FILM REVIEW: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Director John Carpenter has done five films with actor Kurt Russel; Elvis (TV Movie), Escape from New York, The Thing, Escape From L.A., and Big Trouble in Little China. The thing is, I never got around to seeing Big Trouble in Little China until just a few days ago, and I'm an instant fan. This movie and I have crossed paths several times, it was one of those movies that just kept slipping by. I mean, I love John Carpenter, he'll probably always be my favorite director in the Horror genre. And, I've got no beef with Kurt Russell either, he's in some good movies with and without Carpenter behind the camera. But as far as I know, the work Carpenter and Russell do together is without qualms. The itch to finally watch Big Trouble in Little China came from a friend of mine who was posting pictures of his Blu-ray on Facebook. That, (coupled along with the memories that came back to me of several friends telling me I need to see it) really put a boot in my ass. When I sat down to watch it, it was about 9 pm and I was all alone, so I gave it my undivided attention. Right away I could see that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. No one ever told me what the hell the movie was about, so I was going off of the small synopsis on the back cover. But, I had a gut feeling that I was going to see the appeal in it. John Carpenter, Russell, the crew and studio all caught hell for this movie, slurs of stereotyping and racism from the Chinese began to make their rounds, but as Carpenter and Russell pointed out in the DVD commentary, the Caucasian guy (and star) in the film is the jackass who's clumsy and always messing up. So there's no truth behind the rumored racism behind this flick. Some truth though, is it only had $3 Million for advertising, and on top of that, the studio didn't know how to market it because Carpenter didn't make the movie the studio expected. So, Big Trouble in Little China has been somewhat of a sleeper, gaining its crowd and popularity after the point of its release. So, I guess better late than never for me, right?

Throwback Thursday Review: 'THE MONSTER SQUAD' (1987)

Directed by Night of the Creeps (1986) director, Frank Dekker, and starring Tom Noonan (Heat), Duncan Regehr (Air Bud 3), and Andre Gower (Sweet Deadly Dreams), The Monster Squad is a tale that adults and children alike can enjoy. It's a heartwarming story about a group of children who find themselves in a real life face-off against cinemas most famous monsters to ever grace the big screen.

Throwback Thursday Review: 'HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH' (1982)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 98 Mins
WRITER(S)- Tommy Lee Wallace
STARRING- Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin and Dan O'Herlihy
DIRECTOR(S)- Tommy Lee Wallace



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A large Halloween mask-making company has plans to kill millions of American children with something sinister hidden in Halloween masks. 




I'll be the first to admit that I was one of the many people who thrashed this film upon seeing it the first time. After John Carpenter's 1978 smash hit Halloween landed, we were given a less than worthy sequel just three years later. And although Halloween II was fair, it left a lot more to be desired about Michael Myers. Then, just one year after it's release, we're given Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which has absolutely nothing to do with Michael Myers or the first two films. So, yeah, a lot of people were severely let down, like myself. But, the fact that there was no Myers in it completely blinded almost everyone to how good the third film is as a stand-alone feature.

Throwback Thursday Review: WAXWORK (1988)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 95 Mins

WRITER(S)- Anthony Hickox

STARRING- Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, and Jennifer Bassey

DIRECTOR(S)- Anthony Hickox 

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A wax museum owner uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world. 

Unlike most of the other films reviewed for Throwback Thursday, Waxwork isn't one that I grew up with. I was about one year old when it was made, and somehow it passed by me growing up. I remember seeing it at a young age and actually not liking it. But, since then my opinions have matured, and I have better taste now. I wish I could have enjoyed this one in its prime at the right time, but it still looks good from my couch on my 54" plasma screen.

Throwback Thursday Review: THE HOWLING (1981)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 91 Mins
WRITER(S)- Gary Brandner, John Sayles, and Terence H. Winkless
STARRING- Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, and Dennis Dugan
DIRECTOR- Joe Dante



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem. 




Although based on the 1977 fiction novel of the same title by the late Gary Brandner (May 31, 1930-September 22, 2013), "The Howling" film is almost nothing like the book. It's very loosely-based, to put it modestly.  And after the success of the 1981 motion picture directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins), it spawned six sequels and a reboot in 2011. With each sequel decreasing in merit more than the previous installment before it, it wasn't until the fourth movie "Howling IV: The Original Nightmare" (1988) that Gary Brander's novel got a real adaptation that didn't digress his work. Just a shame the movie sucked.

Throwback Thursday Review: THE LOST BOYS (1987)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 97 Mins
WRITER(S)- Janice Fischer, James Jeremias, and Jeffrey Boam
STARRING- Jason Patrick, Corey Haim, and Dianne Wiest 
DIRECTOR- Joel Schumacher



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After moving to a new town, two brothers are convinced that the area is frequented by vampires.




Last week, I told you all that I'd review my favorite vampire film of all-time....tada!

"The Lost Boys" was only one of many classic and memorable horror films to come out in 1987, the birth year of Grimm here. Although it's in the latter part of the 80's, that still didn't stop the 80's from kicking major ass. This was one of the first genre movies that I was exposed to growing up, and because of it's comical humor, it was always being played by my Dad, or my mom, or my sister. As a matter of fact, I still have the VHS from my childhood.

