Archive for nick cato

Nick Cato’s TOP 5 FILM EXPERIENCES OF 2012

Posted in 2012, 2013, Best Of Lists, Foreign Films, Grindhouse, Martial Arts, Nick Cato Reviews, Suburban Grindhouse Memories with tags , , , , on January 3, 2013 by knifefighter

Top 5 Film Experiences of 2012
By Nick Cato

I spend more time each year seeing retro-screenings of older films than new films, but this past year featured some solid, new grindhouse-quality releases. Here are my top 5 favorite film “experiences” of the year, featuring both new and old titles.

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5) 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH (2012): As a huge fan of Willem Dafoe, I’m always thrilled to see his latest project, especially when it’s an independent film. This downbeat apocalyptic drama by cult director Abel Ferrara features a different demise for mankind and has a tone all its own. I caught a Q&A session with Ferrara on opening night in Manhattan, which greatly enhanced the evening.

Vulgaria-Movie-Poster-Large

4) VULGARIA (2012): This comedy from Hong Kong had the crowd floored on opening night of the annual Asian Film Festival in New York City this past July. The director stated AMC theaters had acquired the rights to distribute this in limited release across the USA, so hopefully that’ll be happening soon. It centers around a film producer who lectures his class on the crazy things he has done over the years to finance some films. It’s sheer hysteria from beginning to end, all the more amazing as the print I saw was subtitled. Don’t miss it.

switchblade sisters

3) SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (1975): Jack Hill’s legendary, off-the-wall all-girl gang epic was featured in a rare 35mm screening at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn this past fall. Being able to see this on the big screen for the first time was a highlight of my filmgoing year (and life). If you’ve never seen it, you have yet to live.

The_Raid_Redemption

2) THE RAID: REDEMEPTION (2011): This action-packed Indonesian film had limited distribution in the USA in 2012, and even showed up at some major multiplexes around the country. A SWAT team raids an apartment complex a local drug gang has turned into their headquarters. The action and fight sequences are nearly non-stop, and a particularly brutal form of martial arts is used by the entire cast. A couple of knucklehead teenagers saw the subtitles and left during the first three minutes. They have no idea how GREAT a film they missed. The director even managed to sneak a couple of cool twists in-between the barrage of violence and suspense. Simply incredible.

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1) SALO: THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975): Possibly the most controversial film of all time, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s dark epic came to NYC’s IFC Center in June, 2012 for a one-time showing and a sold out crowd. If you have seen it, but not on the big screen, words can’t describe how much more INSANE everything looks (and sounds), especially on this vintage 35mm print. While slow and repetitive at times, brutally mean spirited, and just downright depraved, Pasolini’s artistic look at a bunch of fascists who kidnap, torture and humiliate a bunch of teenagers into submission at an isolated Italian villa is as beautifully shot as it is painful to watch. SALO isn’t a pleasant or even enjoyable film to sit through, but it’s one any lover of obscure cinema should see at least once in their life…and if they can do it in a theater, all the better. Hearing a sold-out crowd giggle through one of the more disgusting sequences made it a bit easier to go down. Love it or hate it, SALO is a film that once seen can never be forgotten. (Editor’s Warning: SALO is not for the squeamish)

© Copyright 2013 by Nick Cato

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NICK CATO’S TOP 3 1970S GRINDHOUSE FLICKS REDISCOVERED IN 2011

Posted in 1970s Movies, 2011, Best Of Lists, Campy Movies, Fun Stuff!, Gangsters!, Grindhouse, Killers, Nick Cato Reviews, Suburban Grindhouse Memories with tags , , , , , , , on January 12, 2012 by knifefighter

SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES Presents:
NICK CATO’S TOP 3 1970S GRINDHOUSE FILMS REDISCOVERED IN 2011
By Nick Cato

3) ANOTHER SON OF SAM (1977).  If you enjoy inept filmmaking, horrendous 70s fashions, plot-holes galore, and a GENUINE grindhouse experience, pay attention: Harvey, who was sexually abused by his mother as a child, escapes a mental institution and goes on a shooting rampage at a park before taking hostages in a college dorm.  A SWAT team and local cops eventually apprehend him.  As a show of total CLASSLESSNESS, this film was released in 1977, BEFORE there was any other fictional film about the Son of Sam, and (I’m assuming) while Berkowitz was still at large.  If you like trashy, pointless films full of unintentional laughs, ANOTHER SON OF SAM is pure gold.  All others, turn and run away as fast as you can.

