Friday the 13th AND a Full Moon!

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This coming Friday is the only Friday the 13th that the year 2014 will see. We had two in 2013 and will have three in 2015. So, what is the big deal about this one? It also happens to land on a full moon. Blammo! Two superstitions on one day. If you believe that one or both of these events is bad luck and that your day will be ruled by forces beyond the human realm, well, I guess you better not leave the house Friday.

The number 13 is feared in many cultures for varied reasons. In Christian culture, Judas was the undesirable and unwanted 13th guest at The Last Supper. Also in the Norse myth, a dinner of twelve gods was disrupted by Loki, the god of Mischief when he showed up uninvited. Hindus also believe that having 13 people together at any time is unlucky; even if it’s not a dinner party. And of course, we have all heard of the buildings that don’t have a 13th floor. Although, no matter what number you put on it, the 13th floor is the 13th floor. Some people refuse to have surgery on Friday the 13th and there are, indeed, surgeons who refuse to work on Friday the 13th. So, as if Friggatriskaidekaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th) wasn’t stressful enough, we will also be gifted with a full moon this Friday.

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The word lunatic comes from the Latin word luna, meaning moon. In addition to this fun fact is the belief held by many that the lunar cycle directly effects human and animal behavior. Is it possible that the lunar cycle can cause lunacy? Perhaps the lunar cycle affects a woman’s menstrual cycle, thus, affecting fertility and birth rates on full moons.

Back to the surgeons, it is reported that some refuse to operate on a full moon due to excessive blood loss by the body on a full moon. Some even go so far as to claim that the body does not clot blood as well on a full moon. So, pair that with excessive blood loss and we have a real problem.

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There are also those that believe that people with violent tendencies are even more dangerous on a full moon; allegedly, crime goes up on a full moon. Various sleep studies have been done to determine the possible affect of the lunar cycle on our sleep cycle. It is possible that your sleep cycle can be influenced by the moon even if you haven’t left the house for months and have not seen the moon or know of it’s current position.

This is a lot of potential negative influences for one day. I am one of the loony ones who absolutely believes that the moon influences many things and while the number 13 is my lucky number, I must observe the superstitions of others and wonder if there is something to it. Whether you believe in one or the other, or neither, the air is full of possibilities this coming Friday. Be careful; something wicked this way comes.

 

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Slim Pickings; Best Horror From 1984 & 1985?

Welcome back kids; this is the third installment in a trip down memory lane. I am about to share with you, my personal favorite films from the years 1984 and 1985. As with previous insatllments, these are simply my personal faves; please share with me what movies you think I need to revisit and give another shot.

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Gremlins (1984)

Much like Disney, Steven Spielberg enjoys luring children into his stories and then frightening them and/or making them cry.  Executive Producer, Steven Spielberg had cast Corey Feldman in E.T., only to have his character be written out; Mr. Spielberg promised Corey a role in his next film, thus, Corey Feldman makes his first appearance on this very short list from 1984. Feldman played Pete, the wise ass kid to Billy’s sweet and doe eyed Zack Galligan.

Who didn’t want their wacky dad to bring them home a Mogwai? Too bad they produce little bastards if you feed them after midnight and get them wet. So few rules, yet you managed to f*ck it up, Billy.  Directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins starts out so wonderfully cute and then turns so scary. I was truly terrified of Stripe when I saw this movie in the theatre. If you haven’t seen it lately, I highly recommend revisiting it; I think you will be surprised by how scary and gory it is. Blenders were being used as weapons long before You’re Next.

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A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Written and directed by Wes Craven, this movie truly was the stuff of nightmares in the 80’s. I can still remember the girls at school jump roping to that awful nursery rhyme. Who did they think they were, pretending this movie didn’t scare them?

Some of the visuals are a wee bit cheesy after all of these years, but the film holds up. It is such a great story and concept and it is executed wonderfully.  As someone who suffers from the occasional night terror, this movie is still scary to me 30 years later. And who can forget Johnny Depp’s epic death scene? That still looks amazing!

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Friday The 13th:The Final Chapter

Well, we all know that we will, probably, never see the final chapter of this franchise, but this was a solid effort. Let’s be real and all admit that the best part of this movie is when Crispin Glover starts dancing;best minute of 1984, hands down. Coming up a close second, is Corey Feldman and his crazy shaved head. Feldman was only eleven years old when he did this movie and Crispin was his favorite cast member. (Yes, I am currently reading Coreyography and, no, I am not ashamed.)

