Classic slasher My Bloody Valentine is being released by Scream Factory as a 2-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray on February 4th 2020. The North American (Region A) release will include new transfers of both the theatrical and unrated cut of the film. Newly commissioned artwork (above) by artist Joel Robinson will adorn the cover while the original artwork will, of course, be on the reverse. &
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My Bloody Valentine – Canada, 1981 – Uncut Scream Factory Collector’s Edition Blu-ray news
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Skinner – USA, 1993 – reviews of new Blu-ray and interview with writer Paul Hart-Wilden
8216;He’ll get under your skin’ Skinner is a 1993 American slasher horror feature film directed by Ivan Nagy (The Hitchhiker TV series) from a screenplay by Paul Hart-Wilden (Wolf Town; Alone; Living Doll). The 5 Kidd Productions movie stars Ted Raimi, Ricki Lake, David Warshofsky and Traci Lords. Review: Best known for his comedic roles in his brother’s iconic Spider-Man...
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The Nights Before Christmas – Canada, 2019 – preview
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‘He’s making a list… don’t be on it’
The Nights Before Christmas is 2019 Canadian horror feature film about a murderous Santa and Mrs Claus playing a cat and mouse game with the FBI.
Directed by Paul Tanter (Age of the Living Dead series) from a screenplay co-written by Simon Phillips, the movie stars the latter alongside Sayla de Goede, Jennifer Willis and Keegan Chambers.
The movie is a sequel to Tanter’s Once Upon a Time at Christmas (2017).
Plot:
When a series of murders in the run-up to Christmas are found to be linked, FBI Special Agent Natalie Parker is tasked with tracking a pair of psychotic serial killers. She soon discovers the couple are not only crazy, having met in and escaped from an asylum for the criminally insane, but have based their personas on Santa and Mrs Claus.
As Christmas approaches, they slaughter their way through their special naughty list, playing a cat and mouse game with the FBI and leaving a trail of bloody bodies in their wake…
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Release:
The Nights Before Christmas is completed and awaiting distribution announcement.
Cast and characters:
- Simon Phillips … Santa Claus
- Sayla de Goede … Mrs Claus
- Jennifer Willis … Doctor Monica Mudd
- Keegan Chambers … Courtney
- Michael Coughlan … Jim Beaudin
- Anne-Carolyne Binette … Becky
- Kate Schroder … Agent Natalie Parker
- Ken Bressers … FBI Agent
- Meredith Heinrich … Lucy
- Frederik Storm … FBI Agent
- Shannon Cotter … Jennifer
- Barry Kennedy … Mitchell
- Ray Chiasson … Clayton
- Eric de Niverville … Jonathan
- Jonathan Largy … FBI Agent
Working titles:
Once upon a Time at Christmas 2 and Twice Upon a Time at Christmas
Until a trailer is available, here’s a reminder of the first film:
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Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet – USA, 2009 – reviews
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‘Will you make it through the night?’
Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet is a 2009 American slasher horror feature film about teenagers being stalked by a female maniac.
Co-produced, written and directed by Frank Sabatella (The Shed), the movie stars Bill Moseley (3 from Hell; Crepitus; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2; et al), Danielle Harris (Inoperable; Camp Dread; Halloween 4 and sequels), Nate Dushku and Samantha Siong.
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Plot:
A group of teenagers celebrating “Blood Night”, the anniversary of the death of a local axe murderer, Mary Hatchet, suddenly find themselves face to face with the realities of her haunting. As they run from the bloody rampage left behind they’ll need to survive the night to expose the truth behind the legend of Bloody Mary…
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Reviews [click links to read more]:
“The “twist” is predictable and easy to spot right away, the gore is not done very well, there’s nothing scary about it and the murder scenes aren’t creative enough to make this enjoyable. The characters are annoying and there aren’t really any leading protagonist that the viewer can cheer for or hope to survive.” Cinema Terror
“The script’s attempts at originality are foiled by one predictable turn after another, culminating in a surprise twist that is neither a surprise nor much of a twist […] The reasons to watch Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet — some decent gore effects and Facchi traipsing around nude as she slaughters people — are not enough to recommend the movie.” DVD Talk
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“Despite a good opening portion Blood Night quickly devolves into a by-the-numbers slasher flick, along with people getting killed after having sex and the obligatory twist that one can see coming from a mile away. Acting is okay, Bill Moseley is great for the little time he is onscreen (despite top billing) and the gore effects are well-done.” Expelled Grey Matter
“It’s clichéd from start to finish and you can guess who the killer is right away, but it’s obvious that the film was made by fans of the genre for fans of the genre, so I for one really enjoyed it. Taken for what it is, slasher fans should have fun with this.” Horror Asylum
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” …this is a professionally made piece, some of the deaths are quite well done (loved the scissors through the back of the head and the “spaghetti intestines”) but in the end you really don’t care. Looking for some mindless gore? Have at it. Everyone else? Look elsewhere.” Slasher Studios
” …it’s quite well made with an eye for the kind of visuals that adorn slasher flicks of yore and the teen-scenes are staged as sort of docu-drama Real World thing […] The downside of this approach is that it serves to expose the teenagers as annoying, shallow blade-targets and pretty much nothing more…” Vegan Voorhees
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“Just another slasher movie, except this one has a female killer and the gore quota is very high. And that’s all there is to say really because this plot is so routine, it’s beyond dull. A killer child, an insane asylum, abuse, an escape, a teenage sex party, lots of deaths and chases and so on.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre
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Cast and characters:
- Bill Moseley … Graveyard Gus
- Danielle Harris … Alissa
- Nate Dushku … Alex
- Samantha Siong … Mary Hatchet (as Samantha Facchi)
- Anthony Marks … Chris
- Billy Magnussen … Eric
- Alissa Dean … Nicole
- Maryam Basir … Jen
- Samantha Hahn … Lanie
- Michael Wartella … Gibbz
- Patricia Raven … Young Mary Hatchet
- Connor Fox … Katz
- Russell Dennis Lewis … Tim (as Russell Lewis)
- Rich Ceraulo Ko … Corey (as Rich Ceraulo)
- Garett Pereda … Huey (as Garett Stevens)
Filming locations:
New Jersey and New York
Technical details:
- 83 minutes
- Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
- Audio: Dolby Digital
Trivia:
The film references Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978).
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Slashorette Party – USA, 2020 – preview
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Slashlorette Party is a 2020 American horror slasher feature film about a maniac stalking guests at a bachelorette party held in the woods.
Directed by Paul Ragsdale (Streets of Vengeance; Cinco De Mayo) from a screenplay co-written with Angelica De Alba, the A&P Films production stars Molly Souza, Andrew Brown, Brooke Morris, Nina Lanee Kent and Robert Holloway.
Ginger Lynn Allen (31; The Devil’s Rejects; Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain; Satan’s Storybook) and Drew Marvick (director of Pool Party Massacre and its forthcoming sequel) have cameo roles.
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Plot:
A young woman suffering from anxiety is taken by her friends to a remote cabin in the woods to celebrate her bachelorette party.
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The fun and games are cut short when an uninvited guest begins killing off the wedding party, one by one…
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Production:
Slashorette Party is nearing the end of filming and should be completed by Spring 2020.
Cast and characters:
- Ginger Lynn Allen … Doctor Petra Jordan
- Drew Marvick … Dean
- Krystal Shay … Lacey
- Joseph T. Hypes … Finn
- Molly Souza … Brie
- Daniel James Moody … Eddie
- Nina Lanee Kent … Nia
- Robert Holloway … Seth
- Drue Mendenhall … Kevin
- Jasmine March … Charlotte
- Devin March … Bret
- Luis Maya … Jimmy
- Katee Hudson … Mandy
- Shalene Prasad … Trinity
- Brooke Morris … Alexa
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Some images: Crypt Teaze
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Watch classic horror and sci-fi films in HD free online
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We have recently discovered the following classic – and some not quite so classic – horror and sci-fi movies legitimately available to watch free online in high-definition 1080p courtesy of Flick Vault. Most are British and some star icons such as Peter Cushing, Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price!
