RANTS & RAVINGS ABOUT HORROR – “HOW MONSTER FILMS DEFINED MY LIFE”

RANTS & RAVINGS ABOUT HORROR – “HOW MONSTER FILMS DEFINED MY LIFE”

Early this year during the 2017 Something Wicked Film Festival (www.somethingwickedfilmfestival.com), Festival Panel Moderator Jim Adams created a panel discussion that would forever define the future of panel discussions for the event (especially since I’m the Festival Director and I just hired him to be the Official Festival Panel Moderator.  One of Mr. Adams’ first duties were to come up with some original ideas for new panel discussions and thus “How Monster Films Defined My Life” was born. 

Now I know part of the reason why Mr. Adams decided on this topic for a panel discussion is because he has the podcast “Monster Attacks!” where he has spoken at length about his love for monster films.  For many people, monster films from the Universal horrors of Dracula and The Wolfman to Hammer Studios’ Frankenstein and The Mummy were defining characters of fear from childhood.  For more modern audiences there is Leatherface and that dream demon Freddy not to mention the likes of Ghostface Killer and The Jigsaw Killer.  No matter which decade, audiences have their own nightmare monster that haunts them or fascinates them to no end.

I was one of the film-makers on this panel discussion and one of the films that defined my childhood was the Joe Dante film Gremlins (1984).  I saw this in the theater in ’84 at the early age of 8 and it left an undeniable impression on me.  The monsters were both cute and cuddly and dangerous and fun at the same time.  It was like watching a bunch of unruly children at play able to do whatever they wanted.  It also had an amazing soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith (who became my all-time favorite music composer).  The film was dark and horrifying as well as funny and entertaining.  It had the perfect mixture of comedy and horror and part of that is due to the very dark photography of the film and the fluid cinematography.  It truly became one of my all-time favorite films for which my love for other monsters would grow.

 

I didn’t grow up with the black & white Universal monsters nor had I seen many of the bloody Hammer Studio films until I became a big horror fan in my teenage and college years.  The next monster I gravitated to was that of the Good-Guy doll Chucky.  When I saw Child’s Play (1988) I had never seen anything like it before.  A serial killer uses Voodoo to possess a doll and to continue his killing spree.  Even though this film played straight into horror (unlike the more comedic sequels) it still was quite fun and entertaining.  By ’88 when this film was released and I was eleven years old I had already become a horror fan but nothing had defined my true love of the genre just yet until this film.  I got the poster for the film from the nearby Video Store (how I miss these establishments) and I placed it lovingly on my bedroom wall (where it was later joined by posters of the second and third films).  It was the first poster I ever put on my wall but it would not be the last.

I followed the continuing exploits of Chucky to cinema with Child’s Play 2 (1990) and Child’s Play 3 (1991) which I had to beg my Father to take me to since I was too young for the R-Rated horror.  At this point I did come to realize how much I loved horror films but more importantly – monster films.

At this point you could say I went looking for monsters as I learned to love all monsters big or small.

It wasn’t until Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (1990) that I wished I was one of the amazing monsters that populated our magnificent world.  Barker crafted a story where the monsters were the good guys while man was the bad guy.  This film defined the idea of what a monster could truly become.  The monsters in Barker’s film were deformed and misunderstood as well as dangerous and fascinating.

It was after this that I became a true and everlasting monster fan.  From the films featuring Godzilla and his rogue’s gallery to the Cenobites of the world of Hellraiser I loved monsters both other-worldly and those more human.  My favorites were monsters not easily described or defined like those in Christine (1983), The Thing (1982), Puppet Master (1994), Critters (1986), and especially Killer Clowns From Outer Space (1988), to name but a small few.

I most certainly enjoyed the exploits of Michael Myers and Leatherface (and family) and even those Freddy films but it was with these non-human monsters that I enjoyed more and would later define my love and appreciation of horror.  For me, monsters aren’t defined as either good nor evil but in most films, they are simply just trying to survive and do what comes naturally.  This is the defining trait of King Kong and Godzilla as well as many other timeless monster films.

Serial killers and mass murders are interesting but monsters are something from the imagination where anything that can be dreamed can become a reality.  Therefore, they’ve had such a profound effect on me as not only a film maker but a storyteller and a film lover.  If nothing else, I implore others to seek out monster movies not just for pure entertainment and enjoyment but to understand oneself and the world in which we live (and the one created for the monsters to live in).  It’s never too late to enjoy a good monster film.

To view the entire “How Monster Movies Defined My Life” panel discussion go here - https://vimeo.com/238990857

Film Review: BIGFOOT (1970)

Actor John Carradine can sometimes be forgiven for some of the schlock that he has been in which will include this 1970 film Bigfoot.  Following in the footsteps of the original ’33 King Kong is this story of the 8^th Wonder of the World as described by Carradin’s character of Jasper B. Hawks a local man who sees dollar signs when the girlfriend of a biker is kidnapped by one of the creatures. 

