Every Time I Cried This Year: Parker's Recap of 2024

It’s that time of year again! Time to talk about what I liked most out of this surprisingly nice year outside of several world events that will once again very harshly change the course of our well being. There were lots of highs and lows on my end, film-wise. Some interesting, some not so much. It was a bit of a rollercoaster to say the least! But perhaps my one of my most visited pages this year was the statistics feature on Letterboxd to track silly little numbers. It proves I'm extremely predictable.

Take my most watched actors, for example. Is there any surprise?

1. Udo Kier (36 individual films)
2. Jeffrey Combs (12)
3. Howard Vernon (8)
4. Dietrich Kuhlbrodt (8)
5. Fulvio Mingozzi (7)
   

     Jeffrey is the only American in that mix! How about directors?

1. Christoph Schlingensief (17 individual films)
2. Walerian Borowczyk (12)
3. Jess Franco (9)
4. Joe D’Amato (7)
5. Dario Argento (7)

As you can see podcast research and blindspot covering really had me down bad this year. Apparently my most watched genres were horror, comedy, and drama, and my most watched countries were the US, Italy, and Germany. Also, only 1% of my logs in total were films from 2024, probably because most of that 1% gave me a rather sour taste in my mouth.

Outside of basic statistics, I did compile a list of my favorite first time watches this year. It’s possible I rewatched these throughout the year, but I had to have seen them first in 2024. There is no ranking or order. Don't be shocked if this is the most basic list you see out of all of these.

        Eraserhead (1977): This is what hell looks like and I will not be hearing any conflicting view points at this time. Cold, industrialized, droning, and full of peculiar relationships that are nonsensical and hard to understand, Eraserhead is hit or miss amongst genre fans. It puts half its audience to sleep and terrifies the piss out of the other half, the black and white version of dread set to the tune of radiators and the world’s worst baby. Definitely one of the scariest things I saw this year, second only to finding a link to Jack Nance’s appearance in a fetish spanking video.

        Videodrome (1983): Odd to reflect on this film seeing that I genuinely like watching shock films for fun (hopefully not irreversibly damaging my brain). This is the penultimate commentary on mass media and the harm it can do to both the people consuming it and the people involved. Part of me loves how well this has aged; it can apply to not only television (which is what I assume it was targeting), but now social media, streaming services, and video games. It also applies to how stupidly attached we are to our technology, as Max Renn’s stussy and cancer gun are shown painfully attaching to him, perhaps as a punishment for perpetrating genuinely harmful media onto the masses. Cronenberg is definitely working through some things here; there is no crystal clear message or interpretation, but then again I have yet to see a film of his where he makes it straight to the point, no slime attached. And that’s just the way I like it, with this being my favorite so far and Crash (1996) being a runner up.

        Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019): Every. Single. Shot. Should. Be. In. A. Museum. It’s that beautiful, both in its visuals and its characters. This film does everything right in both being period accurate and correctly showing “what it feels like for a girl” (thank you Madonna). This is a relationship at it’s most pure, which makes this film all the more heart breaking; fire does not last forever no matter how strong it burns. Maybe one of the best films ever made? I feel like I’m rambling. Go watch this.

        Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001): Why did this change my life? Why is this part of the reason I started my own podcast? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I firmly believe Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter is made with the thing Jesus valued the most: love. It feels a bit like a fan-made comic book film, and I’m very curious to see Lee Demarbre’s stance on Christianity. I refuse to believe there is even a droplet of hate involved with the production and viewing of this film and if there is then you are wrong. The equivalent of an ice cream social and puppies, but in homemade B-movie clothing.

        Breaking the Waves (1996): I didn’t watch as much Lars Von Trier as I anticipated, mostly because the length of his films scare me off in my busy schedule. Breaking the Waves is something I made time for, despite its nearly 3 hour run time. Happy I did, as it quickly became my favorite Von Trier film (surpassing The House That Jack Built (2018), something I had to walk away from because it freaked me out so much upon initial viewing). I love his handheld style so much; it adds this rawness to what already promises to be a tough watch. Emily Watson gives a flooring performance as a small town girl who is asked by her husband to have extramarital affairs in order to give him a reason to live. She tests the value that you must be faithful to your husband in order to be faithful to God. She goes against the values of her community and the Church, but she is being faithful. At what cost? A harrowing love story, with a sad ending that only Von Trier can make feel remotely positive.

        Possession (1981): What new thing can I say about this? Probably nothing. There are people I know who complain about several modern horror films taking from Possession. My retort is who cares? This film is great, people see it as great, and that is all that matters. Frankly, it only makes me want to see things like Nosferatu (2024) more. It is a Lovecraftian dive into the hellish side of marriage and deception. This is trauma put onto celluloid. Please don't touch it, Robert Pattinson.

        Silence = Death (1989): We did an episode on one of Rosa Von Praunheim’s happier films, City of Lost Souls (1983), which is in the ilk of Paris Is Burning (1990) when it comes to displaying a small community and the celebration of it’s culture, all while being grounded in the fact that they are part of the alternative. Ironically Silence = Death was also shot in NYC around the same time, but takes a much different tone than both of those films. Simply put, this is the grim reality of the AIDS epidemic, which I realized is not really taught in public schools at the time of this writing. It is an angry film, taking a particular ire towards the government which stood by and did nothing. Unfortunately, it has also aged quite well, and it was probably a bad idea to watch near an election cycle. A powerful push for activism in the LGBTQ community, both then and now.

