100 Days of Horror Day Forty-Seven - "White Zombie!"

SHOCK! TERROR! THE TRUTH REVEALED AT LAST!

Hey hey. Yeah, I'm late again today, so what's it to you?

As we count down to the Halloween season (only 53 days left!), I find myself longing for the changing leaves, the crisp air, the blazing October sunsets, and - yes of course - the great fun the season brings. My annual party, of course, and a few orchard visits, and let's not forget those great Halloween Hayrides our area has! Yes, I am planning on cramming the fun in this year, since last year's rainy weekends robbed me of my autumn funtime.

And the reason for my joy this season? The pressure cooker this damn movie thing is putting me under! Classics like tonight's flick, 1932's "White Zombie!" Read on, ravers!

White Zombie (1932): Directed by Victor Halperin. Starring Bela Lugosi, Madge Belamy and Joseph Cawthorne.

The Skinny: In this black and white classic, Bela Lugosi stars as a white voodoo master with a cadre of zombies working his sugar plantation. When a man secretly wants to turn his paramour into a zombie, the plan spins out of control and he finds himself in a battle for her very soul!

What's Good: For it to spawn the name of a classic 90s metal band, the movie HAS to be good, right? Meh, it's okay really. I mean, the best thing about the film - and I think any movie critic would agree - is the visuals. There is a long hypnotic shot of zombies walking in a circle as they toil at the wheel of a mill that is just utterly captivating. Add to that Lugosi's inimitable presence and a brilliant (and memorable) score and it is an atmospheric masterpiece.

What's Bad: Unfortunately, that atmosphere is sometimes shattered by hammy acting and so-so dialogue. And also, most copies of the film out there are not-so-good transfers because the film was lost for many years and - if I am not mistaken - it is also currently in the Public Domain.

Why We Like It: No question here - I love just about any Lugosi film. The man was truly underrated and it's a shame he was typecast as a result of his greatest film, "Dracula." And in this film, without much to say that interesting, there's lots of those great piercing stares Lugosi can give, not to mention some terrific eyebrow play.

Memorable Stuff: The aforementioned scene with the zombies at the wheel is the best thing I can recall - in fact it's used a few times in the movie if I remember correctly. There's also a great shot of Lugosi laying down some hand-jive and those stares as he works his mojo on an unsuspecting Madge Bellamy. Spooky stuff!

100 Days of Horror Day Forty-Six - "Taste the Blood of Dracula!"

Sorry folks, another late entry today - a long, busy Tuesday followed by the utter intense need to take a nap after I got home. In fact, I almost skipped the whole shebang today when I looked and saw the film for today ... then I reversed myself.

This movie is one of my all-time favorite Hammer films, period. If not my absolute favorite, which is a hard choice to make. Tomorrow, prepare for the classic "White Zombie," but until then play along with our home version!

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970): Starring Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Ralph Bates, Isla Blair and Roy Kinnear.

The Skinny: Number five in a series of films about everyone's favorite Count starring Christopher Lee follows a merchant who stumbles across the dying vampire and saves some of his powdered blood. Soon, one of his disciples steps forward accompanied by a group of jaded Englishmen looking for the next thrill. When Lord Courtly conducts a ritual to return the Count to life, however, they get more than they bargained for.

What's Good: Some of the genre fans dislike this movie because there is very little for Lee to do - he doesn't even appear until almost the middle of the film, and even then he doesn't have much to say or do. But the idea of four well-to-do English businessmen looking for that next thrill and winding up in a Satanic Mass to revive Dracula is a great premise. Plus there are great scenes of the gents as they party it up deep in the bowels of a bizarre brothel where all pleasures of the flesh can be found ... for the right price. Yes! Sign me up!

What's Bad: By that same token, we want to see Lee do his thing, but instead he stands around kind of overseeing the action and ticking off the deaths as the gents fall to his plan of vengeance. In fact, the original premise was for Bates to actually become Dracula as opposed to simply reviving him, but they changed it back to Lee for whatever reason. And again, if you cannot appreciate the reused sets, actors and low-budget charm of the Hammer House of Horror, then by all means look away.

