Monday, May 19, 2014

Texarcana Phantom

First appearance: The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976)

In 1946 a series of murders which became known as "The Phantom Killings" took place in or near the town of Texarcana. This movie is based on those crimes. The killer was never caught. also there is no proof he killed anyone with a knife attached to a trombone as seen in one of the stranger moments in this movie. Creepy atmosphere accentuates the strangeness of this true story. Made even more terrifying since the killer was never caught.


Stanley Coopersmith

First appearance: Evilspeak (1981)

Young Stanley Coopersmith is hated by the rest of his fellow American Military Academy Soccer players, not to mention the faculty or the rest of the student body. One day while cleaning the basement of the school's chapel, which he's been assigned due to not having his hat or something, he discovers the secret satanic ritual place of the school's founder. Will Stanley turn to black magic to extract revenge on the jerks he deals with on a regular basis? Can you program an old macintosh computer to perform an evil ritual? Are pigs a tool of Satan?
Spoilers, Yes to all three!
Moral of the movie: If the nerd you've decided to pick on has a secret room with a Satanic ritual programmed into his computer, it's probably best not to kill his dog.
Lots of decapitations and Clint Howard, a surprisingly great combination.


Friday, May 9, 2014

Cropsy

First appearance: The Burning (1981)

Some jerky teens at a summer camp decide to play a prank on the mean old cartaker, Cropsy. They wait until he's drunk in his kerosene, turpentine and old newspaper filled cabin and set a skull full of worms and lit candles on this rickety balsa wood night table. They then sneak out side and start banging on the window and making creepy sounds. Cropsy wakes, startled and terrified buy the glowing skull he knocks it on to a gasoline soaked rag setting his place, all his belongings and himself instantly ablaze! What a great prank eh? Cropsy doesn't think so. After years in the hospital he decides to head back to the camp for REVENGE! Hey, he's another burnt up janitor killing teens that he blames for his current predicament... He and Freddy should go to therapy together.

Pretty decent Canadian made slasher from the early '80s. Slightly more effective than most since not all the kids are terrible. Some weird attempts at red herrings considering we already know Cropsy is a disfigured homicidal maniac with a grudge and a fondness for big scissors.
Dig the trailer. And yes that is Seinfeld's best pal George Costanza as one of the doomed teens. Pretend this flick is a prequel to Seinfeld and it becomes even more fun! The production manager's name is Corky Burger, a name I found hilarious the first time I saw it show up in the credits.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Milo

First appearance: Bad Milo (2013)

Duncan's having a crappy day. It gets worse when he discovers a strange demon lives in his lower intestines. This creature (who Duncan names Milo) is hell bent on killing the people who have been causing Duncan stress. Can Milo be contained? What happens to Duncan if Milo is killed? How does Milo fit up there?
Some of these questions will be answered, some are best left not thought about.
Not quite as gross as you'd expect. I've you enjoy the films of Frank Henenlotter you've seen more disgusting things.  

Monday, April 21, 2014

Blake


First appearance: The Fog (1980)

One hundred years ago on April 21, (1880) a bunch of jerks stop a rich man named Blake (who was a leper) from establishing a leper colony on the outskirts of Antonio Bay, California. First they took the gold he offered to buy the land he was going to use and then they cause the ship carrying Blake and his buddies to sink in the bay.
Now (1980) on the 100th anniversary of the shipwreck and founding of the town a heavy fog rolls in from the bay! Is there something in the fog? What's causing all the weird phenomena happening around town?
GHOST PIRATES?! Maybe. Whatever is in the fog is killing a lot of people. Is anyone safe. PROBABLY NOT!

Pretty good ghost story from John Carpenter. Remade in 2005 as a really terrible teen horror movie.
Check out the original it's spooky and atmospheric and Carpenter's score is pretty creepy too.


Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Jesus

First appearance: Fist of Jesus

Fist of Jesus is a short film about what happened when Jesus resurrects Lazerus. Features Jesus and his pal Judas fighting an army of Pheonecian, Roman and Cowboy zombies, completely historically accurate.
The producers are also raising money on Kickstarter to expand the short to a feature length film called "Once Upon a time in Jerusalem." The whole thing looks hilarious I'm looking forward to seek that movie get made.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Dr. Phillip K. Decker

First appearance: Nightbreed (1990)

Aaron Boone's got a problem. He wants to go to a place called Midian, a place where monsters live. At the request of his girlfriend he goes to see a psychiatrist. The Psychiatrist has his own secrets. Boone gets framed, finds the monster town and everything works out OK for everyone.
Sort of.
A much better Clive Barker movie than Hellraiser but for some weird reason not as popular. Lot's of cool monsters in the movie. Also David Cronenberg plays one of the creepiest masked slashers ever in this. SPOOKY!