       Perfect Blue (1997): Fame eats you. Everything and nothing are real. There is no difference between fantasy and reality. This is what hell looks like. Far and away my favorite anime film to date. Also a lot of my friends are into anime and Eastern culture and they have told me that idols often have very toxic fanbases, and that there is less legislation for the protection of women, so I refuse to believe that something similar to this hasn’t happened.

        The People’s Joker (2023): Let trans people be trans people. We're just silly little clowns. Need I say more? Vera Drew created perfection with this. Between the portrayal of dysphoria, exploration of self identity, and willingness to go against the norm, this film is made for me. Plus, I understood and loved all the comic book references she uses. And I got a free banner from my advisor of this film that proudly hangs by my desk.

        My Own Private Idaho (1991): How many people can say they watched something for Udo Kier doing a lamp dance, but ended up having their life completely changed? This is a film I watched fairly early in the year and have since seen several more times in order to reaffirm my thinking, but also to bring comfort. Following a pair of friends on a road trip to discover themselves, every single viewing I was brought to tears. My first sit through of this triggered several revelations about my gender, sexuality, and the relationships I had in my life up to that point; I did not expect to find the gay hustler movie so relatable and applicable to my life (particularly the duo of River Phoenix’s Mike and Keanu Reeves’s Scott). Gus Van Sant uses everything at his disposal to carefully craft this film into a moving tale of young adulthood and self discovery, and that closely applies to myself both at the beginning of this year and today. Safe to say this may be my new favorite film ever, and that if anyone ever wants to get to know me outside of schlock, this would be what I tell them to watch.

Parker S.

Who's Going to Believe a Talking Head?

Everyone who is reading this has heard of Re-Animator, and hopefully has seen it (if not, fix that right now or I will make you drink glow stick fluid). The film turns 40(!) next year and has maintained its reputation for shock and comedy. It’s a film that continues to make my jaw drop at certain scenes despite numerous rewatches over the years, and yet it never fails to feel like a warm hug every time I put it on. While I’m not proud of this per se, I’m so thankful this has kept me reeled in all these years later.

2,100 × 2,100

While you may not know of the source material, you most likely know of the author; H.P. Lovecraft has gained quite the reputation over the years. As far as my knowledge on him? I’m not going to position myself as a scholar or an expert on his work, but I do feel some compulsion to talk about him in order to give some context. Writing during the early 20th century about eldritch horrors incapable of being understood by humans, his short story “Herbert West - Reanimator” initially seems like an outlier in his array of work, dealing with more down to earth topics like medical experimentation and death. Looking further however reveals a common thread found in Lovecraft’s work: fear of the unknown. He tends to use first person narration throughout all of his stories, creating anxiety in readers as they slowly unfurl the mystery that not even Lovecraft seems to know the answer to. “Reanimator” ponders themes of morality and the limits of science, like its inspiration Frankenstein does, but it does so in a bit of a pulpy manner, being much more gory than Mary Shelley’s novel and even other Lovecraft stories. Often decried due to his rampant racism and xenophobia, his ideas have influenced so many writers and directors to the point where it’s hard to discredit him, be it direct adaptations of his stories, the creatures they create, or simply using similar techniques to establish a similar paranoid tone in their works. 

Being an adaptation, Re-Animator does take elements from the story, specifically the first two entries. However, as with most Lovecraft, gothic settings and indescribable tentacle monsters do not always equate to a coherent narrative; there must be more meat on the bones in order to engage most audiences. Initially wanting to make a miniseries consisting of six 30 minute episodes, director Stuart Gordon realized that most television networks were not interested in either the content or the length of what he wanted. He soon hired gothic literature professor Dennis Paoli to help him adapt the script into a feature length film that would take place in the modern era, but still feature pivotal parts of the serial.  

        Using this idea, Paoli turned the script into a story about a medical school student becoming unintentionally drawn into his roommate’s experiments to defeat death, turning his life upside down. Featuring graphic gore, outrageous sexual situations, and an iconic anti-hero, Re-Animator has all the hallmarks of a genre cult classic. Chances are you have seen it and wince at the phrase “giving head” in context to this film; I certainly do! The most curious thing is unlike some well known films of the time (namely The Thing (1982) and The Shining (1980), which were panned upon release and later hailed as classics in retrospect, Re-Animator has never had a critical reevaluation of sorts. Critics loved it when it came out (even gaining positive reviews from Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael), and it has retained similar levels of praise since. The only thing that has maybe held back the film is the choice to leave it unrated; this kept the uncensored version off video store shelves for some time, however once the proper version was put on VHS (and later DVD and Blu-Ray), exposure only grew, and the positive feedback has kept on coming.

