Day 24:Silent Night Deadly Night 4:Initiation

 
      Silent Night Deadly Night started as an above average Christmas slasher about a killer Santa Clause. The sequels followed the killer’s younger brother as he went on his own killing spree. They’re most famous for spawning the “garbage day” meme. By the time Silent Night 4 rolled around the series had ran its course and it was decided to turn the franchise into an anthology type series with unrelated stories.

     This entry into the franchise follows a female reporter investigating the apparent suicide of a young woman who jumped off a building while engulfed in flames. Her investigation brings her across a strange group of women working in the building the incident occurred at. They are suspicious and overly friendly as they invite our heroine to a picnic without even knowing her. After the event she is haunted by strange images of large bugs. As she continues her journey for the truth she finds herself entangled in a strange initiation process for the all female cult.

    Initiation seems like it was written as a different film and for some reason was forced to take on the Silent Night Deadly Night Title. Yes, it takes place around Christmas. Sure, you see a Christmas tree or two. But Christmas has nothing to do with the plot at all. There isn’t even snow on the ground. No Santa Clause, no mistletoe, no gifts, no anything. I don’t mind making a film unrelated to previous titles. But at least make the plot a Christmas themed story. Don’t just tell a horror story that just so happens to take place around Christmas.

      Being directed by Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride Of Reanimator) gave me hope when the opening credits appeared. Unfortunately, aside from some pretty cool effects typical of a Yuzna film this one is a stinker. The acting is dull, the plot is weird and poorly laid out, and the characters aren’t very likable. If you’re a hardcore Yuzna fan you might get some enjoyment out of this. Fans of the franchise and Christmas horror in general won’t be too pleased.

   Body Count:5

Day 23:Popcorn

       Popcorn follows a college film student, Maggie and her film classes attempt to raise money for the program. The professors decide to host a horror marathon at a local theatre soon to be torn down. When reviewing the films they’re showing they come across a strange shirt entitled Possesor. The film strongly resembles a recurring dream Maggie has. They learn that it was the work of a lambasted director who used it to lead up to the live murder of his family at the premiere. They decide not to use  the film. Things don’t go smoothly at the Horror marathon though, as a mysterious figure is killing all the students and stealing their faces.

       This film actually started production with Alan Ormsby (actor in Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things) at the helm. He left early on though and the directors chair was filled by Porky’s actor Mark Herrier. Porky’s was directed by Bob Clark who also directed CSPWDT and does special effects in this film. It’s interesting to see that this group of guys has worked with each other for so long.

       There are three films being shown during the horror marathon: Mosquito, The Attack Of The Amazing Electrified Man, and The Stench. These three films are actually more entertaining than Popcorn is. It’s the movies way of poking fun at it’s own genre. This would go on to be a staple of 90’s slasher films. It’s strange though that Popcorn chooses to aim its satire at 50’s B movies as opposed to the slasher genre that it truly is.

         The special effects in Popcorn are the best part of the actual movie. The scenes with the killer and different faces being either removed or put on are really well done. There isn’t too much in the actual gore department. The killer is a burn victim and the effect is well done but not as memorable as Freddy or Cropsey.

        Released in 1991, the same year as HauntedWeen, Popcorn is another slasher film released during the genre’s down years. Like HauntedWeen, Popcorn is actually not bad. While it’s not quite as strong as the aforementioned it’s still a totally acceptable entry into the genre.

Body Count:4

Day 22:HauntedWeen

      A young boy runs the door at a haunted house. He wants to be a part of the attraction but he’s told he’s too young. Not one to be denied, he sneaks in and corners a young girl while wearing a mask. After the girl falls into some sort of spike, he puts her out of her misery by with a machete. The boys mother takes him into hiding after the incident. 20 years later his mother dies and his bloodlust returns. Now a local fraternity looks to use the haunted house to raise money. The perfect setting for him to kill once again.

     HauntedWeen is pretty bare on quality acting and sensible storytelling. But if you’re willing to shut your brain off for an hour and a half then you’ll have a ton of fun with it. It relies heavily on comedy, which keeps it entertaining between kills. If there isn’t someone getting killed there’s likely to be a huge party going on complete with a great soundtrack.

      The special effects aren’t top notch by any means. Considering the budget though, they’re not bad at all. Some of the kills are actually pretty twisted and very memorable. You’re not going to feel like you’re watching the same old standard kills you get in slashers. The baseball bat scene in particular is one that will stick for some time.

     HauntedWeen was released during a time when slasher films were in a lull. Many consider 1988 to be the last great year for slashers before the release of Scream in the 90’s. That’s probably why HauntedWeen is lesser known even though it’s actually a damn good slasher. I’m sure there are other good slashers in the 90’s straight to video market. You just have to look hard enough.

Body Count:6

Day 21:The Curse

    The Curse is a feature film adaption of the H.P. Lovecraft short story The Colour Out Of Space. Said to be Lovecraft’s favorite of his short stories. It’s been adapted to film several times but perhaps it’s most faithful adaptation is The Curse. Does faithful make it any good though?