Why We Love It: Why? Because I want to go to some brothel and drink champagne with laudanum in it and watch a chick dance with a python amid hookahs and embroidered silk pillows. That, sir and madam, is why I love it.

Memorable Stuff: You mean other than the chick with the snake (hey, this is the second movie in a row to feature a sexy snake dance, what the hell?)? Well then it's Dracula's resurrection scene, where Lord Courtly adds blood to Drac's powdered blood and it oozed out of the cups of the gentlemen as he urges them to "Drink! Drink, damn you! DRINK!"

100 Days of Horror Day Forty-Five - "From Dusk Til Dawn!"

Exposing dread secrets of LIFE, DEATH and ETERNITY which others fear to touch! Do You Dare Face THE SUPERNATURAL?

I thought so ...

I have been watching a lot of movies over the past few days, and last night was no exception. The wife and I actually wound up watching two more horror films last night - the 2010 remake of "The Wolfman," which was just plain awful even with Benicio del Toro (one of my favorite actors), and 2010's "Dreamcatcher," another Stephen King film that I never saw before and that I found better than most critics gave it. I was sorely disappointed with the "Wolf Man" debacle as I love the 1941 original so damn much that I was hoping del Toro (a self-confessed "Wolf Man" fan himself) would save the movie. But the script was just so damn awful - not the plot so much but the frigging dialogue was so dull and pedantic, with many opportunities for bad "tough guy" lines that just fucking don't belong.

Lucky for me, today's movie selection doesn't disappoint me one damn bit.

in celebration of "Machete" finally hitting theaters this weekend, we shall enjoy Robert Rodriguez's 1996 classic vampire tale, "From Dusk til Dawn," a movie I love dearly! Check The Skinny below and if you have this one, play along at home!

From Dusk til Dawn (1996): Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Scott Liu, Dammy Trejo, Salma Hayak, Tom Savini and Fred Williamson.

The Skinny: Before he brought it all home for splatter films in "Planet Terror," director Robert Rodriguez unleashed this modern vampire tale on us way back in the 90s. Seth and Richie Gecko are bank robbers on the run after a jailbreak, hoping to cruise on into Mexico by hiding out with a former preacher and his family in their travel trailer. Once the cross the border, they just have to make it until Dawn to meet with their connection. But when they try to pass the time away at the Titty Twister Bar, they find themselves up to their necks in a flood of ancient vampires!

What's Good: This whole motherfucking film is goddam good, folks. The best thing that Rodriguez does here is turn convention on its ear; if you didn't know you were about to watch a vampire movie, you'd swear you were about to watch the latest Quentin Tarantino gangster flick - but the truth is, it's both! The script, penned by eventual "Grindhouse" collaborator Tarantino, starts off in one genre and seamlessly crosses into another. The Gecko Brothers are one of his greatest creations, right up there with the Vega Brothers and the DIVAS from "Kill Bill" (who got their start - if you pay close enough attention - as the Fox Force Five from "Pulp Fiction"). And George Clooney as Seth plays against type, guzzling booze, gulping down speed, shooting up places and people and using language you never heard on the stupid doctor show he was on. When the movie turns on its ear and goes from hipster to horror, Rodriguez keeps the finger on both the action button and the gore lever - when these vamps explode in the sun, they don't dry up like Dracula and blow away. They're wet, gross and nasty like the zombies of "Planet Terror." The rest of the cast are also quite solid - from Salma Hayak as Satanica Pandemonium, a sexy snake dancer, to "Machete" himself Danny Trejo as a hard-drinking tattooed bartender, to the never-fails presence of makeup and special effects master Tom Savini as biker Sex Machine. They even drag up "Shaft's" Fred Williamson and make him a hard ass Vietnam vet who gives a graphic description of taking out a whole VC squad ("There was blood ... and chunks of yellow flesh ... clinging to my bayonet."). It's a total romp from start to finish.

What's Bad: Well, it has all the earmarks of a classic Tarantino flick - sexy foot close-ups, toe-sucking, gun violence, naughty language, underage drinking, boobies and exploding vampires. Okay, maybe there isn't much of all that in "reservoir Dogs," but here he really cuts loose. No, the only drawback to this film is its violence - so if that turns you off, then yeah stay away. It also produced two sequels - produced by Tarantino and Rodriguez - that were just awful.

