2001 Maniacs (2005)

October 15, 2018

Directed by: Tim Sullivan

Written by: Chris Kobin, Tim Sullivan

Starring: Robert Englund, Lin Shaye, Guiseppe Andrews

Budget: $3,000,000

Quote: "The way I see it... if we drive through the night we'll be quaffing beers by noon and boffing chicks by 5:00."

Trivia: In Producer Eli Roth's cameo, he plays the same character he played in his own feature directorial debut, Cabin Fever (2002)




I am a huge fan of Hershell Gordon Lewis' Two Thousand Maniacs (review here) and I love Robert Englund (actually I'm a fan of everything Lewis and Englund do), so I figured it was time to give the remake a shot. The movie stays true to the spirit and the story of the original with enough changes and additions to make it an really fun and original remake. Produced by horror fanboy Eli Roth (and I mean that with all due respect) this movie continues what Hershell Gordon Lewis began forty years earlier. Robert Englund now plays the mayor that Jeffrey Allen played in the original. If you thought Allen's character was too much, wait until you see Freddy Kreuger as the town's mayor. They also continue the use of live music throughout, even playing the The South Will Rise Again song from the original (A Hershell Gordon Lewis original). Finally, there is an even more deliberate attempt to make southerners look like a bunch of cousin humping hillbillies continuing the rednexploitation genre that Lewis created. Oh, and there's nudity in this one too!

The Blob (1988)

October 11, 2018

Directed by: Chuck Russell

Written by: Irvine Millgate, Chuck Russell, Frank Darabont

Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch Jr.

Budget: $19,000,000

Quote: "Consuming sinner and saint alike... who shall be lifted up to rapture when the judgment trumpet blows? None but the faithful brothers and sisters... None but the faithful."

Trivia: Of the film's US$19 million budget, US$9 million went toward visual effects.





The Blob is a remake of a 1958 Steve McQueen creature film, but with the fear and cynicism that is characteristic of the 1980s. Both the original and the remake deserve a place in horror history. The original movie, since its release, has gained a type of cult following due to its originality and it being one of the better creature features of the 1950s. I remember watching it with my dad when I was a kid and absolutely loving the ending when they drop the blob off in Antarctica and the ending screen shows "The End?" I had never seen an ambiguous ending like that before. The 1988 remake is also incredible in its own way. The special effects are top notch. Almost half of the movie's entire budget went toward visual effects. That is $9 million dedicated to visual effects, and it shows. The visual effects are absolutely stunning! Also, the movie benefits from a few plot twists that separates it from its predecessor.

My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

August 1, 2018

Directed by: Patrick Lussier

Written by: Todd Farmer, Zane Smith

Starring:  Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith

Budget: $15,000,000

Tagline: Are you ready for your heart to be broken? He's going to do it.

Trivia: The first two characters killed on screen are named Jason and Michael, a homage to characters from the Friday the 13th (1980) and Halloween (1978) series where the killers are non-speaking. A direct reference to the films is how they die - trademark features of the characters.

The night before I watched the originally, and I thought I'd watch the remake to see the comparisons. Full Disclosure: The movie is made to be watched in 3D and I don't have the glasses so I did not get the full experience and some film moments are cheesy because they were create for 3D. That being said, I liked the remake! Being a remake, it outdoes the original in gore and nudity and has  And of course a different twist ending. The storyline is similar to the original with Tom returning to his mining town and there being sexual tension between him, his ex-girlfriend Sarah, and her new boyfriend Axel. And of course, a killer wearing a mining uniform and mask is killing people in a mining town around Valentine's Day. However, there are a lot of changes to the story to make it interesting and not just the same movie but with modern special effects.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

June 19, 2018

What if everyone you knew and everyone you loved suddenly changed? You cannot place your finger on it, but they are different. They look the same but they are not the same. This is what happens when alien spores (?) land on Earth and begin to take over the bodies of Earth's inhabitants. This film really is a sci-fi horror masterpiece. It includes great performances from Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonardy Nimoy, and Jeff Goldblum (playing the neurotic character he has perfected over time). Also, if you look carefully, towards the beginning of the film there is a cameo of Robert Duvall as a priest on a swing. There is something off-putting about a priest swinging on a swing. Also, Kevin McCarthy (Network and The Twilight Zone Movie) has a cameo as a frightened running man who is killed and ignored by the police.