Re horror movies from late 70s to early 80s thread (a thank you)

Well I want to continue the conversation! I just haven't been watching horror movies lately but maybe this weekend I'll have time. Definitely enjoyed the previous thread.

PS Opie you could do a podcast about your journey through trashy 70s & 80s horror. Maybe called Butts and Beheadings.

[quote]Well I want to continue the conversation! I just haven't been watching horror movies lately but maybe this weekend I'll have time. Definitely enjoyed the previous thread.

Thanks so much R1! I definitely am happy to keep the conversation going as long as others are interested. Let me know what you decide to watch this weekend if you do. I watched the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre earlier this week. Gotta catch up on the new Candyman too, soon.

[quote]PS Opie you could do a podcast about your journey through trashy 70s & 80s horror. Maybe called Butts and Beheadings.

This is brilliant! Haha, I love it! I can even see the logo now - a drawing of a guy back on and naked, holding up his head by the hair in one hand like Perseus with Medusa, the face turned towards us.

But I can't just steal your name and idea like that, you'd just have to join me :)

So, may as well give a couple of thoughts on Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981) that I watched the other night after many recommendations. I liked it! It was low budget, but engaging. At first I wasn't sure what to think with the copious use of "fag" all over the place. Initially I wondered if this was the infamous 80s homophobia that I've not actually experienced that much of in the horror movies I've watched so far, with the exception of Christine where Dennis calls Artie "queer". Don't Go In The House used "fag" a bit too, but it seemed to be a point towards the potentially closeted nature of the killer, I thought.

But then I realised that: "Hey, the main character here doesn't care his coach is gay. And the coach is a good guy. And the tone is definitely critical of the homophobic cop". And I thought this was a very interesting and even progressive for the times look gay themes.

The aunt was such a creepy, and also managed to make me feel just a tad sorry for her, rather like the mother in Blood Rage, though this aunt (or is it mother?) was really insane and creepy. Billy was cute. The whole movie really lingered on him, didn't it? The version I saw had a few quick cuts, which I later found out was mostly his bum shots (but thanks to AZnude I managed to see the scenes in full - and not just because of the nudity, but really the cuts kept cutting dialogue too). I didn't realise that was Bill Paxton as the bully, and according to Horror Queers (the podcast) he was initially going to be playing Billy.

At the end the gay character is a hero and lives. The cop dies. I thought this was really very different than what you would expect. I'm starting to think most of the more homophobic 80s stuff is in the teen comedies rather than the horrors. But we'll see.

I liked Julie, she was a bit less wet than other versions of that character, like the girl in A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2. She seemed to be able to stand up for herself better. And honestly, I was happy to see the card at the end giving the conclusion to the story so there was somewhat of a happy ending.

Thanks to everyone who recommended!

I just had a bit of a trip watching one that hasn't been recommended yet, but that I came across on YouTube; 1980s To All a Goodnight. A slasher set in either a boarding school or a sorority, I'm not 100% sure, but wherever it is, it is bizarrely so far away from everyone else that when the boys want to come visit, they have to come by plane.

Such a weird movie! A very bad one, but weirdly entertaining at the same time. Lots of really strange acting choices, odd dialogue and character motivations that make no sense. One girl in particular is chewing the scenery, but in a way that's kinda delightful. Lots of characters running around outside in what is clearly the day, but they're pretending it's nighttime. Horniness abounds, but lots of swapping partners and no one seems to mind. Definitely has a feel of "this was written by men fantasising about how they wish women would behave", haha.

I'd almost say, if you like bad movies and a laugh, it'd be ok to watch with friends. It's incompetent, but watchable, if you get me. Despite the fact there is a HEAP of padding throughout. In those scenes the dialogue is usually so weird that you notice less.

I have so many questions though. Like, why do half the kids disappear one night and the rest don't seem to find it that odd? Why does Leia not get killed, but instead dances around like a freak for the rest of the movie?

The score is kinda bizarre too, but would be sort of effective in a better film too, I think.

I'm not sad I watched it. But it is pretty bad at the same time!

On a bit of a roll tonight, and just finished watching Curtains (1982). I'd seen this one mentioned around the place as being an underrated or overlooked slasher, and I ended up really quite enjoying it. It had a bit more substance to it than others I've seen. Could've been tightened up a little bit in places, but overall it was very enjoyable, with some atmos, and a really good chase scene by the slutty girl, who actually had some nous, unlike how characters like her are usually treated.

