Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Papa Tomato says: "Ketchup." The Rest of 2012, So-far.
7. An American Warewolf in Paris. - 1997
Power Punk Ska invaded the 90's. I found reasons to love this piece of shit.
8. 30 Days of Night - 2007
I thought some of the camera shots looked incredibly beautiful as a comic book frame. I liked this one too.
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 - 1986
At a point, it was clear to set the pace of Rob Zombie. And flat out weird as the original. Watch it. At least for the intro.
10. Lady in White - 1988
Listen to me now. If you are older than 10 years old, you should not be watching this alone. Family Fantasy that is still too dark not to show your nephew.
11. Drag Me To Hell - 2009
Suffice to erase the Spiderman 3 flub, this is return to the old, in control of himself, classic Raimi. (My dad and I watched the Doc Ock origin hospital scene first, to set the pace.)
12. Jaws - 1975
I noticed some Hitchcock in there. Well, why not, right? Still Amazing. Epecially the cabin scene.
13. Vampire Hunter D - 1985
1985. Straight to video. Mail-in-catalogue style. Brilliant and memorable, until it's nostaligiac. Watch it with your homeboy who watched it for the first time along with you, 15 years ago. I did.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
6. Phantasm II - 1988
Don’t Judge me. I bought this video on the nostalgic realization that I don’t think I’ve seen this movie since the old sleepover days with no bed time, a big bowl of colored sugar in some form, and U.S.A. Up! All Night. I was curious to see if it would hold up at all, or if it would join so many others (like Tim Burton’s Batman, or Ridley Scott’s Legend. Just sayin.’).
Anyway, this movie did not age well, but I did find a few ways to appreciate the 97 minutes of it all. First off, it started with a preview for The Serpent and the Rainbow, which is pretty cool. And then immediately into the movie is that 80’s cheese, quite an acquired taste of mine. The wardrobes, the slang, and the lovely rubber effects. MmHmm. One unexpected little nugget was that there were a few really cool camera angles and shots in this piece.
That weird, sci-fi, other-dimension horror genre is a strange slice to eat sometimes, but Creator Don Coscarelli did go on to make the memorable cult flicks The Beast Master and Bubba Ho-Tep, so ‘cred where ‘cred’s due, there. And I will say that the raid on the hardware store is a scene that after seeing, I would re-enact in my head, every time my dad brought me to a hardware store, for years to come. More nostalgia. Also, after seeing this again, I know in my heart that I want a trucker hat that reads “Boogie Down” in cursive. Don’t worry about clearing time in your busy day off to make the effort to re-live this movie, but if the afternoon is clear and Classic U.S.A. Network is on, sit and enjoy.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
5. An American Werewolf in London - 1981
1981. A great time for Hollywood, in that era. Lots of youth coming into age, sure-footed and deserved. A refreshing new dynasty that would bring us the fattest crops, even up into the present era.
John Landis directed The Kentucky Fried Movie (for the Zucker Brothers, no less) in 1977. the year I was born. Then he directed Animal House (yeah), a year later. Then Blues Bothers in ’80. Then Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos!, and Coming to America, by ’88. With a bunch of great stuff in between, and after (including the Thriller video). Squeezed in between Blues Brothers and Trading Places was a homely little horror film called An American Werewolf in London. (Like that 1951 classic film. Clever.) Loaded title aside, this movie is strangely a New Hollywood classic of it’s own. This was the first time I’ve seen this film and I’ll tell ya, there is so much to like, that it’s indulgent. Landis’ poppy youth shows in the abrupt cut transitions and perfect humor. And like Kasdan with The Big Chill, the great soundtrack feels cozy and era specific.
My friend Tino told me that the transformation scene is maybe the best scene in a horror movie. It definitely holds some water. I must point out that the fact that Landis put zombies in his werewolf flick, and used them as a brilliant avenue for comic relief, I think is very clever, and is an effect that will resonate in films, for years to come. The porno theater scene with the opinionated stacking body count, is really funny writing, not to mention the fake porno on the screen was shot by Landis before filming of the actual story. More clever. The phone booth scene is so effective, it’s pretty unforgettable. And the ending somehow ties multiple aforementioned qualities all into 1 scene.
Add all that shit up and this movie is great enough to make me forget how bad the video quality was on this hand-me-down VHS copy from my friend Cara. There’s a lotta old love on this copy. For good reason. Watch it.
