Detention - rewatch and spoilers

If you're looking for something less spoiler filled, please jump out of here and over to my original review of the film found here: http://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2014/10/detention-2011.html 


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I recently re-watched 2011s wild and wacky gem DETENTION Directed by Joseph Kahn and I still love the film to death. I was trying to sort out why and I believe the reason is obvious on my second viewing - it's the movie I would have loved to make. Horror, comedy, strange goings on, trippy meta plot twists. It's the Malcolm movie that was never made.


Kahn and Mark Palermo wrote the film and I bet they had a blast doing so. Packing comedy, horror, science fiction, and so many references to books, music, and decades of style and fashion into one film makes this a kinetic and ultra-fast paced wonderland of...stuff. However, maybe that's what turns people away from it?



Let the spoiling begin!

I love how the film starts out with a basic concept that we've seen time and time again - most recently in films like MOST LIKELY TO DIE. A strange looking killer dressed in ((insert kitschy costume here)) starts killing off people in interesting ways. We've seen it. Over and over. However even that execution is unique in Detention. Sweet camera moves, zippy writing, and interesting graphics whip through the movie scape like mad. The roller coaster ride concludes with an ultra-violent attack and a big finish that catapults us up and out to meet our main character, then zooming along to the credit sequence - a thing of beauty that makes me so happy. :)






The IMDB blurb for the film is incredibly boring and does NOT do justice to the plot:
As a copycat killer named after movie villain Cinderhella stalks the student body at Grizzly Lake High School, a group of co-eds band together to survive while serving detention.



Sure, that's in the film, but it leaves out UFO sightings, human test subjects, body and mind swapping, time travel, and more. I said in my original review for the film that this was a film for "smart people", but I didn't mean it in a swarmy or pretentious way. Not at all.

I was merely saying that there are folks who want the film described by IMDB. They want people to be shoved into a situation and killed off in creative ways as they watch on, eat their popcorn, and cheer on the violence. And, those films have their place for sure. People love them - that's why we have...what? 47 SAW films right now? They even stopped trying to craft a story with them now. They just drop people into a space and start strapping iron masks and four power strips worth of gadgets onto them before slipping them into something that compresses them after shooting fire into their butts....or whatever.

Detention has some of this basic, killer on the loose for sure. There are some comical killings in here that are really...out there. But, the addition of all the other elements makes this - again - more along the lines of REPO MAN from back in the day. A film cherished and viewed over...and over...and over again by my friends and I. Strangeness pours from Repo Man like water from a fountain and Detention has the same, wondrous sense of play and fun.

Time machine? Sure!
Mind swapping through time to win a talent show? YES!

The film presents a playground for the viewer to wander through. A place where anything can and will happen. I loved that.

The actors make the witty writing and shotgun deliveries work.

Shanley Caswell is gold, working the misunderstood, angry Riley lead role wonderfully as she clumps through her life on her bum leg - at odds with everyone and everything. She went on to be in the Conjuring in 2013.





Josh Hutcherson's cool, beloved Clapton Davis character only works because he seems to be that guy. The cool, good looking guy that everyone knows and likes. It seems his acting and good looks paid off - I see he's in all three of the HUNGER GAMES movies.






And Dane Cook is a fantastic "secret sauce" as he manages to rope it back a bit as the school Principal tossing angry, fruck my life quips at students here and there until the films titular detention wrap up.



Every character in the film - from the strange, outspoken Canadian GORD to the "Hipster Thief" - rocks their screen time no matter how long or short it is.

And lastly, the fucking style of the film makes me insanely jealous of the filmmaker's craft. It's just amazing. The cuts and camera angles are grand. The overall pace keeps rolling and rolling along and we only pause long enough for the occasional title card introducing another bizarre aspect of the story and it's characters.


Big props to Christopher Probst, the director of photography, as well. Fantastic work!



I was surprised to see....well...it TOTALLY makes sense, but....Joseph Kahn Directed the Taylor Swift BAD BLOOD video! HA!




It looks like he has another film due out in 2017 as well. A film called BODIED that IMDB has down as:  a progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject becomes a competitive obsession.

