Category: Horror

“Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces” (2000) / Z-View

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Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000)

Director: Kevin Brownlow

Stars:  Lon Chaney, Kenneth Branagh, Forrest J. Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Lon Chaney Jr., Jackie Coogan and Orson Welles.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Lon Chaney, “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” was the child of deaf parents.  At the age of 19, Chaney, went on the road playing in vaudeville and theater acts.

At 22, Lon Chaney married Cleva Creighton, a sixteen year old singer.  The troubled marriage produced one son and lasted eight years.  It ended when his wife attempted suicide.  A scandal followed and Lon Chaney left theater for motion pictures.

For several years Lon Chaney made his living playing bit parts for Universal.  Chaney did his own make-up and was adept at transforming his look into whatever character he was to play.  In 1919, Lon Chaney got the role that made him a star in The Miracle Man.  Bigger and better roles followed.

Chaney became famous for his ability to disappear into a character.  Whether he was playing a double amputee (The Penalty), an armless knife-thrower (The Unknown), a deformed hunchback (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), a little old lady (The Unholy Three), a horrifying skull-faced psycho (The Phantom of the Opera), or any of the other roles he took on, audiences were thrilled.  Despite his characters physical and moral failings, Chaney brought a sense of humanity to each.

At the height of his stardom, Lon Chaney developed lung cancer and died shortly after being diagnosed.  The man died.  His legend lives on.

This is his story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lon Chaney is my favorite silent movie star.  Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces is an excellent documentary well worth your time.

Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Dawn of the Dead” Alt Poster by Garreth Gibson!

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George Romero’s follow-up to his classic Night of the Living Dead is of course, Dawn of the Dead.  While I prefer the original, many folks think Dawn is the best of Romero’s zombie films.  Who am I to argue?

Dawn of the Dead alt poster by Garreth Gibson.

” Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them.  It gets up and kills! The people it kills get up and kill!” – Dr. Foster

“Beetlejuice” (1988) starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin / Z-View

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Beetlejuice (1988)

Director:  Tim Burton

Screenplay:  Michael McDowell, Warren Skaaren; story by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson

Stars:  Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Glenn Shadix.

Tagline: In This House… If You’ve Seen One Ghost… You Haven’t Seen Them All.

The Plot…

Adam and Barbara Maitland are almost home when they swerve to avoid hitting a dog.  Their car goes over a bridge and into the river.

When Adam and Barbara wake up they’re home.

And dead.

Adam and Barbara are now ghosts in their country home.  When their house is sold, the new owners are a New York real estate developer, his wife who considers herself an artist and their goth daughter.

Adam and Barbara hate changes made to the house by the new owners.  So they decide to scare the new family into moving. That doesn’t work so Adam and Barbara decide they’ll move on.  But because of afterlife red tape and bureaucracy,  Adam and Barbara can’t leave their former house for 125 years.  The afterlife is like nothing they could have imagined.

Adam and Barbara learn about Betelgeuse, a self-proclaimed bio-exorcist.  Despite warnings that Betlegeuse is a rude, crude, spirit that cannot be trusted, Adam and Barbara decide to ask for his help.

Be careful what you ask for… you just might get it.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Beetlejuice was nominated and won one Academy Award for Best Make-up – Ve Neill, Steve LaPorte, and Robert Short.

Catherine O’Hara met her future husband, Bo Welch who was production designer for Beetlejuice, during filming.

Tim Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. to play Beetlejuice.  The studio wouldn’t agree.

Sylvia Sidney plays a smoking ghost with a hole in her throat through which she exhales smoke. Sadly Ms. Sidney died from throat cancer at the age of 88.

Geena Davis is so cute in this film.

Michael Keaton is perfect as Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice (1988) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Backrooms” (2026) directed by Kane Parsons, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve and Mark Duplass / Z-Views

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Backrooms (2026)

Director: Kane Parsons

Screenplay:  Will Soodik; based on Backrooms by Kane Parsons

Stars:  Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell.

Tagline: See how far it goes.

The Plot…

Clark wanted to be an architect.  Instead he owns a struggling furniture superstore.  He’s in a failing marriage and drinks too much.  Things at home are so rough, Clark’s moved into the basement of his store.

Late one night the power begins to flicker.  Clark sees a light coming from a wall.  When he moves over to check it out, he goes through the wall.  On the other side Clark discovers a maze of backrooms that appear to go on forever.

Clark decides to investigate, only to discover too late, he’s not alone.  And whatever is down there has bad intentions… and is searching for him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Backrooms began as an anthology of video segments uploaded by Kane Parsons to Youtube.  Due to the popularity of the series several movie studios expressed interest in a feature film adaptation.

To create Backrooms 30,000 square feet of maze were built.

With Backrooms release, Kane Parsons became the youngest person to direct a film to open at #1 at the box office.  He was just 20 years old.

Backrooms reminds me of an extended episode of The Twilight Zone.  I just wish Backrooms had a stronger ending.

