Category: Horror

“Hot Water” (1924) Starring Harold Lloyd / Z-View

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Hot Water (1924)

Director:  Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor

Screenplay:  Thomas J. Gray, Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan, John Grey

Stars:  Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Josephine Crowell, Charles Stevenson and Mickey McBan. 

Tagline:  A cyclonic comedy of newlyweds and meddling relatives!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Hubby (Lloyd) is a confirmed bachelor who cannot understand someone wanting to get married.  In his dash to get to a wedding on time, Hubby knocks down a woman (Ralston).  As he helps her to her feet, their eyes meet… and the next thing you know they’re married.  What follows are three vignettes of Hubby’s married life.

As Hubby heads home from work, Wifey asks him to pick up a “few” things from the store. While at the store Hubby wins a live turkey.  Hubby has a tough time making it to the trolley and home with more groceries than he can carry and a live turkey!

When Hubby’s mother-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew show up unexpectedly, Hubby decides to take them for a ride in his new car.  Runs-ins with other autos and the police are just part of the fun.

The third episode involves his sleepwalking mother-in-law, a potential murder and possible ghosts!

The segments were hit and miss for me.  I liked the third episode the best.

Hot Water earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Invisible Ghost” (1941) Starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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Invisible Ghost (1941)

Director:  Joseph H. Lewis

Screenplay:  Al Martin, Helen Martin

Stars:  Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, John McGuire and Clarence Muse, Laurence Criner and Emil Van Horn

Tagline:  THE PHANTOM KILLER STRIKES! Only a terrified woman knows the secret of this ghostly murderer…who strikes in the night and leaves no clues—but his victims!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Dr. Charles Kessler (Lugosi) hasn’t been the same since his wife left him several years ago.  Kessler hasn’t seen or heard from her since.  His grown daughter, Virginia (Young) and Evans (Muse) their butler accommodate Dr. Kessler’s  eccentricities.  When one of the Kessler’s servants is killed, Virginia’s fiancée Ralph Dickson (McGuire) is arrested, tried, sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair!

Soon Ralph’s twin brother, Paul shows up.  He doesn’t believe that Ralph could have committed the murder… but if  Ralph didn’t, who did?  As Paul, Dr. Kessler and Virginia follow the clues, they get closer to the unbelievable truth that could get them all killed!

Surprisingly, Invisible Ghost features no one that’s invisible and not a single ghost.  Perhaps the title is evidence to how much thought was put into the story.  Bela Lugosi deserved better… and so did poor Ralph.

Invisible Ghost earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Firestarter” (2022) / Z-View

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Firestarter (2022)

Director:  Keith Thomas

Screenplay:  Scott Teems based on Firestarter by Stephen King

Stars: Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, Kurtwood Smith and John Beasley

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Andy McGee (Efron), his wife Vicky (Lemmon) and their daughter Charlie (Armstrong) are living off the grid.  Andy and Vicky were part of an experimental drug test conducted by a secret government organization.  Andy gained telepathic powers, and Vicky developed telekinesis. Charlie was born with the ability to cause objects to burst into flame. Her ability is becoming more powerful and Charlie hasn’t yet learned to control it.  The organization is looking for them to take advantage of their powers.

When Charlie is bullied at school, she runs to the bathroom in an attempt to control the fire she feels coming.  Her rage at being picked on causes a flame burst that school officials think was a small explosion set off by Charlie.  This incident brings Charlie and her family to the attention of the secret government agency.  They send Rainbird (Greyeyes), to bring back the girl even if it means killing her parents.  Things are about to heat up…

Firestarter (2022) doesn’t hold a candle to the 1984 version.  Before Andy uses his telepathic powers he does an exaggerated neck crack which just comes off as silly.  Charlie is made less sympathetic when she accidentally unleashes her fire burst and roasts a cat.  We see the cat badly burned and then Charlie is told to put it out of it’s misery, so she lights the cat up again.  We hear a final cry from the cat.  Charlie accidentally sets her mom on fire and then later tells her dad, “I meant it to be you.”  The movie ends — big spoiler alert — with Charlie willingly going off with Rainbird, the man who brutally killed her mother, captured her father which lead to his death, and forced Charlie to kill many folks who worked for the organization.

Usually movies I watch all the way through earn at least a two star rating.  Sadly, Firestarter (2022) doesn’t.

Firestarter earns 1 of 5 stars.

How to Survive Being Buried Alive!

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Although our focus is usually on entertainment, from time to time I like to include something that might be more useful than the latest preview or review.  So, for the roughnecks among us who run with tough crowds, I give you…

Source:  Eric Beetner. (If you enjoy great crime fiction, then you probably already know Eric Beetner… but if you don’t know, well, now you know.)

“War of the Dead” aka “Stone’s War” (2011) / Z-View

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War of the Dead aka Stone’s War (2011)

Director:  Marko Mäkilaakso

Screenplay:  Marko Mäkilaakso, Barr B. Potter

Stars: Andrew Tiernan

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

In 1941, during World War II, US Captain Martin Stone (Tiernan) is leading a squad of American and Finnish soldiers when they are attacked by the living dead.

