There are 442 posts filed in Shocktober (this is page 42 of 64).
I don’t know how many times in my life I have walked into a Blockbuster, or a Video Update or a Hollywood Video only to come face-to-face with the VHS cover for Frogs. Did I ever think to look at the back? No. Did I ever read up on it? Heavens no. All I needed was to look at the cover with a frog chomping down on a human hand and I was content. Why did I have to ruin that memory by actually watching the movie? I don’t know but let’s find out.
When I chose my first two films to review for this year’s Shocktober, it was more or less random. So it’s only by some weird coincidence that I am once again reviewing a movie directed by Freddie Francis, a guy who I had never heard of before sitting down to watch Trog and now Tales From The Crypt. But I’m kinda glad I was forced to become aware of Francis, since he had a somewhat unique career, as he started out as a cinematographer on films like 1961’s The Innocents and 1960’s Sons And Lovers (for which he won an Oscar), before making the jump to director on horror movies for the British production company Amicus, like The Deadly Bees and Torture Garden (which I can only assume are as good as they sound). And then after getting sick of being labeled as merely a “genre director”, he made the switch back to working as a cinematographer on prestige pictures like The Elephant Man and Glory (for which he would win another Oscar). So it’s been interesting to see the contrast in what Francis could bring to the table on a campy trainwreck like Trog, and then also to a more well-made and enjoyable piece of camp like Tales From The Crypt. Continue reading
At first glance I thought this film may have been made-for-TV after every copy I found online appeared to be taped off of your Uncle’s VCR. Though research tells me this film was a theatrical release and a bonafide box office hit in the summer of ’71. Can you believe there was a time when a movie with no star power about a young man and his rat pals could be a hit? Let me introduce you to Willard.
Initially, I was going to review the Vincent Price thriller, The Abominable Dr. Phibes for Shocktober Day 3, but I had a change of heart because I wanted to show that the 1970s were more than campy monster movies and splatter films. So instead I proudly present the directorial debut from Italian Giallo director Dario Argento “L’uccello dalle plume di cristallo” or in English, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.” What is “Giallo” exactly? Apparently, “Giallo” is Italian for “Yellow” which gets me nowhere. Digging a little deeper I found that in Italy you used to be able to purchase pulp murder/mystery novels with unique yellow covers. Though what makes a film distinctly Giallo? Let’s find out with my take on The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Hey there, shocktoberphiles! Yes, it is true that I’ve agreed to partake in this year’s Shocktober by reviewing a few “classic” horror films from the ’70s. Now to be clear, I am by no means a horror movie expert, and especially in the last few years I’ve found myself shying away from horror movies more and more when it comes to the genres I choose to spend time with. But, I figured John could use a friend to help him out with the Herculean task of reviewing 31 movies in 31 days, and this blog is nothing if not about friendship. So though I may not be a horror buff by any means, I would say I have a fair bit of expertise when it comes to Hollywood’s golden age, and perhaps it’s fitting that the first film I’ll be reviewing stars one of old Hollywood’s consummate tough broads, Joan Crawford. And not only that, but the British horror flick Trog also served as Crawford’s final film, and thus let her go out the way any legendary actress would want to — by getting upstaged by a guy in a shitty caveman costume. Continue reading
Blood. Guts. Gore. If there’s one thing 1970s horror movies accomplished it was unleashing exploitation cinema upon the world like a deranged lunatic. Of course, no one was more deranged than Herschell Gordon Lewis. At least that’s what I have been told to believe. I, like many, first became aware of the “Godfather of Gore” through the blood-curdling shock fest that is Juno. If you don’t recall the scene, a puzzled Ellen Page finds a tape of The Wizard of Gore on Jason Bateman’s coffee table. Bateman responds by saying “Oh yeah. It’s Herschell Gordon Lewis. He’s the ultimate master of horror.” Later in the film, they sit down to watch the film and enjoy it. Now that I’ve finally seen The Wizard of Gore I can tell you that Jason Bateman is full of shit.
Shocktober. 31 Days. 31 Movies. 31 Nightmares. If you thought I’d be running out of ideas after almost 7 years you’d be dead wrong. In fact, this year may be the best or should I say BEAST yet. Continuing the themed lists that started in 2011 with “Shlocktober”, followed by “I Love the 80s” in 2012 and “Terrifying 2000s” in 2013, this year is “Seventies Screamers”. Don’t let the bad title fool you, this is going to be ghoulish good fun.
But why the 1970s? If you’re a student of film chances are you’ve heard the term, “New Hollywood”. This was a time in the 1970s when many American filmmakers came to prominence and shaped the era into the decade of the director. We all know about the greats like Scorsese and Coppola but it wasn’t just dramatic directors making their mark. Many masters of horror emerged in the 1970s. Talents like David Cronenberg, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper (a few of which we’ll be talking about) stomped their bloody cinematic footprint in the 1970s. Not to mention filmmakers in other parts of the world rose to greatness. Italian filmmakers like Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento became the top names in the Italian “Giallo” movement. Additionally, we finally started seeing horror films emerge from the land down under… No, not hell, Australia.
The 1970s saw plenty of trends, some good and some bad, but all worthy of discussion. There were Giallo films, slasher films, exploitation films, and a weird fascination with killer animals. We’ll talk about all that and more this month and by “We’ll” I mean that I’ll be joined this year by fellow Mildly Pleaser Colin Wessman. So sit back, relax, and remember, it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie….
