Whilst Elvis was made by Carpenter for TV in 1979, it was actually later granted a UK cinema release the next year. With the running being nearly three hours long, that made for many aching buttocks in cinemas up and down the country. But, fortunately, Elvis is anything but a chore. Yes, some of Carpenter’s …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 6- Elvis (1980)
‘After moving in a new apartment, Leigh Michaels receives mysterious phone calls and gifts. She approaches the police but unsatisfied with their investigation, she decides to tackle the matter herself.’ I remember watching this on TV and it scaring the crap out of me. On rewatching it, it still had the same effect. This was …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 4- Someone’s Watching Me! (1978)
In this entry, a lamp from the original house causes mayhem in its new home after it's bought at a yard sale. This made-for-TV movie sounds camp as hell, and, quelle surprise, IS camp as hell! There are seriously 80’s daytime soap vibes here (which I quite enjoyed). But it's pretty solid, even if the …
Continue reading Amityville Reviewed- Day 4- Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989)
One of the fantastic things about growing up as a child of the '70s and 80's and being a horror fan were the Public Information Films that were shown at random times both day and night on British TV. These could convey any burning issue from the dangers of abandoned old refrigerators on rubbish tips …
What would happen if nuclear war actually broke out? What would that look like? If you've ever asked these questions, fear no more! Threads was made in 1984 for UK television and shows exactly what life would be like after the bomb dropped. Written by Barry Hines (Kes) and directed by Mick Jackson this drama …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 1- Threads (1984)
It's extremely brave to decide to make a sequel to a beloved horror classic. It can almost feel like some kind of suicide mission as critics and the general public alike will trot out the hackneyed old cliche of 'It's not as good as the first film!' as if this is an extremely original and …
Continue reading Day 22- 31 Days of Halloween- Look What’s Happened To Rosemary’s Baby (1976)
This early Spielberg directed TV movie features a TV advertising exec (Darren McGavin) move into a country farm with his hippy drippy New Age wife (Sandy Dennis). But strange things start to occur shortly afterwards. I first saw this when it aired on UK television in the early 80's. It scared the pants off me. …
Continue reading Day 3- 31 Days of Halloween- Something Evil (1972)
I've made a new Prisoner cell Block H video. Included are people going mad, a hanging, a religious cult AND MORE! The video is here. My previous video is here. Subscribe to my Prisoner themed YouTube channel here.
When I was growing up I loved the Nanny State Public Information Films. They were akin to state produced horror shorts extolling the dangers of everything from playing near rivers to mixing different types of tyres on the same vehicle. Beware The Rapist is an American PIF (called Public Service Announcements or PSA's over there) …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 21- Beware The Rapist (1979)
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)
Meathook Cinema 