Summer of Fear (1978)

I decided to take a break from cryptids today and did into another interesting topic, Witchcraft.  After did quick searching,  I decided on the made for Television Wes Craven entry Summer of Fear. (AKA Stranger in Our House)

Plot: A teenage girl's life is turned upside down after her cousin moves into her house, and as time goes by she begins to suspect that she may be a practitioner of witchcraft.

For this looking for a precursor to Freddy and a Nightmare on Elm Street, this one will likely disappoint. Origins this third horror entry for Wes Craven was a made for television movie,  thus,  it lacks the impact of typical theatrical releases. However,  the cast and performances are actually pretty good.  Yes,  the setting, costuming, and some of the technical aspects feel and appear dated, but for a movie from the late 70s, most of it holds up quite well.  The storyline is interesting (although a bit predictable) and it did keep me interested to see how it was going to end (did they make a sequel?). In the end,  this wasn't a bad time at all.  Yes,  it won't be for everyone,  but if you are looking for a subtle witchcraft bar film give it a shot.  

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

As I finally finish things from my weekend trip to Monsterfest, it would be hard not do a final review of a film that helped inspire me throughout the years. After some time, I decided to break down and review the 1978 George Romero classic, Dawn of the Dead.

Plot/ Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.

It is hard to review this film for so many reasons because there is really no way to do it justice. George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead is definitely one of the greatest horror movies ever made and quite possibly is the best zombie film of all time. Much like the classic source material, this movie is a snapshot of society and has much more depth than a typical horror entry. Between the social commentary and focused worldview, this movie educates as well as scares and maybe even more relevant today as our society is in the midst of crisis and turmoil. Filmed in Monroeville Mall, this entry has everything in it that a horror fan will love. Between the outstanding effects by Tom Savini including tons of trademark gore, the intricate storyline that is both dark and comedic, and the amazing soundtrack that works perfectly within the confines of the tale, this is one that must be seen. Even the performances are beyond solid as all of the characters embraced their parts and took them to exactly where they needed to be. While I know that this review does not truly do this classic justice, it would be boring to continue to reiterate how great this film is and why it is a must-see for all true horror fans. In the end, if you have not watched this one, you are wrong! Find it and check it out.

Lulu (1978)

Last night as I was waiting on The Ringmaster’s Realm to receive its millionth page view, I stumbled on a movie that I had heard about for quite some time and the influence it had on both cinema and music. In fact, one band that I listen to, The Tiger Lillies, wrote an entire album based on the original stage production that predated this film. That movie is the 1978 entry, Lulu.

Plot/ This highly stylized melodrama of the rise of a femme fatale and her fate at the hands of Jack the Ripper.

While I had heard of this film (and stage production), I had never been lucky enough to see it. Last night I was finally able to watch this one, and I am more than happy that I did. Yes, this is definitely not my usual genre; I was blown away by the depths of the film and can see how it has influenced decades of writers and filmmakers. This highly stylized does a tremendous job blending different eras of film and stage, using a solid mixture of silent film cards, soundscapes, colorization, and even opera music to create an atmosphere that is dark, entertaining, and memorable. Plus, anything that had Jack the Ripper in it cannot be bad (right?). Sure, the movie is more art house cinema than mainstream and it does not fit into any specific genre, but that adds to the overall satisfaction found when watching it. In the end, this film is unquestionably worth watching if you are willing to step outside the box and embrace the experience. This one is definitely not for everyone, but it really hit home with me. I loved it.

Coma (1978)

After a night with the space family Robinson, I decided to venture back a few decades for my next selection. That movie was the 1978 sci-fi thriller Coma.

Plot/ When a young female doctor notices an unnatural amount of coma's occurring in her hospital she uncovers a horrible conspiracy.

This is one of those movies that stick with you long after you watch it. Filmed in the late 1970s, this one stands tall even after all of these years. The cinematography and direction are amazing creating a dark, heavy, and suspenseful atmosphere, the performances are solid, the scripting based on the source material works, and the storyline may be even more relevant today than it was in the decade that it was released in. Yes, there are some flaws that can be picked up under close inspection of the film and some of the early pacings seems a bit slow, but those are but minor flaws in this sci-fi classic. In the end, if you are in the mood for a solid sci-fi suspense thriller, give this one a shot. This is an outstanding selection for a rainy summers night. That is unless you are poised for a doctors visit in the near future.

Magic (1978)

After watching the cheesefest that was Contamination, I decided to venture into something different. Subsequently, I searched through Shudder until I found something down a stranger path, finally settling on the underrated 1978 flick Magic.

Plot/ A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.