Sure!



The reviews for this make me sad, really. It's METACRITIC score is a mere 45 and IMDB has it at 5.8 out of 10. I'd easily give this a 9 out of 10 stars. No question.

Did you like HEATHERS,  REPO MAN, DEAD ALIVE (BRAINDEAD), TUCKER AND DALE v EVIL,  or JOHN DIES AT THE END? Then you need to track down DETENTION at once. It's currently on SHUDDER (US) and is also available on Amazon for streaming as well.

Seen it? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! 

Halloween Costumes of the 70s

Ah...the 70s.

A simple time. A time of plastic masks that covered the front of your head, but not the back.
Masks that cut into the skin around your eyes and cut your vision down by roughly 45%.
Of rubber bands that snapped and whipped your skin, forcing you to either hold the mask in place with your hand or abandon it all together - popping it into your treat bucket (...mine was an orange pumpkin bucket with a black handle that would cut into your hand more and more the more candy you got!) or in a neighbor's yard.




Good times!

Horror Television when I was a kid

I remember that Saturdays were a big horror day for me as a kid. CREATURE FEATURES was the Holy Grail for me when I was younger. I had to make sure I got my rest during the day so I could keep my eyes open long enough to watch it.






First came THE LOVE BOAT - another fave of mine back in the day that reached the extreme high point when I actually met Charo when I was on a cruise! (She was super nice to me and my 13 year old or so self was in love with her at once.)











Then after the Love Boat was FANTASY ISLAND which was my gateway vehicle into the likes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE and THE NIGHT GALLERY a bit later.







Then...if I managed to stay awake and look chipper, my parents would let me stay up for 
CREATURE FEATURES. This was the best thing in the world. The opening montage of horror goodness followed by the most excellent Bob Wilkins and his cigar with his fantastic, deadpan voice and blank stare.




The movies ranged from THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE to TWINS OF EVIL and never failed to fill me with glee. I still remember the version of TWINS OF EVIL they picked still having the nudity and me seeing the Collinson Twins'...delights...when I was very young and being thrilled by the sight. hehehe

I also stared in horror as the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD trailer was presented one night by ole Bob. The damn thing scared the crap out of me and still fills me with dread when I hear those discordant piano cords!



However, CREATURE FEATURES wasn't the only show in town. KTVU also had a few afternoon features that played horror that I loved as well. I still remember my Mother making popcorn in a big pot, putting it into a large bowl, then sitting with me to watch these old horror movies. We'd have a ball watching the likes of THEM, EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. So good. And, I'm still a fan of popcorn to this day. :)

There was one that I recall the visual for, but not the name of, where a man dressed in a white gorilla suit played music on a Victrola that was next to him on a little stand, then he'd do these odd little dances to begin the show. As the movie went on, he'd do little skits that were related to the movie, I believe.

There was the CHILLER DILLER movie that had another fantastic little 70s opening that I loved.



KBHK had the GHOULIE MOVIE in the 80s which was another good horror outlet. 



A lot of these sorts of shows went by the wayside with the advent of VHS and cable programming.  The idea of being able to go to the store and rent full movies to take HOME and watch was epic. I remember a friends parents actually purchasing the first VCR in the group and us flocking to his house for movie parties that would last all night.

When we all made VCR purchases, we would round robin the movie party location and make an effort to have one every two weeks or so.

A fantastic time to be a kid who loved horror. :)

Horror Show Children Halloween Playlist

It's that time of year once again! 

Fire up the CHILDREN HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST for a fun selection

of Halloween Music for the kiddies!

PLAY IT ON SHUFFLE FOR A NEW EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME! 

https://open.spotify.com/user/malcojojo/playlist/1n7c5rWwJKWapihffy6rTR

Not your run-of-the-mill bore!

The adult Halloween Playlist can be found here:
http://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2015/10/horror-show-halloween-playlist.html

It Follows

 

~CLICK TO PLAY TITLE THEME~

SPOILER FREE, as usual! :)


Director: David Robert Mitchell

Writer: David Robert Mitchell

Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi


From IMDB
"A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after getting involved in a sexual encounter."





