Grandma Tina's Horror Reviews

Stars: Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Stephen King 

Director: George Romero 

My first review of a film type I love – the anthology film. I love getting a short and concise story, whether as a book or in a film. The heyday of these films was in the 1960’s and 1970’s with the Amicus productions but we still get a good one once in a while. Who better, than the master of the short story Stephen King, to bring us these goodies. 

Brief synopsis: 

A little boy named Billy gets his horror comic book taken away from him by his mean dad. The Creeper, the mascot of the comic book, comes to Billy and shows him the stories from the book. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Story 1 – Father’s Day 

A rich and mean family gathers to celebrate Father's Day and the anniversary of the death of the family patriarch. A mean and bitter old man, he drove his daughter Bedelia to murder him after years of mental abuse and badgering her for his Father’s Day cake. After realizing that her father had her fiancée murdered, she returns the favor and bashes the old man’s head in with an ashtray. The rich family then covered up the murder. 

The old man rises from the grave for revenge. He kills Bedelia first and then takes out his niece Sylvia and her nephew-in-law Hank. Siblings Cass and Richard go looking for everyone and are shocked to find the zombie in the kitchen with Sylvia’s head on a platter with frosting and a candle. He finally got his cake. 

Story 2 – The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill 

Stephen King plays a hick who messes with a meteorite. After it breaks open and gets on his hand, he ends up being slowly turned into a green plant. He eventually is completely consumed and, in his final moments of clarity, commits suicide. We then see that the greenery is slowly spreading out from Jordy’s house to the rest of the world. 

Story 3 – Something to Tide You Over 

An against type Leslie Nielsen plays Richard, a jealous and wealthy man. Richard is meeting his wife Becky’s lover, Harry, played by Ted Danson. The lovers want to run away together but Richard is not about to let that happen. Playing a recording of Becky’s voice begging for help, Richard emotionally blackmails Harry to follow him to the beach on his secluded beach house. After burying Harry up to his neck on the beach, Richard then sets up a TV and shows video of Becky also buried up to her neck and starting to drown. Richard says both of them can survive if they manage to hold their breaths after the tide rolls in and loosens the sand. Richard then watches the lovers drown but not before Harry vows revenge with one of his last breaths. 

Richard goes back to the beach after tide goes back out to collect the recording of Harry’s death. What he doesn’t see is Harry’s body. Unconcerned, he heads home but slowly begins to hear voices calling his name. His security system does not pick up anything but he is confronted by the seaweed covered zombies of his dead wife and her lover. Richard attempts to shoot them but bullets don’t work on the couple. They continue to pursue Richard and he finally collapses into insane laughter. The next time we see Richard, he is buried up to his neck in the sand, defiantly shouting that he can hold his breath for a long time as the tide rolls in. 

Story 4 – The Crate 

A janitor finds an unopened crate hidden in a stairwell at Horlicks University dating back to 1834. He calls on Professor Stanley to help him investigate. Unfortunately, the janitor gets too close and a monster in the crate eats him. Professor Stanley gets a grad student to assist him and he also gets eaten. Terrified and unsure of what to do, he goes to see his friend Professor Northrup. This turns out to be a bad idea as Professor Northrup is in a horrible marriage with the obnoxious Billie and wants nothing more than to get rid of her. Upon hearing about the monster’s existence, Professor Northrup drugs his friend and then lures Billie to the crate containing the creature. His plan works and Billie is quickly eaten as well. Professor Northrup then chains up the crate and dumps it in a local quarry. After Professor Stanley wakes up, his friend assures him that the creature is drowned. However, the last frame shows the creature tearing apart the box under water, ready to re-emerge and attack again. 

Story 5 – They’re Creeping Up on You 

Upson Pratt is a ruthless businessman germaphobe with an intense fear of insects. He lives in a white, state of the art, sealed apartment. After he takes over a business leading to the suicide of the former owner, he finds his apartment inexplicably infested with cockroaches. He fights them until he finally dies with the insects bursting from his dead body. 

Wrap-around story 

Garbagemen find Billy’s comic in the trash and read through it, noting that the ad for the voodoo doll has been cut out. Meanwhile, Billy pulls out the doll and uses it to torture his father. We then pull out to see Billy and the doll on the front cover of the next issue of Creepshow. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

To me, a successful anthology film means that more than half the stories hit their mark. Creepshow hits the mark with an 80% success rate. I still cannot watch the last story involving the bugs, it feels over the top and unnecessary to me, but the other four and the wraparound stories all work well. The wraparound story with genre legend Tom Atkins, who we will definitely be talking about in later reviews, as a mean dad who does not want his son reading horror comics. The young man, played by Stephen King’s son and future author Joe (King) Hill, is naturally defiant and mad. Joe may not be a great actor but he has fun with the role. Atkins can play mean with the best of them and gets the audience on the kids side. Stephen King is also competent in his short solo segment. He plays dumb well and we get the right emotion from him. Will he ever be Oscar worthy? Hell no, but it is still a lot of fun. 

Father’s Day is the proper way to start off this film. Creepy but with a sense of irony to it. All the old man wanted was his cake and he finally got it. The biggest issue with this segment is I feel there is something off about the story itself, mainly that the villain wins in this segment. Normally, the bad guy gets his comeuppance but not here. Bedelia was driven mad by her murderous and abusive father and finally snapped. To be honest, the old man had it coming. But in the end, he ends up victorious. Bedelia and the rest of the family is dead and the old man wins. While I still like it, I just don’t feel like it fits with the other stories. 

The best of these stories is the middle one with Ted Danson and Leslie Nielsen. Nielsen was not stuck in his Airplane/Naked Gun typecasting yet and brings quite a bit of menace to his role of the cuckold who will not let his wife go. This is a man with money and means and not afraid to use them to eliminate his enemies. His choice of not only forcing the lovers to dig their own graves but also allow them to slowly drown is horrific. The lovers revenge on him is perfect and his punishment definitely fits the crime. 

The Crate is an interesting little creature story and adds in the blood that has been missing throughout the film. The creature is hungry after years of not being fed and goes after whatever comes close to its cage. While it seems that the professor might be getting away with murder, after tricking his obnoxious wife to her death, the final frames make it clear that it not the case. The monster is escaping and will probably be back to get the man who threw him in the water to die. 

Creepshow is a fun horror anthology from the great team of George Romero and Stephen King. While the stories may be a little uneven, they are still good and there is a sense of fun to them. There is even a comic book companion to the film that is worth checking out if you can find it. Worse comes to worse, maybe I will let you borrow my copy. 

More films from 1982 to check out: 

Pandemonium – Completely silly horror comedy starring Carole Kane and Tom Smothers. Not really good but silly and makes laugh. 

The Secret of NIMH – Man, we had some creepy cartoons in the 1980’s and Secret of NIMH is one of them. Widowed Mrs. Brisby is trying to get medicine for her son and help moving their home so it doesn’t get buried during plow time. Some very frightening images and maybe a little too intense for the youngest viewers. 

The Last Unicorn – Another animated film, this one about a unicorn who gets hidden in a human body to avoid a cruel king. She has adventures and finds love, leading her to question whether or not to return to being a unicorn. Beautifully animated and underrated film.

Stars: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson 

Director: Tobe Hooper 

Sorry for the delay, I started working on this review Friday and then learned that the hilarious Catherine O’Hara had passed away, another huge loss for the entertainment world. Instead of working on horror films, I spent some time reliving her comic genius in films like Best in Show and The Mighty Wind. I’m sure she and John Candy are having a hell of a reunion up there. 

Back to horror and a classic ghost story – Poltergeist. 

Brief synopsis: 

Welcome to Cueste Verde – a planned community in California. The homes look the same but the neighbors seem friendly, especially the Freeling family. Chances are that if you bought a home there, the father Stephen, sold it to you. Stephen is the top realtor for the community after all. Your kids go to school with the children Dana, Robbie, and Carol Anne and your wife probably hangs out with cute housewife Diane. They even have a dog and are having a pool installed. 

