HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: 555 (1988) ***

A psycho dressed as a hippie is going around murdering couples while they are in the throes of passion.  Afterwards, he has sex with his female victims.  As it turns out, every five years, for five nights, the killer murders five couples.  With the cops unable to crack the case, a nosy reporter named Susan Rather (Mara Lynn Bastian) sticks her nose into the investigation. 

555 is one of the quintessential shot-on-video slashers of the ‘80s.  Most times, SOV horror flicks are perfectly content being SOV horror flicks.  When they do have aspirations of trying to approximate a “real” movie, the results can be disastrous.  This one is much more successful than many others that aim to give you low budget thrills on less than a shoestring. 

555 represents writer/director Wally Koz’s only attempt at filmmaking.  It’s kind of a shame he didn’t do more stuff.  Not many directors can give us the sight of a topless woman being covered in blood before the opening credits have finished rolling, but Koz manages to do just that. 

Speaking of which, the gore is excellent.  While the various stabbing scenes are well done, it’s the decapitated head gag that’s the most impressive.  SOV or not, big budget horror movies would be hard pressed to replicate the effect.  (It’s so good that the head is even on the poster.)  The gore scenes are repeated at the end, mostly as a way to pad out the running time, but it’s a nice little curtain call all the same. 

The admittedly not bad ‘80s video cinematography and the point-and-shoot sex scenes kind of makes this feel like a porno with the penetration cut out and blood and gore added in.  (Instead of the traditional “money shot”, we have shots of blood splashing on the women’s breasts.)  The narrative is similar to a porno too. Sex.  Plot.  Sex.  It also kind of reminded me of Blood Feast, what with all the scenes of the exasperated cops trying to crack the case.  The scene where the way-past-her-prime reporter tries to seduce a witness for information is also pretty amusing. 

The acting is a little better than you might expect (depending on your expectations for something like this), but the dialogue contains some real howlers like, “One doesn’t come across decapitation and mutilation every day!”  My favorite line though comes when one of the cops hits on the reporter and she snaps, “I’d close it up with Super Glue first!”

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: VAMPIRES VS. ZOMBIES (2004) *

This was released by The Asylum back before their mockbuster days.  It’s supposedly based on the vampire classic Carmilla.  I haven’t read the story, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t have scenes where the title character argued with greasy gas station clerks about using the bathroom. 

During a zombie outbreak, a concerned woman (Brinke Stevens, the lone star of the film) asks Travis (C.S. Munro) and his daughter Jenna (Bonny Giroux) to take her daughter Carmilla (Maritama Carlson) to safety.  Little do they know Carmilla is actually a vampire who is looking to put the bite on Jenna.  After a series of setbacks, the group presses on and eventually makes their way to an abandoned convent where they are attacked by a horde of zombies. 

Basically, Vampires vs. Zombies boils down to a bunch of driving scenes.  Whenever our main characters stop for gas or break down on the side of the road, they are attacked by zombies in bad make-up.  This quickly gets monotonous.  The useless dream scenes only add to the running time (and confusion).  It’s also annoying that when the big confrontation finally happens, the camera cuts away and/or dissolves once bodies start getting chainsawed.  Not only that, but it gets even more confusing once the movie tries to pull off multiple “it’s all a dream/hallucination” scenes.  Just because your lead character is trapped in the nuthouse and dreaming the whole thing (or is she? Argh!) doesn’t mean you can just cobble a bunch of nonsensical unrelated scenes in the last five minutes and call it an “ending”. 

More than likely what happened was the filmmakers had a Carmilla short they couldn’t sell, so they added a bunch of zombie footage to it (zombies became highly marketable at the time thanks to the success of 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead remake) and The Asylum picked it up for distribution. 

Stevens also shows up as a State Trooper at one point.  I thought it was going to be revealed that she was actually her evil vampire character in disguise, but nope.  She’s just playing another role.  While she easily gives the best performance(s) in the movie, Brinke fans are bound to be disappointed. 

On the bright side, the lesbian scenes between Giroux and Carlson, while short, are decent.  Both ladies also appear topless, which prevents it from being a total waste of time.  Ultimately, Vampires vs. Zombies winds up being a losing battle on all fronts. 

AKA:  Carmilla, the Lesbian Vampire.

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE CURSE OF THE VAMPIRE (1972) *** ½

A blood disease breaks out in a small European hamlet.  Naturally, the superstitious locals believe it’s caused by a vampire.  The new doctor in town sets out to get to the bottom of things. 

In most vampire movies, the doctor would’ve been played by Peter Cushing or somebody.  In this one we get the voluptuous blonde bombshell Diana (Dracula vs. Frankenstein) Sorel.  The film is also surprisingly progressive for the time as none of the characters seem shocked that the new doctor is a woman. 

Anyway, the doctor is called to give care to a sickly old baron (Antonio Jimenez Escribano) at his mansion.  Afterwards, he invites the good doctor and her hot nurse Erica (Beatriz Elorrieta from Blood Hunt) to spend the night.  As it turns out, the baron’s son Karl (Nicholas Ney) is a bloodsucker looking to put the bite on the ladies. 

I was worried when I saw the running time on IMDb was listed at 102 minutes as my copy was only 85.  According to the site, there’s a longer version that has more blood and nudity.  Well, if this is the “tame” version, the hot and spicy version must be guaranteed to knock your socks off.  This one was pretty damned hot. 

The highlight comes when the Baron’s niece Margaret (Loreta Tovar) has a lesbian vampire sex scene with a servant girl played by Maria Tovar.  If you’re wondering why they have the same last name, well… it’s because they’re real-life sisters!  If this is indeed the cut version, I can’t imagine what was taken out since this scene doesn’t leave much to the imagination.  This leads me to suspect that despite the running time discrepancy, this is probably the unexpurgated cut.  (It would make a good double feature with Twins of Evil.) 

I mean I guess this could be the edited version.  There are some scenes where the camera cuts away before the women start undressing.  But damn son, the camera doesn’t turn away for an instant during the incestuous lesbian vampire sex scene. 

The lore is kind of strange and confused as the people only turn into vampires during the full moon.  I don’t know if the screenwriters got their wires crossed or what.  Still, you probably won’t care, thanks to the copious amounts of vampire T & A.  (Not to mention all the scenes of women running around in see-thru nightgowns.)

In fact, there’s so much sexuality on display, you may even forget that there’s some quality filmmaking going on here and there as the film has its fair share of atmospheric moments, particularly near the end.  The scenes of the hot vampire women frolicking around the castle grounds look as though they may have inspired Vampyres.  But yeah, it’s that lesbian scene between actual sisters that you’re going to remember The Curse of the Vampire for.  It’s one for the books.  

There are probably too many characters (although I did like that the servants seem to know a helluva lot more about vampire hunting than the main characters), but it’s not to the point where it gums up the works.  I could get nitpicky about other shit, but I’m inclined to love any movie that ends with a vampire bondage orgy in a dungeon.  This scene is so crazy that one of the characters is driven insane just from taking part in it.  You may feel the same way. 

AKA:  The Curse of the Vampyr.  AKA:  Horrortrip.

THE RUNNING MAN (2025) ***

2025 has been a pretty good year for Stephen King adaptations.  We had The Monkey, The Long Walk, and this remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic.  This is the weakest of the three, and a noticeable step down from the original, but it’s a fun flick, nevertheless.  (It’s also been a good year for Schwarzenegger reboots of movies from 1987 after this and Predator:  Badlands.)

In a dystopian future, out of work family man Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is faced with getting medicine for his sick daughter.  He signs up for the nation’s biggest game show, The Running Man where he must elude a team of “Hunters” who will kill him on sight.  Adding to the danger is the fact that citizens are encouraged to call in to the network and report his whereabouts for cash prizes. 