This was an amazing film, and one that often flies under the RADAR for fans of horror flicks or thrillers. Directed by Sir Richard Attenbourough, this movie oozes atmosphere and is one of the creepier films from that era. Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins is amazing, creating a movie that is in many ways a precursor to his performance in Silence of the Lambs. The cast is strong, the cinematography is solid, the storyline works, and there is great tension sprinkled into the entire film. Yes, some of the pacing may seem slow and there are some head scratching moments, but those do not hold the movie back in any way. In the end, this is a creepy flick that for some reason often overlooked. With the movie now available on Shudder; give it a shot.

Jaws 2 (1978)

Sequels are always difficult to venture into. While some exist that at least match the quality of the source material, most fall flat. Of course, this is usually the case when Hollywood is more concerned about money than originality. In my next review, I cover a sequel that was clearly more about money than an original concept: Jaws 2.

Plot/ Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

In many ways, this movie was doomed from the start. Think about it, no matter how good it was, there would be no way for it to live up to the bar set by the classic Jaws. Now, that does not make it a bad movie, but it does hamper its ability to stand on its own and capture the audience in the same way that the original. While there are some positives with decent performances, the awesome soundtrack, and some outstanding technical aspects, the overall atmosphere did not match the tension of the first. Add on the lack of memorable characters, an uneven storyline, and a predictable premise, and it is easy to why this one did not live up to the expectations set by the timeless Jaws. In the end, this is a perfect example of a movie franchise that did not need to add any sequels to secure its legacy in cinematic lore. Is this a bad movie? No, it really isn’t, but there is no way that it could have ever matched the depth or powerful impression left by the original. If you are in the mood for a shark movie, give it a shot, if not, watch the original; it has more bite.

The Fury (1978)

Sometimes, I need to take a break and focus on homework and recovering from long days at the institute. The past couple days have been exactly what I needed, as I had excessively much going on. To get back in the swing of things, I decided to take a trip back in time for my next selection-the 1978 supernatural entry The Fury.

Plot/ A government agent is determined to come to his son's rescue when a sinister official kidnaps him to harbor his extremely powerful psychic abilities.

Sometimes it is fun to revisit the 1970s and the movies that helped shape the modern horror cinema. That was the case with this telekinesis/psychic thriller directed by Brian De Palma. This one definitely came with more blood, guts, and gore than Carrie, but it did not leave the same impact. This intriguing combination of horror, thriller, and even governmental espionage did have some outstanding effects, a solid cast with some decent performances, and some interesting ideas. Yes, there were some pacing issues, it feels a touch long, and some of the plot/characters tend to add confusion, but those do nothing to totally derail this underrated De Palma entry. In the end, it may not be the best flick from De Palma and at times, it feels dated, but it is still an interesting movie to watch and a film that should be seen. If you have not watched it, give it a shot, you could do much worse.

Blue Sunshine (1978)

Last night I was searching for something older to watch. Over the past few days (really weeks), I have been caught up in an extreme retro mood. After some searching, I stumbled upon something interesting; the 1978 cult classic Blue Sunshine.

Plot/ A bizarre series of murders begins in Los Angeles, where people start going bald and then become homicidal maniacs. But could the blame rest on a particularly dangerous form of LSD called Blue Sunshine the murderers took ten years before?

Every once in a while you stumble upon something that shocks you with its depth and quality, even from a humble low budget beginning. That is exactly what you have here with this 1970s drug induced shocker. More of a thriller/psychological horror than straight up 70s exploitation, this one featured some solid performances, a building tension, and an amazingly layered and original storyline. In fact, the only downfall is there are a few predictable moments mixed in and the ending leaves a bit to be desired. In the end, this 1970s cult classic has aged rather well and is an entertaining trip into that era. If you have not seen it, give it a shot it is a fun shocker.

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

It is funny, Hollywood continually remake movies that often do not need that type of treatment. One such movie is I Spit on Your Grave. While I have not watched the remake, it is clearly a film that did not need to be remade. Straightforward and powerful, that movie made an impact in one viewing during the 1980s when it finally came off the banned movie list. Last night, I decided to watch it again.

Plot/ An aspiring writer is repeatedly gang-raped, humiliated, and left for dead by four men whom she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.

I remember seeing this one for the first time in the 1980s and I was shocked at the pure violent acts that took place. When I watched this one again last night for the first time since, the same appalling feelings filled my mind. This is not a typical exploitation flick from the 1970s; it is purely the terror of rape and the type of revenge that could develop. This is straightforward and lacks the cinematic efforts that often try to sugarcoat the degrading act. While the acting is uneven, the characters rather flat an unlikeable, the movie works by instilling a sense of realness in creating the true horror of an unthinkable act. In the end, I Spit on Your Grave (AKA Day of the Woman) is not for everyone. But it is a movie that is much better than may realize and one that will leave a lasting impression if you can make it through it.

