Horror Movie Talk

Scream is maybe the best slasher ever made. It’s also the horror movie of the 90’s in every way that you can imagine. More than that, it’s a meta take on the genre of slashers. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Synopsis for Scream Scream is the story of a bunch of 20 somethings that haven’t managed to graduate high-school yet and their quiet town of Woodsboro that has a serial killer problem and its fair share of quirky characters. Our main girl Sydney, whose mother was murdered a year ago loses a friend to a horrific double homicide and quickly becomes the focus of the deranged and seemingly horror movie obsessed killer.  As the killer cuts a swath of … killings… through the town the very old teens begin to realize that they are dealing with someone who strictly follows the rules of slasher flicks. And they end up with more death then they bargained for. https://youtu.be/AWm_mkbdpCA Watch Scream on Amazon Click here to Watch Review Directed by Wes Craven and sporting an impressively sexy and notable cast, Scream defined and poked fun at horror movies for the casual movie going audience. It was one of the most easily accessible horror movies of my generation, being mainstream enough that parents all around the world wanted to watch it, which meant kids got to watch it too. While it was accessible, it was also shocking and legitimately disturbing because it focused on uncontrollable teens as the killers – who doesn’t find that scary? Not to mention, Scream was released in 1996, a mere three years before the Columbine school shooting, edging out reality by mere inches. It is the most solid slasher I have ever seen – it’s disturbing when it’s supposed to be, fun when it’s supposed to be, and has a fabulous premise. Score 8/10 Spoilers Scream is an impressive who-dun-it, that throws an interesting and disturbing twist in at the end. As it turns out, Billy and Stuart, the movie obsessed hot-heads, have been doing the killings in tandem for shits and giggles, but also because Sidney’s mom slept with Billy’s dad and caused his parents to break-up. The thing that really gets me about this movie is the dedication to self-harm between Billy and Stuart to avoid having the finger pointed at them as part of their master plan. When they start stabbing each other and willingly taking severe damage, it upsets me to my core. There is something about watching two people who are emphatically engaged in nearly killing each other but not in a fight, on purpose, that is so sick and twisted. Couple that with the excitement they have about re-enacting their favorite horror movie killers – it’s just gross. Final Recommendations Scream is a solid movie and it’s probably the best slasher I have ever seen. I have to say, if you haven’t seen it, you must. It’s a 90’s nostalgia machine that will leave everyone with something to think about at night.

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die Portland Horror Film Festival, the Pacific Northwest’spremiere horror genre film festival, is going virtual! Horror Fans cansoak up over 60 short and feature films over the 6 night eventbeginning June 10th with the first shorts block and a preview of thefestival’s upcoming features. The terror continues June 17-21st withmore short and feature films from around the world. Central Dental In the midst of this pandemic, some businesses are finally starting tore-open, but there is no way to know when theaters in Portland willfinally open, and how many people will be allowed inside once they do.Many events have had to postpone again and again due to this uncertaintimeline. First Night Festival Directors Brian and Gwen Callahan believe the right thing todo is follow the lead of amazing festivals like Fantasia and CFF, andpresent Portland Horror Film Festival as a dynamic streaming event forhorror fans all over the US. While going virtual creates challengesfor the festival, independent filmmakers, and distributors, thedirectors believe it is important to continue to evangelizeindependent film and show the year’s best horror films to thecommunity. Rather than cancel or postpone the festival until thingsare “safe”, which only increases the stress and uncertainty of thesetimes, going forward with a streaming event offers important reliefand a sense of stability to horror fans who are stuck at home. Beyondhelping horror filmmakers and fans, ticket sales will also benefit thehistoric non-profit Hollywood Theatre, the seat of independent cinemain Portland, which is currently closed due to the pandemic. Karaoke Night All films will be integrated into carefully curated nightly shows andsecurely streamed during limited event hours for ticketed audiencemembers. Because a film festival is more than just watching movies,nightly programming will feature both pre-recorded and live content,including film introductions, interviews with horror icons, and livefilmmaker Q&As that the audience can take part in. “Our goal is tofoster the