The biggest problem for me was that all those women looked really similar, so it took me a moment to work out who was who. The woman playing Brooke also looked really familiar to me.

I was a bit tense as soon as the woman at the beginning faked madness to get inside an asylum. I was like: "This cannot be a good idea!" hahaha.

From memory, this was also recommended from the other thread, so thank you to that person. It was a decent way to spend an hour and a half!

[quote]But I can't just steal your name and idea like that, you'd just have to join me :)

Hey, don't threaten me with a good time! Love the logo idea, just hope Apple Podcasts doesn't object.

Glad you liked Butcher Bake Nightmare Maker. What an odd but enjoyable movie! Very ahead of its time with the cool gay character. And the movie really went out of its way to punish the shithead cop. I also think the movie subtly but deliberately paints Billy's sexuality as a bit ambiguous and does not find fault with that.

So weird that Paxton almost got the lead role. He's the better actor but Billy is outside his usual wheelhouse. He might have had a different career if he'd pulled it off. Or the movie might have been even campier.

Never heard of those two slashers but I'm intrigued.

Now for something completely different, yet technically on topic:: I came across this supercut of people watching The Thing for the first time and it's pretty funny. Jump to about 8:10, right before it gets going. Don't watch if you haven't seen The Thing!

^haha, what a great idea for a video! That was very enjoyable, thanks for sharing!

[quote]I also think the movie subtly but deliberately paints Billy's sexuality as a bit ambiguous and does not find fault with that.

Yes, I agree. I even got the feeling that his girlfriend was more concerned about his happiness than worrying about what it meant for her if he was gay.

Turns out Tubi has recently added The Final Terror (1983), which is one I have been meaning to watch, so tonight I sat down to that one.

I thought it was pretty good! Definitely had a good atmosphere; the camera work was almost disorienting at times. Set in the forest, which is a good setting. Similar in some ways to the feel of a Friday the 13th or The Burning, but actually ends up not following the "rules" of the slasher film in the way you expect. Which was both interesting to watch, but also perhaps slightly frustrating as the majority of the characters (apart from the two English (?) girls) were so obnoxious, I would've kinda liked to see them offed in a traditional slasher way.

There is male nudity, though it's sort of obscured at times, but you can see front and back if you squint. It's interesting, because this film I felt did spend more time focusing on the male bodies in it than the female. Not that it felt particularly gay or anything, just that it did seem to do that.

It definitely seems to me like one of those "lesser known but worth watching" type horror films, so I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Oh and Daryl Hannah is in it, but she may as well have been a potted plant, she didn't really add a lot to the film.

And just finished off the night by finishing up a couple of movies I have very little to say about, but ones that I have started and stopped over the last few weeks.

Started with one called Hide and Go Shriek from 1988. Kinda like a Chopping Mall type film but with a slasher rather than robots. Touches of Tourist Trap and even Maniac at one point. Very much looks like a shoestring production. We get two bare male asses in this, which is nice. Similarly to the last film, there seems to be a focus on male bodies in this one too, and rather more of the cast remaining at the end of the movie than expected. Also has a very gay ending, but not necessarily a very sensitively portrayed one. And yet, as I say, the camera lingers on the male actors.

After this I finished up the last 20 minutes or so of Sorority House Massacre (1986). Similarly a very low budget production. Got one bare male ass this time. I imagine this is very much a cult movie, but it did take me three viewings to get through a 74 minute movie, which probably says something. Still, I'm never sorry I've watched any of these movies.

And now it's 1.30, and I gotta get some sleep, haha!

[quote]Daryl Hannah is in it, but she may as well have been a potted plant

Sounds about right. I'm never gonna keep pace with you on these slashers, but Final Terror does sound interesting.

I was going to watch a "real" horror movie but went on another nostalgia trip with Children of the Stones (1977). This was a British TV show that for some reason was shown on Nickelodeon in the 80s (along with The Tomorrow People, which was my jam.) So I finally got to find out how it ended.

A scientist and his precocious son come to a quaint village to study its standing stones. (The outdoor scenes were filmed at a real megalithic stone circle.) And gee, don't the locals seem a little...odd? And how come the church is abandoned? And if the stone circle was a primitive observatory, what was it observing anyway?

I liked the blend of pagan-tinged light horror with science - I suppose this kind of thing was very much in the air thanks to Von Daniken - and the memorable score comprised mainly of eerie chanting. Not sure about the ending but I could be charitable and say it veers into cosmic horror and fear of the inexplicable. Some kind soul has uploaded the whole series to YouTube without all the credits and opening recaps, but even so it feels overlong at two and a half hours. This could be remade as a much tighter movie, or perhaps a meatier, Flanagan-style miniseries.

