The Thing (1982)

After treating myself to a musical with Sweeney Todd, I decided that I needed something with a little more realism and some horrific splatter scenes and gore. I finally settled on the 1982 John Carpenter classic, The Thing.

Plot/ A research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches with 100% accuracy. The members must now find out who is human and who is not before it is too late.

I remember when this one came out because it was a fascinating watch. Having just seen ET and feeling bored, this one was what I expected in an alien flick. Looking back at it now, I appreciate it even more because of the effects. The practical effects in this movie are some of the best and definitely run laps around the majority of CGI crap that hits the screen today. Even better, everything holds up well even after all these years. The atmosphere is dark, heavy, and toxic, the cast and performances are solid, and the amount of paranoia created within the scripting was amazing. And, did I mention the gore and effects? Honestly, not only are they realistic, but also they fit perfectly with the tension built throughout the film. In the end, this may be one of the best films by John Carpenter and it should be revered in the same manner as Halloween, Prince of Darkness (Okay, one of my favorites) or The Fog. If you have not watched this one yet, you are missing one of the best horror films of the 1980s. Find it and check it out.

Manhattan Baby (1982)

After spending last night with Lucio Fulci, I decided to go back into his mind for an encore. After some debate, I decided on the 1982 entry Manhattan Baby.

Plot/ An archaeologist opens an Egyptian tomb and accidentally releases an evil spirit. His young daughter becomes possessed by the freed entity and upon arrival back in New York the gory murders begin.

While this isn’t a great movie or even anything close to Lucio Fulci's best work, there is something in this one that always makes me want to see more. Not a typical Fulci gorefest, this one is definitely closer to an atmospheric thriller than true horror film. As usual, it does suffer from some of the typical issues that seem to permeate most films by Fulci with slower pacing, underdeveloped characterizations, and uneven performances. Plus, the movie does feel a bit dated, but that too should be expected with it being filmed in the early 1980s. Fortunately, if you are a fan of his work, you should already be expecting this. This one does offer an interesting (sure, unbelievable) storyline, a tremendously dark and heavy atmosphere, and a perfectly matched gothic soundtrack that helps build the tension. In the end, this one may not be his best work, but it is still an entertaining (and polarizing) journey into the world of Fulci. If you have not seen it, you should give it a shot.

Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

Fishing sucked tonight (for the third time in a row). Honestly, all that was caught was one small Bluegill. Oh well, you cannot win them all, right. However, when I was at the lake, I gave some thought about what I wanted to watch tonight. Originally, I was leaning toward something about Jack the Ripper, or maybe even Satan, but I could not place a title readily in my head. Instead, I decided to stick with the 1980s after finding some satisfaction with my last selection, Humanoids from the Deep. This time, I decided to hit the slasher genre with the 1982 classic, Slumber Party Massacre.

Plot/ An eighteen-year-old high school girl is left at home by her parents and she decides to have a slumber party. Little do they know that a murderer with a propensity for power tools has escaped and is at large, and eventually makes his way to the party.

This is a true slasher classic. Released in 1982, it was one of the handfuls of films that started the slasher franchise idea. Like the others, this one features everything that made the 1980s slasher flicks king. There is the body count, the blood splatter, a few tense moments and of course the gratuitous nudity (even though it was written and directed by women- Amy Holden Jones and Rita Mae Brown). Honestly, one can watch the first five minutes and realize the era that this one was made it, and just how far moviemakers have fallen down the conservative spiral. There are some down areas where the low budget shows through and it does lack the over-the-top gore (there is at least some) that was commonplace in that time, but it is what it is, a all-out horror flick that never tries to hide that idea. In the end, this is one of the better slasher flicks out there and an entertaining piece of nostalgic horror. If you love horror, or slashers check this one out, it is definitely worth while.

Blood Tide (1982)

As the hurricane came and went, it was finally time to put the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone set to bed. The last flick in the set is the 1982 snoozer Blood Tide.

Plot/ An adventurer hunting for treasure in Greece accidentally frees a monster that forces local villagers to sacrifice virgins.

