Archive for Horror Triple Features

Monstrous Question of the Month—Response # 4—OCTOBER 2010

Posted in 2010, Classic Films, Horror, Monstrous Question of the Month with tags , , , , , on October 27, 2010 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2010
(Questions Provided by Michael Arruda)

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

You know how movie stations load up on horror movies on Halloween night?  If you were in charge of one of these channels, and if it was up to you to choose a triple feature of horror films showing on Halloween night, which three movies would you choose and why?

RESPONSE # 4—DAN KEOHANE:

I’d say, and I’m sure a lot of others might pick these as well:

PSYCHO (1960)


THE EXORCIST (1973)

and of course HALLOWEEN (1978)

These are all a bit different theme-wise, of course, but aside from all being brilliant films on a lot of levels, the most common thing between them is atmosphere. All take their subjects seriously, no goofy camp or overabundance of humor thrown in.

Really good horror—when it’s good, mind you—has such an impact when the audience isn’t pulled from the illusion of the film with a joke or a sly wink. You can still have these, in moderation, but… these films have a constant sense of dread, but aren’t so oppressive you feel like you’ve spent an hour and a half trapped underground in a coffin.

Take HALLOWEEN for example. Constant outdoor shots, normal neighborhood, breeze blowing leaves down the street. These shots keep the setting real and blow air into the lungs of your imagination, before pulling you back into the house for a good screech.

It’s the same with PSYCHO. Wide overcast skies between the motel and house, give a sense of openness, before you’re pulled in. OK, waxing a little poetic here. But these movies are so well done, from direction to acting (granted, the acting in HALLOWEEN doesn’t compete much with the other two), to overall atmosphere, that they only add to the overall joy of Halloween.

Note, you might substitute the original THE OMEN (1976) with THE EXORCIST, if you so choose. I’m not picky. THE EXORCIST would be my first choice, though. But I would save HALLOWEEN for last. It has more action and overall hoot-ness to end the holiday with a bang. Or a scream.

—END—

~Dan Keohane, October 2010

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Monstrous Question of the Month—Response # 3—OCTOBER 2010

Posted in 2010, Classic Films, Horror, Monstrous Question of the Month with tags , , , , , on October 26, 2010 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2010
(Questions Provided by Michael Arruda)

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

You know how movie stations load up on horror movies on Halloween night?  If you were in charge of one of these channels, and if it was up to you to choose a triple feature of horror films showing on Halloween night, which three movies would you choose and why?

RESPONSE # 3—NICK CATO:

I’m a man of tradition.  Every Halloween there are two films I manage to watch, and (of course) they are NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) and HALLOWEEN (1978).

One film that I also watch is HELL NIGHT [1981] (which, ironically, I just wrote about in last week’s installment of my bi-weekly column, Suburban Grindhouse Memories, on this fine site).  Linda Blair and a bunch of college kids–in costume–have to spend the night in a mansion with a dark history.  The film relies more on scares and atmosphere than gore, and it works great.  The whole feel and tone of the film screams “HALLOWEEN TIME!”


It’d be nice if the film found a new audience.  It’s one of those rare gems that looks great on the TV behind you while you’re handing out candy to the neighborhood beggars…errr…kids.

—END—

~Nick Cato, October 2010

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Monstrous Question of the Month Response #2—OCTOBER 2010

Posted in 2010, Classic Films, Giant Monsters, Monstrous Question of the Month with tags , , , , , on October 22, 2010 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2010
(Questions Provided by Michael Arruda)

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

You know how movie stations load up on horror movies on Halloween night?  If you were in charge of one of these channels, and if it was up to you to choose a triple feature of horror films showing on Halloween night, which three movies would you choose and why?

RESPONSE # 2 —MICHAEL ARRUDA:

There are so many movie marathons to choose from, for me to pick one in particular would really come down to my frame of mind on that day.  So, today I’m thinking big.  That’s right, big bad-ass monsters destroying everything in their sight, which means today my triple feature would be:

I’d lead off with the ultimate giant monster movie of all time, KING KONG (1933). It still amazes me how well this movie holds up today.  The scenes on Skull Island are as intense today as they were in 1933.  Incidentally, Skull Island is not named in the movie.  That’s right. No one in the film refers to the island as “Skull Island,” even though that’s how fans of the movie have come to know Kong’s home.

You’ve got a great cast with Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, and of course King Kong himself, who really comes off as a living, breathing creature, even though in reality he was an 18-inch animated model.  There’s a brilliant music score by Max Steiner, and direction that was ahead of its time by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack.