Throwback Thursday Review: PET SEMATARY (1989)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 103 Mins

WRITER(S)- Stephen King

STARRING- Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, and Fred Gwynne 

DIRECTOR- Mary Lambert

Synopsis taken from IMDb

Behind a young family's home in Maine is a terrible secret that holds the power of life after death. When tragedy strikes, the threat of that power soon becomes undeniable.

"Pet Sematary" is one of the first genre pictures I ever saw, and I was only a child at that time. The film had been out for a few years already by that time, and I can't recall how old I was, but I know I was in the single digits age-wise. I also don't remember how or why I watched it at such an impressionable age, but the nerd in me is glad that it happened. I have a lot of memories with this one, my entire family are huge Stephen King fans, so this was a hot topic in my neck of the woods.

My older sister saw it when it was released in theaters, and she also was only a child when she experienced it. A story that I grew up hearing about is how my sister urinated herself in the theater at the first appearance of Pascow, played to perfection by Brad Greenquist. I also have a story that might be funny to other people, but it sure as hell wasn't funny to me at the time. As a child, I had a three foot tall Power Ranger plush toy of the Red Ranger. My dads maniacal mind deviated a plan to pose the toy in my doorway, and out of any light source, so all I could see was its silhouette.
My father quoted (at the time) young actor Miko Hughes' memorable line as Gage, "now I wanna play with you...". It was the middle of the night, and when I heard the words spoken, and turned to see what looked like a child standing in the doorway to my bedroom, I screamed out and damn near wet myself. My dad got a good laugh out of it, and I guess you can say I get my twisted sense of (torture) humor from him.

I'd probably be too scared to listen to anything this guy said. 

I mean, even the opening credits are creepy. The children's singing along with the dark, demented tombstone visuals sets the mood, but doesn't prepare you for what you're about to experience. Ya know, aside from Rachel's (Denise Crosby) father, I don't think there's a single character that isn't likable. I mean, the second they move into their new accursed home, Judd Crandall (Fred Gwynne) saves Gage from an oncoming truck, and becomes a fan favorite. You just know you're going to like him, he seems genuine.

When Louis (Dale Midkiff) can't save Victor Pascow at his new job as a doctor at the University of Maine, he's soon haunted by his image. Only Pascow doesn't want to bring harm or bad luck to Louis, instead he wants to warn him of coming events, and save Louis' life for trying to save his. Louis thinks he's just dreaming until he awakes and finds his bare feet covered in mud after dreaming of walking through the Pet Sematary. After learning of the gravesite for children's deceased animals, the door opens for the Creed's lives to change for the worse. Especially after Judd tells Louis the truth about the cemetery; that it's an old Indian burial ground with the ability to bring dead animals back to life when buried there

I wonder if Church would still be pissy if he'd been given catnip?

So when his daughter, Ellie's (Blaze Berdahl) cat Church is hit by oncoming traffic, Louis does the only logical thing there is to do: he buries the cat in the cursed Indian land that lays beyond the children's Pet Sematary. When Church arrives home, he's a changed cat. He's mean, calculating, and dreadful. Not to mention he stinks...

We get some character time between Louis and his wife Rachel, and we see that they're making ends meet, but like all family's, they have their issues and drama. We get small hints at why Louis is hated by Rachel's father, and subtle things like that that fill in gaps nicely, and add a lot to the overall story and the way we view characters. Rachel's backstory is actually possibly the scariest scene in the entire feature. I don't think there's a single person out there who isn't somewhat creeped out by Rachel's sister, Zelda, who is actually played by a man named Andrew Hubatsek. While I think we can all agree that Rachel wasn't completely wrong with letting her sister die, she also wasn't right. So with complex storytelling like that, we get the black, white, and grey areas in their lives that allow us to sympathize with them.

Screw the brains, Gage goes straight for the throat!

Then of course, poor little Gage gets hit dead by a freight truck after chasing his kite through the grass. A co-worker of mine, and avid horror fan, told me once that the scene at Gage's funeral when his casket tips is the scariest scene ever. While I disagree, I can agree that it is unsettling, and scary in an unconventional way. It's more just uncomfortable for me, really. Judd tells Louis of a past story involving a man burying his son, who died in the war, in the land beyond Pet Sematary. The story includes details of that son coming back from the grave, and savagely attacking his family, only to be stopped by townsfolk burning his house down with everyone in it.
However, logic is beyond Louis, so he doesn't take a hint. While Rachel and Ellie are at Rachel's parents house, Louis digs up Gage from his peaceful plot, and takes him up to the dreaded land and buries Gage anyway. This is where it gets really, really good.

When Gage returns from the grave, it's nothing but bad news for everyone in sight. Starting with Judd, Gage goes on a eerie killing spree. The scene in which Judd Crandall is murdered by Gage is horrifying, and it defiles the innocence of a child. Breaking down such a delicate barrier, Stephen King is really able to reach for your heart and squeeze it. While he may look cute, Gage is an animal, and kills in ruthless ways. When Rachel leaves Ellie behind, she is guided subconsciously by Pascow.
Since Louis didn't listen to his advice, he seeks the hope that Rachel will heed his warning. Only she ends up being Gage's second victim, and while her demise happens off screen, we still get to see the after effects of it.

