Welcome to the 110th Edition of my long-running series and the second
week of the annual contest. I have been busy with performances of
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. The show is going very
well and we have one more weekend from Thursday-Sunday so come out to
Portland to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.
The Toxic Avenger
Part II (1989): Last year around this time of the year, I used part one
where we see how the title character comes to be. In this sequel, the
established hero is lured to Japan by a group called Apocalypse, Inc.
He soon fights crime in Japan but this group is soon terrorizing Toxie's
hometown of Tromaville. Lloyd Kaufman directed and co-wrote this film
from his Troma Studios. This has everything from bad dialogue, bad
acting, you name it but it's still bad enough to be enjoyable if you're
not too serious. This is one that part one should probably be watched
before this one though. There are two more sequels that follow this one
so get some friends together and get a marathon going for this series
that is available on Instant Netflix.
Batman Begins (2005): This
is the start of the Christopher Nolan franchise where much of the loyal
comic book fans began to come back. Christian Bale plays the caped
crusader in a much darker tone that has been played with exception to
the 1989 film BATMAN when Tim Burton directed it. This is where Bruce
Wayne is haunted by the murder of his parents and goes to Asia and
learns how to fight through Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson. He
soon returns to Gotham City and becomes Batman to fight crime. His
first enemy he must fight is Asylum head Dr. Jonathan Crane, played by
Cillian Murphy, who is known as the Scarecrow. He must also fight the
group that taught him what he knows who are planning to just destroy
Gotham City. Gary Oldman co-stars as Jim Gordon before he becomes that
commissioner we know today. He was the only one in the police force
that took an immediate liking to Batman's work and was willing to work
with him since he is fighting crime. Katie Holmes plays Bruce's
childhood friend Rachel Dawes who is a prosecutor and one of the few who
will not give into corruption partly inspiring Bruce to do what he
does. Michael Caine plays Bruce's loyal butler Alfred who is kind of an
adviser to him on this one. Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom
Wilkinson, and many other co-star. In 2008, THE DARK KNIGHT came out
and unfortunately made this one become a bit forgotten but this one
still deserves its credit though.
Day of the Dead (1985): I have
another zombie film and from George Romero which is the third in his
series follow NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAWN OF THE DEAD. In this
one, there aren't very many humans left except for a group of scientists
and a group of military personel. The group of scientists are looking
to teach the zombies and the military group wants to kill them. This
one is a lot more gory than the first two and is a good way to end this
zombie trilogy which did not require a bunch of stars to make it work.
An
Evening with Edgar Allen Poe (1970): This is a one-hour one man show
where Vincent Price acts out tales of Poe which are THE TELL-TALE HEART,
THE SPHINX, THE CASK OF THE AMANTILLADO, and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM.
Price is the only person in this film and does a pretty good job. This
is a part of the DVD of THE TOMB OF LIGEIA which was featured last week
and a Roger Corman/Vincent Price collaboration.
Cap'n Cub
(1945): This is my animated short for the week and was a wartime
propaganda short. The title character is a cub who is a pilot looking
to defeat the Japanese who are portrayed as monkeys. This could be
perceived as racist by today's standards but still entertains. I found
this on my Pub-D-Hub app on my Roku player.
A Face at the Window
(1939): This movie takes place in the 1800s and stars the forgotten
horror icon Tod Slaughter. This movie has a killer called The Face
believed to be a werewolf. Pretty good chiller from that era that does
not rank high in the Golden Year for film but still entertains.
Phantom
of the Opera (1943): This is the Universal version of the novel by
Gaston Leroux which is different from the Lon Chaney version and the
famous Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Claude Rains stars as Erique who is
a long-time violinist who has a love for Christine and secretly aids
her career. Things change though when he loses his and loses his job.
After losing his job, his face gets damaged and becomes murders anyone
who gets in his way of helping Christine's career. The basic story
remains the same but the take is quite different like showing how he
becomes the Phantom. It was actually a pretty good version with Rains
good as the title character.
The House of the Devil (2009): This
is a more conventional horror film. Jocelin Donahue stars as Samantha
who is a college student and desperate for money so answers the ad for
babysitting. She finds out though that the family is not as it seems
and that they plan a satanic ritual at her expense and must race to
survive. This is not a bad movie and look for Dee Wallace in the
beginning and the nice landlady. This has a really good 80s feel for a
horror film and works with the relatively unknown cast. This is
available on Instant Netflix.
Evening Primrose (1966): I was
looking for something from this era that would count for the contest and
looking through Anthony Perkins I found in Instant Netflix. This is a
one-hour tv special starring Anthony Perkins in a musical written for tv
by Stephen Sondhein and when I saw that I was sold. Yes, Anthony
Perkins, the same guy who played Norman Bates in a musical. Perkins
stars as Charles who is a poet looking for a quiet place so goes to a
department store where in the evenings no one would be there but found
he was wrong and found a group of residents staying there looking to
keep their identities secret at all costs. One of the people he finds
is a beautiful woman who wants to leave but is afraid and they plan an
escape. The plot is rather absurd but Perkins does pretty well in this
musical and I have been glad to use this month to show that Perkins is
more than Norman Bates. This is available on Instant Netflix.