Director Edgar (Shaun of the Dead) Wright’s remake is an entertaining melding of the original film and the King’s source material.  It uses the same structure of the reality show from the novel (the hunt lasts thirty days instead of over the course of one broadcast) while still adopting the iconography of Paul Michael Glaser’s movie.  Wright injects some of his personality into the proceedings (where else are you going to see a Home Alone-style action scene involving Michael Cera set to The Rolling Stones’ “Heartbreaker”?), although admittedly not as much as I was expecting.  (The promos for the other reality shows are pretty funny too.)

The set-up is well executed.  You really root for Richards, and Powell is great.  (His word association test offers some huge laughs.)  Wright does a fine job at setting the stakes early on and delivers a few impressive action scenes. 

Ultimately, trying to be faithful to the book comes with a big disadvantage.  By stretching the hunt out for an entire month, the action ebbs and flows as a consequence.  The third act is easily the weakest as the social messaging becomes way too on the nose and gets in the way of the action.  Fans of the book will probably have mixed feelings about how they try to remain faithful to the downbeat climax of the novel while still opting for a safe Hollywood ending. 

Overall, it’s a fine vehicle for Powell and a good showcase for his action chops.  Josh Brolin (who looks like he’s trying to imitate Timothy Olyphant) puts in a solid turn as the steely producer of the show.  (No one could ever top Richard Dawson though.)  Katy O’Brien is also fun as a fellow contestant and Cera gets some laughs as a meek revolutionary who helps Richards beat the odds. 

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE SEX SERUM OF DR. BLAKE (1973) ***

I’ve wanted to see this ever since I read about it in the Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.  (Where it was listed under its original title, Voodoo Heartbeat.)  It was considered a lost film for decades until it was recently rediscovered by Vinegar Syndrome who put it out as part of their Lost Picture Show collection. 

Government scientists are hard at work perfecting a fountain of youth serum.  After some enemy agents are killed trying to steal the formula, Dr. Blake (producer Ray Molina sporting some of the sickest sideburns I ever did see) stumbles upon the serum.  Naturally, being a man of science, the first thing he does is run home and try it out on himself.  Unfortunately, the serum has one tiny side effect:  It turns him into a psycho rapist vampire!

Directed by Charles Nizet, who made the incredible Help Me… I’m Possessed, The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake starts off with a lot of long-winded exposition and a seemingly endless scene of natives walking through the Serengeti.  Just when you begin to get restless in your seat, along comes a great scene where a scientist witnesses an African tribe performing an eternal youth rite where the women dance naked around an old guy and he magically becomes young again.  Then, of course, they bone him.  Sadly, it ends with the gals cutting his heart out.  I guess all good things must come to an end, but what a way to go!   This scene has some real Manos vibes to it… If Manos had an all-black softcore orgy, that is. 

Later on, we get a decidedly unsexy sex scene where a fat guy gets a massage from his hot Asian wife before they get it on.  I’m not saying this scene is cringe, but it’s about as hot as Bat Pussy.  Thankfully, the scene ends before things begin to get too graphic. 

Just so we are clear:  This isn’t what we would traditionally refer to as a “good” movie.  The rating is for pure entertainment value.  We have actors clearly reading from their scripts and flubbing lines, completely random and wholly unnecessary sex scenes (including one in the desert where a couple drives a pun about “skindiving” into the ground), and some OK gore (there’s a cool bit with a hacked off hand).  Sure, there may be some gaps in between the highlights and a few lulls in the action, but more often than not, the film delivers a memorable and/or downright silly payoff.  Whether it’s worth the wait or not, I’ll leave up to you. 

I guess you’re either the kind of person who is chomping at the bit to see a previously lost horror skin flick or you aren’t.  I mean any movie that brings to mind Manos AND Bat Pussy is worth a look.  I don’t know if it lived up to the poster I saw in Psychotronic all those years back, but I still kinda dug it. 

AKA:  Voodoo Heartbeat.

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: LAS VEGAS STRANGLER (1968) *** ½

Jeff (Robert Dix) is a seemingly normal guy who saves a dance hall girl named Lori (Gillian Simpson) from being roughed up by a drunken customer (John “Bud” Cardos).  He then takes her for a night out on the Vegas Strip, and they wind up getting married.  The next day he brings her home to meet his domineering mother (June Drake, who co-wrote the script) who naturally disapproves of the marriage.  Unbeknownst to the new bride, her hubby likes to sneak out in the middle of the night and kill brunette hookers, showgirls, and party girls and retain swatches of their hair for souvenirs. 

Co-written by Oliver (The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals) Drake, Las Vegas Strangler is a real find.  It’s a stylish and fun psycho-slasher that packs a pop.  Not only are the strangling scenes well done (the one in the swimming pool is reminiscent of Dementia 13), but our killer also stabs, electrocutes, and impales his victims.  The mostly memorable part though is the trippy dream/vision of topless women going around on a carousel. 

The film also features a swinging score that’s a combination of jazz, rock, and blues guitar, including a great theme song “No Tears for the Damned” (which was also its alternate title).  We also get a fun number called “Demon of Love” as part of a finger-snapping night club act.  The Las Vegas location work is excellent both on the Strip and in the casinos themselves. 

The scenes with the disapproving mother feel like something out of a William Castle movie, while the stuff with the hookers plays like a West Coast version of a New York roughie from the era.  There’s a great sequence when Dix crashes a party where there’s drinking, dancing, and strip poker.  While all that’s going on, a drunk crawls around in all fours and peeps on various couples (and throuples) boning.  One short segment is even set to the tune of Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy”!  Incredible. 

Las Vegas Strangler is full of good-looking women, plenty of T & A, and stylish kills, which makes this a minor classic.  There’s also a surprising (for the time) gay subplot in there for good measure.  All in all, it’s another fine gem rediscovered by the good folks at Vinegar Syndrome for their Lost Picture Show Blu-Ray box set.  The only real complaint is the abrupt ending, although I have a feeling it could’ve possibly been missing its final reel.  Either way, it’s a blast. 

Simpson’s Cockney hooker character gets the best line when she says, “For Christmas they raffled me off for a hundred dollars and a turkey!”

AKA:  No Tears for the Damned.

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: VICIOUS (2025) **

Dakota Fanning stars as a young woman all alone in a big empty house when one night a seemingly confused and lost little old lady (Kathryn Hunter) rings her doorbell.  She quickly takes pity on the woman and invites her inside.  After some chitchat, the woman gives her a mysterious box and informs her she’s going to die if she doesn’t put the things it craves inside. 

It’s a solid set-up for a horror story.  Writer/director Bryan Bertino knows how to set the stage, which makes sense since he also made The Strangers.  Like that film, he gets a lot of mileage out of someone alone in their house (or at least thinking they are).  He does variations on the famous scene in The Strangers when the heroine can’t see someone is standing behind her, but the audience can.  However, that winds up being the only trick up his sleeve and he goes to that well a few too many times over the course of the film.  He also overuses The Mamas and the Papas “Dedicated to the One I Love” for ominous effect. 

I liked The Strangers a little less than the general consensus.  I tried to give this one as much leeway as possible since Fanning is quite good, especially since this is a one-woman show for a good chunk of the running time.  Ultimately, I had the same major problem with Vicious that I had with The Strangers, which is that this may have worked as a short, but when stretched out to feature length, it quite often tests your patience.  In fact, the longer it goes on, the weaker it gets.  (The subplot late in the game when Fanning tries to pawn off the curse on someone else is clunky and feels tacked on to pad things out.)

A sturdy first act and a strong performance by Fanning aside, Vicious just seems more like an exercise than an actual experience.  It’s set at Christmas, so if you’re looking for a holiday-themed horror flick this winter, this might fit the bill.  Die-hard horror fans will probably be left unimpressed though.  Other than a decent bit involving self-mutilation, there’s little here to live up to the title. 