Just click the links below for more info, reviews, trailers and to enjoy each movie itself!
Behemoth the Sea Monster aka The Giant Behemoth
Bloodsuckers aka Incense for the Damned
The Cat and the Canary (1978)
Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things
Plus, there are many, many more horror and sci-fi movies available to watch online for free via our constantly growing listing
The post Watch classic horror and sci-fi films in HD free online appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.
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New Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie and “The Shining set in the White House” in development
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Legendary Pictures is actively developing a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie and has partnered with Fede Álvarez and Rodolfo Sayague’s Bad Hombre Films banner, to produce the reboot. Fede Álvarez, is, of course, the director of the splendid Evil Dead (2013) remake and the freakishly enjoyable Don’t Breathe (2016),
Chris Thomas Devlin is writing the screenplay for the TCM reboot; he previously penned the 2018 Black List and Blood List script for Cobweb, a film currently in development at Lionsgate and Vertigo, about a girl living inside the walls of a family’s house.
Bad Hombre Films is also reportedly developing a horror project described as “The Shining set in the White House”, a Washington, D.C.-based horror film written by Joe Epstein, which Alvarez will direct.
In addition, Deadline reports that Shintaro Shimosawa, who served as a co-producer on 2004’s The Grudge and The Grudge 2, has been hired as Bad Hombre’s Head of Production.
Previously, we reported that prior to the release of lacklustre prequel Leatherface (2017), the rights to the franchise apparently returned to Kim Henkel, the writer and producer on the seminal 1974 gritty classic. It must be remembered that this is the same man that gave us Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994), a conspiracy-filled, cross-dresser mess that almost no-one has a good word for. That said, Henkel (and the late Tobe Hooper) were executive producers on the reasonably effective Platinum Dunes Marcus Nispel directed 2003 remake, so maybe Henkel’s name on the new project is just a contractual obligation?
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Bloody Disgusting has reported that the new movie is planned as a direct continuation of the original 1974 release, in a similar vein to David Gordon Green’s 2018 Halloween movie. That cynically sly yet enjoyable sequel (which head-shakingly ignored Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode character continuation in the superior Halloween H2O), took a phenomenal $255,485,178 worldwide (even before home viewing income), so it’s easy to see why Legendary has its eyes on a re-visit to Texas Chainsaw territory.
And, who knows, with the right ingredients a new Texas Chainsaw stew might work? It surely can’t be any worse than Texas Chainsaw 3D, right? There is also talk of a television series but we’re hoping that such an ill-conceived idea won’t get beyond board room banter. Meanwhile, watch Dead Meat’s Kill Count video to remind us all of how any planned sequel or reboot has so much to live up. Or die for. And let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Previous Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies
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Return of the Slasher Nurse – USA, 2019 – reviews
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‘New patients… New treatments…’
Return of the Slasher Nurse is a 2019 American horror feature film about the continuing killer activities of a deranged psychopathic woman.
Written and directed by David Kerr (Bloody Summer Camp), the Slasher 15 Productions pic stars Kea Raines, Amber Fulcher, Josh Shifflett and Alaina Alfaro.
The movie is a sequel to Kerr’s Curse of the Slasher Nurse (2017).
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Plot:
Six years after a group of friends went missing on a trip to a cabin in the woods, Kara, the younger sister of Aeron, is still determined to find out what happened to her older sister. After hearing the news of the investigating detective’s retirement, Kara becomes more determined than ever to take things into her own hands.
With the help of another missing cabin member’s sibling, they set off a chain of events that gives them exactly what they asked for: the return of the Slasher Nurse…
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Reviews [click links to read more]:
“With a lot to really like about it in terms of being a straightforward body-count display title, the film’s few drawbacks tend to come from it’s rambling, overlong nature and somewhat obvious low-budget tendencies. Give this a shot if you’re looking for a fun low-budget indie slasher…” Don’s World of Horror and Exploitation
Cast and characters:
- Kea Raines … Anneke Mitchell / Slasher Nurse
- Amber Fulcher … Lily Mitchell
- Josh Shifflett … Jacks Taylor
- Will Debley … Officer Logan Presely
- Rita Christine … Detective Campbell
- Jim Krut … Roger
- Mark Posey … Mark
- Wayne Townsend … Rob
- Chyanne Leeland … Cassy
- Christian Jensen … Thomas
- Stephen T. Hudson III … Mike
- Ashley Asphyxiation … Jennifer
- J.J. Day … Mr Mitchell
- Dwight Baker … Angry Driver
- John Ford … Cult Member 1
Technical details:
97 minutes
Budget:
$10,000 (estimated)
The post Return of the Slasher Nurse – USA, 2019 – reviews appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.
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Axecalibur – UK, 2016 – preview of British slasher on VOD
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‘Sometimes… Legends can kill’
Axecalibur is a 2016 British slasher horror feature film about an obsessive author who discovers the truth behind an urban myth.
Written, produced and directed by Russ Gomm (The Welcoming short; The Woods Movie documentary) and Philip Mearns (The Shadow of Bigfoot), the Aurora Pictures-Lunar Graveyard production stars Edward Fisher, Bethany Calder, Owen Walton and Aaron Neil.
The synth soundtrack score was composed by Thomas Joly aka Jupiter-8 (Another Evil Night; Bonehill Road; Year of Fear).
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The movie was originally titled The Legend of the Mad Axeman and is based on Russ Gomm’s 2014 short (watch below) of the same name.
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Plot:
Young author Jason Hill (Edward Fisher) uncovers information for his new book which leads him to the conclusion that the Mad Axeman is more than just an urban legend and soon finds himself in a race against time to uncover the truth behind a new series of murders…
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Release:
Axecalibur is available via Amazon Prime in the UK and USA.
Cast and characters:
- Edward Fisher … Jason Hill
- Bethany Calder … Lily Martell
- Owen Walton … Rick Hughes
- Bethany Smith … Sandy Lynch
- Aaron Neil … Ed Lewis
- Lauren Bridgland … Megan Cooper
- Mike Shaw … Dan Barrett
- Justin Courtney … Brett Stevenson
- Ben Shockley … Steven Stanton
- Andy Young … Neil Anderson
- Paul Kavanagh … Detective Inspector O’Connell
- Ken Arnold … FBI Agent Johnson
- Billy Chainsaw … Harold Pace
- William Roberts … Samuel Gray / The Mad Axeman
Filming locations:
Wye, Ashford, Kent, England
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Technical details:
- 72 minutes
- Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
- Audio: Stereo
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Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil – Canada, 1992 – reviews
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‘They ditched the prom for a private party. Now it’s their last dance.’
Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil is a 1992 Canadian slasher horror feature film about a psycho Catholic priest murdering teenagers on their prom night. It was also released as Prom Night: Evil of Darkness
Directed by Clay Borris from a screenplay written by Richard Beattie, the Norstar Entertainment production stars Nicole de Boer, J.H. Wyman, Joy Tanner and Alle Ghadban. Former actor Ray Sager produced and has a cameo role.
Despite its title, the movie has no connection with Prom Night (1980), Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) or Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990).
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Review:
Like Hello Mary Lou and Prom Night III, Prom Night IV also opens with the 1957 prom. Now, of course, the 1957 prom was famous for the fiery death of Mary Lou Maloney but apparently, that wasn’t the only death that occurred that night. While Mary Lou was getting ready to be named prom queen, two other students were making out in the parking lot. When a homicidal priest named Father Jonas came across them, he stabbed them to death a sharpened crucifix.