        Part of the timeless charm is how the cast is able to find what little quirks each of their archetypes have, and how well they make these work together as an ensemble. Jeffrey Combs brings a domineering energy as Herbert West, never stepping on his co-stars but remaining a force to be reckoned with throughout the film. West does not care that chaos comes in his wake; he just sees any consequences as mild annoyances and goes around them. Bruce Abbott plays West’s foil Dan Cain, the straight man that is supposed to be the audience’s reaction to the mayhem, yet is complicit in all that takes place. The lone female role of Megan Halsey is portrayed by Barbara Crampton, and while I don’t think there is anything special about how she is written, I do think she does an incredible job as the voice of reason in these impossible circumstances, despite how her character ends up receiving some truly horrid treatment. These three have an incredible chemistry with each other, and give the film some of the most memorable exchanges of the film.

        This trio of students is complimented by two very similar yet different authority figures; Dean Halsey (played by Robert Sampson) and Dr. Hill (played by David Gale). Halsey is Meg’s father and is rather protective of her, being lukewarm of her relationship with Dan. When he gets wind of the activities Dan has (unwittingly) participated in, he turns against it altogether, just before being killed off and becoming yet another experiment. While he at least starts off having good intentions, Dr. Hill is quite different; upon meeting him, West immediately calls him out on his suspected plagiarism, causing tension that is only resolved when Hill tries to intimidate West into handing over his research. It doesn’t go well for him, and Hill has since become a centerpiece for some of the more memorably comedic scenes due to his… detached state. This doesn’t remove the ominous presence Gale has whenever he’s on screen; his towering height and booming voice nicely contrast the rest of the cast, and he relishes being both a dictatorial professor and an unhinged reanimate.

        While the choices made by the cast to bring out certain nuances certainly are a major part of Re-Animator’s status as a cult classic, the writing also plays a significant role in the element of camp the film brings to the table. While some scenes were helped by the campiness and chemistry of the actors, there are some scenes that don’t need to be played up to be funny. Take when West reanimates Dr. Hill’s head and body separate from each other; he has difficulty getting the head to stand up by itself and puts a noteholder under it! Then he is cursed out by the head and knocked out by the body. Stuart Gordon may have wanted this to be a straightforward film, but little instances like that prove otherwise. Add on top of that the low budget (which make any of the scenes involving the dead cat funnier than they ought to be) and dry one-liners here and there (such as “Who’s going to believe a talking head? Get a job in the sideshow", "oh what will they do, embalm us?”, and “What would a note say, Dan? ‘Cat dead, details later’?”), and you end up with a film that aims to be just as slyly funny as the short stories often are in pure absurdity.

        What to make of all this? Is there anything to make a point of? On the surface perhaps not; in fact when I show this film to people they either love it for the camp, or hate it due to the excess thrown at them. But with a source material expanding upon points of the limits of science and what humans should do, and a director that made a name for himself in Chicago theater by making a politically psychedelic Peter Pan play, I knew there had to be something lying just underneath the surface.

        Rewatching both the film and Re-Animator Resurrectus (2007), the documentary about the film’s making, I realized something very important. This is not a “typical” Lovecraftian story, where the people start out insane and end up even more insane. Most of the characters here are just regular students and are very relatable throughout the film. They have normal human reactions to the madness around them, and while they may succumb to the hellscape around them (figuratively or literally), they ultimately remain who the viewer roots for. Through this, Stuart Gordon and Dennis Paoli are able to create a domestic drama that pushes the limits of horror. Dan is the center of a love triangle of sorts, being constantly pulled at by West’s desire to cure the ultimate disease, and by Meg’s desire to continue a fulfilling life, regardless of the hurdles it may take to reach that. Simply put, it's the work life balance we all struggle with in our daily lives hidden just behind the morgue doors. 

        Re-Animator also brings to the forefront the themes of mortality, and just how great a gift like reanimation could be to humanity if put in the correct hands. Herbert West is not this, even if he fully understands how great it is; rather, he seems to relish in this idea for himself, often coming off as arrogant. When I showed my mother this film (that’s a story for another time), she thought he was a creep. I simply replied “well in his eyes he’s just better, and he can’t help if he has a scientific breakthrough in his roommate’s basement”. He sees something commonly accepted as permanent and turns it on its head; does his experiment need rethinking, or are we just not ready? Maybe the answer in context to this is obvious, but it does beg the question of what we should do and when regarding science and ethics.

        Now, how the hell did this come into my life? Strangely enough, this isn’t something I’ve known about for all the years I've been obsessed with horror films. I had to do what I thought was some digging to find out about this, and having Dead Meat (my favorite YouTube channel at the time) cover it some years ago made me even more curious. While I love the mainstream classics just like anyone else, there is something special about becoming obsessed with something that no one else really knows about, especially in your early teens. By that time I was used to having glaring blindspots however, and simply pushed it aside in favor of comic books and My Chemical Romance.

        It was when I was in my junior year of high school that I found myself wanting something new but old, comforting but intriguing. By this point, my parents had finalized their separation and I began to see my father more often. Every other weekend I fell into a deep depression that not much could pull me out of. One day I put a small streaming service on the TV and found Re-Animator, and was reminded of how underground this seemed to me when I first heard about it, then realized I still didn’t know jack shit; I needed to watch the damn thing! So I did. And I fell in love.