I also started rewatching The Endless but I fell asleep. Not a knock on the movie.

[quote]on another nostalgia trip with Children of the Stones (1977)

Yes! I've seen this one. I'm from a part of the world that was, when I was growing up, kinda behind the times. We would get these 70s British shows well into the 90s on TV. Children of the Stones is exactly the type of thing I grew up on consequently. It's one of the reasons why I get perplexed that now everyone is worried about "the children" watching things that will frighten them too much. This is the kind of thing we had to watch and we loved it.

[quote]I suppose this kind of thing was very much in the air thanks to Von Daniken

Very interesting! I've often wondered why so much of the culture from 70s Britain was so focused on supernatural, the disturbing, folk horror etc. Kids stuff was also a lot less dumbed down it seems. I have a lot of nostalgia for this kind of thing, despite it not exactly being from my childhood. Really glad to hear your thoughts on the show!

So you probably know all these shows that are quite obscure to me, like The Owl Service and Robin Redbreast, that I've just recently been hearing about. But what did young you make of that weird ending to Children of the Stones? Pretty trippy for kids! Did you get those BBC Christmas ghost stories too?

[quote] I've often wondered why so much of the culture from 70s Britain was so focused on supernatural, the disturbing, folk horror etc.

I think people are always interested in the occult and outre, but it does seem like there was a big surge then...or it was more acceptable to talk about it, or a bit of both. I think a big factor was the combo of a reaction to the hippies plus a general growing distrust of authority and institutions in general, at least here in the USA thanks to Vietnam and Watergate. But there's multiple strands...dangerous cults making the news, ufology and ancient astronauts, Uri Gellar, the Amityville case, Bigfoot stories.

There's gotta be some good books about this, from a sociological perspective.

[quote] I think people are always interested in the occult and outre, but it does seem like there was a big surge then...or it was more acceptable to talk about it, or a bit of both. I think a big factor was the combo of a reaction to the hippies plus a general growing distrust of authority and institutions in general, at least here in the USA thanks to Vietnam and Watergate. But there's multiple strands...dangerous cults making the news, ufology and ancient astronauts, Uri Gellar, the Amityville case, Bigfoot stories.

Yes! This is what is so fascinating, and I agree, there seem to be multiple strands all coming together at the time. Also, are you aware of Scarfolk Council? It is a humorous blog where the guy creates his own artwork, stories, publications and music based on what he sees as how weirdly yet amusingly disturbing 70s Britain was. There was a book too, that I ordered in. It's pretty trippy.

[quote]There's gotta be some good books about this, from a sociological perspective.

If you find any, please let me know, I would love to read more about this. It's fascinated me for so long.

Re: the ending of Children of the Stones, it's been so long since I've seen it, but I think I remember finding it both disquieting, and not being the direction I was thinking/hoping it would take. But it's so cloudy in my mind at the moment, you may have inspired me to get it out and watch it again!

Not heard of those two other shows, no. But have you seen Sapphire and Steel? I've only seen the first episode, but it has a similar atmosphere to shows like Children of the Stones. It's amazing that with all the advances people have made that shows still can't quite grab that atmosphere these days.

(Incidentally, I managed to watch the new Candyman finally last night, and then also found Halloween Part 6. But now you have me really yearning for some good old British horror. I have GOT to try and find the original Wicker Man - never seen it).

Not a horror film exactly, but "Who Is The Black Dalhia" with Lucie Arnaz is surprisingly good.

^a true crime case I've never read much about before. Definitely could be an interesting one to get into. Thanks R14!

Well I just watched Aerobicide / Killer Workout / Death Spa and I'm not sure I'm grateful for the suggestion. That movie is not ept. Some of it was a hoot for sure, like the cop with multiple Members Only jackets and the "evidence bag" that probably still had sandwich crumbs in it. Then some of it make me feel vaguely icky like I was watching somebody's spank bank. But what is so sexy about those high cut leotards that make a woman's area look ginormous? On the plus side, perhaps our podcast theme is on the totally 80s soundtrack. I'd say more but I've got to spend an hour on my hair before I hit the gym.

