Evil Dead II (1987)

Dir: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Danny Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Ted Raimi
Is it a remake? Is it a sequel? Whatever it may be it’s just about one of the most ridiculous horror movies you’ll ever see. Like if the Three Stooges wandered onto the set of a slasher movie, Evil Dead II might be the first of only a few films you could truly categorize as “Slapstick Horror.”

After the flop that was Crimewave, Sam Raimi and his motley crew (Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, Robert Taper, etc) decided to return to their roots and revisit the Evil Dead franchise, but now with more money, more effects and more twisted humor. Star Bruce Campbell would take the character of Ash and propel him to cult hero status and did anybody say “chainsaw arm?”

So Evil Dead II is supposed to take place where the last one left off, Ash still being trapped at the cabin but it’s also kind of confusing. They do a flashback sequence that changes details from the first (now it was just Ash and his girlfriend who visited the cabin) I don’t know whatever, that’s not really point here is it? What is the point? How about a series of beyond bizarre set pieces that include; Ash fighting his own hand, a sideways fountain of blood, and a house of laughing furniture. It’s beyond ridiculous and is an all out laugh riot.

More or less it just took all the best ideas from the first one and kicked them up a notch… A huge notch! It basically turned the whole franchise into a comedy series and I don’t think anyone was complaining about that move. It’s become the ultimate cult movie and I’m proud to be a part of that cult. From then on it would only get wackier with Army of Darkness but I think this one found the best balance, groovy baby.

The Fly (1986)

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Dir: David Cronenberg
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
I like to include at least one original and remake version of the same film in Shocktober so here’s one of the best. A remake that maybe even surpasses the original. What comes to mind when you hear the name David Cronenberg? Exploding heads? Mutant killer dwarves? James Woods pulling a gun out of his stomach? Cronenberg has done some “intriguing” projects” which in the horror world has resulted in the nickname the “Master of Body-Horror”. Whether it’s deformities or mutations, this film takes that title to the extreme showcasing Cronenberg’s skills at making our skin crawl… By watching someone else’s skin crawl.

The premise is similar to the original but in a significantly more graphic fashion. Instead of the scientist (this time named Seth Brundle) hiding his deformity, we get to follow Jeff Goldblum every step of the way as he mutates from man to monster. Picking out teeth and nails, vomiting on his food to digest it, this film is no holds bar when it comes to showing you ever single detail of Seth’s terrifying transformation.

The effects are so absorbing that you often forget about what a great performance Jeff Goldblum is giving under all of it. Or is that the effects and the man become one so well that it blurs into one engrossing spectacle? Whatever the matter it’s hard to watch on a full stomach but it’s also hard to look away. Really you can’t do the images justice by attempting to describe them, they simply must be seen.

Re-Animator (1985)

Dir: Stuart Gordon
Cast: Jeffery Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale
From the brilliant mind behind Robot Jox and Space Truckers I bring you “Re-Animator”! Seriously though, Stuart Gordon has definitely had a hit or miss career but there’s no denying that this was his finest hour. Adapted loosely from the H.P. Lovecraft story “Herbert West-Re-animator” this tongue and cheek puke-o-rama has become a classic with it’s skin crawling effects and endlessly entertaining anti-hero, mad scientist Herbert West (Jeffery Combs.)

It’s basically the perfect idea for a horror film. A mad scientist (Herbert West) has created a serum that can “re-animate” the dead, the only problem is how these corpses act when revitalized. Struggling to perfect his experiments West moves in with a medical student Dan (Bruce Abbott) and converts the basement into a mad laboratory. What follows is an endless eries of experiments gone wrong, complete with dark humor and off-the-wall violence.

This is a horror film chocked full of gory glee that just happens to have an interesting story under the surface. The conflict and troubles between Dan and Herbert and where it leads them is fairly engrossing. It’s a bit campy but a lot of it’s played for humor so I guess thats what they were going for. Though I do enjoy the vintage makeup effects with all it’s messy goodness.

An 80s cult classic that’s spawned a great mad scientist character, this film wouldn’t be the same without the talented Jeffery Combs. He’s gone on to play the character in two sequels and there’s even talk of a fourth installment House of Re-Animator where West would move into the white house to re-animate the vice president (George Wendt) and William H. Macy would play the president. Sounds dumb but I’m glad to see re-animator still lives on.

Fright Night (1985)

Dir: Tom Holland
Cast: William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark
Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is your typical horror movie buff. He loves the classics and loves the late-night Horror movie show “Fright Night” hosted by self proclaimed, legendary, vampire hunter Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall.) But what happens when his own life becomes a horror movie? For one night he gets a peek at his new neighbor Jerry (Chris Sarandon) and soon enough discovers, Jerry is a vampire.