Monday, October 8, 2012
4. The Making of ‘Thriller’ - 1983
I found a VHS copy of this for 50 cents, in a big blue bin, in the basement of an enormous Goodwill in Denver. The sleeve has a sticker on it that reads: $29.95 suggested retail price. (Awesome.) But my first memory of this documentary is wandering around Pueblo’s first Rent-A-Center while my dad priced stereos. I remember seeing parts of it showing on ABC primetime that night. It was on one of those old school big-screen TV’s with the external 3-color projectors that made the whole unit like 6 feet deep from front to back. Enormous and awkward. Is that a review of the feature? Nope, just nostalgia. VHS baby, a catalyst of a generation worth of smiles.
That said, the documentary is exactly that, a time capsule of an era when entertainment seemed more of a physical craft. This hour long stroll starts off with the timeless Thriller video and continues to brings us as much John Landis as it does MJ. There are a few early MJ videos (examples of Michael’s high standard of his productions), some live performance footage including an old home video from Gary, IN and a performance that prompted a call from Fred Astaire (a great little story), and a full behind-the-scenes feature of how Landis and Jackson worked together to create what may be the greatest music video of all time. Michael is young and at the peak of his game, but even then, so soft and strange that the moments where he outwardly expresses himself and his opinions, are refreshing.
Landis is young too, and excited about everything, confident in his vision and the process of finding it. He’s happy to direct everyone and to use authority to call in Rick Baker (who worked with him on An American Werewolf in London, the film that caused Michael to choose Landis for the video) to create all the monster make-up and special effects. When Landis chooses Ola Ray to be Michael’s date (3-years famous from her Playboy appearance as Miss June 1980), she’s such a potent choice, that it raises Michael’s status even more, making a sweet, soft-voiced, feminine boy, a sex symbol with hordes of fans waiting in the cold night just to get a smile from him between takes. And seeing Landis’ input, helps emphasize how well Ola makes that playful, slow walk home from the theater really, really work. Some of the shooting footage is a little lackluster but the dance rehearsal scenes remind any MJ fan of exactly how contagious his moves are, making us want to jump up and try to bust a move like Mike.
All in all, if you miss Michael like I do, this is a treat. And if you don’t, but you have an hour between laundry loads, just push play, let that Thriller video start and see if it doesn’t pull you into a quick little hour of how it all came to be. My only added suggestion is, after the feature is done, rewind (or whatever) and watch the music video again, to properly bookend the whole experience (if not to just see that great little masterpiece, one more time.)
Bonus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al1pZzdSpA4 Can you dig it?
That said, the documentary is exactly that, a time capsule of an era when entertainment seemed more of a physical craft. This hour long stroll starts off with the timeless Thriller video and continues to brings us as much John Landis as it does MJ. There are a few early MJ videos (examples of Michael’s high standard of his productions), some live performance footage including an old home video from Gary, IN and a performance that prompted a call from Fred Astaire (a great little story), and a full behind-the-scenes feature of how Landis and Jackson worked together to create what may be the greatest music video of all time. Michael is young and at the peak of his game, but even then, so soft and strange that the moments where he outwardly expresses himself and his opinions, are refreshing.
Landis is young too, and excited about everything, confident in his vision and the process of finding it. He’s happy to direct everyone and to use authority to call in Rick Baker (who worked with him on An American Werewolf in London, the film that caused Michael to choose Landis for the video) to create all the monster make-up and special effects. When Landis chooses Ola Ray to be Michael’s date (3-years famous from her Playboy appearance as Miss June 1980), she’s such a potent choice, that it raises Michael’s status even more, making a sweet, soft-voiced, feminine boy, a sex symbol with hordes of fans waiting in the cold night just to get a smile from him between takes. And seeing Landis’ input, helps emphasize how well Ola makes that playful, slow walk home from the theater really, really work. Some of the shooting footage is a little lackluster but the dance rehearsal scenes remind any MJ fan of exactly how contagious his moves are, making us want to jump up and try to bust a move like Mike.
All in all, if you miss Michael like I do, this is a treat. And if you don’t, but you have an hour between laundry loads, just push play, let that Thriller video start and see if it doesn’t pull you into a quick little hour of how it all came to be. My only added suggestion is, after the feature is done, rewind (or whatever) and watch the music video again, to properly bookend the whole experience (if not to just see that great little masterpiece, one more time.)
Bonus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al1pZzdSpA4 Can you dig it?
