Bad Ronald, Torso, Happy Birthday

 Bad Ronald - ★★★★☆

        Cool film about a kid who gets walled up in his home after killing a girl by accident, but when a new family moves in he slowly loses his mind to the fictional world he created. he winds up stalking the family through the walls. Check it out.



Here's the Trailer! 

Torso - ★★★☆☆

         Tits and gore nuff said.








Here's the Trailer!

Happy Birthday to Me! - ★★★★☆

          This movie could have been a classic. the only problem I found with it was its run time was a bit long. There were definitely some creative kills, this movie was a lot of fun. Check it out if you have nothing else to do.

Here's the Trailer!

The Funhouse (1981)

★★★★☆
Elizabeth Berridge, Shawn Carson, Jeanne Austin
Universal Pictures
Color, 96 min
Here's the Trailer

The Funhouse 
        Tobe Hooper returns to the big screen with The Funhouse. Four rebellious teens hide in a "Funhouse" for the night, only to find a half cow half human creature kill the local carnival's psychic. The four teens then have to get out of the funhouse before its too late.  
        This movie came out somewhere between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Poltergeist. Though it isn't as good, it holds it's own in the big world of horror. Rick Baker designed the creature for the film and I gotta say It works.
         My favorite part in the film I'll admit is the cows. They got two real cows, one has a cleft palate and the other has TWO FREAKING HEADS! This wouldn't have been the highlight if it weren't for the untold story. That the creature may have been the love child of the 2 headed cow and Conrad the Carnival manager. 
          Watch this moo-vie I dairy you!

Sorry about that

Street Meat

         

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

★★☆☆☆
Don Sullivan, Lisa Simone, Fred Graham
Hollywood Pictures Corp
Black and White, 74 min
Here's the Trailer

The Giant Gila Monster 
       Let's just get that out of the way, this is a terrible film. The cameras shoddy, the scenes bland and the monster himself is just a lizard put on a miniature set. In it's defence though I like terrible films
      The characters or relatable and Chase comes across as pretty genuine in some scenes. The cars are beautiful and the story...we'll the story is pretty standard. (just like the cars)
       This is definitely no King Kong but if you want a lighthearted monster movie from the 50's with some sweet rides this is the flick to pick.

                                           Street Meat

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Part 2 (1941)

★★★☆☆
Spencer Tracy
MGM
Black and White, 113 mins
Here's the Transformation!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

Two Faces, Two Movies 

     The very first thing I noticed when I threw this movie in was the fact that it was produced by MGM, were as the other film from only 10 years past was produced by Paramount. 

     Spencer Tracy this time portrays Dr. Jekyll and does so convincingly I still prefer the Fredric March version. There's just something so honest about his portrayal. 

     What both these films have in common is the story they are almost scene for scene, from the scene were Dr. Jekyll saves Ivy to the marriage troubles which is odd because if I can remember correctly the book had no love interests at all,  that was added into the story for a stage adaptation in the 19th century. 

     Really what let this film down for me though was Mr. Hyde. He was just nowhere near as dark and twisted looking as his 1931 counterpart, I even read somewhere that they covered his face during the trailer in fear that people would laugh at it.   

        Overall these two films are both charming in they're own right I love the 1931 adaptation for Fredric March, but at the same time I preferred the Ivy Character when it was played by Ingrid Bergman. These films are both available on a Classic Double Feature Disk that runs for about 40 to 60 bucks. I was lucky and found the dvd I watched at the local library.  

Street Meat

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Part 1 (1931)

★★★★☆
Fredric March
Paramount
Black and White, 98 mins
Here's the Transformation!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

Two Faces, Two Movies

    We're going to do a double take, the 1931 Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and then the 1941 one of the same name.
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1886, it's the tale about what would happen if you could split the good and the evil with a potion and let your dormant evil side take its own form.
    Fredric March is great in this film, he comes across natural as a nice guy with a little bit of mayhem inside ready to explode. The transformation sequences are top shop, I heard he wore different layers of makeup that would show only when certain lights were on, giving it that slow change that we see on the screen. I also really enjoyed the P.O.V shots and how they did showed him looking at himself in a mirror. This film is ambitious to say the least, not to mention this is actually the only version of this story where they pronounce Jekyll's name right (Jee-Kal)
    Mr. Hyde is really the star of this show, he's so off-putting  He also shows a great deal of acrobatics that caught me off guard (the scene were he swings down the staircase in particular). Over all this is a great film and it should not be missed. If you call yourself a fan of classic horror, this is a must own for your collection.