Fright Night could of been another typical, gory, horror flick in a decade where those were a dime a dozen (still are I guess.) Luckily this film went for dark humor and is a thrill with such entertaining characters. Charley is a very likable guy and Peter Vincent, which he somehow gets to team up with him is hilariously pathetic. Jerry the Vampire is the perfect amount of suave and sinister and his right hand man Billy (Jonathan Stark) is my favorite, he just jokes around even right before his demise. The lovely Amanda Bearse and shrill Stephen Geofferys round out the cast as Charley’s girlfriend and annoying pal respectively and they’re all part of one crazy romp.

Though the film is not without it’s scares. There’s some great puss spewing moments of monster madness and the effects work is all out gruesome fun. Writer/Director Tom Holland (Also the director of the hit Child’s Play) has great sensibilities when it comes to both comedy or horror, at least in this film. Make sure you see it before the remake starring; Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrel and McLovin is released in Fall 2011, I’m sure it will be a disappointment!

Creepshow (1982)

Dir: George A. Romero
Cast: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, Stephen King, Fritz Weaver
: EC Comics a.k.a Entertaining Comics produced some of the most controversial comics of the Late 40s to Early 50s. Titles like Tales from the Crypt , The Vault of Horror, and Weird Science, were all cult classics, but suffered a severe backlash due to their violent and adult content. Unfortunately those titles didn’t last long after their battle against censorship, but in 1982 they were remembered once more by two guys by the names of Stephen King and George A. Romero.

The film was called Creepshow and it was an all out tribute to E.C. Comics. An anthology film, King would provide the stories in the style of E.C. while George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead) would take the helm as director. The result was a comic book come to life with big laughs, big scares, big twists and style oozing out of every rotted orophus.

I’ll split up the rest of the review by simply commenting on each segment.

– Father’s Day: A man (Jon Lormer) killed on Father’s Day by his daughter Bedelia (Viveca Lindfors) rises from the dead to seek vengeance and some cake that he never got. Probably my least favorite segment but it’s very brief, so no real complaints just typical shocker stuff.

– The Lonesome Death Of Jordy Verill: King himself stars as the title character who after touching a meteorite starts to grow vegetation all over his body. It’s more comedic in tone but ends on a dark note and King is actually pretty entertaining.

– Something to Tide You Over: Mad at his unfaithful wife (Gaylen Ross), Richard Vickers (Leslie Nielsen) buries her and her lover Harry (Ted Danson) up to their necks in sand right before high tide! But what happens when one night they come back? This one is probably the freakiest and is made even freakier by the unusually dramatic performance from Leslie Nielsen.

– The Crate: Henry Northup (Hal Holbrook) is a college professor unhappily married to the insufferable Wilma (Adrienne Barbeau). Wishing for a change of scenery, tables turn when Henry comes into possession of a crate containing a rare and dangerous animal. Easily the best segment for it’s humor, performances and creature effects, The Crate is the highlight of the film.

– They’re Creeping Up on You: Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) hates two things; germs and people. Living in a completely sterilized apartment, he spends this particular evening abusing employees and other folks over the phone. Everything is under his grasp… Until an onslaught of never-ending cockroaches invade his home. A strong note to go out on, E.G. Marshall’s character is the kind of character you love to hate.

All the segments are tied together with additional wraparounds of a boy (King’s son Joe King) who orders a voodoo doll to get revenge on his dad (Tom Atkins) for throwing out his comics. It’s just a wacky horror romp that’s overflowing with comic book style. There was a sequel but the stories were no where near as funny or inventive.

Poltergeist (1982)

Dir: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Domonique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Heater O’Rourke, Zelda Rubinstein
I used to be kind of hard on Poltergeist for reasons I can’t really remember. I do think it holds back on being as dark as it could of been but whatever, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s made an impact on the genre. How many times have you heard about something that was “Buried over an Indian burial ground?” Poltergeist may be more “Hollywood” than your average horror flick but that doesn’t make it any less important.

So the film starts out following a peaceful suburban family in California. The perfect picture of the American family, things take a turn for the worse when Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) the youngest child is contacted by spirits through the family television. Soon enough a series of paranormal disturbances wreak havoc on the family, you know like evil trees and clown dolls. The film escalates as Carol is sucked into the television and into the spirit world. So they hire a medium played pitch perfect by the unusual Zelda Rubinstein. From there on the Freeling family battles it out with the spirits and there’s no shortage of corpses that launch out of the ground. Some great creepy visuals and an excellent soundtrack from Jerry Goldsmith as well.

People say there’s a curse on the film as the two daughters in the film both died young and two other actors from the sequels are also dead. Though that’s very sad that’s hardly a curse, “The Little Rascals”, now there’s some messed up shit. I’ve always been more interested in the debate over who really directed the film. Though Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is the credited director, many crew members have claimed that producer Steven Spielberg helmed most of the important stuff. Sounds to me like they both did their fair share of work on it but Spielberg just by nature is the more interactive filmmaker, so really it should’ve of been credited to both of them but what the hell do I know? Poltergeist does have that Spielberg shimmer on it though and miraculously holds up well today, check it out but don’t look into the light.