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Outside of some epic nerd dancing, there is a pretty awesome scene where Jason throws a girl out of a window in slow motion. She falls so gracefully and then all of the windows explode out of the car that she falls on. It’s kind of epic. The kills are great and watching Tommy (Feldman) go cave man on Jason with a machete is a wicked good time.

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The Bride (1985)

Sting as Dr. Frankenstein and Jennifer Beals as his bride; one of his own creation. This movie is really more of a horror/sci-fi/fantasy/romance and that is precisely why I loved it as a young girl. It doesn’t quite hold up as well as one would hope, but nostalgia got me through it. It is almost two different stories of two outsiders learning to find their place in the world. I don’t know what it is about Frankenstein’s monster that breaks my heart, but the big guy really pulls on my heart strings;I felt much sadness for him in this story. And what can you say about Sting? He really is a handsome man with a fine mane of hair.

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Day of the Dead (1985)

Written and directed by George A. Romero, this is the third installment in his Dead Series and it just keeps bringing the pain and the awesomeness that is Tom Savini special f/x.You know, the usual stuff, people bunkering down and hiding from zombies. In truth, the scene where a man is, very literally, torn to pieces by a hungry horde of zombies is what makes the movie for me.

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Fright Night (1985)

The story of a young man, Charlie Brewster, who’s nosiness gets him into trouble with the wrong sort; a vampire. I am not sure if it is possible to have seen this movie in 1985 and not have fallen head over heels in love with Chris Sarandon. Only Sarandon could make a vampire named, Jerry, so sexy and so dangerous. This is a fun horror romp with a bonus; Roddy McDowel as Peter Vincent, local horror television host. He doesn’t believe in vampires, but agrees to help Charlie. Though there is a lot of 80’s cheesiness shining through, this is still a really great movie.

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Re-Animator (1985)

Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story, this is a classic piece of horror cinema. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is a medical student experimenting with reanimating the dead this campy, gory good time. For the love of Hello Kitty, there is a decapitated head that talks and may very well orally rape you. Ladies, keep your legs crossed. Truly, this is a rare piece of horror, black comedy and gore. It is a must see.

 

 

 

 

Misha Segal; Hollywood Composer

What comes to mind when I bring up The Human Centipede film series?

This, perhaps?

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Maybe you are a twisted individual like myself (pleased to meet you) and you not only watched The Human Centipede (First Sequence), but you watched it more than once. And you liked it. Truly, few movie quotes are as absurdly hilarious as “feed her!”. Oh, that Dr. Hieter is certainly a different breed, isn’t he? Naturally, after finding the grotesque imagination of Tom Six to be strangely wonderful, you were excited to see The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)  where you were treated to this :

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Yup, I found the second film did exactly what it had promised; upped the ante in every single way. If it is gross, controversial or just in really poor taste, it was in this movie. Baby killed by a brake pedal, anyone? Or maybe it was the stapling of one person’s mouth to another’s anus. Whatever really gets your goat, you found it here.

One can only begin to imagine what writer and director Tom Six has in store for us with The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence). One thing we do know, there will be a 500 person human centipede. The mind reels.

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So, behind all of these gruesome deaths and truly disgusting images, there is something that helps set the tone for all of this; the movie’s score. A movie score is such an integral, and yet, often overlooked piece of your movie experience. Full disclosure; I was a proud band geek for eight years. So, at times, I believe this is why I might be paying a bit more attention to the music in a movie than the next person. However, every single person watching a movie is affected by the film score, whether they are actively paying attention to it or not. This is where Misha Segal comes in.

Born in 1953 in Haifa, Israel,  Misha Segal was weaned on jazz and began to pursue music after his military service.  He studied with composers Paul Ben-Haim, Noam Sheriff and apprenticed under Dieter Schohnbach. After studying composition and conducting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Segal graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.

Fellow horror fans, you may be familiar with Segal’s work in the 1989 version of The Phantom of the Opera. Composer of music to a wide variety of film and television genres, he has an Emmy Award and a Brit Award under his belt.