Thirty-five years later, Father Jonas is hidden away in a church basement. He is being kept in a drug-induced coma. Father Jaeger (Kenneth McGregor) is his guardian but when the Jaeger passes away, the young Father Colin (Brock Simpson) takes his place. Foolishly, Colin decides not to give Jonas his daily injection. Jonas wakes up, murders Colin, and then sets off for his old church. While Jonas is out murdering sinners, the Cardinal tries to cover up any evidence of his existence. In case you hadn’t guessed, Prom Night IV is probably one of the most anti-Catholic films ever made.
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What Jonas doesn’t know is that the old church is now a summer home. Four teenagers — virginal Meagan (Nikki de Boer), her boyfriend Mark (J.H. Wyman), his best friend Jeff (Alle Ghadaban), and his girlfriend, the adventurous Laura (Joy Tanner, who later played Fiona and Declan’s mom on Degrassi) — are spending the night at the house. After all, who wants to waste prom night by actually going to the prom? Mark’s younger brother, Jonathan, is also hanging around outside the house, secretly filming everything that happens inside. Or, at least he is until Jonas shows up and kills him.
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There really aren’t any big surprises to be found in Prom Night IV but the film is still a step above the average slasher film. Director Clay Borris keeps the action moving and does a good job maintaining a properly evil atmosphere. Some of the shots of the snow falling over the isolated house are actually quite stunning. As played by James Carver, Jonas is a truly menacing and ruthless villain. Seriously, Jonas is so mean! Even the fact that he utters a few regrettable one-liners does nothing to diminish Jonas as a threat.
Prom Night IV may be missing both Jamie Lee Curtis and Mary Lou Maloney but it’s still a surprisingly effective little horror film. And remember: It’s not who you come with … it’s who takes you home.
Lisa Marie Bowman, guest reviewer via Through the Shattered Lens
Other reviews:
“Better-than-average slasher flick, despite clichés and predictable twists, primarily because the Richard Beattie script spends time setting up four characters for the climactic kill.” John Stanley, Creature Features, Berkley Boulevard, 2000
“The actresses pose in lingerie like a 1992 Cinemax movie, and one of them receives a nude body double scene that’s hilariously unconvincing. This is a stealth Christmas movie, but it’s no Black Christmas. It brings the series to an unexpected conclusion – with a high school prom movie that doesn’t bother with the high school and doesn’t show us the prom.” Midnight Only
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“If Prom Night IV is a course correction from the previous entries, then it is accomplished, for better or worse (okay, mostly worse). Both films are plagued by stagnant middle acts and split the difference on various elements. The original has (marginally) better characters, while this one has a bigger body count and a less generic killer…” Oh, the Horror!
“If you’re alright with the entirely predictable then you could do worse than Prom Night IV […] It’s plainly obvious that goody-two-shoes Meagan (de Boer) will be the last one standing but there are some decent riffs thrown into the mix…” Vegan Voorhees
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“While this is a bit slow on deaths and the religious themes in the script aren’t explored much (in fact the whole plot thread about the church “containing” the killer is mostly forgotten) this is still an entertaining sequel with an alright killer (gotta love his cross/knife combo weapon) and some decent mood.” The Video Graveyard
Choice dialogue:
“Hey, don’t call me stupid and don’t tell me what to do!”
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Cast and characters:
- Nicole de Boer … Meagan (as Nikki de Boer)
- J.H. Wyman … Mark (as Alden Kane)
- Joy Tanner … Laura
- Alle Ghadban … Jeff
- Kenneth McGregor … Father Jaeger (as Ken McGregor)
- James Carver … Father Jonas
- Brock Simpson … Father Colin
- Krista Bulmer … Lisa
- Phil Morrison … Brad
- Fab Filippo … Jonathan
- Colin D. Simpson … Larry (as Colin Simpson)
- Thea Andrews … Louise
- Bill Jay … Cardinal
- Deni DeLory … Jennifer (as Deni Delroy)
- Carolyn Tweedle … Sister Jude (as Caroline Tweedle)
- Tyler Daniels … Dave
- Ray Sager … Rafe
- Brad Simpson … Rick
- Suzanne Vaillancourt … Suzi
- Garry Borris … Father (uncredited)
Filming locations:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Scalps – USA, 1983 – reviews
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‘They came out of the grave… To get revenge!’
Scalps is a 1983 supernatural horror feature film directed by Fred Olen Ray (Biohazard; Star Slammer; Evil Toons) that revolves around a vengeful Native American spirit.
The movie stars Jo-Ann Robinson, Richard Hench, Roger Maycock, Frank McDonald, Carol Sue Flockhart, Barbara Magnusson, Kirk Alyn (from the 1948 Superman serial), Carroll Borland (Mark of the Vampire), Cynthia Hartline, and Forrest J Ackerman (editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland).
Scalps was released in 1983 by 21st Century Film Corporation but in his book The New Poverty Row Fred Olen Ray says that the distributors ripped the filmmakers off.
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In the US, Scalps has been released by Retromedia as a 2,000 copy limited edition Blu-ray – available exclusively from Amazon.com – in 16×9 widescreen from a 2K HD scan of the 35mm negative, with censored sequences restored from an analog tape source. Includes the following special features:
- Audio commentary by Fred Olen Ray
- Remembering Scalps: interviews with Richard Hench, Frank McDonald, Chris Olen Ray and Fred Olen Ray
- Trailer
- Scenes from Stegg Dorr’s unauthorised remake, Blood Desert
- Dustin Ferguson’s fan film Scalps 2: The Return of DJ
Plot:
Six college archaeology students work on a dig in the California desert, despite the warnings of a professor and the town drunk.
When the group digs around in a Native American burial ground for artefacts, they unleash the evil spirit of Black Claw. The spirit possesses one of the group and begins slaughtering them one by one…
Reviews [click links to read more]:
“Despite the low budget, Scalps has some pretty impressive deaths, a little too realistic some may say. The actual scalping scene is just as good as Savini’s in Maniac … These death scenes are made more powerful by the screaming, moaning, and thrashing of the actors … easily one of Ray’s darkest movies. A combination of desert landscapes and sinister soundtrack gives Scalps a gritty, nihilistic atmosphere.” Retro Slashers
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“an entertaining enough slice of 80s horror for those seeking a painless 80 minutes of gore, bad hair, and desert madness.” DVD Drive-In
“It’s surprisingly gory and has a pretty rough rape scene in it considering Ray says in the commentary track that he’s never seen Last House on the Left because he doesn’t want to see graphic sexual violence. In fact, this flick was one of the most heavily censored movies of its time …” Cinemasochist Apocalypse
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Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk
Special features:
- 2K Scan from the Original Negative with Censored Scenes Restored via Tape Sources
- Brand New Audio Commentary track with Director Fred Olen Ray
- Original 35mm Theatrical Trailer
- “Remembering Scalps” New 22 Minute Retrospective featurette with Richard Hench, Frank McDonald, Chris Olen Ray and Fred Olen Ray.
- Justin Kerswell on Scalps: A Slasher Experts View
- 88 Films Trailer Reel
- Reversible Sleeve featuring original poster artwork
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“The main thing is of course the gore, and that’s graphic and sadistic. A realistic cut throat, a graphic scalping, something getting hit very hard in the back of the head, arrow-hits… it’s not as much as it seems, but gory and well made. The demon itself is quite… cheap, and looks more like a bit more advanced Halloween-mask. But I’ll buy that, seen worse.” House of Ninja Dixon
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Buy Scalps on 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD | Amazon Instant Video
“The sound and lighting might suck (or rule depending how you look at it) but the special effects are pretty gnarly! The throat slashing was very well done and the scalping is pretty decent, bringing out some Maniac vibes.” Rue Morgue
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“It takes a while, but once the gloves are off Scalps does actually slip rather nicely into slasher movie territory … Admittedly, the possessed killer looks like the half-man half-ape in the seriously demented Mexican, wrestling horror flick, Night of the Bloody Apes (1969), but, naturally, that just adds to its cheesy low budget charm.” Hysteria Lives
“There are long shots of the lonely roads that cut through the barren desert wastelands of the Southwestern United States accompanied by eerie music and sounds, similar to the kind heard in Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The 16mm film used gives it a very soft look which helps set an atmosphere of gloom and dread.” The Trashy Horror Charlie Show
” … an inept piece of bare bones film-making. It’s notable for the rudimentary gore effects and the occasionally atmospheric soundtrack. But, as so it goes with most of his other 80′s horror/sci-fi outings, it’s advisable to watch it with friends. That way you can have more fun with the ‘bad movie qualities’ it has. Make this film better, and share the laughter.” Cult Reviews
Image credits: The Trashy Horror Charlie Show | Cult Trailers
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Buy The New Poverty Row Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
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Black Christmas – USA, 2019 – director Sophia Takal says her slasher is only “very, very loosely based” on the original and that it’s “fiercely feminist.”
