The Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 1: No Sanctuary
One of the things that worried me about the return of “The Walking Dead” was if they’d be able to maintain the momentum from season four. Lo and behold, not only does the series completely hit the ground running, but the events are still charging ahead of us before we can register it all. In this world you don’t really have time to grieve, mourn, or plan, so the writers are successful in that respect. Most importantly, Rick is still Rick Grimes, a bonafide warrior, who knows what he has to do, the people he has to kill, and his primary objective in this entire scenario. After season four’s second half, we finally got to see behind the cloak of Terminus and what they all fought for, and, as usual, it’s much too good to be true.
Five Great Indie Filmmakers Suggest Five Great Films for the Halloween Season
Are you looking for a particular horror movie to watch for the month of October? For the Halloween season this year we spoke to five great indie filmmakers that have released some fine horror films recently, and asked them to suggest a horror film that they particularly find worthy of viewing for Samhain, be it so bad it’s good, infamous, or a masterpiece. These filmmakers currently working in independent film were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules and recommend a title for our readers, so without further ado, five great films for the Halloween season as suggested by five Great Filmmakers.
What are some of your favorite Halloween season movies? Let us know in the comments section!
Young Frankenstein (1974): 40th Anniversary Edition [Blu-Ray]
It’s tough to imagine a better horror comedy for fans of golden age horror. Director Mel Brooks concocts a formula that’s almost impossible to duplicate, playing brilliant comedy with deadpan dramatic sincerity, and implements a wide cast of amazing comedy actors to perform what is a demented twist on “Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.” One of my favorite memories about “Young Frankenstein” was when I was a kid and my mom brought home the VHS to watch for the night. For all intents and purposes, the movie looked like a horror film, and I went in to it convinced of the idea. Mid-way I was laughing so hard, it was impossible to hear the dialogue.
Garfield’s Halloween Adventure (1985)
There’s nothing funnier than watching Garfield and Odie prepare for a holiday. There’s something about the holidays that helps Garfield set aside his dislike for the dog, and turns him in to a friend. This time it’s for the sake of a large grab of candy for Halloween, as he figures out he could get more of it if he brings Odie along. I knew I liked Garfield for a reason, because just like me, his favorite holiday is Halloween. No trees, no relatives, just candy. That’s how it’s done.
Remembering the “Ghosts of Fear Street” Pilot
When it comes to children’s television, networks and studios tend to get weird and air specials out of desperation. Often times it’s to test for a potential audience, which is why we got “Legend of the Hawaiian Slammers,” and other times it’s apparently to fill dead air; which is why we got “Ghosts of Fear Street” in 1997. I remember a lot about 1997, and my Friday nights typically was devoted to the scattered remnants of what was once ABC’s TGIF line up. For those final years we didn’t have much save for the last death gasp of “Boy Meets World.” Say what you want about the series, but those last seasons are terrible. There seems to be no record of “Ghosts of Fear Street” ever having existed. Save for some TV listings, and occasional screen caps, this isn’t even included in the resumes of its cast that include the lovely Azura Skye, and Alex Breckinridge, and the always odd Red Buttons.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
I really enjoy what director Frank Oz does with “Little Shop of Horrors.” Rather than simply ignoring the cheesiness and camp value of the original, he embraces it. He also injects a pulpy comic book atmosphere, along with sixties pop and soul that compliments the tale perfectly. While I’ve always had a weak spot for Roger Corman’s original, Frank Oz succeeds in giving “Little Shop of Horrors” the campy adaptation that it deserves with a brilliant cast, and great tunes. This is a movie that always played on local TV as a kid and I always ignored it for reasons I don’t quite remember. In either case it’s no masterpiece, but it’s a fine and fun horror comedy.
Star Rick Moranis plays Seymour Krelborn, the workaday loser in the slums of his city who works at a flower shop. After fawning over his co-worker Audrey, he decides to take some initiative after financial concerns from his boss and brings in a rare flower. The flower was hit by lightning during a solar eclipse, and Seymour immediately buys it for the sake of the novelty. After pricking his finger, he realizes the plant is alive and hungry for human blood. Soon enough the need for blood transforms in to hunger for human meat, and Seymour must either feed the plant, or lose it and his fame. Nicknamed Audrey II, the vicious plant that turns in to a villain for Seymour, is a wonderful monster. The puppetry matched with Levi Stubbs’ performance make it a menacing foe that is so much more dangerous than it initially looks. Moranis plays Seymour as a mentally unbalanced but very desperate loner who is in love with Audrey and finds she is incapable of being with anyone but her abusive boyfriend.
Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello pretty much steals the film for the screen time he’s given as an over the top biker who works as a dentist for the thrill of torturing patients. Martin is hysterical in the role of the heel, and he even shares a hilarious scene with Bill Murray as the masochistic patient anxious to be tortured. Along with Murray and Martin, there are some great cameos by John Candy, Jim Belushi, and Christopher Guest, all of whom lend a high comedy pedigree to Moranis’ already charming performance. Keeping the film ironic and somewhat meta is the excellent musical numbers, all of which serve as a means of forwarding the narrative, and occasionally challenging the motives of Seymour and his man eating plant. The trio of Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell and Michelle Weeks are impressive, delivering some excellent musical numbers of their own, including the opening title track. “Little Shop of Horrors” is a pulp pop twist on the original Roger Corman horror comedy that’s funny, fun, catchy, and well worth its reputation.