Jasper and his friend Elmer (John Mitchum) are just trying to make a quick buck when they see dollar signs after local legend becomes reality.  It seems that several women have been abducted by the creatures who may be dying off and need a new way to procreate and keep their species alive.  Jasper and Elmer head into the local woods to track down the creature but soon get more than they bargained for when they realize that there is a family of Bigfoot out there and even something bigger and far deadlier than they could have imagined.

This might actually sound like an interesting film except that the Bigfoot costumes are laughable (even by ‘70s standards) and that the screenplay is incredibly bad in a film filled with horrible performances (not even Carradine survives this).  The film is even made worse by the score which is repeated until it grinds in your ear drums.  There is no suspense anywhere in the film (as the Bigfoot creatures are not at all shy from the sunlight where you can see the imperfections in the costumes) and it is more a comedy by accident than anything else.

This is a highly forgettable film that’s only a curiosity to fans of Carradine and little else.

"Rants & Ravings About Horror" - Week 18: “What Type of Monster Are You?”

Week 18: “What Type of Monster Are You?”

Last week I wrote about werewolf films which got me thinking about monsters and why we love them so much.  I don’t know about you but I love monster films.  Although my least favorite is the vampire, I enjoy watching a good vampire film and in fact, last year’s Only Lover’s Left Alive (2013) was at the top of my list for one of the best horror films of the year.  I absolutely love the Godzilla films (neither American version holds a candle to the Japanese films) and I’m a huge fan of Frankenstein’s monster.  I usually gravitate towards the misunderstood monster of which Frankenstein’s monster is top of the list followed by (of course) King Kong.  I also love zombie films but a zombie is at the bottom of the list of what monster I would want to be unless it was King Zombie from the Deadworld comics.  Being a zombie would be the least fun of all the monsters.

I want to take this week’s rant and go through some of my favorite monster s and why I would or wouldn’t want to be them.  As much as I would love to join the ranks of Frankenstein’s monster, I would hate always being chased by angry villagers and never having a Bride of my own (who would probably misunderstand me as well as everyone else).

Being immortal would be interesting but it could also be as boring an existence as Adam (Tom Hiddleston) in Only Lover’s Left Alive.  I would like to have an existence closer to the suave Jerry Dandridge from Fright Night (1985) rather than the blood thirty savages of 30 Days of Night (2007) or the forever teenage twinklers of the Twilight Saga.  I’d also hate to be a shut in like that of Count Orlock in Nosferatu (1922) but I think I would enjoy life on the road like the vampires in Near Dark (1987) and if I was stuck as a teen forever I guess I could handle being part of the gang of The Lost Boys (1987).  I would hate to be a relative of Dracula as him and his kin has too many enemies and a family feud with Van Helsing and his clan.  There are just as many good things about being a vampire as there is bad.

Being a zombie is pretty much out if you ask me.  There aren’t any cool zombies other than King Zombie and even the zombies in Warm Bodies (2013) wanted their humanity back.  No, life as a zombie is short lived especially in the world of The Walking Dead and I would hate to be someone’s pet like in Fido (2006) or Shaun of the Dead (2004).  I’m sure I’m more in the unlucky category and would slowly watch myself decay like in I, Zombie: The Chronicles of Pain (1998) or Contracted (2013) or Zombie Honeymoon (2004).  Being a zombie should be at the bottom of everyone’s list.

Being a giant monster also doesn’t leave you much room either.  Godzilla rarely had a moment’s peace even when he was exiled on Monster Island and King Kong couldn’t catch a break from anyone.  Being a giant mutated insect would seem cool at first but then the government would just come after you and annihilate you (and your family) like in Them! (1954) or Tarantula (1955) or Eight Legged Freaks (2002) but then again I’m sure I’d have lots of fun as a giant human like in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) or Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), but then we’re getting further and further away from horror and more into sci-fi and fantasy.

I would love to be a werewolf!  Not the whole cursed kind like in The Wolf Man (1941) or Cursed (2005) or even An American Werewolf in London (1981) but more in line with the those wolves with control over their transformations like in The Howling (1981) or the werewolves of Underworld (2003) and Dog Soldiers (2002).  I also wouldn’t mind the whole turning into a wolf kind of werewolf like in Wolf (1994) or Blood & Chocolate (2007) or Wolfen (1981); I think that would be cool as well.  There are just so many different ways in which being a wolf could be beneficial unless it comes at the time of puberty like in Teen Wolf (1985) or Ginger Snaps (2000) then I could see it being both a curse and a blessing.

The toxic or mutated monster isn’t something to joke around with.  Sure I think The Toxic Avenger (1984) is cool but then who would want to be a C.H.U.D. (1984)?  Would you want to be a toxic zombie/creature like in Nightmare City (1980) or a Septic Man (2013)?  How about something more akin to David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986)?  Not really something to behold unless it’s in your genetic makeup like The Fly II (1989) or a science experiment mixed with nature like Swamp Thing (1982) but not to the extreme of Man-Thing (2005).  