2) In my never-ending quest to see every obscure low-budget 70s film, I came across (no pun intended) a 1972 sex comedy titled THE GODDAUGHTER, which—among other things—just might be a precursor to the current crop of adult films that parody popular movies (not to mention “Nunsploitation” films).    While nowhere near as entertaining as last summer’s re-discovered 1981 Mafia flick GONE WITH THE POPE, THE GODDAUGHTER is an interesting piece of grindhouse trash for mob film completists with little-to-no conscience (some brief and ugly hardcore scenes guarantee this one will never be shown on Comedy Central).

1) THE GODFATHER AND THE LADY (1975).  The lunatics at Something Weird Video claim this had never been released, all the more amazing as it stars the legendary Jane Russell (who appears in her FINAL film role before doing a couple of TV shows in the 80s), as well as six (count ‘em, SIX) former boxing champions as hit men, including Rocky Graziano, Jake La Motta, and Willie Pep.  It’s a goofy comedy, featuring an opening brawl with sound effects right out of a Warner Brothers cartoon, atrocious acting, and a scam-the-inheritance plot that makes one wonder what episode of Scooby Doo they tried to rip off.  Lots of cornball fun.

© Copyright 2011 by Nick Cato

(All titles are available through Something Weird Video).

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MONSTROUS QUESTION: WHAT’S WRONG WITH WEREWOLVES? (ANSWER # 1)

Posted in 2011, Monstrous Question, Nick Cato Reviews, Philisophical Discussions, Werewolf Movies, Werewolves with tags , , , , , on April 26, 2011 by knifefighter

MONSTROUS QUESTION: WHAT’S WRONG WITH WEREWOLVES? – ANSWER # 1 – NICK CATO

(Monstrous Question provided by Michael Arruda)

We’re going to get deep and philosophical on tonight’s MONSTROUS QUESTION.  Ready?

While watching the recent RED RIDING HOOD (2011), a movie about a werewolf, it got me to thinking:  why is it that werewolves just haven’t made it big in the movies?

Sure, we’ve had the classics like THE WOLF MAN (1941) starring Lon Chaney Jr., followed by Chaney’s numerous appearances as Larry Talbot aka the Wolf Man in the Universal sequels, but what else have we had?

Hammer Films made only one werewolf movie THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961). We saw AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and THE HOWLING series in the 1980s, and recently we had the well-received remake of THE WOLFMAN (2010), but compared to vampires, and now zombies, werewolves just haven’t taken off.  Why?

That’s tonight’s MONSTROUS QUESTION:  What’s wrong with the werewolf as a movie monster?  Why hasn’t he ever been as popular as other monsters, such as vampires and zombies?

***

FROM NICK CATO:

 I think people identify more easily with vampires than with werewolves.  With vampires, who wouldn’t want the power to seduce your prey and have super-human strength?  And when the night’s over, you don’t have to worry about waking up naked in the middle of the woods with your clothes torn to shreds.  Vampires are also usually cool and in control, something werewolves are not.

And while I doubt anyone would want to be a zombie, zombies are a nightmarish version of what may be waiting beyond the grave, and despite the goofiness of most zombie films, the whole concept is terrifying (whether we want to admit it or not).  They are us in a new, permanent, decaying state.  Whereas vampires are the creatures horror fans fantasize about being, zombies are the things we fear becoming.  They’re the ultimately loved and ultimately feared creatures.

Werewolves are somewhere in the middle of this: while it’d be cool to be able to transform at will, traditional werewolves are at the mercy of a full moon (almost like being the employee of an annoying boss), and as mentioned, have very little control over their situation.   Perhaps werewolves have never received the love vamps and zombies have due to our own control issues.

—END—

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QUICK CUTS: Haunted House Movies

Posted in 2011, Ghost Movies, Haunted Houses, Quick Cuts with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 22, 2011 by knifefighter

QUICK CUTS:  Best Haunted House Movies
With: Michael Arruda, Nick Cato, L.L. Soares and Colleen Wanglund

With the release of INSIDIOUS (2011), a new haunted house movie, we asked our panel of experts, what’s your favorite haunted house movie(s) of all time?

Here’s what they had to say:

NICK CATO:

1) THE HAUNTING (1963)–Arguably the BEST haunted house film of all time
2) THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973)–scared me as a kid and still works today.
3) THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979)–both the film and Jay Anson’s novel work well in their own ways.  The film has (what I believe to be) one of the creepiest soundtracks ever.

