Monday, October 31, 2011

Night 31 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 31 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have the final movie on our Halloween Movie List. This is the last day to enter our GIANT Giveaway so make sure to stop by for your chance to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Items - Bride of the Monster Necklaces and Classic Monster Mash Charm Bracelet

Classic Monster Mash Charm Bracelet (Special Order) $45

Bride of the Monster Necklace $22

Bride of the Monster Necklace $23

Purchase this, or any other featured item, from Laughing Vixen Lounge through November 6th and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Happy Halloween From Laughing Vixen Lounge


My Halloween Workers
Skeleton Monkey, Frankengerbil and Flyin' Purple People Eater

Night 31 - B Movie Monsters and Young Frankenstein
 
Well, my lovely ghouls, we have made it to the end of our Halloween Movie List. Hope you had fun reminiscing about some favorites and maybe found a few new ones. If you have followed along, and left a comment on each movie post, make sure to leave a comment on the main giveaway page that says "I survived the Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". That 1 comment will count for 10 entries in the giveaway!
 
Make sure to stop by each Friday for our Fear Fridays. We will review a different horror/thriller movie each week for your viewing pleasure.
 
While watching the movies on our list I couldn't help but think about...
What have we learned from watching horror films?
1. Only the skinny survive! If you can't fit through small openings you will never escape.
2. If you leave your window/doors unlocked or open then you should not be surprised when the killer appears in your house.
3. If you hear something outside at night don't go out and offer yourself up to it.
4. Never trust the local sheriff, gas attendants, doctor, etc. They are part of it!
5. Hit him again.
6. Don't sit with your back to the killer with your eyes shut thinking "It all OK now". It's not. You only hit him once and now he's standing up.
7. After the third time #6 happens...learn from it!

A bonus to our list tonight is a loving tribute to
B Movie Monsters

I love old black and white monster movies. Any and all of them. Atomic bugs, Woman that change into insects, The Universal Monsters, Critters from Outer space, Ghost, Zombies and just about anything that happens to grow really big! I'm a huge Mystery Science Theater 3000 lover so all the better if they're MST'd. Anyway and every way they are wonderful and make me laugh. Laughing Vixen Lounge will have many of these coming to our designs early next year.

The trailers were great too. "It leaps! It Crawls! It takes over the world! Run!" I love this style and it show in the posters too. I couldn't think of anything better than to let their great artwork speak for them. This is just a sampling of the heaps of them out there.  
 




 
And now our final feature... Young Frankenstein
 
 
Tagline - The scariest comedy of all time!
*******

Directed by Mel Brooks (The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Dracula: Dead and Loving It) and released on December 15, 1974 by Twentieth Century Fox (rated PG). Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) inherits his grandfathers castle and all it's possessions. Despite his resistance to his grandfather's ideas he quickly changes his mind when he stumbles upon some hidden journals in his grandfather's secret library. With the help of his assistants Igor (Marty Feldman) and Inga (Terri Garr) Dr. Frankenstein will attempt to bring his grandfather's dream to life.
*******
 
This is the best of the best. The comedy is so silly it's stupid but at the same time it's really rather brilliant. Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder are at their finest here and it's a treat to watch them. The sets and atmosphere are beautiful and Peter Boyle is such fun as the monster. This is a yearly Halloween staple at my house and I can't wait to watch it tonight!

Madeline Kahn is great as Elizabeth/The Bride of Frankenstein. The best quote of hers...
"Oh. Where you going?... Oh, you men are all alike. Seven or eight quick ones and then you're out with the boys to boast and brag. You better keep your mouth shut. Oh... I think I love him."
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The film was shot with many of the same props and lab equipment as the original Frankenstein (1931).
2. The howling wolf sound on the ride to the castle was made by director Mel Brooks.
3. The idea of Frederick's dart hitting a cat was ad-libbed on set. When Gene Wilder threw his dart off camera, director Mel Brooks quickly screamed like a cat to create the illusion.
4. The scene in which the creature contemplates throwing the little girl into the lake ("No more flowers. What shall we throw in now?"), is a homage to a scene in Frankenstein (1931). That scene was cut and not restored to the original until its video release 50 years later.
5. Gene Wilder conceived the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene, while Mel Brooks was resistant to it, feeling it detracted from the fidelity to Universal horror films in the rest of the film. It was only when he saw it with a howling audience that Brooks was confident about the sequence.
6. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman appear together in this film by virtue of the fact that their mutual agent had a deal with the movie studio.
7. The shifting hump on Igor's back was an ad-libbed gag of Marty Feldman's. He had surreptitiously been shifting the hump back and forth for several days when cast members finally noticed. It was then added to the script.
8. Rock band Aerosmith took a break from a long night of recording to see "Young Frankenstein" in 1974. Steven Tyler wrote the band's hit "Walk This Way" the morning after seeing the movie, inspired by Marty Feldman's first scene, the "walk this way... this way" scene.
9. When Mel Brooks was preparing "Young Frankenstein," he found that Ken Strickfaden, who had made the elaborate electrical machinery for the lab sequences in the Universal Frankenstein films, was still alive in the Los Angeles area. He visited Strickfaden and found that Strickfaden had saved all the equipment and had it stored in his garage. Brooks made a deal to rent the equipment for his film and gave Strickfaden the screen credit he'd deserved, but hadn't gotten, for the original films.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Night 30 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

A special welcome to everyone from The Witches Tea Party blog party hosted by Frosted Petunias. We hope you enjoy tonight's movie with your tea.