sense of community that makes our fest so magical, with afun and eventful stage and screen show… just on a virtual stage,”said Brian Callahan. Little Willy This year’s feature film lineup opens on Wednesday, June 17th withWild Boar, starring Augie Duke and Daniel Roebuck as geocachers whoquest for a legendary treasure, only to end up as fodder for mutantpig-men. Wild Boar was written and directed by Oscar winner BarneyBurman, known for his makeup effects on JJ Abrams’s Star Trek,Zombieland: Double Tap, and the TV series Grimm. Thursday’s doublefeature kicks off with Sunset on the River Styx, a surrealist andcontemplative story of two lovers who fall into a vampire death cult,from writer/director Aaron Pagniano, winner of the Funny Bone Awardfor last year’s horror comedy short “We Got a Monkey’s Paw.” Come forthe vampires, but stay for the zombies! Witness Infection is ahilarious tale of mobsters and zombies directed by Andy Palmer,written by Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) and Jill-Michele Meleán (MadTV,Reno 911), who star alongside Robert Belushi, Vince DonVito, ErinnHayes (Children’s Hospital), and Tara Strong (Rick and Morty). Don’tmiss fan-favorite Justin Harding’s Making Monsters, The Curse ofValburga from Slovenia, with its hilarious splatterfest ofinternational tourist stereotypes and jaw dropping kill scenes, UnclePeckerhead with its punk-rock demon action, written and directed byMatthew John Lawrence, winner of the 2016 Funny Bone Award for hishorror comedy short “Larry Gone Demon,” and the World Premiere of TheBrain That Wouldn’t Die, a crowdfunded love letter to the 1962B-movie, filmed here in Portland. Making Monsters Short film offerings include a wide variety of seriously terrifying,thoughtful, funny, and Weird films from all over the world, includingthe Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Iran, TheNetherlands, France, Spain, Canada, the UK, and the US. Fans of thebizarre will want to tune in Saturday night for the “Shorts Gone Wild”block of the most unhinged films on offer. Sunset on the River Styx Even if you’re not in Portland, you can immerse yourself in theexperience with a Deluxe Patron of Horror Ticket Package that includesan exclusive t-shirt, souvenir lanyard, and a Portland Horror FaceMask, so you can forage for toilet paper in style! For more information on tickets, deluxe packages, and the festival –please visit https://portlandhorrorfilmfestival.com/ Buy tickets through Hollywood Theater’s website here: https://hollywoodtheatre.org/events/portland-horror-film-festival-2020/ You can join the Facebook Event athttps://www.facebook.com/events/2774301782590900/

Candyman 2020 was supposed to be coming out in theaters this week, but that obviously isn’t happening. To tide over your sweet tooth for Candyman, we’ll be reviewing the original this week. Also in this week’s episode of Horror Movie Talk, we discuss our new logo, play a new game, and read comments from social media from listeners like you. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him. Synopsis The film follows grad student Helen Lyle as she researches for her thesis on urban legends. When she stumbles across the legend of Candyman, whose story seems to be alive and thriving in the poverty stricken projects of Chicago. The legend involves an African American, Bloody Mary-eque apparition that appears when his name is called in front of a mirror. Instead of the three “Bloody Mary’s”, you must say Candyman five times, in some sort of supernatural 3/5ths compromise. When the skeptical Helen calls Candyman five times in her mirror, she seals her fate and is led through a terrifying journey to discover the reality of the film’ boogey man. https://youtu.be/CeLZMhkFTuU Candyman 1992 Trailer Review of Candyman (1992) Candyman is impactful, and multifaceted. Tony Todd is an instant icon in horror with his unique silhouette and hypnotic disembodied baritone voice.  There is an uneasy balance between Candyman being a sympathetic and seductive figure, and that of being the realization of some deep seated racist fears. While watching this, my wife pointed out that some of the racist connotations of the plot, and my knee jerk reaction was to defend the film and say she was grasping at straws. But as time went on… there was actually a compelling argument to be made for it relying on long held racist stereotypes about the dangers of black men. Regardless, it’s a compelling gothic horror tale told well with the backdrop of nineties urban Chicago. Candyman is an iconic monster, and is one of the best horror movies on the topic of an urban legend. Watch Candyman Now Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch Score 8/10 Final Recommendations This is definitely a nineites horror movie that is worth seeing. While it’s not perfect, it does create a great mythology and monster in Candyman. Mentioned in the Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmHEv7pmB-g B. Marks’ horror themed movie room.

