“Back, Spawn of Satan!” Ready to have fun? You’d better be, because that is what Fright Night (1985) is all about. A classic horror date movie, Fright Night tells the tale of Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), an unassuming teenager who suspects his new neighbor is a vampire. Of course, nobody believes Charley’s story, even when […]
“How do you spell that word, psychotic?” Directed by Peter Collinson, Fright 1971 is a gripping psychological thriller that surely influenced several horror movies to come, including Black Christmas (1974) and When a Stranger Calls (1979). While babysitting for her neighbor in a cavernous old house, Amanda (Susan George) is terrorized by the neighbor’s ex-husband […]
“These kids smoke better dope than I do.” The sequel almost never lives up to the original. Except in the case of Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), which might just be the best installment of the infamous slasher horror series. Yes, it clearly rivals Friday the 13th (1980) in terms of scares, fun, and […]
“The story and characters depicted in this movie are entirely fictitious. But please don’t tell anyone.” A cable access television crew of three takes to the wilderness in search of the Jersey Devil. When only one of the crew members returns, it is assumed he murdered the other two. But after the footage from the […]
“It all started during a campfire at North Sea Cottages, a special retreat for gifted children.” – Madman You must not say his name above a whisper. Madman (1982) is one of two slasher movies based on the upstate New York Cropsey Killer urban legend, the other being The Burning (1981). When it was learned […]
“There’s a stink of hell on this train. Even the dog knows it!” There are defining moments in every horror connoisseur’s life, movies which strike a chord or deliver a particularly memorable scare. Horror Express (1972) haunted me as a child, and I find as an adult that this cult favorite still brings the chills. […]
“It’s Dark Now. I Can’t See.” Fourteen years after director Fred Walton’s When A Stranger Calls (1979) scared audiences into hysterics, a little-known sequel hit the airwaves as a made-for-TV movie. When A Stranger Calls Back (1993) is the follow up to the famous original from the golden era of American horror. The sequel brought […]
“Go ahead. The dark ride’s waiting.” The post-Scream (1996) era was typified by watered-down, self-aware horror and torture movies. Then director Craig Singer brought Dark Ride 2006 to the screen, and horror was transported back to 1980 for 94 gory minutes. It is impossible not to draw comparisons between Dark Ride and Tobe Hooper’s Funhouse (1981). […]
My initial reaction to Adam Green’s slasher homage, Hatchet (2006), was confusion. The highly anticipated horror release was promoted as a return to 1980s horror, and I was not the only fan breathlessly waiting to see what Green would deliver. Hatchet is hardly straight horror. The comedy angle is hit very hard throughout, but don’t […]
By 1999, self-awareness films inundated the slasher sub-genre, beginning with the clever SCREAM (Wes Craven, 1996), and continuing with several less inspirational knock offs post-1996. While such self-awareness provided a moment of fun for long time slasher movie fans, few movies have shown a willingness to return to the roots and spirit of the sub-genre. […]