Backrooms (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Dracula vs The Creature from the Black Lagoon by Roy Chang!

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Man, sometimes art can take me back to my childhood.  This piece by Roy Chang does that.  Staying up late on weekends to watch horror movies hosted by Sammy Terry.  Of course when my friends and I got together, talk would turn to the best monsters and who would when if they ever met up.  This art reminded me of those days.

Ah, but I digress.

Chang posted this piece on his Instagram page.  (You should follow him!)  A fan requested the team-up (What an awesome idea!) as part of this year’s Cartoon Art Museum fundraiser.  Chang came through with a winner!

CRONE by Keith Rosson / Z-View

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CRONE by Keith Rosson

First sentences…

The van is blue.

Okay, Hannah thinks the van is blue, with the rain beading her glasses, and the way, even in the best of times, that nighttime diminishes her vision, presses everything into vague smears of flattened color, it’s hard to tell.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Eli Lamp used to be a respected police detective.  But that was years ago.  Before his wife died in childbirth.  Before he began drinking too much.  Before he started using.  Before he lost his job.

Eli loved his daughter Hannah, but his parenting sucked.  Then when Hannah was fifteen, walking home at night from a party with a friend, she got into a van… and was never seen again.

That was thirteen years ago.

Eli spent every penny he had in his search for Hannah.  But it was his run-in with the Brother Night motorcycle gang that cost Eli the most. Dave Novak, the leader of a rival gang, the  Crooked Wheel motorcycle gang helped Eli.  Now to pay off his debt Eli works as an enforcer and bag man for Novak.  Eli busts heads, makes the weekly drop to the corrupt Sheriff and whatever else Novak needs done.

When Novak’s grown son is found brutally murdered with his body mutilated, Novak wants revenge.  He orders Eli to use his detective skills to find the killer.  Eli reluctantly agrees when Novak says Eli’s debt will be cancelled if he finds the killer.

Eli’s investigation leads to Avery Bryant.  Avery was his daughter Hannah’s best friend.  As Eli digs deeper, he uncovers a conspiracy that goes back decades.  It may provide the key to his daughter’s disappearance and something that defies rationale explanation.

+++

Keith Rosson is a relatively new author to me.  Earlier this year I read his FEVER HOUSE, followed it with the sequel DEVIL BY NAME and now CRONE.  Each book has been a winner.  His other books are now on my to be read list.  If you haven’t already, consider giving him a look.

Rating:

“War of the Worlds” (2005) directed by Stephen Spielberg; starring Tom Cruise / Z-View

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War of the Worlds (2005)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Screenplay:  Josh Friedman, David Koepp; based on THE WAR OF THE WORLDS by H.G. Wells

Stars:  Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins and Gene Barry, Ann Robinson.

Tagline: They’re already here.

The Plot…

Ray Ferrier is divorced and has his kids for the weekend.  Robbie is sixteen.  Rachel is ten.  Ray’s not been a good father.    He hardly knows his children.

When an alien invasion starts, Ray hits the road with Robbie and Rachel.

The nightmare has just begun.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

War of the Worlds was nominated for three Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Achievement in Visual Effects – Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randal M. Dutra, Daniel Sudick
  • Nominee for Best Achievement in Sound Editing – Richard King
  • Nominee for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ron Judkins

The original War of the Worlds film is a five-star classic.  It starred Gene Barry and Ann Robbinson, who appear in the final scene of Spielberg’s remake.  The remake was Barry’s final feature film appearance.

There are so many jaw-dropping and terrifying scenes.

Like some many apocalyptic movies, the humans can be as dangerous as the terrors (aliens, zombies, etc.) being faced.

Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is also a classic.  It gets better with each viewing.

War of the Worlds (2005) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Extinction” (2015) starring Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan and Quinn McColgan / Z-View

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Extinction (2015)

Director:  Miguel Ángel Vivas

Screenplay:  Alberto Marini, Miguel Ángel Vivas; based on Y pese a todo by Juan de Dios Garduño

Stars:  Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan

Tagline: When the undead can evolve…no one is safe.

The Plot…

The zombie apocalypse came.  Jack, his pregnant wife Emma and their friend Patrick were part of a two bus caravan trying to get to a safe zone.  When the convoy was overrun by zombies, Emma was bitten.  The baby was saved, but Emma died.

Jack and Patrick and baby Lu found refuge in a small remote deserted town.

Nine years passed.  The climate changed.  Now it is perpetual winter.

Jack and Lu live in a house with boarded windows and security fencing.  Patrick lives next door with his dog.  Jack and Patrick are no longer friends and they rarely interact.  Although they haven’t seen other people or zombies for years, Lu is safer with both men close.

They believe the zombies died off due to the cold.  They’re soon to find out, they didn’t die out… they evolved.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Extinction’s opening is awesome.  It’s everything you’d want. Quick concise character developement, tension, suspense and horror.   It then becomes more of a character study until the end when we get the zombie attack we’ve been waiting for.

Extinction (2015) rates 3 of 5 stars.