The Fog (1980)

“Eleven fifty-five, almost midnight. Enough time for one more story. One more story before twelve... just to keep us warm.” These simple words mark the beginning of what yours truly believes to be one of the finest ghost stories of all time. I’m referring to John Carpenter’s 1980 film The Fog. What brings this movie to mind currently is that we're fast approaching the perfect time to revisit this spooky tale. Why's that you ask? Well the film begins late on the 20^th of April and carries on through the next day. This year those dates happen to span the bridge of Saturday night through Sunday morning which as we all know is the optimal time for viewing horror movies. Whether you've never seen it before or are an old die-hard fan this is the perfect moment to revisit The Fog.

I do expect that there are many of you out there who have yet to see this one and I don’t blame you. Growing up I’d encountered most of Carpenter’s work, save for a few oddballs like Body Bags, on television or through my older brothers renting them. Yet for whatever reason I never caught The Fog through either of those means. Instead a DVD was given as payment for babysitting my nephew. I watched it that night with my sister and while I don't recall having a massive reaction to it, the damn thing stayed with me and has since earned regular rotation in my horror viewing. That’s because for what it lacks in pop-culture notoriety versus it’s siblings like Halloween and The Thing it more than makes up with a perfect campfire story aesthetic.

That campfire atmosphere is right up front with an old man telling scary stories to a bunch of children around a fire. I've heard that Carpenter considers this to be a kids movie which was closer to the original intent before reshoots lead to more scare and blood. When you consider how most of us as children heard tales of horny teenagers being dismembered by hook-handed psychopaths and ate it all up this still feels fine for a slightly younger audience. What makes this even closer to a kids film is that it's more simplistic and comfortable. Everything slightly innocent with the horror coming more from atmosphere than brutal violence. That being said there is one outstanding, if quick, bit of head stabbing. None of the deaths are all that bloody. Sex is implied more than it is shown. It may not conform to the typical notions of family friendly viewing but you could get away with nine-year-olds diving into it.

The narrative itself concerns the town of Antonio Bay which is about tot celebrate their 100^th anniversary. That would be all well and good if not for a sin from the towns past coming back with a vengeance by which I mean a batch of of bloodthirsty ghosts who dwell within the fog. It's up all manner of individuals ranging from the local priest to a radio DJ to keep everyone safe.

I’d like to clear the character element up for anyone who hasn’t seen it is this as it lacks the usual central protagonist. It’s much more of a group narrative like some of Stephen King’s more popular work. If one were to narrow the focus to a main hero it would like be Tom Atkin’s fisherman character named after director Nick Castle. Don’t think of him as too much of a hero however as he’s honestly just a very blue-collar kinda guy. He guzzles bear while driving, sleeps with hitchhikers, and smokes like a chimney. A real man among men. Orbiting him are Adriene Barbeau as a local radio DJ, Hal Hallbrook as a priest, Jamie Lee Curtis as the aforementioned hitchhiker, her real-life mother Janet Leigh as a busybody town official, and a few others for added fun. It’s rare for a story so short and straightforward to have a cast this large.

Location is a huge component of those flick as the majority of it was filmed north-west of San Francisco with open vistas and vast shorelines. It's an incredibly scenic area despite being so close to an urban nightmare. What still gets in my craw is how close I was to these sights just a few years ago. There's little chance of me returning either as I'm both a homebody and me & California don't mix well. Regardless, the dive bars, beaches, and lighthouses add to the ambiance of the film as it's all very real but for so many of us seems like a fantastical place to live.

Lord knows we can't forget about the music. John Carpenter is well known for scoring his films. Sometimes his musical efforts made for classic themes like in Halloween, on the flip-side are largely forgettable tunes for films like Vampires. With The Fog he was absolutely laser focused on creating outstanding mood music. It's rarely loud or overbearing but permeates every scene with slow piano notes along with his classic synthesizer work. To this day it ranks as one of my top choices for brooding over a stiff drink while I watch some dreadful weather through the window. Is that a thing normal people do? Have I based too many of my behaviors off of movies?

You'll notice I'm not going into deep ramblings about character-arcs or hidden meanings and that's because this isn't that sort of film. Sometimes it's better to just relax and let things wash over you. Especially when it's such solid entertainment that taps into a fairly universal feeling. How many of us have wondered what unseen terrors lurk about our foggy surroundings?

Just a typical Michigan morning.

Anyway this is your homework for the week. Settle in a few minutes before midnight with a bowl of popcorn and some beer to take in the sort of classic tale that would have thrilled you before you became a bitter adult. Unfortunately I give you this mission when it looks like no streaming services are currently hosting the movie. I guess you can do some digital renting or run out to a nicer movie store, sometimes FYE has a decent stock of Scream Factory releases. Whatever the method I guarantee this is a fabulous way to mark your halfway to Halloween festivities. Well that and waking up the next day to consume massive quantities of ham.