Why We Like It: So far, these two cats - Rodriguez and Tarantino - have done me no wrong, so I still bow at their worshipful feet. Getting the two together also has so far yielded some fantastic results and this early effort is no different. The script is sharp, the dialogue quippy and endlessly quotable, and the acting is just fine, yes just fine. There's also the great music, tinged with a Southern Rock flavor and made complete by the live performances of Tito and Tarantula in the film. It even introduces actor Michael Parks' character Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, who would go on to play a role in both the "Kill Bill" movies and the "Grindhouse" films. But it's here in "From Dusk til Dawn" - technically the first time we meet him - that we see his ultimate demise at the hands of Richie Gecko. No, I love this flick - it's high on the list, maybe in the top ten.

Memorable Stuff: Clooney's character has line after line of cool Tarantino-isms that stick with you forever ("Now, is my shit together or is my shit together?" "Everybody be cool -- YOU be cool!"), and so do plenty of other folks. But, I'm sorry ... the most memorable thing in the film is Hayek's sexy-ass dance with a huge albino python draped around her neck as Tito and Tarantula jam out the incredible "After Dark." As she parades off the stage and onto a table, Tarantino can't help but write a toe-sucking scene into the script (the man has a fetish, I swear) - and oh my gawd - what a scene. Hayek pours a bottle of booze down her leg and Tarantino sucks this precious ambrosia off of her pointed toe like a starving babe having at mother's swollen teats. You could almost jack off to it. Almost. Oh, fuck it - of course I jacked off to it, who am I kidding?

100 Days of Horror Day Forty-Four - "Cujo/Maximum Overdrive!"

Well, it was bound to happen - I missed a day yesterday. Missed a movie and a blog post, my first in forty-two consecutive days. I didn't even miss it when I was sick or on vacation. And what caused this first major misstep in my mission?

A hangover.

That and I couldn't locate yesterday's scheduled movie, "The Brain that Wouldn't Die." Which sucks, because it's a great crappy B-Movie and I was excited to talk about it. If I locate the DVD, I will put it back on the list for a Double Feature somewhere.

Also, today is a scheduled Double Feature on its own - and this one is a Stephen King double bill! So since I am watching two movies today anyway, we'll go ahead and say that still counts as 100, m'kay? Good.

I also wanted to add that since Friday was a payday and since the damn retail stores are already moving the Back To School section out and are moving the Halloween section in, I could not resist buying just a FEW things for the upcoming season. So for $19 we got a great resin skull that is very realistic, one of those ripped up muslin rags, some great autumn-theme scented candles and a bag of creepy insects to stuff into the skull's open mouth, of course. I had to, it's like crack - that shit was CALLING ME, POOKIE!

Invites go out in a week or so to the Halloween party! Hope you all can attend!

Seek ye below The Skinny 'pon today's twofer - "Cujo" and "Maximum Overdrive" - and read ye Sai King's books, aye, and make 'im richer than he already is! So until we reach the clearing at the end of the path, I thankee sai for readin', so I do. And long days and pleasant nights to ye.

(That was my "Gunslinger" talk! How was it?)

Cujo (1983): Directed by Lewis Teague. Starring Dee Wallace Stone, Danny Pinaturo, Daniel Hugh-Kelly and Ed Lauter.

The Skinny: One of the seemingly endless Stephen King adaptations that came out in the 1980s, the titular "Cujo" is a big sloppy St. Bernard that become infected with rabies and traps a mother in her son in a car. As they both start to succumb to dehydration and the rigors of the attack, the mom starts to plan desperate measures to save their lives.

What's Good: As far as King adaptation's go, this one was sort of meh. I mean, most of the film takes place in the confined space of the car, making it a very claustrophobic shoot. Also, with a big dog as its antagonist, this is pretty much an animal movie, and I ain't a fan of those. But it does have its moments - Dee Wallace Stone is almost always solid, and for a young kid, Danny Pinaturo gives it a fair go. There isn't much in the way of action and the horror aspect of it is one of mortal terror, as the dog somehow manages to kill every person who comes to the farm - including an armed sheriff. This was director Lewis Teague's first King adaptation - he would also go on to helm "Cat's Eye," which is only somewhat slightly better than this one.

