CULT HORROR CLASSICS (PART 1) (BS)
For one of the October articles I decided to point out a few movies which I and many other followers have come to love, but have gotten a bad wrap before by critics, etc. I'm only gonna point out a few favorites because there are so many of them I could mention since I am a horror movie fanatic. Keep in mind these are only MY opinions expressed here, so don't get pissed off if you don't like my opinions.
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Not only is this movie my favorite Horror movie of all time, it's one of my favorite movies PERIOD. The setting is based in Texas during the 1970's. A bunch of hippies traveling through no mans land to visit their dead Grandfather's grave take a few wrong turns, a few bad decisisons, and end up in a nightmare that none of them could have ever imagined. Somehow, this young group of hippies managed to knock on the wrong door, at the wrong time...and definetly did not get what they were looking for. They discover a family a family of cannibalistic freaks. They get stalked, tortured, and butchered. "Who will survive, and what will be left of them?"
Surprisingly, this movie has very little gore. Your imagination makes up for what the movie doesn't even show you. To this day, it's still one unsettling movie to watch, for ANYONE. Just the fact that it seems so real, like your actually there with the victims...seeing what they see, and feeling what they feel. Director Tobe Hooper wanted it to feel realistic like that. In fact, he tried to get people to believe that it was in fact real, and that those events had actually happened to someone before. He wanted to add even a BIGGER effect to the movie...and he did just that. Remember the Blair Witch Project? Remember the confusion over if the whole thing was a true story or not? Well, same case here, only this was more than 25 years before. The gritty look and feel of the movie doesn't help the audience feel any more better, either. The gloomy, deadly surrounding as well as the bizarre imagery inside of the house is sure to make some queesy.
At a time of love and peace, this movie was definetly a reality check. Perhaps the whole problem was that the movie came out during the wrong time...when the war was getting forgotten, and the people felt at ease again. But no matter what time period this movie could of happened in, it wouldn't change the fact that the movie has an extremely powerful effect to it. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is simply brutal. Although, it's a no brainer that this movie wouldn't have QUITE the same effect if put out today as it would back in '73. Times change, horror movies have gotten far worse. But look at it this way...if the Texas Chainsaw Massacre would have never been a movie...would we even have some of the sick and twisted shit that followed the release of the movie up until now? I personally don't think so, which would prove that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most influental Horror Movies out there.
I guess the world had never witnessed a movie as sick and twisted as this one back in 1973. I can assume that, even though I wasn't living around that time. Maybe the world wasn't even ready for a movie of that caliber yet, because after the movie was released, there was some bad criticism about this movie. People were really shocked and spooked about it all and took that as a bad thing, even though that was the main goal of the movie...to have a shocking effect on the people. Anyway, some people got furious over it, obviously. How else would it get a bad wrap?!
People can have their own opinions, but who's gonna deny that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most shocking, powerful, and even influental horror movie of all time?! There will never be another "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", even the sequels couldn't touch it. The movie is pure genious in every way, and to the people who disagree, fuck you! Now, it's time to rev up the saw and hunt down the fools that are making this "TCM remake". God, what is this world coming to?!
DEAD ALIVE
EASILY one of the best Zombie movies EVER. Not to mention one of the bloodiest movies of all time, and also the best thing that has ever come out of New Zealand. This one will sicken some, and fully entertain others. There's even room for a little comedy and romance in the mix. Personally I find this to be one of the funniest and entertaining Horror movies I've ever seen. Along with Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead....this movie is a contender for best Zombie flick ever...not to mention one of the best Horror movies PERIOD.
Picture this: This "Rat-Monkey" that bites an old lady and infects her with some virus...causing her to die, but not before spreading it on to other people. Not to mention this virus turns the deceased into Zombies. Also, a Zombie tearing off a guy's dick while pissing, hot zombie sex with full frontal nudity, a mutant baby zombie, a priest spitting out crazy one-liners, a lawnmower massacre scene, and in the midst of all of that a few 1000 gallons of the red stuff. Do you feel sick yet? Keep in mind while watching Dead Alive to NOT take any of this seriously, it's just simply a pure cheese-fest.
The plot is pretty much about this guy who's Grandmother gets infected by the Rat Monkey, she dies, comes back as a Zombie, spreads it to others...and you know what happens from here. Not much of a plot, not much needed. It's good the way it is.
Something that confuses me is how this movie is hardly well-known? You have movies like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead which are pretty popular, and then this movie which is equally as good and hardly anyone has ever even heard of it. That's insane. I hadn't even heard of this movie until I picked it up at the Video Store a few years ago just because it was a $1 zombie movie (I love zombie flicks). Since then I have seen it atleast 5 times.