Top 100 Horror Movies: The Beast Within (1982)

We've all heard the classic cliché that spring is the time when a young mans fancy turns to love. Frankly I never understood that saying. When I was a young man my fancy was focused on matters of romantic conquest year-round. The same could still be said now that I'm a grown-ass-man. And what of young women? Does their fancy turn to love come autumn? Could this explain all the strife between the genders? Let's say you're fine with the old saying however and live life with the notion that blooming flowers equates to horny teenagers. Well what do you do when that young man isn't quite normal? That's the question posed by the next entry in our top 100 horror movie series, The Beast Within.

The film is loosely based on a novel by Edward Levy which was supposedly being worked on at the same time as the script with each having a different focus. What serves as the bits of back-story in the film make up a good portion of the novel. Main character, Michael isn't even born until about the halfway point of the book. These are details I've gathered through some light browsing as I've yet to actually read it. There's an odd disconnect however with fans of the novel often bashing the film and vice versa. Personally, I'm willing to consider them as complementary works.

Behind the scenes the film was directed Philippe Mora. While his name may not pop out for most readers he is an absolute nut of a filmmaker having gifted the world with the delightfully stupid Holwing II, and the bonkers Christopher Walken alien abduction epic, Communion. Mora plays things much more straight with this story, probably due to the script by Tom Holland who worked on such classics as Fright Night, Child's Play, and Psycho 2.

The film begins in the 1960s with a honeymooning couple traveling down the road only to encounter car trouble (this is a horror film after all). While the man goes off in search of aid the woman is stalked and sexually assaulted by some sort of creature. For any normal narrative this situation alone could provide plenty of material but this ain't no normal movie.

Years later the couple are troubled as their son, Michael suffers mysterious health issues. Yes indeed, the woman was impregnated during her ordeal but the couple decided to raise the baby as their own. With nowhere else to look, they return to the scene of the crime in search of answers about the boys heritage. Imagine their surprise when Michael follows them to this small town, setting off a chain of revelations and gruesome murders.

It's probably a good idea to declare up-front that I've got a bit of nostalgia for this trashy little fright-flick. Turning it on takes me back to being 11 years old, camped out in the living room in a Pepsi fold-out beach chair, demolishing a bag of Doritos while watching Monstervision. Yes this is yet another of those special films ushered into my twisted little heart by king of late night movie hosts, Joe Bob Briggs. Admittedly it is a much stronger offering than other nostalgia-inducing trash like Night of the Lepus or The Monster Club. Just be aware that I bring a certain amount of comfy memories into every viewing. With that warning out of the way let's talk about what makes this one such a treat.

A big part of why I enjoy The Beast Within so much is that it scratches a lot of different itches in a very short amount of time. After the opening assault the plot becomes a mystery, then something of a possession/serial-killer affair, then we move on to body-horror, and finally we arrive at creature-feature. If you've ever experienced one of those nights where you crave a horror film yet can't decide on what kind, this thing has got you covered. Couple that with the small-town setting and a cast of characters that varies tremendously in both age and moral backbone and your bases are covered.

Naturally a few elements haven't held-up to the changing times. First off, it's not a culturally diverse film with only one non-white character being the deputy. On that front you will be surprised to hear the black guy actually survives! That's an honor usually reserved for Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J. And you'd better believe some of the special-effects come across as a little cheap, though they are appropriately slimy and gross.

While it's flaws certainly mark it as a product of its time, the movie came out at the best possible point for this sort of story. If it had been made a few years earlier, the whole thing would have leaned too far towards campy, years later and it would be too self-aware. That's largely the reason why 1980's horror flicks resonate with so many viewers. It was a time when you could make a movie where a teenage boy is possessed by his father and turns into a cicada monster yet the movie is done with a straight-face.

There's one more thing that helps to make this one special, but it's something of a geographic bonus saved only for certain viewers. For those of us who live in places like Michigan this movie feels just like the early days of spring. Everything's still wet and cold but it's all far enough removed from the frozen wasteland of winter that it all feels fresh and new. The bugs are chirping, and the need to be outside doing anything is felt by all. I've seen only a few films that come close to replicating that feeling which is why this movie always comes back into rotation somewhere between March and May.

The Beast Within may not be offer deep psychological elements like The Entity, or be a tropical bloodbath like Zombi 2. It's something more like a classic campfire tale complete with a sympathetic monster and warnings about sex. It could also be used as a pro-choice argument since we should really stop these cicada babies at the source. If you're in the mood for some good, straightforward horror this weekend, give this one a shot.