They say beauty is only skin deep, about as deep as that knife's about to be in Louis' back

When Louis awakens to find that his friendly neighbor Judd, and his wife have met their end at the hands of his now-evil son, Louis again, does what any man would do: kills his son, burns his neighbors house down, and buries his wife, saying that she hasn't been dead long enough yet to come back messed up. At this point in the film and story, Louis has gone mad, and actually plans on picking up his life the way it was, nevermind the fact that Rachel only has one eye now, and she's rotting. But his plans don't work out in the end anyway, because Rachel makes Louis her first victim. I remember seeing Denise Crosby in her final makeup on screen for the first time, and I didn't sleep right for weeks. I used to turn my head every time it shows her at the end with her leaking eye and vehement grin. It wasn't until a few years of watching the film that I could brave fully watching the end.

"Pet Sematary" has the credit of being one of the only films to ever really scare me. Not only that, it was another lovely entry into the genre that I'd grow up to be obsessed with. It's creep factor is still intact, and it hasn't lost it's touch. I consider King to be one of my biggest idols but, I have to admit that I think the film outdid his novel in this rare case. Though the book has more details, and the ending is more open, I think the cinematic representation told the story better, and in an everlasting way. It remains one of my favorite horror movies of all time, and I recently bought the Blu-ray with the sweet holographic cover of Church.
If my house were burning down, and I could only grab a few movies before it all turned to ash, "Pet Sematary" would be one of the few picked. I've got memories with this movie, and I just genuinely think it's an amazing horror film. I also didn't mind the sequel, "Pet Sematary II", although it's nothing compared to the original.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Shout! Factory Collector's Edition NIGHT OF THE DEMONS blu-ray review

"Night of the Demons" is easily my favorite 80's horror film. I fell in love with this one the night I first watched it. It's scary, funny, has nudity and sex, some bad acting, and some gore and cool makeup FX. If that doesn't sum up the entire 80's era, I don't know what does. This movie is everything that made movies awesome then, balled up into a nice little terrifying package. So, when I had gotten the news that Shout! Factory were the ones to be releasing the blu-ray, I couldn't have been happier. Shout! has done incredible jobs on all of their releases, and I've found myself to be quite the addict when it comes to collecting their movies.
I couldn't have asked for anyone better to release this blu-ray.

Cover/packaging: Shout! Factory always provides the coolest covers you can imagine, and this one is no exception! Their artwork by Nathan Thomas Milliner always sums up the film with the cover, which makes the covers newer and cooler, yet done in a way to look old-school and retro. The slipcover is presented with his beautiful artwork, and the jewel case has a reversible cover where you can pick between the new cover or the original cover art of Angela holding the invitation. The artwork on this particular release is probably my favorite one to date. So no complaints from me on this front, other than the fact that I think Angela should have been front and center, and not Suzanne.

Picture quality: From the start you can see how crisp and restored the picture is. The colors are very rich and vibrant, and the clarity is amazing. This is by far the best way to view the film ever. The makeup FX are showcased better, and certain scenes really stand out as almost astoundingly crystal clear. Most notably, the scene where Angela and Suzanne are ripping off the convenience store is pristine. The overall quality is fantastic, and it's like watching the film all over again for the first time.
If you're like me, you still have a soft spot for VHS tapes and their quality, if only for nostalgia's stake. But, there's no denying the epicness of seeing a film you cherish updated to this kind of quality. Truly impressive.

Sound quality: The fact that this is a collector's edition and not some cheap hack copy just for the sake of releasing it on blu-ray, says it all. The sound is incredible! Now, it's hard for me to say whether or not it's perfect, but it's damn close. Crank this baby up and watch it with total clarity, it's amazing. The voices of the possessed, and the screams, and running is all amplified and updated very well. Again, I've got no complaints. I particularly noticed the sound in the scene where Angela is dancing. For some reason, even though I knew it was coming, I still got creeped out. Go figure.

Bonus features: I had previously owned the DVD version that's out of print now, and all of the features that were on it, are on this blu-ray plus tons more. It's a crazy feeling when the excitement you once felt for a film hits you again, and you have hours of bonus material to watch that you've never seen before. Needless to say, I've watched this blu-ray from back to front and didn't skip a thing.

For starters you get two (2) commentaries now. You get the same one that was on the DVD with director Kevin S. Tenney, executive producer Walter Josten, and producer Jeff Geoffray. And you get a new commentary with the director Kevin S. Tenney and actors, Cathy Podewell (Judy), Hal Havins (Stooge), Billy Gallo (Sal), and FX artist Steve Johnson. Both commentaries are informative and insightful and absolutely worth a watch.

Next there's some new interviews with director Kevin S. Tenney, writer/producer Joe Augustyn, and my favorite scream queen Linnea Quigley. I was surprised because most films that have two commentaries and a surplus of bonus stuff including interviews tend to become redundant and repetitive. Not the case with this blu-ray. All the information you hear on both the commentaries and interviews are fresh, and never gets boring or repetitive. So yes, watch them and learn!