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I don’t know about you, but the idea of watching a Tom Six film about a human centipede and writing the appropriate music for it, is a simply fascinating idea. Surely, it is one thing to write a love them and a completely different thing to write a theme for unthinkable horror. I am a wee bit giddy at the prospect of hearing what Mr. Segal has brought to the table with The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence).

Special thanks to Donna Hauber for the heads up on this delightful piece of movie and music information.  You can follow her on Twitter @DonnaHauber

The best 1982 & 1983 had to offer in horror?

Hey kids, this time we are going to travel back to 1982 and 1983 and look at what may be the best horror movies to come out of those two years. Again, these are not, definitively, the best movies of 82 & 83; they’re just my personal favorites.  I present to you in, no particular order, a look back at some truly awesome horror gems.

Basket Case 1982

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What can you say about Basket Case? I still vividly remember how grossed out I was the first time I laid my eyes on this little beauty.  The story of Siamese twins who were surgically separated against their will, spawned two sequels and numerous mental images that cannot be erased. If you have not yet had the pleasure of seeing this film, I highly suggest rectifying that.

 

Creepshow 1982

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Directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, this is a delightful horror anthology that isn’t great, so much as it’s great fun.  Master of makeup, Tom Savini, put his magical touch on this movie as well. I always found “Something To Tide You Over” to be a uniquely creepy story.

Halloween 3:Season of the Witch 1982

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Do we all remember the first time we saw this entry into the Halloween franchise? I know  I do; I was livid. Where is Michael Myers?! What kind of practical joke nonsense is this? And the Silver Shamrock song; good luck ever getting that one out of your head. With a little maturity, I was able to look at this film for what it is; a fantastic horror/sci-fi mashup with a legitimately creepy premise. If like me, you fell in love with this movie, well, I have a couple of treats in store for you this week; watch this space for more Season of the Witch love.

Poltergeist 1982

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Directed by Tobe Hooper and co-written by Steven Spielberg, this cautionary tale of what happens when you don’t respect the dead, earned three Academy Award nominations and is on numerous lists ranking scary movies. This movie still scares me. I may even be able to  pinpoint this movie as the source of my  coulrophobia (fear of clowns). If you haven’t seen this in a while, I think you may be surprised how well it holds up.

The Thing 1982

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This is the first in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy, followed by Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. The really interesting thing about this being the first in his trilogy, is that The Thing is a remake. That’s right remake naysayers, this is a remake. A fine example that horror remakes can, in fact, be good and, even dare I say, great.

The Slumber Party Massacre 1982

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Here, we have the classic 80’s horror film; lots of naked boobie shots, a slumber party, a gaggle of silly girls and a killer who uses a power drill on his lovely victims; nothing Freudian going on here. Everyone loves an exploitation flick, yes? For me, the most interesting thing about this movie is that it was written by a feminist activist. Rita Mae Brown had written this as a parody, but it was not filmed that way; somehow, this just lends more humor to it.

The Hunger 1983

 

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Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon and Bauhaus. What more could you possibly want from a vampire film? The Hunger has it all; a love triangle, beautiful people who don’t age, a song from the kings of goth at the beginning of the film and an overall dreamy quality. Love this movie.

Sleepaway Camp 1983

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Just in case there are a few sad souls who are not familiar with this story, I will refrain from speaking too freely about the awesomeness that is the shocking ending of all shocking endings. This is a great, classic slasher film set at a summer camp that has so very much more going on that just a slice ’em and dice ’em agenda. The subtext in this movie was way ahead of it’s time and still just as relevant today.

 

Something Wicked This Way Comes 1983

 

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Ray Bradbury wrote the screenplay based off of his novel of the same name. Not sure why we always watched this during the holidays at my house because this is a truly creepy film. So, of course, it is courtesy of Walt Disney studios. See, they have been trying to ruin our childhoods from the word “go”.  Carnivals are always creepy; especially when they pop up over night, are headed up by a very mysterious looking man and have an ultra scary mirror maze.

Are these the best horror movies of 1980 & 1981?

Were the 80’s the best decade for horror movies or am I just biased because that’s what I grew up on? Perhaps a little bit of both? Either way, I have taken a look back at the movies that this totally tubular decade brought us and picked out my personal favorites. These are listed in chronological order and I am not saying that these are the best movies of the 80’s; they’re simply my best movies of the 80’s.

In an effort to not bombard you with a long list, we will do this in two year blocks. Please, enjoy the best that 1980 and 1981 had to offer.