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: SKULL: THE MASK (2021) ***

Archeologists find a skull mask while on a dig in the Amazon.  When the woman in charge brings it home, her girlfriend uses it as part of an ancient black magic ritual, which naturally goes horribly wrong (or horribly right depending on how you look at things) and they both wind up dead.  Before you know it, the skull attaches itself to a beefy guy and makes him run around the city ripping people’s hearts (and guts) out.  It then falls on a tough but crooked cop named Beatriz (Natallia Rodrigues, who kind of looks like Rebecca Ferguson a little) to stop it. 

Skull: The Mask is a bizarre action/horror hybrid that is a gory good time.  Parts of it kind of reminded me of Evil Dead and Dead-Alive (especially the scene with the preacher).  Even then, it manages to feel fresh and original. 

The old school gore effects will be the main draw for many viewers.  In addition to all the heart and gut ripping our titular killer does, he also strangles a guy with his girlfriend’s guts, rips out throats, hacks off faces, and crushes heads.  The standout scene of carnage comes when the skull man shows up to a Halloween costume unnoticed and mows down several partygoers in gruesome ways.  Another memorable bit occurs when a woman is murdered in a pool of blood while wearing a T-shirt of the shower scene in Psycho with Janet Leigh.

The action and fight scenes offer a mixture of Kung Fu and Saturday Night Wrestling maneuvers.  I lost count of how many times the killer choke-slammed his victims.  (That’s a good thing.)  The trippy cosmic hallucination sequences are pretty cool too. 

After somewhat of a slow start, things really sizzle once the mask finds its host.  Then, it’s off to the races.  I mean, not only does it feature a badass slasher, it also contains some shit I’ve never seen before (including a guy dressing his bullet wound with a tampon).  Who could ask for anything more?

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE LONG WALK (2025) ****

Based on the harrowing novel by Stephen King (using his Richard Bachman pseudonym), The Long Walk takes place in a not-too-distant totalitarian future.  Every year, a contest is held wherein fifty boys from fifty states participate in a walking marathon.  The catch is if they stop walking, the armed battalion creeping just behind them will shoot them dead. 

Licorice Pizza’s Cooper Hoffman is Ray, who acts as sort of a beacon of hope throughout the walk.  He tries to inspire his fellow walkers to press on, even when their situation turns grim.  Mark Hamill (in his second King adaptation after Sleepwalkers) is pure evil as “The Major” who issues edicts and warnings from atop his slow-moving Jeep. 

This was my second favorite Bachman book (behind Rage), and I always thought it would make a great film adaptation.  Maybe we had to wait till now to get one.  It’s the perfect political climate for such a chilling tale. 

I never saw those Hunger Games movies, but I think director Francis Lawrence learned enough from them to deliver a badass futuristic game of do or die.  His style is very cut and dry, which serves the desolate road setting nicely.  He doesn’t gussy it up either when someone gets their ticket punched, as the scenes where the boys are gunned down are sometimes brutal. 

What I liked most about the movie was that it dealt with questions any viewer may have about the logistics of the walk head-on and without flinching.  For example, going to the bathroom in a contest where you’ll be shot if you stop walking.  I fully expected them to broach the subject of having to take a piss.  I wasn’t prepared for the scene where a guy had to take a shit.  Or that it would be shown in graphic detail.  That has to be some kind of first for a studio picture.  (As a bonus, there’s ANOTHER shitting scene later in the picture.)

Everybody loves those newfangled, overrated It movies, but did they feature two scenes of full-on defecation?  I think not. 

Speaking of which, Karate Kid Legends’ Ben Wang gets the best line as a fellow walker who says, “Your plan and the stuff that comes out of my asshole bear a suspicious resemblance!”

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE (2025) ***

I know this isn’t exactly a horror flick, but I’m going to allow it as part of Halloween Hangover since it features two of my favorite Scream Queens of the last decade or so, Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  The original film was one of the first and best of the “From Hell” subgenre of studio thrillers that dominated the ‘90s.  The genre has lost its potency over time, especially once Lifetime basically adopted the format for their original movies.  This remake updates the premise for the times and even adds in some sexual tension between the two leads, which is certainly welcome. 

Winstead plays a new mom who could use a hand around the house, so she hires a seemingly perfect nanny (Monroe) to watch the kids.  At first, she finds small ways to undermine her employer’s authority, like secretly giving the children cupcakes when they aren’t allowed to have sweets.  Eventually, she’s swapping out breast milk for formula before doing more devious activity like poisoning Winstead’s home cooking.  Before long, she learns her new nanny has a score to settle, and she won’t stop until Mary’s life is thoroughly ruined. 

Director Michelle Garza Cervera does a good job at broaching uncomfortable subject matter within the context of a Hollywood thriller.  When Winstead’s young daughter comes out as gay, she suspects Monroe had a hand in coaching her and calls her out on it, which naturally makes her look like a homophonic piece of shit.  These micro manipulations by Monroe keep Winstead (and the audience) off balance. 

Cervera’s handling of the cringey plot reveals is pretty effective and her staging of the more typical thriller cliches is moderately entertaining the whole way through.  If you have to do a remake, this is the approach you should take.  Keep the bones of what made the original work and add in new layers and nuances to keep it fresh. 

It helps that Winstead and Monroe are both quite strong.  They play off one another extremely well and once the sparks finally fly, it’s fun to see them go at each other.  All in all, it’s a solid remake that’s definitely worth checking out. 

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: NIGHT TEETH (2021) * ½

Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) is a young wannabe musician who gets a job chauffeuring two hot women (Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry) around the city for the evening.  The ladies want to hit five parties in one night, and it’s up to Benny to get them there on time.  As it turns out, the gals are actually vampires who are aiming to take out the heads of the five vampire clans so they can run the city. 

Night Teeth thinks it’s edgy and hip, but it’s really tired and boring.  It takes more than just tinkering with the rules of vampirism to make a good vampire flick.  The weakest parts of the film are devoted to the backstory with the various vampire clans which feel overexplained and yet at the same time not fully fleshed out. 

The film starts off with potential as the set-up plays kind of like a vampire comedy version of Collateral.  Whatever promise the flick had soon gets thrown out the window thanks to the lethargic pacing and weak vampire hunting action (which mostly plays out as an afterthought).  The dialogue is often cringe-inducing and all the exposition about “breaking the truce with the humans” will leave you rolling your eyes. 

It also hurts that the acting leaves something to be desired. Lendeborg Jr. kind of blends in with the scenery as he never finds a way to make his sheepish character endearing or memorable.  The only two recognizable names in this are Sydney Sweeney and Megan Fox who play a pair of vampire queens.  They look great in their sexy attire (Sweeney is practically spilling out of her evening gown), but they are unfortunately relegated to extended cameos as they only appear in one scene.  While Fry and Ryan are okay as the two mischievous vamps, I can’t help but think how much more fun this would’ve been if Sweeney and Fox had played their roles instead. 

Ultimately, Night Teeth lacks bite. 

PREDATOR: BADLANDS (2025) ****

Predator: Badlands is the best Predator movie since the first one.  Ferociously original, it is simultaneously a dissection and a dissertation of what makes the franchise so much fun.  The special effects are great, and the action is terrific, but it’s what’s brimming just below the surface that makes it an instant classic. 

A young Predator (called a “runt” by his warrior father) sets out to prove himself by traveling to a hostile planet and kill an indestructible monster.  Along the way, he happens along a heavily damaged synthetic (Elle Fanning) whom he uses as a “tool” to track his prey.  He soon learns there are even more dangerous things lurking on the planet. 

