I love a sequel that not only ups the ante regarding the original film but decides to be as extreme as possible and really 'go for it'. In this film theres a new family who move into Amityville. You know that any family that includes Burt Young and Rutanya Alda as members is going to …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 29- The Amityville Horror Part 2- The Possession (1982)
William Lustig's depraved classic was massively controversial when first released. It garnered the ultimate accolades for an exploitation film- it was HATED by Siskel and Ebert (Gene Siskel said he made it to the shotgun murder then had to leave the preview screening as he couldn't stomach anymore!) and it was picketed by feminist groups. …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 24- Maniac (1980)
A killer stalks a high school. And thats the plot. This is a cookie cutter slasher film. The only interesting thing about this movie is it's historical value as an atypical sub-genre piece. You get to see the sheer rubbish that was made to generate ticket sales and box office. Movies with no artistic merit …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 17- Final Exam (1981)
A double date decide to investigate a travelling carnival that has just come into town. After strolling around the different attractions they decide to hide overnight in the actual funhouse (like a ghost ride) which is on the grounds of the carnival. This film starts out so well with the carnival and the people who …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 11- The Funhouse (1981)
Sunday nights in the late 70's/early 80's here in the UK were great for TV. In my household we'd religiously watch That's Life, a weird hotchpotch of hard hitting investigations into very dark subject matters with lighter fare which was designed to make the audience titter and guffaw (they loved vegetables that just happened to …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 10- Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)
I actually saw this back in the 80's when it was called Piranha 2: Flying Killers. Theres really not much plot except that there is a shoal of piranhas who have wings terrorising a resort. Pulitzer Prize worthy stuff. The lead female character seems to have been based on Stevie Wayne from The Fog if …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 7- Piranha 2- The Spawning
Exactly 30 years ago today, something extraordinary happened. Let me elaborate. I grew up in York in the UK. My local TV station was Yorkshire Television who were the first UK regional station to transmit twenty-four hours a day. Because of this during the night and early hours of the morning, they would show some …
Continue reading Article- The Motherlode: Prisoner Cell Block H on ITV
Ahh, the 3D craze of the early 80's. Some films were great and used the gimmick really well (take a bow, Friday the 13th 3D) whilst others were films just a flat and mediocre in 3D as they would have been in 2D. This film belongs in the latter category. I only watched this as I …
I've just reviewed Snapshot that was cheekily renamed 'The Day After Halloween' to capitalise on the success of John Carpenter's masterpiece. I remember the first time I saw this was on a copy of the soundtrack that I saw whilst browsing for soundtracks in the mid 90's when I had moved to London to study …
I first learnt of this film as it was called The Day After Halloween and marketed as a sequel to John Carpenter's classic. It isn't. But it's still a really interesting movie. Angela (played by Prisoner Cell Block H's brilliant Sigrid Thornton) is persuaded to ditch her low paid hairdressing job and enter the world of …
