With Halloween Over…
… and me finally shaking the cob webs loose after my all day and all night get bombed and watch movies marathon, I figured I would let everyone in on what the top choices were for the day. I could talk about this shit all day.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
It wouldn’t be Halloween if I didn’t watch at least one Friday the 13th movie. The only problem is that there are too many to choose from. Ultimately, I settled on Jason Lives which is the sixth entry in the long running series. This one has always been one of my favorites, mostly due to the likeable characters and the surprisingly self-aware nature of the film. Most of this one is handled in a completely tongue-in-cheek style as opposed to trying to take itself seriously. Back it up with some atmospheric direction and a soundtrack provided by Alice Cooper and you have easily one of the most entertaining films of the entire series. After an attempt to destroy Jason’s body goes horribly wrong (got to love lightning), he ends up cheating the grave and makes a bee line for his old stomping grounds at Camp Crystal Lake, which has since been reopened and renamed. This marks the first time in which Jason has legitimately come back to life by rising out of the grave as a hulking zombie-monster (in the earlier films he was still alive but he was just really hard to kill) and he does not fuck around in this one. It’s hard to pick any real highlights because the whole movie is just so damn good. Don't piss me off, junior, or I will repaint this office with your brains!
Final Destination (2000)
At a time when the genre was oversaturated with Scream rip-offs, Final Destination came out of nowhere with its outrageous premise about death pursuing a group of high school teens that fucked up its whole design. The trick opening with the premonition leading to the explosion of the plane and the events that kick the whole story into motion is absolutely classic as death tracks down everyone who got off the plane and takes them out one by one. It’s not pretty either! This series basis itself around how creative they can make each and every kill scene and some of it is downright brutal (the bathroom and the kitchen scenes spring to mind). You know what all of these people needed to do? Just close the fucking windows! That’s how death always gets in! It just breaks into people’s houses and kills them! Supported by a likeable cast and a tight script, Final Destination is a modern classic that still holds up after all these years.
The Howling (1981)
Good werewolf movies are few and far between with most of them failing to deliver on all fronts. Overshadowed by the horror-comedy classic An American Werewolf in London, The Howling is a straight up werewolf romp that occasionally takes the time to laugh at itself. A Los Angeles television news reporter has an intense encounter with a serial killer and while she is saved by the police, she suffers amnesia and can’t quite remember what happened. A concerned psychologist invites her and her husband to join his patients at his colony in the countryside. However, strange noises emanate from the woods and it becomes clear that the doctor’s patients all suffer from the same disease, lycanthropy! This movie starts in a weird place, goes to a weird place, and ends in a weird place. A lot of praise goes to the acting in this one as all the characters are memorable and remain sympathetic throughout the course of the film. The visual effects are also impressive with this one featuring some of the scariest werewolves I’ve ever seen! Highlights include the cast, the offbeat dark humor, the porno booth encounter, the showdown at the barn, the final images, and the top notch transformation scene! I see a bad moon rising!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
No plot summary is necessary for this movie. I mean, if you didn’t get everything you needed to know about this one out of the title alone then I don’t really know what to tell you! Ultimately, this movie presents a realistic take on a serious worst case scenario. You’re on a road trip across country, you run out of gas, and to top it all off you’re being preyed on by the local crazies! Worst road trip ever! The super low budget only makes this one feel like it's really happening and the documentary approach to it only amplifies the realism of it all. Of course, there really wasn’t a Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Again, Google this shit! Highlights include the opening graveyard scene, the encounter with the hitchhiker, Leatherface’s first appearance, the meat hook, the epic chase scene, grandpa, and the dinner scene. Simple story, simple characters, simple setting, crank the reality factor with a prologue passing it off as a true story, and you have yourself the ingredients for a film that takes no prisoners and goes the distance in trying to make you feel absolutely uncomfortable! You might need to take a shower after this one!
Halloween II (1981)
My one complaint about Halloween this year is that none of the movie channels really had anything good on (good thing I have this massive DVD collection)! I felt like the original Halloween was on every channel (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and there wasn’t any variety this year with the other film choices (mostly sequels). One film that was left conspicuously missing from the line up was Halloween II. There aren’t many really good Halloween sequels but Halloween II is arguably one of the best. In terms of horror sequels, I’d say it’s one of the strongest continuations that’s out there. Picking up right where the first one leaves off, Laurie Strode is taken to the hospital as Michael Myers lurks around wiping out the night shift. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis prowls the streets looking for Michael as the night HE came home continues. With more money to work with Halloween II manages to be different by upping the body count and the level of on screen gore. Compared to the suspense driven original, Halloween II is more of a proper slasher film that never slows down in terms of its pace. Why did they have to go and ruin it all with Halloween III: Season of the Witch? Why!
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Ah, Freddy Krueger’s gruesomely grandiose cinematic debut! Forget all that Inception shit! When Freddy kills you in the dream-world, you’re fucking dead! End of it! This one’s a true 80’s horror classic and for every good god damn reason I can think of! The teenagers of Elm Street all have something in common, they all dream about the same grungy looking creeper with knives for fingers. It’s no coincidence as the demonic spirit of Freddy Krueger, a convicted child killer who was burned to death by a mob of angry parents, begins haunting their dreams with every intention that they are never going to wake up again! Seriously, what good is it to even be alive if this fucker’s waiting for you in the dream-world every time you go to sleep? It’s a brilliant concept, re-enforced by a cast of future stars, the “always fucking with you” nature of the dream-world, and the screen debut of the iconic Freddy Krueger! Highlights include the opening credit montage, the ceiling kill, Johnny Depp’s big screen debut, the blood fountain, the final showdown, and Robert Englund’s portrayal of Freddy Krueger. One, two, Freddy’s coming for you!
The Faculty (1998)
Surprised to see this one up here? I feel like a lot of people have totally forgotten about this movie. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and featuring an all star cast, The Faculty basically takes the plot of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and mixes in a little Breakfast Club to a create one of those cheesy 90’s teen horror flicks that has becomes somewhat of a guilty pleasure to me. An unlikely group of students begin to suspect that their teachers are aliens after witnessing their bizarre behavior. It isn’t long before the whole school has been taken over by these slimy parasites as the kids try to hatch a plan that involves killing the queen-host. One things’ for sure, the queen is one genuinely terrifying creature and the smaller parasites will make your skin crawl! The cast of characters is decorated with many recognizable faces and you’ll find yourself having a hard time not getting attached to them. This is a truly underrated film that never lets up and keeps you guessing as to who the original host might be the whole time. School's out... forever!
So that's what was on the menu this Halloween and I hope everyone out there had a good one as well! Here's a trailer for The Faculty!
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