I never thought I’d actually care about a Predator until Badlands.  Yes, I may have rooted for one in AVP, but I never in a million years could I have imagined being caught up in its warrior journey.  The amazing thing about the movie is that director Dan Trachtenberg (encoring after the previous Predator film, Prey) is able to sneakily toss in some pretty timely themes into the film.  I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will tread lightly.  All I’ll say is that the movie is essentially a universal tale of not only finding yourself but family in a truly fucked-up world.  Consider the Predator is spurned by his family for being “different”.  While trying to make something of himself, he develops his own makeshift familial unit who grows to respect and support him.  It’s a picture about shedding the baggage of the previous generation and blazing a new path of your own for the future. 

Either that, or I’m just over analyzing the hell out of this.  Either way, it’s a kick ass Predator movie. 

Fans of the Alien series will no doubt love some of the touches here, especially in the third act.  There were parts that reminded me of Avatar and Apocalypto too.  They also managed to put an homage to Hard Target in there for good measure.  Did I mention how great this thing is?

Fanning is hilarious as the plucky, wisecracking synthetic who is toted around on the Predator’s back like C-3PO in The Empire Strikes Back for much of the movie.  Surprisingly enough, the bond that grows between her and the Predator is genuinely moving.  The best performance though comes from the space monkey who completes their makeshift family.  If you mixed the Cater-Puppy from House 2 with Boots from Dora the Explorer, it might give you an idea of what we are talking about here.  Folks, there is a quiet, tender, and moving scene between the Predator and the space monkey where I got a legitimate lump in my throat.  I’ve believed a lot of strange shit in cinema before, but in never thought I’d live to see that AND be genuinely moved.  Yes, this movie is that fucking good. 

The most beautiful thing about Badlands is that this is a wonderfully profound movie about humanity that doesn’t have a single human being in it.  Yes, I’m serious.  

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE INVISIBLE MAN VS. THE HUMAN FLY (1957) **

A rash of unexplained murders has left the police baffled.  Turns out they are being committed by a killer who can shrink himself down to the size of a housefly.  A scientist working on an invisible ray decides the only way to catch the killer is to make himself invisible. 

The big problem with The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly is that the two titular adversaries feel like they belong in separate pictures.  The invisibility stuff is slightly different than the traditionally accepted lore as scientists zap rays at test subjects to make them “imperceptible”.  (Personally, I prefer the old wrapped-in-bandages variety.)  The Human Fly scenes are slightly better, but the goofy tone of these sequences run against the grain of the serious mood created elsewhere in the picture.  I also couldn’t help but be disappointed that the “Human Fly” is closer to Ant-Man than Al Hedison.  At least the effects of him being shrunk down are good for a laugh. 

Another issue is the pacing as the back and forth between the plot lines slows things down immensely.  The first act gets incredibly bogged down as the detective scenes are perfunctory at best.  The third act is really draggy once the Human Fly threatens the city by hiding a bomb.  The finale also loses points since there isn’t a traditional mano y mano fight between the two opposing wonders of modern science as it all ends with a boring shootout. 

There are moments here where fun threatens to break out.  It’s in these fleeting passages where you can really see the film’s potential, which kind of makes it sting even more.  We get a great dance routine where a sexy Japanese gal in fishnets shakes so much, she becomes in danger of spilling out of her tiny bra!  Later, there’s a fun bit where the Human Fly spies on her while she’s lounging in her dressing room.  Unbeknownst to her, he runs along her bare midriff while she practices her next number.

Sadly, scenes like that are more the exception than the rule.  Like The Invisible Man Appears, the movie plays a lot like a crime film with Sci-Fi elements.  Even with a potentially fun third act that features multiple Human Flies and invisible people running around, it still somehow manages to be pretty dull.

AKA:  The Invisible Human vs. the Fly Man.  AKA:  The Transparent Man vs. the Fly Man.

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS (1949) ***

Two bitter rival scientists are working separately on their own invisibility formulas.  Their mentor proclaims he will bestow an award on the scientist who finishes their formula first.  Not only that, but he’ll also throw his daughter’s hand in marriage in there for good measure.  Problems arise when a thief snatches the formula and becomes invisible so he can steal a priceless necklace. 

It’s always interesting to see a Japanese rip-off of an American monster movie, especially one from this far back.  Boasting early effects work from Eiji Tsuburaya (who would go on to create the effects for Godzilla just a few years later), The Invisible Man Appears is a breezy bit of fun.  If you’re a fan of Invisible Man films in general, you should get as much enjoyment out of this as I did. 

I will say all the stuff with the stolen necklace is a tad dull.  It would’ve been much better had the Invisible Man been let loose to run amok instead of having a ring of jewel thieves be the real culprits.  At least that gives the film its own unique vibe, but it ultimately winds up feeling more like a crime thriller with horror/Sci-Fi elements thrown in. 

That’s kind of a moot point though when the invisibility scenes are so much fun. There’s a 10-out-of-10 sequence where the doctor’s cat turns invisible and starts tearing up the house that is a complete riot.  The scene where the Invisible Man unwraps himself and undresses is quite similar to the old Universal movies, and while it’s a little cruder than its inspiration, it’s a treat to watch, nevertheless.  Sometimes the wires are visible when the Invisible Man is holding something, but that kind of adds to the fun.  The camerawork that represents the Invisible Man’s POV is also well done. 

There is one aspect in which this film manages to one-up the American version.  In the original, the Invisible Man rode a bicycle.  In this one, he drives a motorcycle!  And I don’t mean like in one brief shot.  I’m talking about a legit chase scene complete with extras diving out of the way of the speeding bike! 

In short, The Invisible Man Appears is worth seeing (pun intended). 

AKA:  The Transparent Man.

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: NUDE IN DRACULA’S CASTLE (2009) ***

After the fanfare of Halloween dies down and The 31 Days of Horror-Ween has finished, I inevitably wind up with a LOT more horror movies on my plate to watch.  I typically lump these reviews into a column called Halloween Hangover.  I tried to start this year’s edition off with something called Nude in Dracula’s Castle, which looked promising.  Alternative Cinema put out this two-disc set containing four hours of nudie shorts from the 50’s and ‘60s.  Now, I was under the mistaken impression they were all (or at least mostly) horror related, which is why I spent the week of Halloween watching them.  I got about a quarter of the way through the set when I realized that wasn’t the case, as only the first film was a horror nudie short.  By then, it was too late to turn back.  Anyway, forget that long-winded opening, here’s my in-depth report on a bunch of vintage smut: 

“Nude in Dracula’s Castle” ****

A sexy brunette spends the night in a spooky old mansion and is menaced by the pale faced butler who is actually a vampire.  This was pretty much it as far as the horror nudie shorts go.  That said, it is a terrific little mini-masterpiece.  It has better production values than most features and the lighting is particularly good for an 8mm loop.  Imagine if Russ Meyer did a remake of Nosferatu and Carnival of Souls in less than three minutes and that might give you an idea of what to expect.  It’s pure cinema.  I don’t know if it’s worth buying the whole set just for this short, but I couldn’t fault anyone for wanting to add it to their collection.  It’s that damn good. 

“Lynda” ** ½ 

A model named Lynda lies on the bed thrusting her loins at the camera.  This is about as basic a nudie loop as you can get.  However, if you paid a quarter back in the day to see it at an adult arcade, I’d say you probably got your money’s worth as there are plenty of full-on beaver shots. 

“Lusty and Young” ** ½ 

A snaggle-toothed chick disrobes and shows off her beaver.  Like "Lynda", there’s not a lot to this one, but it’s got plenty of bush.  It’s also memorable, if only for the model’s dental deformity. 

“Marty” ***

This loop follows the same tired structure as the previous two entries.  The difference here is that Marty is a real looker and seems to be enjoying grinding her beaver about. 

“Brandi” *** ½ 

If Brandi isn’t the best-looking girl so far, she’s definitely the most limber.  She’s certainly eager to show off that beaver, which also helps enormously.  Add to that the fact that the camerawork is much better in this loop and you have yourself a real winner. 