Director of the 2019 Black Christmas Sophia Takal has been interviewed by Entertainment Weekly about her slasher horror movie. She had the following to say:
“You know, this movie, even though it’s very, very loosely based on Black Christmas, I’d say the plot is extremely different. It’s more inspired by the feeling that Black Christmas made me feel watching it, this idea of misogyny always being out there and never totally eradicable. So that was the jumping-off point for how I came up with this plot. I’d compare it more to how Luca Guadagnino remade Suspiria than to a straight-ahead remake.
She explains:
The original Black Christmas feels so contemporary and modern for the time. Since then I feel like there have been so many movies about sorority sisters where the women have been portrayed as dumb, bimbo-y idiots. What I love was this was a group of women who, even though there was some conflict and strife — you know, Margot Kidder was a real spitfire [laughs] — they were all very much three-dimensional, strong female characters. I wanted to make something that reflected our time right now, drawing more from what the original evoked for me rather than great plot points. For me, it was about what does it feel like to be a woman in 2019?”
Furthermore:
“I feel like another part of why I kind of shifted the direction that this version took was because, in 2019, I didn’t just want to make a movie about a bunch of women getting slaughtered. It just gave me a pit in my stomach. This is not to say that a man might want to see that. I just think I felt very much a responsibility not to perpetuate this idea of disposable female characters, because of how it makes me feel when I watch that. I call this movie a fiercely feminist film…”
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‘Slay, girls’
Black Christmas is a 2019 American slasher horror feature film directed by Sophia Takal (New Year, New You) from a screenplay co-written with April Wolfe. The Blumhouse Productions – Divide/Conquer – Universal Pictures production stars Imogen Poots, Brittany O’Grady, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Caleb Eberhardt and Cary Elwes.
This is a remake of the 1974 Canadian film of the same name which was already been remade in 2006.
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Plot:
Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. However, the killer is about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t willing to become hapless victims as they mount a fight to the finish…
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Release:
With some slasher fans dismayed by the MPAA’s award of a PG-13 for the second remake of Black Christmas, the Blumhouse movie’s co-writer April Wolfe tweeted to explain how the film ended up with that rating:
“Here’s the deal: We wrote it with an R in mind. When they did the test screenings, was clear that this movie needed to be available to a younger female audience because the subject matter is timely. Also I want to indoctrinate girls into horror. Doesn’t make it any less vicious!”
“Vicious” and “timely” Interesting, let’s see how that’s reflected when Black Christmas is released on Friday the 13th of December 2019.
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Release:
Black Christmas is scheduled to be released by Universal on Friday the 13th of December 2019.
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Cast:
- Imogen Poots – Vivarium; Green Room; Fright Night (2011); 28 Weeks Later
- Brittany O’Grady – The Messengers TV series
- Aleyse Shannon – Charmed TV series
- Lily Donoghue
- Caleb Eberhardt
- Cary Elwes
Image credits: Blumhouse Productions – Divide/Conquer – Universal Pictures
Related:
The post Black Christmas – USA, 2019 – director Sophia Takal says her slasher is only “very, very loosely based” on the original and that it’s “fiercely feminist.” appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.
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Edge of the Axe – Spain, 1988 – reviews and Arrow Video Blu-ray specs
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‘There is nothing silent about nights in Paddock County.’
Edge of the Axe is a 1988 Spanish slasher horror feature film about a psychopath on a killing spree in a rural Californian community. The original title is Al filo del hacha
Directed by José Ramón Larraz [as Joseph Braunstein] (Rest in Pieces; Black Candles; Vampyres; Symptoms; Scream – and Die!) from a screenplay co-written by Joaquín Amichatis, Javier Elorrieta and producer José Frade.
The movie stars Barton Faulks (Future-Kill), Christina Marie Lane, Page Mosely (The Jigsaw Murders; Open House; Girls Nite Out) and Fred Holliday (Lobster Man from Mars).
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Plot:
The rural community of Paddock County is being rocked by the crazed exploits of an axe-wielding psychopath, who stalks the night in a black trenchcoat and mask.
As the victims pile up, the authorities attempt to keep a lid on the situation, whilst computer whizz-kid Gerald and girlfriend Lillian seek to unmask the killer before the town population reaches zero.
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New release:
Edge of the Axe is being released on Blu-ray for the first time by Arrow Video in the US, UK and Canada on January 28th 2020. Special features include:
- Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
- English and Spanish language versions of the feature
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Spanish soundtrack
- Brand new audio commentary with actor Barton Faulks
- Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues
- Newly-filmed interview with actor Barton Faulks
- The Pain in Spain – a newly-filmed interview with special effects and make-up artist Colin Arthur
- Image Gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Justin Osbourn
Reviews [click links to read more]:
The acting is ok but the twist ending is dumb. It’s one of those endings that doesn’t make any sense once you think about. The film features terrible country songs and one such song ruins what could have been a semi-creepy ending. Edge of the Axe is for the slasher completist only.” 80s Horror Central
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“Slasher movie fans, particularly of the European stuff will find this one to be an enjoyable diversion. Deeply flawed as it is, it still offers some dumb fun and gore […] The kill scenes, though all done with an axe, are still gory enough to fit the shameless tone of the movie.” Bad Movies for Bad People
“[Larraz] injects some Argento-esque style into the murders to separate the film from its otherwise regional slasher trash roots. It’s sort of like taking a trip to northern California with a couple of schmucks, to one of these Redwood preserve towns, and occasionally a cut-rate giallo breaks out.” Cinema Gonzo
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“The killer looks creepy in Michael Myers-like blank mask and rain slicker, and the movie transcends its budget. The beautiful summer-laden backdrops are visually picturesque and there’s enough plot expansion to relate to the main characters.” Hysteria Lives!
“This script and these characters are not good enough, and the computer business makes it harder to take seriously. But it looks good and the murder scenes are well done. I like the mask even though it’s basically a knockoff of Michael Myers minus hair.” Outlaw Vern
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“The axe slayings seemed more visceral than I’m used to. The story has a soapy V.C. Andrews quality that I feel at home in. Doomed teen romances in California Mountain towns. Jose Ramon Larraz has arrived to the slasher genre and his vision of it is going to leave a lasting impression.” Scumbalina
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“We get some grisly axe murders, regional hang-out horror, country music, goofy dialogue, ancient computer graphics, coca-cola product placement, booming synth score, I could go on forever. I love that our main character and his love interest communicate with each other almost solely via the only computers in the entire town.” Taylor Heider
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“The kills are less graphic than most of the slasher ilk, but they pack some ferocity (particularly the novel opening one in a carwash). The film winds down instead of having a traditional slice and dice finale, but the conclusion is refreshingly cynical.” Teenage Frankenstein
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“Larraz manages to create some tension from time to time but the film peaks with the opening axe ‘em up at a car wash and its climax appears slightly skewered once all of the red herrings are eliminated, with a motive so contrived and unlikely…” Vegan Voorhees
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Cast and characters:
- Barton Faulks … Gerald Martin
- Christina Marie Lane … Lillian Nebbs
- Page Mosely … Richard Simmons
- Fred Holliday … Frank McIntosh
- Patty Shepard … Laura Simmons
- Alicia Moro … Rita Miller
- Jack Taylor … Christopher Caplin
- Conrado San Martín
- Joy Blackburn … Susan Nebbs
- May Heatherly … Anna Bixby
- Elmer Modlin … Reverendo Clinton
- Javier Elorrieta
- José Frade
- Christina Lane
Censorship:
The UK video release was censored by 26 seconds by the BBFC.
