valentine Bluffs.  For the past twenty years, the town has avoided holding the annual Valentine's Day dance they had originally had.  The reason for this avoidance is Harry Warden (Peter Cowper).  One Valentine's Day, he and four other miners were trapped in a methane explosion-induced cave-in when their two mine supervisors decided to leave early for the dance.  After they finally got dug in after six weeks, they found Harry, the only one left, completely insane.  The next year, he took his revenge on the two supervisors and vowed to continue killing if the dances continued.

In the present day, our group of miners consists of T.J. (Paul Kelman), Axel (Neil Affleck), Hollis (Keith Knight) and others are looking forward to the renewed dance along with their assorted girlfriends.  T.J. and Axel are old friends, feuding somewhat over the same girl, Sarah (Lori Hallier).  But, with the dance coming in a matter of days, the deaths start up again and the sheriff and mayor start to wonder if Harry Warden's back again.

When this film was first released, it had a good 9 minutes or so of footage cut out for content, due to blood and gore.  When Lionsgate got the rights to make the 2009 remake, they also were able to rerelease the original with all of the gore reinstated.  The working title of the film was The Secret, an apt name as the director and producers wanted to keep as much of it secret as possible.

My thoughts: This was a pretty good film.  It's one of the several horror films that came out in 1981 (so many I was able to cover a whole week's worth of them a couple years ago and still have plenty left over!).  The special effects were great, the acting wasn't too bad for the type of film and time period and the suspense was high.  The film keeps you guessing on who the killer really is, one of my favorite types of films.

I give the film a 5 out of 5.  A good story, a lot of suspense and some good makeup effects all add up to a perfect score in my book.  I hope you had a good Valentine's Day, faithful readers, enjoy yourselves and have a good rest of the weekend.  Until next time, this is Red Hawk signing out!

House of Wax (2005)

It is wax, like... literally. - Wade, regarding the museum in town's unique construction

Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this, my friends.  I intended to review this back in October along with the other wax films, but other things got in the way.  But, I'm back now, and as promised, I'm continuing the wax museum motif with 2005's Tourist Trap... er, I mean House of Wax remake!  Like many other films, I saw this one before I saw the originals, so it was a new experience for me.  Of course, the film, in essence, doesn't share as much with its named predecessors as it does my previous review, but we'll get to that shortly!

After a flashback to a pair of brothers who we don't see as babies, one a good little boy, the other apparently a bit of a hellion, we meet our main characters in the present day: Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) and her boyfriend, Wade (Jared Padalecki) and brother, Nick (Chad Michael Murray); Paige (Paris Hilton) and her boyfriend, Blake (Robert Ri'chard), not to be confused with the really close brother and sister team from the second season of The Amazing Race; and friend and avid cameraman, Dalton (Jon Abrahams).  The motley group is heading to a major football game in New Orleans, and along the way, take a detour that leaves them in the middle of nowhere, where they run afoul of someone in a pickup.  The next morning, Nick's car's fan belt has broken, so he and Carly hitch a ride with a weird guy who picks up roadkill for a living (Damon Herriman) who takes them to a weird town that seems abandoned.  That's never a recipe for disaster, right?  Right!?

When this film came out, one of the big draws for it was that it was Paris Hilton's first motion picture.  She'd been known for her series, The Simple Life, where she and friend Nicole Richie got away from their rich girl roots and took up different jobs.  Due to the show, Hilton got a reputation for being a bit of an idiot because of their antics.  She did really well in this film with the screen time she's given, but the movie belongs to Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray, as well as Brian Van Holt.

The set design was good, the town the players are stuck in looking like something out of the 1950s.  The house itself dominates every scene it's in.  As the film quote mentions, the place is made out of wax, walls, floors, everything, which leads to an amazing digital scene later on.  The special effects are amazing, too, besides the digital scene I mentioned, we get a sliced face and, of course, the flowing hot wax (some of it's probably real, of course, but I don't know if all of it was).

