The 2016 October Horror Marathon

[Ack]

Well, despite the recent family issues, I still started off my horror movie marathon as planned. Here we go:



1. Late Phases

A blind Vietnam vet and his seeing eye dog are placed into a gated retirement community by his son. That first night, a werewolf attacks his neighbor and kills his dog. Now this vet has a month to get buff, get some bullets, and get ready to take down his nemesis lycanthrope out of revenge for his dog. Seriously, it's a geriatric John Wick with werewolves. It's also mostly not a good movie. Mostly.

What went wrong? Well for one the old people werewolves look pretty goofy in my opinion, and they prance. Really. I probably could have looked this over, but I made the mistake of watching this with my stepbrother, and he's about to spend the next year of his life working in a wolf sanctuary in New Mexico, so he gets really picky with his werewolf movies. If you're curious, this is what they're like:

Also, this is an indie film, and some of those actors are definitely indie actors. The two cops are by far the worst of the lot.

But it's not all bad! In particular the lead, Nick Damici, is really good as the grizzled blind veteran. I believe him, both in that he's blind and that he's a total asshole. By the end I found myself wishing the movie around him was better because he deserved it to be.



2. Ghoulies

A guy inherits a house from his satanist parents, gets wrapped up in using their grimoires and magics to summon demons and make himself powerful, and then accidentally releases the spirit of his undead father who wants to kill him to make himself immortal or something. Oh, and there is are parties, a bunch of friends, a creepy clown doll, midgets, and monsters that were obviously hand puppets. The movie is a mess of ideas, and the little critters that are in it don't really feel like they hold much purpose beyond a possible cash in on the Gremlins hype.

Still, there are a few entertaining moments involving the little dudes, and the demon little persons were probably the best part of the picture. There are also some entertaining moments involving crooked contact lenses though, so I suppose that says a lot about this picture. It's mediocre at best, and I'd rather go watch Gremlins or Critters instead. Not Hobgoblins though, that movie sucks. I need to get around to seeing Munchies some time...

Also this is Mariska Hargitay's first film. Heh, how about that?

2/31

1. Late Phases
2. Ghoulies

[noiseredux]

Munchies is hilarious.

The Ghoulies movies are like the Puppetmaster movies to me. There's like a hundred of them and whenever I see one of them I wonder who the heck is really watching them all and making it financially viable to keep making new ones.

[Ack]

<------- Owns 9 Puppet Master movies. Has never watched any of them.

[strangenova]

Kicked off last night with An American Werewolf In London.

I've never seen this one before and I can honestly say I was not let down. The movie has enough humor in it to break up the scenes and keep the plot from getting too stale. Also thought the effects were extremely well done for its time.

Anyone recommend any other werewolf centric horror movies? I've seen Cursed as well.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I recommend the aforementioned Late Phases. I also recommend The Howling, and I highly, highly recommend Ginger Snaps. I have read that In the Company of Wolves is good, but I have not seen it.

[noiseredux]

Ginger Snaps you say? I'm sure a movie with such a silly name can't be any good...

[prfsnl_gmr]

Ginger Snaps you say? I'm sure a movie with such a silly name can't be any good...

[noiseredux]

did I tell you about the time we were going to a horror convention just so I could meet Katharine Isabelle but then she canceled so we didn't go? I was so bummed.

[Ack]

Anyone recommend any other werewolf centric horror movies? I've seen Cursed as well.

Dog Soldiers is one that I've always enjoyed. I've got Wolfen and Bad Moon on tap for this month, and maybe a few others too. We shall see.

[Michi]

Evil Dead (1981)


Five friends head off to a remote cabin in the woods for some good, old-fashioned rustic relaxation and accidentally release an evil demonic force on their poor, unsuspecting asses.

Gooey, bloody chaos ensues.


Wait, this is where we’re staying? F&^$ that. Take me back to the dilapidated Best Western we passed three miles back.

Evil Dead skips any sort of introduction and pretty much jumps right into the movie proper. There are no useless additions like adding any of those pesky early things like introductions and character development. Instead, you’re all just practically at the cabin door when the movie starts. Really, the only thing established about the characters from the get-go is that two of them like to sing in the car and Ash has trouble reading maps and has questionable taste in barbers.


A bowl haircut? A bold choice for a
man your age.

Over time, Ash has become a cult icon to horror fans due to his swagger and witty remarks. But in the first film his character is a lot more anxious and introverted. All of that awesome bad-assery the character is known for came a bit later.


He did loose the bowl cut some time during the middle of production though, so that’s a plus.

Here in the first film, this is just a normal man who is suddenly thrust into a demonic forest and is forced to watch his world disintegrate around him as his friends are possessed, one by one, and ultimately killed. Sometimes even by his own hand.


He took it well, all things considered.

Another thing the Evil Dead franchise is known for is its comedy. While that’s certainly showcased here, it’s not showcased here to the same extent as it is in the later films. While the movie is best described as a horror-comedy, the comedy takes more of a back seat and is much more black in nature. Unlike, say, Army of Darkness, the basis of Evil Dead isn’t comedy, it’s horrific body horror and demon possession. Sure, it most definitely toes the line between the two, sometimes almost gleefully in how over-the-top the effects and performances are. But I feel its added psychological horror make it more a genuine attempt at horror compared to its later counterparts.



For a film that was so obviously low budget, it does a phenomenal job with its effects. With the exception of some of the special effects, such as shots of the moon that look like they were either added in later or projected on a screen they set up in the forest during production, and a couple other instances, the effects hold up surprisingly well. But what really holds up is the gore. It’s clear that Raimi and company were not the squeamish type, because once the blood starts flowing it doesn’t really stop.


Nor do the dismemberments

They also weren’t a slouch in the make-up department either. As the movie goes on, each ghoul grows impressively worse, until they’re little more than bloody, oozing mush held together by bone and tenuous sinew.






They also start going gray, but I'm not sure what that has to do with demonic possession.

Some could argue that the effects look cheesy today, and I probably wouldn’t argue with them. But considering the budget restraints, it’s still amazingly graphic.

Other than the copious amounts of gore, the other most notable thing about this film is the camera work. Raimi implemented a lot of creative techniques in this film. The fast paced and frantic camera work was quite original to viewers at the time and the POV, falling objects and tracking shots have become something that’s very distinctly Raimi.



All in all, Evil Dead is pretty top-notch. The practical effects, camera work and animation techniques still hold up surprisingly well, despite the low budget. Some of the dated special effects and lack of any meaningful background information on the characters might hold it back a bit, but despite that it all still adds up to being one hell of an entertaining tale.

Definitely a recommendation for horror fans, especially if you like a little humor in your horror.

Evil Dead (1981)