“Blonde and Spunky” ***

The model is blonde and spunky, so you can’t sue them for false advertising.  (She kind of looks like Angie Dickinson a little.)  Compared to the other beaver loops, this one has some interesting camerawork as it begins with a cool low angle shot and features several close-ups of the eager model mugging for the camera.  It’s kind of on the short side, but other than that, it’s a winner. 

“Red Hot and Ready” ***

This one follows the same formula as the previous loops.  A brunette strips for the camera before hoping into bed.  This gal, while she maybe not as attractive as some of the other starlets in the collection, is jiggly with a capital “J” as she does some memorable bumping and grinding throughout her energetic routine. 

“Lucious for You” ** ½ 

A brunette with heavy eye make-up and a big beehive undresses and flicks her tongue at the camera.  This one is hallmarked by camerawork that leers closely to its subject.  Sometimes it’s a little too close, but it does result in at least one great shot from between the model’s legs. 

“Innocent and Willing” ****

Up until now, all the segments have been relatively chaste.  Although all the models have appeared nude, there hasn’t been anything here that would be labeled as hardcore.  That all changes with this sequence, which features a hot blonde graphically masturbating.  Even if you aren’t a fan of vintage erotica, this loop may make you change your tune as it’s tawdry as all get out.  This was about as close to OnlyFans as you could get back in the ‘50s!

“Groovy for You” ** ½ 

After checking herself out in the mirror, a sexy brunette disrobes before sprawling out on a couch.  This one is a nice change of pace since it takes place on a couch rather than a bed.  Other than that, it’s not especially memorable although the model is definitely cute. 

“Candy” ***

A cute short haired brunette with glasses undresses.  At first, she seems shy and demure, but once her glasses come off, she can bump and grind with the best of them.  The shot of her bent over for the camera that concludes the reel is especially saucy. 

“Old Fashion” ***

A chick that kind of resembles Jackie O. undresses and gives the viewer a come-hither type look before lounging on her bed.  While this one follows essentially the same formula as nearly all the other loops featured here, the winning personality of the model helps make it one of the most memorable. 

“Spunky and Loving It” *** ½ 

This is another case where the enthusiasm of the subject makes all the difference.  Our leading lady does the Twist while wearing nothing but a cardigan and black panties.  While she’s twisting, her boobs and buns wiggle and jiggle something fierce.  Then she sprawls out on her bed while wearing long black gloves before another twisting striptease.  Chubby Checker eat your heart out!

“The Smiling Blonde” ** ½ 

Hey what gives?  This one is all about a frowning brunette!  Just kidding.  There’s not much to this one as it’s short and (mostly) sweet.  At least the model wastes no time when it comes to ditching her stitching. 

“Cute and Curly” **

This reel (about a redhead doing a striptease) looks noticeably older than the previous loops.  (It’s possibly from the ‘40s.)  It’s not terrible, but the extensive print damage and focus problems take much of the fun out of the equation. 

“Margie” ** ½ 

A platinum princess pops her top and poses for the camera.  This one is really short and doesn’t go anywhere, but the model is hot. 

“Sweet and Bored” **

Here’s another short loop plagued with print problems.  It’s a shame too because the model is definitely cute.  It makes you wish the cameraman had found more for her to do. 

“Bed Manners” ***

This one shows what you can do when you have a cameraman who likes to keep things interesting and a model with screen presence and sex appeal.  It’s brief and to the point, but it works 

“A Little Tipsy” ***

True to the title, the model looks to be under the influence here.  She’s still plenty hot and looks great while slinking around on a sofa and showing off her ample bush before rolling onto the floor and undulating on all fours.  I bet she’s fun at parties. 

“More for the Pillow” ***

A naked blonde cavorts and contorts on a bed.  This one gets right down to business, which after a few hours of watching this sort of thing, is appreciated.  It also helps that the subject seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself. 

“Beached Mermaid” *** ½ 

This short offers two firsts for the collection.  One:  It takes place outdoors.  Two:  It’s in color!  A cute blonde drops her towel on the beach and frolics nude in the sand with an oversized beach ball.  The color photography enhances her great smile and lovely figure, making this one of the better shorts on the DVD. 

“More Than a Wink” *** ½ 

A brunette fidgets in her sleep before removing her clothes and gyrating around.  Folks, we’ve all seen sleepwalking, but this might be the first instance of sleepstripping!  Add to that the fact that she can twerk better asleep than some girls can awake (and the fact that she can’t seem to keep her tongue in her mouth), and you have yourself a wild short and a great way to end the first disc. 

“The Shave” ****

Disc Two kicks off with another color short.  If you’ve had your fill of fuzzy beavers throughout this collection, this will be the perfect antidote.  A beautiful blonde disrobes in her bedroom before lathering up her nether region and shaving her pubic hair.  You know, there is something to be said for impeccable grooming habits.  Like “Nude in Dracula’s Castle”, this is a classic of its kind.  Little touches like the close-up of the razor or the use of a mirror by the model to aid her in her quest for a shorn mound makes this borderline art.  It probably belongs in the MoMA.  It would’ve been a classic anyway if it had just been a single shaving scene, but afterwards, the model gets dressed (she’s just as hot getting dressed as she is undressing) in a see-thru crotchless and bottomless two-piece pajamas before undressing for the camera AGAIN.  How this didn’t win an Oscar for Best Short Film I’ll never know. 

“Eros POB 613 Copenhagen” ***

This looks to be an excerpt from Danish nudist movie.  Four naked gals parade around a pool and perform an impromptu beauty pageant.  The winner is crowned, and she’s handed a trophy.  Then, the ladies play a game where they throw a tennis ball over a volleyball net.  (I guess they blew their budget on the trophy and couldn’t afford a real volleyball.)  This one is novel for its use of multiple set-ups, more than one model, and an actual storyline (loose as it may be). 

“Beauty and the Beach” ***

A spunky blonde in a black bikini is strolling along the beach.  She then sneaks behind the rocks where she sheds her swimwear to enjoy the surf and sand au natural.  The combination of a cute model and scenic location work makes for another solid entry in the collection. 

“Double Your Pleasure” ***

A blonde and a brunette lug a bag of golf clubs through the desert and play with a beach ball.  When the beach ball pops, they decide to just sunbathe.  This is another short that has a naturist vibe to it.  My only complaint is that the golf clubs never really come into play (aside from the brunette taking one or two practice swings).

“Cynthia” *** ½ 

A hot blonde lounges nude in bed while batting her lashes for the audience.  While this is one of the simplest loops, it is also one of the most effective as our model has oodles of sex appeal and the camera absolutely adores her. 

“Beauties Bathing” ***

I really enjoy these nudist camp style shorts.  In this one, three gals at a beach house strip, roll around in the sand, perform calisthenics, toss around a volleyball, and lounge on top of a picnic table.  (One model also checks on lunch, which includes a pineapple and a big fake fish.)  This loop is so much fun you may forget that the beauties never get around to bathing. 

“On the Road to You” ** ½ 

A naked blonde leaves her car to sunbathe in the desert.  Then it’s back into the car where she heads off to her destination, the Lazy X Ranch.  The outdoor locations make this one stand out, even though it lacks the fun and charm of some of the other loops in the set. 

“Blonde Swinger” ***

If you were bummed about the lack of nude golfing in “Double Your Pleasure”, this short is for you.  A naked blonde grabs a golf clubs and practices her… uh… stroke.  (“Swinger”!  Get it?).  Plus, it’s in color!  Why can’t the LGPA be like THIS?

“Missy” *** ½ 

A demure model with an amazing rack and impeccable bush lies on a couch and bares all for the camera.  There’s not much to this one and there doesn’t have to be since the starlet is a straight-up smokeshow. 