There's also a promo reel, video trailer, theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots, still galleries, and more!

Final thoughts:  I really don't have a single bad thing to say about this release. As a huge fan of this film, I'm completely happy. Aside from wishing there was a statue or action figure of Angela included, there's nothing negative I can say. I'm a satisfied customer. If you have second thoughts about buying this, don't hesitate. With good packaging, picture, sound, and hours of bonus material, there's nothing to think twice about. Shout! Factory knocked another one out of the ballpark. 

5 out of 5 stars

Psycho Cop (1989)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 87 MINS
WRITTER(S)- WALLACE POTTS
STARRING- ROBERT R. SHAFER, JEFF QUALLE AND PALMER LEE TODD
DIRECTOR- WALLACE POTTS



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Six college students on their weekend vacation are humiliated and killed one by one by a psycho cop.




If you're a follower of this blog, then you know that a few weeks ago I reviewed the "Maniac Cop" trilogy. And the one thing that kept popping up is "Psycho Cop" and "Psycho Cop 2", however, I was in no rush to see them. Reason being that I already saw it as a copycat series, especially since the first film came out only a year after the first "Maniac Cop" film.

Speaking of which, just like "Maniac Cop" this film was harshly criticized by Police Interest Group. I find this funny, because I can see why they'd complain about these movies. On the other hand, I think these films are a wakeup call to a lot of unhonest cops out there who get away with things. No doubt that these films are extreme cases of police brutality, but they're driven by the "what if this really happened?" idea, due to how corrupt cops can be and what they can often slide by with.

Finally curiousity got the best of me, and I caved and watched it. Everybody knows that I'm an 80's horror child, I'm a sucker for it and can never get enough of it. This film being an 80's film, actually didn't do anything for me. I'm not hating it or bashing it, but I just didn't find the appeal in it.

It's a cheap little nasty without much story, it's just a bunch of college kids being killed off one after another, there's really nothing to it. That's a good thing and a bad thing, because looking at it from one perspective it's nothing more than a forgettable movie. One the other hand, it's an easy and fun watch. So rating this one isn't easy.

The deaths aren't anything that I haven't seen before, they're pretty generic and I don't think it's because it's a dated movie. I think that back in 1989 that there were way better effects and deaths in films that came before it, and after it.

Really, the best way to describe this film is to say that it's a sleazy murder movie that doesn't offer anything in the way of story or character developement. You just watch things happen and then the movie's over. I watched the film 2 or 3 days ago, and I can honestly say that I don't remember hardly anything about it! That happens a lot though, but what else can you expect when you redo what's already been done and done better than what you're doing? I feel like this movie was made just to make a horror film, I felt no real need for it at all with how it offered nothing new.

Once watching the film and talking about it amongst friends, I came to find out that a lot of people didn't like this movie. I also discovered that a lot of people love the sequel, so I watched that one, and the review will be coming soon.

Overall, I can't say that there was anything that I hated about this film, it was just kind of there, take it or leave it. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, and I wouldn't purchase it unless I got the sequel with it. If you're in the mood for a cheesy 80's flick with bad dialog and acting, than it's an easy watch. Otherwise, it's not worth the time of day.

In what was an attempt to cash in on "Maniac Cop", it fell far too short. Fun movie, but not a good one.

Trick or Treat (1986)

RATED-R

RUN TIME- 98 MINS

WRITER(S)- RHET TOPHAM, MICHAEL S. MURPHEY AND JOEL SOISSON 

STARRING- MARC PRICE, TONY FIELDS AND LISA ORGOLINI

DIRECTOR- CHARLES MARTIN SMITH

Synopsis taken from IMDb

Sammi Curr was a famous, devil-worshiping rock star who died under mysterious circumstances. Now he wants to come back to life. Doing so requires possessing radio wave and automobiles and making a few human sacrifices.

This is one of those films that I've been wanting to see for a long time. Regardless of how many movies I chip off of my "watch list", there's always some you forget. This is one of them. I know of it being a favorite amongst horror freaks, and considered a classic. So last week, I finally popped this film in and gave it a watch...

Back in 2006, Anchorbay was going to release this film on a special 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, but unfortunately encountered licensing issues with the films music. However, you can purchase the Platinum Disc Corporation's 2002 release on DVD, but it's almost impossible to find it for less than $35 due to it being out of print.

When the film opened it grossed $6, 797, 218 at the US box office and went over well mostly with fans of the genre. A year later it was released on VHS (how I watched it), the VHS is a lot cheaper and I find that watching VHS's to be somewhat charming on occasion due to the picture quality.

When 'Trick or Treat' started, I was getting that feeling of suspense and excitement. I knew this was going to be a movie that I liked. It instantly fell into the same category as 'Night of the Demons', only not as on point. Still, this film ended up being fun and very entertaining with a few scares. Mostly it was just an entertaining story. Like the aforementioned 'Night of the Demons', this film was the embodiment of what 80's horror is. 

If you're as big of a fan of 80's horror as me, this is a film that'll hit home.