It is during the digging of that very pool that strange things begin to happen to this all American family. Carol Anne keeps talking to the static on the TV while Robbie grows increasingly fearful of the old tree outside the house and thunderstorms. Soon, the chairs in the kitchen begin moving by themselves and Diane discovers a spot that will drag a person across the kitchen floor. It is all wonderful, mysterious and fun, until the night a huge thunderstorm hits and the real terror begins. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

The tree Robbie has been scared of suddenly comes to life during the storm and attempts to eat him. While the family is saving him from the tree, the closet eats Carol Anne. The five-year old is trapped in the space between life and death with a group of poltergeists. A group of paranormal investigators come in to help the family and bring in a clairvoyant named Tangina to assist them in their attempts to save Carol Anne from the poltergeists holding her hostage. 

Stephen’s boss comes to check on the family and convinces Stephen to take a field trip with him. The boss takes Stephen to a cemetery on a hill overlooking Cueste Verde and reveals that this is the site of the next phase of the project. When Stephen asks about the graves, the boss says that they will just move them again. Cueste Verde is the previous home of the graveyard and the company relocated the graves before starting construction. 

Tangina assists the family in getting Carol Anne back and declares the house clean. However, she must not have checked under the beds because apparently there was a little spirit still left in the house and they attack the family as they prepare to move out. As Diane, Carol Anne, and Robbie try to escape, coffins and bodies began bursting out of the ground. A horrified Stephen realizes that his boss only took the headstones and left the bodies in the ground. He manages to get his family away from the house before it implodes and disappears. The last we see of the Freelings, they are at a Holiday Inn and shove the TV out onto the walkway.   

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

“They’re here!” These two words, spoken by the late Heather O’Rourke, still sends a chill down my spine. There is a lot of debate whether or not Tobe Hooper directed this film on his own or got some help from Steven Spielberg. Having watched this film many times, I can certainly see the Spielberg touches on it. Maybe Hooper was a director-for-hire and followed Spielberg’s story boards and shot set-ups? Could Spielberg have even directed it considering E.T. was filmed roughly during the same time? Absolutely. Ten years later, Spielberg would put out two different but still great films in the same year: Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. Did he direct both E.T. and Poltergeist? Honestly, I don’t think we will ever know. Hooper sadly passed away in 2017 and Spielberg would never tell. I will say, I see more of E.T. in this film than Texas Chainsaw Massacre… 

Whoever directed this, it is a hell of a film. The effects, while not quite The Thing worthy, are still great. The spectral images of the different ghosts are spooky and the ending monsters are decently scary. There is great use of the revolving room two years before Nightmare on Elm Street and the static on the screen, especially for those of us who grew up in the 80’s and fell asleep in front of TV too many times to count, is played for maximum creepiness. You can barely hear the voices through the screen but, when they do come through, they are stretched out and higher pitched, almost inhuman. When Carol Anne finally gets to speak, her fear comes through the static loud and clear. This film is proof that you do not need blood and guts to ratchet up the terror, mood and sound can get you there too. 

The acting is great across the board. You believe that this is a happy family and that Steve and Diane have been together for years. There is a comfortableness and ease to their interactions that feels real. The kids work well together and you understand the silly fights underlined with love. The two sisters both died tragically early. Dominique Dunne was murdered shortly after this film by her boyfriend who managed to get away with barely a slap on the wrist for the crime and Heather O’Rourke died due an illness right after filming Poltergeist III. The paranormal investigators, including Beatrice Strait as Dr. Lesh and Zelda Rubinstein at Tangina, are well-written and performed. Tangina is a hoot, clearly in her element as the star of the final act and gets in several zingers that help relieve a little of the tension you are feeling. 

It should also be noted that the Freelings are the only family attacked by the ghosts. The film offers a couple explanations as to why that may be. Carol Anne was born in the house, a new spirit entering a home that is already filled with old spirits. Also, Steven is the top realtor for the community, the person who has helped desecrate the ground. He may not have known about the graveyard but ignorance is not an excuse. He didn’t care about what was on that ground before, he just wanted to sell houses and make money. This may be why he and his family is targeted too.

One last note, this is a film that still works. I have been showing my teenage granddaughter some of these older films and she screamed out loud when the clown doll grabbed Robbie. After the movie was over, I told her that this was my PG film, as opposed to the films that are PG nowadays like the Trolls movie. Not only that, but I was dropped off to see this film by myself when I was 8 years old. She looked at me in horror and asked “Why would they do that to you?” I just laughed and said “It was the 80’s – that’s what parents did.” 

More films from 1982 to check out: 

Annie – Musical adaptation of the Broadway play. Not a great film but many great performances including Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, and the wonderful Carol Burnett. 

Grease 2 – Michelle Pfieffer and Maxwell Caulfield star in a so bad it’s good sequel to the 70’s classic. Do I own the soundtrack on CD? Yes, yes I do because sometimes you just need to sing Cool Rider. 

Tron – Jeff Bridges stars as a computer programmer who gets sucked into the computer world. Ahead of its time in many ways, this is still a fun watch and I spent hours playing the video game in arcades and at home.

Stars: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley 

Director: John Carpenter 

We are now moving on to 1982, one of the greatest years of film with multiple classics being sent out to theaters. The same weekend that The Thing dropped in theaters, Blade Runner was released, E.T. was number one in the box office, and Poltergeist and Star Trek II were both still enjoying strong runs. As a kid, I saw all but two of these in the theater. I’ll let you guess which two and the answer will be below. 

Brief synopsis: Workers at an American research station in Antarctica are shocked when two men from a nearby Norwegian camp appear in a helicopter shooting at a dog. Eventually both men are killed and the dog is taken in by the American crew. MacReady, the helicopter pilot, takes Dr. Copper to the Norway base camp to try and get answers. Once there they discover that the base is destroyed. They find a man who has slit his own throat and wrists, burned remains, a creature that looks like two humans fused together, and a melted block of ice that obviously had something in it that was released. Mac and Doc take the creature back to base to examine. Another scientist, Blair, examines the creature and discovers that it is appears to be human, with normal organs. Meanwhile, the dog that was being chased is finally put into the pen with the rest of the dogs and all hell breaks loose. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

The dog turns into a dog thing, sprouting other-worldly appendages and almost a flower-like appearance in places. It attacks the other dogs and the men respond to the ruckus. Mac orders the men to get a flamethrower and they burn the dog thing up. Slowly, paranoia begins to circle through the camp as they realize that they are dealing with an alien that can imitate life and imitate it perfectly. Blair is isolated after going crazy and assimilated by the creature. 

Through many spectacular effects show pieces, the crew is slowly whittled down to Mac, the base captain Gary, cook Nauls, and mechanic Childs working together to stop Blair-thing from taking off in the ship he has built. Childs disappears and Blair-thing dispatches of Nauls and Gary, leaving Mac. Mac blows up the base, setting the camp on fire. As he sits drinking, Childs come back. Neither man trusts the other at this point but, as Mac points out, neither is in any position to do anything about it. The base fire will burn out soon and they will die of hyperthermia. With one of the most famous last lines in a film, Mac hands Childs a bottle of whiskey and says “Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?”. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

Confession time – this is one of my favorite films of all time and I hope to one day see it on the big screen. In 1982, my parents were not dropping me off to see The Thing. First off, I was 8 when this came out so I couldn’t go to a rated “R” movie by myself at that time. Secondly, I don’t think my parents really knew what this film was. We had watched The Thing from Another Planet, probably on Svengoolie, but we did not make the connection to this film. There is a good reason for that. The 1950’s film is about a giant carrot alien who attacks a base in Alaska. It is silly and really has no resemblance to the original short story, Who Goes There? The screenwriter of The Thing from 1982, Bill Lancaster, went back to the source material and an alien that takes over and replicates whatever it is taking over. 