Hiiiiii OP, thanks for the new thread! Were you ever familiar with ABC's Friday Night Movie of the Week? Here's,1977 "Curse of the Black Widow"

Ooh, no I'm not R17, but thanks for that, I will check it out when I get a moment!

[quote]Well I just watched Aerobicide / Killer Workout / Death Spa and I'm not sure I'm grateful for the suggestion.

Bwahahaha! That's totally fair! But did you at least love how Rhonda's wig wasn't anything like her real hair? Hehehehe.

[quote]If you find any, please let me know, I would love to read more about this. It's fascinated me for so long.

Well my Google-fu is letting me down because a quick search hasn't turned up what I was hoping to find, but I did come across an article with the funny title "Why Were The 1970s So Weird?" The author wrote a book about, apparently, "the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality" and I'm thinking if nothing else its bibliography might offer some clues. So I might track that down.

Thanks for the Scarfolk Council link, that sounds like a fun rabbit hole to explore.

[quote]But have you seen Sapphire and Steel?

Oh my yes, what a weird show! As you say, very atmospheric. The plots are impenetrable yet strangely compelling.

[quote]But did you at least love how Rhonda's wig wasn't anything like her real hair?

A ha ha, I do love that in movies. One moment a precarious mop head, the next moment unclockable!

And I did a movie binge! I heard Rokkur (Rift, 2017) was a gay psychological horror from Iceland, so I just had to see what that is. It's mostly about the complicated feelings between ex-lovers, but with some weird stuff creeping in at the edges. Then the last act takes a turn and honestly I don't understand the ending at all. But it was certainly interesting and moody and worth checking out. Call me cynical but it's a nice surprise to find a queer movie that's well made and has good acting.

Speaking of mysterious movies, I finished my rewatch of The Endless. Very interesting to see again now that I know what's going on, and also have seen Resolution. Definitely picked up on some things I didn't notice the first time. (If you haven't seen these films I recommend watching Resolution first - The Endless isn't exactly a sequel, but it expands on the ideas of Resolution.) It's impressive what these guys can do with a low budget, and how understated they are with what's essentially...well maybe I shouldn't say too much.

And finally, a movie that's mysterious in a different way because I found it on an old hard drive and don't remember downloading it! Fear No Evil (1969) is a very solid and slick TV movie about a psychiatrist treating a patient plagued by weird dreams about a haunted mirror. Is it all in her head or is something occult going on? This was just a lot of fun, well paced and more stylish than I expected a made for TV movie to be. Star Louis Jourdan isn't a brilliant actor but very watchable, charismatic and urbane. I see he played Dracula once and I bet he was good.

Louis Jourdan starred in [bold]Count Dracula[/bold] (1977), which was made for the BBC. It runs 2 1/2 hours long and is generally considered to be the most faithful adaptation of the book. Even with the constraints of television, it is worth checking out.

There are a number of complete versions on YouTube, though none have the greatest video quality. Probably the best place to see it currently is on Amazon Prime.

Yes 21, he was a such a great elegant Dracula. Then there was the sexy version, with Frank Langella- 1979's Dracula:

[quote]generally considered to be the most faithful adaptation of the book.

Ooh, this has me sold on checking it out! I am not the biggest vampire fan but I do like the book, so would like to see a faithful adaptation.

[quote]Then there was the sexy version, with Frank Langella

Hang on, maybe I DO find vampires sexy after all? Hehehe. Mmmmm.

R20, I was watching a video of underrated horror that we should all see the other day, and I think Resolution was one of those. I remember them talking about its sequel "The Endless" at least. Thanks for keeping the spoilers down because I think I will check these out for sure. Rokkur sounds really good too, I'd definitely like to see one of "our" movies that is actually good!

Louis Jourdan was the guy from Octopussy, wasn't he?

[quote]I was watching a video of underrated horror

Link?

[quote]Link?

Hmm, I'll try and see if I can find it again. There are so many of them, I'm not sure if I will, but will see what I can do!

So, tonight I did something I wasn't planning to do, but because those three films I mentioned in my original post on the other thread that I really wanted to see are not anywhere, no streaming that I have, not on YouTube, or Tubi etc. well I ended up renting two of them (The Prowler doesn't seem to be available to rent). And tonight I watched the original My Bloody Valentine.

[quote]Link?

Hmm, I'll try and see if I can find it again. There are so many of them, I'm not sure if I will, but will see what I can do!