        Like most things I was into during high school, I didn’t understand a lick of why I loved this gross thing. Maybe some relief that it didn't cause my interest in pathology or body parts (blame Forensic Files for that), but I was still confused. Even after watching its two sequels, Bride of Re-Animator (1990) and Beyond Re-Animator (2003), I just didn’t get why I liked this at all. Then it hit me: I saw myself in the characters on screen. Partially because my girlfriend at the time told me I roughly resembled Jeffrey Combs, and partially because the characters are both captivating and campy.

        “Why pick this when you could go be like every other teenager and be obsessed with more mainstream horror films?” Yeah, I know. But upon doing some actual digging (not just poster searches on IMDb) I found something very unique that I was a little shocked to come across - the rabid fandom that has appeared online. Most major horror franchises have a large fanbase thanks to new installments and constant pop culture references (I’m looking at you, Scream and Halloween). Re-Animator is unique in that there hasn’t been a new film in some time, yet there are multiple individuals online that have latched onto the trilogy, specifically the first two. A significant part of this is the homosexual undertones that audiences have detected; much like A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), the relationship between the two main characters is very… choice at times. Both the writers and actors have somewhat acknowledged these aspects, with producer Brian Yuzna including an essay in a release of Bride regarding the admitted closeness of the two characters, and Abbott and Combs joking about Dan and Herbert living together despite both being practicing doctors at a hospital on the DVD commentary. Unlike Freddy’s Revenge, however, the undertones here are unintended, which makes it all the more interesting.

This is my art; if you steal just know I have your IP address!

With these revelations in mind, a small community has taken these ideas and ran the mile with them, creating fan fiction, edits, and fan art of the two doctors. I always say if you want something, you can find it on the Internet, and if you want to see an edit of Dan and Herbert grabbing each other in varying situations of panic, it’s out there (not a joke, I don’t blame this person for creating this). Multiple fans have also caught onto small behavior patterns of Herbert’s that could point to him being autistic; he’s rather blunt and antisocial, always seems to be fidgeting with something, and is laser focused on his scientific pursuits. I doubt this was an intentional characterization by either Paoli or Combs, but it makes total sense as you watch him interact with other characters. Others have theorized that due to his height, higher voice, and a certain hubris-fueled monologue about blasphemy and creation in Bride that West may be transgender. While an interesting characterization, I draw the line there; it doesn’t sit right with me to force a particular gender identity on a fictional character unless explicitly stated, and I am happy to let West express his ideals in whatever way he feels appropriate (and to let Jeffrey Combs be a short king). ‘Tis the magic of creativity I suppose; I can’t say I haven’t been entertained by the volume of work out there. As a matter of fact, it actually helped me feel a little less weird that there are other human beings that have the same interest. Pointing out these small quirks that the creators didn’t intentionally try to get across somewhat validated my thoughts that there was something besides a bunch of hamburger meat.

Thus is the duality of B-movies - they can be completely nonsensical but also hold multiple points of merit for viewers to become engrossed in. It’s the gift that continues to keep giving, no matter how worn out your disc or friends become. I know everyone who listens to this podcast or reads my articles has a story like mine where there was a moment they fell in love with genre films, and never expected to have a film like this become so impactful in their life. For me, that moment is turning on Re-Animator in my eerily quiet room away from my family and finding comfort in the chaos. I cannot understate how important this film is to me; it was the true start of my ventures into cult films that has led me down a road of inescapable hell filled with joy, and for that I’m forever thankful.

Parker S.

Cinematic Sadomasochism for Fall Weather: Ryan's Horror Gives Back Picks

           It's time we talk about October, the best month of the year. It often brings joy and beautiful fall weather to us, but it also yields a lot of events for many creators. This October was no different; between school and work, we had a lot on our plates! However we were able to leave space for our favorite challenge of all

        We did Unsung Horrors’ annual charity challenge Horror Gives Back! In case you aren’t aware, Unsung Horrors is a podcast covering horror films with under 1000 logs on Letterboxd. They truly have opened our eyes to lots of fun and interesting films, and offer incredible insights to the genre as a whole. Erica and Lance are amazing hosts, and they played a major part in us meeting each other!

        As for the challenge, the goal is to donate $1 (or any amount) per horror film you watch in October to a Best Friends Animal Society fundraiser, or to a local charity of your choosing. There are prompts given for each day to give you some ideas, however it isn’t mandatory to stick to them. We are dorks and decided to follow them almost verbatim. 

        Here are some more picks we made this month...

        Universal Horror – The Last Performance (1929): Starring Conrad Veidt in a romantic comedy as a creepy magician in a love triangle, director Pal Fejos aims for the screwball amusement. Finding something from Universal that I hadn't already seen was difficult but Veidt's magic hands are worth viewing before he left for Germany to continue his film career.

        Sequel – Psycho 2 (1983): Sequels have a history of not going well in general. Psycho 2 is the exception. Tony Perkins is effectively hawkish to not devalue the original role of Norman Bates; his attention to detail is incredible. Somehow he yet again comes off as empathetic as the intense twists in plot unfurl with Vera Miles's role as Lila giving the film balance and trajectory. 

