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06-27-2023, 12:43 PM
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The Deadly Spawn 1983 ★★★★˝
This is the stuff that Slither poked fun at and at the same time paid hommage to. Even literally with the aliens falling from the sky and the guy poking it with a stick and getting eaten. This is the stuff you watch for the B-movie schlock. Like the eating noises from the spawn that sound more like that one tube the dentist puts in your mouth. The attacks are mostly offscreen-ish, but when they are not, they are gloriously silly and ludicrous. As in the tea party scene. Or what happened to the guy who looks like Christopher Lloyd. The special effects fit the mould with their cheesiness. Needless to say, this was the right movie at the right time and I loved every minute of it. highly recommended for fans of Critters and the like. The Gate 1987 ★★★★ This was a fun little crossover between The Goonies and Evil Dead. Stephen Dorff made me go “oh yeah, he was a kid once” and Louis Tripp is well placed as the know it all best friend. The rest of the cast are no great shakes, but I mostly enjoyed the campy fun that looms over this picture.
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07-01-2023, 11:17 PM
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The Monster Club 1981 ★★★
The Monster club is a great anthology film that does not overstay its welcome. The best part is the surrounding story where Vincent Price introduces John Carradine to the monster club. And not without the poignant final monologue on how humans are the worst monsters of all. We are just the worst. I can also not go without mentioning the bands performing. Move over, saxophone player from The Lost Boys. These bands got you beat. Also, Vincent Price and UB40 in the same film? Are you kidding me? The individual stories are tales about classic monsters and ditto tales. The first story is a solid variation on the principle that spawned Freaks. Predictable, but okay. The second story with the vampire would now serve as the premise for a sitcom, especially based on the last twist/joke. The third and final story is about a film producer only to find ghouls, or something akin to that. Predictable, especially the false sense of security. In my opinion the least of the three. Though I did enjoy the meta humor in both this one and the surrounding story. All in all a fun little romp. With a who's who for a cast and an absolute icon as your host. Look out for it on either Tubi or youtube.
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07-01-2023, 11:43 PM
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Graduation Day 1981 ★★★
I must say that, upon this rewatch, I was much more mild towards this eighties slasher. Sure, it had your run of the mill premise – a tragedy occurred, this time during a track event and now someone is out for revenge – but I must admit that the overall story and the kills had a certain campiness and goofy idea to them that endeared the movie to me more than it did on the previous viewing. The kill with the football has you wondering how that could possibly work. Linnea Quigley's character gets decapitated after a drawn out chase scene and the polevault kill is simply hilarious. I also like the touch of adding the timer to the kills, taking as long as it took for the original girl to die. Or the checklist marked with lipstick. The main characters are your standard horny teens, but the teachers fare no better. From the skeevy arts teacher who gets seduced by one of the students to the principal running away from the angry calls about missing children. Or the cops: one hates being there and the other smokes pot to deal with the stress of his job. And, of course, the final girl. Her not taking shit from males is a positive and I know what the ending was trying to emulate, but it's still odd seeing a marine run like that. The reveal of the killer is accompanied by a nice Pyscho-esque score, which goes along well with the final reveal. The final girl circuit is also kind of funny with the aformentioned running and the way the polevaulter is displayed. Almost like Bill from the original Friday. Making this killer either very methodical or very lazy. That said, we could do without the nightmare sequence at the end. About as unnecessary as the ghost leaping out at the end of Unfriended. I'm guesisng studio note as well here. Graduation Day. Good for a rewatch or people discovering the slasher genre.
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07-02-2023, 02:19 AM
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My Brother corresponded with Pat Cardi (Vernon) and I was lucky enough to meet the late Austin Stoker (The Detective) at my first CHILLER. I mentioned I saw HH under the title TTB and he almost looked like He was in pain from hearing the title, but I told Him He was good in it and He laughed and lightened up.