We watched Evil Dead 2 on Amazon and this movie has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. The combination of stop motion, practical effects, and Bruce Campbell’s amazing physical acting makes for one of the best comedy horrors ever made. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/6lM3NPeEG24 Evil Dead 2 Synopsis Evil Dead 2 is the story of Ash and his girlfriend Annie who drive deep into the woods to have a nice time breaking and entering into a cabin that isn’t theirs. Following their felony, Ash stumbles upon the Necronomicon Ex Mortis – the book of the dead. The book served as a passageway to the evil worlds beyond. Written long ago when the seas ran red with blood, and this blood was used to ink the book. in the year 1300 AD the book disappeared. Ash plays a tape recorder with a translation of the pages from the book, and that’s enough to unleash more evil than they bargained for. Watch Evil Dead 2 Watch on Amazon Click Here to Watch Evil Dead 2 Review Evil Dead 2 (1987) is sort of a remake of the first movie that started it all The Evil Dead, by Sam Raimi. It’s not a step by step remake, and it differs in a lot of ways, but the premise is very similar – people go to a cabin in the woods, find the book of the dead, and are attacked by a long-dead evil. Where the first movie is deadly serious and quite disturbing, Evil Dead 2 takes a more comedy-based approach while maintaining an incredible array of shocking visuals. The effects in this are so over-the-top that it’s pushed into goofy, nervous laughter territory. Couple these super-cool effects with Bruce Campbell’s most incredible performance of all time. He carries this movie in a way that amazes me every time I watch it. For almost half of this film Campbell manages to act alone, with almost nothing to react to and his energy is unbelievable. Finally, I really enjoy how this movie manages tension with silence and stillness juxtaposed with loudness and chaos. It’s a classic that’s based on a classic, and Ash gets a sawed off chainsaw for a missing hand coupled with a sawed off shotgun – the most bad-ass pairing of weapons since peanut butter and chainsaws for hands. Score 10/10 Spoilers If you haven’t seen this movie, you really must. Evil Dead 2 takes a very simple premise and creates a playground of special effects around it.  There isn’t a tremendous amount to spoil in this one, it’s mostly the story of how a long-dead evil is summoned at an old cabin in the woods, and what Ash does to put it back in its place. The end result is the most fun you may ever have in a horror movie, action is everywhere. The violence is so insane and prolific that you can’t help but laugh at the spectacle of it.  No one but Sam Raimi could have pulled this thing off, and to be honest, no one ever has. The 2013 remake, Evil Dead is technically a remake of the first movie. So, number two continues to stands alone. Final Recommendations Everyone you know should watch this movie.

This week we watched As Above, So Below on Netflix. This tight package of a found footage adventure horror holds up very well over the years. Maybe we’re too easily impressed, but when a horror movie sets up a compelling premise, has interesting characters with motivations that makes sense, and a plot that maintains interest, it’s hard to be displeased. On today’s episode, we review As Above, So Below, play a new trivia game with Ben Warrington, and read the latest from Horror Movie Talk’s social media accounts. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/Fq358xHbzN4 Synopsis Loosely based on the classic literary work Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, this film follows a ragtag team of archeologists as they follow clues to find the legendary philosopher’s stone. Their search takes them into the labyrinthian catacombs under Paris. Paris, France. As they wind themselves deeper into the claustrophobic caverns and through the nine circles of Hogwarts, they fight against their own demons and encounter far more than they bargained for . Review of As Above, So Below As Above, So Below is to found footage movies as your racist uncle’s one black friend is to all black people: It’s one of the good ones. The film is a combination of Indiana Jones, The Descent, and… let’s say… a haunted house movie. It starts off very strong, and sets up a full fledged plot, which is surprisingly rare in a found footage film. The subgenre usually leans heavily on gimmicks and “unscripted” banter, and it’s a welcome relief that this one doesn’t. Also rare in found footage movies, the characters are actually fleshed out with relationships and backstories. It gives you enough of a reason to be hooked and interested early on, and has enough mystery and scares to keep you interested throughout. The idea of setting a horror movie in the Paris Catacombs is brilliant, and they take full advantage of all the elements that make them scary in real life. It’s huge and maze-like, it’s claustrophobic, caves be caves, and spooky bones. It’s not without it’s flaws, but they are few and far between. The phrase “we gotta keep moving” is uttered one too many times for my taste. Like, really? We can’t rest and reflect  for a minute after a lifelong friend just died? But honestly it’s hard to find things to complain about with this one. Score for As Above, So Below 9/10 Final Recommendations This is a must watch in my eyes. It is accessible enough for fans of Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy, and scary enough for fans of The Conjuring. Watch it today on Netflix or, buy it on Amazon. Other found footage movies that we have reviewed that might be of interest are The Taking of Deborah Logan, and Quarantine.

