Friday, July 25, 2014

Fear Friday ~ The Slaughtered Lamb??? How Was This Not A Warning Sign!!!


Welcome to Laughing Vixen Lounge. Come on inside and enjoy this week's Fear Friday review. July is coming to a close and so is our Vacation Nightmares theme. All this month we have visited some very unpleasant places with some not so bright tourists. This week brings us a classic that takes us to jolly old England with a couple of backpackers that have trouble following directions! So get cozy, dim the lights and for goodness sake... stay clear the moors!!!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy),  Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me now what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


July - Vacation Nightmares

Fear Friday - 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 upsetting the locals they are sent out into the cold wet night with one simple warning. Will the boys be able to follow this warning or will they soon find out what the locals were warning them about?

The last of our Vacation Nightmares movies brings us a classic from the Werewolf genre. The previous movies built on the fear of being at the mercy of not knowing the local language and not being able to communicate. This time our tourists, back packers from the US, are visiting a country that speaks the same language, England. So when the locals warn the boys to "Beware the moon and stick to the road." they have no excuse for not paying attention.

In no time flat David and Jack are off wandering the moors in the middle of the night with a full moon *wink* to light their way. Laughing and joking soon becames panic and fear as the sounds of something stalking them becomes louder and closer. Lost on the moors they are at the mercy of their own stupidity and the werewolf that is about to eat them!

The base of the movie is David trying to deal with the fact that he is changing into a werewolf. Visited by the many that have died during his midnight walkabouts David is told what he must do to end the madness. The visits from the dead are some of the most entertaining moments of the film. Jack in his early stages, ripped skin wobbling back and forth as he talks. Humorous and creepy at the same time. A great blend of dark humor and horror makes AAWIL a true gem. While many have followed since it really was a bit unique in it's day as there were not as many horror films that had intended humor in them. There are some truly creepy moments in the film like the late night walk through the Tube station. The movie is then so creatively offset with bouncy upbeat moon related songs that seem out of place and yet work so well! Can you hear Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival or Blue Moon by the Marcels and not think of this movie? Brilliant!

The effects are the other reason this movie is as loved as it is. Rick Baker did for effects with this movie what the effects people did with the Matrix. The werewolf transformation scenes were groundbreaking and helped shape the direction of movie effects. So popular they even made the Academy Awards finally add an award for Special Effects. While they may look a little outdated around the edges these effects are still impressive! I will take them any day over sub par digital effects.

In 1997 there was An American Werewolf in Paris. More boys traveling around but this time Paris. If it is on TV and you haven't seen it it can make for an OK watch. Not great but not the worse either.

You can find An American Werewolf in London available on most DVD and streaming services.


Take a look at the original trailer.



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 (Yes, I also remember this song!!).
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 the 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.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Fear Friday ~ They Call It The Buddy System For A Reason!


Welcome to Laughing Vixen Lounge and another round of Fear Friday. This week's selection continues the July theme of what happens when tourists do stupid things while traveling in other countries. This time we go back to 1970 for a tale of two young woman who make a very bad decision while traveling in France. This is classic suspense in the tradition of Hitchcock with a modern remake for those who prefer a little more action with their fear. So find a buddy, sit back and enjoy the film. And for heaven's sake, do not leave your buddy behind!!!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy),  Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me now what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


July - Vacation Nightmares

Fear Friday - And Soon The Darkness

1970

2010

Tagline - Remember the way Hitchcock kept you on the edge
              of your seat...?


Directed by Robert Fuest (The Abominable Dr. Phibes) and released on September 10, 1970 by Warner-Pathe Distributors. (rated PG). Jane and Cathy, two young British woman, are bicycling through France. After an argument about the pace of the trip, Jane leaves Cathy to sunbath by the side of the road. Frustrated, she heads into town and waits for Cathy to catch up. As time passes Jane will begin to realize that something is very wrong.

The next film in our Vacation Nightmares is a tale of how one bad decision can turn a enjoyable vacation into a horrible nightmare. Our story starts with two young British girls on a cycling trip through France. Cathy likes to flirt and have fun. Jane is more about staying on schedule and not taking risks. After stopping in a small village for a drink the two head back to the road. Cathy complains and wants to stop and enjoy the sun. Jane agrees and they stop to sunbath in the grass. As time passes Jane is worried about making it to their next stop by dark and wants to get going. Cathy does not want to leave and does not care about keeping time. After the two argue Jane leaves Cathy and heads on to the next little town. But as Jane waits and waits and waits she begins to worry about her friend. Is Cathy just trying to irritate her or has something gone horribly wrong?

This film is a great little gem from the 70's. To be fair it is really more of a thriller/mystery than an outright horror film. If you like suspense, mood and story as the driving force of a movie I highly recommend giving this one a try. It is a slow paced movie but worth the time. Like it's tagline says it does play like an old Hitchcock movie. Not quite on the level of his story telling but still an interesting watch. While it does not have the slam bang action of today's movies it is creepy and tense with a few "AH" moments. No real gore or blood.