NB. Despite the film being listed online as a US-Spanish co-production, all the credits are Spanish and there is also no confirmation it was made for cable TV as is often stated.
Some image credits: 80s Horror Central | La Dama Rossa – the inferior quality reflects their VHS source prior to Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release
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Hanukkah – USA, 2018 – trailer and release news for Sid Haig’s last appearance
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‘Jason can have them on Friday… Obediah will be observing the Sabbath.’
Hanukkah is a 2018 American slasher horror feature film written, co-produced and directed by Eben McGarr (House of the Wolf Man; Sick Girl). The My Way Pictures production stars Sid Haig (Spider Baby, House of 1,000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, Contracted, Halloween II, Hatchet III), P.J. Soles (Halloween, Carrie, The Devil’s Rejects) and Nick Principe (Baphomet; Sky Sharks; Virus of the Dead).
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Obediah Lazarus is the son of Judah Lazarus, the original Hanukiller. In 1983, Judah terrorised New York for seven nights and was preparing to sacrifice his eight-year-old son, Obediah, on the eighth night. Judah was convinced it was God’s will, like Abraham and Isaac, to sacrifice his only son to God.
Luckily for Obediah, police tracked Judah down and stopped the sacrifice, but Judah was gunned down in the process. Warped by hatred with no guidance, Obediah Lazarus becomes a religious extremist, intolerant of non-Jews, “bad Jews”, and those he perceives to be enemies of the Jewish faith. He is about to unleash eight nights of horror.
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A group of Jewish teens are getting ready to party for the holidays, but are in for a Festival of Frights. With the help of a wise Rabbi, they deduce that the murder victims have violated Judaic law and that their only chance at survival is to embrace their faith…
Release:
Hanukkah will be released in theatrically in limited locations on December 13th, followed by a pointless 100 copies only VHS release on December 20th and a VOD and Blu-ray release on February 11th, 2020.
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The Haunted House of Horror – UK | USA, 1969 – reviews and whole film free online
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‘Behind its forbidden doors an evil secret hides’
The Haunted House of Horror aka Horror House is a 1969 British-American proto-slasher horror feature film written and directed by Michael Armstrong (House of the Long Shadows (script); The Black Panther; Mark of the Devil).
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The Tigon-AIP production stars Frankie Avalon, Jill Haworth, Dennis Price, George Sewell and Mark Wynter.
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American International Pictures producer Louis ‘Deke’ Heyward re-wrote the script during production and line producer Gerry Levy (The Body Stealers) also penned and shot new scenes with a subplot involving a ‘red herring’.
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In 1993, Michael Armstrong told The Darkside magazine: “When I first saw it all put together I nearly died. The stupid subplot is badly shot and so boring … I literally wept.”
Screenbound Pictures released a remastered version of The Haunted House of Horror in the UK on Blu-ray on April 15, 2019.
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Extras include:
- Commentary and a new interview with director Michael Armstrong
- Interview clips with: Michael Armstrong (director / screenwriter), Ross Carver (hairdresser), James Devis (camera operator), Carol Dilworth (lead actress), Veronica Doran (lead actress), Jeanette Ferber (production secretary), Howard Lanning (dubbing editor), Peter Pitt (editor), Mark Wynter (lead actor)
Plot:
While attempting to enliven their evening after a dull party, a group of Londoners and their American friend, Chris (Frankie Avalon), decide to pay a visit to a supposedly haunted mansion. They lock themselves in, and, following a seance, one of them is brutally killed.
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Realising the killer must be one of their own, unofficial ringleader Chris prevails on everyone to bury the body and, bizarrely – cover up the murder due to past drugs issues. However, the police investigate so, reluctantly, the group decide to identify the killer…
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Reviews [may contain spoilers]:
” …a routine youth movie with added gore.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
“Because of a huge script rewrite and reshoot halfway through production, we’ve lost what could have been a key horror film of the sixties. An intricate, dark, ground-breaking story that has almost been reduced to a silly teen slasher. As it stands, it’s still ten years ahead of Halloween and Friday the 13th, with murder scenes far bloodier than either.” Black Hole
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” …the film is depressingly facile for much of its length but the bits shot by Armstrong – the graphically bloody murder scenes and the ensuing hysteria among the survivors – are done with a disquieting relish.” Jonathan Rigby, British Gothic, Reynolds & Hearn, 2004
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“Although tame by modern gore standards, the restrained tone of the re-shot scenes and Armstrong’s original pacing (stretched out to almost painful lengths by later inserts) produce a film that has an uneasy tone.” Andy Boot, Fragments of Fear, Creation Books, 1996
“Unpleasant without being interesting in any aspect. The cast look as bored as the audience.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, Batsford, 1982
” …strains credulity even for a thriller and is elongated to breaking point. The shock sequences are reasonably well contrived and there is a liberal flow of blood, but this haunted house is more likely to induce sleep than nightmare.” Monthly Film Bulletin, December 1969
” …makes effective use of its creepy backdrop – all foreboding candlelit rooms and creaking doors – and the murders (including a staircase stabbing) are startling for their time. The climactic assault on Avalon, for instance, is particularly bloody and incorporates a graphic groin knifing.” Steven West, The Shrieking Sixties, Midnight Marquee Press, 2010
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Choice dialogue:
Sylvia: I’m not scared, I’m just bored. The party might not have been a raving success but this is ridiculous.”
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Cast and characters:
- Frankie Avalon … Chris
- Jill Haworth … Sheila
- Dennis Price … Inspector
- Mark Wynter … Gary
- George Sewell … Kellett
- Gina Warwick … Sylvia
- Richard O’Sullivan … Peter
- Carol Dilworth … Dorothy
- Julian Barnes … Richard
- Veronica Doran … Madge
- Robin Stewart … Henry
- Jan Holden … Peggy
- Clifford Earl … Police Sergeant
- Robert Raglan … Bradley
- Nicholas Young … Party Guest
Filming locations:
- Bank Hall, Bretherton, Lancashire, England
- Birkdale Palace Hotel, Southport, England
- Carnaby Street, London, England
Great Marlborough Street, London, England - Grim’s Dyke, Old Redding, Harrow Weald, London (reshoots)
Trivia:
- The original title was The Dark
- Boris Karloff was intended to play the role of the Inspector but was too ill.
- Although portraying a teenager, Avalon was nearly thirty years old at the time of filming.
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Cheerleader Camp – USA, 1988 – reviews of comedic slasher
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‘Competition was murder at’
Cheerleader Camp is a 1988 American slasher horror feature film about contestants in a cheerleading competition that become targets of a killer. It was also released as Bloody Pom Poms.
Produced and directed by John Quinn from a screenplay co-written by David Lee Fein (Demonoid) and R.L. O’Keefe, the Quinn/Prettyman production stars Betsy Russell, Leif Garrett, Lucinda Dickey and Lorie Griffin.
Cheerleader Camp: 2 The Death (2014) is a sequel in name only.