So, tonight I did something I wasn't planning to do, but because those three films I mentioned in my original post on the other thread that I really wanted to see are not anywhere, no streaming that I have, not on YouTube, or Tubi etc. well I ended up renting two of them (The Prowler doesn't seem to be available to rent). And tonight I watched the original My Bloody Valentine.

Apologies! I just pressed enter to go to the next paragraph and for some reason it posted twice. Sorry about that.

So, I watched My Bloody Valentine. Speaking of "sorry", this was definitely a Canadian film huh? Lots of people were "sawrry" in this one. I find that so cute.

I enjoyed the 2009 version when I watched it a little while ago, and so was interested to see the original. I thought it was cool how they didn't repeat the story but did their own that still linked to the original in different ways. I had a nice time watching this one, I sort of see it on the level of things like Prom Night or Terror Train, though maybe I didn't enjoy it quite as much as those. But it was still fun. Poor Mabel, she seemed sweet, was sorry to see her die.

The most surprising thing to me was how not sexed up this one was. For some reason I was expecting that, but it was pretty tame. No male butt, despite ample opportunity in the shower scene. I always enjoy seeing the types they cast as protagonists in these films back then too. Our main protagonist has a bit of a pot belly which I don't think you'd see these days. But I really enjoyed the "every day" nature of the men who were cast here. I find that a bit more believable.

That girl in red was getting annoying, but I laughed so much how the main girl just kept yelling at her: "Shut up!" Hahaha. I thought some of the guys looked familiar to me, but I'm not sure if I've seen them in other things, or they just had faces that were similar to other actors I've seen. I'm thinking particularly of the three guys who went into the mine with the girls (er... Hollis, Holland and Mike?).

The reveal at the end had already been spoiled for me, but I really appreciated how the set up was intended to put suspicion on both characters until the end.

So, all up, very happy I've finally seen that one. It's been on my list for years.

I haven't seen either version of My Bloody Valentine. I made some bad choices instead.

A sequel to Fear No Evil seemed promising, but Ritual of Evil (1970) is a plodding affair. Nosy psychiatrist Dr. Sorell is back but even he seems bored with the orgies of the rich and famous. There may be witches, or something. And a human sacrifice, or something. The ingenue is mentally retarded, or something. It's all really something. To liven things up we get occasional appearances from Anne Baxter, glamorously unglamorous as a blowsy souse, and even rarer appearances of Louis Jourdan's polyester dickprint.

Then I punished my insomnia with Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of La Llorona (1974), which really made that Conjuring-verse movie look like Citizen Kane. I've never seen a lucha libre movie before and I don't really get it, though it did have a goofy, Ed Wood-en charm in its styrofoam crypts and brightly lit caverns. Here, La Llorona is a withered mummy in a Phyllis Diller wig, but her horror is kind of undermined by the characters' insistence on referring to her as "Miss Eugenia Esparza."

Ehehehe, R28, I am loving your reviews! I also have seen that Revenge of La Llorona movie around, but never watched it.

I hope your bad choices were at least enjoyable for a laugh? ;)

The Santo movie was decently entertaining, but I don't think I'll be watching the rest of his extensive filmography.

Tonight I sat down to watch the second of my YouTube rented movies, this one being Happy Birthday to Me, from 1981 (which I like, as that is the year of my birth).

I [italic]really[/italic] enjoyed this movie. Had such a great time watching it, and I recommend it highly. What was doubly good about this is that, as a bit of history, in the early 00s when I started looking into horror movies on the internet, I vividly remember the picture of the boy with the shish-kebab going into his mouth, and how much at the time it freaked me out. But I've always wanted to see this movie because of that, and I'm so happy that it didn't disappoint.

I also thought it was beautiful shot in many parts. There are some great scenes. Some inventive kills, and actual tension built in places which I loved. I found the lead up to the aforementioned shish-kebab scene really tense because I knew what was coming. It wasn't even particularly gory, but it was built up to really well.

I haven't had this much fun with a bunch of obnoxious characters in a while. The best bit is, unlike in The Final Terror... and SPOILERS here:

The obnoxious characters actually die. I wasn't sorry to see any of them go.

Happy Birthday to Me is honestly worth it even just for the opening scene in the car park, alone. I thought that was great, really well done.

So yeah. I recommend this one, if you get a chance to see it. I'm sure most of you have already. This is right up there as one the most enjoyable I've seen since I started the previous thread. These early Canadian horror films are by and large really enjoyable, they generally have a good energy to them. What do we have: Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night, Terror Train, and this one.

By the way, the blonde girl, Maggie, looked familiar to me, I think I must've seen her in another horror from these times recently.