One of the things that creates the fear and worry in this film is the same element that played in our last two movies... not knowing the language. While Jane seems to know some French it is not enough to really communicate with the locals in the small village. And when there is a real emergency I can imagine how something like that would greatly heighten the feel of desperation and fear. To help the viewer feel this experience the movie makers chose to not include subtitles for the French speaking parts. So we, just like Jane, have no idea what the people are saying. Are they trying to help, telling her to get lost or something worse? It is an effective choice that keeps us, the viewer, a little confused just like Jane. That is of course unless you know French. I did take three years back in Junior High School but that does not seem to help me much. Ha!

Another common theme here is being in an unfamiliar place and not knowing who to trust. Like any good mystery everyone looks like a suspect and we flop back and forth on who is the good guy and who is the villain. While there are not a lot of characters the story still manages to pull this off.

There was a remake made in 2010. This is a much slicker, shinier and livelier version. As most movies today it has more action and violence. That being said it does follow the original fairly closely. This time around it is two American girls cycling through Argentina. All of the same elements apply to the same unfortunate choice except this time around the ending is much more physical.

Both are worth viewing and, depending on your taste, you can either choose one or be adventurous and try them both. The 1970's version is currently available to stream on Amazon and both versions should be available on most DVD services.


Take a look at the original trailer.



Take a look at the original trailer for the 2010 remake.



Sorry, no trivia for this one.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Fear Friday ~ I Knew I Should Have Learned A Foreign Language.


It is Friday so it must be time for another Fear Friday review!!! Continuing with July's theme of Vacation Nightmares, this week's film leads us to an unfortunate outing in the jungles of Mexico. Site seeing is not what it used to be and our group of tourists are going to regret their choice. So sit back and brush up on your Mayan. You never know when it will come in handy!!! Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy),  Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me now what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


July - Vacation Nightmares

Fear Friday - The Ruins



Tagline - Terror has evolved.


Directed by Carter Smith and released on April 4, 2008 by DreamWorks/Paramount Distribution (rated R). A group of American tourists tag along with a German tourist looking for his brother who has not returned from visiting an ancient Mayan temple. Yes, there is a reason why these ruins are not on the map!!!

This week's movie, much like last week's, has a group of stupid tourists getting into trouble in out of the way places in foreign countries. In The Ruins we have 4 young Americans nearing the end of their trip to Mexico. Hanging out at the hotel pool they start talking to a German tourist who is going to visit some ancient Mayan ruins the next day. His brother and his brother's girlfriend had not returned from visiting them so he, and some Greeks he met, are going to go looking for them. Our young Americans think it is a great idea to tag along and see some local history. The ruins are not even on a map. They are so remote that they have to have a map drawn for them . Hey, nothing suspicious about that!

After spending the night drinking and drinking and.... oh yeah, drinking, the Americans, German and only one Greek (the others have not woken up yet) set off to find the ruins. After a bus ride, a truck ride from a local who gives the "don't go there" warning and a small trek down a "why is it hidden" path in the jungle our group arrives at the ruins of a Mayan temple. But in a matter of seconds they are approached by a band of very angry locals. Unable to understand them the group has no idea what is wrong and has no luck in trying to explain that they are there to find their missing friends. The confrontation leads to tragedy and forces the group to flee to the top of the ruins to await their fate.

Unlike last week's movie, Turistas, The Ruins' set up is much easier to believe. There is no dark reason for the people going to the site just the curiosity of seeing some cool ruins. Something most people do on a trip to Mexico. While there are a few red flags along the way they are not as hard to ignore as most horror films. The language barrier between the group and the locals plays a big part in the mood of the film. Not being able to communicate, especially in a situation of such panic and fear, adds to the tension of the story. Not only being in an unfamiliar place but not being able to communicate with the people. This is a common theme in our vacation themed movies and while some of this group knows Spanish, no one knew the language of the locals.

Another thing I find interesting about these movies is how trusting people are with people they do not know. Not sure I would just go off to some remote location with a couple of people you just met the night before drinking. Maybe I watch too many of these movies but it seems like common sense to me. But if they did not then we would not have fun films to watch.

For those who have not seen this movie I will not go into details of what the secret of the ruins is. The film is based on a best selling book and the screenplay was written by the author. For those who read the book the movie changes up what happens to which characters atop the ruins but with the same basic outcome. I found the movie to be enjoyable enough and well worth a watch. If you watch the full film it is very bloody and a bit stomach turning in spots.

Again, you will find some familiar faces in this one. My favorites being Joe Anderson (Across the Universe and The Crazies) and Shawn Ashmore (Smallville and a dozen or so other horror films). Horror films are so much more fun when there are some cute boys (or girls) to watch do stupid things. 

The Ruins is available from most any DVD or streaming rental services.