 

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1.Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Yes, I actually like this movie. I think we can all agree that the turtle scene is probably the most disturbing thing that has happened to any of us, but outside of that, this is a good movie. Of course a group of American’s thought that they could just go into the cannibals’ world and do whatever they wanted. From the impaled woman to the most awesome castration scene ever, this is an unflinching look at the ugliness of man.

 

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2.The Changeling (1980)
How can a proper ghost story with George C. Scott be anything but fantastic? (Mr. Scott will alway be my favorite Scrooge.) As with most ghost stories, there is a very sad tale at the heart of this film, but it is beautiful, nonetheless. It’s always what you don’t see that is the most terrifying.

 

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3.Friday the 13th (1980)
Do not, I repeat, do not go get a little somethin’ somethin’ with your girl when you should be watching the kids swimming. Just don’t do it.

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4.Maniac (1980)
Joe Spinelli turned in such a great performance as Frank Zito in this film. He is introduced to us as a crazed man scalping women and talking to mannequins, yet somehow, he convinces a beautiful photographer to go out with him. The kills in this movie are amazing and there are legitimate moments of suspense sprinkled throughout his fast moving downward spiral into insanity. Frank is so crazy that you almost feel bad for him when he meets his ultimate demise at the hands of his own craziness.

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5.The Shining (1980)
I realize that I am about to lose friends with the following statement. I don’t find this to be an amazing movie. It’s a good movie, but it isn’t great; especially when comparing it to the novel. Yes, yes, it isn’t fair to compare a movie to the book, but how can that, possibly, be avoided? This movie is amazingly beautiful. The twins, the woman in room 237, the blood cascading out of the elevator, even that damn carpet is all a visual feast for the eyes. Jack Nicholson did an undeniably bang up job of channeling Jack’s madness, but outside of that, this movie is a wee bit long and, quite frankly, I wish Wendy would just shut the f*ck up.

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6.The Watcher In The Woods (1980)
I still vividly remember the first time I saw this movie. They were showing it in the library on the last day of school. About half way in, the teachers realized that this movie was terrifying everyone, so they turned it off. Well, I was having none of that! My mom called every video rental store in town until we found this movie. You know what? It scared the bejeezus out of me. This is a Disney film (no joke) with Bette Davis, a solar eclipse, occult and paranormal themes and it is proper creepy.

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7.An American Werewolf In London (1981)
This film holds a special place in my heart and it, mostly, holds up today. The werewolf attack is terrifying, zombie Jack popping up in the mirror is still a great jump scare and the transformation scene was so epic, it won Rick Baker an Oscar for Best Makeup. The transformation scene is still, 34 years later, perfection. The wolf running rampant through Piccadilly Circus is scary and heartbreaking all at once. Just a great, great movie.

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8.Cannibal Ferrox (1981)
So, this one is a bit controversial because it is almost exactly the same as watching Cannibal Holocaust. It’s got it all; real animal deaths, rape, excessive gore and the penultimate castration scene. It seems that people like one of these movies over the other simply by virtue of whichever one they saw first. I enjoyed both equally.

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9.The Evil Dead (1981)
Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, a book bound in human flesh, a tree rape, decapitation and all around awesome gore. This movie remains a beloved film for a reason; it rules the world.

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10.Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Really, the main reason for this movie being awesome is we got “Baghead Jason” in this film and I really prefer him to all of the other versions. I also have a strange respect for a sequel that doesn’t have a clever title; just Part 2.

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11.Halloween 2 (1981)
This is a great one because the action, essentially, picks up right where the first movie left off. Hospitals are creepy enough, but this one is strangely desolate and quiet and it’s being terrorized by Michael Myers. As with any good sequel, this Halloween is much more brutal than it’s predecessor and that is why I can forgive it’s weak spots.

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12.My Bloody Valentine (1981)
This movie is kind of terrible, but I love it to bits and pieces. It’s just a classic 80’s horror set in a small town with a crazed slasher and teenagers who can’t wait to die. The scene in the laundromat gets me every time and that gas mask is uber creepy.

 

 

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13. Student Bodies (1981)
Again, this movie is terrible, but it’s so terrible that it’s good. A killer who has some severe anger issues, talks through a rubber chicken and has an obsession with horse head bookends simply doesn’t stop being hilarious to me.