        Phillipines – Blood of The Vampires (1966): Vampires wreak havoc amidst a couple trying to sort out their romantic inclinations and oh yeah! the devil shows up to add some spice to things. Thoroughly forgettable, but there's worse and cursed family films tend to be heartwarming as morality plays that the vamps might be enticing. Good ultimately triumphs over evil...mostly.

        Birth Year – Without Warning (1980): Jack Palance, Martin Landau, and Cameron Mitchell in an outdoor alien gorefest. Directed by Greydon Clark, this is probably his best film with a mostly straight face. Joysticks and Wacko are two of his comedies that work well enough for my money. Now go save yourself some time and watch Satan's Cheerleaders, it's his shining moment of combining high school antics and devilish deeds.

        1990s – See You In Hell My Darling (1999): Directed by Nikos Nikolaidis of Singapore Sling fame, See You In Hell My Darling dives into a dreamlike soft focus Lynch infused love story with a handful of actors, making it a tight and workable storyline. The trio of lovers find every way to screw each other over to gain access to hell. Purgatory problems abound the interpersonal components are a highlight and cinematography is beautiful. If you enjoyed this then Sweet Bunch and The Wretches Are Still Singing are worth investigating.

        Vampires – Vampire Hookers (1978): Poor John Carradine, he's a small treat for his endearing nature but this film is a mess. There's a laugh here and there but it's just so on the nose with cheeseball humor that. You'd better be in a good mood to ingest otherwise it's an unrepentant flop. View at your own risk of time lost.

        1950s – The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959): An excellent supernatural gothic mood piece that Unsung Horrors did an episode on. Cinematography steals this film that happens to have actors. I'll take this kind of classy beauty any day and veg out a bit no matter the plot. If something is so beautiful does it always matter what the dialogue is? I'm uncertain. A lovely film ultimately.

        Spain – A Candle For The Devil (1973): Spain's Eugenio Martin is a treasure; The Fourth Victim is Carroll Baker love for days and Horror Express we all know and adore. But then there's A Candle For The Devil, his most accomplished work. A duo of women killing female tourists for their less than puritanical/religious standards is a setup that works incredibly well here. Kim Newman and Sean Hogan are two of the finest on the commentary for this release by 88 Films. 

        Unsung Horrors Rule – Mama Dracula (1980): Louise Fletcher is Mama Dracula, flanked by two flighty campy vamps for constant banter that shouldn't be alright, but they're too lovable to not. The sheer amount of vitriol and anger from reviews on Letterboxd makes the film a must see. It's not a good film, but the intentions are good; Fletcher is really nonplussed by most of the other actors and frankly the more annoyed and unnerved the better. It's not Milligan-esque but not entirely far off. 

        Michael Ironside – Mindfield (1989): Ironside does himself no favors in this film, mostly because he can't carry the load for a sub-par script. His acting is fine but the plot of this experimental CIA program schlock is rough. Christopher Plummer however makes an appearance and is the best part of the film (who doesn't love him, I'll never know). He's one of the finest actors and together with Ironside makes for a worthwhile view. Not bad, not great. Moving on.

        Ghosts – Ghost Writer (1989): You should be watching Kenneth J. Hall's best film Linnea Quiggley's Horror Workout instead of this but fine, here you are. Audrey and Judy Landers are damned fun in this ghost story. We get George Buck Flower and Jeff Conaway (whom I dislike immensely), but recover with Dick Miller. The music for this is incredible; Landers had a curious music career and most of the songs are on YouTube thankfully. The film is a simplistic murder mystery and nothing special, however it's screwball fun so I have no complaints. Gone With The Wind by Audrey Landers is a music video that you MUST see (and the song is even more important!). Think Heart meets Debbie Gibson but drunk on mai tai's at a sports bar that happens to have a small hardwood dancefloor. Descriptive enough? Fine, your homework is to watch the film Videoman from 2018 by Kristian Soderstrom (one of the nicest people ever), which is a film about a crotchety VHS collector and a struggling secretary who find love amidst the most dire circumstances.

        Physical Media – The Killing Kind (1973): Lordy, this is up there with extremely bizarre films; if I'm declaring this it should be a cautionary tale. It's a bizarre and violent film including trauma inflicted by a group of guys forcing another man to gang rape someone. The film takes some very twisted turns as the main character has a thoroughly inappropriate relationship with his mother (Psycho level stuff but to the extremes) as we see him unfold into murderous rage. Simply put, there's nothing I'm aware of that goes to the specific places and perspectives in this film. Is that a good thing? Sort of, originality being the most redemptive quality. Curtis Harrington's directing contains some of my favorite films and his friendship with Kenneth Anger is where I discovered him. Wormwood Star specifically is worth seeking out as an introduction to the artist Marjorie Cameron. The Killing Kind is exactly Harrington's style of prodding the audience for reaction, though his talents are best displayed with Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? and What's The Matter With Helen. Watch this film.

        1960s – The Mummy’s Shroud (1967): Low rent Hammer mummy story. Fun overall in the right mood but nothing particularly outstanding. Somehow I gave it a 3 star rating and a like which in retrospect was overly kind. Moving on.