Take a look at the original trailer. ***While the trailer does not give much away I would suggest not watching it if you would like to have no idea of what happens at the ruins before you watch it***




Some trivia about the movie.
1. The film rights were purchased before the novel was published.
2. Director Carter Smith had just purchased a copy of the Scott B. Smith novel and started reading it when he got the phone call offering him the film adaptation.
3. The character played by Shawn Ashmore wears a t-shirt with a symbol that resembles a bull's-eye. Director Carter Smith remarks on the DVD commentary that this was deliberate.
4. Ben Stiller was involved with this film because he is a friend of novelist / screenwriter Scott B. Smith.
5. The Greek characters, while present in the novel, were not originally included in the screenplay. Director Carter Smith convinced screenwriter Scott B. Smith to add them back into the story.
6. In the novel, there are no "ruins" to speak of, just a hill overgrown with the vines and the shaft cut into it. Director Carter Smith suggested changing it to an ancient Mayan temple, an idea with which writer Scott B. Smith agreed.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Crash, Bang And Boom!!!


Happy 4th of July ~ Have a safe and fabulous holiday!

Fear Friday ~ I'll Never Go Swimming Again!


It is Friday and time for another Fear Friday review here at Laughing Vixen Lounge. Summer is here and that means it is vacation time. All of July the Fear Friday movies will have a tourist on vacation theme. We'll start it off with a great little example of why you should not be so trusting, drunk or just plain stupid while in a foreign country. So think twice before trusting the locals and enjoy this week's pick.

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy),  Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me now what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


July - Vacation Nightmares

Fear Friday - Turistas



Tag Line ~ There are some places tourists should never go.
                 You'll be dying to stay


Directed by John Stockwell (Blue Crush, Crazy Beautiful and Into the Blue) and released on December 1, 2006 by Fox Atomic (Rated R). When their bus breaks down in Brazil, a group of tourists find themselves at the mercy of the locals. Trust me, it won't end well!!!

After the local bus has a wicked accident a group of tourists are stranded in rural Brazil. They decide to go enjoy the local beach and it's bar while they wait for the next bus to come along... in two days. My, those locals are awful friendly and quick with the booze! Our group of stupid American, British and Australian tourists are not too overly concerned by anything. They are there to have a great time. That is until they wake up the next morning realizing that their drinks were drugged and all of their belonging have been stolen.

That alone is a great scary story, because it could easily happen, but it is only the beginning of this story. The choices these people make from here on out seem hard to believe that anyone would be that trusting. But if you put it in the context of being in a panic situation in an unfamiliar place, that works very differently than what you know, it makes their choices a bit less questionable.

After a horribly stupid move by one of the group, they find themselves not only receiving no help from the locals in town but in serious trouble. One very nice young man offers to help them by letting them stay at his uncle's house while they wait for the next bus. This is where is becomes a little unbelievable that they would go through as much as they do to get to this house. But let's just go with the thinking that once your in the middle of it you do not have much choice.

Of course what awaits them at the house is not pleasant and the film has actually been letting the viewer in on what it is from pretty much the start. I would rather my reviews entice a person to watch the film, instead of ruin it for those who have not seen it yet, so I chose to leave this part out. But the trek to the house and back has plenty of horror film fun. If you watch the full film, not on TV, there is a lot of blood and violence. If you are claustrophobic at all (and I am) there is a panic inducing scene involving underwater caves that should make for a truly uncomfortable experience.

No, it is not the best horror film ever made but I find it to be a good watch. With the likes of Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde and Melissa George there is no shortage of good looking people to watch. A special treat here is that it is directed by John Stockwell. A personal favorite of mine from his acting days in movies like Christine, North and South and Losin' It. He now mostly directs but does appear from time to time in his movies. Watch closely in this one and you will see him as the man at the very end that is warned to not take the bus.

You should be able to find Turistas on most DVD and steaming services.


Take a look at the original trailer.




Some trivia about the movie.
1. The people seen in the passport photos in the opening credits montage are all employees of the film company 2929.
2. The crashing of the bus was done in one take.
3. The extras in the soccer game scene were local kids from Brazil. In fact, many Brazilian locals were cast as extras in the movie.
4. The story was originally set in Guatemala in an earlier draft of the script.
5. The entire film was shot on location in Brazil.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Christmas In July Sale ~ You Choose The Deal

www.laughingvixenlounge.etsy.com

It is that time again. Laughing Vixen Lounge's Christmas in July Sale. This is one of only 2 sales the shop has each year so take advantage before it ends on July 13th.

Ocean Blue Deluxe Charm Bracelet

There are 3 different deals to choose from.
*10% off your order (not including shipping).
*Free Shipping (US only).
*Free Photo Pendant (these can also be made into a keychain if you prefer) with any purchase of $32 or more (not including shipping).

Funny Vintage Ladies Compact - Crisis

So whether you are looking for holiday gifts, or just a little something for yourself, now is a great time to do it. You can find full details on the shop's Policies Page.

Buy 3 Small Photo Pendants Get 1 Free

And a little heads up...
Laughing Vixen Lounge will be closed somewhere around July 23rd through August 9th while this Vixen takes a vacation. I will be taking a big road trip and hope to share some photo opts with you along the way.