What's Bad: It's hard for me to sustain interest in a film where the bad guy is a dog, even a rabid one. The book also had a much different ending, which would have been more effective for the film - Pinaturo's character, Tad, dies. In the film, she's trying to resuscitate her kid when the Terminator - I mean Cujo - comes through the window for one more assault. This is after being beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed with the handle from the car window. So you get my drift with the "unstoppable monster" premise, yes? I don't know, it's just okay. I mean, it's no "The Dead Zone," another David Cronenberg movie that is probably in the top three King movies.

Why We Like It: I guess I don't really, but as a massive King fan I have to have it for the collection. Again, it has a few of those funny King moments that aren't supposed to be funny but still are. But like I said ... it's a dog, for god's sake. And while I do not advocate animal cruelty in any way, I would have just kicked the living shit out of that bastard dog and got the hell out of there! But instead of focusing on the physical and emotional weakness of the main character - who has let her marriage fall apart by indulging in an affair - as they do in the book, Teague instead focuses on the action (almost non-existent) and the horror (also missing in spades) and fails at both.

Memorable Stuff: The best part is when they're first trapped in the car and Cujo just keeps ramming the sides of the car with his head. It's reminiscent of a similar scene in "Jaws" and it's also kind of funny watching this stupid dog batter itself to bits and still survive - more of the unstoppable force theme that runs through many of King's works, including "Christine."

Maximum Overdrive (1986): Directed by Stephen King. Starring Emilio Estevez, PatHingle, Yeardley Smith, Laura Harrington, Frankie Faison and Leon Rippy.

The Skinny: Adapted from King's short story "Trucks," it's man versus machine as the tail of a mysterious comet makes all machines - from soda dispensers to electric kitchen knives to automobiles - come to life and attack!

What's Good: Hm, loaded question. The truth is, this is probably the worst King movie (except maybe for "Thinner," but more on that at another time), but at the same time it's kind ... well, good. As a first-time director, King obviously doesn't know what he's doing. And he was also reportedly "coked to the gills" during the filming. So, there are certainly moments where the action is lacking and the dialogue boring and stilted, but there are also some classic 80s-Movie moments in it with rocket launchers and big explosions and lots of hard words said by hard men. That said, there isn't much "horror" going on - the scary stuff is reserved for the machine attacks, augmented by an annoying soundtrack that sounds like the "Psycho" violins done with a heavy metal flavor.

What's Bad: King just doesn't know how to make with the movie magic. He's said he would like to direct again, but maybe he should stick to the typewriter end of things and leave the camerawork to a better man. Like I said, there isn't much "horror" to go on here, and the violence is almost cartoonish - which is actually typical of 80s horror flicks, where the Slasher Film ruled the roost.

Why We Like It: I don't know why but I kind of do. Maybe for its very cheesiness, which is a major factor in my decisions. Also I like Emilio Estevez - who manages to be good even when he's just plain awful. And the action isn't too bad, even if it is typical super-macho 80s style violence with rocket launchers and machine guns. But there's something watchable about this movie that I can't quite explain. I guess it's just plain funny to watch - I mean, it is King and like old Emilio, he's usually pretty good even when he sucks.

Memorable Stuff: The best scene is when the people trapped at the diner are forced to stand outside all day and "feed" the now-animated semi trucks by pumping gas all day. It's typical King - funny and scary all at once. Also, when the guy gets eaten by the lawn mower is pretty off the hook. And let's not forget King's cameo at the beginning as a man insulted by an ATM ("Honey! This machine just called me an asshole!")

100 Days of Horror Day Forty-Two - "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party!"

Sleazy salacious salutations!

Guess who did $900 worth of damage to his dental work last night via a hard chunk of Butterfinger? Yeah my dumb ass. I Crazy Glued it back into place though, so fuck it. I guess no more hard candy for yours truly.

Anyway, I also made my first Halloween purchases today! I dropped $18 on a ghoulish rag, a resin skull, a bag of creepy crawlies to stuff in said skull's mouth and some scented autumn candles. Ooh, it's the most wonderful time of the year!