I didn't even know THIS much when I fired this up last night. The trailer - curse it - made this film seem like another, run-of-the-mill slasher/monster/ghost film. Girls were screaming...running around. I'm not even sure I finished the trailer, honestly.

NOTE: DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER!!!!   DON'T DO IT!    Just watch the film!!!!!

Like many other genre films, the production folks had to sell the story to potential audiences by giving away the milk for free, as it were. The trailer is riddled with many of the films key, cool scenes. I'm happy I stopped it - I would have been spoiled for much of the goodness.

The film is lovely. It sets up the danger right away - and it's brutal. So, when these other characters stumble into this horrific world, you know what's at stake and it's scary stuff. I loved the pace and tone of the film. It's sad, dim and dark. And above all, it's supremely creepy on many fronts.

The film is part of this current wave of story over effects films that have come out over the last few years. I love that. The story is strong, the writing is fantastic and the acting manages to really sell the situations at play. Mitchell's direction is grand and helps set many of the films most tense moments brilliantly.  The young actors in the film never come off flat and silly. They are all working and fun to watch.

I've seen many...many horror films. "Good, bad, I'm the one who'll watch."

:)

However, I believe this film brings a little something new to the genre. Again, the strong writing makes this very interesting. I wasn't able to pick out plot holes that would submarines the film. Nor was I second guessing elements before they popped up. I found that to be wondrously refreshing.

Is this...   ((http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_follows/))

"One of the best horror films in recent years."
"One of the most provocative horror films in recent history."
" A great work in atmosphere with solid emotional impact." 

Yeah. Yeah, it kinda is. :::grin:::  Like HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, the slow burn that rolls through this film keeps adding layers and layers of tension as you watch. And, the films fantastic "visual hook" ((Again...not giving it away...)) adds a fun, Hitchcock-like device into the mix that has you scanning every frame of the film with an eagle eye.

The film also had a bit of the Euro feel you get from the likes of Dario Argento or Mario Bava - I'm not quite sure how to explain it. A quiet you're afraid of. That thing in the dark you can't see, but know with all your heart is there...waiting. heh

IT FOLLOWS is grand. Watch it at once. Toss your Amazon rental money at it or the $39 for a theater ticket  :) and know that you're most likely going to walk away from the film nodding your head and saying, "Yeah...that's a pretty damn good film."
 

HAUNT (2014)

 



                      WOW!    :)







I was rather shocked that HAUNT (currently on Netflix streaming at the time of this posting) was actually really, really good. I've taken to tossing these really bad movies on while working - having them play on the lap-dog to the side while I work on my "real" computer for actual work. Most of the time, the film goes on and I don't think much of it until something spooky starts, then I glance over, watch the scare, then go back to work. Helps me get through the day.

Well, it turns out that HAUNT was one of the films I put on that I actually had to stop and watch at a later time when I can actually watch what's going on because it's too good to side-watch. hehehe

Writer Andrew Barrer took a simple concept and added just enough to make it move along at an interesting pace with characters that you actually care about and a plot that holds your attention. The script was well executed by Director Mac Carter in his feature film debut.  When topped with some good acting and fun effects work, the film turns what could have been another yawning bore into something I really enjoyed.

I don't want to say too much - there is an element of mystery involved here. It's basically a new family moves into a haunted home and the young boy of the family meets the cute girl next door. They start digging into who is haunting the home and - you guessed it - things don't go well. At all.


This was a fun and fresh horror film I really enjoyed. Jump to it - I think you'll enjoy it!

Horror Show Halloween Music Playlists

We've added some items to the HALLOWEEN MUSIC PLAYLIST and we've broken items out to make a KID FRIENDLY Halloween Music Playlist as well!

Listen straight through or put it on shuffle to mix things up a bit. Ideal for putting you in the Halloween....spirit! :)

THE HORROR SHOW MASSIVE HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST

http://spoti.fi/1zjq7pN

 THE HORROR SHOW KID FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST

http://spoti.fi/1uAzolc

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

My sister-in-law gave Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters a go recently and really enjoyed it. "It was fine. I mean...you know...it was just fun and light." I made note and gave it a go and she was right - it was just a fun film.