Originally entitled Wax House, Baby, after a crew member thought the House of Wax name was unavailable, the film was retitled to House of Wax after the naming rights were guaranteed secured.  However, the film itself actually bears more or a resemblance to Tourist Trap than to the Vincent Price film (or The Mystery of the Wax Museum that preceded that).  Both this and Tourist Trap feature a group of friends who get sidetracked to an out of the way tourist attraction where they're picked off one by one.  Both films also feature a set of brothers making life miserable for our protagonists.  They also both feature victims being turned into part of the attraction.

So, what were my thoughts on the film?  I enjoyed it.  I liked the plot of the film, the acting was good (yes, even from the much-maligned Paris Hilton), the suspense was up there and we got some good jump scenes, as well.  All in all, I give the film a 4 out of 5.  So, while I still had three more movies to cover on the Week of Wax, I'll be skipping to the end of the original October coverage.  With Friday the 13th coming up, I'll be bringing you my review of Friday the 13th Part 2 for that day.  We'll also have a break in the fact that Valentine's Day and President's Day both coming up, I'll have something special for the weekend, too.  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Cry_Wolf (Unrated 2005 film)

 

Could one of these be the killer?  Or are they all the prey?

It's a lying game.  The object: avoid suspicion, manipulate your friends, eliminate your enemies. - Dodger

A little late on this posting, I know, but had to do some unforeseen maintenance on my keyboard.  But, it's up and running now, so I'll be doing a twofer soon, two articles in one day.  For now, though, let's take a look at Cry_Wolf!

Sometimes it's hard for me to go into a review of a film without spoiling too much.  April Fool's Day was like that, and so is this one.  Both films also feature groups of somewhat well-off teens with alot of time on their hands.  I'll do what I can to not get too much into detail.

We start the film with a blonde, Becky, being chased through the woods at night.  She tries hiding in the shadows of the trees when her pursuer pulls out a cellphone and dials her number, causing her cell to ring and pinpoint her location.  Before the scene changes, Becky's stalker shoots her down.

We cut to a fall day as a young man, Owen, crosses a large school campus that seems to be abandoned.  Finally, he located the lovely Dodger sitting on a step.  Striking up a conversation with her, he discovers the student body's in an assembly regarding safety after Becky's disappearance.  A teacher suddenly comes through the doors and begins to question Dodger over her inattendance of the assembly when Owen speaks up for her.  After assuaging the teacher, and suddenly being swept up in the flow of students exiting the building, Owen turns to see Dodger has vanished.

That night, Dodger has Owen's roommate, Tom, bring him to the old chapel on campus for a game called Cry Wolf, where one player is the wolf and the others have to figure him (or her) out before the end.  After Owen wins, Dodger comes up with a new game the next day: create a serial killer based around Becky's death and reveal him to the school via a forwarded email.  After Dodger and Owen create the killer, Owen starts getting mysterious IMs from someone claiming to be the Wolf.  With the full moon and Halloween approaching, can Owen uncover the truth before he and his friends become wolf bait?

This film was interesting, but a bit slow in places.  The movie revels in the build to the finale, so there's very little blood or death scenes.  Some might find this fact dull and boring, but I actually did enjoy it.  Julian Morris (Owen) did a great job in the film as our protagonist.  He was also in 2009's Sorority Row remake, as well as Something Wicked, Brittany Murphy's last film.  Lindy Booth (Dodger) was really good here.  She was also in Wrong Turn, the Dawn of the Dead remake and Kick-Ass 2.  Jared Padalecki (Tom) was really good, I enjoyed his interactions with Owen.  He was also in the House of Wax remake, House of Fears, the Friday the 13th remake, and is probably best known for playing Sam Winchester on the TV series Supernatural.  Singer Jon Bon Jovi (Rich Walker, the journalism teacher) did a pretty good job, as well.  He also starred in Vampires: Los Muertos, one of the sequels to John Carpenter's Vampires.