And today's selection is the best for a ridiculous night like tonight! For the six week anniversary of the 100 Days challenge, I shall imbibe tasty hard cider and pumpkin ale with my beautiful wife in the sanctity of our boudoir, scented candles burning, and this ridiculous piece of work playing on the Big Screen - "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party!" Check The Skinny below and if you somehow managed to locate this film, I hope you enjoy it too!

Monsters Crash the Pajama Party (1965): Directed by David L. Hewitt. Starring Vic McGee, James Reason and Peter James Noto.

The Skinny: This is so bad it doesn't even qualify as a B-Movie, but I love it to pieces! This movie follows a group of teens who camp out in an alleged haunted house only to discover a fiendish mad scientist is waiting in the basement to make them his next victims of his experiments.

What's Good: This is actually a hard to find movie that comes on a DVD called the "Spookshow Spectacular." The DVD is basically a tour of crappy 8mm footage, phony 3-D experiments, home movies, schlock horror posters and radio clips and several B-Rated features and below. It's an awesome spectacle and a great way to spend an evening because there is no feature menu - everything is a hidden behind Halloween-based Easter Eggs that you have to surf around to find. The feature movie itself is an extremely low-budget affair that follows the traveling spookshow medium where the "monsters" are actually silly costumes like monkeys and bad werewolves. When the mad scientist runs out of victims in the film, he turns to the camera, purporting to talk to the audience itself, claiming them to be their next victims. As the screen goes dark, the actual "monsters" from the film emerge from behind the screen and grab victims from the audience. For real authenticity, some of the "victims" were actually shills who were in on the gag, so when the movie comes back on, you see those "victims" on the screen (really just other actors, but wearing the same clothes as the "victims"). To me, this sounds like great, insane fun! And it's actually my dream to revive one of these Spookshows with my own schlocky movie one day. A man can dream, no?

What's Bad: Technically, everything. There are two or three full-length movies on the disc, but they ain't no Oscar winners. So yeah, if B-Movie badness isn't your scene, run far far away. But if you like silly Halloween cartoons from the 30s and a quartet of black men singing "Dry Bones" while a fifth black guy dances with a skeleton and a push broom in the hallway, then by all means step right up!

Why We Like It: The wife and I came across this little gem in a Borders a few years ago and that's when I first heard of the whole Spookshow phenomenon. After perusing the DVD i realized that this was just the kind of thing that my heart longed to enjoy. I love just about every little clip and picture and movie on this damn DVD and I am sorely happy that I decided to just pick it up even though I had no idea what it was all about.

Memorable Stuff: MANY THINGS! But for the "Spookshow Spectacular" DVD, nothing - but nothing - beats "The Hypno-Scope." As the DVD begins, a spinning black spiral fills the screen as a disembodied voice dripping with echo tells you that creatures may touch you or the dead may appear. When the spinning circle abruptly stops ... all I can tell you is that reality bends. Whatever you look at next appears to warp towards you, turning itself inside out at it moves closer to you. It's super badassery.

100 Days of Horror Day Forty-One - "The Rocky Horror Picture Show!"

Greetings from the grave and beyond.

Today was a complete and total washout from a work perspective. I fucking hate these one-day holidays that fuck up my whole week. While the rest of you are sitting there in antici ... pation for the four-day-weekend extravaganza, I am busting my ass trying to talk with people who simply are not around. So fuck me running.

Here's another late entry in today's movie selection, and as I am sitting here I am wondering why this movie is on this list? I have no idea why. Just because it says "Horror" in the title doesn't mean a damn thing. Check The Skinny below and follow along.

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Peter Hinwood, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Meat Loaf and Charles Grey.

The Skinny: I think most people have either seen or at best have knowledge of this film, but just in case: When their car breaks down on a desolate road, young lovers Brad and Janet find themselves at the mercy of a mad scientist who is about to unveil his greatest creation - a sexy man to have all his own. And that's the scaled down version.