And why might it have gotten a bad wrap? Well, this is a no brainer. To people who hurl easily, or who just don't watch too many horror movies...this movie is horrible. Simply because it's so gory that it'll make some people sick. Some people also rent this movie looking for a good, quality horror flick. I guess all they get is a cheese-fest, and I guess they are dissapointed. This is not a serious movie, at all.
If you can take a joke, or if you like your Horror Movies bloody and cheesy...this one's for you. Watch this movie with an open mind and you'll thoroughly enjoy it. I understand why some give it a bad wrap, it's surely not for everyone. I would just like to see it get the recognition it deserves. If you can find a movie out there that is gorier than this one...I'd be really surprised. Dead Alive like a mofo!
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
This movie is simply amazing. One of the most creative ideas for a movie that I've ever seen. After this movie came out, other TV shows, movies, etc. tried to copy what the Blair Witch Project did...sort of making it a new trend. The whole "reality show" thing has gotten to be some crazy shit nowadays, with shows like FEAR(MTV), Survivor, etc. etc. Well, I'm here to tell you that most if not all of these would of never been thought of were there never a Blair Witch Project.
Let's start by saying that the movie is structured like a home video. It starts off looking like a bunch of kids were just out to shoot some crappy documentary with their small video cameras. How they turned it into a horror movie is beyond me. The fact that it all seems so real is very intruiging. Seriously, it'll have nearly the same effect on you as if you were actually in the character's shoes. That's how real it seems. It was shot with a couple crappy video cameras that you can probably find at Wal-Mart, which'll add the whole "realism factor". Also, the shaky cam thing that's present throughout mostly all of the movie might add more to the effect. Another big factor would be the attitude of the character's. They go from a little worried, to severe panicing, and finally to the "oh fuck, just kill me and get it overwith" attitude. Lot's of yelling and screaming, and of course every sentence must have the word "FUCK" in it. This is how ANY human being would act if we were in the same situation. It's like they're not even acting. Seriously, it feels like your filming your own ghost hunt or something. If word hadn't got out that all of this was fake, then I'm sure everyone would be claiming this was all true. Hell, people do this day still DO believe this shit all happened.
So what really happened? Well, the directors simply told the 3 kids to go out into the woods, film the documentary, and to get freaked out with whatever happened. Some of the movie was planned out, like the setting, and a lot of the dialogue, but none of the cast had the slightest clue of what kind of scares they would get. The crew would go out there late at night, do whatever they could do to try and scare the kids(while being unseen of course). Most of the reactions weren't just acting, they were REALLY getting scared out there, and that's the only way it could of been done to be succesful. Anyway...
How about the plot? Well, simply 3 young adults go out into the woods near Burkittsville, MD to shoot a documentary on the Blair Witch legacy. One thing leads to another...they get a few haunting scares, one of them dissapears, and all hell breaks loose.
Some of the nighttime scenes will surely freak you out. Most of the scares will give you an eerie feeling, but the end sequence will probably scare the shit out of you. Imagine if your 1 friend dissapears in the woods, and late one night, in the pitch dark, you hear him screaming in the distance? How scared would you feel? Exactly.
But enough of the jibba jabba. Why the bad wrap? Well, I have no clue. This is one of the most creative horror movies ever, let alone one of the scariest. One reason of why it got a bad wrap was because of the whole shaky cam thing. Apparently in the theaters it made some people sort of nautious...which obviously isn't a good thing. I didn't have any problem at all with the shaky cam thing, but that's just me. Another thing that might bother people is the attitude of the characters. For about 30 minutes in the movie...all you hear is screaming and cussing. People either A) got disgusted with that or B) got bored. But think about it...you know you'd act the exact same way. We all would. Unlike every other horror movie...where everyone acts calm when all the crazy shit starts happening, The Blair Witch Project portrays how we would REALLY act. Think about it.
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN
Ahhh...Dead by Dawn Such a great, overlooked movie. Sure, us Horror fanatics are in love with this fine work of art...but it's definetly not for everyone.
Evil Dead 2 is just pretty much a remake of the first Evil Dead, only with a few changes/additions...and in my opinion...I think they perfected it this time around. The reason I picked this one is because I like it more than the original, plus it's overlooked just like The Evil Dead. On with the madness...
Nearly everything about this movie is off the wall. It's just simply fucked up. Evil Dead 2 could almost pass as a Black Comedy. This is also probably one of the goriest movies that people had seen around it's time. Lots of shotgun mayhem, lots of crazy demons, lots of humor (to me, anyways). Bruce Campbell is a complete nutbar. He knows how to make us laugh, and eventually the guy goes mad. The directing is also superb. Lots of crazy shots/angles. Looks kind of artistic at times. It creeped me out a few times, and a few of those fake scares will make you jump. The whole setting of the movie is pretty creepy. They even add a tree raping scene in there (fucked up). Nothing too pretty about this movie, that's for sure.