On the website front, I will be heading to Wisconsin this week to attend a trade-show/convention thing. Not sure how I get myself wrapped up in these situations but look forward to a recap of the experience. Sentai coverage will most likely be put off until early next week to accommodate this little adventure. Wish me luck out on the road, and I'll be back with something fun for you guys this weekend.

Top 100 Horror Movies: The Entity (1982)

Recently there was much talk online about a recent Netflix acquisition called Veronica. Out of nowhere a bunch of people were praising the film as crazy scary and quite good, then others came out and declared it a total bore. Deciding to add it to my Saturday night viewing schedule I found it to be a pretty hollow experience. Nowhere near good enough to thrill me yet not awful enough to provide much fun. Some of the scares would have been effective had I given a crap and not been convinced that the whole thing was leading towards a cheap twist, which it somewhat did. Frankly due to it's general storyline involving the evils of spirit boards it felt like another one of those dull Ouija movies.

Watching something like Veronica makes me wonder how so many people could find it scary or entertaining. Were they simply caught off guard? Maybe they have very low standards? It's just very confusing for a guy who can walk back to his bedroom and bring out something much better and more frightening.

I'm not here to bash on Veronica's brief burst of internet fame though. Actually I wanted to use it as a bridge towards talking about a much better film with some similar themes. The whole time spent watching a girl who apparently struggles with sexuality and is burdened with parental responsibilities, in this case for her siblings reminded me of the 1982 shocker, The Entity.

The film has a an wide range of talents in-front of an behind the camera. Directed by Sidney J. Furie (who has an incredibly diverse list of credits) and staring Barbara Hershey and Ron Silver, with a script from Frank De Felitta based on his novel. It should also be noted that Felitta's original book is supposedly focused on true events though there are arguments against the legitimacy of that case. Regardless of any basis in reality, Felitta can count this among his list of worthwhile horror credits along with Audrey Rose and Dark Night of the Scarecrow which he also directed. One has to wonder how he would have approached this story from the directors chair but it's tough to complain when Furie does an excellent job overall.

The Entity is the tale of a single mother name Carla Moran who struggles with almost nightly visitations from a sexually abusive entity. The film waste no time in getting to the scary shit either as we're offered just a few moments with Carla before she suffers her first attack. That's vital to the progression of the story as her connections to others make up so much of the deeper meaning to this film. She has a negative history with men ranging from her abusive father to past husbands. Her current lot in life is with her three kids, a decent traveling salesman boyfriend, one female friend, and upon seeking aid, a doctor (Ron Silver) who begins to develop feelings towards her.

A particularly interesting aspect to the film is that it become perfectly clear that something supernatural is afoot, there's no trickery on that end. However; we never learn exactly what the cause of all this mayhem really is. It could be a ghost such as Carla's father or one of her ex-lovers. Maybe it's a demon that latched on during a low-point in her life. Or could it be a psychic manifestation of of her sexual frustrations as a woman chained down by motherhood? Multiple potential explanations are given without any singular answer. While this may sound frustrating, the writing handles it beautifully as it makes the subject Carla's fear so ambiguous. Should she be weary of her past, a dark force from beyond, or herself?

Hopefully I've made it clear that the movie has some good dramatic elements and surprisingly deep writing, but let's remember that I wanted to tell you about the scare-factor. The Entity features so many freaky sequences that it becomes an issue as the audience starts to build a tolerance for all the abuse. The initial attacks are all downright terrifying and highly sexual but eventually you'll become exhausted from seeing this poor woman raped over and over again by some unseen force. The final act of the film attempts to correct this issue by changing things up, but we'll have to come back to that.

Two elements that help to make this film so scary are the cinematography by Stephen H. Burum who finds ways to make normal rooms look threatening, and then there's the music. Charles Bernstein who is likely best remembered for his work on Nightmare on Elm Street does what may be his best work here. The main theme is good enough but if you really want a clue as to what makes so many scenes extra spooky just head over to Youtube and look up Bath Attack. Quentin Tarantino even sampled the song for Inglorious Basterds so a few of you may already be familiar with the tune.

As I mentioned earlier, the film takes a bit of a left turn in the final act and I'd say it weakens the film considerably, though not enough to kill the effect. By that point in the story, Carla is aided by a group of ghost-hunting academics who seek to find proof of the supernatural. This involves an outlandish plan to capture her tormentor, and well... it just gets weird before wrapping up.

Even with the oddball final act, The Entity is an incredible fright-fest. Direction is tight, the drama is engaging, and above all the terror is based around something quite real as it draws parallels to abusive relationships. Martin Scorsese has apparently praised the movie as one of the scariest horror films ever. I may find most of the mans work to be overrated but it sure sounds like he's got some solid taste in fright flicks.