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street - 2010
In 1984, John G. Avildsen directed an excellent movie called The Karate Kid. In 2010, Harald Zwart directed an excellent movie with the same name and a similar story, but in a more modern setting. Are they both good movies? I think so. Do they do the same thing for me, when I watch them? Well, yes and no. I enjoy both of them, but one for nostalgia and the other because it’s a better film. My point is this: when you watch a movie, you have to decide why you are watching it. Are you looking to compare the feelings invoked by the movie, to other movies? Are you scrutinizing the production as a whole? Are you expecting a remake to add-up to an original, or are you just hoping you’ll enjoy the movie you’re watching?
All that said, the newest take on Wes Craven’s unforgettable cult classic does not have the impact that Freddy did when he hit screens in 1984. Robert Englund took his character to a level that made him a household name, with references resonating across pop culture, into he future. But within the next 8 sequels, he was effectively ill-effective, if you will, at being scary. The whole thing had become sooo cheesy, that the only enjoyment left was seeing our old friend on screen and trying appreciate the bottom-of-the-barrel goofy ways he has left to kill a kid in their sleep. Which I’ll admit is fun, when you’re a teenager. However, eventually the only hope is close the franchise and wait for time to bring you a remake.
Now honestly, the good things about this version are plenty. The opening sequence is great. It reminds you right away, that you are watching a Freddy movie. The examples of the claw in the tub and the bloody bedroom scene are both represented and are just as good as the originals, in their own way. And the kids are modern. They do all their sleep disorder research online (leaving room for a clever little pun, when the computer goes into “sleep mode.”) and are able to vlog their insomniac fears, with webcams. Also, these days instead of spooning instant coffee into their mouths to stay awake, they have prescription drug refills.
Another nice reminder is that because horror films are not usually taken as seriously by critics and viewers alike, they’re often an easier avenue for rising talent. As Cravens Nightmare had a young Johnny Depp and Amanda Wyss, the reboot features Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner. And Freddy, Fred Krueger, Englund’s icon, is portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley, the man who represented our beloved Rorschach as best as we could hope for, in the unnecessary screen version of Watchmen. He’s great, and does the meanness of Freddy well, with vicious charm and no cheese.
Add all that to a nice modern take on deeper details of Kruger’s backstory and this 2010 version of A Nightmare on Elm Street is an offering to appreciate. Especially if you’re just hoping to enjoy the movie you’re watching.
All that said, the newest take on Wes Craven’s unforgettable cult classic does not have the impact that Freddy did when he hit screens in 1984. Robert Englund took his character to a level that made him a household name, with references resonating across pop culture, into he future. But within the next 8 sequels, he was effectively ill-effective, if you will, at being scary. The whole thing had become sooo cheesy, that the only enjoyment left was seeing our old friend on screen and trying appreciate the bottom-of-the-barrel goofy ways he has left to kill a kid in their sleep. Which I’ll admit is fun, when you’re a teenager. However, eventually the only hope is close the franchise and wait for time to bring you a remake.
Now honestly, the good things about this version are plenty. The opening sequence is great. It reminds you right away, that you are watching a Freddy movie. The examples of the claw in the tub and the bloody bedroom scene are both represented and are just as good as the originals, in their own way. And the kids are modern. They do all their sleep disorder research online (leaving room for a clever little pun, when the computer goes into “sleep mode.”) and are able to vlog their insomniac fears, with webcams. Also, these days instead of spooning instant coffee into their mouths to stay awake, they have prescription drug refills.
Another nice reminder is that because horror films are not usually taken as seriously by critics and viewers alike, they’re often an easier avenue for rising talent. As Cravens Nightmare had a young Johnny Depp and Amanda Wyss, the reboot features Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner. And Freddy, Fred Krueger, Englund’s icon, is portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley, the man who represented our beloved Rorschach as best as we could hope for, in the unnecessary screen version of Watchmen. He’s great, and does the meanness of Freddy well, with vicious charm and no cheese.
Add all that to a nice modern take on deeper details of Kruger’s backstory and this 2010 version of A Nightmare on Elm Street is an offering to appreciate. Especially if you’re just hoping to enjoy the movie you’re watching.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
2. Dead Creatures - 2001
This movie is a Fangoria Films release, which means lovely low-budget movie making from horror fans around the world. In this case London is responsible for the funny accents. The setting is on the down and out streets and in the dumpy flats of broke, hard-living youth. The struggles of a group of girls who have contracted a cannibalism disease invokes both the familiar zombie plot and the nostalgic addiction junky-tales iconized by Trainspotting in 1996. The girls have contracted the disease that renders them dependent on human flesh, from various innocent interactions like dating crushes (a metaphor for the STD epidemic) or simply helping needy bystanders while strolling home with groceries.
