Day 14: The Crawlers

     Josie has returned to her small, country hometown to visit. She and her ex fiance travel off into the woods for a day of romantic adventure where the discover a corpse. After notifying the police, the body mysteriously disappears. A worker at the local nuclear plant has discovered rising radiation levels in the forest but his boss seems intent on keeping him quiet. The body count rises as everyone's worst fears are confirmed. The plants are murdering the townspeople!

    It's hard to watch The Crawlers without being immediately reminded of a particular scene in The Evil Dead. There is no actual rape, the plant's intent is only to kill. But the way the roots wrap around it's victims just brings back memories of that infamous scene. Perhaps that was the inspiration for this film.

   The Crawlers is a highly entertaining B movie! The acting is horrid and over the top, the script is filled with unnatural dialogue, the effects are mixed, and its a movie about killer plants. There are some really cool effects sequences mixed in with the standard animated roots whipping around, choking people. Nothing that's really gonna blow you away though.

   With some likable characters and a really high body count, The Crawlers is a B Movie I will recommend. If you're having some people over and want to put on something cheesy, this film is a ton of fun. Even when there isn't someone hamming it up with a root around their neck, the dialogue exchanges will provide entertainment and laughter. Pop this one in for a good time but don't expect any legitimate frights unless you're Botanophobic for some reason.

Body Count:17
Side Note: This movie has one of the best helicopter explosions in a horror film. Not that there are too many in horror.

Day 13: Dracula vs Frankenstein

     You ever watch an old Godzilla film? I'm a huge fan. But the problem with them is that there is never enough monster mayhem. You always sit around watching dreadful human characters interact until the next time the big guy shows up. Dracula vs Frankenstein isn't about the king of monsters. But it sure as hell gives you the same feeling and doesn't ever reward you.

    A group of aliens plans to take over the planet. They capture 4 of the most famous monsters in the history of mankind. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, The Mummy, and a Werewolf are all used as test subject. The goal is to research them and possibly create an army of such creatures to take over Earth. The only problem is that these creatures aren't so easy to manipulate.

    Dracula vs Frankenstein is a rotten piece of garbage film. In a twist that should shock nobody, Dracula doesn't even fight Frankenstein's shitty looking monster in this movie. It's more like Wolfman vs the other 3 monsters...1 at a time! The film is littered with choppy editing and sleep inducing dialogue. When the action finally does occur, it's lit so poorly that you can hardly tell whats happening! I could go on about how awful this is. However, I'll just summarize it by saying avoid this film at all costs! Just admire the great box art from afar.

Body Count:9
Side Note: This is actually an entry in the Paul Naschy "Hombre Lobo" series. I reviewed Curse of The Devil last year, which was much better. Also, Naschy isn't even mentioned on the box.

Day 12: Man Beast

       A woman and her boyfriend travel to the Himalayan mountains in search of her brother who was on a Yeti expedition. After they arrive at his last known location they meet a man who agrees to take them into the mountains to pursue her brother. As they travel further and further into the mountains they come across a mysterious guide. All the while, they're being stalked by a Yeti.

      Man Beast is far from good. It's definitely a B-movie. The Yeti suits look absolutely awful and the acting isn't exactly top notch. You'll find yourself losing your suspension of disbelief as the main characters forget their actual objective. Characters die and are never spoken of again. You'd think the female lead would say something, ANYTHING when your boyfriend is killed by a club wielding Yeti. Nope. Nothing.

    Still, at just over an hour in length this film moves at a reasonable pace. The terrible looking Yeti suits would probably make for good joke fuel when watched with friends. With a pretty surprising twist near the climax, you could certainly find worse ways to spend an hour of your time. I find myself pretty indifferent to this film. 

Body Count:4
Side Note: This film was directed by Jerry Warren. He's known for directing several abysmal B movies. Some consider this to be his best.

Day 11:Black Roses

    In the 1980's Heavy Metal was at it's most popular. Glam Metal bands rose to the top of the charts. More and more teenagers were growing their hair out and banging their heads. In 1985 the PMRC was formed, arguing the bad influence that the music was have on the youths of that age. Black Roses is a cheesy, over the top film that depicts literal corruption through Heavy Metal.

    Black Roses is an extremely popular Glam Metal band surrounded in controversy. Their lyrics contain satanic references and their loud presentation make parents wary. After years of never playing live anywhere outside of the studio, the band decides to finally take it's act on the road. They choose a small town high school to play their first string of shows. The local parents protest the shows, believing the band will corrupt their children. But after the first performance seems harmless they back off. As the shows continue, however, the local teenagers begin acting strangely..

    With a very tongue in cheek take on the PMRC's accusations of corruption, Black Roses is quite a bit of fun. None of the dialogue is particularly well written or delivered and the bands lyrics reek of top quality cheddar. But these are the things that make it charming and bearable. Some of the creature designs also reflect the absurdity of the premise. 

     It seems like every year I end up watching at least one of these Heavy Metal Horror entries. This one isn't the best. It certainly wasn't the worst (Good lord, Terror on Tour). Get some friends together and slide this one into your VCR and surely you'll have a good time. There's plenty of funny kills and special effects to keep you and your friends entertained till the next really bad metal song gets you head banging again.