This now brings us to the group of monsters which is just about everything else like those featured in Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (1990).  This is a menagerie of monsters of all types from all over the world who have gathered together as one big family.  You have immortals, shape-shifters, amalgamations of all types and even a few dead monsters and God-like deities mixed in and Berserkers.  Midian is where the monsters live whether it is within a hidden labyrinth under a graveyard or somewhere else.  This is a place where all monsters are equal and safe.

Now, this is a small sampling of the many monsters that inhabit our world of dreams and nightmares and I see all monsters great or small as equal (even King Kong and Godzilla).  After examining all the choices I would still stick with being a werewolf (or any were-creature for that matter).  Transforming into an animal, which represents our primal self, allows us to be closer to nature and be one with our true selves and having that ability is ultimately what we strive for in our daily lives.  The werewolf just gives us a more natural way of expressing it (as does I guess being a Swamp Thing).  Being a vampire may be more glamorous but who wants to live forever?

What type of monster are you?

“Rants & Ravings About Horror” - Week 5: “VHS Collecting For the Horror Fan”

Week 5: “VHS Collecting For the Horror Fan”

As we move ever so closer to an all-digital, world DVD and BD sells, for the most part, have dwindled year upon year except for maybe for us horror fans who continue to purchase Special Editions and Anniversary Editions of some of our favorite horror films.  Recently, a 30^th Anniversary Edition of Ghostbusters I & II was released to BD.  The entire Halloween series was released in a massive 15 disc BD collection not to mention the long awaited Clive Barker’s Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut and such companies as The Criterion Collection, Scream Factory, Shout Factory, Kino Video, and Blue Underground are among some of the more boutique distributors who cater to horror fans. 

But what about all the long forgotten horror gems still left unreleased either to DVD or BD?  For every new version of Army of Darkness re-released to DVD/BD there are ten Willard (1971), Ben (1972), Amsterdamned (1988), and Tobe Hooper’s Night Terrors (1993) which can only be found on VHS.  This is a reason why the VHS secondary market thrives to this day.  For every ten films newly released to DVD or BD there are still another 100 films yet to be released whether they be films like Bog (1983) or Peter Jackson’s Forgotten Silver (1995).  To make matters worse there are also the plethora of OOP films like Watchers (1988) or Fright Night Part 2 (1988) whose DVD on the secondary market can command upwards of $80 or more.  Instead of shelling out this crazy amount of money for a single film many horror fans have continued to purchase VHS copies of some of their favorite films (or the strange oddity relegated to the VHS dump bin).

I’m a huge collector of horror films both from some of my favorite directors and even more of the obscure horror films and documentary specials like Transmutations (1985) and Clive Barker: The Art of Horror (1992).  A lot of television specials made their way to VHS but have been completely forgotten since then like Dracula in the Movies () and Dean R. Koonz’ Whispers (1990) and Servants of Twilight (1991).

As I continue to research more forgotten horror films I try to search them out whether they are on DVD/BD or still languishing on VHS.  My VHS collection continues to grow year over year.  For me, searching out horror films that I either didn’t know about growing up or haven’t seen since I was a kid is a huge joy.  Every year my list gets longer and longer but I still manage to cross many off from time to time.  My VHS films share the same space on my shelf with all my other films.

Now, collecting VHS, like collecting anything else, can take up a lot of shelf space.  One of the great things about DVD and BD are that they take up so little space but VHS tapes look so much better on display.  Besides the regular VHS style boxes there are the Big Boxes and clam shell boxes and Special Widescreen Hard Cases that make VHS tapes more appealing.  My Widescreen, Hard-cased Dawn of the Dead (1978) makes a great visual companion on the shelf with its DVD cousin and the rest of my George A. Romero films (it sits with my VHS Widescreen Editions of NOTLD: 30^th Anniversary Edition and Season of the Witch).  My Special Edition of King Kong (1933) in a box that (still) roars when you press on Kong sits next to my Special Edition DVD Box Set (and the Peter Jackson remake).  Of great proud to me is my VHS screener copy of Rawhead Rex (1986), originally given to video stores to entice them to purchase more copies of the film for rental. 

On a non-horror film note I also have VHS copies of animation auteur Ralph Bakshi’s Coonskin (aka Streetfight - 1975) and the polarizing The Plague Dogs (1982).  Movies from all genres are still waiting legitimate DVD/BD release.  I’m always on the lookout for films from all genres that are hard to find.  Most of the films I find can usually be found on eBay or Amazon but collector editions of even VHS films can carry a hefty price tag.  I can still manage to find some used book stores and Goodwills that still have VHS tapes at cheaper prices (because they have no idea of what they may truly have gathering dust on their shelves).

VHS collecting is not for everyone.  The industry to moving to an all-digital world and pretty soon (unfortunately) both the DVD and BD collecting market may completely dry up which means that the VHS market will ultimately completely disappear and become extinct.  I don’t look forward to the day when I only have a large hard drive to look at rather than my large Big Boxes and Clam Shell VHS tapes and Special Edition DVD and BDs.

What about you?