This film, in my humble opinion, is Carpenter’s masterpiece. There is only one shot that I think should have been eliminated and that is the opening shot with the spaceship crash landing on Earth. It is not necessary and takes away a little bit of the mystery of what is happening. I wish the film had just started with the opening titles and then the stark shot of the Antarctic mountains, emphasizing the isolation these men feel, but that is a minor quibble. Other than that, this is a well-shot film with cinematography by the amazing Dean Cundey. We are kept in a constant state of confusion and paranoia along with the men. We do not know who to trust or who is a thing. Each shot, including close-ups on needles going into arms and the creature bursting out of its host bodies, is directed to wring the maximum amount of terror and horror out of it. I still love Halloween but this will always be my favorite of his films. 

The acting is great across the board. Most of these men are from the 1980’s slate of character actors so they have faces that you recognize but you may not know the names. This adds to the tension as you do not know who to trust as the paranoia mounts. There are really only two recognizable actors in this film: Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley. I say recognizable as in both had been in films for years and their faces, even behind beards, are quite recognizable. Keith David would end up becoming a staple in films but his Childs is the first major role he would have in a career that is still going strong today. Because the acting is so good, we empathize with these men as they try to make the right decisions and do not dislike anyone until they turn out to a thing. We will get to what I consider the female version of this film, The Descent, in the 2000’s and that film has a definite villain and her name is Juno. Not here, here they are just a group of people trying to survive an impossible situation. 

The great acting includes the dogs in the film, specifically the main dog-thing, played by Jed. Animal actors often have trouble conveying the right mood in a scene but there is always something just a bit off about him. Whether he is standing at a window, staring out at the men as they head to his old base, or stalking his way down a hall to claim his first victim, the dog is never quite right. Carpenter said in his commentary track that the dog just did the scenes perfectly, without needing much guidance. By the way, get the DVD and listen to the commentary track with Russell and Carpenter. These longtime friends have a blast revisiting their box office failure together.   

None of this would have worked if the special effects were shoddy but the effects created by Rob Bottin are nothing short of incredible. Only one special effect, the dog-thing turning in the dog kennel, was done by the legendary Stan Winston based on Bottin’s sketches. Every other effect in this movie was done by Bottin. He spent so much time working on the movie that he ended up in the hospital being treated for exhaustion. The creativity of the creatures, the mad genius behind the idea that a creature that can mimic anything and has probably been to multiple planets can look like anything, is what holds the film together. The fact that the creature also is basically a simple cell that overtakes, that it really isn’t a whole being is also fascinating. Each cell protects itself, only concerns itself with its own survival. The blood test scene proves this out and is tense with a comedic line at the end to release the tension held in your body. The way the contaminated blood jumps out of the petri dish after being burned still gets me no matter how many times I have seen it. 

The Thing is a tense paranoic masterpiece. Misunderstood at the time it was released, people said it was too gory and nasty to watch. Compared to the torture porn era, this is nothing. Also, unlike films that seem to just be gore for gore’s sake, this film has a reason for the gore. We need to see the organs to understand that they are the same are ours. We need to see the thing change to understand the danger our protagonists are in. We need to understand that not only is the danger real, chances are that none of these men are surviving the attack and that they really should not if humanity wants to survive. The Thing is a must watch for any horror film fan. 

More films from 1982 to check out: 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – First film I saw multiple times in the theater, including once with my maternal grandma. A young widow (like myself) and a product of the depression era, she was tough as nails couldn’t believe it when my mom and I started crying when E.T. died. Her words, “What are you crying for, you know he is going to live.” Still a classic and I still cry every time. 

Blade Runner – The other sci-fi classic that I did not see in the theaters. I have watched multiple versions of the film and am still not sure which one I prefer but Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer are both excellent. 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – My second favorite of the series (still love Star Trek IV more, sue me) with Shatner overacting to a positive effect, great battle scenes, and a stunner of ending that was undone in the next film.   

Stars: Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford 

Director: J. Lee Thompson

My birthday falls in September, the 19^th to be exact, and I use that as an excuse to start Halloween horror movie watching early. This film is almost always the start of Halloween season to me. 

Brief synopsis: 

Ginny is part of the “Top 10” at Crawford Academy. A former outcast due to her mother being a social climber, she was accepted into the group following her mother’s death. This group of spoiled rich kids run the prep school and there are many in town who hate them. Being teenagers, the members of the group play dating roulette, switching partners with ease and only a little jealousy. While the romantic games play out, a killer begins whittling down the group one by one. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Ginny has brain damage and memory issues from the car wreck that killed her mother. This leads to black outs and she begins to think that she is killing her friends. Her fears are seemingly verified when we see her kill a couple of her fellow classmates. Eventually, we end up at Ginny’s birthday party at a table surrounded by all her dead friends. Her father finds her and she kills him. However, it is all a trick. Turns out that Ginny’s best friend, Ann, was wearing a mask of Ginny to frame her for the murders. Ann’s father had an affair with Ginny’s mom and it destroyed her parents’ marriage. In addition, Ginny is actually Ann’s half-sister. The two girls fight over a knife and Ginny ends up fatally stabbing Ann. Unfortunately, the police show up at that moment to see Ginny surrounded by her dead friends with a bloody knife in her hands. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

Is this the best film to start out Halloween season with? Probably not but I don’t care. It is fun, silly, and brainless way to start the season. The poster promises six of the most bizarre deaths ever put on screen and, while it doesn’t quite succeed, they are fun kills and you understand why someone would want to take these particular kids out of the gene pool. They are obnoxious, entitled, and lack empathy. When people they know and care about go missing, they blow it off and are not concerned at all. You wonder why someone kind like Ginny would even want to hang out with them. 

The answer is Ann. Ann seems to worry about Ginny and wants to help her. The film starts off with the group at a bar. After terrorizing a group of older Shriner’s who are, admittedly, annoying with their 100 bottles of beer on the wall refrain, they decide to jump a drawbridge as it rises. This is how Ginny’s mother died, jumping the same bridge after confronting Ginny’s dad on her birthday. This is where Ginny almost died. Without telling Ginny what is going on, they shove her in a car to play the game of jumping the bridge. After barely surviving the second jump, Ginny runs off to deal with her trauma while Ann angrily goes after the gang for putting Ginny through that horror. Throughout the film, Ann is constantly by Ginny’s side, helping her and reassuring her. This is, of course, her way of keeping tabs on her nemesis and making sure Ginny does not have an alibi for the murders. 

The cast is good for a film of this stature. Melissa Sue Anderson, Mary from Little House on the Prairie, is convincing as Ginny. All she wants is a normal life following the accident that nearly ended her life but forces beyond her control are stopping that from happening. Tracy Bregman is probably best known for playing Lauren Fenmore on The Young and The Restless for over 40 years and you can understand why she is still acting. Ann is really two roles, best friend and worst enemy, and Bregman sinks her teeth firmly into both. You trust Ann and can understand why she stands by Ginny, even when things look bad. But when the tables turn and her true colors come out, she is vicious and mean. 

Another thing this film has going for it is the ending. You will soon learn that I am a fan of an earned nihilistic ending. It can’t come from nowhere, it has to be built up to and make sense for the story. This ending fits that requirement. Ann has framed Ginny so well that there is no way for her to convince the police that she is an innocent victim, she is literally standing there with a bloody knife in her hand and dead bodies all around her. Ginny may not have died but her life is over. Ann won. 

If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate your birthday, give Happy Birthday to Me a shot. You will never look at a shish kabob skewer the same way again. 

More films from 1981 to check out: 

The Devil and Max Devlin – Lost Disney film when Bill Cosby plays the devil tempting Elliot Gould’s Max Devlin. I always enjoyed this one however it is really hard to find. 

History of the World Part I – A lesser Mel Brooks film but still fun. I still catch myself singing the Inquisition song at random times. 

Dragonslayer – This Disney/Paramount fantasy film stars Peter MacNicol as Galen, a sorcerer’s apprentice who wants to help defeat a dragon. Dark and disturbing and still managed to get a PG rating despite a scene involving dragon babies eating a virgin sacrifice.  

