Category: L.C Lives and Loves Horror

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.