This film has a big flaw that I think is obvious. However, I feel as though they didn't know what to do with Sammy Curr's (Tony Fields) character after the Halloween dance. It's easy to see that they had the film in control up until that point, then lost it and didn't know how exactly to kill Sammy off. Nonetheless, the last few minutes of the movie aren't enough to ruin it for me. I instantly became a fan!

I really liked the main character, Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price). He was sympathetic and easy to relate with. Marc Price is actually known from the 80's smash sitcom 'Family Ties' as geeky Erwin 'Skippy' Handleman.

I found this film to be very dark and gloomy, but with a lot of cheese and dark humor. In other words, it was a good combination of good things. It isn't overly slapstick, but like most 80's horror film, it's got it's fair share of humorous moments.

Tony Fields did a good job as Sammy Curr as well. I really liked his character, he's the rock star version of Mary Lou from the second 'Prom Night' film. He's very iconic and memorable, wardrobe and all. It's a shame that I've just gotten to see this film but, better late than never, right?

'Trick or Treat' is full of metal music and hair bands, and for its time, has some cool special effects. It's a very likable movie to any fan of the horror genre. And, of course it was awesome seeing Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne! Every year on Halloween, I watch all horror movies that take place on the holiday, and this year I'll be adding this film to that list, alongside 'Halloween', 'Trick 'r Treat', 'Night of the Demons' and some other classics. This film is a winner!

THIS FILM GETS 3 1/2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5 

Grimm Reviewz Remembers: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

I'm so excited to do this one! This is one I've been itching to do, and lets face it, anything about An American Werewolf in London will put a big ole smile on my face. 

This movie changed the face of horror cinema. It's an elite. Werewolf movies are always lagging, there's hardly ever any real good werewolf movies and this one hits it out of the park. It is amazing special effects, funny, scary, thrilling and satisfying.

This was one that was under my radar for far to long and when it surfaced I was telling friends and family about it. I was telling people to watch it and I went out and bought Innocent Blood (1992) when I found out that John Landis did that as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

An American Werewolf in London was actually filmed in sequence, the opening scenes filmed first and the closing scenes filmed last.

John Landis said that he often hears that people think it's a comedy and although the movie has alot of good humor, it isn't a comedy by far. It is however a monumental movie in the werewolf genre, it planted it's flag and claimed the territory. And it's kept it ever since. 

I remember hearing "Blue Moon" playing and the overlook of some beautiful scenery. We see a old truck transporting sheep stop and open the back of the truck to let out 2 young american males. Jack and David. They're best friends touring the world together and you instantly love their characters and their friendship. It all changes however, when they enter a small pub called The Slaughtered Lamb to be greeted by a group of fishy looking rude Englishmen. 

FILM QUOTE

JACK: NOW, I'M REALLY SORRY TO BE UPSETTING YOU, BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU.

DAVID: WARN ME?

JACK: WE WERE ATTACKED BY A WEREWOLF.

DAVID: [PUTTING HIS HANDS OVER HIS EARS] I'M NOT LISTENING TO THIS!

JACK: ON THE MOORS, WE WERE ATTACKED BY A LYCANTHROPE, A WEREWOLF. I WAS MURDERED, AN UNNATURAL DEATH, AND NOW I WALK THE EARTH IN LIMBO UNTIL THE WEREWOLF CURSE IS LIFTED.

DAVID: SHUT UP!

JACK: THE WOLF'S BLOODLINE MUST BE SEVERED; THE LAST REMAINING WEREWOLF MUST BE DESTROYED. IT'S YOU, DAVID.

I remember when I first heard the wolf's howl as David and Jack are leaving The Slaughter'd Lamb, I was terrified. This wolf's howl seemed so much more savage and vicious than any other howl I ever heard from a werewolf. There was some aggression and and savagery in that howl and a little bit of what sounded to be pain. The pain of having that curse, the pain of being damned.

The attack was just as horrendous. The wolf tears Jack apart, poor guy. But he makes a better zombie, and you'll find that out more as you watch the film. I thought what they did to Jack was brilliant and a perfect use for his funny and sarcastic personality. 

One reason I like this scene alot is because David runs instead of helping Jack at first. He totally takes off leaving Jack to be dog food. He has a change of heart and comes back to the rescue only to be scratched by the wolf himself. The damage to Jack was already done. I like that David ran. It was a real reaction and emotion, that's why it's impactful  to me.

DID YOU KNOW?

ALL SONGS IN THIS FILM HAVE THE WORD "MOON" IN THEIR TITLES.

The impact that scene had on me was severe. I was terrified of this wolf and more than anything I wanted to see what it looked like. Funny thing, John Landis said that he thinks he showed the wolf too much in the final edit of the film. He said he would have cut some of the wolf out. I however, think the wolf wasn't overused at all. I think they show the wolf enough, I wouldn't say they should cut any of the wolf's footage out.

David waking up in the hospital after a ridiculous amount of sleep and finding out that his pal Jack is dead and that the police reports say it was a "mad man" who attacked he and David. David detests this but its disregarded due to his lack of memory and state of mind.