Stars: Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone 

Director: Joe Dante 

Slasher films were not the only horror films produced in 1981. This year saw two classic werewolf films produced (Wolfen is better left alone). I want to discuss An American Werewolf in Londen before I get into The Howling. Both films are classics with groundbreaking special effects but I have a little more love for the underdog. John Landis’ film is great, with a wry sense of humor and a great soundtrack. Rick Baker’s special effects in American Werewolf are better than Rob Bottin’s in The Howling however Bottin will get his own moment to shine next year in The Thing. 

So why am I doing a review on The Howling? Simply put, this is the one I have watched more often. Dante’s sense of humor and style are more appealing to me and I appreciate the way the script handles the lore of the werewolf. I watched both again to make sure my opinion didn’t change and it hasn’t. While I would recommend watching both films, The Howling has gotten pushed aside for far too long and deserves its moment in the spotlight, even if only on my little site. 

Brief synopsis: 

Karen White is an investigative reporter who has caught the eye of serial killer Eddie Quist. Working with the police to trap him, she ends up in a shoot out that seemingly ends the killer’s life and leaves her with PTSD-induced amnesia. Unable to move on and deal with what happened to her, a psychiatrist recommends that she recover at his retreat called The Colony. But this place is not what it seems… 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Turns out that The Colony is a home for werewolves and they want Karen and her husband Bill to be a part of them. Not only that but the serial killer Eddie is also a werewolf and was not killed in the shoot out because the cops were not using silver bullets. Female werewolf Marsha turns Bill into a werewolf. The group then rebels against the psychiatrist, refusing to hide their true natures anymore. 

Meanwhile, the couples’ friends Terry and Chris try to figure out what is going on at The Colony. Terry figures out too late that Eddie is still alive and a werewolf. He kills her in a violent attack. Terry gathers up some silver bullets and goes to rescue Karen. They shoot their way out and trap the creatures in a barn before setting it on fire. A few of the wolves escape and Bill in wolf form bites his wife before she kills him. Realizing she is doomed, Karen vows to make people believe that werewolves are real. 

She goes on the news to give a special report and turns on screen into a werewolf that honestly looks more like a Pomeranian puppy. Terry kills her with a silver bullet. We go to various locales where people are watching the report, convinced that it was a publicity stunt and not real. The last person we see is Marsha at a bar, ordering a raw hamburger. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

If you are familiar with Joe Dante’s work, you understand exactly what you are getting into with this film. He has a dry and fun sense of humor, willing to poke fun at conventions and movie history. The Howling is rife with these touches. The first thing Dante does is do away with the werewolf lore as the audience knows it. Thanks to a visit with Dante regular Dick Miller, we quickly find out that most of what the movies say about werewolves is wrong. These creatures do not need the moon or even darkness to change. They can change anytime they want. The only things that still ring true is that their bite can create another werewolf and silver bullets and/or fire is the only way to kill them. This movie also shows that a scratch can turn a person into a werewolf, something that is not commonly used in werewolf lore. Think of how many werewolves would be created with just a scratch which is why a bite is usually what is needed. Dante also loves to throw in little bits of film history that comments on the story he is telling. We see clips from the original Wolfman with Lon Chaney Jr. and the cartoon Big Bad Wolf and an appearance from Forrest Ackerman, creator of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. 

The story is also intriguing as we get to see what happens when the wrong person is given almost unlimited power. Patrick Macnee’s therapist Waggner is a werewolf trying to help other werewolves fit into society by repressing who they are, repressing their powers. Eddie is a werewolf who only sees the power he holds and his ability to play God, choose who lives or dies. Eddie’s obsession over Karen, his desire to bring her into his world, starts off the story. He is a serial killer who knows he cannot be killed, even if he is shot by the cops. He thrives on this knowledge, reckless and determined to do what he wants whenever he wants. Waggner wants everyone to get along, Eddie wants to dominate those he deems lower than him. 

Dante gets the most out of his cast. Dee Wallace would find mainstream fame the next year as Elliott’s mom in E.T. but she is vulnerable and curious as Karen. The newswoman not only wants the story, she wants to do the right thing and help the police and pays a horrible price for that decision. Her real life husband, Christopher Stone, took on the role of her film husband. Bill Neill is a modern guy, a vegetarian who is seemingly not offended by his wife’s decision to keep her maiden name. Bill’s change is the most dramatic. After he is scratched, he goes from sensitive man to a meat eating brute who cheats on his wife and hits her at one point. Was he always this man and the scratch just brought it to the surface? We may never know but it is telling that he is the one to bite Karen and attempt to bring her into the pack. Even after everything that has happened, he still wants his wife with him

The Howling has been overshadowed by American Werewolf in London for too long. There is room for two great werewolf movies from 1981. Yes, you should definitely check out American Werewolf but The Howling also deserves a chance. 

More films from 1981 to check out: 

The Burning – Camp slasher flick with special effects by Tom Savini and early film appearances by Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander. The raft scene is a classic. 

Outland – Sci-fi western with Sean Connery as the sheriff of a mining colony on Jupiter’s moon. Still remember the decompression death to this day. 

Dead & Buried – Potters Bluff is a great place to live because once you cross town lines, you will never leave again. Fans of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will never look at Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) the same way again.

Stars: Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck

Director: George Mihalka

Studios were trying so hard to emulate Halloween and Friday the 13th that they began using any event to set a horror movie around. 

Brief synopsis: 

Valentine Bluffs is a poor mining town who, ironically, does not celebrate Valentine’s Day. Why? Because of a mining accident 20 years prior. Two supervisors, anxious to get to the annual dance, left the mine before they checked to make sure that all the lines were bled of methane gas. Due to their negligence, there was an explosion that trapped 5 men in the mines. Eventually, the only survivor is rescued. Harry Warden had gone mad from being trapped in the mines and resorted to cannibalism to survive. A year later he escaped from the psychiatric institute and killed the two supervisors, placing their hearts in candy boxes, before he is recaptured. The town banned Valentine’s Day after the murders.

Until this year, when it was decided enough time had passed and it was time to hold another Valentine’s dance. Most everyone is excited, especially the younger miners and their girlfriends. Axel is thrilled to be able to take his girlfriend Sarah to the dance until her ex-boyfriend T.J. shows back up wanting to reunite. The love triangle seemingly takes a back seat to another issue when the dance is cancelled following the death of Mabel, an older woman working on the dance. What the younger generation doesn’t know is that Mabel was murdered and a note was left behind to stop the dance or more people would die. The mayor and sheriff quickly complied.

But the twentysomethings still want to party so they throw an unofficial one at the mine. A big mistake as someone is ready to do anything to stop them…    

Spoilers below (you have been warned):

The party starts and everyone is having fun but Sarah, who is tired of Axel and T.J.’s arguing. Wanting a break, she agrees to a trip down into the mines with her friends. Meanwhile, killings start happening all over the place. Eventually, the killer gets down to the mine, making quick work of Sarah’s friends. Eventually Axel falls off a ladder into the mines and T.J. helps Sarah escape. As they make their way out of the mine, they are confronted by a man in a miners’ outfit. T.J. and the miner fight until his mask comes off it is revealed that Axel is the killer. As a child, his father was one of the supervisors that Harry murdered and Axel witnessed it. He was fine until the dance was revived. Axel ends up caught in a collapse and, as the men work to free him, it is discovered that the real Harry Warden died 5 years ago. Eventually, they find Axel’s hand. They discover he had cut off the hand and escaped, vowing to return and make Sarah his bloody valentine.

My thoughts (with spoilers):

A rare adult themed slasher film, My Bloody Valentine focuses on working men and women in a dying mining town. These aren’t cute teenagers at a lake for the summer, these are people trying to survive and make a life for themselves. They have real jobs, real bills, and real worries so it is understandable that they want a little fun for them and their significant other with a dance on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, this simple desire leads to a lot of death and pain. 