Welcome to night 30 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Evil Eye Necklace

Evil Eye Necklace $25

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 30 - An American Werewolf in London



Tagline - Beware the Moon

              A masterpiece of terror

              The Monster Movie

              From the director of Animal House -- a
             different kind of animal
*******

Written and directed by John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Thriller) and released on August 21, 1981 by Universal Pictures (rated R). David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are on a backpacking trip around Europe. While hiking through rural England they stop at a little pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb". After pissing off the locals they are sent out into the cold wet night with one caution..."Beware the moon and stick to the roads." Oooops! Yah, our boys aren't too bright and are strolling across the moors in no time flat. They soon find out what the locals were warning them about. Werewolves!!!
*******

This is darn close if not my favorite horror film ever. The blend of humor and horror is spot on here. The effects were cutting edge and won an Oscar. I still prefer them to many overdone CGI effects. And the use of moon related songs is fun and effective. I could never hear "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence and not think of this movie. This is one of my yearly "must see" on Halloween.

Creepiest scene is the man being stalked in the subway terminal. Even though you hardly see the beast it's filmed so well that it gives an uneasy feeling.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. John Landis originally wanted three other songs to add to the soundtrack: Cat Stevens wouldn't allow "Moonshadow" to be used because he had stopped allowing his secular music to be licensed for films following his conversion to Islam; Bob Dylan wouldn't allow his version of "Blue Moon" to be used in an R-rated film, as he had just begun his brief conversion to Christianity; and Elvis Presley's version of "Blue Moon" proved unavailable due to the ongoing lawsuits involving his estate.
2. The legal disclaimer in the closing credits reads, "Any resemblance to any persons living, dead, or undead is coincidental". This was also placed at the end of another John Landis project: Thriller (1983) (TV), which was reportedly inspired by this film.
3. David Naughton was reportedly cast because John Landis had seen him in a television commercial for Dr. Pepper. I remember this commercial! He also had a top 40 hit song!! He was on a TV show in '79 called "Makin' It" and he sang the theme song. 8)
4. In 1997, the movie was re-recorded as a Radio drama by Audio Movies Limited for BBC Radio 1 in England. It was broadcast during Halloween that year, in short snippets throughout the day. Brian Glover, John Woodvine and Jenny Agutter reprised their roles from the movie.
5. Studio executives hoped John Landis would cast Dan Aykroyd in the role of David and John Belushi as Jack. John Landis refused.
6. John Landis came up with a film following an incident while shooting Kelly's Heroes (1970) in the countryside of Yugoslavia. While driving along a country road with a colleague, Landis encountered a gypsy funeral. The body was being buried in a massively deep grave, feet first, while wrapped in garlic, so as he would not rise from the dead.
7. Director Cameo: [John Landis] appears briefly near the end of the film. He is the bearded man who gets hit by a car and thrown through the plate glass window in Piccadilly Circus.
8. When trying to call home, the telephone number that David Kessler gives the operator (516-472-3402) contains a Long Island, New York area code. It is also an unusual case where an actual phone number is used.
9. At the very end of the film, an advertisement for Universal Studios is shown along with a suggestion to "Ask for Babs". This is a reference to a "Where are they Now" item featured towards the end of Animal House (1978), another film by John Landis.
10. This is the first film to earn the Academy Award for Best Makeup. That category was created in 1981.
11. The final look of the werewolf beast was based on make-up creator Rick Baker's dog Bosko.
12. The Werewolf Howl that was used for the film, was a combination of a actual wolf and an elephant, it was also said it was played backwards by the producer 'George Folsey Jr'. in the "Beware The Moon" documentary. Director John Landis also stated on the "Beware The Moon" Documentary that the Howl was a combination of 7 or 8 different animals.
13. Frank Oz, who's know for voicing Fozzy Bear and Yoda, plays Mr. Collins of the American embassy, who attempts to console David. His voice is also heard later, during the Muppet Show.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Night 29 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

A special welcome to everyone from The Witches Tea Party blog party hosted by Frosted Petunias. We hope you enjoy tonight's movie with your tea.

Welcome to night 29 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Items - Black Cat on Orange Silver Pendant, Black Cat on Red Silver Pendant and Black Cat on Orange Retro Ring

Black Cat on Orange Silver Pendant $12
Black Cat on Red Silver Pendant $12
Black Cat on Orange Retro Ring $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 29 - Christine


Tagline - Body by Plymouth. Soul by Satan.

              She'll possess you. Then destroy you. She's
              death on wheels. She's...

              Once she lures you behind her
              wheel...You're all hers.

              Hell hath no Fury...like a 1958 Plymouth.

              How do you kill something that can't
              possibly be alive?
*******

John Carpenter (In the Mouth of Madness, Vampires and Ghost of Mars) directed this film version of a Stephen King novel. Released on December 9, 1983 by Columbia Pictures (rated R). Arnie (Keith Gordon) is a loser until he meets Christine. Despite his best friend Dennis' (John Stockwell) attempts to stop him, Arnie buys the broken down Plymouth Fury and falls in love. Unfortunately, Christine is a jealous lover and Arnie's world quickly spins out of control.
*******

This is one of my favorite movies. It's not too scary and the blood factor is very low. It's just a great little story. I know it varies greatly from the novel, but if you haven't read it then you're none the wiser. The nostalgia level is very high and probably one of the main reasons it appeals to me. Being a big fan of the 50's I love the Fury and all the great music she plays. Plus it's also a great look back at the late 70's. The cars they drive and the music they use (mostly 70's remakes of 50's songs) are all great. And John Stockwell was just so cute! Some of you might remember him from a few movies around this time (North and South miniseries, My Science Project and Top Gun). Now he directs movies and every now and then pops up in them. The movie is a bygone era on a few levels and I love it.