You instantly see the attraction between David and the Nurse and the whole time thinking how bad this is going to go if he pursues her as a girlfriend. And at the same time wanting him to do it so you can see what happens when he turns into a werewolf.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: HOW COULD THERE HAVE BEEN WITNESSES? IT WAS SO DARK. WE WERE RUNNING AND I FELL AND JACK WENT TO HELP ME UP, AND THIS THING CAME FROM NOWHERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

As David stays in the hospital we start to see David and Nurse Price acting out their attraction with silly flirting and laughs. They both sense something's there and aren't hiding from it.

I remember seeing David going to the market with Nurse Price and seeing how "carefully" she lived on her budget and with the prices of food being outrageous. I know how she feel's I've been there. But more importantly, she's bringing a werewolf home with her...

DID YOU KNOW?

AT THE CLOSE OF THE CREDITS IS A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR THE WEDDING OF PRINCE CHARLES AND PRINCESS DIANNA (AS LADY DIANA SPENCER). IT WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE DURING THE SCENE WHEN DAVID IS TRYING TO GET ARRESTED, HE SHOUTS, "PRINCE CHARLES IS GAY!" THE FILM WAS SHOT MONTHS BEFORE THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE COUPLE'S JULY 1981 WEDDING. 

  

After David and Miss Price make love, David gets up to take a leak and sees his good ol' pal Jack for the second time (the first being when David's in the hospital). And Jack brings doom in his words, warning david not to do anything stupid and that he's going to turn soon. A full moon is coming. David disregards Jack again and goes on about life, thinking he's going crazy for seeing such morbid visions.

What got me right away was how every time you see Jack, he is more decomposed than the last time you saw him. Becoming more rotted and weathered. I thought that was a brilliant touch.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: IT'S A FULL MOON...

JACK, DAVID: [REMEMBERING THE WARING THEY RECEIVED] BEWARE THE MOON...

DAVID: AND STICK TO THE ROAD. OOPS.

JACK: I VOTE WE GO BACK TO THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB.

I remember how antsy I was to see David turn. We all knew it was coming. We the viewer knew Jack's word's were true. It was David who didn't listen. 

The whole scene was suspenseful and brilliant. Even though CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" was playing as background music to David being bored all day while Miss Price was at work, I wasn't being fooled. I knew this was the calm before the storm.

Finally after finding nothing to eat (he's not hungry all day), and there's nothing on TV, David decides to read a book to pass the time. Meanwhile some clouds move revealing a full moon.

DID YOU KNOW?

JOHN LANDIS ORIGINALLY WANTED THREE OTHER SONGS ADDED TO THE SOUNDTRACK: CAT STEVENS WOULDN'T ALLOW "MOONSHADOW" TO BE USED BECAUSE HE STOPPED ALLOWING HIS SECULAR MUSIC TO BE LICENSED FOR FILMS FOLLOWING HIS CONVERSION TO ISLAM; BOB DYLAN WOULDN'T ALLOW HIS VERSION OF "BLUE MOON" TO BE USED IN AN R RATED FILM, AS HE HAD JUST BEGUN HIS BRIEF CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY; AND ELVIS PRESLEY'S VERSION OF " BLUE MOON" PROVED UNAVAILABLE DUE TO THE ONGOING LAWSUITS INVOLVING HIS ESTATE. 

The transformation scene was incredible, I even heard that the latex used in the scene showing his muzzle grow only lasted a few minutes due to how stretched it was, but it lasted long enough to shoot the scene. And that's what counts.

It was shot so painfully, you felt for David, watching his body morph and he has no control. Just an abundance of pain and suffering. They way you hear bones cracking, popping and tendons stretching. All while he screams for mercy in the background. This reminds you that although werewolf's may be cool, it ain't easy being one and you certainly don't want to be one. If werewolf's were real there'd be no way around a painful transformation.

By far the best shot and well done transformation scene ever. As well as most painful. They nailed this scene. This scene will forever echo in the horror vault of memorable film moments.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: HAVE YOU TRIED TALKING TO A CORPSE? IT'S BORING. 

You still barely see the wolf at this point and after such an amazing scene you want to be satisfied with finally viewing the monstrosity. But John Landis doesn't let you in that easily. What's he do? He waits until David attacks some people to show you the wolf in it's entirety, which is ingenious. And what a way to make an impact when you show it in an attack scene. 

The Kessler Wolf is the finest werewolf design ever made until recently, and I honestly think it still may be the best. It looks like a wolf, but it isn't a Twilight or True Blood wolf where they cheap out and give you basic wolves. And it wasn't a wolf-man. It doesn't stand on it's back legs and walk like a man. It doesn't movie like a man either, it's something new. It's a ferocious beast and is terribly vicious.

 I was so scared for the fellow at the subway station. Putting myself in those shoes. Being chased by your lonesome by a beast of unknown origin that's growl and posture made it clear to you that you're dinner. Terrifying. 

DID YOU KNOW?

JOHN LANDIS WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR THIS FILM WHILE HE WAS A GOFER ON THE KELLY'S HEROS SHOOT.

After he awakens the next day in a zoo naked, David feels great! He's energetic and rejuvenated. But when he finds out that there was some brutal animal attacks last night he puts 2 and 2 together and realizes that the animal who savagely murdered innocent people was him, and that Jack's words were really words he should have listened to.

David then freaks out and takes off, leaving Miss Price  and goes to call home to say goodbye to his family. He's decided to end his life.