The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)

After watching the Crimson Rivers last night, I decided to venture back into the world of vintage 1970s giallo. Of course, I had to wait until the Pirates defeated the Giants today so I could Raise the Jolly Roger here at the house, before I could get started. Fortunately, for me, I have a ventriloquist dummy here in the living room that holds the flag perfectly. Now let’s move on to the movie, the 1978 giallo The Bloodstained Shadow.

Plot/ The body of a schoolgirl is found in a meadow. The murderer is never caught, and years later; a young man named Stefano returns to the island and is reunited with his brother, the local priest.

While this was not the best giallo I have watched, it definitely had all of the elements except the dark leathers gloves. Sure, the story drifts a bit and some of the pacing draws it to almost a complete crawl, but those are the only major flaws (unless you count a lack of chemistry between some of the actors). This one has a great combination of cinematography, setting and score with some decent kills thrown if for good measure, not to mention some solid acting (even with the dubbing issues). In the end, it may not be a great giallo, but it was an entertaining flick that should be seen by fans of the genre.

The Curse of Bigfoot (1978)

Now that my weekend at the New Jersey Zombie Walk and Undead Festival are done and I started reading the awesome book Silent Invasion by Stan Gordon that my mom picked up for me about the 1970s UFO/Bigfoot Flap in South Western Pennsylvania, I decided to do some Bigfoot watching of my own. Of course, here in New Jersey, it is mostly Jersey Devil hunting (although, that owl last night was pretty creepy here at the office). My selection is the 1978 (or 1858, I am so confused) campy entry The Curse of Bigfoot  from the Pure Terror Collection.  

Plot/ A group of high school students on an archaeological dig discover a century’s old mummified body in a sealed cave. Removing the mummy, it soon comes back to life, revealing itself to be an inhuman beast that terrorizes a small California town.

Incredibly, this made for television Bigfoot flick from the 1970s took almost 20 years to make. Really, this campy and entertaining stinkfest started out originally as the flick, Teenagers Battle the Thing in 1959 before morphing into this mess. Honestly, they should have left the footage alone instead of using it as a crazy flashback. Perfect for the vintage afternoon creature feature scene, this film is just BAD.  The acting is poor, the soundtrack does not match the scenes and the costuming creates probably the worst Bigfoot I have ever seen. Couple that with an unbelievable premise and some poor dialogue and you have the idea; bad, bad, bad. But, to be honest, all of that actually makes an entertaining flick (albeit for all the wrong reasons). If you are a fan of drive-in classics, creature features, camp or horror host specials this movie is definitely for you! All others stay far away!

Trauma (AKA Enigma rosso / Virgin Terror - 1978)

Continuing with my Drive-In Classics: 50 Movie Pack, I decided to move into giallo mode. My first giallo for the afternoon yesterday was Trauma (AKA Virgin Terror) and originally known as Enigma rosso from 1978.

Plot/ A detective investigating the murder of a teenage girl begins to focus his suspicions on the three girlfriends of the victim, who call themselves "The Inseparables."

This was an interesting little giallo. Yes, there was a definite lack of overall gore and the transfer was choppy, but there truly was a lot to like. The atmosphere was very creepy and heavy, the suspect list was long, varied and really held up throughout the film (not to mention kept you guessing), the soundtrack fit and the acting was solid (not to mention some nice nude scenes). As with some giallo’s, the pacing seemed a bit off at times and the story did move is some strange ways, but in the end it led to a great twist that made the ending work. Sure, this is not the perfect flick, but it was definitely worth watching.

Nightmare in Blood (1978)

After watching some Walking Dead, I decided to go back into the 1970s. With a plethora of available titles at hand, I figured I would head toward some vampires (it had been a while). My choice for the evening was 1978s Nightmare in Blood.

Plot/ Attendees at a horror-film convention in San Francisco keep disappearing. It turns out that the guest of honor is a real vampire, and his henchmen are kidnapping the convention guests. A horror writer, a Sherlock Holmes fan and an Israeli Nazi-hunter set out to stop him.

As a horror fan, I felt this movie was made for me. Unfortunately, while this film has a little of everything for fans of horror films, comics, and horror conventions, it turns out to be a bad movie written and directed by horror movie host John Stanley. The acting is decent and the plot is all over the place, plus it has that 1970's feel and it is sort of entertaining. If you like low budget “B” movies, this is a flick that would make you at least chuckle.