Arnie's transformation from nerd to obsession is very effective and interesting to watch. My favorite part is when Arnie says to Christine "Show me" and she proceeds to fix herself. Too cool.
*******

1. Scott Baio was considered to play Arnie Cunningham and Brooke Shields was considered for Leigh Cabot. But the film makers involved all felt the movie would be better served by casting "unknowns". (Thank goodness!!!)
2. Although over 5300 Furys were built in 1958 they have since become very rare and are now collector's items. About 13 of the 25 Furys used were smashed in the making of the movie upsetting many Plymouth lovers!
3. Arnie's nemesis, Detective Rudolph Junkins, also drives a Plymouth Fury. The car Detective Rudolph Junkins is driving when he meets Arnie in the high-school parking lot is a 1977 or 1978 Plymouth Fury - a popular police car of the late 1970s.
4. Stephen King's popularity was such at the time that the film went into production before the book was even published.
5. To simulate the car regenerating itself, hydraulic pumps were installed on the inside of some of the film's numerous Plymouth Fury "stunt doubles", a mock-up in plastic that looked more like metal on camera than actual metal as it bent and deformed. These pumps were attached to cables, which were in turn attached to the cars' bodywork and when they compressed, they would "suck" the paneling inwards. Footage of the inward crumpling body was then reversed, giving the appearance of the car spontaneously retaking form.
6. Kevin Bacon was offered the lead role but ended up choosing Footloose (1984) instead.
7. According to Bill Phillips on the DVD Documentary, the movie technically didn't have enough violence to justify an "R" rating. But they were afraid that if the movie went out with a PG rating (PG-13 didn't exist yet), then nobody would go to see the movie. So he purposely inserted the word "f#*k" and all its derivatives in order to get the "R" rating. He then commented that they were criticized at the time for their use of the word in the film.
8. As a joke, 'Alexandra Paul (I)''s twin sister, Caroline Paul, stood in for her during some scenes, most notably the ride on the bulldozer.
9. Stephen King suffered a near fatal car collision in 1999. In an example of life imitating art, King bought the van that struck him and personally beat it with a baseball bat before sending it to the junkyard to be destroyed.
10. After reading over the book, actor Keith Gordon (Arnie) and the costume designer came up with a visual way to show Arnie being possessed by Christine. As the movie progresses, Arnie begins to wear clothes that reflect the era of Christine's make. At various points, especially when Arnie is yelling at Leigh on the phone, Arnie is seen wearing button up shirts open with black t-shirts, black pants, and boots like a 1950's "greaser". When he's talking to Junkins (both times), he's wearing a leather vest over a button up shirt (a nod to western TV shows which were popular in the 50's), and he even starts to wear a red suede jacket similar to James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
11. In the original novel, the car had four doors but was changed to a two-door model when it was realized that there never was a four-door 1958 Plymouth Fury.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Night 28 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 28 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Item - Cute 'n Spooky Halloween Charm Bracelet

Cute 'n Spooky Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 28 - Halloween


Tagline - The Night he came home
              He's come back
              The trick was to stay alive
*******

Written and Directed by John Carpenter (The Fog, Starman and Big Trouble in Little China) and released on October 25, 1978 by Compass International Pictures (rated R). In 1963 little Mikey chops up his sister on Halloween for no apparent reason. Now it's 15 years later and Michael has come home to Haddenfeild, IL for another round. Escaping from the institution he had been living in, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) returns to his home town to wreak havoc on a group on teenagers. Our leading teen, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), is great at ignoring all the obvious signs that something is wrong and just going about her day. The little boy she is babysitting keep telling her he sees the boogieman outside but he's told to shut up. As all of Laurie's friends start to die around her she starts to realize that indeed the boogieman does exist. And he doesn't die very easily!
*******

This film just works. Slightly dated which adds to the creepiness, a very scary villain and a bunch of dumb teenagers. I mean really, if they weren't dumb we wouldn't have much of a movie would we?

The music is great and completely creepy. The atmosphere is perfect and the suspense is high (unless you've seen it too many times and know where everything happens). I love the way Michael just appears out of the dark. Sometimes you don't even realize he's there right away. It really is one of the only characters that truly scares me. While I wonder why I would continue to watch something that bothers me on a certain level, I always find myself coming back to it year after year. I guess we need that healthy dose of fear and preferably on the screen where it can't actually hurt us!

The original and it's sequel are both great. You can skip part 3 as it has nothing to do with any of the characters from the original. Part 4 was the first one I ever saw and I still like that one. Part 5 and 6 get pretty darn bad but part 6 was Paul Rudd's first movie so that's fun. Part 7 or H2O was to be the final chapter of the series. I love this one and it's a fun and great end to everything. But it was too much of a success that Hollywood had to make Part 8. Watch it once if you haven't seen it so you can say you saw them all then forget about it!
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. This was Jamie Lee Curtis' film debut.
2. The movie was on such a tight budget that they used the cheapest Halloween mask they could buy. It happened to be a Captain Kirk mask that they spray painted, teased up the hair and readjusted the eye holes. Somehow it makes me feel a little less scared if I just remember it's William Shatner's face there. How can that not make you giggle?
3. The movie the kid's are watching on TV is 1951's The Thing which John Carpenter would remake in 1982.
4. The character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.
5. There are some names that are taken from Psycho in this movie. Dr. Loomis shares the same last name as Marion's boyfriend in Psycho. There is a character here named Marion Chambers a combination of two Psycho characters. And of course, Jamie Lee Curtis is Janet Leighs' daughter.
6. Halloween was shot in 21 days in April of 1978. Made on a budget of $320,000, it became the highest-grossing independent movie ever made at that time.
7. According to screenwriter/producer Debra Hill, the character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Night 27 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 27 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vintage Bats Silver Pendant

Vintage Bats Silver Pendant $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 27 - Shadow of the Vampire


Tagline - An Unspeakable Horror. A Creative Genius.
              Captured For Eternity.
*******

Directed by E. Elias Merhige (Suspect Zero) and released on January 26, 2001 by Lions Gate Films (rated R). Was the reason that the 1922 film Nosferatu was so effective because actor Max Schreck really was a Vampire? Hmmmmmm....
*******