All in all, an okay film, although one I enjoyed a little more on my first viewing.  I'm rating this one a 3 out of 5.  Tune in next time for a Sarah Michelle Gellar film that isn't The Grudge or Scream 2!  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Student Bodies (1981 film)

"I didn't do it!  I didn't do it!  I never do it!" - Toby

So, my first horror comedy review!  I came across this one a couple of years ago and picked it up on Amazon.  I had an idea to do a month of horror comedies even then, but it never came to pass, really, until now.  This film was billed as the first comedy horror film (though Young Frankenstein predates it by 7 years).  It is the first film to spoof the then-burgeoning slasher genre.  So, how does it stack up?

The film opens with a card that reads, "This motion picture is based on an actual incident.  Last year 26 horror films were released... None of them lost money."  After that, we fade in on a view of a suburban house.  After the opening credits, a caption tells us it's Halloween... accompanied by a turkey's gobble.  The screen fades out, then fades back in with "Friday the 13th".  Another fade set brings us closer to the door with "Jamie Lee Curtis's Birthday" on the screen this time.  From here, we take on the viewpoint of the killer, aka The Breather, who creeps up to the house's glass door and peeks in through the mail slot.  We switch to the babysitter, Judy, who's talking to her girlfriend, Toby, on the phone.  Toby warns her not to be irresponsible but she just laughs it off.

Finishing their talk, Judy hangs up, only for the phone to ring again.  This starts a series of phone gags that work pretty well, if go on a little long.  Her boyfriend shows up and as they head upstairs for sex, the Breather sneaks over to a rolltop desk and, after perusing a variety of weapons, picks... a paperclip.  Surely, someone's dying horrifically!

The film was interesting, to say the least.  It does successfully lampoon the slasher films of the time pretty well, with a running on-screen body count, the hidden killer who we only hear his breathing and has a preference for unorthodox weapons, not to mention a victim pool of horny teenagers who are never quite prepared.  The film also throws in more twists than M. Night Shyamalan could think of!

When I researched this film, I was surprised to find that many of the cast did not go on to other things.  Kristen Riter, who plays good girl heroine Toby, only has one other credit: the music video for the J. Geils Band song Centerfold.  Playing the Breather was head writer (uncredited due to union rules) Jerry Belson, going under the name Richard Brando.  He was also a writer on Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again, a film I'll be covering this month, as well.  Cullen G. Chambers had a minor role as blind student Charles Ray, who's introduced with his seeing eye dog driving his car.  He's also been in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Deep Impact, and he has an uncredited role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Secretary of Defense.  Playing Malvert, the creepy janitor, is a double-jointed comedian who was known as The Stick.  He gave an interesting performance here, and I'd like to see what his stage act was like.

I give this film a 3 out of 5.  It could have been a bit better, but it could have been a lot worse, as well.  I just felt that it didn't deliver on all the cylinders it could've, but it was still fun to see.  Thanks for joining me for this, and I hope you enjoy all I plan on bringing you this month.  Until next time, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

April Fool's Day (1986 film)

Happy April 1st, everybody!  I hope my readers didn't get pranked too badly (or do any dangerous pranks or jokes of their own).  Today, we have an article I've wanted to write for the past few years, the original 1986 film April Fool's Day.  I always thought this was something of a forgotten classic, until the 2008 remake, that is.  So, let's have a look!

The film is about a group of wealthy (barring one or two exceptions) college kids getting together for Spring Break at their friend, Muffy St. John's, house on her family's private island.  On the ferry ride over, two of the friends get into an argument, one of which gets a knife thrown into his stomach, who ends up falling off of the boat.  Several people jump in to try to help him, but it turns out to be a prank.  One of the rescuers, Buck, stays in the water to try to tie off the boat, but ends up between the boat and the pier, severely injuring him.

After Buck gets taken back to the mainland for medical attention, Muffy greets her guests and they get settled in.  The guests find various pranks and jokes set up at dinner and in their room.  The next morning, however, finds one of their number missing.  And why is Muffy acting so weird all of a sudden?