The subtle fascination comes in the realized relation to how disheartening everyday struggles are if you’re poor, lonely, and confused about your future, in your post-teenage years. Though the main concerns for the girls are finding victims to eat and hiding from a (less than shady) zombie hunter, they talk openly amongst each other about hopelessness, death, the bleak “meaning of it all” and the sorrow of growing apart from estranged parents, all the while throwing back longnecks of Stella Artois.
The “tomorrow’s another day” anti-ending is great, and besides the almost pointless zombie-hunter character and the poor choppy sound quality noticeable during the one-on-one dialogues, this film is a pretty enjoyable little story, by the director that will eventually bring us the campy mild teen hit “I, Zombie.” I say watch it.
1. Frankenweenie - 1984
Back when Tim Burton was just an animation school graduate butthole, he started at Disney working on The Fox and the Hound. However, his personality was showcased in a little coveted pet project (no pun intended), a live action black and white short film, called Frankenweenie. After production, Disney deemed it unsuitable for children and shelved it. Lucky for us Paul Reubens saw it and chose Burton to direct his feature length about a boy named Pee-Wee Herman and his bike. And childhood was changed for the better, for many of us, not to mention Burton’s career. After Burton’s climb to fame, ten years later, ol’ Disney edited and released Burton’s original concept of Frankenweenie, for distribution. (Ya don’t say.)
The best thing about this short is that it’s so early in Burton’s career that his influences and appreciations are offered up, long before his dark stylized direction would become so signature that it loses it’s spontaneity. Like Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie’s post-war suburban feel compliments perfectly it’s Waters-esque weirdness. The acting is poorly executed, but as soon as that dog is on screen he provokes a squishy smile that makes him feel like your own pet, and that only gets better with the stitches and neck-bolts. Being a take on the classic monster movie, the references are there, including the laboratory scene (complete with a cameo of a Pee-Wee’s bike prototype) and the village lynch mob scene with the burning shelter (a forethought of the ending of Scissorhands.)
Though the copy I watched is the edited Disney-released VHS version, this short can be found unedited, as a special feature on the DVD release of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I do recommend it.
The best thing about this short is that it’s so early in Burton’s career that his influences and appreciations are offered up, long before his dark stylized direction would become so signature that it loses it’s spontaneity. Like Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie’s post-war suburban feel compliments perfectly it’s Waters-esque weirdness. The acting is poorly executed, but as soon as that dog is on screen he provokes a squishy smile that makes him feel like your own pet, and that only gets better with the stitches and neck-bolts. Being a take on the classic monster movie, the references are there, including the laboratory scene (complete with a cameo of a Pee-Wee’s bike prototype) and the village lynch mob scene with the burning shelter (a forethought of the ending of Scissorhands.)
Though the copy I watched is the edited Disney-released VHS version, this short can be found unedited, as a special feature on the DVD release of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I do recommend it.
2011's list
1 - Night of the Living Dead ('68) - The Bluebrint. Undeniably important.
2 - My Boyfriend's Back - Philip Seymour Hoffman's ground-breaking 6th film. Way fun.
3 - Night of the Comet - Who the hell is DMK?
4 - Dead Alive - The goriest film ever made, in it's day.
5 - Zombie Hole - Great short by Austin locals.
6 - The Signal - What are the kids listening to these days?
7 - The Stuff - 80's consumerism consumes you!
8 - War of the Worlds ('53) - Great. Like the White Christmas of Sci-Fi. Thick with influence.
9 - Sleepaway Camp - This. Shit. Fucked. Me. Up. One of the best of the year.
10 - Saturday the 14th - Watch this while doing laundry. That's what I did.
11 - Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare - You'll love this one, dude-bro. Trust me. Gotta have patience, but the end is worth it.
12 - Soul Snatcher - Maybe the worst mark on David Bowie's record.
13 - Darkness Falls - Uuuhhhh . . .
14 - The St. Francisville Experiment - In the thread of The Blair Which Project. Fun to watch in a hauned theater with some booze and a girl.
