2006 prequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, opening in 1939 with the birth of little Tommy (AKA Leatherface), appropriately enough in a meat-packing plant. He’s promptly thrown in a dumpster and found by Luda Mae Hewitt (Marietta Marich); he’s then raised by Luda Mae and her husband Charlie (R. Lee Ermey). Thirty years later, brothersContinue reading “‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning’ is Not the Worst Prequel Ever”
Author Archives: GhoulieJoe
‘Terror in the Aisles’: A Must-See for Horror Fans
Mid-80s documentary about horror, taking place at a theatre. Hosted by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen, it takes a serious look at the genre—with clips. Movies examined include When a Stranger Calls, Halloween, The Birds, Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, Carrie, Jaws, Poltergeist, Scanners, Psycho, Alien, and The Omen. Among ideas explored areContinue reading “‘Terror in the Aisles’: A Must-See for Horror Fans”
‘The Tenant’: Sinister and Unpredictable
Trelkovsky (Roman Polanski, who also directed and co-adapted the screenplay) has just moved into a Paris apartment where the previous tenant, Simone (Dominique Poulange), threw herself out of the window. He sees a possible motive to her jump, as his neighbors are frighteningly erratic; they’re constantly accusing him of being noisy, which he isn’t, andContinue reading “‘The Tenant’: Sinister and Unpredictable”
1995’s ‘Tales from the Hood’: Still Shocking, Creepy, and Anti-Racist
Horror anthology which is, as the title suggests, often set in the ‘hood. There are four segments with a wraparound story: three gangsters in a funeral home (Joe Torry, De’aundre Bonds, and Samuel Monroe Jr.) are being told about the corpses by the proprietor (Clarence Williams III). “Rogue Cop Revelation” concerns Clarence (Anthony Griffith), aContinue reading “1995’s ‘Tales from the Hood’: Still Shocking, Creepy, and Anti-Racist”
‘Tales from the Darkside: The Movie’: Darkly Funny and Surprisingly Gory
Rated R version of the ’80s TV show, divided into three segments. The wraparound story involves little Timmy (Matthew Lawrence), who’s trying to avoid being cooked for a dinner party by Betty (Debbie Harry) and is distracting her with tales. “Lot 249,” adapted from an Arthur Conan Doyle story, involves poor college student Bellingham (SteveContinue reading “‘Tales from the Darkside: The Movie’: Darkly Funny and Surprisingly Gory”
Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’: Still Scary After All These Years
Directed and co-written by Dario Argento, the king of Italian horror. Suzy (Jessica Harper) is an American boarding at a German dance school. On her arrival there, she runs into Pat (Eva Axén), a girl fleeing the building after being expelled; she disappears without even packing her things. After a series of crazy mishaps (likeContinue reading “Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’: Still Scary After All These Years”
‘Summer of Fear’: Do it for Linda Blair and Wes Craven!
Rachel (Linda Blair) is a teenage girl with a nice life: well-to-do, with a loving family and boyfriend (Jeff McCracken), and a cool best friend (Fran Drescher). Then her aunt and uncle die in a car accident, and her cousin Julia (Lee Purcell), whom no one has seen in ten years, comes to live withContinue reading “‘Summer of Fear’: Do it for Linda Blair and Wes Craven!”
1974’s ‘Sugar Hill’: Blaxploitation by Way of American International Pictures
Not to be confused with the Wesley Snipes movie of the same name. Sugar (Marki Bey) is a fine sister madly in love with her man Langston (Larry Don Johnson), owner of a popular nightclub. Morgan—The Man—(Robert Quarry) wants to buy it, and when Langston refuses, Morgan orders his gang of thugs to beat LangstonContinue reading “1974’s ‘Sugar Hill’: Blaxploitation by Way of American International Pictures”
‘Stupid Teenagers Must Die!’: Unfunny “Spoofs” of Slasher Movies Must Die!
It’s the 1980s, and a group of naughty teenagers are going to have a séance in ol’ Murder McGee’s house. There’s Final Girl Julie (Ashley Schneider), her boyfriend Kane the Token Black Guy (Jovan Meredith), gay couple Jamie (Christina DeRosa) and Sissy (Jamie Carson), Tough Guy Alfie (Devin Marble), Popular Girl Tiffany (Lindsay Gareth), NerdyContinue reading “‘Stupid Teenagers Must Die!’: Unfunny “Spoofs” of Slasher Movies Must Die!”
2004’s The Stepford Wives: Riddled with Plot Holes, but Still Pretty Socially Relevant
Harried television executive Joanna (Nicole Kidman) moves to a Connecticut suburb with her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) and their two children. Once there, she finds the women a little…strange. They’re happy, they love to cook and clean, and they’re just a little personality-deficient. When her new friends Roger (Roger Bart) and Bobbie (Bette Midler) surrenderContinue reading “2004’s The Stepford Wives: Riddled with Plot Holes, but Still Pretty Socially Relevant”