Willem Dafoe, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated actors around. This movie shows how amazing he can be. It's an interesting take on the filming of the classic "Nosferatu". What if the movie was so convincing because the lead actor really was a Vampire? If you haven't seen it, do! It's a great piece of work. Willem Dafoe is almost unrecognisable as Max Schreck.
*******
 
Some trivia about the movie...
1. The locomotive that conveys the film crew to Czechoslovakia is named "Charon". In Greek myth, Charon was the ferryman who conveyed the souls of the dead across the river Styx.
2. The part of Max Schreck was written specifically for Willem Dafoe
3. Udo Kier, who appears as Albin Grau, played the Count himself in Blood for Dracula (a.k.a. Blood for Dracula) and Vampire Elder Dragonetti in Blade
4. Willem Dafoe was hired as The Green Goblin in Spider-Man after the producers watched his performance in this film.
5. The music played on the phonograph to set the mood for the actors in some of the scenes is the soundtrack of Dracula written by John Williams.
6. Based in part upon a legend that Max Schreck was in reality a vampire which is why he played the role of Orlock/Dracula so well. Some variations of the legend suggest that Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens was the only film Schreck made, though in reality he was already a stage and screen veteran by the time Nosferatu was shot, and would appear in many non-Vampiric roles before his death in 1936.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Night 26 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 26 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Item - Ultimate Zombie Charm Bracelet

Ultimate Zombie Charm Bracelet $65

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 26 - The Evil Dead


Tagline - The Ultimate Experience In Grueling Terror
              Can They Be Stopped?
*******

Written and directed by Sam Raimi (Darkman, The Gift and Spiderman I,II&III) and released on April 15, 1983 by New Line Cinema (original rating X, 1994 rating NC-17). A group of friends head into the woods to spend the weekend in a "rustic" cabin. After finding a book and tape recorder in the cellar they make the mistake of listening to the recorded tape. Soon they have unleashed a woods full of demons ready to wreak havoc. The only one who seems untouched by the evil is our hero Ash (Bruce Campbell). Can he save his friends and himself from the evil that surrounds them? Hmmmm...it ain't lookin' good!
*******

The first time I watched this movie it was on SciFi channel and it made little impression on me. I just didn't see what people were making a fuss about. Over the next few years I continued to hear people talk about their love of it and their love of Bruce Campbell. Then I heard an interview with Bruce on a local radio morning show and I decided I needed to give it another shot. Being a huge horror fan I obviously just missed something the first time. So one weekend I went out and rented all three of The Evil Dead movies and watched them in a row. I was immediately under the charm of Bruce Campbell and these movies and well, the rest is history.

If you have never seen this movie before here's what you need to know. This is a low budget movie. The writing is not great nor is the acting. The effects are greatly outdated by today's standards. This is a B horror film. But, if you like your horror with a bit of cheese then I highly suggest you give this one a try. Be warned that there is blood flying, pouring, oozing and gushing all through the movie. It was billed as "The ultimate experience in grueling horror" and it is a very brutal movie. While there is plenty to make you giggle at there is also plenty to turn your stomach. If you make it to the end and feel game there are two more in the series. Evil Dead II (not really a sequel it's more like a remake. A very unique movie!) and Army of Darkness (less gore more silliness).

Not to be missed is the great style of Sam Raimi's filming. Most noticeable in the last 10 - 15 minutes of the film. The tilted camera angles, the rushing camera shots and the framing of shots using the door frames is just beautiful film making.

And Bruce Campbell is just too cute. I became a follower of his from these movies and he has remained one of my favorite. Since he lives here in Oregon, we usually get a stop on his promotional tours. It's always great fun to get to see Bruce and his latest work. Make sure to check him out on USA channel's Burn Notice.
*******
 
Some trivia about the movie...
1. After completing principal photography in the winter of 1979-1980, most of the actors left the production. However, there was still much of the film to be completed. Most of the second half of the film features Bruce Campbell and various stand-ins (or "shemps") to replace the actors who left.
2. Director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell were friends from high school, where they made many super-8 films together. They would often collaborate with Sam's brother Ted Raimi. Campbell became the "actor" of the group, as "he was the one that girls wanted to look at." (I've seen some of these super-8 films. Great fun!)
3. The opening sequence of the evil moving over the pond, is actually Bruce Campbell pushing Sam Raimi in a dingy whilst he films the shot.
4. Was one of the first films to be labeled as a "Video Nasty" in the UK.
5. There's a ripped poster of The Hills Have Eyes (1977) visible. Ostensibly, this was in reference to a ripped poster for Jaws (1975) that appeared in that film; Sam Raimi and the others interpreted that as Wes Craven suggesting that "Hills" was much more frightening than "Jaws", thus they showed a ripped "Hills" poster because their film was to be even scarier yet.
6. A closet is opened and a T-shirt with the word "Tamakwa" is visible. Director Sam Raimi went to Camp Tamakwa as a child. The movie "Indian Summer" is a tribute to his summers at Tamakwa and is a movie well worth watching. One of my favorites! Sam plays "Stick" in it and it makes me cry laughing just thinking about the character. 8)
7. The film was given an X rating when it was finished. Not wanting the label of X on their film they went ahead and released it as unrated.
8. In 2006, The Evil Dead (1981) was turned into a Broadway musical.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Night 25 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 25 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Item - Bride of Frankenstein Necklace

Bride of the Monster Necklace Style A $22

Bride of the Monster Necklace Style B $23

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 25 - May


Tagline - If you can't find a friend... make one.