It's sad that this film did not do better at the box office. The kills are interesting and unique. The death of Mabel is a standout. You do not see much of her death however, the body find is amazing. Mabel is killed in a laundry mat and thrown into one of the dryers. The sheriff and mayor come looking for her and just hear a constant thudding coming from the dryer. They slowly approach and her body pops out of the dryer, burned and unrecognizable. It is wonderfully tense, a mood often missing from lesser slasher films. 

The introduction of a believable love triangle is also a refreshing change. Sarah and Axel are dating however, you can tell that she still has feelings for her ex. T.J. left town to pursue a better life and failed, returning with shame to his hometown. He is now ready to settle down with Sarah and just expected her to be waiting. It is simple melodrama but it does work. Especially nice is the moment when she has enough and leaves both men behind at the party. Sure, the triangle is ended once the killer is revealed, Axel was definitely out of the running at that point, but at least it was there to add a little bit of depth to the characters. 

It is also nice to have the town authorities do the right thing and shut down the dance as soon as Mabel was murdered. The killer stated what he wanted to prevent any more death and the town complied. It isn’t the authorities fault that an unauthorized dance was planned. The sheriff and mayor are both aware of the danger and react in a proportionate and logical manner. Yes, they probably should have told the people that Mabel was murdered and that was why they were cancelling the dance, but they wanted to avoid a panic. Their first and only concern was the safety of their people, unlike Mayor Vaughn in Jaws.

My Bloody Valentine is an underrated gem that deserves a revival. If you can watch it, watch the unrated version. This is the year that the MPAA really started going censor crazy on horror films and several were cut to ribbons in an attempt to earn a “R” rating. The remake is also worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of the TV show Supernatural and Jensen Ackles. A worthy double feature for a single’s Valentine’s Day party. 

Other films from 1981 to check out:

The Great Muppet Caper – The second Muppet movie is a lighthearted romp about jewelry thieves in London. Some great visual effects and believable performance by Charles Grodin as a man in love with Miss Piggy. 

The Monster Club – Weird little anthology film starring Vincent Price and John Carradine. Not every story is great but it has some interesting monsters, including one I had never had heard of before called the Shadmock.  

Raiders of the Lost Ark – The film that cemented my crush on Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones is an archeologist fighting the Nazis for ancient artifacts and looks exceptionally good while doing it. The adventure is directed perfectly by Steven Spielberg and has another memorable John Williams score. 

Stars: Amy Steel, John Furey 

Director: Steve Miner 

By 1980, studios realized that slasher films were cheap to make and garnered great profits. Less than a year after Friday the 13^th was released, the sequel made its way to theaters. Because of Adrienne King’s issues with her stalker, she would only agree to a cameo. But necessity is the mother of invention and what they came up with was an original film that, I feel, is the true kickstart of the franchise. 

Brief synopsis: 

Months after the first film, Alice is in seclusion, trying to recover from the events of the first film. After a phone call with her mom, a nightmare filled nap, and a jump scare from her cat, she finds Mrs. Voorhees severed head in her fridge. Barely able to recover from the shock, she is grabbed from behind by Jason and stabbed in the head with an icepick. 

Flash forward to 5 years later and Paul is opening up a camp across from Camp Crystal Lake. The first week of summer is dedicated to training his new counselors, including girlfriend Ginny Fields, a college student majoring in child psychology. After having some fun with his counselors regarding the legend of Jason, including the fact that Alice was not found dead and rather listed as missing, he forbids them from visiting the camp. Unbeknownst to everyone, Jason is back and already killing. Crazy Ralph from the first film is garroted while peeking in on Ginny and the Sherriff is murdered when he finds Jason’s hideout. After a couple of counselors break the rule forbidding them to visit Camp Crystal Lake, they are forced to stay behind and guard the camp while the others go out to a local bar for the night. Unfortunately for them, Jason is not done killing yet. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Ginny, Paul, and Ted drink at the bar and discuss the legend of Jason. Ginny wonders if Jason actually survived the drowning and saw his mother beheaded. The men laugh it off and Paul takes Ginny back to camp. Ted makes the decision to find an after-hours bar, a decision that saves his life. 

Meanwhile, people are getting killed in the camp. Paraplegic Mark gets the most memorable death as he is hit in the head with a machete and his wheelchair goes backwards down the stairs. Jeff and Sandra are the victims of a double impalement, while others are slashed and stabbed. Ginny and Paul return to find a bloody machete. They fight off Jason multiple times. After seemingly defeating him, they hear a scratch at their cabin door. Paul opens it to find Muffin the dog. As Muffin enters through the door, Jason bursts through the window and grabs Ginny. The next thing we see is Ginny being transported by ambulance away from the camp asking, “Where’s Paul?” without anyone answering her. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

A step up from the original in almost every way, and one of my favorites of the films, Friday the 13^th Part 2 is the film people think of when they talk about the franchise. While Jason does not have his iconic hockey mask yet, he is still baghead Jason at this point, this is his adult film debut. Slowly stalking the campers, his gait and use of the machete would be mainstays for the character throughout his films. Jason does not speak, does not reason, and does not care. You are in his woods and you are not supposed to be there. It is his job to continue his mother’s legacy and kill the trespassers. 

The characters all have a little more depth and humor to them. Specifically, Amy Steel’s Ginny has always been one of my favorite final girls and that does not have to do with the fact that she is a Psychology major like me (DePaul – class of 2022). She is smart and has no problem being a smartass when she needs to be. A great early moment is when she is late for camp. When she finally gets there, Paul gives her a hard time and then says he was just worried about her. She quickly calls him out with a “Bullshit Paul.” It is a small moment but adds just a little bit to her character. We like Ginny, we want Ginny to survive. 

Some of the other actors are a step up too. As a rabid soap fan in the 1980’s, I instantly recognized Lauren-Marie Taylor and Russell Todd from ABC soap Loving. They have a good energy to them and you can understand why they ended up having long careers on daytime TV. I may not have seen the others in much following this film, but they were at least on par with or better than the ones from the first film. You don’t need great character depth for these roles, just to like them enough not to want them to die. Some people claim that we watch slashers to see people we don’t like die but not me. I watch to see if the people I do like will survive. If I don’t like anyone in the film, why would I bother watching it? I would have no stakes in the outcome or what happens to them. 

Friday the 13^th Part 2 is the real starting point of this long-term franchise. Future installments will build on this film and seeds it planted about Jason, including how his drowning death and witnessing the murder of his mother affected him. If you want to watch the franchise, no one would blame you if you treated the original as a prequel and this as the start of the series. 

Other films from 1981 to check out: 

The Fox and The Hound – Sad and touching Disney film about childhood friends whose differences in adulthood become too much to overcome. Or a movie about a dog and a fox becoming friends as babies and then growing up – however you want to look at it.

 Nighthawks – Overlooked Sylvester Stallone film with his cop facing off against terrorist Rutger Hauer. Scary enough to have clips included in the horror documentary “Terror in the Aisles”. Also stars Billy Dee Williams as Stallone’s partner.     

Stripes – Bill Murray and Harold Ramis join the Army. Great cast includes John Candy and P.J. Soles from Halloween. Funny if irreverent look at being in the armed forces.

Stars: Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, Kevin Bacon 

Director: Sean Cunningham 

First, a quick note. As I started writing this review, I learned that Rob Reiner and his wife had been murdered. As a child of the 80’s, Reiner’s films were a huge part of my growing up and I will always hold films like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and Misery close in my heart. The fact that he also was widely regarded as a kind, generous man who tried helped others just adds to a truly devastating loss. Rest in peace with your lovely wife. 

And now on with the show… 

There are multiple ripoffs of Halloween and this is probably the best one. Sean Cunningham sold the title without a script and it shows but it also, somehow, strangely works. 

Brief synopsis: 

It’s 1958 at Camp Crystal Lake and two teen counselors sneak off from the bonfire to get lucky. Unfortunately, all the get it stabbed to death. 

