Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Doom Asylum (1987, Richard Friedman)

Sure Doom Asylum is silly, cheesy, and very low budget. At one point a character says something about a person meeting them and God or whatever. I can’t remember, it was hilarious. This is a fun late 1980s slasher movie that refuses to take itself seriously, has a decent enough cast and is good fun trash that works anyways. Elements of the movie are a parody of slasher movies anyways, and work better in comedic fashion.

A lawyer and his girlfriend get in a horrible car crash. She dies, he becomes a mutilated killer who lurks in an abandoned aslyum. Some young folks show up to get horribly murdered in various ways by the killer, who spends half the flick watching old movies. Kristin Davis is probably the most famous actress in this movie, followed by Patty Mullen.

The ending made me laugh actually, and the kills are really good for a silly movie such as this one. Also the killer has some hilarious one liners and he looks really gruesome. This flick is easily a The Last Drive In candidate, although I’m sure the folks there have already seen this and I bet Joe Bob Briggs has reviewed it at some point. Check it out.

Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Turkey Shoot (1982, Brian Trenchard-Smith)

The Aussies are pretty good at making their own brand of apocalyptic dystopia movies and Turkey Shoot is one of those movies. Brian Trenchard-Smith does a fine job of creating a movie that is equal parts sci-fi, action and horror movie. With plenty of yellow jumpsuits, of course. Steve Railsback and Olivia Hussey star as two people struggling to stay alive at one of those ruthless concentration camps that mirrors ones from fascist regimes in real life.

This one is a re-education camp, yet the leaders have decided to select a small group and hunt for sport. This is very The Most Dangerous Game and predates Battle Royale and The Hunger Games, of course. Sure Turkey Shoot, also known as Escape 2000, is one of those cheesy 1980s violent cult films that people still talk about. And with good reason-it has no qualms about who lives or dies, and it’s subject matter is not too far out of the realm of modern possibility.

Did I think this was a great movie? No, yet I’m glad I still watched it. Too bad the budget restrictions limited the film quite a bit, and yet despite those Turkey Shoot is a good and horrifying movie. We can dream of a Star Trek style future, yet more than likely something as nasty as Turkey Shoot is more plausible to me knowing human nature. I don’t know what color the jumpsuits will be, though.

Killing Them Loudly: Horrorfest 2021

This concludes Horrorfest 2021 which featured me watching 66 movies, the most I’ve ever seen in a three month span. I’m not sure I will do that again but you never know. See you all next year for Horrorfest 2022! 

July Viewings:

1. Vamp (1986, Vampires!), Arrow Films Video
2. Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013, Jason Doc!), Shudder
3. Vampyres (1975, Lesbian Vamps), Shudder
4. Patrick (1978, Mind Powers!), Shudder
5. Child’s Play 2 (1990, CHUCKY!), Netflix Instant Viewing
6. Prevenge (2016, Slasher?), Shudder
7. Night Tide (1961, Mermaid), Shudder
8. The Queen of Black Magic (1981, Revenge!), Shudder
9. Here Comes Hell (2019, Demonic), Shudder
10. Frankenhooker (1990, Mad Scientist), Shudder
11. Def By Temptation (1990, Succubus), Shudder

August Viewings:

(1) 12. Black Roses (1988, Rock n roll is evil! Evil!), Shudder
(2) 13. Death Ship (1980, Nazi Boat!), Shudder
(3) 14. Don’t Panic (1989, Demonic), Shudder
(4) 15. The Whistler (2019, Fairy Tales Are Real), Shudder
(5) 16. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2019, Ghosts), Shudder
(6) 17. Turkey Shoot (1982, Dystopia), Shudder
(7) 18. Dave Made a Maze (2017, Dangerous Cardboard!), Shudder
(8) 19. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981, Crazy Aunt), Shudder
(9) 20. White of the Eye (1988, Slasher), Shudder
(10) 21. Lisa and the Devil (1973, Telly Savalas is the Devil!), Shudder
(11) 22. Shock (1977, Ghost Possession), Shudder
(12) 23. Messiah of Evil (1973, Undead cult!), Shudder

September Viewings:

(1) 24. Vicious Fun (2020, Slasher Support Group), Shudder
(2) 25. Mortuary (1983, Embalmed), Shudder
(3) 26. Hellmaster (1992, JOHN SAXON), Shudder
(4) 27. The Dead Pit (1989, Like a Surgeon), Shudder
(5) 28. The Pale Door (2020, Witches and Cowboys), Shudder
(6) 29. Chillerama (2011, Anthology), Tubi
(7) 30. Mohawk (2017, Revenge!), Shudder
(8) 31. The Brain Eaters (1958, Parasites!), Tubi
(9) 32. Death Curse of Tartu (1966, Tartu), Tubi
(10) 33. Sting of Death (1966, Killer Jellyfish), Tubi
(11) 34. Blood Quantum (2020, Zombies), Shudder
(12) 35. I Bury the Living (1958, Cemetery business), Tubi
(13) 36. Candyman (2021, I’m not saying it), Theater Viewing
(14) 37. Head Count (2019, Mythical Creature Thing), Shudder
(15) 38. Found Footage 3D (2016, Meta), Shudder
(16) 39. Color Out of Space (2020, Aliens! Sort of), Shudder
(17) 40. Shakma (1990, Killer Ape), Shudder
(18) 41. Malignant (2021, GABRIEL), Theater Viewing

October Viewings:

(1) 42. The Church (1989, Man Is Evil), Tubi
(2) 43. Blood (1973, Monster Mash), Tubi
(3) 44. Cannibal Ferox (1981, Savage), Shudder
(4) 45. Sorority House Massacre (1986, Slasher Flashback), Shudder
(5) 46. Pledge Night (1990, Acid Sid), Shudder
(6) 47. WNUF Halloween Special (2013, NEWS AT 11), Shudder
(7) 48. Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020, Gentrification Sucks!), Netflix Instant Viewing
(8) 49. One Dark Night (1983, Raymar!), Tubi
(9) 50. Doom Asylum (1988, Power Tools), Tubi
(10) 51. Hannah, Queen of the Vampires aka Crypt of the Living Dead (1973, Undead Undead), Tubi
(11) 52. Death By Invitation (1971, She’ll have her revenge!), Tubi
(12) 53. Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964, The South Will Kill Again), Tubi
(13) 54. Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1974, The Monster!), Tubi
(14) 55. The Convent (2000, Satanic Nuns), Tubi
(15) 56. Demonia (1990, EVIL!), Tubi
(16) 57. Psycho Goreman (2020, ALIENS), Shudder
(17) 58. The Descent (2005, Underground Monsters), Tubi
(18) 59. Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman (2000, Snowman In The Tropics), Tubi/Crackle
(19) 60. Habit (1997, Indie Vampires), Shudder
(20) 61. Halloween Kills (2021, EVIL DIES TONIGHT), Theater Viewing
(21) 62. Rituals (1977, Into the Woods), Shudder
(22) 63. Just Before Dawn (1981, Don’t Go In The Woods), Shudder
(23) 64. The House That Screamed (1969, Serrador), Shudder

Coda:

65. V/H/S/94 (2021, Tjahjanto, Barrett), Shudder

66. Last Night In Soho (2021, Wright), Movie Theater Viewing

Horrorfest 2020 Presents: Ghosthouse (1988, Umberto Lenzi)

Ghosthouse may have in some way helped inspire Final Destination. It is also an oddball mess of a movie that can’t decide if it wants to be a haunted house movie or a slasher movie. Some films that are competently made can do both, yet I wish Ghosthouse had just stuck with one. The haunted house and evil doll aspects work much better. Particularly since the doll looks like it escaped from Poltergeist.

Especially since there is one death scene that is hilariously awful. Still some other parts work, and I didn’t hate the characters even if I was given very little reason to care about what happened to them. Tubi has a lot of horror movies ranging from outright gems and classics, to mediocre and then outright trash. Unfortunately Ghosthouse falls in that muddled middle, not able to go the extra mile in either direction. Too bad.

Slasher Sequel Fest

Inspired by numerous movie marathons over the years, I was thinking about doing one for only sequels of slasher films. My list would be:

1. Scream 2 (1997)
2. ANOES 3: The Dream Warriors (1987)
3. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)
4. H20 (1998)
5. Leprechaun 2 (1994)
6. TCM 2 (1986)
7. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 (1987)
8. Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (1984)
9. Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
10. Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
11. Slumber Party Massacre Part II (1990)
12. Hellraiser II: Hellbound (1988)
13. Final Destination 2 (2003)

Horrorfest 2014 Presents: Phenomena (1985, Dario Argento)

Jennifer Connelly had a busy year with both Labyrinth and Phenomena, both strange films although only one is a Dario Argento horror film. This is one of the stranger Argento movies, even by his standards, because in this film Connelly’s Jennifer has the ability to communicate with insects. This ability is established early on when a bee lands on her finger and does not sting her, as if it has become her friend. Of course this film also opens with a typically horrific and startling Argento style murder, and in a way this film reminded me of Suspiria since both movies take place at boarding schools for young women. Naturally both involve the supernatural, too, something that Argento also touched upon in Inferno and some of his later movies, too.

Not only do you have horror icon Donald Pleasence playing a professor stuck in a wheelchair but you also have Argento veteran Daria Nicolodi as Jennifer’s chaperon. Plus there is even a ridiculously smart chimp named Inga, who assists Pleasence and proves to be important later on in the film. You have numerous nasty murders, Jennifer summoning up insects after the students foolishly mock her, and a cool traveling sequence where Jennifer puts her bug powers to investigative use. All set to a wicked soundtrack featuring Goblin and songs by Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Bill Wyman and Andi Sexgang. Even though some of the movie doesn’t quite work (a few of the scenes come off as silly, not magical or creepy) this is still a wonderfully eerie and well made film. Oh and I’m naturally biased in favor of movies with a monkey as one of the main characters for some reason. Perhaps they amuse me.

Horrorfest 2013 Presents: The Evil Dead (2013, Fede Alvarez)

The Evil Dead’s opener was rather jarring and a little freaky. I rather liked this movie even though it pales in comparison to the original classic. If only the 1981 film didn’t exist, and yet it does so here we are. What’s funny though is that the acting in the remake is better and there manages to be even more gore. I did not expect that. Also having Mia, the main character be a recovering drug addict was a nice touch. It gave her an added dimension plus its the reason why her and her friends are in the cabin in the woods. Despite some well crafted atmosphere the film fails at times to be scary.

Rather it settles for being nasty and gross with blood and body parts being mutilated.  Some of it is manages to be really freaky though and I liked the nods to the original. Particularly the possessed person chained up in the basement. In fact there was even a little bit of The Evil Dead II in this movie-fans of the series will know what I am talking about when the moment arrives.

However the last act is an interesting and literally blood filled mess. Too bad, since there is some great shots and the film is fairly well made. Sam Rami may not be a great director but he was certainly someone with talent, and this film could have benefited from his touch. Although I wonder if perhaps Fede Alvarez had more experience making Hollywood horror movies this remake would have been much better than it was. Still at least I liked it, and it is hopefully leading up to Army of Darkness II. At least that’s the plan, anyways.