“Close to You” *** ½ 

This one is Bush-o-Rama!  The camera rarely ventures below the model’s thighs or above her belly button.  In short, there’s enough beaver here to make you say damn!

“Sweet and Anxious" *** ½ 

A dark-haired cutie strips out of her black lingerie and teases the camera.  Here’s a sterling example of a model’s playful enthusiasm elevating what could’ve been a thoroughly ordinary loop.  She gives us a perfect amount of tease and please, and leaves us wanting more, but in the best possible way. 

“Queen for a Night” ***

It’s almost like you get two shorts for the price of one in this final loop.  A busty maid strips and tries on her queen’s crown and cloak.  Meanwhile, a gorgeous gal disrobes on a bed.  I don’t know what the heck one has to do with the other, but the models are both pretty hot. 

MITCH APPEARS ON THE DTVC PODCAST!

I was fortunate enough to once again appear on Matt’s Direct to Video Connoisseur Podcast.  On this episode we talked about Dolph Lundgren’s religious-themed revenge actioner, Missionary Man!  I even managed to slip a conversation about W.A.V.E. movies in there.  Check it out: DTVC Podcast 235, "Missionary … - DTVC Podcast - Apple Podcasts

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: THE PSYCHIC (1979) ***

The Psychic feels like an attempt by director Lucio Fulci to make a “respectable” movie.  It’s been labeled as a giallo by some (there is a killer wearing black gloves, but he doesn’t show up until the last act), but it’s more of a thriller in the vein of The Eyes of Laura Mars.  I can’t quite say it’s among his best work (if I had my druthers, I’d pick his gore-soaked zombie films over this flick any day).  That said, this is a solid second-tier effort that is quite entertaining. 

When she was a little girl, Jennifer O’Neill had a psychic vision of her mother committing suicide.  Years later, she has another premonition, but everyone seems to shrug it off.  The visions intensify once she moves to her husband’s abandoned mansion with the intention of fixing the place up.  Soon after, she finds a skeleton hidden in the walls, which inadvertently implicates her husband in the murder.  With him behind bars, O’Neill sets out to find the real killer and clear his name. 

The opening sequence where the white cliffs of Dover get painted blood red is quite effective.  It doesn’t even matter if some of the shots of the brutally skinned face as it hits the cliffside on the way down look a little fakey.  It’s still some good shit and a heck of a way to open a picture.  The same goes for the scene where O’Neill discovers the skeleton in the wall.  The great twist that sets up the third act is expertly sprung too and the Poe-inspired finale is a lot of fun as well (even if it ends abruptly).  Strong sequences like these make it easy to overlook some of the slower Nancy Drew-style scenes in the second act where O’Neill is questioning potential suspects. 

While those scenes tend to drag, O’Neill is nevertheless excellent in them (and indeed throughout the picture).  She really carries the film squarely on her shoulders and the audience is with her every step of the way.  We also get some fine support from Gianni (the Sartana movies) Garko as O’Neill’s husband, and Gabriele (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) Ferzetti as the prime suspect. 

AKA:  Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes.  AKA:  Demoniac.  AKA:  Seven Black Note.  AKA:  Death Tolls Seven Times.  

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: WEAPONS (2025) **

Zach Cregger is kind of like the white Jordan Peele.  By that I mean he pivoted away from doing sketch comedy in the early 2000’s to writing and directing critically acclaimed horror movies.  I wasn’t a fan of Barbarian, his first foray into the genre, but it had enough bright spots to make me curious what he’d do next.  His follow-up, Weapons wound up being a big box office hit, though I’m not exactly sure why. 

A small town is left in shock when seventeen kids simultaneously run away from home in the middle of the night.  Making their disappearance even more curious is the fact that they all had the same teacher (the omnipresent Julia Garner).  An angry father (Josh Brolin) then sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery. 

Weapons admittedly has an interesting hook, and the initial scenes suck you in right away.  However, the film gets bogged down almost immediately.  Like most “elevated horror” flicks, it suffers from an inflated running time (over two hours) and the structure isn’t exactly optimal for this sort of thing.  The movie is broken up into chapters that revolve around members of the town who are dealing with the disappearances.  Sometimes these scenes intersect a la Pulp Fiction.  The problem is that some of the stories seem like an attempt to tiptoe around the central mystery instead of dealing with it head-on.  I mean you can only get jerked around so much before you start looking at your watch.  In fact, the structure honestly is just a means to dress up the narrative.  Had things played out from point A to point B, it would’ve been really underwhelming.  The dream scenes are rather ho-hum too and only serve to eat up more precious screen time. 

It doesn’t help that by the time the woman who is at the center of the disappearances (Amy Madigan) finally shows up, she looks like a cross between Estelle Getty in Golden Girls and the mom from Rugrats. 

Weapons does have its moments, but they are mostly weighted towards the first and last ten minutes.  I mean, any movie that features an ending that manages to crib from both Point Break and Day of the Dead can’t be all bad.  It’s just a shame that script spends so much time chasing its tail in the middle section of the film. 

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE (2023) ** ½

On Christmas Eve, Henry Waters (Justin Long), a rich real estate asshole who is trying to gentrify a quaint little town, murders the last old codger who won’t sell his home.  He then sets his sights on killing some partying teens when a teenager named Winnie (Jane Widdop) electrocutes him to death.  One year later, everyone but Winnie seems to have moved on from the trauma of that night.  Feeling depressed and unwanted on Christmas, she wishes she was never born.  By doing so, not only does the killer come back to life, but he’s now become mayor of the town which allows him to constantly get away with murder.  It’s then up to Winnie and the town weirdo, appropriately named “Weirdo” (Jess McLeod) to stop Waters and get back to her own timeline. 

It’s a Wonderful Knife is basically Scream Meets It’s a Wonderful Life.  The title itself almost sounds like a gag you’d see on The Simpsons or something.  It’s actually similar in tone to another movie that tried to graft an old classic onto a slasher chassis, Freaky (which makes sense since it was written by the same guy).  However, it’s not nearly as successful or entertaining as that film.  Also, the way Long’s character turns the town into a veritable shrine to himself is reminiscent of the alternate 1985 scenes in Back to the Future 2. 

While the structure and plotting are clever, the slasher scenes are mostly ho-hum.  If only the filmmakers had put as much thought into the stalking and suspense sequences as they did the It’s a Wonderful Life homages, this might’ve been a modern classic.  As it stands, it’s a case of close, but no cigar.  The killer’s get-up is kind of lame too.  It looks just like Ghostface, but all in white and with a blank white mask to match.  You’d think a costume like that would be impractical considering how much blood gets on it.  I mean, how does he get the blood stains out from scene to scene?  Or does he have a never-ending supply of costumes?  You know it’s a problem when you’re thinking about stuff like that instead of concentrating on whether or not the characters will make it out of the house alive.  I did like the fight scene in the movie theater while the “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” ad was projected over the action though. 

The cast is strong, which helps neutralize many of the film’s shortcomings.  Widdop makes for a likeable lead, and she has genuine chemistry with McLeod.  Long makes for a funny villain as he really leans into the character’s yuppie scum persona.  We also have Joel McHale doing some fine dramatic work as Winnie’s grieving dad and Ginger Snaps’ Katharine Isabelle is a hoot as her feisty aunt.

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS (1984) **

The prospect of legendary horror stars Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and John Carradine teaming up for a movie is irresistible.  Add to that the fact it’s directed by Pete (House of Whipcord) Walker, produced by Golan-Globus, and (loosely) based on a story by the creator of Charlie Chan, Earl der Biggers, and you have yourself a recipe for fun.  Despite the pedigree, House of the Long Shadows still manages to be quite dull. 