The special effects remain remarkable.  Willis O’Brien and his crew were amazing.  If you ever get a chance to read accounts of how the special effects for KING KONG were done, do it.  You’ll be in for a treat.  It’s an amazing story.  My favorite anecdote is how the effect of Kong’s fur actually moving, such a minute detail, was all a mistake.  When the special effects team watched the early rushes of their work, they were horrified to see impressions from their hands appearing on Kong’s fur, a result of their using their hands to move the Kong model in the stop-motion technique.  They thought they were ruined, until someone came in, saw the film and said, “Hey, neat!  Kong’s fur moves!”  They realized then they were saved.

After KING KONG, I would move on to GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS! (1954). Japan’s first Godzilla movie is actually quite scary.  Godzilla’s rampage through Tokyo still gives me the chills.  The original Japanese version is superior to the American release with scenes of Raymond Burr inserted into the action, but even that version is excellent.

I would conclude with the best giant monster movie of the 21st century so far, CLOVERFIELD (2008). While this movie was far more effective on the big screen than at home on DVD, mostly because its frantic hand-held camerawork was easier to follow on the big screen, it’s still an exciting thrill ride.  Very few modern horror movies are about giant monsters.  Fewer still are actually scary.  CLOVERFIELD is very scary.  I can’t wait for the sequel.

That’s my triple feature.

Happy Halloween!

~Michael Arruda, October 2010

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Monstrous Question of the Month Response #1 —OCTOBER 2010

Posted in 2010, Classic Films, Monstrous Question of the Month with tags , , , , , , on October 21, 2010 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2010
(Questions provided by Michael Arruda)

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

You know how movie stations load up on horror movies on Halloween night?  If you were in charge of one of these channels, and if it was up to you to choose a triple feature of horror films showing on Halloween night, which three movies would you choose and why?

RESPONSE # 1 —COLLEEN WANGLUND:

For me, Halloween night has always been about watching movies that scare me….or at least creep me out.  One movie I go to again and again for a definite scare is George A. Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968).  I’ve always loved zombies because they scare the crap out of me and NOTLD is no exception.  It’s the one zombie movie that really REALLY scares me, because of its lack of blood and gore.  Having been filmed in black and white, the gore that is there is grainy and a bit more ambiguous than more recent zombie films.  You see the zombies eating the cooked flesh after the truck explodes, but you can’t clearly see the colors of blood and flesh.  You see the zombies, but not the grey of their rotting flesh.  It gets your imagination going and that can be scarier than anything you see on screen.  I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but every time I watch it, I still have nightmares.

Another movie I’d pick for Halloween viewing is THE OMEN (1976). Aside from the fact that I love Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as Damien’s parents and that this was my first horror movie, Harvey Stevens who played Damien was one scary kid!  At times he seems so innocent, but at others you can see the demon in him.  What happens to the people around him that get too close is unnerving.  The nanny who hangs herself at the birthday party, the priest who ends up impaled and of course there’s the scene where David Warner’s character loses his head….literally.

The third movie is Takashi Miike’s AUDITION (1999). I wouldn’t be the Geisha if I didn’t have at least one Asian horror film on my list.  Eihi Shiina plays one of the most disturbing characters I’ve ever seen.  When we first see Asami (Shiina) she is a very shy and quiet young woman, but we soon learn that she’s not what she seems.  The demure young woman has ice water running through her veins.  She keeps a man tied up in her home in a potato sack with his tongue cut out and she’s apparently committed murder.  By the time Shigeharu, her potential suitor. discovers the truth about her, she’s got him tied down on top of a plastic bag on his living room floor.  When she holds up the syringe for him to see and says “Kitty, kitty, kitty” I get chills; and what she does with piano wire is gruesome, to say the least.  This is still one of my favorite movies.

Honorable mention goes to THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977) by Wes Craven.  This is one scary movie (back when Wes Craven actually made good movies).  A family on vacation breaks down in the middle of a Nevada desert.  Right away I’m scared just being stuck in a remote area with no way out….there were no cell phones in 1977.  Then they are attacked by a family of vicious cannibals led by Jupiter, and all hell breaks loose.  There’s rape, torture and murder.  The family dogs are killed, which freaked me out, and the baby is kidnapped in an extremely disturbing scene.   Of course I could always decide to watch a fourth movie on Halloween.

~Colleen Wanglund 10/14/2010

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