Apologies for taking so long between posts. Last week was a weird one and I ended up with portions of three separate articles before finally completing this one. There should definitely be another post up before the week is out. Can't say when or what it will be exactly, I'm actually looking into putting my name in for a city council seat. If nothing else I'm guessing there's a worthwhile story in trying.

CosmicSparky's Top 100 Horror Flicks: Zombi 2

As a kid I never really considered myself as a horror fan. Sure I loved stuff like the Alien movies and X-Files, not to mention a fair share of monstrous toys. Maybe I just figured it was pretty universal to have an interest in weird creatures and spooky stories. Even into the mid 90's when I would camp out in the living room to watch Joe Bob Briggs host the hell out of Monstervision, I still didn't identify as a horror fan. Moving into my late teens and the glory days of the DVD market, something happened and horror became a much larger part of my life. I can never pinpoint the exact moment when it happened but somewhere along the line I found myself collecting horror movies at a steady pace.

In the spring of 2008 that collection had grown enough that I decided it was time to restore the glory of those old Monstervision nights. I declared that every Saturday would be horror movie night. After the first shaky couple of months it became this became a constant within our house. Scary flicks have are that little something to punctuate every week whether it be to celebrate a good time or to make up for a lousy one.

With this year marking the tenth anniversary of this Saturday night tradition I thought it might be a fun addition to the site to share with you all my 100 favorite horror flicks. Now I want to make that very clear, these are what I enjoy the most. I can't declare them to be the absolute best flicks out there as that would require me to have seen every single scary movie ever made in the history of the world. Nor will I adhere to historical relevance, so no matter how much Scream may matter historically, it's not popping up in my countdown.

There will be some familiar titles no doubt, like The Fly, but you'll also see some bizarre picks like Full Circle or Pin: A Plastic Nightmare. Also these are not appearing in any sort of quality ranking. I'll simply write about which one I feel like discussing at the time. Just understand that if it's part of this series, whether it be something deep and well-made or something so bad it's hilarious, I'm including these flicks because I think they're an outstanding part of any horror collection.

Given the current frightful weather across the states, I think we deserve a nice tropical vacation, so let's go with a movie that doesn't meet most of the usual standards of quality but sure is a lot of warm weather fun.

Zombi 2 was one of the earlier Italian horror flicks to enter my collection, and while it eventually wormed its way into my hear it also served as something of a lesson in film buff bullshitting. For the life of me I can not count the number of times I have read film nerds wax poetically about the deeper meanings and quality of Italian horror, and while I have a love for some of these films there are incredibly few I would tout as having any real narrative meat. By and large you watch Italian flicks because you want some pure unfettered excess. That's where I grew to love this flick. Think of it this way. Some days you need a nice healthy meal. Maybe a salad, some whole grain toast, you get the picture. Then there's those days where the only thing that can lift you spirit is Taco Bell. Zombi 2 Is pure Taco Bell.

The story is crazy simple. A boat carrying some dead bodies, and one not so dead one, arrive in New York City. A reporter meats up with the daughter of the boats owner and soon the two set off to the Caribbean in search of answers. Along the way they hitch a boat ride with a married couple and arrive at an island occupied by a shifty doctor, his spiteful wife, and craploads of zombies. There's honestly not much more than that. There's no deep character study or revelations about human nature. It's all a sun drenched excuse to get people topless and bloody. And on that front tit totally delivers.

Everything you could ask for from a sleazy zombie picture is on display. Cranial explosion, burning corpses, eye trauma, topless diving, and even a fight between a zombie and a shark! It's like the sketchbook of a nasty little boy brought to the screen with just enough overwrought and poorly dubbed dialogue keeping things from getting too serious.

I just remembered you may be wondering about the first Zombi, well there isn't one, not really anyway. You see Zombi was an international title for Dawn of the Dead, this is simply an unofficial sequel. It's a fairly common practice in Italy. Even the Evil Dead films have some completely unrelated sequels in name only. The Zombi franchise itself doesn't dodge this practice either as later entries like Killing Birds are simply dragged in to benefit from brand recognition.

While I fully endorse this movie as a bit of trashy fun, it's definitely not something for new horror fans to dive right into. If you're just developing an interest in the genre and hoping to catch up on some old goodies, you'd be much better served with something like The Fog. Zombi 2 is something you can sit on for a long time, until just the right time when life has left you exhausted and sort of brainless. Then it's time to gather some like minded individuals, some tasty hooch, and just enjoy the show.

That's all for tonight, folks. I hope you will all enjoy this new feature, though I can't say for certain how frequently it will appear. Haven't even decided on all the titles that will be featured, so there will be surprises for all of us.