Body Count: 9
Side Note:Most of the music performed by Black Roses was written by the band King Kobra with Mark Free and Carmine Appice on percussion.

Day 10: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

      Ah, the 70's and 80's. What a time to be a kid. Several made for TV horror films were being produced. Some of them are great. Some others not so much. Kid's could just stay up and look to the ol' tube for a healthy dosage of horror. 1973's Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is one such entry into the made for TV horror realm.

    

     Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark follows Sally and her husband as they move into the old mansion of her late grandmother. As they renovate the home, Sally discovers a dark room that her grandfather used as a study. The lights do not work and the fireplace is sealed off. Their handyman, Harris refuses to remove the seal on the fireplace. Sally, overtaken by curiosity, removes the seal herself and in turn releases several small creatures into her new home.

     The score and atmosphere of this 70's horror are actually chilling. It's easy to see how any kid growing up at the time could turn on ABC and have nightmares for weeks. Even the creature designs (Kinda silly by adult standards) would most likely have ruined a few nights of sleep for me as a child. 

     Don't mistake this as a child's horror film though! Many of the themes are pretty adult oriented. Feelings of neglect and marital problems are abound as Sally and her husband Alex proceed throughout the film. Alex focuses too much on his job and not enough on Sally, causing her to feel unloved. Things don't get much better after the creatures show up either. Alex looks like a complete asshole as he argues with Sally and Harris over the existence of the goblins.

     While it's not perfect, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is probably the best made for TV horror film I have seen. The acting is solid and all the characters are interesting enough to hold your attention throughout. There are a couple moments that are a bit ridiculous but there always seem to be when horror deals with tiny creatures. This is a film that's a ton of fun for adults and possibly a great introduction to horror for your kids.

Body Count:2
Side Note: Sally looks so much like a little boy. I thought she was a boy on the cover of the box for the longest time.

Day 9:Trilogy Of Terror

       Trilogy of Terror is a made for television horror anthology film from 1975. As you can probably assume from the title, it's a collection of three short stories. Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces, Invaders From Mars) plays the lead role (or roles) in each. 

       The film starts with "Julie". The story of a teacher who is relentlessly pursued by one of her students. After agreeing to one date, Julie is drugged by her student and presumably raped. Using photos from the incident, the student blackmails Julie to continue seeing him. But who is really pulling the strings? This isn't the strongest of the segments. Karen Black does well as the seemingly innocent teacher. But there isn't much else to say.

     "Millicent and Therese" is the next story. It follows two sisters after the death of their father. Therese is allegedly evil and satanic. The other, Millicent, is an innocent do-gooder bent on stopping her sister's evil ways. She tries to warn those who become involved with Therese and even asks help from the family doctor. The second story does little to up the ante. Karen Black once again delivers. This time in a duel role of Millicent and Therese. The "twist" ending is obnoxiously easy to predict. If you can't figure this one out early on this is probably your first movie ever.

     "Amelia" is the final and best story of the film. The title character purchases a Zuni Fetish Doll for her anthropologist boyfriend. The instructions warn her, that it's golden chain prevents the doll from actually coming to life. Amelia unwittingly breaks the chain and pays the price as she has to fight for her life against the deranged doll. The Zuni Fetish Doll saves the entire film. The struggle between human and doll is extremely entertaining. The final shot is also very creepy in its own right and probably haunted many children watching this is the 70's.

    "Amelia" is such a good horror short that one has to wonder how it even got lumped together with the other completely forgettable segments. Karen Black does well portraying all of her characters throughout. But without the final story, even she wouldn't be able to save this from being a forgettable TV film. I'd suggest just skipping ahead if you ever want to watch this.

Body Count:1
Side Note: Apparently "Amelia" is available on VHS separately as "Terror Of The Doll".

Day 8: The Cabinet Of Dr.Caligari

     Film making is a form of art. Perhaps some of it's artistic merits have been lost over time after more and more filmmakers began copying each other. But back in it's infancy, many popular films were still experimenting and creating very diverse experiences for audiences. The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari was one of the first horror films and is also an expressionist piece of art.

    The story follows a young man telling the tale of Dr.Caligari. A mad doctor who uses a sleepwalker to carry out murders. After the murder of his friend, Francis must now convince the local police that Caligari is responsible. But things aren't as they seem.

    The first thing you may notice of this film is it's crazy set designs. Most of the backdrops are painted on to create strange shadows. Windows and architecture are all designed at strange angles. Everything has a surreal dreamlike look to it. Combine that with the fact that due to the time period of production, this is a silent film. All this comes together to give the film a very unique look and feel.

     The version I just watched clocks in at just around 51 minutes (My tape box says 69. Okay.) Dr.Caligari isn't hard to sit through. It moves at a reasonable pace and doesn't wear out it's welcome. Throw in an interesting twist ending (I'm not sure if that was even normal at the time) and you have a movie that has aged pretty damn well for being made in 1920. I highly recommend it for those with an interest in actual art and the history of film.

Body Count: 1
Side Note: The VHS version of this looks absolutely abysmal. You wont here me say this often, but I'm watching this on DVD next time.