The original “Freddy Snake” unintentionally came out looking too phallic. The crew only had one hour to film the scene, so they didn’t have enough time to paint it. So, it was covered in a green goo substance to overcome the “pinkish hue.” The scene involving the “Freddy Snake” attempting to swallow Kristen was also filmed backwards and then played in reverse, due to the gums on the puppet being too flexible, and were folding over themselves.
I glibly dismissed Lisa Frankenstein because I didn’t think that a “Lisa Frank” take on a horror story would be any good. On the weekend, however, a friend recommended the movie at a dinner party, telling us that it was a modern version of the 1980s Heathers with a Frankenstein monster. Color me intrigued!
My friend’s description was accurate, but not because the story was anything really like Heathers. It was more the overall campy vibe of the film along with the 1980s time period and the funny commentaries on how stupid high school is.
I was pleasantly surprised to truly enjoy this movie. A hybrid of horror and romantic comedy, the movie never took itself too seriously. It was cheesy, funny and gory in all the right ways at all the right times. For me, Lisa Frankenstein joined my list of all-time classics!
Added bonus for those of us romantics who love a masculine and sensitive male love interest. 😍 He was adorable!
Williams, Zelda. Lisa Frankenstein, Universal Pictures, 2024.
Silent Night (2012) was a gem of a horror movie! It had some of the goriest kills of all time, and some of the dialogue was campy and classic. One of my favorite lines was, “Don’t bring a flame thrower to a gun fight.” Then for the flame thrower to burn the gun holder to a crisp, lol.
Happy Horrordays! 🎅🔪
Miller, Steven. Silent Night, Anchor Bay Films, 2012.
When I started watching Apartment 7A, I did not know that it was related to Rosemary’s Baby. As I recognized the names of the secondary characters and was introduced to Dianne Wiest’s loving tribute to Ruth Gordon, I was charmed straight through to the end.
The main character was refreshing as the protagonist in contrast to Rosemary. She was a career girl, and the stakes she had in being groomed for the Mother of the Anti-Christ were intriguing because she was making her decisions for herself. Julia Garner did a great job of portraying a sympathetic version of her character.
Horror movies are my comfort viewing. I start with my favorite ghost story, Ti West’s The Innkeepers, and then I revisit my favorite franchises, like Wrong Turn, Hatchet or Freddy Kreuger. I was recently in a spooky mood, so I revisited the Insidious franchise.
I’m a fanboy of the series, so I have nothing negative to say about it. I love the cast of characters, the exploration into the netherworld, and the numerous jump scares. My favorite in the series was the third chapter, but my appeal to it relies on having watched the first movie, so I would not recommend it on its own.
The third chapter is refreshing because it is about a new cast of characters, even a different demon, than the previous two. The one constant is the psychic, Elise Rainier. Played by Lin Shaye, Elise is a tender but fearless character. I am glad that the third and fourth movies are both about her.
In the third chapter, Elise sees her future, which is a vision of the ending of the first movie. I love the connection in time between the two movies, and I especially loved how the movie ended with Elise recognizing her finite, numbered days and choosing to use them to help others and become friends with her two ghost-hunting buddies.
For a horror junkie, I’m a total sap, I know!
Aside from the feel-good moments, the third chapter had scary visuals, like a demon looking out from the protagonist’s throat, and an engaging story. It is a great central chapter in the five-movie series.
Whannell, Leigh. Insidious: Chapter 3, Focus Features (USA), 2015.
The Devil's Muse 