              Be Careful... She Just Might Take Your
              Heart.
*******

Directed by Lucky McKee (The Woods and Red) and released on June 6, 2003 by Lions Gate Films (rated R). May (Angela Bettis) has always been "different" and has trouble finding friends. Her best friend is Suzy a creepy old doll kept inside a glass box. May tries so hard to connect with the people around her like Adam (Jeremy Sisto) the boy she likes and Polly (Anna Faris) the girl she works with. But no one seems to understand May and no one sticks around for long. As May's mother once told her "If you can't find a friend make one".
*******

This is a wonderful movie. It's so much more than a horror film. Angela Bettis is so good in her role as May that you can't help feeling for this character. We can all see a little bit of ourselves in her. The wanting to be accepted, trying to get the attention of a certain boy, wanting someone to like you for who you are and all the other insecure feelings we all have. May just happens to be a little closer to the edge of sanity then most. It's both sad and scary to watch her slide into madness.

The look of the film and the music work well. There is some blood but it's not over the top. It's just used effectively. The scene with the blind children, Suzy and May it just hard for me to watch but wonderfully done. The best scene here will come at the very end of the last scene. The first time I saw it I was creeped out. It is so unexpected and so wrong on so many levels!!! It's subtle but very effective. You should really go check this one out.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Director Cameo: [Lucky McKee] The man with his girlfriend in the elevator, both times.
2. Originally the film opened with a lengthy introduction to May as a child. But when the film appeared to be taking too long to get to its point, most of those scenes were cut. The opening with the adult May, specifically the first scene with her and her doll, were shot quickly and only to make the point that May was lonely as quickly as possible.
3. The scene where Blank and May meet was a re-shoot. In the original scene, May was not cold and vague, but angry, and insulted people as they walked by on the street. The scene ended with the two of them in the park. That scene is still in the film but entirely replaced and reedited. It is now the scene where Adam and May meet and have there final talk in the park. The scene is told only through close ups, with both May and Adam glancing off camera. They were originally looking at Blank who was sitting beside her. But he was edited out of the scene completely.
4. There is a movie called "Roman" which is directed by Angela Bettis and stars Lucky McKee. A reversal of roles.
5. The teenage girl who asks May "got any cold ones in there" is dressed up as a zombie cheerleader in the exact same costume and makeup from Lucky McKee's very first movie, _All Cheerleaders Must Die (2001) (V).

Monday, October 24, 2011

Night 24 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 24 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Item - Werewolves Make Better Boyfriends Silver Pendant

Werewolves Make Better Boyfriends Silver Pendant $12
Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 24 - The Howling


Tagline - Imagine your worst fear a reality
*******
 
Joe Dante (Piranha, Gremlins I/II and Explorers ) directs this film version of the novel by Gary Brandner. Released on April 10, 1981 by AVCO Embassy Pictures (rated R). A TV reporter, Karen White (Dee Wallace), is traumatized by an attack from a mass murderer. She can not remember what happened that night but is haunted by nightmares of it. At the suggestion of her doctor, Karen and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) take a vacation to The Colony. A little retreat for those who need to relax and heal. Maybe here she can get her memory back. Does she really want it back? Does she really want to know the truth about The Colony? Does she really have any choice? We know better.
*******

I really enjoy this movie. It plays out like a traditional scary movie. Spooky woods, creepy music, strange natives and big furry villains. The effects still hold up and when Eddie changes into a big werewolf standing on two legs, well that's just good stuff! This film did get overshadowed a bit by "An American Werewolf in London" being released, with a bigger budget, around the same time.

While I love AAWIL it takes nothing away from this film. The Howling is scary and fun and a must for the Halloween season.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Many of the character names are named after Werewolf movie directors.
2. There is a book placed near a phone during one scene: Allen Ginsberg's "Howl".
3. A photo of Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolfman for Universal Pictures) is seen on the wall in the doctor's office when Terri calls Christopher.
4. The book Bill is reading in bed is "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe.
5. One character is seen eating from a can of Wolf brand chili.
6. There is a picture of a wolf attacking a flock of sheep above Karen and Bill's bed.
7. The art director had previously worked on "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and many of the set dressings were used here in "The Howling". Most noticeable is the corpse sitting in the arm chair at the bookstore.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Night 23 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 23 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.


Tonight's Featured Item - Halloween Time Charm Bracelet
 

Halloween Time Charm Bracelet $45
Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 23 - The Shining


Tagline - A Masterpiece Of Modern Horror

              The Horror is driving him crazy
*******

Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket) directed this film version of Stephen King's best selling novel. Released May 23, 1980 by Warner Brothers Pictures (rated R). Recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has accepted a job as winter caretaker of the grand Overlook Hotel in an attempt to put his life back on track. The hotel manager warns him of the long and lonely winter ahead as he and his family will be alone there for the five month off-season. Jack assures him it's just what he needs to work on his writing. The manager also informs him of a little "mishap" that happened to the last winter caretaker and his family. Jack laughs this off and is sure his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) will find it fascinating.


As the snow sets in and the months start to pass Jack finds himself feeling more at home in the Overlook then he expected. Wendy quickly realize that something is not right with Jack. Their son Danny (Danny Lloyd), born with the gift of "shining", is learning that something is very wrong with the Overlook and it's "guests" that still reside there.
*******

Being a fan of the book there are some aspects of this movie version that I don't care for. Jack seems to not like his family from the start and he almost changes into a crazy man overnight. A little more of a transition into madness would have been nice.
That being said I really do like this movie. It's creepy, creepy and then a bit more creepy! What really makes this movie creepy is the time period. I never could put my finger on it when I was a teenager as to why it left me with an unpleasant feeling. As I got older I began to realize it's the late 70's look of it. The colors and the patterns of the floors, walls and furniture. The color and the style of the clothing. And the fact that the film used makes the colors look a little off or maybe too vivid.

I liken it to when you were younger and you went to visit your grandparents. The ones that still lived in that old house with the furniture from many decades past. The one where you open the door and an instant musty smell filled your nose. That's how I think the Overlook would feel like now. While grand in it's day, now it's outdated and needs to be aired out. The dated wall paper would be pealing around the edges and the bathroom tiles would be old an worn looking. While it was high fashion when the movie was made now it just adds to the uneasiness of it.