I love a good zombie movie.  World War II and Nazi zombies provides a lot of potential.  Unfortunately War of the Dead just wasn’t for me.  Little character development, bad/shaky camera-work and poor special effects wore me down.  I made it about 30 minutes before tapping out.

War of the Dead earns 1 of 5 stars.

“The 13th Warrior” (1999) directed by John McTiernan & Michael Crichton, starring Antonio Banderas / Z-View

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The 13th Warrior (1999)

Director:  John McTiernan, Michael Crichton (reshoots)

Screenplay:  William Wisher, Jr., Warren Lewis based on Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

Stars: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhøi, Vladimir Kulich, Omar Sharif, Tony Curran, Clive Russell and Erick Avari

Tagline: Fear reigns.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan is a poet accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle until his affair with a rich man’s wife brings him unfavorable attention from the sultan.  Sent as ambassador to the Northland, Fahdlan encounters a band of Vikings.  During the evening celebration, a message arrives requesting the Vikings’ aide at a Northern Kingdom.  Inhuman beings are attacking and killing even their best warriors.  The things come at night with the mist and appear to be bear-men.

The Vikings ask their shawman to read the bones.  She says the Vikings will be successful if they send 13 warriors… but one must not be a Norseman!  Fahdlan is reluctantly recruited.

When the 13 warriors arrive, they discover that there are truly bear-men creatures coming with the mist. They kill and eat the men and women of the Kingdom.  As the village prepares for an attack, Fahdlan says to one of the Vikings, “But I am not a warrior.”  The Viking’s response: “Very soon you will be.”

Thoughts…

Michael Crichton, the author of the source novel, was the uncredited director of film reshoots.

John McTiernan was the director when the movie was originally titled Eaters of the Dead. Graeme Revell composed a complete original score for the film. Test screenings reviews were terrible.  Michael Crichton was brought in to reshape and shoot additional scenes. Revell’s  score was discarded. Jerry Goldsmith was brought in to create a new score for the film now titled The 13th Warrior.

I absolutely love The 13th Warrior.  It has a great blend of action/horror with just the right amount of comedic moments.

Banderas is perfect as the lover/poet who finds himself among Viking barbarians.  His disgust for them matches their disdain for him.  Yet, as they get to know each other a mutual respect forms.

The bear-men are terrifying.  There are so many great scenes in this film.  The tension mounts as Vikings die and the bear-men seem unbeatable.  And don’t get me started on how creepy their Queen is.

I’ve watched The 13th Warrior many times and look forward to more viewings.

One of the Viking ships used in The 13th Warrior is now part of a playground in the Norwegian pavilion at the  EPCOT in Orlando, Florida.,

The 13th Warrior earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Werewolf by Night” (2022) Directed by  Michael Giacchino / Z-View

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Werewolf by Night (2022)

Directors:  Michael Giacchino

Screenplay:  Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron

Stars:  Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, Daniel J. Watts, Carey Jones and David Silverman

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Five of the best monster hunters alive will participate in a contest to determine the leader of all monster hunters now that Ulysses Bloodstone has died.  The winner will gain the “leader” title, and also the power of the Bloodstone gem.  Surprisingly,  Elsa Bloodstone (Donnelly), Ulysses estranged daughter,  shows up to take part in the contest.  Elsa’s stepmother, Verussa (Harris) warns Elsa against participating, but Elsa refuses to stand down.  It is obvious that there is bad blood between them.

The hunters will all enter a maze to fight each other and a monster that has been set loose in the labyrinth. The hunter that kills the creature wins the contest.  Only Verussa knows the kind of monster that lurks in the maze, but not even she knows which of the hunters is hiding a secret!

Werewolf by Night is a love letter to the classic Universal monsters.  Hats off to director, Michael Giacchino who is best known as a music composer for television and feature films (with over 150 credits on his resume).  After his efforts on Werewolf by Night music may go to the back burner.  Giacchino has great instincts and knows how to create a film that hits, pardon the expression, all the right notes.  Werewolf by Night is moody, full of atmosphere, interesting characters and tension relieved with just the right amount of comedy.

Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, the screenwriters, were smart to write a modern film with an old school feel.  The film is in black and white which adds to the experience that we’re watching a classic horror film.  The werewolf looks, moves and acts like a man-beast and not a man in a werewolf costume.  I loved Werewolf by Night.  It seems like everyone does.  Werewolf by Night currently has a 7.6/10 rating on IMDb; Rotten Tomatoes shows a rating of 92% with reviewers and 94% with audiences.  As for me…

Werewolf by Night earns 5 of 5 stars.

“The Lodger” (1927) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View

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The Lodger (1927)

Directors:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay:  Eliot Stannard based on The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

Stars:  Ivor Novello and Alfred Hitchcock

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

A serial killer who calls himself The Avenger has killed seven blonde haired women.  He strikes late at night and police have few clues.

When a tall handsome stranger rents a room from Mr. and Mrs. Bunting, they think nothing of it… until he begins to display some strange habits.  He asks that the pictures of blonde women in his room be removed.  He quietly leaves his room at night and returns before morning.  And what is in the satchel that he keeps locked in a cabinet?  Could their lodger be The Avenger?

