Frank Sudol’s “Dead Fury” is inspired by classics such as “John Carpenter’s The Thing,” “Evil Dead” and most likely “Night of the Living Dead” and as such is a clear homage that notifies the audience of its intentions before the credits even roll. I’m a fan of Sudol’s “City of Rott” even in spite of the general problems it had in the final act, and he follows it up with a surreal and unusually constructed monster in the house story about four friends out on a hunting trip who find… demons? I want to say Demons who act like Zombies. Either way, “Dead Fury” is a film that’s been met with a bit of scorn from critics, but I like it.
The Stepford Wives (1975)
An “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” for the feminist era, novelist Ira Levin’s horror science fiction thriller is an ode to the fear of feminism, the unwelcome reception it received by old fashioned men who grew up in a society predominantly ruled by subservient women and a bit of a paranoid fantasy that takes the best of feminism and matches it with the male ego that ultimately attempts to snuff out the girl power movement enacted by women after the sixties and take it in to an era where women were soon relegated to tools and props as status symbols for men unwilling to submit to a woman who was well spoken, intelligent, and always anxious to give their men hell for making decisions that they didn’t approve with. Sure it’s an anti-male diatribe, but so what? “The Stepford Wives” original as directed by Bryan Forbes is a reflection on a society that wants to have it both ways.
Awake O’Sleeper (2008)
I was watching “Awake O’Sleeper” on my computer, in my room, in the end of a boring day, half asleep, and ready for a quick film. And what I got at the end was a pretty damn great short musical from Brandon McCormick. And when I say pretty damn great, I mean this is probably one of the best indie musicals I’ve seen in a long time and you can only say that about the 5% of indie filmmakers daring enough to try their hand at the genre.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Remastered Deluxe Edition (DVD)
Linus: There are three things I’ve learned to never discuss with people: Religion, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin.
Easter has the bunny, Christmas has Santa, and Valentine has Cupid, so it would only make sense that Halloween would have its own mythical figure to bring great joy, wouldn’t it? According to Linus: yes. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” may not be one of the better Charlie Brown specials but it sure is a great celebration of not just the Autumn season, but of Halloween and what a little faith in the tradition can do to a young child; it’s also one of the better animation jobs from the recently deceased Bill Melendez. Linus believes in the Great Pumpkin a mysterious Halloween figure that brings presents on Halloween Night at the local pumpkin patch.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
In the days of overexposed, computer heavy FX extravaganzas, horror films that go for a more subtle build of terror are usually dismissed as cheap throwaways that just don’t have the budget to compete with the big studio thrill rides. It’s no secret that the “less is more” philosophy is the independent filmmaker’s best friend, but occasionally there comes along a movie that embraces its sense of mystery and uses a building sense of menace to its advantage.
Beetlejuice: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (1988) (DVD)
Ah if only for the days where saying a line like “Nice fucking Model!” would warrant a PG rating. If only for the days where snake monsters and women smoking through the holes in their necks were considered fodder for the prepubescent crowds. “Beetlejuice” is still mysteriously considered somewhat of a family film, and hell, it’s one I grew up on even in spite of disliking with immense passion.
The Happening (2008) (DVD)
People say that M. Night Shyamlan is the David Blaine of filmmaking, a man with parlor tricks and elaborate illusions of creativity and imagination but I dismiss those claims and still stand by M. Night proclaiming him one of the better storytellers of modern film. Sure, there could be other horror films out there, but in a year generally devoid of horror only with remakes and quasi-horror in theaters and on home video I say that M. Night’s dabbling in the R rated arena was an utter win.