The film was an interesting exercise.  Barring the faked knifing and Buck's accident, there's very little gore to the film.  What it lacks in blood, however, it does make up for with tremendous suspense.  The acting is well-done, and the characters are believable, if somewhat hard to identify with, not having a similar background, myself.  The ending itself was somewhat controversial, but without spoilers, I can't go into it.

Deborah Foreman plays hostess Muffy well.  She handled the weird mannerisms of the character really expertly.  At one time considered a promising, up and coming actress by ShoWest, her career sort of stalled out.  She did appear in one of my all-time favorite horror films, Waxwork, as well as Lobster Man from Mars, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat and Lunatics: A Love Story.  Her breakout role was in Valley Girl opposite a young Nicholas Cage.  Ken Olandt made his film debut here (after a number of TV roles).  His biggest movie role was in 1987's Summer School, but he went on to act in 1993's Leprechaun alongside Jennifer Aniston and Warwick Davis.  Griffin O'Neal portrays Skip, Muffy's cousin.  Son of Ryan O'Neal, he also played in Assault of the Killer Bimbos and the third Ghoulies film.  Clayton Rohner played Chaz, another of Muffy's guests.  He also starred in Destroyer (alongside the aforementioned Deborah Foreman and Anthony Perkins) and The Relic (aka the Film That Light Forgot, as I've nicknamed it).

I give this film a 3 out of 5.  It was enjoyable, much of the cast went on to bigger things, but it wasn't completely perfect.  So, now for my big April event.  Throughout the month, I'll be reviewing various horror comedies.  I may not get as many sequential days as I did in October, but I will be doing quite a bit of posting.  Take care of yourselves and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Happy Horror Classic: Valentine (2001 horror film)

So, this is a reprint of an article I wrote a few years ago.  I got the idea of renting and watching the film Valentine for an article to celebrate Valentine's Day.  I'd just seen the My Bloody Valentine remake the previous month and enjoyed it, but I didn't review movies that hadn't hit DVD yet at the time.  And so, for Valentine's Day, here's my review of 2001's Valentine!

"Roses are red, Violets are Blue, They'll need dental records to identify you." - Dorothy, reading her Valentine card

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone, and while I know this review is slightly late, I figure better late than never, eh?  At least it isn't delayed as my Halloween III review!  At any rate, I know alot of people remember My Bloody Valentine, especially with the big 3-D remake hitting theaters last month, but I'm not too sure many people remember this little flick.  It came out in early 2001, directed by Jamie Blanks, who also directed the original Urban Legend.  Since we like to bring some of the rarer movies to the reading public, here's my review of Valentine!

We open on a school dance with a bunch of junior high kids, focusing on one boy, Jeremy.  He approaches various girls to dance, yet they all turn him down (usually extremely rudely because of his less-than-attractive looks).  The nicest of the girls he asks is Kate, who just tells him "Maybe later".  The last he approaches is Dorothy, a larger girl who's sitting by herself on the bleachers who accepts.  Later, they show Jeremy and Dorothy making out under the bleachers when a group of boys climb up them and start making comments, calling Dorothy and Jeremy "Buffalo" and "Pervert" respectively.  The boys dump a punchbowl over Jeremy and start ripping his clothes off.  The last images we see of this scene are Jeremy, cowering in the middle of the gym with a bloody nose as the kids look on (including one in a cherub mask).

We flash ahead to the present day, where one of the girls who turned Jeremy down, Shelley, is on a date with a boorish idiot named Jason.  Jason talks about human reproduction (specifically how it relates to he and Shelley) and impresses her by splitting up the bill (and referring to himself in the third person repeatedly).  At the end of the date, Shelley just walks away after he asks for a kiss.  Later, we see her driving up to the medical school she's attending for some late-night studying.  While she's about to dissect her cadaver, she hears a sound and runs into another student near the lockers.  She also finds a strange Valentine with a sinister message to it.