He then sees Jack walk into a porno theater viewing a film called "See You Next Tuesday" and follows Jack in. They get a seat in the back and have a talk discussion what went on last night. This is the coolest look for Jack,  because at this point he's so decomposed you can see his skull through his skin. This was done by puppet because when doing make-up it's easy to add to something. But taking away and making someone look like a corpse is easier to execute with puppeteering.

FILM QUOTE

LITTLE BOY: A NAKED AMERICAN MAN STOLE MY BALLOONS.

David and Jack aren't alone in the porno theater. They're joined by David's dinner from last night. All of them telling him to end his life and let them free of limbo. They aren't exactly polite but I can't say I would be either.

David then turns again when the full moon arises and he's in the middle of the theater. This is my 2ND favorite scene in the movie after the transformation scene. There's so much chaos and destruction and death. People killing other people in car crashes piling up due to the wolf prowling the streets. The body count rises.

Once Miss Price remembers a thing David said to her, "I think only someone you love can kill you", she comes to the scene to see if she can confront the beast and save David.

DID YOU KNOW?

THIS IS THE FIRST FILM TO WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST MAKEUP. THAT CATEGORY WAS CREATED IN 1981.

The ending to this film was sad and tragic, as well as good for a laugh. With the music that plays at the end giving you a little reprieve from such a dark ending. This film truly evokes every emotion from you. It's a masterpiece for the ages and the measuring stick in which all other werewolf films are compared. And it is my favorite werewolf film of all-time.

COMING NEXT MONTH!!!

GRIMM REVIEWZ REMEMBERS: HALLOWEEN (1978)

The Beyond (1981)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 87 MINS
WRITERS- DARDANO SACCHETTI, GIORGIO MARIUZZO AND LUCIO FULCI
STARRING- CATRIONA MACCOLL, DAVID WARBECK AND CINZIA MONREALE
DIRECTOR- LUCIO FULCI


Synopsis taken from IMDb
A cellar of an old hotel is built on top of the door to the beyond. Bloody zombies roam there. A young woman who is heir of the hotel wants to restaurate it. She is confronted with strange events. A painter has a lethal fall, a plumber vanishes and her friend breaks his neck. When she escapes to the hospital of a friendly doctor she doesn't know what a nightmare is waiting there.



Here I am again after watching yet again another Fulci classic. This was one I've heard of my whole life but it slipped through the cracks and was forgotten. Until I made my post on head shots and saw the scene from The Beyond. That put this movie back at the top of my list.

The movie starts of with a violent and brutal death, very gory as well. So I was hooked right away.

The make-up in this movie was well done for the time, and isn't anything I haven't come to expect from Fulci.

The blind eyes were probably the creepiest part for me, it reminded me alot of The Sentinel (1977) and the old priest sitting in the window. White eyes always creep me out, especially on women. And in this film it truly added a haunting feeling to the characters who had these.

There was alot to this movie that I didn't understand, including the ending. I don't give away spoilers but let's just say that if you don't understand it you aren't alone.

The zombies in this film were the slow retro type that us horror lovers have come to love. I personally prefer faster zombies because I find it scarier when a zombie chases you rather than be left in your dust trail. But I'm not knocking the slow zombies, they're OG, so they win whenever they're in anything.

Like all Fulci movies, the gore and deaths in this movie were awesome! Brutal as hell. One thing you're getting into with every one of his films is a nice bloodbath/gore-fest. If you haven't come to expect this by now then you don't know Fulci.

I think Fulci's films are more notorious for being brutal and controversial due to being some gruesome. I believe that is why he's been such a success in the horror genre. While most of his movies aren't very good, they're forgivable because all in all it's a really bloody slaughterfest that's entertaining and fun to watch.

And last but not least the head shot scene in this movie is jaw dropping as I've said before. The little red headed girl takes a pistol blast straight to her little possessed brain. Horrifying stuff.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4

Grimm Reviewz Remembers: Night Of The Demons (1988)

Night Of The Demons is one of the greatest 80's horror films made, to me, it's at the top of the list of best 80's movies when you think back on it. This movie was the pure definition of that particular era, it is everything about 80's horror we love inside one scary little box.

It has bad acting, an annoying cast of misfits, cheese, gore, lots of bloody awesome gore and it's entertaining as hell and one hell of a watch. The scares are top notch and the entertainment value is on the same level. If you're a fan of the genre in that time period then you're conditioned to alot of the things mentioned above, and you more than likely feel the same way about another movie or several.

Night Of The Demons tells the story of two girls, Angela and Suzanne who are throwing a Halloween party in the local haunted house. Supposedly the house belonged to a family using the home as their business, a funeral home, and they were practicing Satanism. They all died in a car crash. But something goes wrong when the group of misfits and troublemakers find the house to be holding an evil presence from the previous family. And one by one they begin to become picked off...and possessed! From there on it's a fight for survival.

Stooge: Ang, you can't really believe this place is possessed.
Sal: Nah, just repossessed!

