Disney Pictures once made a horror film. Really! In the early 80's, they decided to capitalise on the horror boom and make a scary film for young adults. The Watcher in the Woods was made in 1980. It holds the honour of being possibly the most rented VHS tape of yours truly when he was …
Continue reading When Disney Dipped It’s Toe Into The Horror Genre- The Watcher In The Woods (1980)
Adapted from Stephen King's best-selling novel, Cujo tells the story of a rabid St Bernard dog terrorising and besieging a mother and her son in their broken down car. This is a wonderful film, not just because of the car/dog storyline but also because of the rich characterisation (a trademark of King's) which builds up …
A madman escapes from an asylum. A group of female friends have a slumber party. Join the dots. Mary Holden Jones brings to the screen a screenplay by Rita Mae Brown. This was supposed to be a 'feminist' slasher movie in what is considered to be a deeply misogynistic genre. Hence we have young women …
Continue reading Day 20- 31 Days of Halloween- Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
Two couples decide to go camping in the woods. Arriving separately (darn that wonky radiator!), they soon realise that the woods aren't as peaceful and reinvigorating as they first thought. It is in fact a killing ground for a father who mudered his philandering wife, went mad and took his two young children to live …
Continue reading Day 18- 31 Days of Halloween- The Forest (1982)
Duane books into the sleazy flophouse Hotel Broslin with a large basket. It's contents consist of his deformed twin brother who he used to be conjoined with. Both Duane and his twin are hellbent on enacting revenge on the surgeons who separated them against their wishes. Basket Case will always occupy a special place in …
Continue reading Day 17- 31 Days of Halloween- Basket Case (1982)
A boat sails into New York containing what appears to be innocuous boxes of coffee. However they actually contain alien eggs that cause people to explode when a change in heat cause the eggs to emit their contents. Yes, this is a cheap Italian Alien rip-off but it's darn entertaining nonetheless. There might be considerable …
Continue reading Day 16- 31 Days of Halloween- Contamination (1980)
Three women are travelling to a music festival but crash their car. They awake in the isolated mansion of an elderly matriarch and her daughter. I love this film and not just because I found it in Poundland of all places. This is a chiller that keeps you guessing until the shocking and completely nutty …
Continue reading Day 15- 31 Days of Halloween- Unhinged (1982)
A young man travels from Rome to New York to investigate his sister's disappearance after she was living in the same apartment building where an ancient witch resided. This was Argento's second instalment of his much lauded 'Three Mothers' trilogy. All of the Giallo elements are here as are Argento's striking visuals as a backdrop …
Continue reading Day 14- 31 Days of Halloween- Inferno (1980)
Cropsey, a summer camp caretaker is burnt alive as an unfortunate consequence of a prank that goes horribly wrong. After five years he returns to the summer camp with vengeance in mind. This is the slasher movie that helped form Miramax Films and gave a young Harvey Weinstein a career as a film producer. The …
Continue reading Day 10- 31 Days of Halloween- The Burning (1981)
This movie was on my 'must see but haven't got round to yet' list for the longest time. But whilst other titles on said list turned out to be great (take a bow Pieces and Madman) can the same be said for The Mutilator? Can a movie with such a great poster and tagline live …
Continue reading Day 5- 31 Days of Halloween- The Mutilator (1984)
Meathook Cinema 