I watched John Carpenter’s The Thing for the first time yesterday. My friend thought it was an appropriate movie for a winter’s night, and I was glad to have someone to watch it with. Oh man, what a captivating film! I’m mostly speechless about it, which means you have to see it for yourself if you haven’t seen it already.
Image from The Thing: Behind the Scenes
Carpenter, John. The Thing, Universal Pictures, 1982.
Movie review
Brett Simmons’ Husk
I watched Husk today with some friends. I had never heard of it before. It was cheesy, weird and a bit confusing, but its gore and spook moments were satisfying. I particularly liked the raven motif throughout the film, and the make-up and effects were great.
Simmons, Brett. Husk, After Dark Films, 2011.
HAPPY HALLOWE’EN, EVERYONE! Tonight’s the night to summon our ancestors and cuddle with loved ones before slasher flicks. Here’s a video about my favourite horror movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Keep it spooky!
Movie review
Dario Argento’s Suspiria
I watched my first Italian horror movie last night. I began with Suspiria. The soundtrack was the highlight of the movie. The music made the simplest of scenes terrifying, and reminded me of Kubrick’s The Shining. It was obvious to me that Kubrick liked this movie, and I discovered that he is not nearly as original as I had thought. The deaths throughout Suspiria were satisfyingly gory, and the plot about a coven of witches was just good enough to keep the gore moving while not bogging the narrative down with explanations. This movie is one of a trilogy about witches by director Dario Argento. I’m looking forward to seeing the other two, Inferno and The Mother of Tears.
Movie review
William Castle’s Shanks
I visited the Paramount Vault on Youtube for a free movie last night and found Shanks. If you have an evening to kill, this movie would be worth it. While the story is campy and wandering, it’s a thrill to watch the dead corpses animated by a puppeteer. The violence is timid enough that I could imagine it playing on late-night tv in the 80s. A total throwback!
Castle, William. Shanks, Paramount Pictures, 1974.
Movie review
Kevin Connor’s Motel Hell
I discovered Motel Hell yesterday. I went into it with no expectations, but I figured I’d like it because it was ultimate 80s—which was surprising since it was made at the very start of the decade. It turned out to be completely weird and awesome!
Connor, Kevin. Motel Hell, United Artists, 1980.
The Boy really spooked me out. It was a great mix of logic and insanity.
Movie review
Andy Palmer’s Funhouse Massacre
Funhouse Massacre was completely irreverent and fun. A total cheesefest, it didn’t try to be anything else but that, which I liked.
Palmer, Andy. Funhouse Massacre, Petri Entertainment, 2015.
Russell, Chuck. The Blob, TriStar Pictures, 1988.
The Devil's Muse 