        Australia – Bloodmoon (1990): Barbed wire is for Cannibal Corpse songs, not this film. It's underwhelming Australian horror; there's not much meat on the bone of this forgettable film, and that's a damned shame. A song or two help the film along but it's just not enough.

        In Memoriam – David Soul for Salem’s Lot (1979): An overall enjoyable Stephen King adaptation by Tobe Hooper, but my positive take on Salem's Lot should be prefaced that I love King's The Langoliers and Rose Red more than is healthy so this kind of apologist take on Salem's Lot isn't without bias. David Soul is remarkably good and flanked by James Mason, Bonnie Bedlia, Geoffrey Lewis, the Fred Willard and little Elisha Cook Jr. It's the best soup with the right ingredients. Skip the modern Lot and enjoy the original!

        Series Episode – Dracula’s Daughter (1936): It's Pre-Code lesbian vampiric psychiatric melodrama. Watch this film. Moving on.

        Pick a Lance – Lance Kerwin in A Killer In The Family (1983): This is a made for TV movie starring Lance Kerwin, Eric Stoltz, Robert Michum and James Spader. They're all in a fuss trying to come ot terms that their dad is probably a murderous psychopath (but he's still dad to them). The End. 

        Bleeding Skull! – The Last Slumber Party (1987): It's not Captives, however for SOV backwoods filmmaking, this scalpel slasher has some heart. I'm glad Bleeding Skull gave it love, less that RiffTrax tried to upstage it with a commentary. 

        Animal Attacks – The Meg (2018): Jason Statham is also in The Beekeeper, where he not only shows his tender and caring side but kills scam artists instead of spending time in the water with a shark. Shark attack films don't exactly have a high bar, especially since Jaws and a few select Italian rip-offs exist. The Meg is fine, I am fine, everything is fine, but truth be told Statham is really the only reason to even venture in these waters.

        1980s – Gothic (1986): Ken Russell perfection! I mean it sincerely; he's really outdone himself and rate this among his finest. Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, and Natasha Richardson take on the Lord Byron/Percy and Mary Shelley hangout to concoct horrors that become all too real with the help of ya know... drugs. Gothic has and will continue to be a testament to Russell's ingenious use of familiar scenery and settings, as well as giving healthy license to the actors to create a very special film. 

        Karen Black – Out of The Dark (1988): Listen, I'm all about Bud Cort in roles beyond Harold and Maude. Out of The Dark is a direct to video slash-fest; it's simple and effective with the clown masked killer out for murder of phone sex workers. Also Glenn Milstead/Divine is a detective in this so...naturally you need to witness this.

        Mexico – Hell’s Trap (1989): Pedro Galindo III's better film is Vacation of Terror 2: Diabolical Birthday. Go watch it. Now that fantastic title is out of the way... Hell's Trap. It has teens in the forest schtick and a crazed Vietnam vet on the prowl. I didn't mind this as a nice one off viewing, but it doesn't have the charm I found in The Forest. That said, it is by all means a 2 star or above enjoyable watch. 

        Hail Satan – Evil Ambitions aka Satanic Yuppies (1996): It's really bad, however the post satanic-panic 90s SOV stuff does have a charm to it. Just know that blending politics and the corporate world into a devil cult mystery with 8% sleaze is acceptable. Director Michael D. Fox also made Chickboxin' Underground and Live Nude Shakespeare so... you've been warned.

        Black & White – The Night Walker (1964): A William Castle film with Barbara Stanwyck (a legend), this has moves (especially in regard to nightmare sequences) but overall is a bit shaky in the knees as to plot. It's safe to say the poster art is far too good for a film far too average. 

        Made for TV Movie - Schalcken the Painter (1979): The story of a painter's deep desire to love someone pursued by another, Schalcken the Painter has beautiful cinematography that captures your attention from the start and doesn't let go. Visually this is quite a special film, however the acting and plot leave something to be desired. It has slow moments but the dreamlike qualities are on par with some works from Jean Rollin and Jean Pierre Mocky if that's your sort of vibe.

        1970s – Satan’s School For Girls (1973): Charlie's Angels are going deep undercover to unfold a coven within a college for girls. It has all the right elements for a great romp, and I highly recommend if you're up to this sort of film. It's fascinatingly dark but seductive at 78 minutes, and you'll likely want more. 

        The Sweetest Taboo – The Vampire’s Night Orgy (1973): Klimovsky equates to exceptionally great films, it's vampire craziness but includes Jack Taylor (and frankly every film should have Jack Taylor).

        Gothic Horror – The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945): Anything involving Dorian Gray is a go for me so it's no big surprise that this 1945 slow burner was enjoyable. The featured draw was the young Angela Lansbury, whom most of us know only from Murder She Wrote and maybe a handful of other roles. Her vibrancy here is electric and she alone is worth watching this film.

        Slasher – Found (2012): Older Brother Slasher problems plague the life of a youngster. Graphic and indulgent, I didn't mind this but wouldn't seek it out either. 