Over twenty years later, Steve Christie is reopening “Camp Blood” and the locals are not happy about it. Crazy Ralph tries to warn off camp cook Annie but she ignores him. After hitching a ride in a Jeep, Annie is chased and killed by the unseen driver. Meanwhile, the rest of the teenage staff are having fun cleaning up the grounds and messing around in general. Steve heads into town to get more supplies and check on his cook so the teens decide to have some fun as a storm hits the camp and night falls. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Slowly the campers are killed one by one. Steve returns to camp and is killed by the unknown assailant. Eventually, Alice is the only counselor left. She sees a Jeep pull up to the camp and runs into Pamela Voorhees, an old friend of the Christie’s. Alice is relieved at first until Pamela begins talking about her son Jason, who drowned at the camp in 1957. Hearing Jason’s voice in her head, Pamela turns on Alice and attacks, determined to stop the camp from opening. Her reasoning is simple – stop another child from drowning due to inattentive counselors. After a bitter battle, Alice eventually cuts off Pamela’s head with a machete. In shock, she jumps into a canoe and floats out to the middle of the lake. 

In the morning, the police arrive and Alice is pulled out of her daze. She looks to be about to wave to them when a decayed boy jumps out of the lake and grabs her. She awakens in a hospital bed and asks about the boy only to be told there was no boy. Haunted, she stares out into space and says, “Then he’s still out there.” 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

Before there was Jason, there was his mother Pamela. Originally intended to be a one-off potboiler, Friday the 13^th turned into one of the most well-known horror franchises in history due to the last minute decision to add the jump scare of Jason popping out of the lake. That one decision led to 9 sequels, an in-name-only television series, a Freddy vs Jason one off, and a reboot. There is supposed to be a prequel series starring Linda Cardellini coming but I will believe it when I see it. Last word is it was to come out at Halloween 2025 however there is one week left in 2025 and I have not seen it anywhere yet.

 Let’s be honest, Friday the 13^th is not a good film. It is shot professionally enough and the acting borders from good to horrible. It is absolutely unfair of the filmmakers to create a who-done it-and never place the actual murderer in the film until she reveals herself. You cannot guess a person as the killer if you never meet them. The dialogue is stiff and a little cringy. But yet, somehow, it works. The cast is game to try anything and, even if they fail, they still are engaging enough to keep us interested. You also understand Pamela’s motives at the end of the day. She is crazy, yes, but she also sees herself as a protector. She couldn’t save her son but by stopping the camp from opening, she is saving other children.   

There are some genuinely good performances and, no, Kevin Bacon is not one of them. Despite popular belief, this is not his first film. He had a memorable role in Animal House in 1978 and had also appeared in numerous theatrical productions in New York. Here, he is a himbo and plays it fine. The standouts in this film are Adrienne King as Alice and Betsy Palmer as Pamela. Both women attack the roles with gusto, especially in the final battle, and bring some interesting nuances to their characters. Neither woman was going to be up for any awards but the characters were at least believable. Sadly, this film also led to Adrienne King leaving acting for a while as she was stalked relentlessly following this film. Watch the documentary “Crystal Lake Memories” for more information but it was truly harrowing stuff. 

There is not much else to say about the first film in the series. It is a rip-off of a better film but it knows and acknowledges it. It may not have started the sex=death trope but it certainly cemented it in the slasher lexicon, along with the notion of a final girl. It is not even my favorite of the film series but you can bet that if I can, I will be sitting down on Friday the 13^th and starting a marathon with this film. 

Other films from 1980 to check out: 

Caddyshack – Golf comedy that stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and (shout out to my MST3K fans) how much O’Keefe? Miles O’Keefe. Silly but fun. 

The Changeling – Creepy ghost story starring George C. Scott as a man trying to recover from the loss of his daughter and wife in a tragic accident only to come across ghosts and a truly haunting mystery.     

Motel Hell – Fun little black comedy about a pair of siblings and their smoked meats, which is actually smoked people. Things are going great until senior citizen Rory Calhoun falls in love with a pretty twentysomething. Quite a few twists and turns and not very violent despite its crazy concept. 

The Empires Strikes Back – The long-awaited sequel to Star Wars still hits, especially if you watch in release order. Dark and downbeat, it has marks of horror with the dismemberment of C3PO and Han Solo being tortured for no reason at all. Many fans tout this as the best of the series. I don’t agree but it is still in my top three constantly battling with Return of the Jedi for that number two spot based on my mood.

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen 

Director: Paul Lynch 

Welcome to the 80’s! These are my formative years of horror film viewing. In a few years I will spend a lot of time going through the video rental aisles to find new and weird films to watch. I spent so much time in the video store that it was no surprise to anyone when I was hired to work there at 17. By that time, I almost knew the store and its stock better than the employees. Weekends and holidays were spent going through the aisles and finding anything new or maybe something I missed during my previous trips. 

This is also the point where there will be more than one review for most years. There are so many horror offerings during the decade that is the 1980’s that it is much harder to narrow it down to one movie. I will also tell you that there will be films that others would include on their list that I will not. This is a subjective list of films, not objective. Just because I can recognize that a film is well-made or influential does not mean I have to like it. 

Which brings me to The Shining. I acknowledge that it is a well-shot film and has some striking imagery, but this has never been a film I like to watch. My biggest issue with the film has always been Jack Nicholson. There is no nuance or character arc to his performance. He starts off crazy and ends crazy. Given his obvious instability, there is no reason in this world why Wendy would agree to be at an isolated location with this madman, especially after he had already broken their son’s arm. One look in his eyes and it is apparent that alcohol only made his insanity worse and was not the cause of it. We will discuss what I consider the better film when we get Mike Flanigan’s Dr. Sleep in the 2000’s. 

1980 was the year of Jamie Lee Curtis. She would appear in three horror films this year. Prom Night is, in my humble opinion, the best of the three. 

Brief synopsis: 

A group of children named Nick, Wendy, Jude, and Kelly are playing a weird hide and seek game called “Killers are Coming” in an abandoned building. Wanting to be a part of the fun, young Robin tries to join them. The older bullies taunt the 10-year old girl and she accidentally falls out a second story window to her death. A local pedophile is blamed for the murder and ends up in a psychiatric asylum after a horrific car crash. 

Six years later it’s prom night and everything is alright! Well, except for Robin’s family who are still mourning her death. Mom is sad that, even though older daughter Kim (Curtis) is Prom Queen, Robin is missing the dance. Dad, played by a pre-Airplane Leslie Nielsen, is the principal and trying to keep peace in the school while also being happy for his daughter. Robin’s twin, Alex, is the DJ for the dance and protective of his older twin. 

But Robin’s family isn’t the only one having issues with the date. Kim’s boyfriend and Prom King, Nick, is actually one of the kids who was involved in Robin’s death. He is feeling guilty and wants to confess what happened but can’t seem to find the words. Jude and Kelly have become friends with Kim and apparently have no guilt over their part in her sister’s death. Queen bee and ex-girlfriend of Nick, Wendy, is just pissed that he dumped her and is going to the Prom with Kim. In shades of Carrie, she plans a prank with local hooligan Lou at the dance to humiliate. It's too bad these four don’t talk about Robin’s death or anything else. Maybe they would realize that they are all getting mysterious phone calls that just happen to coincide with the dreadful anniversary… 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

It’s a slasher, people die. Just kidding, we have some effective stalk and kill scenes along with a fun dance scene with Jamie Lee Curtis at the prom. Jude and her date are killed after having sex in a van. Kelly is killed after refusing sex with her boyfriend, and Wendy gets a prolonged chase and kill scene. It culminates with the announcement of King and Queen. Lou knocks out Nick to take his place next to Kim. The killer decapitates Lou and his head rolls out onto the runway. In the chaos, Kim finds Nick and helps him fight off the ski masked killer. She manages to land a blow to the killer’s head only to recognize his eyes. She follows the killer outside and cradles him as he collapses. She takes off the mask and reveals Alex, her and Robin’s brother. He had witnessed the accident and wanted to make them pay for his sister’s death. Alex dies in his sister’s arms. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

Is Prom Night a great film? No, absolutely not. Is it a fun film? Heck yeah. This film was made when Canada was giving tax breaks to anyone making a film in their country and it led to a bunch of cheap horror films being made there to save even more money. Prom Night was one of the first. But it takes that low budget and uses it very well. 

