Sebastian Bendix's Blog
May 12, 2023
Hollow Jack & The Blood Curse of Blackwater
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4VPT8TP
October 31, 2017
10/31/17 – day thirty-one of thirty-one days of horror!
Look, I know this seems like a really lazy final pic, but I
chose the 80s Trick or Treat to start with this year, so consider this a
thematic bookend! It’s been ten years now since Michael Dougherty’s horror
anthology Trick r’ Treat was released, and at this point I feel comfortably
labeling it a Halloween classic. By taking the Pulp Fiction approach to
interweaving his five short horror stores, Dougherty captures the feel of beloved
80s anthologies like Creepshow and Tales from the Darkside while still giving
his Trick r’ Treat its own unique flavor. The cast – full of notables like
Brian Cox, Anna Paquin and Dylan Baker – are all clearly having a blast and the
stories, while not terribly involved, are a whole lotta spooky R-rated fun. But
the real star here is the perfectly captured Halloween atmosphere; this has got
to be the most Halloweeny movie of all time, out Halloweening even John
Carpenter’s Halloween. Even if you aren’t in love with this movie (and you
should be in love with it) you can’t deny that at the very least it’s the perfect
movie to have on in the background of your yearly Halloween party. That alone
makes this low-hanging pumpkin pic worthy, and besides, what do you want, I’ve
been doing this for four years! Just relax, throw on Trick r’ Treat and have a
happy Halloween, OK?
October 30, 2017
10/30/17 – day thirty of thirty-one days of horror!
Prom Night is a night to remember, especially when it
involves a glittery ski mask wearing killer wreaking vengeance on horny high
schoolers! Jamie Lee Curtis was well on her way to becoming a scream queen
legend when she starred in this disco-infused horror gem directed by Paul
Lynch, and while no one would likely proclaim it a classic, it’s a fun, solid
entry in the early 80s slasher canon. An early example of the “conspiracy of
silence” trope that would be reused in I Know What You Did Last Summer and the
like, Prom Night follows a handful of students who are hiding a dark secret
that comes back to haunt them during – you guessed it – their much anticipated
high school prom. Jamie Lee is looking perky in a short, permed hairdo, and
while her character is no Laurie Strode, her impressive disco moves – on display
in a nearly endless dance sequence – more than make up for it. There are a lot
of good kills, Leslie Nielsen in a surprisingly non-comedic role and a ridiculous
sequence involving a pimped out shaggin wagon, amounting to a viewing
experience that’s hopefully more enjoyable than your actual prom! If you enjoy
this one you might also want to check out the fun but completely unrelated
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II – but stay far, far away from the tepid 2008
remake.
October 29, 2017
10/29/17 – day twenty-nine of thirty-one days of horror!
I considered doing Hideo Nakata’s original Ringu to prove
what a culturally sophisticated guy I am, but what can I say – I prefer Gore
Verbinski’s stylish 2002 white person remake, The Ring. What I really
appreciate about Verbinski’s take is how effectively it gets under your skin,
taking the premise of a cursed video tape and layering on the dread so heavily
that you forget how absurd the whole thing is. Also effective are the visuals; while
the look of TV-emerging, black hair-draped ghost girl Samara is lifted directly
from the Japanese, the foggy location photography and arresting yet beautiful
imagery is top shelf eye candy, arguably some of the best ghost story
atmosphere since Kubrick’s The Shining. The cast is great too – Naomi Watts is typically
strong in the lead, David Dorfman is minimally annoying in the kid role and
Brian Cox puts in a small but memorable appearance – but the real star of The
Ring is Samara, an unforgettable horror villain that deserves her place among the
great movie monster icons and has gone to inspire nightmares in perpetuity.
This Halloween bust out the old VCR and pop in that creepy VHS tape that’s been
lying around – or maybe just watch The Ring. (Watching Ringu is also
acceptable).
October 28, 2017
10/28/17 – day twenty-eight of thirty-one days of horror!
I’ve chosen a lot of non-diverse, insensitive, triggering
films this year, so I offer a corrective (or at least a flimsy appeal) with the
inclusion of this year’s superb Get Out. Not many would have predicted that
Jordan Peele of the comedy duo Key and Peele would deliver the surprise horror
hit of the year, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for a Stepford
Wives-influenced take on white appropriation of black culture. While there is
some comedy around the edges, Peele keeps things focused on suspense,
discomfort, and smartly gauging the way his bizzaro mystery unfolds, so when
the reveals start happening – reveals that are batshit crazy but undeniably
clever – they land with an impact. The
cast is uniformly great; Daniel Kaluuya ably handles the suspicious protagonist
role, Allison Williams builds on her “Girls” persona in interesting ways, and
the pairing of Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are perfect as the liberal
intellectual parents who seem painfully unaware of their own racial
entitlement. Yes, it’s a message movie for sure, but what makes Get Out so
great is that despite its painfully on-point social commentary it’s also a fun,
crazy horror movie, and roundly deserving of being this year’s much-hyped
horror hit.
October 27, 2017
10/27/17 – day twenty-seven of thirty-one days of horror!