Piranha
(2010): This was more of a horror comedy which has garnered quite a
following. This movie features some very cannibalistic fish. This is a
remake of a 1978 film which I have honestly not seen but I had fun
watching this. Elizabeth Shue who I have not seen for years stars as
Sheriff Julie Forrester who must oversee what is happening in the small
town while having to make sure her kids survive. Richard Dreyfus has a
small part in the beginning and other actors like Jerry O'Connell, Ving
Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, and many others co-star. This is not for
everyone and is not for the family. There was one part that actually
kind of startled me in its suddenness which people who have seen this
might know what I am talking about. This can be enjoyed if you don't
take it too seriously.
Well, that is it for this week for this
part. Let me know what you like and do not like. Stay tuned for next
week which so far includes Paul Giamatti, Natalie Portman, Jamie Lee
Curtis, Anthony Hopkins, Victor Garber, and many others. Continue to
read for my results.
THE MADNESS: HACK AND SLASH EDITION: WEEK 3
ANTHONY PERKINS
1.
Evening Primrose (1966) 666: This is a one hour special and a musical
written by Sondheim and stars Anthony Perkins who sings. This counts
because of Mr. Perkins who I am trying to expose other work. 53
minutes, 1 point.
BRUCE CAMPBELL
1. Darkman (1990) 666: This
might have counted either way but Bruce Campbell's cameo makes this
count. Sam Raimi directed this film that stars Liam Neeson as a
scientist who is attacked and left for dead but comes back as the title
character for his revenge. 96 minutes, 2 points.
DARK FANTASY
1.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 666 1/2: I use this work
directed by Henry Selick and written by Tim Burton where Jack
Skellington tires of halloween and wants to focus on Christmas but
endangers Santa. This is a pretty dark film with the halloween theme
and some good music numbers with Danny Elfman actually singing the music
of Jack. This should get an additional point for having Halloween and
Christmas themes. 76 minutes, 3 points.
DEE WALLACE
1. The
House of the Devil (2009) 666: This would count no matter what but no
explanation needed because of wild card Dee Wallace. 95 minutes, 2
points.
EDGAR ALLEN POE
1. An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe
(1970) 666: This is a one man show with Vincent Price performing
various stories of Poe, who could be the originator of horror. 53
minutes, 1 point.
FLESH-EATING FISH
1. Piranha (2010) 666:
This is a pretty decent horror comedy of Fish eating people. I feel
this should get another point for boob and shots of other private parts.
88 minutes, 3 points.
LLOYD KAUFMAN
1. The Toxic Avenger 2
(1989) 66 1/2: Kaufman directed this Troma cult film where Toxie is
lured to Japan while a terrorist group terrorizes Tromaville. This
should get bonus points for some gratuitous boob shots. Enjoyable if
you don't take it too seriously, something that is so bad it's good. 96
minutes, 3 points.
RUTGER HAUER
1. Batman Begins (2005) 666
1/2: This might have counted as a comic book film but I have no
explanation I need to give with it having Rutger Hauer who is a Wild
Card. This started the Christopher Nolan franchise which will end with
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. THE DARK KNIGHT has made this a bit forgotten so
looking to get this one back on the radar. 140 minutes, 2.5 points.
TIM BURTON
1.
Vincent (1981) 666: This is an early Tim Burton short of which a
little boy fantasizes about being Vincent Price. This has a lot of
fantasy sequences like ghosts and zombies. Price narrates this early
film. Price has quoted his thoughts on this saying "the most gratifying
thing that ever happened. It was immortality - better than a star on
Hollywood Boulevard." 6 minutes
2. Frankenweenie (1984) 666):
This is another early Burton short and his take on FRANKENSTEIN that
includes a dog and a little boy that cannot take him being dead. This
was quite entertaining and will become a feature length film soon. This
two shorts should add up to half a point. These can both be found on
the dvd of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. 29 minutes, .5 points.
UNIVERSAL CLASSICS
1.
Phantom of the Opera (1943) 666: This is some classic horror of the
Phantom long before it became a big musical. This is a very enjoyable
film. 92 minutes, 2 points.
WEREWOLVES
1. The Face at the
Window (1939): This is a movie where werewolves are suspected. Classic
horror with Tod Slaughter. 70 minutes, 2 points.
ZOMBIES
1.
Day of the Dead (1985) 666: This is part three of the Romero series
with a group of scientists trying to teach the zombies while a military
group wants them dead. 102 points,
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