Jamie Lee Curtis was nearing the end of her scream queen phase and used the films to build up her bank account. But she respected her fans too much to phone in the performance. Indeed, without her, this film would not be even half as good. The pain and horror in her eyes as she realizes that her brother is the killer is devastating and far better than a slasher flick like this deserves. Her conflict between being happy about being voted Prom Queen versus her sadness of the anniversary of her sister’s death is palpable and real. And she has some great dance moves despite the horribly frumpy dress they put her in. 

The rest of the cast does a good job but no one really stands out. The only actor I recognized is Eddie Benson, aka Anne-Marie Martin, and that is because she was on Days of Our Lives and Sledgehammer. She was married to Michael Crichton and co-wrote Twister with him before their divorce. Everyone else is good and work for the film they are in. As a fan of Forbidden Planet from the 1950’s, I knew that Leslie Nielsen was more than the spoof king he would become but he doesn’t even really try here. It is a rote performance for a basic role of principal/father. Nothing special but he and Curtis have good father/daughter chemistry. 

This is a horror film that has stakes and ends up being a tragedy. Kim loses her sister at an early age and then ends up accidentally killing her brother at the end of the film. This family is destroyed. The mother was already lost in her grief for the loss of her daughter and you can only imagine that she will be destroyed by the loss of her son. It won’t matter that he was a killer, all that will matter is Kim killed her son. An actual sequel to the film could have explored that but instead we got in-name only sequels which are varying degrees of quality and a generic if fun remake. One thing the remake did get right was the decision to end it as a tragedy too, with our heroine destroyed by what she has lost. 

The soundtrack is also a blast. This was filmed at the end of the disco era and the scenes were filmed using the greatest hits of the day, hits that the budget wouldn’t allow them to actually use in the film. Instead, the music department had to create new songs that were similar. They were sued after the film came out and had to settle with the record companies for their plagiarism. Doesn’t matter, these songs will get stuck in your head and get you chair dancing at the very least. 

While the chase scenes may go on a little too long at times and there are too many red herrings, this is still a fun little film and may be more fun than your actual prom night. 

Other films from 1980 to check out: 

The Fog – Atmospheric ghost film from John Carpenter that stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Adrienne Barbeau. It is good, not one of Carpenter's best, but the images of the ghosts coming out of fog to attack is truly horrifying. 

Terror Train – The third of the Jamie Lee Curtis films made in 1980. A prank in freshman year leaves a geeky student permanently scarred, physically and psychologically. A New Year’s Eve costume graduation train party becomes the setting for his revenge. The use of a moving train with no phones or way of escape makes an interesting place for the stalk and kill. 

9 to 5 – Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda in the classic working woman comedy. Still sadly relevant after all these years but, just like these lovely ladies, I also refuse to kowtow to a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot”. 

Airplane – The film that changed how we viewed Leslie Nielsen. An over-the-top laugh fest with too many jokes to count about a flight where everyone gets food poisoning, including the pilots, and a soldier with PTSD is forced to find the courage to land the plane and win back his lady love. A little dated and I can see references to things like Hari Krishna being missed by younger generations but still hits at least 80% of the time.

Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt 

Director: Ridley Scott 

Another rough year for the horror film as movie studios tried to jump on the Star Wars bandwagon. Thankfully the 1980’s were right around the corner and ready to provide us with all of the horror we could want. For this year, though, this is really only one choice, a film that combines sci-fi with horror – Alien. 

Brief synopsis: 

The crew of the mining vessel Nostromo is in stasis, sleeping their way home to Earth following their mission. Mother awakens them to intercept a distress beacon and help. Forced to help or lose their wages from their haul, they explore the empty ship to find weird flower-like pods that eject a face hugging organism onto one of the crew’s space suits. Ash, the medical officer, disobeys quarantine and a direct order from warrant officer and second-in-command Ripley and lets the man onto the ship. They quickly discover that the alien creature has acid for blood which means it cannot be cut off the victim’s face. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Everyone is shocked when the creature suddenly unattaches from his victim, Kane, and dies. While eating supper, Kane suddenly starts convulsing and dies when a baby alien bursts out of his chest. The crew is stunned at first but quickly realizes that they must destroy it before it kills them. The alien grows in size and starts dispatching the crew. It is discovered by Ripley that Ash is actually an android working against them for their employer. He wants to bring the creature back to Earth to be used as a weapon and the crew is considered expendable. Eventually, everyone is killed but Ripley and the car Jones. She kills the alien and returns to stasis with Jones, letting the ships computer Mother fly her home. 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

I had a lot of debate with myself regarding Alien and whether or not it is considered a horror movie. I think the case can be made that it is actually a predecessor to the slasher films of the 1980’s and fits the category. One killer, no motivation, small space that is impossible to escape, final girl survivor, it does fit. The big differences are this takes place in space and the killer is an alien creature. Plus, this is my list so if I want to bend the rules a little, I can. 

Alien starts off with a feeling of isolation and dread. Everything is stark and basic, colored in shades of gray, black and white. There is very little color in this world. Since everyone is in sleep stasis, it is also deathly quiet. Much like the opening of Star Wars, we start out with just different shots of the ship. We see that there is plenty of darkness in the ship, a foreboding sense of dread growing with each space we see. The only light comes from our crew, as they are awakened out of stasis. 

This ship and the creature come from the mind of H.R. Giger, a famous artist who created the entire atmosphere of the film and the one of the greatest creatures of the modern era. The alien is shown in many stages and gets more terrifying as it grows. The final creature is large, and the double mouth that shoots out of it is a sight you never forget. Despite the many flawed films that come after this (ahem, Alien vs Predator Requiem), the creature remains one of the scariest ever put on screen. 

This script is tight and flows naturally. There is no wasted space on love stories or storylines that do not contribute to the narrative. One thing that always impressed me was that any of these characters could be male or female, it didn’t matter. Does it play a little differently that Ash disobeys Ripley’s orders because she is a woman, yes, but in the end it doesn’t change Ash’s decision. If the Captain Dallas, who was a man, had given the order it still would have been disobeyed. In the end, these are just employees, sexless and there to do a job. You get the sense that none of them really like each other and, once the job was over, they would never see each other again. The only one the crew really seems to care about is the cat, Jones. Ironically, as much as they care for Jones, he could seem to care less about the crew. Indeed, one of the most famous kills from the movie involves Jones watching dispassionately from the sidelines as the full-grown Alien slaughters Harry Dean Stanton’s Brett. He just doesn’t care. 

Alien is a classic for many reasons and Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley is one of the main ones. She is determined, smart, and a survivor. Weaver would even get an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Ripley in the sequel Aliens, the same year she was also nominated for playing the villain in Working Girl. This was the start of Weaver’s long and successful career and you can see why she is still a working and relevant actress. If you have only seen the sequels, you owe it yourself to see where it all started. 

Alien is foreboding, scary, shocking, and a lot of fun. Plus, the cat lives to the end, always a plus for me. 

Other films from 1979 to check out: 

The Muppet Movie – Love The Muppet Show, love The Muppets. Spent a lot of time watching this one as a kid and showing it to my own kids and grandkids. Just a fun film and brought us the iconic “Rainbow Connection”. 

North Avenue Irregulars – Underseen Disney film about a preacher and a group of his congregation taking down a gambling ring. Stars Edward Herrmann, Grandpa Gilmore and future star of Lost Boys, as the preacher and Cloris Leachman as one of the parishioners. Silly fun and hard to find. 