Summer camp seems to be on my mind this Halloween, so it
seems only natural that I bring the sleaziest of all summer camp horror movies
into the mix, Robert Hitzlik’s incomparable Sleepaway Camp. Now Hitzlik isn’t
exactly a household name, and as a director the guy is no great shakes, but one
thing he really does right is capture what it was like to attend an overnight
summer camp in early 80s New Jersey; the laughable fashions are spot-on, the
causally cruel dynamic between campers and counselors is perfectly captured and
the whole presentation just feels totally authentic. The “story” is a flimsy
whodunnit centered around Angela, a shy new camp-goer and the gruesome – but well-deserved
– deaths that befall those who creep on her, and there sure does seem to be a
lot of creeps at ol’ Camp Arawak. The ick factor here – like the Burning – is pretty
heavy, but it’s at least in the service of setting up bloody vengeance, that is
if you don’t take into account the not-exactly-progressive psychology that
drives the shock ending. But man, that ending! It’s virtually impossible to
walk away from Sleepaway Camp without having those final frames seared into
your brain forever, and for that reason alone it deserves a spot on your
Halloween – or scary summer camp – watch list.
October 26, 2017
10/26/17 – day twenty-six of thirty-one days of horror!
Yes, Roman Polanski isa horrible creep that should rot in exile forever, but that doesn’t mean that
we as a culture should throw Rosemary’s Baby out with the bathwater. Adapted
from Ira Levin’s somewhat satirical novel, the film (as if you didn’t know
already) follows a young New York City woman (Mia Farrow in her signature role
and look) who, after becoming pregnant under unsettling circumstances, suspects
that she and her unborn child have become the target of witches. Aside from
being a cracking bit of mystery and suspense, the film is a fantastic snapshot
of 60s New York, Polanski contrasting the hip modernity of his main couple (who
includes a deliciously oily John Cassavettes) against the old world apartment
building they have recently inhabited. Adding to the creepy fun are elderly
neighbors Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon, with Gordon her usual brassy,
loveable self but with an added sinister edge. It’s the rare genre offering
that is equal parts terror and delight, which makes it the perfect Halloween
movie for those who enjoy a good scare but get squeamish around blood n’ guts.
October 25, 2017
10/25/17 – day twenty-five of thirty-one days of horror!
You probably think I’m trying to punish you by recommending
John Boorman’s utterly despised Exorcist II: The Heretic, and maybe in some
small way you’re right. But here’s the thing – I love John Boorman’s movies;
his nutzo sci fi epic Zardoz is one of my all-time faves, and I feel that in
many ways this entirely misguided sequel to the Exorcist occupies a similar,
head-trippy place. Linda Blair returns the role of Regan MacNeil, now a full-on
teen who has put her demonic possession behind her, only have it dredged back
up by psychologist Louise Fletcher and a ridiculously implausible device that
supposedly “synchronizes” brainwaves. Adding to the insanity is a likely
inebriated Richard Burton, trying to fill Max Von Sydow’s priestly vestments
and failing miserably. Also there’s tap-dancing, locust swarms, crazy mirror
trick photography and best of all James Earl Jones wearing a locust hat. Look,
this movie is a mess, but if you enjoy this kind of disaster and meet it where
it lives – a town named Bonkersville – you’ll have a good time watching it. Oh,
who am I kidding, you’re gonna hate this, so maybe just watch the trailer as it
is inarguably the greatest piece of filmmaking ever, thanks in part to the
incredible Ennio Morricone track “Magic and Ecstasy”.
October 24, 2017
10/24/17 – day twenty-four of thirty-one days of horror!
For some reason this year seems the right year to revisit
David Cronenberg’s superb Stephen King adaptation The Dead Zone, but I can’t
for the life of me think why. Maybe it’s Cronenberg’s assured direction, moving
him out of the realm of Canadian B movie director and announcing him as a
soon-to-be major Hollywood genre director. Perhaps it’s Christopher Walken in
an atypically understated performance as Johnny, a man emerged from a 5 year
coma to find that he has taken on psychic powers that, among other things, give
him frightening visions of future events – events he has the power to stop. Maybe
it’s King’s source story, written at the height of his powers and one of his
most concise, ready-for-screen narratives. It’s probably a combination of all these
things, that rare alchemy of rich character detail, skilled direction, compelling
story, great performances and just enough skin-crawling creepiness to make it
rewarding Halloween time viewing. Who knows? Oh right, there’s Martin Sheen as
a narcissistic, insane politician who, if left unstopped, will lead us
recklessly into a global nuclear war – but it’s not like that sort of thing is
relevant right now or anything.
October 23, 2017
10/23/17 – day twenty-three of thirty-one days of horror!
Seeing as it’s Sam Raimi’s birthday today, it only seems fitting
to honor him by celebrating the film that started it all, his original 1981 The
Evil Dead. Evil Dead 2 was the movie that brought me into the Raimi fold, but
there’s an unnerving quality to the first film – itself a second take on the story
of young horndogs vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods who unwittingly unleash
demonic forces – that was never quite replicated either by Raimi or any of the
film’s many imitators. Certainly the run-and-gun grindhouse grit is a factor,
as are some scenes of questionable taste (ahem, tree rape), but mostly it’s
because the original Evil Dead, while still possessing (pun intended) some of
the humor of the later films, is downright scary. Geek god Bruce Campbell – yet
to fully crystalize his iconic, sarcastic Ash character – does a good job
anchoring the young cast of adequate unprofessionals, but its Raimi’s magnificently
fearless and inventive camera work that makes the film stand out from the low
and dirty slasher fare of the time. Oh, and the copious gore is great too. Raimi
called his Three Stooges inspired style “splatstick”, unaware that he was
creating a new language for genre cinema, minting himself as a star director,
giving his loveably hammy buddy Bruce a career in show business, inspiring
countless future filmmakers and ensuring a place for Evil Dead in the pantheon
of essential horror franchises. For Halloween viewing, you can’t do better than
the OG Evil Dead! Happy birthday Sam!