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Plot:
A group of cheerleaders become the targets of an unknown killer at a remote summer camp where they are in competition to be cheerleading champions…
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Reviews [click links to read more]:
“Cheerleader Camp features all the trapping of the 80’s slasher… red herrings, useless authority, a twist ending, some T&A, POV stalk shots. The film feels like a rehash of the slasher’s greatest hits.” 80’s Horror Central
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“Everything you’d expect to see in an 80’s slasher horror is here. Boobs, blood, POV shots etc. It all combines to make a good horror movie. It’s not the goriest or the smartest but it ticks a lot of the right boxes. Enjoy it for what it is.” Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
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“In addition to the lashings of female nudity – and a surprising amount of gore (the garden shears gag being one of the highlights) – we are also given front row seats to the demise of former teen heartthrob Leif Garrett’s career…” Horror 101 with Dr. AC
“The unremitting buffoonery doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for the slasher aspect and for the first third of the movie it is only Alison’s nightmare’s and hallucinations that remind us we are, in fact, watching a horror movie. However, it pretty successfully makes the move from broad comedy to teenie-kill epic without sacrificing its previous camp humour…” Hysteria Lives!
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” …the sole raunchy comedy/slasher hybrid that completely embraces the stereotypes and tone of each respected (or not so respected) genre and mingles them into one perfect piece. By taking these traits and infusing them together, it becomes a movie that is consistent in its goal to be both comedy and horror in nearly every scene.” Oh, the Horror!
“Bloody Pom Poms has the odd moment of credibility and there’s some fun to be had with the gore and attractive women. Much like a non-alcoholic beer though, it only warms the taste buds into knowing that it is a lame substitution for the real thing.” A Slash Above…
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“One more poorly acted splatter from the doomed last half of the eighties, Camp is vapidity in denial… but shhh, don’t tell it that ’cause it thinks it’s ‘funny and clever.’ Russell is dull and struggles to create a sense of urgency… but fails. Most irritating is loudmouthed fatty McKenna, a talky waste of energy who seems to have escaped intact from an online horror message board…” The Terror Trap
“Produced with just about enough lip surface gloss to make it look like a slightly higher budget Sleepaway Camp; the acting is tolerable and the comedy stupid enough not to offend. Only the plain idiotic attempts to pull the wool over the audience’s eyes with regards to the killer’s identity is truly irritating.” Vegan Voorhees
“While this was obviously intended to not be taken seriously (as witnessed by the bad “rapping” moment and amusing “mascot lunch” scene) it’s still a misfire because it’s not scary enough or funny enough to entertain its intended audience. There is a few alright deaths (even if they don’t start until about halfway in)…” The Video Graveyard
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Cast and characters:
- Betsy Russell … Alison Wentworth
- Leif Garrett … Brent Hoover
- Lucinda Dickey … Cory Foster
- Lorie Griffin … Bonnie Reed
- George ‘Buck’ Flower … Pop (as Buck Flower)
- Travis McKenna … Timmy Moser
- Teri Weigel … Pamela Bently
- Rebecca Ferratti … Theresa Salazar
- Vickie Benson … Miss Tipton
- Jeff Prettyman … Sheriff Poucher
- Krista Pflanzer … Suzy
- Craig Piligian … Detective
- William Johnson … Chief Ronnie
- Kathryn Litton … Timmy’s Girlfriend
- Tommy Habeeb … Assistant Detective (as Tom Habeeb)
Filming locations:
Bakersfield and Sequoia National Forest, California
Technical details:
- 89 minutes
- Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
- Audio: Mono
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Censorship and deleted scenes:
Despite the Anchor Bay DVD box claiming the film is uncut and uncensored, the DVD release is actually the censored ‘R’ rated version. According to director John Quinn’s audio commentary, the following scenes were cut to achieve an ‘R’ rating:
- The “dream” erotic scenes were trimmed.
- The shears killing was trimmed so that we only briefly see the shears getting rammed into the back of the girl’s head.
- Due to time restrictions, a scene near the beginning of the van breaking down was deleted.
- Also, the ambulance attendant tells Alison to “calm down” at the end. This line was cut because according to the director, it sounded bad.
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Black Christmas, 2019, is a box office dud and gets terrible audience feedback. Read a slew of reviews
The new Black Christmas movie has performed poorly at the US box office taking just $4.4 million on a wide release over the weekend when it was predicted to take at least $10 million. Worse still, the audiences that did see it gave the slasher a Cinemascore of D+. Yikes. Read on for a range of reviews, most of which are unfortunately negative.
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‘Slay, girls’
Black Christmas is a 2019 American slasher horror feature film directed by Sophia Takal (New Year, New You) from a screenplay co-written with April Wolfe. The Blumhouse Productions – Divide/Conquer – Universal Pictures production stars Imogen Poots, Brittany O’Grady, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Caleb Eberhardt and Cary Elwes.
This is a remake of the 1974 Canadian film of the same name which was already been remade in 2006.
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Plot:
Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. However, the killer is about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t willing to become hapless victims as they mount a fight to the finish…
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May contain spoilers! Reviews:
” …when it finally sheds its skin and reveals the momentum behind the horror, it hardly rises above something you’d see on The CW. Ultimately you have a genre flick that is all about women fighting back, but it’s been done better without such a heavy-handed approach.” Arrow in the Head
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“It’s hard not to admire a film for jumping into a difficult conversation and using the iconography of a genre, one that all-too frequently indulges in sexism, to make a feminist statement. And by setting it in a location where those conversations are everyday occurrences it feels especially organic and absorbing, at least until everything gets weird.” Bloody Disgusting
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“With nothing approaching suspense or dread, it devolves into a big battle between the frat boys and sorority sisters that sinks into a whole new level of ridiculousness. It’s a shame, because buried in here is an interesting way to revitalise a tired formula.” Empire
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“It’s an unwieldy and messy thing, drearily directed and boringly written, taking its agenda seriously yet not providing a robust enough framework to surround it. It’s a film that urges us to believe women yet shows female characters not believing the legitimate concerns of their female friend.” The Guardian
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“Some films wrap their messaging up in a pretty package, whereas Black Christmas is a gift lit on fire and thrown through your window. There’s a problem with your horror film when the best moment is a sick burn of a song insulting frat house d-bags, as epic as that may be.” Killer Horror Critic
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“The characters are definitely sketched deeper than the 2006 version, where they all appeared to hate one another and just fire off bitchy remarks […] Unfortunately, there’s just no subtlety to any of it: Women good, men evil, and that’s pretty much it. The sole not-damned man is presented as a powerless nerd (albeit a likeable one).” Vegan Voorhees
Choice dialogue:
“I don’t know. Don’t really feel like dealing with my mom right now. It doesn’t surprise me at all that my dad left her.”
Release:
With some slasher fans dismayed by the MPAA’s award of a PG-13 for the second remake of Black Christmas, the Blumhouse movie’s co-writer April Wolfe tweeted to explain how the film ended up with that rating:
“Here’s the deal: We wrote it with an ‘R’ in mind. When they did the test screenings, was clear that this movie needed to be available to a younger female audience because the subject matter is timely. Also I want to indoctrinate girls into horror. Doesn’t make it any less vicious!”
Release:
Black Christmas was released by Universal on Friday the 13th of December 2019.
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Background:
When interviewed by Entertainment Weekly about her slasher horror movie director Sophia Takal had the following to say:
“You know, this movie, even though it’s very, very loosely based on Black Christmas, I’d say the plot is extremely different. It’s more inspired by the feeling that Black Christmas made me feel watching it, this idea of misogyny always being out there and never totally eradicable. So that was the jumping-off point for how I came up with this plot. I’d compare it more to how Luca Guadagnino remade Suspiria than to a straight-ahead remake.
She explains:
The original Black Christmas feels so contemporary and modern for the time. Since then I feel like there have been so many movies about sorority sisters where the women have been portrayed as dumb, bimbo-y idiots. What I love was this was a group of women who, even though there was some conflict and strife — you know, Margot Kidder was a real spitfire [laughs] — they were all very much three-dimensional, strong female characters. I wanted to make something that reflected our time right now, drawing more from what the original evoked for me rather than great plot points. For me, it was about what does it feel like to be a woman in 2019?”