The humor in this comes in large doses. Some of the demons might either gross you out or crack you up. They are nuts. Also, the "laughing room" scene is some funny shit. The Ash vs. Hand scene is pretty funny, too. Totally bizarre. Of course the dialogue has a few funny lines, and Bruce Cambpell with his one-liners here and there.
How about the gore? Well, let's see...it definetly comes in a large quantity. Lots of shotgun action...so you know what to expect there. Crazy blood hungry demons...rooms pouring with blood, etc etc...its a gore fest! Oh, and the scene where the tree rapes the girl is fucked up.
How about the plot? Well, it's simple I suppose...but with Raimi's artistic/bizarre style...it seems a lot more complex. Ash is up in a cabin in the mountains...alone. He awakens some demons, fights his undead girlfriend, a few visitors come in to get the party started, trees get horny, and now....we que the gore.
So why does this movie get a bad wrap, you ask? Just like the Evil dead, I guess it's the bizarre content of the movie. It's one of a kind, that's for sure. I think the gore fest wasn't appreciated at the time. There were hardly any movies of the time that could compare to the Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 in terms of gore. I don't think anyone found any of the "hidden humor" funny, either. Some don't want to be laughing at a horror movie, they just want to be scared. It's good to add a little more variety, though.
Us horror fanatics learned to appreciate this movie after awhile...and eventually The Evil Dead/Evil dead 2 got a pretty strong following. We should all come to realize that this movie is very original, especially for being 20+ years old. It's one of a kind. Definetly one of the most bizzare/twisted/fucked up horror movies of all time. If this doesn't entertain you, then the Horror Genre is not for you, my friend. There will always be a special place in my heart for this one.
If your a fan of Evil Dead 2, then I highly recommend the original Evil Dead. Evil Dead 2 is pretty much a remake...same setting, atleast. All they did with this one is changed some shit around, added a bit more flavor, and modernized the original cult classic. I will say that the Evil Dead probably had a stronger effect than it's sequel did.
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
Out of all movies I've mentioned, this one takes the cake for most underrated. Seriously. This movie almost seems non-existent, and WHY?! Definetly one of the best zombie movies out there. It's no Dead Alive or Dawn of the Dead, but it's a goodie. I've seen so many bad reviews of this movie, and it pisses me off that it doesn't get the good recognition like it should.
So just how great is Return of the Living Dead? Well, it's certainly a great movie...one of the most entertaining horror movies I've watched. I'd highly recommend it if your having a group of friends over or something (Night of the Demons would be better, though). Like Evil Dead 2, it also has a humorous side to it. Take for example some of the cheesy horror parts, some cheesy dialogue, and even the bad acting might make you giggle a little. Even that zombie that kept saying "BRAAAAIINS" cracked me up. Funny shit. This flick isn't all about the humor and cheesy shit though, there are some cool Zombie scenes as well as a few scares and creepy moments. There's plenty of red stuff to satisfy all you gore hounds (axes in the face, brain eating, ya know...the works). Also, one of the best nudity scenes that I've ever witnessed in a horror movie. Yes, Linnea Quigley goes nude...FULLY NUDE. And even better, in a cemetery! THANK YOUUUU! Unlike most horror movies, this one also has a decent soundtrack. Some Misfits, the Cramps, etc. Definetly fits in right with the movie.
The Return of the Living Dead also paved the way for many other Zombie flicks. Let's see...this movie started the whole "zombies eating brains" thing. Most zombie movies nowadays have that concept. Bow down to your master, biatch!
And the plot? Well, first of all, it supposedly takes place after the whole "Night of the Living Dead" thing that happened. Yeah, in the beginning they explain that all of that was true...and this is supposed to be some sort of sequel to it I guess. Anyway, 2 dumbasses accidentally release this military toxic thing...not a good idea. This toxic thing causes the dead to come back to life, and you know what happens from here.
Why a bad wrap? That's what I'm trying to figure out. Some people really despise this movie. Calling it "tasteless, childish, disgusting bullshit, blah blah blah" whatever. I'll tell you right now that you shouldn't take this movie too seriously. Sure, it can be cheesy at times...but thats what we horror fanatics like about it. If you take a look at most Zombie movies, you'll notice that hardly any are "serious" movies. It would be really hard to make a totally serious Zombie flick. That's why not too many have been pulled off. Anyway...I think it's cool that that this movie has a little variety.
Say what you want, but nothing will change the fact that this is a highly influental Zombie flick...not to mention one of the best Zombie flicks ever made. It's a shame that this movie is either unheard of or overlooked. Watch this movie with a can of beer and an open mind, you'll find yourself being very entertained.