What's Good: Again, I am not sure why this is on the list, other than the fact that it is a parody of both B-Movie horror and sci-fi films. I mean, don't get me wrong - I LOVE this movie to death. Tim Curry plays the role of his lifetime, brought to screen from the stage where he originated the part. The man lives and breathes sensuality as Frank N. Furter and has never had a part like it since. But there's nothing actually horrific about the movie - it's more that the film follows some of the horror movie precepts and embellishes them with comedy and music. The tropes are all there - the dark and stormy night, the mad doctor, the hunchbacked servant, and of course the humble creature itself. They even evoke the atmosphere of the Hammer Horror Films I love so much (even reusing some of the sets). But rather than attempting to horrify us, director and creator Richard O'Brien urges us to give ourselves over to "absolute pleasure," as Frank loses the original intention of coming to Earth from the planet Transexual. He instead becomes obsessed with pleasure and suffers as a result. But we don't suffer, no sir. We dance the Time Warp right along with him.

What's Bad: It's a musical which instantly puts a lot of people off. Plus, its themes of sex drugs and rock n roll may be off-putting to those with a puritanical outlook. And if you're looking for high-dollar production values and Michael Bay-inspired cinematography, look elsewhere. This is the very definition of low budget - the costumes for the entire cast (those which weren't recycled from the stage show) cost around $1,600.

Why We Like It: I'd always heard about the movie growing up, but as we lived in the sticks there was no learning about things that we couldn't look up at the library. This was well before the creation of your fancy Interwebs. So when it was finally released on VHS, I rented it - again and again and again. It struck a chord in me that has reverberated through my entire life. When Tim Curry rips open the cape and struts down the stairs singing "Sweet Transvestite," I was filled with utter joy from step one. Hooked. In love. It's a celebration of many things I hold dear, including extravagance for the sake of it. It isn't for every taste, but if you give yourself over to its absolute pleasure, you may be surprised at how deeply it affects you.

Memorable Stuff: It's packed with things that will stand out and you'll carry with you forever. But my favorite part is the cycle of songs from "Rose Tint My World" to the end. Because while the rest of the film was a romp, as it turns dark in the final third, the actors ACTUALLY begin to emote. And Curry breaks my heart every time he sings "Going Home." It's a classic, folks. A one of a kind that will never ever be repeated. Catch it while you can.

100 Days of Horror Day Forty - "Creepshow II!"

This is a super late entry today, sorry. I am dealing with a lot of work because of a short week due to Monday's holiday (I would rather work the fucking day than struggle to get it all done in four days).

Anyway, I don't have too much to say, I am just tired and grumpy and ... a few other emotions it's probably best I don't express. Check out "Creepshow II" skinny below and enjoy this schlockfest yourself.

Creepshow II (1987): Directed by Michael Gornick. Starring George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour and others.

The Skinny: In this second entry in the "Creepshow" series of films, an old wooden indian defends his lifelong owners from dishonor, a group of stoners grasping for the last gasp of summer get more than they bargained for, and a hit-and-run on a dark stormy night turns into a nightmare for a rich old woman.

What's Good: Well, for the most part I have tried to avoid sequels and series that just go on and on and on but this is an interesting opportunity to juxtapose the two films. The first "Creepshow" was a well-executed foray into comic-style horror. This is just lazy-assed cocaine-induced 80s-era filmmaking. I don't even know who the director is, in fact. And the fact that they couldn't attract the talent to the second one that they did to the first one speaks to the producers who weren't concerned with a quality product but with just getting Stephen King's name out there as product (all three of the stories are adapted from King's works). It gets off to a good start with "Chief Woodenhead" but quickly looses momentum in "The Raft" and falls flat on its face by the time we get to "The Hitchhiker." But King's stories are usually enjoyable even when they're half-assed ... which isn't often.

What's Bad: The acting. There are no quality actors whatsoever in here, save for the late George Kennedy and the wonderful (and late) Dorothy Lamour. Other than that, this is just a so-so version of shows like "Tales from the Darkside," which told similar tales with far more gusto.

Why We Like It: Meh. I watched it a lot as a kid, especially the scene on the raft with the titties. But other than that, it's better for you to just rent/buy/download the first "Creepshow" and don't bother with this one. In fact, forget it was ever made.

Memorable Stuff: As I said, titties on a raft.