ParaNorman

This Is looking fantastic. Can't really go wrong with the troop that made CORALINE. What a fun look and feel! I dig it. According to IMDB, A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse. It's nice to see some more original items coming out of this studio. In 2005, Laika Entertainment came out with CORPSE BRIDE. While it was filled with buzz thanks to Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, I'm not sure it was a huge hit. Moongirl and Slacker Cats followed. Yeah, I didn't hear about those either. :) Coraline was amazing, I hope ParaNorman follows it's lead.

It has a great look. The lighting and character designs are grand.
I can't wait!

Piranha

So, I finally got around to seeing PIRANHA today. I had planned to see it in the theater when it came out after I heard a lot of good things about it post-production 3D and action, however life with a new baby doesn't always allow for such luxuries. So...DVD it was.

My review: HOLY CRAP! I LOVE THIS FILM!

They managed to get the "old timey" feel of 80s gore cinema while keeping today's pacing and sense of action. They got Greg "The F/X God" Nicotero to do the effects work. And, they got a director (Alex Aja) who not only knows how to direct, but who also takes the time he needs to make a good film. This includes the monster task of casting for leads AND extras as well as making sure the best of the best were involved in the films production. The resulting shockrific, monster gore fest was so much fun I found myself bouncing on the couch and giggling from time to time and I clapped at the end of the film.

I admit it - I clapped. Alone. In my living room. I even nodded and muttered, "Nice work." (Nerd)

I won't say much more about the plot than Piranhas on the loose in a lake at Spring Break. No more really needs to be said. The beauties dance on party boats and do the usual Spring Break madness.  Aja doesn't shy away from nudity or bikinis like many other 80s style remakes have done recently. I mean, that was the 80s. Skin was in and part of the chemistry of an 80s horror film. So, if you're not a fan of girls in bikinis, don't bother with this film.

The acting is fantastic. Everyone does what they are supposed to do. Ving Rhames, Elisabeth Shue and Steven "Grandson of" McQueen all turn in fine performances. The top shelf folks like Christopher Lloyd and Richard Dreyfuss even treat this like real work, not some toss away favor. Eli Roth even stretches his acting chops to play a wet t-shirt douche bag. (Did you know he KNOWS Quentin and Brad. You know...from when he was in Inglourious Basterds. Sorry...he mentions this ALL the time and had to do it again in the films extras. :)  )  The casting of extras (not an open cattle call, but one-to-one, face-to-face casting) REALLY made a huge difference. Everyone on camera is acting and taking things seriously and it shows.

But the real star of this film is the gore. DEAR LAWD! there is a LOT of gore in this film. And the visceral, nasty kind, too. All in the daylight and in your face. The F/X in this film are so much fun. They are a real throwback to old school gore-fests. No punches are pulled and there are some creative and wicked scenes - especially in the "ATTACK THE LAKE" madness that ramps the blood and guts up to 13! Some of the best I've seen in a long time. And...so much of it!

I think I've gushed over this film enough. If you have not seen it, do so at once. I regret not seeing this in a theater - 3D aside. It would have been fun to see this in a packed theater with a crowd of cringing, whooping fans. Check it!

Hammer Horror: Sexy Vampires

I've been on a Hammer Horror trip of late. Hammer represents some of my first outings in horror. When I was a boy, I used to watch them on Saturdays with a giant bowl of popcorn (thanks, Mom!) and just eat up every aspect of them. The Gothic nature of the stories and scenery had a strong effect on me.




Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were fantastic leads in the Hammer World, but the women in the movies were just delicious. The studio presented a bevy of beauties who ran the range from innocent to evil. I have a memory burned into my brain of watching TWINS OF EVIL on Creature Features (R.I.P. Bob Wilkins!) and someone had forgotten to cut or crop a breast out. There on my TV...was a breast. It hovered there softly and my young brain swooned. :) And strong female leads like Ingrid Pitt were fantastic to see on screen.