        Hammer Time – Fear In The Night (1972): The last Jimmy Sangster film for Hammer and notched from Les Diaboliques framework, Fear In The Night has some giallo DNA going on in moments and Joan Collins hanging out with Peter Cushing just seems too good to be terrible. It's a trauma piece of processing grief as well as contending with a brain that is incompliant for peace and quiet. I'd consider this a successful film in what it aims to be.

        Viewers Choice – Akelarre (1984): Outstanding Spanish folk horror set in the Spanish inquisition intending to compare it with to Franco's regime, the burning times are all too terrible but the film weaves the stress of the condemned and those around them into something unique. Newly restored by Severin and included as part of the All The Haunts Be Ours Vol. 2 set, available now! You know you want this spectacular box set that includes 4 interviews, a commentary for the film, and short film titled "Love From Mother Only". Buy now or face future regret. 

Ryan L.

A Cry for Help Amongst Sleaze and Trauma: Parker’s Horror Gives Back Highlights

It's time we talk about October, the best month of the year. It often brings joy and beautiful fall weather to us, but it also yields a lot of events for many creators. This October was no different; between school and work, we had a lot on our plates! However we were able to leave space for our favorite challenge of all…

        We did Unsung Horrors’ annual charity challenge Horror Gives Back! In case you aren’t aware, Unsung Horrors is a podcast covering horror films with under 1000 logs on Letterboxd. They truly have opened our eyes to lots of fun and interesting films, and offer incredible insights to the genre as a whole. Erica and Lance are amazing hosts, and they played a major part in us meeting each other!

        As for the challenge, the goal is to donate $1 (or any amount) per horror film you watch in October to a Best Friends Animal Society fundraiser, or to a local charity of your choosing. There are prompts given for each day to give you some ideas, however it isn’t mandatory to stick to them. We are dorks and decided to follow them almost verbatim. This led to some choices, like me watching Hostel (2005) for the first time and hating it.

Like my Junesploitation article, I won’t be covering all of my picks, however I had a very good month, so I will be discussing more than I usually do. Think of it as a “greatest hits” album except it’s me ranting about topics you may or may not already know. Also, I am aware I have some very well known/mainstream picks. Give me grace. I like to yap.

        Without further ado…

        Island of Lost Souls (1932): Boy, was I NOT prepared for this. While I love showing depravity on screen as much as the next guy, something about simply implying it in an old film makes it so much scarier and disgusting. Following Edward Parker (hah!) shipwrecked on Dr. Moreau’s island, this film doesn’t need to do much outside of simply showing the results of the doctor’s “experiments”. I know many revel in this film for being one of the first to imply bestiality in any form, particularly in the character of Lola, however I found myself drawn to the moral questions of the other experiments. Bela Lugosi in full makeup screaming “Are we not men?!” is going to stick with me for a while. This is haunting and rightly deserves its reputation as one of the darkest films of its era.

        The Black Cat (1934): Lugosi may be my favorite of the stars of the Universal Horror era, however seeing him play a man who was tortured by Boris Karloff was rather odd to me, especially after having watched The Raven (1935) last year for this very challenge. You know how I was talking about subtlety just a minute ago? The Black Cat simultaneously lets your mind wander but has no problem showing you parts of a satanic ritual and Boris Karloff strung up, ready to be sliced apart by Lugosi. I will admit I didn’t immediately catch onto why so many people revel in this as truly terrifying, but once I realized the hellish portrayal of clean modernity built upon recent horrors, and the omen it foretold for our world, I was sucked in. This film lives and breathes death, and I love it for that.

        The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (1962): I had to watch at least one braindead B-movie this month, and this filled that gap perfectly. This is cheapo early sleaze that really doesn’t care if you think it’s totally nonsensical, and it never tries to act like it knows what it’s doing. It’s not nearly as laughable as something like Robot Monster (1953), and may not even be game to be riffed by a horror host in the future, but there is just something special about a woman sticking her head up through a desk and commanding a mostly unseen monster in a closet to kill someone. Sure, it has the dreaded parts of terrible dialogue that is drawn out for entirely too long, however there is an irresistible charm to these movies that keeps me coming back for more.

        A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973): Put your pitchforks down, this is the best Jess Franco film. And yes, I like it over Count Dracula (1970) and Vampyros Lesbos (1971). Whenever I say I want surrealism, this is what I want. One of my friends dubs most of Franco’s filmography as a “celluloid delusion”, and this perfectly encapsulates this. Outlandish yet reserved characters, a beautiful score to compliment the drifting visuals, and a haze of gothicness that entranced me from the very beginning. I need Howard Vernon playing the piano for his niece all day every day, even if it means seeing his ass from time to time. Eerily comforting and can put you to sleep in no time,  it kept me engaged in it’s hellish beauty. Perhaps this may be his most rewatchable work of his I have seen so far; only time will tell.