Let me start by saying, if this was the first flick from this set I watched, I may have stopped right there. It is just that bad! The premise and storyline are interesting and some of the acting is alright, but in the end, it was just a BAD movie. Even worse, it was so boring that I could barely pay attention to it. The special effects are nothing spectacular, there is little to no killings or gore, and it just seems to plod along. Hell, I nearly missed the scene with the monster because I just could not get into it because of boredom. With that all said, I could not recommend anyone searching this out to watch it. If it is part of a set like this, then watch only to complete the set, but only if your options are limited.

Basket Case (1982)

Alright, I actually could not find anything last night that would have helped me quench my craving for pre-rapture viewing. So, I went in a totally different direction, I decided on the 1982 low-budget classic Basket Case  for my evening entertainment.

Plot/ A young man carrying a big basket that contains his deformed Siamese-twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.

This may not be a perfect flick, but that is not to say that it be any means a bad flick. Yes, there is some poor acting and everything may not be technically sound, but honestly, this is a work of genius. The characterization is amazing, the script intelligent and there are a lot of creepy and horror-filled scenes throughout. In fact, the atmosphere does a great job at transporting the viewer through the entire spectrum of emotion, until you are almost rooting for the cute little bugger in the basket. Yes, some of the effects are dated and poor, but hell, on that budget what more could you expect. In the end, this is a great exploitation type film, full of enough gore, grunge and commentary to satisfy any type of craving. Watch this one, it is worth it.

The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)

As I wait for the day to pass so I can head to an auction in an attempt to buy some shrunken heads, I needed so help passing time on this dreary day. Fortunately for me, I have some flicks that will do just that. My selection for the afternoon was The House Where Evil Dwells.

Plot/ A young American family moves to a House in Kyoto, Japan. It turns out to be haunted by the ghosts of a woman and her lover, who were killed by the woman's husband, as well as the ghost of the husband, who killed himself afterward.

For the most part, this ghost story is very typical and full of the random cliché’s that are often plentiful. Thus, this film is very average, with no part crying out to be memorable. However, it was not a terrible low budget effort and there are quite a few ghost stories that are much worse. The script is bland, but OK and the characterization is very dull. Not to mention that the effects tend to be laughable, with blue ghost and giant crabs that speak in Japanese (they actually look like the tarantulas I put up at Halloween). At least the ending was a bit interesting (although quite expected). While not perfect, this movie is not very good either. In the end, it does help pass time on a rainy day, but not much else.

Unsane (AKA Tenebre - 1982)

I definitely should have paid better attention to the article AKA in Horrorhound Magazine a couple of issues ago. As I am discovering while watching my Drive-In Classics: 50 Movie Pack over the past few days since my surgery, there are so many important and influential movies that have fallen into the AKA category, a great surprise can be found at any moment (especially with giallo’s). One such revelation from yesterday was Unsane (AKA Dario Argento’s  Tenebre) from 1982.

Plot/ An American writer in Rome is stalked by a serial killer bent on harassing him while killing all people associated with his work on his latest book.

I do not know what more I can say about Tenebre. Not only is it one of Argento’s best, it may be one of the best examples of Giallo in cinema. The story is twisting and strong, the acting solid, the plot and pacing work well together, the soundtrack fits perfect and there is enough blood, gore and shocking violence to keep everyone happy (except maybe Tipper Gore). In the end, Argento’s artistic flair with the use of colors to create atmosphere is amazing, and he was truly on top of his game creating a thriller full of stylish murder and haunting elements. This is one of the best and definitely highly recommended to fans of blood, Giallo’s and Argento.

Pieces (1982)

Time to continue venturing into the Cult Horror Collection. Tonight’s entry was the chainsaw massacre flick,Pieces.

Plot / While playing with a puzzle, a teenager is tormented by his mother and cracks, killing her by severing body with an ax. Forty years later, in a university campus in Boston, a serial killer kills young women and severs their bodies in parts, stealing body pieces from each student. Lt. Bracken makes a deal with the dean of the campus, and infiltrates the agent Mary Riggs as if she was a tennis teacher and together with the student Kendall, they try to find the identity of the killer.

This is one of the funniest slasher flicks I have ever seen. Yes, the dialogue is terrible, the acting is only a step up and the effects and direction are about as bad, but there is a lot of blood and enough eye candy to keep things entertaining. Do not get me wrong, the story is flawed and the movie is bad, very bad. However, there are some interesting kills and the ending is a treat. In all, a must-see for anyone that loves seedy Euro-horror in all its untainted, trashy form.