We watched It Follows on Amazon Prime, and to me, it remains one of the very best movies released this century. I have seen this movie mentioned in many “Best of” lists and quite a few “Worst of” lists, so it’s controversial, but it will give you something to talk about either way.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkZYbOH0ujw Synopsis It Follows is a story that focuses on a group of kids and one girl, in particular, Jay (Maika Monroe).  At its outset, this is something of a romantic story that soon gives way to terror. As Jay’s new relationship with Hugh blossoms, she allows herself a glimpse of happiness before being forced into hell. Watch It Follows Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch It’s hard to say much about It Follows without giving away spoilers, but suffice it to say there is a monster, and it follows specific, defined mechanics. Review for It Follows When I first saw It Follows, it was in theaters, and I knew nothing about it other than that it was a horror movie. When I walked out of that theater, I had a distinct impression that I had seen horror history. The care that went into making everything about this movie is immediately apparent. The musical score, the framing, and attention to detail, the use of extras – it’s flawlessly executed. Add to that a concept that is unique and taps into the core of our humanity, and I think you come away with a perfect movie. It’s more than just a chilling concept or a well-executed film – It Follows feels like a new thing in horror. It feels like a movement toward the conceptual idea of what drives horror. Strip down the overburdened tropes and monsters that make up what horror was for decades, and leave just the essentials. Like it or hate it, I can promise you that this movie will give you something to debate with your friends about for years to come. Score 10/10 Spoilers for It Follows It Follows is such a wonderfully done movie that is so simple that once you understand what’s going on, there isn’t a whole lot to spoil. Instead, let’s take a look at what works in this movie. Endless Ambiance The mood of this movie can be described as heavy melancholy, which is an exciting and unique choice in horror movies. The acting and the bleak settings tee up this feeling of sadness and innocence lost that works, especially with this perverse subject matter. The acting is especially impressive when you consider that there are almost no adults at all in It Follows – just a bunch of teens. They all feel real, and they all seem like they are being left alone by uncaring or unavailable parents. These teens bond and end up sleeping wherever they end up at night. The setting shifts between suburban Detroit and abandoned Detroit. The use of abandoned buildings and houses adds to the ambiance in such a fantastic way without being full of effort. Maybe I enjoy the setting so much because we never get to see movies that are set in these bleak and downtrodden areas. Perhaps it’s because I have a soft spot for Detroit. Incredibly Perverse Subject Matter Done Right It Follows is about a shapeshifting, slow-moving monster that is a sexually transmitted disease. If you have sex with someone who is infected, they pass the monster’s invisible leash to you, and suddenly you are granted the ability to see this monster. The catch? The monster can look like anyone, even people you know and love. It can use these people to get to you and kill you; once you are dead, it moves on to the person who passed it to you. It Follows could have been a raunchy sex-capade with a bunch of crass, boring, overused bullshit – but it’s not. Every sex scene is either tender and loving, or a deception, and many instances of sex are merely insinuated and take place off-screen entirely. The result is a very classy and thought provoking film that doesn’t take any of the easy routes. Think about it. There are three ways to pass this disease on to the next person so you can avoid being killed by the monster: You trick them into loving you and have sex with them You love them and have sex with them whether they know you have it or not You rape them Those are the options and none of them are appealing. Compelling Monster Mechanics The way that this movie is laid out sets the stage for endless gameplay theorycraft. The age old question of “What would you do in a zombie apocalypse” is reimagined with the workings of this monster. The best chance for your continued survival if you are infected would be to create a monster user manual that you can pass to your next partner and they can pass to their next partner. But sometimes you just need to take a rest from all the running, which might mean having a quicky with someone you view as disposable. There are multiple confounding factors to add to the basic rules that make the game harder or easier. Are you good looking? Are you a male or a female? Are you a sex worker? Are you a swinger? How smart are you? All of these questions and more play a role in the likelihood of your survival. And remember, once you’ve passed it on, you can let your guard down only so far as you trust your partner’s ability to stay alive and pass it along. In my opinion, this is the most interesting monster since Freddy, in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Lost Innocence There is a moment early in It Follows where Annie asks Hugh who he would want to be in a crowd of people they are amongst. Hugh says he would want to be a young boy standing with his parents and when questioned as to why, he says something like, “things were so simple as a kid”. Once you have sex, a part of you is forever changed, and a new world of possibilities and uncertainties are forced upon you. Every person you sleep with has the chance to be very dear to you, or they could hurt you deeply. Lovers can be wonderful and bring lots of joy to your life. They also might spread a STD to you where a previously invisible monster becomes visible only to you and endlessly follows you everywhere you go in an attempt to brutally murder you. Artistically Intentional It Follows is made with such care and so much attention to detail that you just have to give it it’s due. The framing is always thoughtful, keeping strangers walking toward the camera in the background, or off a character’s shoulder works so well. It keeps the eye looking for what or who might be after Annie at all times. There are all these beautifully framed shots that are still shots, or attached to a wheelchair, or above shots – it’s fabulous artistry.  Final Recommendations You are better off watching this movie, so just give it a go.