Heading back to the lab, she starts to put her knife to the cadaver's abdomen when it suddenly draws a deep breath.  Shelley reacts, jumping back to the wall by the door (and being surprised by her actual cadaver appearing behind the door).  Shelley takes off running, being chased by a cloaked figure, eventually hiding in the morgue.  The killer, finally revealed to be a tall person in a Candyman-style coat and cherub mask, enters the morgue and sees several bodies inside body bags.  The first two, the killer unzips, but then loses patience and starts stabbing each bag violently, except the last one.  On the last one, the killer unzips it and grabs Shelley, cutting her throat in the process...

I really enjoyed this film.  Sure, it's a bit formulaic in places, but really, that's what made the original slasher films so successful.  It looked to me like they had alot of fun filming it, which is always more fun for me to watch.  They also put alot of work into it, which also really shows through.

Cast-wise, there are alot of somewhat big names that stand out.  Playing adult Paige Prescott is Denise Richards, the ex-Mrs. Charlie Sheen.  Besides being known for that, she's also been in Scary Movie 3 (playing Charlie Sheen's wife in the Signs-inspired scenes), Starship Troopers, the lead role in Tammy and the T-Rex, and National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1.  Playing Alex, adult Kate's boyfriend, is David Boreanaz of Buffy and Angel fame.  Besides his role as Angel, he's also been in Justice League: The New Frontier as the voice of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, and as the voice of Squall Leonhart/Leon in the first Disney/Squaresoft mashup Kingdom Hearts.  In our starring role as adult Kate is Marley Shelton.  Besides playing Dr. Dakota Block in the Planet Terror segment of Grindhouse, a bit part at the beginning of Sin City, and the role of Victoria Winters in the attempted 2004 revival of Dark Shadows, you can find her playing Dr. Jacob Hood's bodyguard/co-worker Rachel Young on CBS's series Eleventh Hour (one of my favorite new shows this season).  Lastly, the part of Ruthie, an abrasive, spurned woman with a grudge against Dorothy's current beau, was played by Hedy Burress.  Mostly known for voicework roles nowadays, I was surprised to find out that she voices the summoner Yuna in both the Final Fantasy X games and the Kingdom Hearts II game.

All in all, I score this one a 4 out of 5.  It was a good movie, and definitely fits in with the typical slasher films that popped up in the late 1990s/early 2000s.  If this kind of slasher film is your cup of tea then I can definitely recommend it to you.  And so, until next time, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Detour (2003 film)

This place kind of grows on you... like leprosy. - Cashie

When I had planned out typing this up, I originally was going to bill this as Happy Horror's first film from The Asylum, but then I remembered, on the original site, I reviewed their Vampires Vs. Zombies film (the less I say about that one, the better!).  I rented this one on a fluke one time a few years ago.  When the Hollywood Video in my town closed up shop, they started selling films off at pretty good prices, and this is one of the ones I bought, remembering it and thinking it would be a good one to write about on the site.  So, here we go!

The film opens on a couple of girls driving down the freeway.  While moving in to kiss (there was mention early on about a wedding, as well), some nasty-looking red stuff splatters all over their windshield and sends them offroad.  The driver, Tiffany, sees a robed figure striding towards them through the desert and gets out the Club to defend herself, when he swings a rebarred hook, disarms her and stabs her with the makeshift weapon.  The other girl, Angela, gets out and runs, stumbling due to her leg being hurt in the crash.  She runs into a stake trap that the homicidal maniac soon impales her on.

The rest of the film concerns seven friends traveling from a rave back home, when the leader, Neil, takes them on a detour to try to locate some peyote a friend of his tipped him off to.  What they find is a nightmare waiting to happen, as they're picked off, one by one, by a group of cannibals looking to make them into their next meal.  Will the group survive the night?  Will they get their motorhome unstuck before the cannibals finish them off?

On paper, this film sounds alot like The Hills Have Eyes, with a group in a motorhome being besieged by a family of cannibals in the desert.  However, it takes several twists and turns that Hills never made, resulting in a film experience that was actually very unique and fun.  This film predates when The Asylum became an exclusively mockbuster studio, and while their films were sometimes hit or miss, I really miss some of these more fun, original titles like this.  The acting was really good, with very few overly hammy scenes (with one particular character excepted).

