Welcome to the 876th Edition of my series. Yesterday started our annual contest of the Madness and next week, I'll have this segment plus some more selections for the next few weeks. On October 8th, I'm going to be taking part in the annual Historic Beech Grove Cemetery where I will be playing a historic figure. Also, in December, I'm going to be returning to Elwood for THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER where I play Beverly Carlton. In the first Sunday in November, I will be releasing the 17th anniversary of this movie blog. I have been doing on a weekly basis all this time but have decided after that I will be doing this every two weeks with the exception of October. I am just wanting to give myself more time for reading, television, and other things. I will get to my selections for the week.
Frozen (2010): Adam Green wrote and directed this independent horror film. Kevin Zegers, Emma Bell, and Shawn Ashmore star as Dan, Parker, and Joe who are trying to get away and have a good time at a ski resort. They are determined to ride the lift but through misunderstandings, they are forgotten and left out on the lift while it is freezing. They must make some hard choices for survival while battling the elements and everything else there is out there. Ed Ackerman, Rileah Vanderbilt, Kane Hodder, and Adam Johnson co-star in this film. This was a very authentic film and was shot that way at a mountain in Utah. This is not for everyone but was a very suspenseful and well written thriller that did not involve a big budget or special effects.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021): Jason Reitman directed this sequel or is it a reboot where he picks up where his father Ivan left off. Carrie Coon stars as single mother Callie who moves into a run down house the inherited from her late and estranged father along with her kids Trevor and Phoebe, played by Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace. They soon discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters. Paul Rudd co-stars as the local teacher Grooberson who is also very interested in science. You can also expect surviving ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson. Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Bob Gunton, J.K. Simmons, Shawn Seward, Billy Byrk, Sydney Mae Diaz, Hannah Duke, Bokeem Woodbine, Josh Gad, Stella Aykroyd, and many others co-star in this film. This is a great nostalgia piece that stands alone as its own film. It is beneficial to at least see the first two GHOSTBUSTERS movies. I was pretty vague on the plot as I just don't want to give anything away. McKenna Grace does well as the socially awkward teen and is her first comedy. Near the end, there is the most beautiful piece of CGI of all time. When you're looking for a good ghost comedy, who are you going to call? This is available to watch on Starz.
Candyman (1992): This is not a movie about the guy who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, and cover it with a chocolate and a miracle or two. Bernard Rose directed this film based on the Clive Barker film THE FORBIDDEN. Virginia Madsen stars as Helen Lyle who is a skeptical grad student writing a thesis about local legends and myths and learns about myth of The Candyman which she learns is not a myth. Tony Todd co-stars as the Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand. Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons, Vanessa Williams, DeJuan Guy, Marianna Elliott, Ted Raimi, and many others co-star in this horror classic. This is a very violent but well done horror movie. Sequels and remakes have been done but I doubt they can beat this original. This is available to watch on Peacock.
The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtleneck (1962): This is my short film for the week even though it is technically a season three episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Montgomery Pittman directed this episode and co-wrote alongside Rod Serling who as usual narrates. James Best stars as Jeff Myrtleneck who as far as everyone knows is dead but comes back to life at his own funeral. As he tries to adjust, a lot of the town fear him wondering what he is now. Sherry Jackson, Edgar Buchanan, Lance Fuller, Dub Taylor, Ralph Moody, and many others co-star in this episode. This is a good episode on fearing the unknown. This episode is available to watch on Paramount Plus.
Vampyr (1932): This is my German film for the week which was directed by Carl Theodore Dreyer and based on a book by Sheridan Le Fanu. Julian West stars as Allan Grey who is a student of the occult and suspects activity where he is staying. Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz, and many others co-star in this film. This is a really hard to explain. It has a little bit of elements of DRACULA but it is not the same thing. This has some really creepy and atmospheric imagery. This is a must for foreign film lovers and the those who like the vampire genre. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and HBO Max. It is also available on Prime with subscriptions to Fandor and Screambox.
The Mummy (1959): I go from vampires to mummies in the world of Hammer Films. Terence Fisher directed this mummy film. A group of archaeologists lead by John Banning, played by Peter Cushing, discover the tomb of Princess Ananka. They accidentally unleash the vengeful Kharis, played by Christopher Lee, who wreaks all kinds of havoc. There are good flashback scenes to get to the source of the mummy's anger.Yvonne Furneaux, Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer, Raymond Huntley, George Pastell, Michael Ripper, George Woodbridge, Harold Goodwin, Denis Shaw, Willoughby Gray, John Stuart, and many others co-star in this film. This was another really good entry from Hammer Films with some really good scenery and action. Cushing and Lee are up to the game as always.
Phantom of the Opera (1989): Dwight H. Little directed this adaptation of the Gaston Laroux novel. Jill Schoelen stars as opera singer Christine Day who becomes the obsession of a disfigured composer named Erik, played by Robert Englund of Freddy fame. Alex Hyde-White, Bill Nighy, Terence Harvey, Molly Shannon, Mark Ryan, Yehuda Efroni, Terence Beesley, Cathy Murphy, and many others co-star in this Phantom adaptation. A young Molly Shannon makes her film debut in this movie Most are probably guessing that this is not that popular musical and some not aware that Robert Englund has an entry as the Phantom. This is more of a horror film that has a lot more gore than other versions. This is a much different version and is really worth a look if you're okay with gore. This is available to watch on Pluto TV.
Homicidal (1961): William Castle directed this psychological horror film. Joan Marshall stars as Emily who is caring for the wheelchair confined and mute Helga, played by Eugenie Leontovich, and does not seem to enjoy it very much. The beginning sets up the story very well as we get to know the psychotic Emily with possibly the most underrated performance of all time. Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Alan Bunce, Richard Rust, James Westerfield, Gilbert Green, and many others co-star in this film. Castle always had some clever ploys to get people to see his movies and has a very fun "fright break" in this movie as well as his introduction. This would be a great double feature to go along with PSYCHO.
The Night of the Hunter (1955): Charles Laughton directed this film based on the novel by Davis Grubb. Robert Mitchum co-stars as Reverend Harry Powell who learns a dying inmate has a pretty big sum of money. When getting out of prison, he makes his way into that person's family marrying the wife Willa, played by Shelley Winters, and learns the kids Ben and Pearl, played by Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce, know the location of the money but finds they are not easy to convince. Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Don Beddoe, Gloria Castillo, and many others co-star in this film. As described, Mitchum is ruthless to the core in this film as the religious fanatic. He clearly enjoys playing this role and was quite perfect. This is the only film Laughton ever directed but had directed in the world of theater. This was very controversial for its time and apparently Gary Cooper was first offered the role but declined fearing that playing this sort of character would be detrimental to his career. This is available to watch on Pluto TV.
The Stuff (1985): I end with this horror comedy which was written and directed by Larry Cohen. A new desert sensation is out and called "the stuff" and is very popular. It also takes over the minds of those that consume it. It is up to a group of locals to save their city. Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Danny Aiello, Patrick O'Neal, and many others co-star in this horror comedy. This is a fun movie for this time of year and is a message toward massive consumerism. This is a rather underrated horror classic that deserves a look. This is available to watch on Tubi and AMC+.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Tilda Swinton, Boris Karloff, Steve McQueen, John Carradine, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many others co-star in this film.
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