The hits just keep on coming over here at Horror Movie Talk! During quarantine, we’ve been catching up on all the classic slashers. This week we rewatched the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, and reminded ourselves why this franchise has such staying power. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. A Nightmare on Elm Street can be bought or rented on amazon or your favorite video thingy. https://youtu.be/dCVh4lBfW-c Synopsis A Nightmare on Elm Street wastes no time introducing you to one of horror’s greatest villains. Tina Gray, played by Amanda Wyss, is being chased in a dream by an unknown assailant with knives for fingers. Before the fedora wearing pizza-faced man can introduce himself with a M’lady, Tina wakes up in cold sweats. Later we learn that this vivid nightmare is shared by her group of friends, including Nancy Thompson, played by Heather Langenkamp, Glen, played by Johnny Depp, and her boyfriend Rod, played by Jsu Garcia.  Soon we learn that the scary man in everyone’s dream is a formerly alive child killer and pedophile (?) named Freddy Kreuger, played by the inimitable Robert Englund. Review of A Nightmare on Elm Street This slasher upped the ante of 80’s slashers by unabashedly adding fantasy elements into the genre. The Freddy franchise became one of the most lucrative horror franchises of all time. And for good reason! The premise of a killer that comes to you in your dreams and can kill you in real life is truly unescapable. No zombie fortress, or gun can save you from Freddy. Everyone sleeps. The film not only introduced one of horror’s most iconic figures, it also the bloodiest mainstream horror movie up to that point. It’s a tightly packaged and thoroughly conceived film. Most of the scenes and special effects hold up even today. Some effects, admittedly fall flat, and a few enter the realm of so bad their good. Regardless, it still deserves its place as one of the genre’s tentpole films and cemented the creator, Wes Craven, as one of horror’s greatest minds. Score 10/10 Robert Englund Interview Robert Englund himself called in to talk with Horror Movie Talk about his latest project, JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales on Adult Swim. Skip to time code 54:06 in this episode to listen to Freddy himself chat about his life in horror. Like Classic Slashers? Check out our review of Friday the 13th!

We watched the original Friday the 13th on Shudder, and while it definitely represents the film version of pulp, it’s the original upon which so many slashers have been based. It delivers in a charming way and the twist is still impressive after all these years. It’s 40th birthday will be this Saturday, May 9th, 2020.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCO4v-pFBns Synopsis Friday the 13th is the story of a group of teen counselors who are setting up a summer camp at Camp Crystal Lake. It details the short story of the final days of these teen counselors. We also get a glimpse into small town americana, which is unbearably quaint. There isn’t a lot of story to this one, and that’s the point. Watch Friday the 13th Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch Review Friday the 13th was the first independent film of it’s time to secure distribution in the U.S. by a major studio (Paramount). Directed by Sean S. Cunningham (who went on to write and produce many sequels) and written by Victor Miller, Friday the 13th was the second of the big franchise slashers to hit the scene, following the success of 1978’s Halloween. This movie birthed so many tropes and trends that it’s almost comical. It is also a great place to see Kevin Bacon in one of his earliest and sexiest roles.  While it’s no crowning achievement in filmmaking, Friday the 13th does set the stage for 80’s horror very nicely with a parade of sexy but disposable characters, great practical effects by Tom Savini, and tense music by Harry Manfredini.  Friday the 13th is a classic that is only dwarfed, in my opinion, by the sequel, Friday the 13th Part 2. If you haven’t seen this movie, don’t expect to be blown away, instead expect to gain a better understanding of the foundation of the slasher genre. Score 7/10 Friday the 13th Spoilers I’m going to level with you, even though there is a hefty twist at the end of this movie that is made better with time, you’ve had 40 years. Get with it. First-person killing A huge portion of Friday the 13th is spent stalking the campers with the camera in first-person perspective. This places the audience square in the feet of the killer and while that’s not a big deal today, it was in 1980. Sure, Halloween and Black Christmas had done this to a small extent, but it’s like the calling card of this whole movie. To make the first-person perspective