Just tooling around on Tubi and came across one called Graduation Day from 198X. Pretty low budget, almost comes across like it could've been an exploitation film (quality wise). But it was pretty entertaining in its B or C-grade movie-ness.

Do you like trippy editing and a disco theme song? You got it! How about 80s jocks in short shorts? They're here too. Is Christopher George your daddy? 'Cause he's in this. Like watching everything Linnea Quigley has done? She and her boobs turn up here too. Vanna White? You got her. So many side stories and new characters that you forget important plot points and characters?

There's even a new wave band playing at a roller disco while students break dance! And a woman in a kaftan!

Well, it was 3 for 3 tonight, I finished off with Intruder from 1989, and thoroughly enjoyed this one too. I wasn't expecting to watch the whole thing as I was dozing a bit, but then when it got to the bit with the receipt spike, I was all in. Those were a whole lot of gory, gross deaths, which I haven't seen quite like that for a bit and it was a lot of fun. The direction was really good, there was humour without it overtaking the story, and I just love these films that look like the people making it had a blast. Has both Sam and Ted Raimi in it, both of whom I find kinda sexy in their unique way.

A couple of scenes gave me deja vu, but I think that was probably from seeing this film referenced on some of those underrated horror YouTube videos. This one is also definitely recommended if you haven't seen it yet. I'm so happy to have had a successful/fun night of horror, each movie for a different reason, but all up, I enjoyed them all.

OP, thanks for your reviews! Very thoughtful!

Speaking of Sam Raimi, you've seen "Evil Dead" and "Evil Dead 2", yes?

Absolutely, R34. Those were early horror films for me, a mate of mine showed them to me as a teen, because he had discovered them and loved them.

Watched a couple of goodies this weekend. Haven't seen much Italian horror so I semi-randomly chose Shock (1977) by Mario Bava because it's on Tubi. It's a solid haunted house story about a woman returning to the home she once shared with her first husband. Dead hubs is not keen on the new hubs and influences their little kid to kill the stepdad and punish mommy. The child actor is suitably creepy and the lead actress precisely modulates about 50 different nervous breakdowns. The only other Bava film I've seen is Planet of the Vampires and Shock is positively drab in comparison but it's got fluid camerawork and some nicely trippy sequences. Oh, and a brief glimpse of the second husband's backside. Not an amazing film but a fun watch.

I'm still reeling from Ghost Stories (2017) which I absolutely loved. I guess all anthology films are shapeshifters but this one feels especially slippery, playing with style and cliches and expectations. There's an interesting bit right at the beginning when we're shown old home movies and the footage is as boring as you'd expect until the camera by chance catches some family drama, at which point the acting becomes melodramatic and worthy of a 1920s silent film. I found that a bit funny but also a bit unsettling because it was so unexpected and suddenly I didn't know what the move was doing. There's quite a few little things like that along the way to add to the unease as the movie builds to a climax I found very disturbing. Clever writing, great directing, and some amazing performances...don't know why I never see this movie talked about. Avoid spoilers, just give this a watch if creeping dread is your jam.

R36, if you are interested in more Bava, let me strongly recommend to you Blood and Black Lace (1964), which is a really stylish giallo. Also, A Bay of Blood (1971 - aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) is really recommended viewing too. It is a kind of precursor to the American slasher films of the late 70s onwards. You'll even seen scenes that were taken straight from it and put into US films.

Shudder has a wide collection of Giallo films.

Thanks for the recs! I've only seen a handful of gialli, maybe I should make it a project.

Anyone seen Spiral? I got about a third of the way through and it put me to sleep. Worth continuing?

Sorry, forgot there are multiple films named Spiral. I mean the one from 2019 starring DL fave Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman.

Well I listened to the Horror Queers episode on Spiral and I think the movie is probably better than I gave it credit for. But now I know the plot turns which doesn't increase my desire to watch it. Oh well.

April Fools Day

Killer Party

1988 Canadian psychological weird.....

I know out of the era discussed.

Oh, I keep hearing of Pin, R43. Will have to try it out.

R10, speaking of Children of Stones, I managed to re-discover a show from my childhood tonight that I had vague memories of, but no one else my age did. I was starting to wonder if I had imagined it. I doubt anyone here would know it, but it was a New Zealand show from 1981 called Under the Mountain. I reckon it must've been shown on TV here in Australia in around 1988 or so, because I remember watching it before school and it TERRIFYING me. Just watched the first few episodes, and I don't remember much, but a few scenes bring back "aha!" moments. Obviously it doesn't frighten me as an adult, but it does have some scenes in it that would undoubtedly scare children. They would never make a show along those lines nowadays, I don't think.