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Colleen Wanglund:

BURNT OFFERINGS (1976) is probably my favorite haunted house movie.  It stars Karen Black, Oliver Reed and Bette Davis….what’s not to love?  It’s just one of those really creepy movies where you find yourself trying to tell the characters not to do something that you know they’ll do anyway.

JU-ON (2000) written and directed by Takashi Shimizu is a great haunted house movie.  Whoever comes into contact with the house (or the ghosts within) end up carrying the curse wherever they go and passes it on to whomever they meet.  That’s pretty damn scary.  Interestingly, this movie and its sequel were originally only released to DVD.  Word of mouth made them huge in Japan.

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L.L. SOARES

I’d have to agree with Nick on this one. My all-time favorite haunted house flick has got to be THE HAUNTING (1963), the classic film based on Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, which in turn is easily in my top five of best horror novels of all time.

By the way, THE HAUNTING was directed by Robert Wise, the director who also gave us the original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971) and STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979). Strangely enough, he also directed the musicals WEST SIDE STORY (1965) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1961), in his long and varied career. I still think THE HAUNTING was his best film.

I’m also a big fan of THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973), based on Richard Matheson’s novel and starring Roddy McDowell.

A couple of films no one mentioned that I also like a lot are:

THE ORPHANGE (2007)– a great Spanish film about a haunted orphanage (naturally), during the Spanish Civil War, directed by Juan  Antonio Bayona.

HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981) – Okay, I’m not sure if Dr. Freudstein counts as a ghost or as a member of the walking dead, but he does live in the basement and he does haunt the title house in this cult classic by the great Lucio Fulci.

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Michael Arruda:

THE UNINVITED (1944) – love the atmosphere, eerie, spooky, and a mysterious.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) – no one has more fun scaring people in a haunted house than Vincent Price!

Okay, folks, you’ve heard from us.  How about you?  What are your favorite haunted house movies of all time?

—END—

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JANUARY MONSTROUS QUESTION – Answer 1 – Nick Cato

Posted in 2011, 70s Horror, Cannibals, Indie Horror, Monstrous Question of the Month, Nick Cato Reviews, Yetis with tags , , , , on January 26, 2011 by knifefighter

MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – January 2011
(Monstrous Questions provided by Michael Arruda)

Okay, folks, here we are in the middle of January, the month of freezing cold temperatures, snow and ice.

With this in mind, here’s the MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH for January:
What’s your favorite winter horror movie(s)?

First up with an answer this month, it’s Nick Cato.  Take it away, Nick!

Answer # 1 (of 3).  This one’s from NICK CATO:

Here’s a couple of my WINTER-time faves:

SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED (1974). I first saw this on a cold winter morning on TV.  It’s one of my favorite so-bad-it’s-good movies, about a cannibal cult that uses a guy in a Yeti outfit to scare people to death.  In most of the outdoor shots you can see the cold shooting from the actor’s mouths, and one flashback Yeti-attack scene in the snow was quite effective (at least for an 8-year old who should have been watching cartoons). I think of this flick whenever the white stuff starts falling from the sky…

Also,

Larry Fessenden’s WENDIGO (2001) is a great, quiet-horror film that takes place in Upstate New York.  Patricia Clarkson and Jake Weber (the lead actor in the DAWN OF THE DEAD re-make from 2004) star as parents of a young boy who learn the isolated cottage they’re using as a get-away from the stress of city life is haunted by the spirit of a Wendigo, a half-man, half-deer creature of Indian folklore.  The constant sound of wind and the icy backgrounds cleverly add to the slowly growing tension.

When the Wendigo finally makes its appearance during a trippy-looking camp fire scene, goose bumps ran down my spine…the way it walks is as creepy as it gets.  Few films give me the physical or mental chills like this one.

—END—

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Suburban Grindhouse Memories: HUMONGOUS!

Posted in 2010, 80s Horror, B-Movies, Deformed Freaks!, Horror, Nick Cato Reviews, Serial Killer flicks, Slasher Movies, Suburban Grindhouse Memories with tags , , , , , , , on December 16, 2010 by knifefighter

SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES no. 19: WHERE’S THE MONSTER?
by Nick Cato


1980’s PROM NIGHT quickly gained a respectable following among horror fans.  Two years later, we were thrilled to see another film from director Paul Lynch (as far as I know, no relation to David).  A quick and creepy TV ad for HUMONGOUS had my juices flowing for a few weeks before its release, not to mention a great poster campaign (see above). Opening night at the Fox Twin Cinema was quite hot (being mid-June) and the crowd was eager to get into the air-conditioned theater.  Little did we know we’d soon be eager to get back out . . .