I also love the mini series they made in 1997. It stared Steven Weber (Wings (tv) and Single White Female), a personal favorite of mine, and was very faithful to the novel. If you're a fan of the book this version should appeal to you. I thought it was great.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon stood in for the exterior shots of the Overlook. Being from Portland I take great pride in seeing Timberline up there on the screen. It should be noted though that all interior shots of the hotel were filmed on a sound stage in London. So if you should visit Timberline don't expect the inside to look the same and don't expect to find room 237. Afraid that no one would want to stay in the room after the film came out, the management asked that the original room number, 217, be changed to something else. 237 was picked as there was no existing room with that number.
2. The opening scene of the Volkswagen driving is shot in Glacier National Park, Montana. The road is know as the "Going-to-the-sun" road.
3. The area that the set for the Colorado Lounge, where Jack does his typing, was built was also used as the Well of the Souls in Raiders of the lost ark.
4. The interior of the Overlook was made to look like bits and pieces of real hotels. The Colorado Lounge was modeled on the lounge at the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite Valley. It resembled it so well that people entering the Ahwanee often asked "is this the Shining hotel?"
5. The US version had Jack typing the same line "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over. In the Italian version it's "He who wakes up early meets a golden day". In the German version it's "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today". The Spanish version has "Rising early will not make dawn sooner". The French went with "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
6. Stephen King has said that the name was inspired by the John Lennon song "Instant Karma" which features the chorus "We all shine on".

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Night 22 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

A special welcome to everyone from the Fanciful Twist Halloween Blog Party. We hope you enjoy the Halloween fun we've been having here at Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Welcome to night 22 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Haunted House Charm Bracelet

Haunted House Charm Bracelet $48

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 22 - The 'Burbs

 
Tagline - Life In The Burbs Will Never Be The Same
              Again!

              He's a stranger in an even stranger land...
              Suburbia
*******
 
Joe Dante (The Howling and Gremlins) directed this comedy-thriller released on February 17, 1989 by Universal Studios. Suburbanite Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) is setting in for a week long vacation of relaxing at home. That is until strange things start to happen in the house next door. The Klopek family, a very "private" people, have just moved in and they don't take kindly to their nosey neighbors. Ray starts to suspect something is not right when the neighborhood grouch goes missing. Despite his wife Carol's (Carrie Fisher) insistence that he needs to leave the house and take a real vacation, Ray is determined to stay at home and solve the mystery. With the help of Art (Rick Ducommun), the neighbor who helps himself to the contents of every one's fridge, and Rumsfeild (Bruce Dern), the over-excited ex-soldier, Ray will set out to find out just what is really going on next door.
*******

This movie is a great example of when comedies were slightly silly but very funny and Tom Hanks was goofy and made you laugh. The scene where he eats the anchovy just makes me laugh so hard I about cry. The sound effects are priceless and just add to the unpleasantness of it.


Yes, it's a bygone era that is very much missed. OK, so maybe I don't miss Corey Feldman too much (yep, he's in there too). It's always nice to have comedy mixed with a little spookiness. If you haven't seen it you should.
*******
 
Some trivia about the movie...
1. The back lot at Universal where they filmed "The Burbs" has been used for many TV shows and movies. It was the street for "Leave it to Beaver" and most recently it is Wisteria Lane for "Desperate Housewives". Keep an eye open for the Munster's house. I believe it's the house Corey Feldman's character lives in. I know you can see it at the beginning when the camera pans the street. It's was a light blue at that point in time.
2. When the Peterson's son Dave is eating breakfast you can see a box of "Gremlins" cereal on the counter in the background. Joe Dante directed Gremlins in 1984 and Corey Feldman was also in it. Did they really have a Gremlins cereal? Wow, how did I miss that?
3. When Ray and Art break into Walter's house, a picture of Walter (Gale Gordon) and Lucille Ball is on the table. Ball and Gordon co-starred in the 1948 radio show "My Favorite Husband" and TV's The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy, and Life with Lucy.
4. In the Klopek basement there is a sled with the name Rosebud - a reference to Citizen Kane.
5. The movies that Ray watches while lying down are Race with the Devil, _The Excorcist (1973)_, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
6. This is the only Universal film to include the Universal logo at the end of the film.
7. Prop master Mark Jameson was charged with making fake dog poop when the actors complained that they didn't want to step in the real thing. He made a mixture of canned dog food, bean dip, and other items. It was loaded into caulking tubes and squeezed out where needed.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Night 21 of the "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 21 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Halloween at Midnight Charm Bracelet

Halloween at Midnight Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 21 - Near Dark


Tagline - Killing you would be easy, they'd rather
              terrify you...forever.

              Vampires can only kill you once, but they
              can terrify you forever.

              ...pray for daylight.
*******

Directed by Kathryn Biglow (The Hurt Locker and Point Break) and released on October 2, 1987 by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (rated R). Cowboy (Adrian Pasdar) meets girl. Girl bites boy. Boy doesn't want to become Vampire. Ain't life rough?
*******

This is a darkly fun little film about a cowboy who ends up part of a wicked and nasty Vampire family. Bill Paxton, a long time favorite here, steals the show. His "finger lickin' good" line is classic and he sports his best Jim Morrison look when he's hitchin' a ride.