You know the drill - Hansel and Gretel story with a new twist where they continue their witch killing as youths, teens and into adulthood leading to the resolution where there is a major witch happening that they need to take on. There are "Van Helsing Style" steampunk weapons, a troll, bad humans and enough fighting and spell casting to make things interesting throughout.



The cast is fine and doing what they need to do to sell the story. Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner is dashing and tough, the delicious Gemma "Quantum of Solace" / "so damn cute" Arterton is her so damn cute self and tough and the age defying Famke "Jean Grey / Xenia Onatopp" Janssen chews up everything in her path and plays the evil up to 13 in a fun, nasty witchy way. Man, she looks the same as she did in 1995. It's amazing.



The film follows the Van Helsing path, switching up the old tale with some new, alternate history madness where Gatling guns and tricky, self loading crossbows are weapons of choice. But, you know what? I'm totally fine with both films, really. At least someone is doing something interesting, fun and new-ish. And, they make use of some practical effects here as well. Good old fashioned makeup, prosthetics and costumes mixed in with computer effects. The troll was a lot of fun and felt like some of the Henson Dark Crystal work.

A small rant:
A recent view of THE BELL WITCH HAUNTING made me want to kick a...well...whoever greenlit the project, really. :::grin:::  It was more of the same, found footage nuggetry that is all over the place. All hell is breaking loose, yet people are still compelled to point a camera around. DEVIL'S DUE is running into the same madness. A man's pregnant wife is speaking like a demon and he doesn't fail to continue rolling tape. Mind boggling.  Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is just playing around. Tommy Wirkola knows what he's doing both behind the keyboard (writer) and behind the camera. However, as with his previous feature DEAD SNOW, I'm not sure people get that he's playing and having fun. I'm not sure what they are expecting, but to rail against this film is just silly. If you saw the trailer, you knew what you were getting into straight away.



It would be like me complaining if I went to see DEVIL'S DUE after seeing the trailer. I know it's not for me - why rip it more than I have already? :)

If you're not afraid to take in some fun, try out Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. It's a hoot. :)

Some fun PRACTICAL effects work in here as well. Like this fun troll, Edward. :)

Tormented

I just watched Jon Wright's Tormented - the film he made before Grabbers. I'm not sure if I liked it, but I didn't hate it. It was strange.

Like Grabbers, there is some comedy involved here, but it's not as obvious as in his follow up. There's an awkwardness and clumsy quality to the whole of it that makes it uncomfortable to watch at times. The camera work is overly kinetic, the pace is odd and the story seems like it could be far stronger if the running time was shaved by 20 or 30 minutes.  


HOWEVER, this is not a "bag on it" review.  I still enjoyed the film. The point here is that Grabbers does many things better than Tormented which is a good thing. I was actually happy that I viewed the films in this order. It shows a progression forward that got me excited about seeing future works by Mr. Wright.

Tormented is somewhat basic. It opens on a school memorial service for a boy that killed himself. The boy's one friend calls out that various people in the school tormented (Heh? Heh?! ok...he didn't come out and SAY tormented...) the boy and that they were all hypocrites for being at the memorial. Long and short, there was a "Beautiful People" group that teased and harassed the boy to death. One boy one, said group gets nasty comments texted to them via the dead boy's cell phone. Death and violence ensues with - spoiler - graphic violence and some supernatural turns.

Tormented has another level to it as well. While the device of bullies and vengeance is really nothing new, there's a grand show made of the other end of the spectrum that is overlooked from time to time. Those folks that may not bully directly, but may not jump in to help the victim either. I liked this aspect of the film. Sadly, I've been that person before with disastrous results. (The girl I didn't stand up for in 3rd grade turned out to be a model later in life. She had the pleasure of smirking at me and slowly shaking her head no when I said we should hang out sometime.)  :)

While the main plot is very well known, there are a few fun twists and takes on this familiar, genre classic that I enjoyed. Again, while I wasn't thrilled overall, I wasn't sad about the time I spent watching, either.  All in all, it's worth a viewing. 