Furthermore:
“I feel like another part of why I kind of shifted the direction that this version took was because, in 2019, I didn’t just want to make a movie about a bunch of women getting slaughtered. It just gave me a pit in my stomach. This is not to say that a man might want to see that. I just think I felt very much a responsibility not to perpetuate this idea of disposable female characters, because of how it makes me feel when I watch that. I call this movie a fiercely feminist film…”
Cast:
- Imogen Poots – Vivarium; Green Room; Fright Night (2011); 28 Weeks Later
- Brittany O’Grady – The Messengers TV series
- Aleyse Shannon – Charmed TV series
- Lily Donoghue
- Caleb Eberhardt
- Cary Elwes
Image credits: Blumhouse Productions – Divide/Conquer – Universal Pictures
Related:
Black Christmas – Canada, 1974 – now with ’10 Things You Didn’t Know About…’ video
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Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers – USA, 1988 – reviews
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‘They charge an arm and a leg!’
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers is a 1988 American comedy horror feature film directed by Fred Olen Ray (Glass Trap; The Alien Dead, Evil Toons; et al) from a screenplay co-written with T.L. Lankford [as B.J. Nestles]. The movie stars Gunnar Hansen (Mosquito; The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Linnea Quigley, Jay Richardson and Michelle Bauer.
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Incredibly, over-zealous censors decreed that the UK 1980s video release was not allowed to use the word Chainsaw in its title, so the film was released simply as ‘Hollywood Hookers’ with the word ‘Chainsaw’ replaced by the outline of the offending power tool!
When private detective Jack Chandler (Jay Richardson) tries to track down a teenage runaway (Linnea Quigley), he runs into a cult of Egyptian chainsaw-worshipping prostitutes led by “The Master” (Gunnar Hansen—Leatherface from the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre).
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Reviews [click links to read more]:
” …the movie is more than a nudity-fueled splatter fest; Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers is also a nifty film noir spoof, with Richardson doing a better-than-average job as the gumshoe / narrator of the story, delivering lines that, on occasion, are pretty darn witty.” 2,500 Movies Challenge
“Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers made me feel like I was 12 again, where you’d go to the video store and rent the most ridiculous movies you could find based on the cover or title alone, and sometimes you’d find a real gem.” Oh! The Horror!
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“From comedy (there are some sly jabs at the film noir genre), to action (there’s a chainsaw duel between Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer that’s miles better than anything in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), to romance (there’s lots of titties in this one), Ray is a true renaissance man.” The Video Vacuum
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“I have no reservations with saying that the film is exactly what every horror comedy sleaze fests should aspire to be. Everything blends together perfectly. It is ridiculous entertainment and the epitome of fun. I can’t imagine fans of schlock not absolutely loving this film.” Cinema Slasher
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“The best thing to know about Fred Olen Ray’s masterpiece of b-cinema is that you’re going to get some boobs, some blood and a whole lot of shtick. It’s a camp comedy-horror classic in many circles, so it’s definitely a must see if only to check out all the hype, but you’ve been warned […] It’s a good bit of fun, just don’t go in expecting the moon.” Varied Celluloid
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Cast and characters:
- Gunnar Hansen … The Stranger
- Linnea Quigley … Samantha
- John Henry Richardson … Jack Chandler (as Jay Richardson)
- Dawn Wildsmith … Lori
- Michelle Bauer … Mercedes (as Michelle McLellan)
- Esther Elise … Lisa (as Esther Alise)
- Tricia Burns … Ilsa
- Fox Harris … Hermie (as Jerry Fox)
- Jimmy Williams … Bo
- Michael Sonye … Jake the Bartender (as Dukey Flyswatter)
- Dennis T. Mooney … Harrison (as Dennis Monney)
- Jerry Miller … Murphy
- Steve Welles … Lab Tech #1
- Charles O’Hair … Lab Tech #2
- Susie Wilson … Sally
- Gary J. Levinson … Nubian (as Gary Levinson)
- Jeffrey Hill … Cop #1
- Gerry Jenkins … Cop #2
- Sandy Palm … Detective #3 (uncredited)
- Christopher Ray … Kid at Bar (uncredited)
Technical details:
75 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Audio: Mono
Budget:
$60,000 approximately
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Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday – USA, 1993 – overview and reviews
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‘Evil has finally found a home.’
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is a 1993 American slasher horror feature film directed by Adam Marcus (Secret Santa; co-writer of Texas Chainsaw 3D) from a screenplay by Dean Lorey and Jay Huguely, based on a storyline by the latter and Marcus. It was produced by Sean S. Cunningham, director of the first Friday the 13th in 1980.
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The film is the ninth instalment of the Friday the 13th franchise and the first to be distributed by New Line Cinema rather than Paramount Pictures. New Line intended the film to be the last in the Friday series, thus the subtitle of the movie and to set up Freddy vs. Jason, hence the inclusion of the final scene.
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Due to major development issues over several years, New Line Cinema wasn’t sure if Freddy vs. Jason would ever get made. To tide over fans they made Jason X in 2001. Since this film was subtitled the The Final Friday, they decided against a repeat of the Friday the 13th title, and set it in the future so as to avoid continuity problems with a possible Freddy vs. Jason film. The latter was eventually released ten years after this film, in 2003.
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A lone woman is staying at a rundown cabin on Crystal Lake. After a shower, she encounters Jason in a hallway. As he is about to slash her, she dodges him and falls over a railing to the floor below.
A chase ensues throughout the forest with Jason hunting the woman. She comes to a clearing, turns around to see Jason. She jumps aside, someone yells ‘Now!’, and huge floodlights are flashed upon Jason. We see a government task force begin to repeatedly shoot Jason hundreds of times, with no effect on him. They launch a grenade that blows his body apart into several pieces, scattering around the area.
We discover that the woman in question was undercover FBI agent Elizabeth Marcus, as the FBI set a trap to stop Jason once and for all. The agents are celebrating the victory, and we cut to a mysterious figure in the forest questioning what the government just did saying “I don’t think so”.
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Jason’s remains are sent to a morgue. The coroner is processing the autopsy making various notes, including the heart being twice the size of a normal human heart. As he brings a scalpel to the heart, it begins to beat slowly, then faster and faster. The coroner becomes hypnotized by Jason’s beating heart and is compelled to eat it.
This causes spirits to emanate from Jason’s scarred body parts, and the coroner becomes possessed by the ‘spirit’ of Jason. We see this as the reflection of newly hosted coroner is that of Jason’s original form.
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The now possessed coroner begins a killing spree in route to Crystal Lake. Along the way he kills hospital guards (one being actor Kane Hodder – who portrays the ‘masked’ Jason character in this and the previous two films), along with several teenagers…
Reviews [click links to read more]:
“All told, I rather suspect that had this movie simply been billed as a non-series horror flick in the vein of Shocker or The First Power, it would probably have been much better received by the fans. Indeed, it is when it operates most visibly within traditional Friday the 13th territory that Jason Goes to Hell is at its weakest.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting
” …as a movie that has nothing to do with the Friday the 13th film, this is an ok action/horror opus with lots of gore and nudity. But as a Friday the 13th sequel, this one misses the boat, betraying the die hard fans and straying too far from it’s source. He’s wearing a hockey mask, has a machete but he’s not the Jason I know.” Arrow in the Head
“As a film, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is well made – it is one of the few films in the Friday the 13th series that could be said to be directed with style and suspense rather than only being a catalogue of novelty deaths. It also the only Friday the 13th film in which a character can be seen crying over the slaughter of one of the victims.” Moria
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“I’ve read quite a few reviews that have argued that Jason Goes To Hell is the worst installment in the franchise but I disagree. It’s close, but it’s marginally better than both Part 3 and Jason Takes Manhattan. It’s saved from being a total disaster by that clever opening and likable performances from John LeMary and Kari Keegan.” Through the Shattered Lens
” …it’s pretty much the same old same old verging on self-parody, except for the plot elements blatantly stolen from The Hidden and a pervasive casual sadism.” Mike Mayo, Videohound’s Horror Show
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“The unrated version contains some of the series’ most unrestrained gore FX, provided by KNB, as well as some of the most interesting nude scenes in the history of the franchise. […] The magic dagger stuff is still really silly and has no place in the franchise, series composer Harry Manfredini’s musical score is purely laughable, and Jason himself is only in the film for around 10-15 minutes, tops.” DVD Drive-In
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“Jason Goes to Hell is an unconventional sequel that expands the mythology of Friday the 13th and – like it or not – set the stage for the blockbuster Freddy vs Jason. But I’m not saying that if you don’t like it, you don’t “get it”. It ain’t philosophy. It’s just a gory-as-hell thrill ride with lots of titties and a classic villain.” Oh, the Horror!