I vaguely remember Under The Mountain. It was also shown on Nickelodeon but I didn't watch it. I see Sam Neill starred in a movie version!

Quick thoughts on some recent watches:

Plaque of the Zombies (1966) is a bit of an oddity. I believe it's Hammer's only zombie movie, and it came out just two years before Romero's genre-defining Night of the Living Dead. Instead of society breaking down we get an upper-crust doctor restoring order to a village of rustic idiots. I won't get into spoilers but there's a lot that doesn't make a lick of sense, which doesn't stop it from being very entertaining!

Werewolf of London (1935) was also quite entertaining and also predates a genre-defining movie (1941's The Wolf Man, natch.) I'd forgotten how brisk these old Universal monster movies are; this one barrels along with a 75 minute run time. I suspect James Whale was an influence because there are some delightful comic characters who steal the show, Unfortunately the main actors aren't compelling, but it was a fun watch nonetheless.

Next of Kin (1982) is an Aussie thriller/semi-slasher about a young woman who takes charge of a nursing home. Going through the messy records she begins to think there is a secret buried in the home's past. A secret someone is willing to kill to protect! I wish the movie had turned up the tension earlier, and made better use of its setting, but it's decent once it gets going. I quite liked the final sequence.

And I rewatched Beetlejuice. Hadn't seen it in years and kind of forgot how great it is. What happened, Tim Burton?

I have never seen Beetlejuice, R45, but friends keep telling me I need to. I don't really like what Tim Burton does to movies, generally, but I have hope now, after you said:

[quote]What happened, Tim Burton?

Because this implies to me that Beetlejuice may actually be enjoyable for me!

Tim's movies had an element of camp and fun. Dark Shadows actually had some of that, but it is a shadow of what it used to be. Please see Beetlejuice, it's such a comfort film for me.

Burton started losing his way in the late 90s but he had a great run early in his career, including four movies I love: Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman Returns and Ed Wood. Possibly it helps that I was young when I saw them, but I would still recommend them

I seem to remember quite liking Mars Attacks! but don't really have the desire to revisit it at the same time. Probably I just liked seeing a bunch of well known actors biting it.

lol R49!

I watched two doozies this weekend.

Out of the Dark (1988) is a slasher about a clown-masked killer stalking the employees of a phone sex line run by Karen Black. I think Black is a legit good actress, how come she's been in so much crap? The tone of this movie is hard to describe. It's not quite a parody but its calculated, strenuous sexiness feels self-aware. There is a very athletic sex scene that's kind of goofy, and a lead whose response to trauma is to take her top off and/or give blowjobs. The heady atmosphere is enhanced by a cast of actors I associate with cult movies, like Bud Cort and Tracey Walter, and cameos by Tab Hunter, Paul Bartel, Divine (!) and Lainie Kazan as a hooker (!). Bartel was the executive producer and I imagine his behind the scenes influence can be felt. The movie sags toward the end when it shifts from being a typical slasher to suspects trying to prove their innocence but it's still a pretty fun time.

Rawhead Rex (1986) was written by Clive Barker but doesn't seem to be terribly well known. Well it's terrible, but so bad it's good. Actually a lot of it is just plain good; the cast is mostly excellent and there's some good gore. The problem is the rampaging monster that just looks cheap. The story, what little there is, is about an ancient evil creature that emerges from the soil to terrorize an Irish village. The movie often manages to be creepy but keeps undercutting itself with the funny-looking monster. There's some nutty stuff I don't want to spoil, I'll just say this movie deserves to be seen. Especially by connaiseurs of schlock. Ever since joking about making a podcast, I sometimes ask myself if a movie is interesting enough that you could get an episode out of it. Well this one is definitely podworthy. (Working title: Rawpod Rex?)

Ooh Rawhead Rex! I've heard about this one! Having seen Candyman and Hellraiser, I guess I should make it three for three with Clive Barker's stuff too. "So bad it's good" is something I do enjoy haha!

It could be our opening episode, my friend! ;)

Your welcome, cunt.

r51, You should throw in, "Nightbreed". The trailers make it like a slasher horror movie, but it's really just a dark fantasy with horror elements. Plus, cool creatures:

[quote]It could be our opening episode, my friend!