Jon Wright's OUR ROBOT OVERLORDS (currently set for a 2014 release) will be the tie breaker. Will it be even better than Grabbers or will it drop back to Tormented levels? I'm hoping the upward and onward progression continues.



TORMENTED can be found on YouTube at the moment.  

Krampus

From the WIKI
"Krampus is a beast-like creature from the folklore of Alpine countries thought to punish bad children during the Christmas season, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards nice ones with gifts. Krampus is said to capture particularly naughty children in his sack and carry them away to his lair.

Krampus is represented as a beast-like creature, generally demonic in appearance. The creature has roots in Germanic folklore. Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria, South Tyrol, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten. There are many names for Krampus, as well as many regional variations in portrayal and celebration."


In short - HOLY CRAP! What better way to get your kids to behave than this sort of imagery?! Just tack a few of these Holiday Cards up around your home, point to them and say, "Yeah, keep misbehaving. Just keep it up."

Happy Holidays! :)

Nanny Cam Baby

Nanny Cam Baby on BlackBoxTV
Pretty messed up. Heh!

Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp is one of the most BONKERS horror films ever made. It grossed something like 11 million dollars and cost about 300k to make. It knocked Jaws 3D out of the number one spot. Why? How? Because it does everything right. Everything.

Angela and her cousin Ricky are off to camp. Poor Angela survives a horrible boating accident in which her father and brother are killed and goes off to live with her aunt. The aunt decides that it's time for Angela to get out and about, so she sends her off to camp with her cousin. Cousin Ricky watches over her and is her protector in the somewhat rough camp setting. Angela doesn't speak much. She simply stares with large, doe eyes and takes in the world around her. Kids can be cruel. So cruel.

We see a "trope-a-torium" of characters roll through. Jocks, nerds, mean girls and more. The counselors are a mixture of lovely people and horrid people. The camp owner runs a tight ship and smokes a lot of cigars. And the kids at the camp are a strange and creepy mix of real kids ages 10ish to 17 and adults - age about 20 to 26 -  playing kids. They interact and run a muck in the camp and no one mentions much about it. They just play it all off like it's not frucking crazy to see real kids and fake kids together on screen. This adds to the overall "Wait....what the HELL is going on here?!" nature of the film as a whole.

But, the real question here is who is killing all the bad kids at the camp? Who? Angela? Cousin Ricky? Big, Italian Muscle Guy? Mean Girl Judy? Evil Meg?

This film is a must - absolute MUST - see. The dialog stumbles out onto the screen awkwardly and insanely at times. The film was written and directed by Robert Hiltzik who only did this film and Return to Sleepaway Camp which is almost just as good as this film. His direction is...interesting. The folks over at the ever awesome HOW DID THIS GET MADE? podcast stated that this film looked like kids at camp had access to cameras and decided to make a movie while at camp. (A great and equally crazy episode of their podcast, by the way) There are amazing 80s styles to take in, strange scene setups and some of the most awesome kill scenes ever shot. :::laughing:::



"Kids" play with water balloons on the roof of a cabin. Why is this allowed? Dunno, but it's awesome.










We see a a baseball game - almost a WHOLE baseball game - played. Why? Dunno, but it's awesome. Especially seeing that it looks like young kids are beating adults at baseball.







But, all this is secondary to the time and effort spent on these death scenes. Death by boiling water, by bees and by curling iron and...much much more. And there are some really, really disturbing sexual situations in this film. Like, all over the place. A pedophile camp cook leers at the kids and talks about the new crop of them coming in - like there is a whole history of wrong that's happened before. Kids let loose all over the place talking about sex ALL the time. Even the camps 60 plus year old leader who sets up a date with one of the teen camp counselors. It's creepy. Having been to a co-ed camp myself, I can honestly say that all of this probably did and does happen at camp. It's crazy to release teen boys and girls into the woods with 20-somethings watching over them. It's crazy in and of itself.


If you're looking for the ultimate party horror movie, this is it. It's so over the top and so nutty that it's bound to be a crowd pleaser. And, if the crowd happens to have lived through the 80s, it's even better. It never gets old.

They have the whole film up on YouTube. Take a look!