We at Cinema Crazed have had the pleasure of enlisting some truly gifted writers and movie fanatics, and Phil Hall is no exception. We’ve been very close friends with Phil for over ten years, and have followed his extensive work in film both far and wide. He’s worked in film festivals, helped bring very obscure cinematic gems to public attention once again, and has also garnered an immense insight in to the art of filmmaking over the years. His latest book “In Search of Lost Films” from BearManor Media
Tag Archives: Film History
Terror in the Aisles (1984)
If there’s one film I’d suggest to blossoming horror fans that need a primer course for the genre, I’d suggest “Terror in the Aisles.” It’s not a horror movie, so much as a compilation of some of the most interesting thrillers and horror movies from the seventies and eighties, and it touches on the idea of horror’s role in our everyday lives. Why do people love to be scared? What keeps us coming back to horror movies? Why do so many people frighten by horror cinema when there are valid threats in reality? One of the more interesting ideas behind “Terror In the Aisles” is the exploration of movie going as a communal experience.
Once upon a time we could sit in a large dark room with a bunch of strangers and soak in a horrific experience together. We’d laugh, flinch, scream, and feel some sense of camaraderie, in the end. That’s become something of an antiquated habit with the advent of home entertainment. I won’t be seeing “Terror in the DVD Player” any time soon. The gorgeous Nancy Allen and Donald Pleasance host what is a pretty well put together montage that examines fear and how we use it as a means of excitement and exhilaration, even when we’re sitting in the comfort of a movie theater. Allen and Pleasance’s hosting is fantastic as they indulge the audience with charismatic introductions of key moments in some great horror films.
They’re fitted to topics like sex, natural terrors, the occult, and despicable villains. One of the reasons why the documentary is still so resonant is because there are moments during the compilation where we’re given a glimpse at movie goers watching and reacting to horror movies. Scripted as they may be, director Andrew J. Kuehn captures the thrill of the movie theater and losing yourself in frights accurately, and they result in some fun and funny slices of life. I’m still a bit taken aback that there are no clips to “Dawn of the Dead” or “The Exorcist.” You figure two films with such impact on the horror medium, including the latter title would be the centerpiece of the documentary.
Despite that glaring omission, there are still a myriad iconic moments from great films like “Scanners,” “Strangers on a Train,” and “Carrie.” Kuehn’s documentary is a thrilling and excellent celebration of horror and the movie theater community, and is a must see to this day.
42nd Street Forever – The Peep Show Collection Vol. 1 (DVD)
The previous library of 42nd Street Forever” collections were DVDs and Blu-Rays that focused on compiling some of the more interesting and famous grindhouse movie trailers, where as “The Peep Show Collection” is an entirely different animal. Rather than collect porn trailers, this is instead a compilation of short porn and stag films from the seventies. These were often seen in peep shows and most likely dime booths that allowed limited viewing time for customers, and the like. All of the shorts here are comprised of 8mm video shoots with no sound, but are perfect for collectors of this kind of entertainment.
Rewind This! (2013)
Director Josh Johnson pulls off an ingenious move with “Rewind This!” Truly, it’s about the age of VHS and recalls many of the fond memories of buying VHS and learning how to enjoy the spoils of the hunt for the perfect Friday night entertainment from your local mom and pop video store. But by the end of the documentary, director Johnson is wise to warn about how personal media and art is slowly becoming impersonal and is gradually breaking from our grasps.
Fervid Filmmaking: 66 Cult Pictures of Vision, Verve and No Self-Restraint [Paperback]
In the interest of full disclosure, author Mike Watt is a friend and respected colleague who sent us a PDF of his latest book for review. This is nonetheless an objective review of his book “Fervid Filmmaking.”
You have to give it to author Mike Watt. His book isn’t built around 66 great films, or even 66 of his favorite films, but 66 films of importance and relevance that really say something about the genre they’re representing. Take for example the entry in to “Survival of the Dead” by director George Romero. While I’m often a Romero apologist, author Watt really does manage to break down the specifics of the film, and cite past interviews with director Romero to paint “Survival” as a film made by a man perpetually chained to the sub-genre that made him a horror icon.
Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino’s Masterpiece [Hardcover]
We fucking love Quentin Tarantino. And odds are if you’re thinking about buying “Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino’s Masterpiece” from Voyageur Press, you fucking love him, too. At two hundred pages in length,. the giant tome written by Jason Bailey (with essays from movie historians and critics) doesn’t just fill you in on “Pulp Fiction,” but on everything Tarantino. This is the big Kahuna of Tarantino knowledge, and it’s a hell of a fun book to sift through.
Girls and Corpses Volume #7 “Nuclear” Summer [Magazine]
For fans of gore and horror, the number one necrophilia/horror magazine is back with their nuclear summer issue. Celebrating the end of the world, the magazine is still strictly for folks with a strong stomach and not for the faint of heart. After a very good letter from magazine founder Robert Rhine about the nuclear apocalypse, there’s an interview with GWAR founder Oderus Urungus about the band’s history, his association with horror director Adam Green, and the group’s newest album. “Talkin’ Street Trash” is a great interview with writer and producer Roy Frumkes, who discusses his dark horror comedy “Street Trash,” which has just been granted a brand spanking new edition on Blu-Ray this year. Frumkes speaks of his experience with special effects, his history with “Street Trash,” his days as a zombie on “Dawn of the Dead,” and various other projects.