Sometime in the 1940s, a wealthy woman is raped after teasing some poor schmuck, but thanks to her malnourished guard dog, manages to survive the attack (she even kills her rapist with a brick-to-the-head).  The woman eventually gives birth to a deformed son (because, as we all know, rapes always create monster children, at least in the movies) and decides to raise him on an isolated island.

Flash forward to the present: a bunch of teens partying on a nearby island decide to head home but crash on another island before reaching the mainland (guess which island they get stranded on?)  The rest of this stinker’s seemingly endless running time features our “survivors” getting picked off by the oversized deformed rape monster, mostly in some very poorly-lit sequences.  In fact, every time a kill scene occurred, everything became darker and the crowd booed louder and louder and with more frustration;  it was nearly impossible to tell what was happening.  Why director Paul Lynch chose to do this is anyone’s guess, but it didn’t earn him any new fans as a filmmaker (at least no one I know).  Some online reviews of this film claim this was the result of a bad, early VHS transfers, but as someone who sat through this the night it was released in a theater, I can say they’re incorrect.

One of the more memorable scenes features one of the girls dressing like the monster’s mother, trying to trick him (you may remember this same tactic was attempted a year earlier in FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2).  This brought yells of “RIP OFF!” from the crowd, which caused my friends and me to laugh, and join in on the commentary.  The only thing we couldn’t insult was the acting, which was well done for this type of film (except for one of the girls who had quite an irritating accent).

While the monster/slasher is only seen in shadows and ever-so-briefly, our stranded crew eventually discover a diary kept by the thing’s mother which sheds some light on why “Humongous” is the was he is.  I’m guessing Lynch either a) wanted the audience to use their imaginations to picture something more gruesome than FX could show, or b) their budget just didn’t have enough for the effects (or blood, for that matter, as very little is shown).

With several better slasher films released in ‘81 and ’82, it’s easy to see why HUMONGOUS came and went within a week and was all but forgotten among genre fans (Although it found a micro-following upon it’s 80s VHS release, an official DVD has yet to surface).

This one’s a real chore to get through (despite a grim opening and decent 15 minutes).  Plus, how can anyone recommend a horror film in which the most memorable scene is a topless girl laying on top of some guy to keep him warm?

NEXT!

© Copyright 2010 by Nick Cato

German Shepherds: the ULTIMATE rape/revenge weapon!

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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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September MONSTROUS QUESTION – Response # 1

Posted in 2010, Horror DVDs, Monstrous Question of the Month, Remakes, Sequels with tags , , , , on September 22, 2010 by knifefighter

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

As we discussed in our initial Monstrous Question back in May, remakes are all the rage these days.  Heck, in 2010 alone we’ve seen PIRANHA 3D, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, CLASH OF THE TITANS, THE CRAZIES and THE WOLFMAN, and the year’s not even done yet.

When we hear about these remakes, most of the time we moan and groan because in most cases, the originals were really good movies that we really loved!  Why mess with perfection, right?

Now, most of these original classics were so good they inspired sequels, and sometimes entire franchises.  Often, it’s the sequel that failed to measure up.

I got to thinking that the filmmakers have got it all wrong.  Why keep remaking these superior originals?  Why not remake the inferior sequel?

So, I ask you, for the SEPTEMBER MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH: If you could remake one sequel, what would it be?  Why?  And lastly, for some added fun, what are some of the changes/improvements you’d make?

***

RESPONSE # 1

NICK CATO:

I know I’ll be ostracized for this, but here goes:

If there’s one remake I wish they could do all over, it would be EVIL DEAD 2 (1987).

Before you newbies kick me out of the horror community, hear me out:  EVIL DEAD (1983) was the first gore film that I found to be scary; the gore was off the wall, but the atmosphere and seriousness is what made it such a classic film.  I remember leaving the theater on opening night thrilled that there was finally an all-out bloodbath that those who don’t care for gore films might actually like…and many did.