Lance Henriksen also plays one of the family. If you follow horror you'll know him from Aliens, Pumpkin Head, Millennium (tv show) and lots more!
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Unusual for a vampire movie, the word "vampire" is never mentioned.
2. The writer and director both were intent on making a Western but realized that the interest in the Western genre at the time was almost non-existent, so it was recommended that they mix genres. Since the horror genre was in vogue at the time, the two decided to make a Horror Western.
3. As Caleb staggers through town, just before the bus stop scene - the cinema behind him in showing Aliens which also featured Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein.
4. Was the last movie produced and released by DEG (DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group) as the studio went bankrupt. As a result, the film did not receive much publicity during its release in the fall of 1987 which lead, in turn, to its box office failure.
5. Both Johnny Depp and D.B. Sweeney auditioned for the role of Caleb.
6. Michael Biehn (Aliens) was offered the role of Jesse Hooker but turned it down because he was not satisfied with the script.
7. According to the Making of Near Dark that appears on the DVD, the fog under Adrian Pasdar's shirt was caused by a complicated series of tubes leading to five lit cigars under his shirt.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Night 20 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 20 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vintage Witch Charm Bracelet

Vintage Witch Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 20 - Rosemary's Baby



Tagline - Pray for Rosemary's Baby
*******
 
Roman Polanski directed this film adaptation of Ira Levin's bestselling horror novel. Released on June 12 1968 by Paramount Studios. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her not-so-successful actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), move into a Gothic apartment building in New York called The Bramford. Of course, they were told of The Bramford's reputation for odd going-ons but they happily ignore it. After an unfortunate "accident" happens their neighbors, Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon), soon invade their lives. After Guy starts spending far too much time with the Castevets he begins to land acting roles. When Rosemary becomes pregnant she starts to become suspicious of her surroundings and the people who inhabit it.
*******
 
This is one of my favorite thrillers. And yes, my mother's name is Rosemary. Muuhaahaa
 
Everything works here. The mood is one of uneasiness and paranoia as we watch Rosemary fall deeper and deeper into the world of The Bramford. Mia Farrow does such a great job that you can't help but feel everything she's feeling right along with her. Adding to the look of the film are the colorful outfits and home decor of the era. A great treat.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...

1. The building used for The Bramford is the famous Dakota building in New York City. Many will remember it as the place John Lennon was living and was shot in front of.
2. Vidal Sassoon created the now famous "Pixie" cut for Mia Farrow to wear in the movie.
3. William Castle (famously know for his low budget movies such as "House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler and I Saw What You Did") owned the movie rights to the novel but Paramount would only agree to green-light the movie if he agreed not to direct it. He did however have a cameo in the film as "The man near the phone booth".
4. Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby.
5. Mia Farrow received divorce papers while filming. She was married to Frank Sinatra at the time.
6. Ruth Gordon won a well deserved Oscar for her role as the over friendly neighbor "Minnie".
7. Oscar-nominated editor Sam O'Steen would later direct the sequel, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby.
8. This was Roman Polanski's very first adaptation, and it is very faithful to the novel. Pieces of dialog, color schemes and clothes are taken verbatim.
9. Mia Farrow actually ate raw liver for a scene in the movie.
10. Rosemary's baby was born in June 1966 (6/66).
11. Tony Curtis is the voice on the phone of the actor who is struck blind by a witch's curse so that Rosemary's husband can get an acting job.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Night 19 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 19 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Cute Monsters Charm Bracelet

Cute Monsters Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 19 - The Thing



Tagline - What you fear most... is among you.

              Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.

              The ultimate in alien terror.
*******

Directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, Christine and Escape from New York) and released on June 25, 1982 by Universal Pictures (rated R). A group of American scientists up in the Antarctic have their day interrupted by a helicopter trying to shoot a dog. The helicopter crashes and no is left to explain just what the heck was going on. Strange, but not enough to make any of these guys worry much. Head honcho MacReady (Kurt Russell) takes a couple others over to the base camp the helicopter came from to see what they can find out. Meanwhile the dog is left to roam around unattended. Surely there's nothing to worry about there!

It doesn't take long for strange things to start happening around camp and soon there is enough blood and guts flying to make an ooey goey mess.
*******

This film is a fairly faithful remake of the 1951 "The Thing from Another World". Both film versions are based on a short story called "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr. I remember getting my parents to take me to see "Blade Runner" at the Drive In (I was a huge Harrison Ford fan) and "The Thing" was the second bill. Horror films were too scary for me at that point in life so I went to sleep in the back seat when it started. My parents stuck it out for about 30 minutes before they shook their heads and left.

This is a very bloody movie and I wouldn't suggest trying to eat while watching it. While the special effects are a bit outdated by today's standards it still works. I'd rather have these effects than some poorly done CGI.

The movie plays out like a traditional scary movie and has lots of jumps and scares. Everyone is paranoid and suspicious which makes it all the more hard to figure out who is the next to go. Best of all Kurt Russell is looking young, cute and sporting his best Grizzly Addams look. How bad could it be?
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. This is one of the few Universal movies that do not start with the Universal logo.
2. This is the first movie that John Carpenter did not score himself. Though it would be hard to tell as it sounds almost identical to that signature John Carpenter sound.
3. The opening title exactly duplicates the original 1951 film. To create the effect of the title, an animation cell with "The Thing" written on it was placed behind a fish tank filled with smoke that was covered with a plastic garbage bag. The garbage bag was ignited, creating the effect of the title burning onto the screen.
4. The original movie, The Thing from Another World, took place at the North Pole. This version takes place at the South Pole.
5. Donald Pleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.
6. To give the illusion of icy Antarctic conditions, interior sets on the Los Angeles sound stages were refrigerated down to 40 F while it was well over 100 F outside.
7. This film is considered a benchmark in the field of special makeup effects. These effects were created by Rob Bottin, who was only 22 when he started the project.
8. While discussing the character of MacReady, director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell discussed having MacReady be a former Vietnam chopper pilot who had felt displaced by his service in Vietnam. This ultimately did not make it into the finished film.
9. In August 2003 a couple of hard-core fans, Todd Cameron and Steve Crawford, ventured to the remote filming location in Stewart, British Columbia and, after 21 years, found remains of Outpost #31 and the Norwegian helicopter. The rotor blade from the chopper now belongs to Todd and rests in his collection of memorabilia from the film.
10. There are no female characters in the film. The only female presence in the movie is in the voice of MacReady's chess computer and the contestants seen on the game show that Palmer watches. A scene containing a blow-up doll was filmed and then left on the cutting room floor. According to John Carpenter, only one crew member was female but she was pregnant and this forced her to leave the shoot; she was replaced by a male.
11. There is a character name "Mac" and another named "Windows"; since the film was made in 1982, this is purely coincidental.
12. Nick Nolte turned down the role of MacReady, as did Jeff Bridges.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Night 18 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 18 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Zombie Necklace and Zombie Pinup Retro Ring.