even more important, we are given clues throughout the film. We get to see the big work boots worn by the killer, and the rough leather gloves they are using. We automatically assume that these manly accouterments lead to a big burly man – you know, the myth of Jason! But that just makes you a big sexist pig! Who is the killer? The one who is stalking around the camp and killing young lovers and camp counselors is none other than – Mrs. Voorhees! That’s right, she’s been stalking the camp for the last 20 years, taking revenge on those who she blames for the death of her son, Jason. Critics were furious at this movie for a variety of reasons, mostly for being a n exploitation film that was sexist and distasteful. Apparently the irony of the killer being a woman was lost on them. Packaging horror in the neatest of boxes Friday the 13th accomplished such a beautifully simple packaging of the slasher genre into a neat little package that it’s no wonder why it spawned so many copycats. It was so chalk full of sex, murder, and weird, cautionary morality lessons that it was bound to be duplicated. It threw caution to the wind and it’s sails caught a big breeze that allowed it to crank out a new sequel every year for most of the 80’s. Think about that. When was the last time you saw something with so much appeal? Harry Potter and Marvel Cinematic Universe come to my mind. Final Recommendations This movie is so quaint and tame by today’s standards that I really would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it, so long as they are interested in horror. This is a great entry to bring a new horror head into the genre because it gives the viewer such a strong idea of where all the tropes come from. Don’t Miss JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales on Adult Swim! JJ Villard is our guest on this episode and gives us a peak behind the scenes for his new show, JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales. Check out the trailer and the premier on May 10th at midnight on Adult Swim! https://youtu.be/pYadXQv-9r8 Fuckin metal!

The one, the only (well not really), the original! Yes the time has arrived to finally unleash our review of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This episode we recorded over a year ago, back when we were zygotes. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Synopsis Texas Chainsaw Massacre stars Mike Myers as a San Francisco poet who fears commitment and suspects his girlfriend may have a knack for killing off her significant others. Oh wait, that’s So I Married an Axe Murderer. Watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch No, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the story of a massacre that happened in Texas that involves a chainsaw. Maybe the intro crawl to the movie explains it best. https://youtu.be/KGj1ZbM_4eQ (narrated by John Larroquette) https://youtu.be/T3TILW0O_C0 Texas Chainsaw Massacre can be found on Shudder right now. Use our promo code to get a free 30 day free trial. Texas Chainsaw MAssacre Poster Review of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Texas Chainsaw Massacre is obviously regarded as one of the greatest horror movies of all time and has been highly influential in the genre. If I had to describe this movie in one word, it would be “unhinged”. A lot of elements from this film and the low budget could have made this movie a hot mess, but somehow Tobe Hooper pulls off a coherent and terrifying masterpiece.  Score 10/10 Inspiration for TCM This movie is one of three horror classics inspired by Ed Gein. The other two being Psycho and Silence of the Lambs (Buffalo Bill). Ed Gein “only” killed two women, so he’s not technically a serial killer, but he would dig up dead bodys and make stuff from their skin and bones. Soon after his mother’s death, Gein began to create a “woman suit” so that, as he stated, “…could become his mother—to literally crawl into her skin”. Gein denied having sex with the bodies he exhumed, explaining: “They smelled too bad.”  Here is some of the items authorities found in his house: Whole human bones and fragments A wastebasket made of human skin Human skin covering several chair seats Bowls made from human skulls A corset made from a female torso skinned from shoulders to waist Leggings made from human leg skin Masks made from the skin of female heads A heart “in a plastic bag in front of Gein’s potbellied stove” Nine vulvae in a shoe box A belt made from female human nipples A pair of lips on a window shade drawstring A lampshade made from the skin of a human face Final Recommendations It’s a must see. If you are into horror movies, you just need to see it. It goes down in history with the likes of Halloween and Friday the 13th for supremely influential slashers movies.