A best-selling author (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) bets his agent he can write a gothic romance novel in 24 hours.  The agent then sets him up in a spooky old house to write the book.  One by one, the house is called upon by strange gentlemen who prevent him from getting any work done.  Turns out Cushing, Carradine, and Price have returned to the house to finally let their deranged brother out of the attic after forty years.  Lee is the new owner of the property who eventually shows up and demands to know what the hell is going on. 

It takes a while before the titans of terror finally appear on screen.  Till then, it’s mostly a bunch of scenes of Arnaz, Jr. walking down darkened hallways.  Even once the stars finally get together, they mostly just stand around and look grumpy.  It takes even longer for people to start getting offed.  A woman is strangled till her eyeballs pop cartoonishly out, another gets acid in her face, and someone is hacked to death with an axe.  The double (cheat) twist ending is kind of obvious too and only adds to the inflated running time. 

I’m sure everyone involved thought this was going to be a triumphant return for some of horror’s biggest stars.  Sadly, it was not a hit, and it became the last time any of them starred alongside each other.  Only Lee seems to be in his A-game as everyone else looks bored or disinterested.  Then again, YOU try acting alongside Desi Arnaz, Jr and see how you make out.  Leading lady Julie Peasgood isn’t bad though, and sort of resembles a Temu version of Britt Ekland. 

AKA:  House of Long Shadows.

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: LIVING WITH CHUCKY (2023) **

A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th both got documentaries on their respective series. I guess it was a matter of time before Chucky got his.  If you’re looking for an exhaustive chronicle of the franchise, forget it.  This isn’t nearly as in-depth as the others I mentioned.  It’s a shame because it kind of feels like a missed opportunity. 

I was honestly kind of surprised by the number of cast and crew who were suspiciously absent.  Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon, the stars from the original are nowhere to be found.  The same goes for director Tom Holland and special effects man Kevin Yagher, who created the doll for the first four films.  (The director, Kyra Gardner is the daughter of Tony Gardner, who did the effects for the series from Seed of Chucky on, so maybe there was a conflict of interest there.)

The opening portion about the first film is good, but they really rush through the making of 2 and 3.  Oddly enough, Brad Dourif isn’t interviewed for these segments, which is disappointing as it would’ve been interesting to hear his take on them.  (Maybe he didn’t have anything nice to say, so they cut it out.)  Since this is a fluff piece, they don’t even mention the infamous Bulger case where a couple of kids murdered a schoolmate and blamed it on Child’s Play 3.  Conversely, they spend way too much time on the lukewarm DTV sequels. 

You can see in the interviews that Dourif takes the role of Chucky VERY seriously, which is I guess a testament to the character’s longevity.  The file footage scenes of him voicing Chucky in an audio booth are among the best in the film as you can really tell he’s giving it his all, even if his reactions aren’t being used in the film.  The interviews with Jennifer Tilly are fun too, but they aren’t all that in-depth. 

The film particularly hits a wall in the last half hour when the camera turns on the director.  It’s here where she talks about how the Chucky filmmakers are kind of like a second family she never met and that she’s using the documentary as an excuse to meet and talk to everyone involved.  (Fiona Dourif can also relate as she is also a second generation of Chucky participant.)  This segment is OK, but it just seems like it should’ve been its own thing.  Having it tacked onto a chronicle of the franchise just seems like a way to pad things out.  I mean, make a movie about Chucky or make a movie about your family.  Splitting the difference just doesn’t quite make for an engaging documentary.

While parts of Living with Chucky play like a nice jaunt down memory lane, it ultimately feels more like a DVD bonus feature than an actual documentary.  Some of the material will be an old hat for fans and/or people who read Fangoria back in the day though.  The parts with people who weren’t even involved with the franchise (like Abigail Breslin and Marlon Wayans) weren’t really necessary either.  At least they interview John Waters, who gets the best line:  “Chucky has sex!  Godzilla doesn’t have sex!  Frankenstein doesn’t jerk off!”

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: NIGHTWISH (1990) * ½

Nightwish is a frustrating mishmash of A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Haunting, and Alien.  That combination plays as schizophrenically as it sounds.  Not even a bunch of familiar faces from ‘80s horror movies like Clayton (Destroyer) Rohner, Elizabeth (Silent Madness) Kaitan, and Brian (Fright Night 2) Thompson can save this turgid mess. 

A group of parapsychology students go to a secluded house to conduct experiments to see if the place is haunted by an extraterrestrial supernatural entity.  (No, really.)  They get their answer pretty damn fast.  Adding to their woes is the fact that the professor snaps and starts killing his students. 

The opening scene where Kaitan is taking part in a dream experiment to see if she can cause her own death inside of the dream is intriguing.  It all goes downhill in a hurry after that.  Admittedly, there is some cool stuff here.  The most effective scene comes when Kaitan’s head is shoved inside a glass box crawling with spiders, which contains a POV shot from Kaitan’s tonsils.  (I think that might be a cinematic first.)  It’s just that you can only get jerked around so long before your brain begins to check out. 

Oh, and if you couldn’t tell after ten minutes this was going to end up being one of those “It was all a dream” things, you deserve your horror movie-watching license revoked. 

The ending is less of a “Gotcha!” and more of an excuse to justify the nonlinear nonsense in the film.  Scenes involving glowing green alien snakes and cyclones menacing the students are more puzzling than laughable, and the stuff with the alien embryos incubating in the victims feels like they came out of an entirely different movie.  There’s also a Halloween 3-inspired scene where bugs crawl out of a crushed skull because, why the hell not?

I’m a fan of Rohner, Kaitan, and Thompson, but they are all mostly wasted.  (Kaitan and Alisha Das do provide a fleeting amount of T & A, which does help take some of the sting out of it.)  At least Thompson gets to play an unpredictable character as the asshole of the group who gets his kicks by running over poor defenseless bunny rabbits.  Also in the cast is the director of Cleopatra Jones, Jack Starrett as the creepy professor, and Mr. Clean himself, Robert Tessier as his hulking assistant. 

AKA:  Nightwish:  Out of Control.

TRON: ARES (2025) ****

Let me get this out of the way before I begin this review.  I have no idea why this is called Tron:   Ares since Tron isn’t even in the goddamned thing.  That’s like making a movie called Batman and not having Batman in it.  Heck, no one even says the name “Tron” in the film.  Seriously, David Warner gets more screen time than Bruce Boxleitner and David Warner’s fucking dead!  I probably wouldn’t have been so miffed if they pulled a “From the World of John Wick” number like they did with Ballerina.  (Hell, at least John Wick was in THAT.)  Then again, seeing the insidious way they did Tron dirty in Tron:  Legacy, I can’t really blame Boxleitner for staying away this time out. 

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get down to business.  Tron:  Ares is fucking badass.  It erases the stink leftover from Legacy and honors what came before while simultaneously paving the way for the future.  This is the way to do a legacy sequel.  (No pun intended.)

Maybe it was the lowered expectations.  I was hoping it would be good, but the bad word of mouth and even worse box office made me cool off a little on seeing the flick.  I’m kind of glad too since I was truly caught off guard by how great this was.  You definitely need to see this on the biggest screen possible with the best sound available to get the maximum impact.  Heck, I saw it in a smallish theater and was still blown away by it. 

Ares is a clever reversal of the original premise.  Instead of having a good guy from the real world being sucked into a computer, bad guys are spat out of a computer and into the real world.  That means we get to have Lightcycle races on bridges and crowded streets, Lightjets doing battle with police aircraft, and an enormous Recognizer floating through the air and menacing the city like it was Godzilla. 

I kind of liked how hacking took the place of the gaming aspect of the original.  When Ares (Jared Leto) is sent on a mission to hack into Encom’s system, it plays almost like a heist movie, which was pretty cool.  The action involving Lightcycles, Lightsticks, Lightjets, and even Lightboats are also tons of fun. 