Zombie Necklace $28

Zombie Pinup Retro Ring $12

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 18 - Return of the Living Dead



Tagline - They're Back From The Grave and Ready To
              Party!
*******

Directed by Dan O'Bannon and released on August 16, 1985 by Orion Pictures Corporation (rated R). While working his first day at a medical warehouse, Freddy (Thom Mathews) learns about the top secret toxic bodies down in the basement from co-worker Frank (James Karen). What else is there to do but go look at them and oops...accidentally set them and the toxins free. Meanwhile, Freddy's wannabe punk rocker friends are waiting for him across the street in the graveyard. Bad place to be when the toxins hit those bodies and well, you know the story.
*******

This has been a long time favorite of mine. I loved it when I saw it on video way back when and was pleasantly surprised that it has held up over the years. Yes, this is a big slice of stinky cheese. The acting is bad, the writing is bad and the outfits....eeeh! The 80's! But if you are a fan of the Living Dead movies, and you can appreciate a great bad movie, then you have to give this a try. It makes me laugh and the soundtrack is great.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Tobe Hooper was originally slated to direct and it was supposed to be filmed in 3-D. Aaah! I did not know this. That would have been soooo cool!!!
2. The eye-test poster (seen most clearly after Frank and Freddy run into Burt's office after hearing the first re-animated cadaver) in Burt's office actually reads "Burt is a slave driver and a cheap son of a b*#ch who's got you and me here" if you put the letters together.
3. Some of the zombie extras were paid more to eat real calf brains in the film. Dan O'Bannon didn't want the actors to do anything he wasn't willing to do and ate some raw calf brains first in front of them.
4. After the "rabid weasels" are brought into the Resurrection Funeral Home and the tarp is removed, what is actually in the bags are those motorized toy monkeys that have the cymbals. The cymbals were removed for obvious reasons.
5. The film's German title is "Verdammt, die Zombies kommen", which is roughly "Oh Crap, the Zombies Are Coming" and the Danish title is "Ligene er ligeglade" which is roughly "The Dead Don't Care" - playing up the comical aspect of the film.
6. On the back of Freddy's jacket, in the theatrical version, the words "F#&k You" are displayed. After realizing that the shot could not be used in case it was ever shown on TV, a second jacket was made that says "Television Version" and can be seen in the TV version of the movie.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Night 17 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

Welcome to night 17 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - I Heart Werewolves Silver Pendant.

I Heart Werewolves Silver Pendant $12
Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 17 - Cursed


Tagline - What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

              Have you ever felt like you're not human
              anymore?
*******

Directed by Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream) and released on February 25, 2005 by Dimension Films (rated PG-13 and released on video as unrated). Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) are attacked one night while trying to rescue a woman from a car accident. Strange feeling are starting to happen to them both since that night. Could that possibly have been a werewolf that attacked them? Hmmmmm... what do you think?
*******

I expected a lot more from this the first time seeing it since it had Wes Craven's name on it. But on a second viewing, where there were no expectations of it, I actually found it fun to watch. It has hummor and lots of furry werewolves running around. While werewolves don't fair too well with the new computer graphics effects there are plenty of non computerized effects too curtisey of Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London).

And it has Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) from Smallville in it with a pretty bad wig as he was still clean shaven for Smallville. Hehehe. A personal favorite of mine.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Plagued by production problems and script issues, this film's release was delayed for over a year. Over half of the movie had to be re-shot with many cast members being replaced due to scheduling conflicts.
2. Mandy Moore was originally cast as Jenny and even filmed her scenes, but was replaced by Mya when the production was halted so the script could be rewritten.
3. When the production was stalled, many cast members were cut, including Illeana Douglas, Heather Langenkamp, Scott Foley, Omar Epps, Robert Forster, James Brolin and Corey Feldman. All of these actors even filmed their scenes which were cut when the movie was re-written and re-shot.
4. Skeet Ulrich originally had a role as the third lead, Christina Ricci's love interest, however when the film was re-scripted and preparing to re-shoot, he was unsatisfied with his characters changes and chose to drop out of the film. His character was then written out altogether.
5. Props of Freddy Krueger and the Elm Street house from Wes Craven's earlier film _Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984)_ can be seen in the background at Tinseltown during the first scene.
6. The original plot line had three strangers brought together by a car accident in the Hollywood Hills and the subsequent attack of a werewolf. The three characters were named Ellie Hudson (Christina Ricci), Vince Winston (Skeet Ulrich) and Jimmy Myers (Jesse Eisenberg). When the script was re-written, the plot changed and focused on two estranged siblings who had to fight a curse after a werewolf attack. Skeet Ulrich's character was totally re-written and renamed Jake. Since Ellie and Jimmy became brother and sister, Ellie's surname was deleted and became Myers.
7. The cane on display in the beginning of the movie is the same one used in Storm of the Century by Stephen King.
8. In the beginning of the film, Jake shows Ellie a prop iron maiden. The prop is an exact replica of the iron maiden used in the 1960's The Addams Family TV show. Coincidentally, Christina Ricci was in The Addams Family.
9. After the first scene at Tinsel with Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jake, there's a slow pan of the city. The lights clearly form a pentagram.