The Hammer Glamour [Book] by Marcus Hearn came out recently and the fun 1951 Down Place Podcast has been rekindling my desire to see some of these awesome Hammer Horror films again. The cold weather and the winter darkness make it a perfect Hammer viewing time. I figured that I'd jump into the marathon with the sexy Hammer Vampires. (Of course!)


If you choose to play along, leave a comment below and let me know what your Hammer memories are - old or new!

The Vampire Lovers


Twins of Evil


Brides of Dracula


Lust for a Vampire

Countess Dracula (Updated)

Man...they don't make them like Ingrid Pitt anymore. Sure, we have various "haut" actresses hanging about, but they just don't have the charisma of Pitt.

The Hammer Movie Queen is featured in the classic Countess Dracula from 1971. The Countess needs blood to stay young. And, blood she shall have!

I'm glad Hammer is back, but I'm just not sure they will ever regain what they had in the 70's. Their films were so basic and gothic and...slow. I loved the slowness, however. They are just fun films.

YouTube was kind enough to share Countess Dracula with us for free. Take a look!

UPDATE after seeing it again: 

I think this might be one of the weakest of the Hammer vamp movies.  Oh, it's still fun and still gothic, but I think it really should have been called COUNTESS BATHORY or something to that effect. They slip in some villagers calling Pitt Countess Dracula at the end, but that's really the only spot the name comes up. She's not really a vampire, she just uses blood to keep herself young. 

That being said, it's a fun film with some grand, over the top performances. Pitt is evil, however. She's self possessed and doesn't care about anyone except herself and her new lover. 

It's well worth watching. Just don't expect a be-fanged Pitt hissing around the place. :)

~~~~

The Asphyx

The Asphyx (1973) is a film that has a fantastic storyline, but lacked budget and tech to really make it what it could have been. I HATE remakes, but I'd actually love to see this film remade properly with a good budget and A List F/X team. If you have not seen it, you might want to check it out.

The story involves capturing the spirit as it leaves the body when death occurs. Scientists manage to successfully capture the soul, but the results are less that pleasant.

Terror Is A Man

TERROR IS A MAN (a.k.a. Blood Creature)

Full movie here, evidently.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/151122/terror-is-a-man

Loosely based on the Island of Doctor Moreau - 1896 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells - this old classic was filmed in the Philippines on the cheap, but it looks like a ton of fun.

TERROR was featured in Machete Maidens Unleashed! and looks like it was put together well. It also had a great gimmic where a bell would sound to warm people so they could avert their gaze for particularly gruesome scenes. Ah, I miss the days of fun gimmicks and awesome FILMED IN SCARE-O-VISION-like tags. People like William Castle were masters at that sort of thing. We just don't have that today.

And, we don't have films like TERROR IS A MAN. Gorilla style films shot quickly in foreign countries. But, films like this are still available. Watch 'em! :)


Preview

"Dallas?"

Dallas should have stayed THE HELL outta that air shaft! :)

I look back on 1979's ALIEN fondly. I had tried to sit through JAWS in 1975 or 1976 and...well...it didn't work out. It ended badly. My friend's father had to sit out in the lobby with me watching the last 25 minutes through a small porthole in the door at the Novato theater. (The funny thing is that JAWS is now one of my favorite movies ever. Go figure.)

So, flash forward to 1979. I'm 10 years old. Another friend and I convince our mothers to take us to see ALIEN in an afternoon show. They cave to our begging and take us. This always brings a smile to my face. I WAS FRIGGIN 10 YEARS OLD and sat watching ALIEN like a CHAMP. I remember watching this film unfold like the titular Alien itself - staring at the screen and wondering what was going to happen next.

ALIEN had a realness to it. Things looked dirty and used. Really, everything in the film looks like it could exist. I love that. While STAR WARS was definitely mind blowing and amazing, it looked like fantasy while ALIEN looked like it was the future on celluloid. We loved it. No nightmares. No lobby time. Just sitting...watching...and LOVING this film to death.

Speaking of death...like I said...Dallas should have stayed THE HELL out of that shaft....

Spoiler much?