     The plot revolves around a family of farmers in a small town in Tennessee. One night a strange glowing object crashes just outside of the farm. After it’s discovery strange occurrences begin to take place. The crops grow plentiful but they are rotten or filled with worms. The water tastes funny and the animals have all grown aggressive. Worse yet, the mother has been acting strangely and growing more and more disfigured. The step father is a religious fanatic and refuses any doctors help. Can the children of the house find a way to escape from the curse of the weird glowing asteroid thing?

      Lucio Fulci is credited as producer and apparently he oversaw the gore effects. For some reason hes credited as Louis Fulci on my VHS. Fulci was a master of gore and you can see his influence. The special effects, particularly during the climax are fantastic. The practical effects are perhaps the films only saving grace.

       The Curse is a slow moving film. Perhaps that’s by design to build towards its anything but subtle finale. That might work if the acting and characters weren’t so bland. The story concept is a good one given the source material. But when adapted to a feature length movie the characters should be interesting enough to fill in the blanks. They aren’t and sadly the whole film drags as a result.

Body Count:5

Day 20: Terror on Alcatraz

   Bet you didn’t know Escape From Alcatraz had a horror film sequel, did you? Okay not really but Frank Morris is back! Years after his escape from Alcatraz, Morris returns to find the key to the safety deposit box left by his fellow escapees. Entering the island as part of a tour group, he’s recognized by a young man with a fascination for historical criminals. The young man manages to convince a small group of the tourists to return with him to investors Franks presence. A bloodthirsty Morris awaits them and he’s not about to let anybody ruin his plan.

    Who’s idea was this? Because it just doesn’t work. An old, over the hill Frank Morris as a slasher villain? Sure he’s a notorious criminal but is he the subject of anybody’s nightmares? I don’t think so.  In this film he’s just an asshole whose willing to kill to get his key and his money. He’s not even funny like the killer in Psycho Cop. He just grunts unintelligibly as he murders his victims.

      There are some serious inconsistencies in the story. After being convinced to return to Alcatraz to investigate Morris, the tourists proceed to just party. They all but forget why they originally came as they look for places to have sex and get drunk. How in the hell did they even sneak back in? There’s apparently  24 hour security at the prison. Of course the film doesn’t reveal this until well after these kids sneak back in. How useless is the security? Well they’re killed off mere minutes after being introduced. You be the judge.


    It’d be one thing if Terror on Alcatraz was just a bad movie. It is. The characters are lame, the story is ludicrous, and it’s about as terrifying as an infant kitten. It’d probably be a solid 1 1/2 Tape film just with that. But no, it has to tack on 15 more minutes after the climax just to force an incredibly stupid “twist” ending. That’s right, complete with a totally pointless dinner scene. This is the definition of time wasted. So I’m docking it another 1/2 Tape.

Body Count:6

Day 19: Psycho Cop

   One of my favorite sub genres of film is the “cop” genre. You literally take any word and put the word “cop” after it and there’s your title. Obviously there is Robocop. But have you heard of Omega Cop? Cyborg Cop? Karate Cop? Hollywood Cop? Samurai Cop? Wolf Cop? As far as horror cop movies go, Maniac Cop is probably the most known. There’s also this little known gem, Psycho Cop.

   Psycho Cop follows a group of rich college students on a summer getaway. They rent out a huge house in the countryside complete with a pool and jacuzzi. Little do they know there is an insane, satanic police officer on the loose. He’s stalking them while decorating the surrounding area with satanic imagery. When night falls he dusts off all of his best one liners and starts killing the students off one by one.

     There have been comparisons between Maniac Cop and Psycho Cop. Aside from featuring murderous police officers, I find the two differ quite a bit. For one, the Maniac Cop is undead and supernatural. While Psycho Cop, can take some gunshots and worships satan, he doesn’t appear to be supernatural. At least not in this film (There is Psycho Cop 2, so we’ll see.) Stylistically, Psycho plays more like a traditional slasher vs Maniac’s action horror hybrid. Maniac Cop is the better overall film, but Psycho Cop is still a fun watch.

     Complete with laughably terrible acting and absurd plot, Psycho Cop is a great option if you’re looking for “so bad it’s good”.There’s even a drinking game in there (take a shot every time  the cop says “looking for ...?” Trust me.) The film consistently delivers laughs and entertainment. There are a lot of jump scare attempts, but the killer simply just isn’t menacing enough to warrant actual frights. Real police are scarier than this movie, but they’re definitely not as fun.

Day 18: Splatter University

   Short on actual frights, Splatter University uses campy horror to entertain. The story is nothing new.  Escaped mental patient, college students being murdered. It’s all been done before. Though it’s not the most original concept, SU is still quite watchable. 

     While the characters won’t ever be praised for their depth or originality, they manage to maintain interest. Particularly the male horn dog college students. All they care about is sex and partying. Period. Girlfriend gets murdered? I think I’ll just go have sex. Teacher was killed? I’m gonna complain to my drug dealer that $6 is way too much for weed. One particular guy always howls like a wolf and violently crotch thrusts every time he’s attracted to a woman. It’s hilarious stuff.

       The worst thing a slasher film can be is dull. Splatter University isn’t the best slasher movie you’ll see but it’s definitely a fun one. It could use some nudity for all of its sex talk. However, with decent gore and funny kills, you could certainly do worse. This is a great movie to put on when you have people over. 

Body Count:6