15 - I Was A Teenage Caveman - Larry Clark snoozer, sorry to say.
16 - Black Scorpion - Classic campy fright flick, It used to be this easy.
17 - The Mangler - Not a great representation of Tobe Hooper.
18 - Dark of the Night (Mr. Wrong) - Interesting. "What Christine should have been."? You decide.
19 - Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence - Yep. I squinted and squirmed. You absolutely should, too.
20 - Dark Angel: The Ascent - Hilarious. For the long-haired Fangoria nerd in all of us.
21 - Puppet Massacre - Straight up: A Nightmare on Sesame Street. Do it.
22 - Fade to Black - Cult-y, campy, solid 2 1/2 stars.
23 - Young Frankenstein - Timeless. Stay for the credits.
24 - Interview with the Vampire - Can you say '90s !? This is the reason your older cousin has those insertable acrylic fangs.
25 - Dream Warriors - Young stars and foam rubber that makes ya wish you were a kid again.
26 - C.H.U.D. - I drank heavily through this. So I actually remember the pop culture insult, more than the plot. But the notes look like all kinds of fun.
27 - The Birds - Hitch had it out for Tippi Hedren. Watch it unfold.
28 - Blood: The Last Vampire - Classic Anime stuff. Pretty cool.
29 - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. - A warm fuzzy feel-good reminder of the cool genius. Thank you always, Mr. Shulz.
30 - The Exorcist - The classic. *I do NOT recommend watching this for your first time on a tiny laptop screen with slow-loading internet.
31 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('74) - Thanks to Clayton for the brilliant finale pick, my last year in the title state. Hugely influential and the hottest girls I've ever seen in a B-film.
31. I made it. :)
2 - My Boyfriend's Back - Philip Seymour Hoffman's ground-breaking 6th film. Way fun.
3 - Night of the Comet - Who the hell is DMK?
4 - Dead Alive - The goriest film ever made, in it's day.
5 - Zombie Hole - Great short by Austin locals.
6 - The Signal - What are the kids listening to these days?
7 - The Stuff - 80's consumerism consumes you!
8 - War of the Worlds ('53) - Great. Like the White Christmas of Sci-Fi. Thick with influence.
9 - Sleepaway Camp - This. Shit. Fucked. Me. Up. One of the best of the year.
10 - Saturday the 14th - Watch this while doing laundry. That's what I did.
11 - Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare - You'll love this one, dude-bro. Trust me. Gotta have patience, but the end is worth it.
12 - Soul Snatcher - Maybe the worst mark on David Bowie's record.
13 - Darkness Falls - Uuuhhhh . . .
14 - The St. Francisville Experiment - In the thread of The Blair Which Project. Fun to watch in a hauned theater with some booze and a girl.
15 - I Was A Teenage Caveman - Larry Clark snoozer, sorry to say.
16 - Black Scorpion - Classic campy fright flick, It used to be this easy.
17 - The Mangler - Not a great representation of Tobe Hooper.
18 - Dark of the Night (Mr. Wrong) - Interesting. "What Christine should have been."? You decide.
19 - Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence - Yep. I squinted and squirmed. You absolutely should, too.
20 - Dark Angel: The Ascent - Hilarious. For the long-haired Fangoria nerd in all of us.
21 - Puppet Massacre - Straight up: A Nightmare on Sesame Street. Do it.
22 - Fade to Black - Cult-y, campy, solid 2 1/2 stars.
23 - Young Frankenstein - Timeless. Stay for the credits.
24 - Interview with the Vampire - Can you say '90s !? This is the reason your older cousin has those insertable acrylic fangs.
25 - Dream Warriors - Young stars and foam rubber that makes ya wish you were a kid again.
26 - C.H.U.D. - I drank heavily through this. So I actually remember the pop culture insult, more than the plot. But the notes look like all kinds of fun.
27 - The Birds - Hitch had it out for Tippi Hedren. Watch it unfold.
28 - Blood: The Last Vampire - Classic Anime stuff. Pretty cool.
29 - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. - A warm fuzzy feel-good reminder of the cool genius. Thank you always, Mr. Shulz.
30 - The Exorcist - The classic. *I do NOT recommend watching this for your first time on a tiny laptop screen with slow-loading internet.
31 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('74) - Thanks to Clayton for the brilliant finale pick, my last year in the title state. Hugely influential and the hottest girls I've ever seen in a B-film.
31. I made it. :)
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