We watched Quarantine for free on Crackle and it hasn’t lost it’s luster. This is still a staple of the found footage genre, and one that sticks out in my mind for a number of reasons. On this episode we go over the movie, play a rousing game of Attack of the Rotten Tomatoes, and talk about what happened to us over social media over the last week. We also discuss a bit of what it’s been like in our own quarantine. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Synopsis Quarantine is a 2008 American recreation of the 2007 Spanish film REC. It’s very similar to REC in just about every way, but because it’s out of Hollywood, it seems to have dwarfed the original, despite not being as effective. Quarantine follows a reporter, Angela, who is doing a slice of life piece on some local firefighters in LA. As she goes on a routine call with the crew, they end up at a small tenant building that houses a variety of residents. Watch Quarantine Stream it or buy it on Amazon Click here to watch It soon becomes apparent that there is some kind of infection going around the building as matronly and old tenants begin to brutally attack those trying to help them. The firefighters, camera crew and the tenants are all locked inside and soon they find themselves with more quarantine than they bargained for! Quarantine Trailer https://youtu.be/GQ4EyBGKDM4 Review of Quarantine Quarantine was directed by John Erick Dowdle who is also known for some staple cult favorites like As Above, So Below and The Poughkeepsie Tapes.  It stars Jennifer Carpenter who we love when she acts in the horror genre. We just reviewed The Taking of Emily Rose, which also starred her. I enjoy this movie because it has a great start, middle, and a decent ending, although it’s impossible to beat the ending of REC even though this tries. It has all the elements that make a great found footage movie.  Watch REC Stream it or buy it on Amazon Click here to watch The story is compelling, the situation is extremely relatable…now, and there is plenty of shaky-cam footage to keep your eyes clawing at the edges of the frame for whatever that thing was that just ran by. I will say that Jennifer Carpenter’s acting gets in the way of the ending of this movie. She hams it up to such an incredible degree that I couldn’t stop thinking about every middle school girl nervous breakdown I ever witnessed or had myself – and there were more than a few. A freakishly pretty Jennifer Carpenter Even with the overacting, I think Quarantine stands out as one of the classic found footage examples. If I had to point people to a movie to watch, I would point them at REC before this. You can find REC right now on prime for a few bucks. Score 7/10 Spoilers for Quarantine After watching this movie, it’s a lot more simple than it seems as it’s unfolding – not that it seems terribly complicated. It has a learn-as-you-go structure and there is a mystery that slowly unravels: why are we being quarantined and what is this sickness? It starts with some engaging banter between our reporter and her firefighter subjects. I always enjoy horror movie beginnings that are light and breezy and fun. It’s a refreshing palate cleanser to what is going to become a horrendous scenario. Queue the horrendous scenario. They get to the apartment building and they meet some creepy old grannies who are obviously afflicted with some malady. Ms. Espinoza, one of the old ladies in question, attacks a firefighter and rips out his jugular. Ms. Espinoza…this bitch… What is the infection in Quarantine? The only real spoiler in this movie is what the malady is that affects the tenant building. In the first act we learn about a little girl in the building who has a mild fever. She has a little dog, who is also sick and was taken to the vet yesterday. Well, this little dog was infected with some sort of super rabies it attacked some other animals in the vet that they took it to, and those animals started showing signs of rabies after only one hour, which is about a month too fast. The CDC was notified about the dog and they traced it back to this building. Turns out, there are some rats loose in this building that exhibit the signs of rabies. Good thing too, because while normal rabies is nothing to scoff at, this is sooo much worse! Rabies public service announcement To avoid rabies, these are the signs that animals with the disease portray: Aggressiveness Agitation Hallucinations Muscle spasms Seizures Paralysis Sensitivity to bright lights, sound, or touch So, these rabies rats come from the attic, where a tenant who rents it keeps a bunch of experimental rodents and news clippings of his satanic death cult. Turns out, he’s been working on weaponizing the rabies virus, and either he set some rats loose in the building on purpose, or they escaped by accident. I haven’t seen Quarantine 2 but I bet they tell more about the story there. The End The end of Quarantine is not nearly as strong as REC even though it tries to accomplish the same thing. The problem is the camera, the monster, and the hyperventilating Jennifer Carpenter. It’s so loud and fast in this movie that when they find the emaciated rabies monster in the attic, there is no dread or tension to go along with it, just a panic attack being had by our reporter friend. The end of REC, on the other hand, is downright chilling, and remains with me to this day. Final Recommendations If you’ve already seen REC or if you can’t stand subtitles, this is a great found footage movie with break-neck pacing and some really intense moments. Otherwise, start with REC then watch this to compare. Links for this episode: Kiggins Theater in Vancouver, WA