I'm thisclose to shopping for microphones. ; )

I haven't seen Nightbreed either, I should rectify that.

How about Lord of Illusions? I seem to recall it was good but it's been a while.

Has THE MEDUSA TOUCH with Richard Burton been mentioned?

It’s currently free on Tubi.

I got curious and looked at the top posts on r/podcasting. There's a lot to learn. Theoretically.

New working title: Nightbreed Me.

I like the logline for The Medusa Touch: A telekinetic novelist causes disasters simply by thinking about them. Steven King wishes!

I seem to be having some sort of psychic link with Werewolf Ambulance at the moment. I was just thinking a couple of weeks ago, I wanted them to do Phenomena and suddenly they did, then I watched the new Texas Chainsaw and it was their next episode, and now I hear next week they are doing Intruder, haha!

Maybe they're DLers r57.

Ahahaha, imagine them trawling DL and reading our thread hehe. If they are: "Hi Allen! Hi Katie! Love your work! One of my favourite podcasts. Please stop eating into the microphones though, even as a joke!"

Lord of Illusions was decent, but I can't remember anything about it, save a big scene with fire and and a giant white staircase.

[QUOTE]Ahahaha, imagine them trawling DL and reading our thread

If they make a joke about Vivian Vance or presenting hole, can we sue?

Came across a podcast dedicated to the Universal monster movies. It's very in-depth, going into the production history, and each episode seems to be longer than the actual movie! I enjoyed the ep on Werewolf of London and will listen to more.

If you have Shudder, check out Vicious Fun. I thought it was a hoot. It's a retro horror-comedy about an obnoxious horror fan who stumbles into a serial killer support group and has to try to blend in. It's well paced (just when I was wondering if they could really get a whole movie out of this premise they started adding complications) and has some good gags and gore.

Oh that one sounds really interesting, R62! And a bit of a different idea too. I don't have Shudder, but will see if I can find it somewhere.

I'm now listening to podcasts about podcasting. The snake is eating itself.

Also I watched Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) aka Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. Hoo boy. Imagine if John Waters made a horror movie in Europe. It's all deliberately campy and over the top. It's also 3D so things that should be on the inside are thrust at the camera every now and then. Oh and totally oversexed, complete with incest and sexual assault and plenty of nudity (thank you for your service, Joe Dallesandro.) I think maybe it's a satire about hedonism leading to alienation and commodification of bodies, though that sounds too high falutin for a movie in which Dr. Frankenstein fucks a corpse. Udo Kier and Monique van Vooren are delightful as the repressed doctor and his horny sisterwife. And the other actors, well, they take their clothes off.

Ha, r 64, I begged my parents to go see it because Son of Svenghoolie was hosting a midnight showing of it. I was 8, and they took me to it! All I remember is the sawing off the limbs scene and feeling kinda ill from the sounds effects of it.

Yeesh, wasn't it awkward? I used to get embarrassed if I was watching a movie with family and there was any sex talk or nudity.

OP, since your Antipodean, not quite horror, but nonetheless horrifying, have you seen Wake In Fright?

It also has a homoerotic edge and showcases the gothicness of the Australian outback.

R67, no, never seen that, or even heard of it? But you had me at "homoerotic edge"! :). Seriously, it's worth watching then?

[quote]Also I watched Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) aka Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. Hoo boy. Imagine if John Waters made a horror movie in Europe.

Wow, I really need to see this. I am a big fan of John Waters, and I watched The Andy Warhol Diaries recently and felt I really needed to see one of his films. Will definitely have to check this one out, it sounds like I'd get a kick out of it.

PS this:

[quote]I'm now listening to podcasts about podcasting. The snake is eating itself.

made me smile. Hehehe. Come across anything interesting?

By the way, for the email address I created above, I've chosen a picture of Lawrence Monoson running buck naked into the water. I figured that was a fitting image, haha.

I thought it was a late 70s film but it turns out to be early 70s.

There's a real did they or didn't they gay moment.

It also uses a footage of a real kangaroo cull.

Thanks Lyle! Might have to look away during the kangaroo cull (struggle with stuff like that), but will pop it on the list!

And then there is this Australian Classic......

^I'm such a bad Australian, I have heard of that title but didn't realise it was an Australian film...

Car crashes, lobotomies and medical experiments, oh my!

I think Paris is a fictional rural town in NSW.

r66, no they dropped me off. Ah sweet 70's! I also begged them to see Tommy, and they did see the movie with me.