Alfred Hitchcock wanted The Lodger to be his first full sound film, but it ended up being his last silent feature.  The Lodger is also the first film to contain one of Hitchcock’s famous cameos!  The Lodger features some animated title cards and inventive shots (the Lodger pacing the floor seen from below as if the floor became invisible; the Lodger descending a spiral staircase and the only thing we see of him is his hand on the banister as he goes down, etc.).  Hitchcock considers The Lodger his first suspense film.

The Lodger earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Bunker” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Bunker looks like it could be a winner.

Trapped in a bunker during World War I, a group of soldiers are faced with an ungodly presence that slowly turns them against each other. As paranoia and fear grow between them, the men experience the true hell of war.

Directed by: Adrian Langley
Written by: Michael Huntsman
Produced by: James Huntsman, Patrick Rizotti
Cast: Luke Baines (UNDER THE SILVER LAKE), Sean Cullen (Netfilx’s Mindhunter), Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption II), Julian Feder (A BOY CALLED PO), Kayla Radomski (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD), and Eddie Ramos (TNT’s Animal Kingdom), with theater veteran Patrick Moltane as the volatile “Lieutenant Turner.”

“The Lair” Directed by Neil Marshall – The Trailer is Here!

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The Lair, based on the the trailer below just jumped on my must-see list!  Deal me in!

THE LAIR In Theaters, On Demand, and Digital October 28th, 2022

Starring Charlotte Kirk, Jonathan Howard, Jamie Bamber

Directed by Neil Marshall

When Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair is shot down over Afghanistan, she finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons – half human, half alien – are awakened.

“Tales of the Walking Dead” Season 1 (2022) / Z-View

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Tales of the Walking Dead Season 1 (2022)

Directors:  Ron Underwood (Ep. 1);Michael E. Satrazemis (Eps. 2 – 5);Haifaa al-Mansour (Ep. 4); Deborah Kampmeier (Ep.6)

Writers:  Maya Goldsmith & Ben Sokolowski (Ep.1);Kari Drake (Ep.2); Channing Powell (Eps.3, 5); Ahmadu Garba (Ep. 4); Lindsey Villarreal (Ep.6)

Stars:  Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Danny Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Poppy Liu, Lauren Glazier, Kevin L. Johnson  and Embeth Davidtz

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Tales of the Walking Dead is an anthology series that takes place in the world of The Walking Dead.  Each episode is a self-contained story with no continuing characters.  This series sometimes ventures into different horror subgenres (time-loop, a haunted house/witch, etc.) which is refreshing.  I enjoyed all the episodes, but even if you find one lacking, the next is something different.

My favorites were:

1. “Evie / Joe” starring Olivia Munn and Terry Crews

4 “Amy / Dr. Everett” starring Poppy Liu and Anthony Edwards

5 “Davon” starring Jessie T. Usher

I hope we get a season 2.

Tales of the Walking Dead, Season 1 earns 4 of 5 stars.

“House of Dracula” (1945) – Starring Dracula, Wolf Man and Frankenstein! / Z-View

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House of Dracula (1945)

Director:  Erle C. Kenton

Screenplay:  Edward T. Lowe Jr. from a story by Dwight V. Babcock, George Bricker

Stars:  Lon Chaney Jr. , John Carradine, Onslow Stevens, Martha O’Driscoll, Lionel Atwill, Glenn Strange and
Skelton Knaggs

Tagline: Frankenstein’s Monster … Wolf Man … Dracula … Mad Doctor … Hunchback

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Dracula (Carradine) shows up at Dr. Franz Edelmann’s (Stevens) castle and asks Edelmann to cure him from being a vampire.  Edelmann agrees to try.  Soon after, Lawrence Talbot comes knocking.  Talbot wants the doctor to cure him from being a werewolf.  What are the odds?  As the commercials say, but wait, there’s more!  As the doctor works to cure both Dracula and Talbot, he discovers the Frankenstein monster in mud under his castle!

Doctor Edelmann is using his own blood for the transfusions with Dracula and this is causing the doctor to experience symptoms of vampirism.  Soon enough we have Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, the mad doctor and his hunchback assistant creating havoc!  Having the top three classic Universal monsters in the same film is every kid’s dream!

John Carradine isn’t my favorite choice for Dracula, but why nitpick when we also get Wolfman and Frankenstein?  Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence Talbot isn’t as whiney as normal and that’s a good thing.  Glenn Strange makes a fine Frankenstein.  While House of Dracula isn’t a classic, the kid in you will enjoy it!

House of Dracula earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Among the Living” – The Trailer is Here!

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I’m a sucker for a good zombie movie.  Among the Living looks like it could fit the bill.  Deal me in.

Stranded in the countryside in the aftermath of a deadly outbreak, older brother Harry fights to protect his younger sister, Lily, while he desperately searches to find refuge with their father. Harry and Lily are determined to survive their journey as they strive to avoid an infected population with a thirst for blood as well as the greater threat of other survivors.