“On the whole Jason Goes to Hell is a pretty good effort, with a decent B-movie cast and some nice (if not entirely original) ideas. But it’s not really a Friday the 13th film. Hockey-masked Jason is on screen for less than half the running time, and there isn’t much teenage slaughter, although there’s a fair amount of nudity and more gore than the last instalment.” Jim Harper, Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies
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” …the opening seven or eight minutes – really recaptures the stalk n’ slash ambience of the 80s movies. After that, it’s downhill fast, although during this re-watch, I noticed the subtle (and not so) homoerotic nuances lurking beneath a few scenes; Adam Marcus allegedly ‘made up’ for the girls-only nudity rule of the previous eight movies with more naked guys and the very obscure shaving scene.” Vegan Voorhees
“The big thing that takes away from the film, and really the series as a whole is the body jumping plot. It’s bad enough that there is a distinct absence of our main goalie mask wearing monster Jason but to add in the weird borderline sci-fi plot, heavily borrowed from the film The Hidden, is just mind boggling […] It does have its high points, such as a large body count, nudity and some brutal kills, however.” Ronnie Angel, Slashed Dreams: The Ultimate Guide to Slasher Films
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“Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday is the worst of the series by a long way. Yes, it’s good to see a series try and reinvent itself and try something new (Halloween III: Season of the Witch anyone?) but when it’s executed as poorly and sloppily as this, it’s not worth the effort. Skip the film and just watch the Freddy bit on Youtube.” Popcorn Pictures
Cast and characters:
- John D. LeMay as Steven Freeman
- Kari Keegan as Jessica Kimble
- Steven Williams as Creighton Duke
- Allison Smith as Vicki
- Erin Gray as Diana Kimble
- Steven Culp as Robert Campbell
- Rusty Schwimmer as Joey B.
- Leslie Jordan as Shelby
- Billy “Green” Bush as Sheriff Landis
- Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees/FBI Guard/Freddy Krueger’s claw
- Andrew Bloch as Deputy Josh
- Kipp Marcus as Randy Parker
- Richard Gant as Phil the Coroner
- Adam Cranner as Ward
- Julie Michaels as Elizabeth Marcus
- James Gleason as Agent Abernathy
- Dean Lorey as Eric Pope
- Adam Marcus as Officer Bish
- Mark Thompson as Officer Mark
- Brian Phelps as Officer Brian
- Blake Conway as Officer Andell
- Madelon Curtis as Officer Ryan
- Paul Devine as Paul
- Michelle Clunie as Deborah
- Michael B. Silver as Luke
- Kathryn Atwood as Alexis
- Jonathan Penner as David
- Brooke Scher as Stephanie Kimble
Other media:
A three-issue comic adaptation of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday written by Andy Mangels was published by Topps Comics. As the comics are based upon the original shooting script of the film, elements that were left out of the film are used in them. Topps also released a series of trading cards for the film.
Retrospective:
In November of 2017, Adam Marcus, the film’s director revealed that an apparently overlooked plot-point of the movie is that Jason Voorhees is actually connected to the Evil Dead franchise. The filmmaker told Horror Geek Life:
“[Pamela Voorhees] makes a deal with the devil by reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son. This is why Jason isn’t Jason. He’s Jason plus The Evil Dead, and now I can believe that he can go from a little boy that lives in a lake, to a full-grown man in a couple of months, to Zombie Jason, to never being able to kill this guy. That, to me, is way more interesting as a mashup, and Raimi loved it!
It’s not like I could tell New Line my plan to include The Evil Dead, because they don’t own The Evil Dead. So it had to be an Easter egg, and I did focus on it…there’s a whole scene that includes the book, and I hoped people would get it and could figure out that’s what I’m up to. So yes, in my opinion, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. He’s one of The Evil Dead.”
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Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge – USA, 1989 – overview and reviews
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‘Shopping will never be the same again’
Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is a 1989 American horror feature film directed by Richard Friedman (Scared Stiff; Doom Asylum; Dark Wolf) from a screenplay written by Scott J. Schneid, Tony Michelman and Robert King (The Nest). The movie stars Derek Rydall, Jonathan Goldsmith and Rob Estes.
Plot:
A young man apparently dies in a suspicious house fire after saving his girlfriend, Melody.
A year later, at the new Midwood mall built over the site of the burned-out house, thefts and murders begin to occur as a mysterious figure secretly prowls around the shopping center and takes a keen interest in watching over and protecting Melody…
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Reviews [click links to read more]:
“Makers of bad movies should hold their breath in awe after watching this one. Scarcely a scene isn’t gross or ridiculous, scarcely a performance isn’t forced or shallow, scarcely a line of dialogue isn’t a burbling, awkward cliche. There’s a perfection of awfulness here that almost commands respect; it can’t have been easy to keep going on this picture after a look or two at the rushes.” Los Angeles Times
“For a cheap direct-to-video slasher, Eric’s Revenge is audacious as hell and riotously entertaining as a result—with so much lunacy swirling about, it’s damn near impossible for dull moments to occur, especially since this overt stuff is merely accentuating the typical slasher silliness.” Oh, the Horror!
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“A pretty silly idea executed with only mediocre results, this movie still manages to maintain an enjoyable vibe thanks to the fine cast, many of whom went on to work in far more fabulous projects.” Retro Slashers
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” … the entire story is in the title. Someone named Eric is taking revenge against people as a phantom of a mall. This also means there is no suspense. We know Eric is behind this, but we still have to see Estes and Cute Girl go through the motions of a silly investigation.” eFilmCritic.com
“You should know the 80s slasher drill by now. No scares, suspense, story, acting or characters – just novelty death scenes and a psychotic villain. When a film fails to deliver on the latter two AND the rest, then it’s really bottom of the barrel stuff.” Popcorn Pictures
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“It’s kind of a fun mess to watch, but it’s like walking into a store where all of the clothes are tossed around haphazardly – there are things you might like, but it’s too much of a bother to pick through the litter.” HNN
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Cast and characters:
- Derek Rydall … Eric Matthews, The Phantom of the Mall (Night Visitor; Popcorn)
- Jonathan Goldsmith … Harv Posner, Mall Owner (Helter Skelter; Blood Voyage)
- Rob Estes … Peter Baldwin, Reporter (6 passi nel giallo)
- Pauly Shore … Buzz, Yogurt Clerk
- Kimber Sissons … Susie, Fashion Clerk
- Gregory Scott Cummins … Christopher Volker, Security Guard (Halloween Night; Watchers III)
- Tom Fridley … Justin, Posner’s Son (Jason Lives: Friday the 13th: Part VI)
- Kari Whitman … Melody Austin
- Ken Foree … Acardi (Dawn of the Dead; The Devil’s Rejects; The Lords of Salem)
- Morgan Fairchild … Mayor Karen Wilton (The Initiation of Sarah; The Seduction; The New Addams Family)
- Terrence Evans … Security Guard
- Dante D’Andre … Piano man
Choice dialogue:
Melody: “It’s almost like a bad dream, you know.”
Filming locations:
The film was shot in southern California at Sherman Oaks Galleria, Promenade Mall (now Westfield Promenade) and Valencia Studios, Alhambra, California.
Mall horror: Chopping Mall | Dawn of the Dead
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