I remember when I first saw the film the part that scared me the most was definitely seeing Angela turn for the first time. She was scary looking! I remember being over my neighbors house when I was a small child and they owned a copy on VHS, and I remember seeing Angela on the cover and it scared the hell out of me! I swore to never watch that movie after that. But that of course is before I grew up and could watch all the horror films I want.

It's crazy thinking how a movie can have that effect on you at such a young age and yet it ends up becoming one of your favorite movies in the genre. Same thing happened to me with The Evil Dead.

I think the most suspenseful part for me was when you knew Angela had become possessed and she's dancing in the strobe light. The anticipation was nail biting. I had to look away a few times trying to avoid being startled by a sudden movement or action causing me to jump.

DID YOU KNOW?

LINNEA QUIGLEY HAD TO COME IN AND PRACTICE EYE GOUGING

The cast in this movie was undoubtedly annoying, but they were a fun cast and even if they did get on your nerves they still gave you plenty of laughs. And you still cared for them, knowing the grave night that was ahead of them wasn't deserving.

And the opening scene was amazing and totally struck a chord to the inner kid in me, instantly showing me that this movie was going to be fun and enjoyable. I also loved the theme.

DID YOU KNOW?

PRODUCED FOR A VERY MODEST 1.2 MILLION, THE FILM RAKED IN OUTRAGEOUSLY LARGE GROSSES IN ITS LIMITED RELEASE. DEBUTING IN DETROIT, IT HIT NEW YORK CITY AT THANKSGIVING AND EARNED 3.109M, HOLDING SCREENS UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.

How could you help but not hate Stooge but turn around and laugh at him the next. I knew this dude was trouble and he proved me right. I remember him turning into his demon form the first time and it startled me. He made such a nasty looking demon and you knew he was a dirty, gritty character, and that's never good in a demon movie.

Stooge: Festering ****wads! You cannot take this bitch anywhere, man.

DID YOU KNOW?

HAD THE FILM OPENED NATIONWIDE WITH THE NUMBERS IT EARNED IN DETROIT, IT WAS PROJECTED TO HAVE EARNED $13 MILLION DOMESTICALLY IN ITS OPENING WEEKEND- WHICH WOULD HAVE RANKED IT AMONGST THE TOP GROSSING HORROR FILMS OF ITS DECADE.

The old man in the film that we see in the beginning ended up playing out brilliantly! And his closing scene was a great salute to fans of the genre, not only ending on a high note, but making it bloody and demented. Satisfying the horror fan in us. It was particularly good to me because I didn't see him playing a part in the movie as he did. Good stuff.

Now lets get to the most memorable scene in the movie- the lipstick scene. WOW. No one saw this coming and it was especially impact-full because the effects were so damn good! It looked real. Totally shocking and brilliant scene. It was one of those scenes where you go out of the movie talking about it.

Suzanne (Linnea Quigley) uses her lipstick in the proper way- on her lips to 'freshen up'. She then shoves the lipstick into her boob. Right dead center in the nipple. And like I said, it looked very real.

DID YOU KNOW?

LINNEA QUIGLEY (SUZANNE) AND SPECIAL EFFECTS ARTIST STEVE JOHNSON MET WHEN SHE CAME IN TO GET THE MOLD FOR HER FAKE BREASTS FROM. THEY WERE LATER MARRIED.

Angela: Blessed be the sinners, for the day of atonement is at hand.

Sal: Say what?

I remember the ending of Angela's party when daylight arises and I loved it. I thought it was so scary seeing these dead friends/ possessed friends coming at you and wanting you dead. Being only two survivors of the movie, you know so serious crap went down. I loved seeing the demons turn to fog and disappear. It was a simple trick but was done tactfully and not cheesy.

The gore in this movie was top-notch and lovable to any fan of the genre. They were very well done, and the possessed looked scary as all hell. Like I mentioned earlier, Angela scared me as a child and that's why it took me so long to see the movie. The most memorable is the eye gouging scene. It looked unbelievably painful.

Angela: Oh don't tell me you're leaving? Sal wanted to go...but he decided to stick around! 

[shot of Sal with a wooden stake through his heart]

DID YOU KNOW?

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS WAS SHOT IN 4 WEEKS

Angela: [shouts] Come on! Your face looks fine. I have never seen anyone spend so much time in a mirror!

Suzanne: Relax! I just wanna look good for the boys. You did remember to invite some cute boys to the party I hope.

Angela: Of course I did, and we're gonna scare the sh*t out of them.

In conclusion I'd like to encourage anyone viewing my page to see this movie for their own sake. If you love horror and love 80s horror then do it. You can't go wrong. You'll enjoy it. If you don't find it scary you'll find it funny, if you don't find it funny you'll find it scary. It's entertaining and a true underrated gem.

Night Of The Demons was one of the last horror movies of the 80s and it reminded us by slapping us in the face with everything we love from that era and genre in one fun, gory and extraordinary horror film dedicated to fans like us. For those of us who get it, we love it.

This movie is cemented as one of my all-time favorites and frequently comes up in almost any horror conversation I have. I could watch it over and over. 

I later heard that there was a 6" cardboard stand-up that was made available for fans of the movie when the movie was released. I wish I had one of those...I may hunt one down and get it for the mancave.

Coming Next Month

Grimm Reviewz Remembers