Ares (Leto) is a computer program created by Dillinger (a slimy Evan Peters in grotesque tech bro mode) as a soldier of war.  Dillinger has found a way to make war machines in the computer and then with a newfangled 3D printer, he can not only bring tanks into the real world, but soldiers like Ares as well.  The problem is Ares can only live “off the grid” for twenty-nine minutes before “de-resing”.  When Dillinger orders him to kill his competitor (Greta Lee), Ares develops a conscience and rebels against his user. 

Words like “dazzling” and “breathtaking” get bandied about in movie reviews, but this is one time when both terms apply.  Visually, the film is stunning.   It looks like the universe you remember (and in the movie’s best scene, it’s exactly the universe you remember), just with a modern sheen.  The scenes both on and off “the grid” are moody and elegantly shot too. 

Sonically, it’s something else.  The score by Nine Inch Nails captures the same flavor of Wendy Carlos and Daft Punk without duplicating them, all the while remaining totally NIN to the core.  Trent Reznor creates a score that fits both the Nine Inch Nails aesthetic while at the same time fitting comfortably within the world of Tron.  (Yes, I listened to the score on the car ride home.)

Say what you will about Jared Leto, but speaking strictly about his performance here, he is excellent.  He captures the childlike wonderment of a program learning to be human while still kicking plenty of ass in the action scenes.  Peters makes for a suitably sleazy villain and (poor box office aside) I hope they make another one so they can follow up on the awesome mid-credit stinger.  Gillian Anderson is also quite good as his long-suffering mother.  Jeff Bridges is also around for what amounts as an extended cameo, but he has nice chemistry with Leto, and he looks comfortable enough passing the torch to him. 

So yeah, I’m kind of bummed this flopped because the set-up for the sequel seemed promising.  Then again, Tron was able to buck bad box office and mixed reviews to become a cult hit and spawn a sequel.  Twice.  Maybe it will happen a third time. 

End of line. 

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: DANCES WITH WEREWOLVES (2017) ***

As a general rule, I’m pretty much guaranteed to watch anything provided it has a great title.  And with a title like Dances with Werewolves, how can you lose?  The most surprising thing about it is there’s a legitimately good movie hiding inside the cheesy title. 

Cassie (Aqueela Zoll) runs out on her abusive boyfriend and heads to Los Angeles to make a fresh start.  There, she winds up getting entangled with Darcy (Tatiana DeKhtyar), a madam who goes around the city turning hookers into werewolves.  Meanwhile, Jay Nightraven (Omar Paz Trujillo), a Native American paranormal investigator and his sexy assistant/girlfriend (Lauren Parkinson) try to get to the bottom of a rash of murders committed by the streetwalking skinwalkers.  He then tries to cure Cassie of her lycanthropy, but of course Darcy comes looking to retrieve the lost member of her pack. 

Written, produced, and directed by the team of Donald F. (Dinosaur Valley Girls) Glut and Dan (Timegate:  Tales of the Saddle Tramps) Golden, Dances with Werewolves is more straightforward and serious than the jokey (but admittedly great) title would suggest.  It sort of plays like a low budget riff on Bordello of Blood, but with werewolves instead of vampires.  It’s pretty amusing too, all things considered.  While there could’ve been a little more T & A (there’s more A than T) and gore (we do get a decent gut ripping scene though), I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I’m especially glad they used practical effects for the werewolf women as spandex outfits covered with crepe hair will always be sexier than something that came out of a computer. 

The cast is particularly strong, and the women characters are well written.  DeKhytar is great as the sexy and assertive werewolf woman.  Zoll gives more layers to her character than was probably necessary, and Parkinson proves there’s more to her than just a token girlfriend.  Jacqui Holland and Madeleine Wae have their moments as well as the hookers who are under Darcy’s spell.  Phantasm’s Angus Scrimm (in his next to last role), Skinamax siren Debbie Dutch, and Feast director John Gulager round out the fine supporting cast. 

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: MY GRANDPA IS A VAMPIRE (1992) **

Lonny (Justin Gocke) is a little American kid who goes to spend the summer with his Aunt Leah (Pat Evison) in New Zealand.  His friend Kanziora (Milan Borich) soon becomes convinced that Lonny’s eccentric old grandfather (Al “Grandpa” Lewis) is a vampire.  His suspicions are confirmed shortly after Grandpa passes away when he returns sporting fangs, a cape, and the ability to fly around in the moonlight.  Problems arise when Leah’s loutish boyfriend (Noel Appleby) fancies himself as a vampire hunter and tries to drive a stake through Grandpa’s heart. 

From David Blyth, the director of Death Warmed Up and The Red Blooded American Girl, My Grandpa is a Vampire is a kid friendly horror flick that would feel comfortable sitting alongside stuff like My Best Friend is a Vampire and My Mom’s a Werewolf on the video store shelf.  It works mostly as a tribute to Grandpa himself, Al Lewis.  If you’re a fan of the man (and frankly, who isn’t?) the film should be at the very least tolerable.  The scenes of Lewis taking the boys flying out in the moonlight are sweet, but the rest of the movie is frustratingly uneven.  The jokes are lame, the Kiwi accents are annoying, and some parts are downright perplexing.  The scene where a drunk woman hits on little Lonny (at his grandfather’s funeral no less) is extremely cringeworthy.  The most memorable scene occurs when the boys take Grandpa to McDonald’s, which means it might make for a good WTF kids movie double feature with Mac and Me. 

Lewis looks like he’s having fun doing a slight variation on his beloved character.  I mean if you’re making a movie called My Grandpa is a Vampire, who better to play the vampire grandpa than Al “Grandpa” Lewis?  That’s just smart casting if you ask me.  However, if you’re really jonesing to see Lewis in action, you’re honestly better off with old Munsters reruns or those old Grandpa monster movie compilations than this.  Even when viewing it strictly as kids’ entertainment, My Grandpa is a Vampire still doesn’t quite cut the mustard.  There isn’t much here to please adolescent horror fans and younger viewers who scare easily will probably be bored more than anything. 

AKA:  Moonrise.  AKA:  Grampire.  

THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: DEAD ANT (2019) ***

Dead Ant starts off with a hot chick having a peyote trip where she strips off all her clothes and runs naked through the desert while being chased by a giant CGI ant.  As far as ways to open up a picture go, I’d say this ranks right up there with the best. 

Michael (Twin Peaks) Horse is a Native American medicine man/drug dealer who sells a powerful brand of peyote to an over the hill rock band called Sonic Grave who are heading into the desert to play a low rent Coachella type concert.  He tells them if they don’t disturb the land, they will have a good trip.  Things immediately go wrong when the bass player (Sean Astin) pisses on an ant while tripping balls, which causes the ants to grow to enormous size and come after the group. 

Dead Ant has a strange but endearing cast.  In addition to Horse and Astin we have Jake Busey as the lead singer of the washed-up hair metal band, Tom Arnold as the band’s loudmouth manager, and Sydney Sweeney as a sexy groupie who wears a skimpy bikini the whole movie.  It’s an odd mix of talent, but everyone doesn’t take things too seriously (neither should you) and they seem to be having fun (you probably will too). 

I mean the premise is just weird enough to work.  It’s definitely a different way to do a killer animal movie, that’s for sure.  Usually in these things, it’s toxic waste or a hole in the ozone layer or some shit that causes the animals to mutate.  I don’t think we’ve seen one where the insects become killers when the white man fucks around with nature while high on Native American peyote. 

My biggest gripe was that the CGI effects are pretty lousy.  The claustrophobic setting (much of the film takes place in a cramped camper) doesn’t help either.  Still, the pace is rather zippy, and the film more or less skates by on oddball vibes alone. 

AKA:  Dead Ant:  Monsters vs. Metal.  AKA:  Giant Killer Ants.