Ashley Elizabeth played main girl Tara really well, even acting through some sickness near the end of the shooting.  The movie was filmed in mid-February, so the desert was not as hot as one might normally think, and she'd often have to act in a bikini top or worse at points in very frigid cold, so definitely major kudos to her for this role.  She's also had uncredited roles in WWE Films John Cena vehicle Legendary and Green Lantern, and a part in 2012 short film Slayground.  Aaron Buer played Lawrence, aka Loopz, a rapper wannabe who needs to dig deep to find the courage to help his friends fight off the cannibal tribe.  Throughout the film, he talked like a stereotypical hip-hop type, which gave him some pretty funny lines but could get to be annoying after a little while.  This was the only real overacting in the film, but it worked for him.  He was also in 2009's Nuclear and Killer Yacht Party, aka Dead in the Water.  Tiffany was played by scream queen Tiffany Shepis, who did a really good job with the little screen time she had.  A veteran of Troma's films, her acting career dates back to 1996's Tromeo and Juliet, but she's also been in Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie, Night of the Demons remake, and Bonnie & Clyde Vs. Dracula, to name just a few.

I really enjoyed this movie.  Though there were a few continuity errors (pointed out on the commentary by the director and producers), and a couple special effects failures, the film was really good, in my opinion.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Up next on our Happy Horrorween tour, I'll be taking you back to one of my favorite countries in the world: Japan!  Don't miss it!  Until next time, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Happy Birthday to Me (1981 film on DVD)

Today's a special day here, Happy Horror faithful (you ARE still out there, aren't you?).  Today, July 17th, is Red Hawk's birthday!  And so, for a special day like today, I thought I'd cover one of the more obscure "holiday" style fright flicks out there, 1981's slasher special Happy Birthday to Me.  How does the film hold up to 22 years of age?  In the immortal words of Mr. Owl, let's find out!

The film starts with a young woman, Bernadette, being stopped by Mrs. Patterson, the head of the school she's attending, Crawford Academy, when she trips on Mrs. Patterson's dog's leash.  It seems that Bernadette belongs to a group called the Crawford Top Ten, and she's heading to a local bar to meet up with the other nine members.  After excusing herself from Mrs. Patterson's company, she walks down to a dark alleyway nearby to get in her car.  As she gets in and starts up her car, a pair of hands come from behind her and start trying to strangle her, eventually pulling her into the back seat.  She manages to get away once she opens the rear door with her foot, but ultimately falls prey to the unseen to the audience (but recognized by her) killer.  Thus begins a series of murders, each disposing of another member of the Top Ten.

This was the first time I've gotten a chance to watch this movie.  I've owned it since 2009, and have thought about covering it every year, but stuff got in the way... either other plans came up, or I couldn't find the movie itself to watch, something seemed to always get in the way of me watching and reviewing this film.  Well, this year I made sure I knew exactly where the film was when it was time to get it started.  So, what did I think of the film?  I liked it.  I enjoyed it alot.  Some of the death scenes were pretty creative, and the film kept you guessing as to who the murderer was and who would be the next villain, right up till the end with an ending that almost nobody saw coming.

Cast-wise, we have an interesting run.  Playing our main woman, Virginia, is Melissa Sue Anderson of Little House on the Prairie fame.  She was also in a 1986 TV movie, Dark Mansions, a couple episodes of The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and in 2006's 10.5: Apocalypse.  Glenn Ford played Ginny's psychiatrist, Dr. Faraday.  A screen legend with quite a number of film credits to his name, including Experiment in Terror, Superman, and 1980's Virus, a Japanese post-apocalyptic film where he portrayed the president.  Lisa Langlois played Amelia.  She also played in 1980's Phobia, as well as 1982's Class of 1984 and killer rat film Deadly Eyes.

All in all, I give this movie a 5 out of 5.  It's interesting to look back at some of the somewhat lesser known films and see how they stack up to some of their contemporaries, and this one definitely was up there with the slasher mysteries of the same time period.  Thanks for reading my review, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!