AAAANNNNDDD... we're off! Once again, it's time for my annual October horror movie extravaganza. Just like last year, I am stretching the movie viewing out to the whole month of October. In addition to my normal at home viewing, I will be mixing it up a little by checking out a few horror classics on the big screen - the theater close to my apartment is showing horror movies all month (the first of which should appear in Pt. 2). I may try something a little different this year and devote an entire post to a certain type of film (all Vampire, or all Italian, etc.), but that is still up in the air.
To kick things off, we have a nice mix: monster, supernatural, 70s vampire and 80s slasher:
Cloverfield (2008)
I have already seen this film before, but my brother hadn't, and since I had not seen the Blu Ray version, I decided to give it a second viewing. I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first. I did not remember it being so short - it clocks in at around 80 minutes (which I only found out after this second viewing was intentional, as that is the estimated running time of a tape used in the type of camera that is used to film the goings on in the movie) - but I think that is actually a positive for this film. It makes for a very lean, action-packed film. Once the action starts, it does not let you catch your breath for more than a minute or 2 all the way to the end. While its true that the short running time doesn't allow for much character development among the leads, you don't really need it. You don't need to know the characters more in order to care what happens. The 2 real leads in this film are the monster and New York City itself. Watching each recognizable NY landmark get destroyed by the monster, either up close or off in the distance, as the hope for escape is lessened with each disaster, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The "American Godzilla" definitely delivers the thrills and the terror.
Night of the Demons (2009)
I did not realize when I started watching this that it is a remake of a movie from the late 80's that I had actually seen before. Like most of the horror movie remakes that have popped up repeatedly in the last decade, this one keeps a few parts from the original, and then builds its own story from there. Both films involve a Halloween party thrown by a character named Angela that results in demons being unleashed and possessing unsuspecting party-goers. The main difference in the 2 versions is how the demons are freed. In the original, the kids have a seance in a supposedly haunted house, so they were pretty much asking for it in my opinion. In the remake, an accidental bit of bleeding starts the whole thing off.
The premise itself didn't blow me away when I read it on Netflix, but the main reason I decided to check it out was that it starred Monica Keena, who played Rachel on the great but too short-lived show Undeclared. I really hadn't seen her in anything since that show, so it was good to see her in something (and she did a good job). What I DIDN'T see when I was reading the description was that it also starred EDWARD FURLONG (speaking of people that have disappeared since their breakout role). And, boy does he look like shit. I know he has had some problems with drugs and alcohol, and his face and body are showing the signs. As for the movie itself, it was ok. There was some decent action, but the film relied too heavily on cranking the hard rock during the big scenes to build excitement instead of building it through what was actually happening. I thought the film was totally redeemed by a super dark ending (the type of ending that you used to see in horror films all the time, but you never see anymore because movie studios have no guts), but I was ultimately let down.
Vampire Circus (1972)
This is a a non-Dracula offering from England's Hammer Studios (several of whose films I watched and wrote about last year, and will surely turn up again as the month goes on). While it doesn't feature Christopher Lee's Dracula, the plot is based on the same type of story that seems to pop up a lot in the Dracula pictures - a master vampire has been killed and it is up to his followers to try and resurrect him. Wile the Dracula films
tend to go through this plot fairly early in the film (because, let's be honest, more Christopher Lee in the film is always a good thing), this one stretches this plot out through the entire film. The evil Count Mitterhaus (cool name, BTW) is killed by angry villagers for his latest evil deeds - seducing one of the villager's wife and killing the young kid of another (a pretty shocking event and one that even most horror films steer away from). Many years later the town is ravaged by a plague and living in a forced quarantine. However, one day a mysterious circus manages to get through the blockade. And, as you can tell by the title of the film, the circus has vampires and they are there to secretly bring the Count back to life (and also punish the towns people).
I thought that this film was actually pretty well done. If its one thing that Hammer is known for, its great looking 19th century gothic horror films, and this one is no different. The atmospheric settings in and around the village always make it seem like something sinister is about to happen (and it usually is). Add in the added creep factor of a circus (featuring a strong man played by Darth Vader himself, David Prowse!), and you have a nice, little-known, vampire flick.
Maniac! (1980)
I am pretty sure that I had seen this movie many times in the video store as a kid (the cover art looked really familiar) without actually pulling the trigger on renting it for some reason. While the film has a couple of interesting things going for it, ultimately it was only ok.
First the good stuff. I went into this thinking it was going to be one of your standard late 70s, early 80s slasher films where little is known about the mysterious killer until the very end. However, this film has one thing that sets it apart from almost every other film in its genre - not only are you are introduced to the killer right away, the entire film is told from his perspective so you know all about his personality and what is driving him. And, the killer is played by someone I recognized - the guy who was both Willi Cicci in the Godfather films, he was also Rocky's loan shark boss in those films. The other good thing about this film is that the special effects were done by the legendary Tom Savini. So, the gore is nicely done (especially a scene involving a guy getting his head blown off that was so realistic looking and graphic, it cause Gene Siskel to walk out of the theater).
Now, the bad. There were way too many stretches of nothing going on, which left me bored. Had those long stretches been different, I might have had a different opinion of the film. I believe I mentioned this last year, if there is one thing I should never be during a horror film, its bored.
Pt.2 coming soon!
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