Thursday, October 11, 2012

Halloween Horror Movie Marathon: Films 6, 7 & 8

I've got a little catching up to do as I watched several movies this past weekend, so let's go with three, short reviews today, all three recommended, two with warnings.


Another 80's film I have a lot of affection for, "Dolls" was the third film from director Stuart Gordon following his two successful H.P. Lovecraft adaptions, "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond."  My best recollection is that "Dolls" wasn't received as well at the time because it's a huge departure from those first two films.  Where those were effects heavy, gorefests, "Dolls" is a bit of a throwback story, a child's fable for adult audiences. Oh there's a little splatter here and there, but nothing near the level of those earlier films.  The story concerns a young girl who is on holiday with her father and stepmother.  Evil stepmother, I should say. See what I mean.  Throw in the Gothic manse in the English countryside, dolls that come to life and witches, and I think you get the idea.  This is pure Grimm's fairy tale stuff with a little 80's horror sensibility thrown in.  And a lot of fun at that.  Oh, the story is pretty simple, to be sure, but what else do you need for some good Halloween fun?

"Dolls" is currently available on Netflix streaming.

P.S.  It was suggested to me that because of this film's title and the image on the poster that I should probably mention that it is not a ripoff of nor does it have anything to do with the Chucky movies.  Firstly, this film came out a year before the original "Child's Play," so definitely not a ripoff.  But besides that, this movie couldn't be more different.  So if you don't care for the Chucky movies, never fear, this is nothing like them. And if you love Chucky, rest assured, this film didn't copy "Child's Play," so give it a shot.



A Direct-to-Video sequel to a marginally successful theatrically released film.  Typically that's a recipe for a crap film, but "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End" is anything but.  Oh, it's low-budget shows to be sure, but director Joe Lynch and his writers knew exactly what they needed to do within their limitations to make it work; just go all in.  This movie is way more fun than it has any right to be because it is so deliriously over the top.  This is the "Evil Dead II" of mutant, cannibal hillbillies movies.  The setup is this; a new, Survivor-style, reality TV show is filming deep in the woods, which just happened to be inhabited by ... wait for it ... mutant inbred hillbilly cannibals!

What's probably most surprising for this type film is how much attention is paid to actually giving us well thought out characters.  Nothing overly complex, mind you, but definitely not the cardboard cutouts you get in so many direct-to-video horror films.  Also, the acting is surprisingly solid across the board here, with Henry Rollins a fun standout as the ex-military man turned reality-show host.

One warning; "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End" is a nasty affair.  Though it's all very cartoonish, this definitely scores an 8 1/2 to 9 out of 10 on the gore scale.  But, I mean, it's mutant inbred hillbillies killing and eating attractive young folk.  What else would you expect?  Look, you'll know if this film is for you by the end of the body-splitting, gut-splattering opening scene.


 

What a genuinely bizarre film this is.  It comes from Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, and, while not his best, it is a standout in his already unique canon of films.  Argento started out making thrillers in the 1970's in the Italian Giallo genre of thriller films.  Those films did quite well, and he became known in the cinema press as the "Italian Hitchcock."  Then with 1977's "Suspiria" he ventured into the supernatural horror genre, once again, to great success.

In a way, 1985's "Phenomena" is something of a mish-mash of all those things Argento loved; we have the thriller, police procedural, supernatural horror, and his love of Edgar Allen Poe all rolled into one mess of a film.  And yet somehow, if you're open to it, it works.  I mean, how can you not love a film featuring police investigating a serial killer, a young girl (played by a then 14-year-old Jennifer Connelly) who can communicate with insects, a mutant, killer kid, a swarm of helpful flies, and a chimpanzee with a straight-razor.

An edited version was released in the U.S. under the title "Creepers," and while I haven't seen that version, I can't help but think it might have helped some of the pacing issues as the European cut tends to drag now and then. Either way, if you can find a copy it's well worth a look.

My warning on this one; if you're new to the films of Dario Argento or Italian horror cinema in general, then I'm not sure that this the film to start with.  It's just so completely out there.  Maybe try "Suspiria" instead.

Update:  I just found that the U.S. cut under the title "Creepers" is available on Amazon streaming, and it's free if you're an Amazon Prime member.

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