Phantasm – Beware the Tall Man and the flying silver orbs. Made me scared of funeral homes for many years. Not a classic but worth at least one watch. 

Love at First Bite – George Hamilton as Dracula in the modern age seducing model Susan Saint James. Light comedy with an impeccable Richard Benjamin as the descendant of Van Helsing.

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance 

Director: John Carpenter 

This is more like it. After the disappointment of 1977, at least in horror movies, we reach a bona fide classic with 1978’s Halloween. One of the best slasher films of all time. 

Brief synopsis: 

On Halloween night in 1968, six-year-old Michael Myers kills his sister Judith after she has sex in their house. Fifteen years later, on the night before Halloween, he escapes from the sanitarium where he has been staying under the watchful eye of his psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis. Loomis has recognized the evil in Michael and knows he is heading home and follows him and his trail of bodies to Haddonfield, Illinois. 

The next morning, teenage Laurie Strode is helping out her real estate agent father by leaving the key to the now abandoned Myers house under the doormat on the porch. This act puts her on Michael’s radar as he stayed there the night before. He watches Laurie as she interacts with her friends, Lynda and Annie, and the little boy she will be babysitting that night, Tommy Doyle. Eventually, the night falls and the terror starts. 

Spoilers below (you have been warned): 

Laurie ends up with the child Annie is supposed to be watching, Lindsey Wallace, at her house so Annie can spend the time with her boyfriend. She is then killed by Michael, followed quickly after by Lynda and her boyfriend Bob, who both arrive at the house Wallace’s house to have sex. Tommy has seen Michael and is convinced he is the boogeyman, out to get him. After getting the children to bed and not being able to get in touch with her friends, Laurie goes to find them. She discovers their bodies and is attacked by Michael. 

Dr. Loomis has been working with Sherriff Brackett, Annie’s father, to find Michael all night. He ends up on the street where Laurie is babysitting. Tommy and Lindsey, sent to get help by an injured Laurie, run into him and send him to the house. Loomis saves Laurie, shooting Michael and sending him flying off the second floor balcony. Loomis runs over to verify his patient’s death only to find him gone. He goes back to check on Laurie who asks him if that was the boogeyman. Loomis just says, “As a matter of fact, it was.” 

My thoughts (with spoilers): 

There are certain films that go beyond being a part of a genre and help define it. Halloween is one of those films. Yes, there were slasher films before it, but Halloween is the film that helped push the genre into the mainstream. Wonderfully shot, well-acted, and a simple storyline, Carpenter’s second film is his calling card and a must watch for any horror fan. 

The film is minimalistic, a babysitter is stalked by a killer. Laurie has done nothing to the killer to earn his ire, she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had someone else gone up to the front door of his house, Michael would have followed them instead. This is different than other slasher films where there needs to be a reason why the victims are attacked. There is no reason, it just is. And that is what the sequels and the remakes of Halloween miss – there is no reason for the attacks. Michael is scary because he is just evil, plain and simple. From the brief glimpse we get of his home life, they are a normal nuclear family with parents and two kids. I will never like Rob Zombie’s takes on any of these characters, honestly Dr. Loomis is truly done the dirtiest in those films, but his decision to give Michael a tragic back story takes away from the true horror of the character. Loomis says it best in this little monologue: “I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and... the blackest eyes - the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil.” 

The camera work in this film works perfectly to create tension. The film opens with a Steadicam shot that seems to be without a cut, putting us in the killer’s point of view. As Loomis first talks to Sherriff Brackett, the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium station wagon drives past them in the background. Annie walks past a glass door with Michael in the background and in the next pass, he is gone. And, of course, the slow fade in on Michael’s mask as he stands behind Laurie, ready to attack. This was the legendary Dean Cundey’s first film with Carpenter, working as Director of Photography. Cundey would go on to work as the Director of Photography and as Cinematographer on films like Apollo 13, Jurassic Park, The Thing, Back to the Future, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. As opposed to the camera tricks DePalma used in Carrie to push forward the narrative, Carpenter’s directing is more straight-forward, using the camera to observe the action and soak it in. 

Music is an important part of a horror film, something Carpenter understood when he wrote the score for the film. Using 5/4 time, the beat is relentless, just like Michael, never stopping, beating into your head and adding tension to every scene it appears in. Carpenter even noted that the film did not work without the music. The music is so iconic that it has been synonymous with the holiday Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis made her film debut in Halloween and she is the heart of the film. Her Laurie is not just some innocent victim, she is a teenager girl with wants and desires. She smokes pot with Annie on the way to her babysitting assignment. She has a crush on Ben Tramer, a fellow high school student, and is embarrassed when Annie tells him. The difference between her and her friends is that she is also serious and pays attention to the world around her. Annie and Lynda are both caught up with their boyfriends and having fun. Neither one notices the danger around them. Laurie is a good babysitter and she cares about her charges and her friends. When Annie and Lynda stop answering the phone, she locks up the house and goes to check on them. Laurie is too late to save her friends but the children will be safe.

 Donald Pleasance makes Loomis a tragic character, a man who can see the evil inside this child but cannot convince anyone that he is right. From the beginning, he refers to Michael as an it, a thing. He is the only one who understands how dangerous the killer is and where he is headed. Loomis slowly loses his control on his own emotions as the evening goes on, getting more and more insistent that “death has come” to the town. He is finally able to do what he has wanted to do for years, shoot Michael and try and take him out of the world, and release some of the tension. But he is also wise enough to not be shocked when he discovers that even being shot and falling two stories doesn’t not kill Michael. After all, evil is near impossible to kill. 

This is a film that everyone should see at least once in their life. Grab the popcorn, turn out the lights, and keep the knitting needles close while you enjoy a night with Laurie Strode and Michael Myers.   

Other films from 1978 to check out: 

Watership Down – When I worked in a video store, I actually had a Mom bring this in and slam it on the counter demanding to know what it was doing in the Children’s section as this was clearly a horror movie. A cartoon but definitely not Disney, this story about rabbits trying to survive is not for the weak. 

The Cat from Outer Space - Silly film but I enjoy it. Also gave me the name for my cat, Jake.

Superman – The original with my Superman, the late Christopher Reeve. Great despite the cop out ending. 

Invasion of the Body Snatchers – This came very close to getting its own full review but lost out just because the original is my favorite version of the story. Still a great take on the film with an all-star cast.

You will notice that there is not film listed for this year and there is a simple reason for that – I do not have a favorite horror film for 1977. Trust me, this is a rarity. Usually there is at least one horror film that stays in, at the least, my Halloween rotation every year but 1977 is the exception to the rule. There are films I love that came out this year, Star Wars being the big one, but none of them would be considered horror or even horror-adjacent. The Sentinel is a creepy little supernatural film but a little boring for rewatches, Eraserhead is a nightmare but one I do not want to see again, and Suspiria may be a classic but is a one and done for me. 

Let’s just skip to the films I would recommend for 1977: 

Star Wars – The original and still my favorite. I had always thought I wanted to be Princess Leia until I saw Carrie Fisher’s live shows and realized I wanted to be her. 

The Rescuers – Two cartoon mice attempt to save an abused girl from a nasty woman. A rare Disney cartoon without songs and definitely darker than the princess movies. Underrated. 

Pete’s Dragon – Speaking of underrated, I have always loved the adventures of Pete and his dragon Elliot. Running away from an abusive adoptive family, Pete tries to find a new home with Helen Reddy and Mickey Rooney. Candle on the Water is a classic song and deserves an update. 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Not my favorite Steven Spielberg film but still an amazing follow-up to Jaws. Plus, it has Teri Garr, which is always a plus in my book. 

Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown – The Peanuts gang heads to camp and a raft race. My personal favorite of the full-length Charlie Brown films. 

Smoky and the Bandit – Burt Reynolds at his cockiest best with Sally Field as a runaway bride who hitches a ride with him. Funny if a little dated. 

Slap Shot – Hockey film with Paul Newman – think Major League but with pucks instead of baseballs.