So when the sequel was released, I’ll never forget sitting in the theater thinking, “MAN—why are they doing this?”  Sure, EVIL DEAD 2 has a lot of fun scenes and FX, but why they made it so humorous is beyond me—and this coming from someone who loves humorous horror.  If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s SILLY remakes.  EVIL DEAD 2 and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986) are the biggest culprits.

If I was at the helm of EVIL DEAD 2, I would have done everything possible to keep the serious tone of the original.  For me, the humor desecrated what could have been a great, scary series.  (Sorry folks—while I enjoyed ARMY OF DARKNESS (1993) for what it was, I was still fuming over EVIL DEAD 2, and to this day haven’t been able to give it a fair viewing).

Okay—heading back to the cabin to hang with the real horror fans…

—END—

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July’s MONSTROUS QUESTION – Answer # 5 – Nick Cato

Posted in 2010, Giant Insects, Monstrous Question of the Month with tags , , , , on July 31, 2010 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH – JULY
(Monstrous Questions of the Month provided by Michael Arruda)

This Month’s Question:

Excluding JAWS, what is your pick for the ultimate summer horror movie?

***

NICK CATO RESPONDS (WITH THE FINAL ANSWER TO THIS MONTH’S QUESTION):

On a hot summer afternoon in July 1977, my cousins and I went to see EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977), which at the time (considering we were all around 9 years old) we thought was some kind of sci-fi masterpiece.  Of course it hit us a few years later just how horrible this thing was, but it is a genuinely entertaining “summer monster movie.”

The film takes place in a resort area of Florida, so the stage is already set for that summer-time feel.  Add a few hundred Cadillac-sized ants that are capable of brainwashing humans to do their bidding, PLUS “Dynasty” star Joan Collins in an irritating supporting role, and the film holds up to great annual viewings on your laptop at family picnics.

Just as JAWS (1975) kept people out of the water, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS has managed to keep me out of Florida (at least that’s what I tell people).

–END—

(And as an added treat – the even cooler UK poster for EMPIRE OF THE ANTS!)


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INTRODUCING: SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES BY NICK CATO

Posted in News, Suburban Grindhouse Memories with tags , , , on March 26, 2010 by knifefighter

(Nick Cato’s SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES will be appearing on the Cinema Knife Fight Web site every other Thursday. Be sure to check it out!)


The term GRINDHOUSE should bring two things to mind: 1) Sleazy theaters located in shady parts of the city, and 2) Cheap exploitation films (or B-movies as they’re commonly called).  But what some people may not know is that grindhouses existed almost everywhere and weren’t exclusive to big cities. Even in nice, respectful small towns you could find that one theater that happened to show at least one film that wasn’t part of the mainstream.  And in the late 70s/early 80s here in New York’s smallest, most conservative borough (Staten Island), we actually had several genuine grindhouses.

In this educational (and hopefully entertaining) column, I’m going to take you back to a time when you could see unusual, uncut films in a theater on any given day; a time when you could see something like ZOMBIE ISLAND MASSACRE in theater No. 2, while AMADEUS played next door in theater No. 1.  And while suburban grindhouses might not have been as scary an experience as urban ones (and I’ve been to both countless times), most of the films I saw at these theaters usually featured at least one or two whack-jobs causing problems in the audience, as well as outside the theater,  before and after the film (and these experiences often helped shaped your opinion of the film itself).  “Audience participation” was not limited to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (just ask anyone who saw PINK FLAMINGOS at a midnight screening several years before ROCKY HORROR had even been released).

While I’m a big fan of DVDs (especially all the nifty extras on better ones), there’s just NO substitute for seeing a good, trashy B-movie in a theater…and the sleazier, the better.

Welcome to my Suburban Grindhouse Memories…

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Nick Cato published the influential cult-film fanzine, STINK, from 1981-1991.  His short fiction has been published in several genre anthologies, including Deathgrip: Exit Laughing (2006 Hellbound Books), Southern Fried Weirdness Vol. 1 (2007 SFW Press), Strange Stories of Sand and Sea (2008 Fine Tooth Press) and Bits of the Dead (2008 Coscom Entertainment), and has been featured in magazines such as Dark Recesses and Wicked Karnival.  DON OF THE DEAD, Nick’s debut novel, was released by Coscom Entertainment in July, 2009. In October, 2010, Nick will be part of the highly-anticipated Dark Scribe Press film book, BUTCHER KNIVES AND BODY COUNTS. You can contact him through his blog: http://nickcato.blogspot.com.

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