        Messiah of Evil (1974): This was originally my gothic pick, however after a truly magical date at my local drive-in, I decided to place it into my free space. I went in nearly blind, except with the knowledge that it took place at a seaside town and somehow involved a cult. What I did not expect was the surrealism and bare bones storytelling told at a slow pace, especially coming from a film made by the husband and wife duo that penned multiple George Lucas projects. Not being able to fully piece together this film was my favorite part; by the time this came on I had just sat through Terrifier (2016) and my slasher pick, and I was very sleepy knowing I had to work the next morning. Through my haze and in the back of a small pickup truck, I was able to piece together a story of isolation, consumerism, religion, and fear that takes place within a small coastal town, ultimately ending in never really being able to find the truth. Perhaps this is “gothic” in its own special way; much of the scenery follows a familiar feeling that can only be described as liminal and eerie. While not my highest rated film, this may just have been my favorite watch of the month based on experience alone.

        Halloween (1978): I told you there were mainstream picks! Even I think it’s shocking I had never seen this or any of its sequels, but that’s what I get for being a mildly sheltered child. I’m sure all of you know what Halloween is and would probably kill me if I went into points that have been rehashed over and over again throughout the years, however during my watch my date and I noticed that the day and night shots look completely different; the day is cloudy but generally filled with warmer tones, while the night is often accentuated by harsh lighting. It adds to an unfamiliarity to what should be a welcoming place: the modern suburb. Furthermore, besides a couple of notable scenes involving Michael Myers staring at Laurie, the daylight scenes are rather forgettable compared to the nighttime, even if some of those night scenes aren’t particularly suspenseful (i.e. Kyle Richards watching television). Knowing the isolationism of The Thing (1982) and the criticism of mass marketing by They Live (1988), I refuse to believe this wasn’t an intentional move by John Carpenter. I don’t think I will ever be able to see any modern slasher the same now that I can finally say I’ve watched this, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

        The Shining (1980): This broke me. Sorry, I know this is one of the best films of all time, and it more than deserves its reputation as a masterpiece, but this literally left me shattered when I turned off my television. The reason I watched this is more or less the reason for my mental discontent, as Shelley Duvall’s passing this year was the catalyst for me to incorporate this into my month. Her portrayal of questionable parenting while being a victim of domestic abuse is so incredibly realistic that it triggered a very primal part of me. On top of that, there’s the droning synth score, the too perfect shots that all look like they could be straight out of an art museum, and Jack Nicholson being an absolutely terrifying human being. I know a good bit of Duvall’s performance was influenced by Stanley Kubrick being incredibly abusive to her on set; unfortunately that most likely played a large part in why I got so upset. That being said, I look forward to rewatches of this where I don’t have class immediately after and am a bit more well prepared to dissect the complexities of the Torrance family.

        Nightmare (1981): Sometimes I intentionally seek out pristine releases of cult films out of respect; I feel bad if I don’t watch the primo version of a film that I know the distributors fought hard for to restore. But sometimes, there’s a need to see something on a disgusting film reel, or in my case with Nightmare, a VHS rip with burned in Danish subtitles. This film serves as the ultimate birth control and is filled with the best grindhouse goodies you can ask for. Within the first five minutes, you have a man waking up to see a dismembered body at the foot of his bed, before it is revealed he is having a schizophrenic episode in a mental asylum. Balancing the dirtiness of 1980’s NYC and the decidedly uncomfortable suburbs, I couldn’t always tell what was real and what was fake, which I was surprised by. Maniac (1980) is somewhat comparable with its themes of trauma, its setting, and its overall grossness, but even then you can distinguish what’s going on. Here you can’t, and it makes it so much more appealing.

        The Trap (1985): A late giallo(?)/erotic thriller, this thing was hard to watch. The mental games these women play against Tony Musante tied to a bed was one of the strangest things I have seen in some time. Mother and daughter falling for an unfaithful man they hold captive is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, especially set against a Morricone score. Fulci worked on the script, and one of the posters for this basically mirrors The Psychic (1977); I do wonder what he would have done if he had directed this. Definitely not a “good” film, but it was memorable enough to make me write about it here.

        Ebola Syndrome (1996): Yes, this is that movie. It is horrifying in pretty much every single way imaginable and is completely unapologetic. I’m not terribly shocked this is made by the same man that brought the world The Untold Story (1993), and while I think that film is slightly better, this is no slouch in the shock factor or fun moments. Every single aspect of the plot and our main character Kai (played by Anthony Wong, who fucking nails it as a depraved fugitive/superspreader) is completely absurd and it is truly beautiful to watch. Keep a trash can nearby; there is a guarantee you will be shocked and sickened to your core, and for that reason I cannot recommend it enough.

        Strangeland (1998): Y’all know Dee Snider wrote, produced, and starred in his own Freddy Krueger rip-off, and cast Robert Englund to burn him in an act of revenge for killing children? This one is weird as all get out and is soaked in “your uncle is trying to get with the times and failing miserably”. I’m not here to act like this is good in any way; there’s uncomfortable needle stuff, bad depictions of the Internet, and just an overall strange view into kink and alternative culture. That being said, Strangeland seems to know what it’s doing entirely, and it never really backs down from trying to weird you out. Snider does a decent job as a tattooed and pierced sadist who lures teens into his home for his own games, and while it does feel a bit try-hard, I respect it. Plus needle stuff is how to get under my skin. Now I feel weird that I own this on DVD.

Parker S.