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07-05-2023, 06:10 AM
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Theater of Blood, 1973. 7/10
Directed by Douglas Hickox 
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07-06-2023, 09:02 PM
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Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! 1978 ★★★★★
This is the perfect recipe for a cult classic status. Start with the grating “sound that the tomatoes make”. Add the custom fit for B movies attack scenes. Pour in the characters: from the weird scientists, the inept congressmen, the paranoid flyboy Fenlitter, the black Hitler,... Sprinkle in some moments that are odd (even by this movie's standards) and hilarious and you got yourself a great movie.
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07-06-2023, 09:10 PM
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TerrorVision 1986 ★★★˝
This bit of eighties cornball fun had everything I was looking for. It was a fifties movie made with eighties money. With an amazing theme song. Which reminds me: between this one and Attack of the killer tomatoes, I have recently seen two movies with their own theme song. Some parallel. The best example of this thesis would be the alien/monster. The plastic cheapness of the fifties mixed with eighties gore. But the concept of an alien coming in through the satellite dish is a good example as well. And between this one, Troll 2, The Garbage Pail Kids and other masterpieces... Is it me or was there an unwritten rule that this type of eighties romp always had to contain some sort of shenanigans involving either goo or snot or other forms of slime? The characters being (borderline) wear a helmet dumb on the other hand just fits the cartoonish nature of the plot. While the cast did not look memorable (apart from the foster father in Child's Play 2). The grandfather is a conspiracy nut, the child is on pills and has “attacks” as his parents call it. His sister is a mall chick dating a dunderhead rocker with looks to rival with the rocker-bounty hunter from Critters. The dad says he looks silly and I'll let his swinger costume speak for itself. A perfect fit for people looking for campy, cartoonish fun.
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07-11-2023, 01:09 AM
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ALIENS (1986)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> One of the best films of the 80's or any decade, this sequel to 1979's ALIEN moves like an out of control Roller coaster and still remember the huge adrenaline rush I got seeing it in the theaters. Watching it again, still think the film is marvelous, but thought to myself how so many MOMENTS make the film (and I'm talking the Directors cut with almost a half hour more footage)...Ripley's reaction over her daughter, Bishops trick with the knife, Sargent Apone's interactions with the troops (and how bad I felt when He is killed), Hudson's showing off, the moment the aliens come out of hiding after the colonists are found, Riply and Newt being terrorized by the face huggers, th moment the group realizes they overlooked an area where the aliens are, the discovery of the Queen )I LOVE the part when Ripley cocks her head) and the final Mano a Mano onboard the SULACO. Also, SO MANY GREAT quotes..."I don't know...Is there anything You can do?", "I heard that!", "Looks like love at first sight to Me!", "Stop Your grinning' and drop Your linen!", "LET'S ROCK!", "Aw..that;s great! That's just fuckin' great!", "Not bad for a Human" and most especially..."Get away from Her, You Bitch!" Now and always *****
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07-12-2023, 01:03 PM
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I remember in the film review TV show Siskel & Ebert, Ebert suggested maybe the movie had too much fast action at the end. I think he was wrong, but films would go on to having over extended action sequences, thinking of the Hobbit. And Siskel actually gave it a thumbs down. He was put off by the long constant monster attack ending and was morally offended that they used a child in peril as an emotional device. It was interesting to hear Ebert say he was waiting for the reveal that Newt had been egged the whole time. One of Alien 3's flaws to manifest. lol Now that you mention it, I've never seen the Special Edition version. I checked the runtime, and I see this has 17 more minutes. That's a fair amount. I look forward to it. Extended films so far tend to be more interesting than superior. Thinking of the Lord of the Rings and Alien. One exception would be Dune (1984), which really changed the emphasis and meaning of the film in a positive way.
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07-13-2023, 11:21 PM
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 !I think they missed the fact that Newt became a surrogate daughter for Ripley and the mention of Newt being infected is almost a teaser for ALIEN3. I saw that on opening day with a friend and what a tremendous downer the first few minutes are  !When I lived in the Chicago area (1976-79 at Fort Sheridan, sandwiched between Highwood and Lake Forest), my Dad got the CHICAGO TRIBUNE and I used to read Siskel's reviews, but He could be hard on many scary/edgy films, where Ebert was a little more accommodating.
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