 Street Meat

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

★★★☆☆
James Cagney, Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer
Universal
Black and White, 122 mins
Here's the Trailer!

Man of a Thousand Faces 
     So I decided to go to the public library the other day and lo and behold I return with this. I knew I was going to love it. How could you hate anything about Lon Chaney? Phantom of the opera is one of my favorite stories and his 1925 silent version is my favorite interpretation of it.
      Cagney plays Chaney and tells the loosely based tale of his Lon Chaney's rise to fame. I'm not going to lie they're remake of Quasimodo and the Phantom's face were lacking, they looked just like masks (which is what they were).
      This being said the story is still wonderfully told. the characters are charming and it ends with you wanting to watch all of his films.
     Definitely check this out if you got some time. 
                   

                                                         Street Meat

Castle Freak (1995)

★★★☆☆
Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton
Full Moon Enterprise
Color, 95 mins
Here's the Trailer!

Castle Freak
   Castle Freak is about a unconventional family inheriting a beautiful mansion only to find out its home to a bloodthirsty deformed being. Jeffrey Combs is the father who's been sober for 9 months after getting into a accident that kills his son. Which Barbara Crampton (the wife) hasn't let him forget. They have a daughter who was also in the car crash and was left blinded.
   Before seeing this film I had watched Re-Animator and From Beyond. I must say this is not like either of those films, this one is much darker and feels more realistic.
   The makeup effects in this film are just awesome. The Freak is just so well designed. There's one scene where he bites and rips off his thumb so he can escape from the shackles.
   This is a must watch for anyone looking for a good 90's horror film or are just a fan of Stuart Gordon's work
   

Clash of the Titans (1981)

★★★☆☆
1981, Warner Bros
Harry Hamlin, Burgess Meredith
Color, 118 mins
Here's the Trailer!

Clash of the Titans 

    Just got this dvd in the mail, so threw it in the ol' player. Away I flew, to a land with two headed dogs, Medusa and the Kraken. Ray Harryhausen's animation just reminds me of a simpler time, and this was no exception.
   This is by no means a story with twists and turns. You know who the good guy is. Perseus is Zeus's son and travels through perils to be with the beautiful Andromina.
    If you want a good warm hearted adventure with mythical creatures, enchanted weapons, and a damsel in distress this is a perfect fit.
 

Frankensteins Army First Impressions (2013)

   I know so little about this film, yet for some reason I am inclined to post about it. The second trailer for Frankensteins Army's shows the making of the "army". Taking place in WWII, Russian soldiers uncover a secret laboratory where they created soldiers using body parts from corpses using pages from Dr. Frankensteins Journal. 

  The trailers look extremely stylized reminding me of the Universal classics from the 1930's. Son of Frankenstein and Frankenstein must be destroyed are 2 of my favorite films, so just to see this name coming back to theatres is enough to make me see this. I will keep up to date and post more the more I find out.

Here's the Trailer! 

Django Unchained (2012)

★★★★☆
2012 Columbia Pictures
Jamie Foxx, Christopher Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
Color, 165 mins

Django Unchained  

      After a long wait I finally got around to seeing this movie and I can say this is probably my new favorite Tarantino film, it just screams quality. 
     Django is all about a slave who becomes free with the help of a bounty hunter and becomes a bounty hunter himself, then sets out to find his wife and free her from her shackles.  
      Right from the opening credits I was getting the excitement giggles, I felt like I was watching an old spagetti western.
    DiCaprio is amazing, every scene he was in I found him captivating. He steals the show for sure, not to say that Jamie Foxx isn't wonderful, I thought he was cool as tits, but the scene were DiCaprio cut himself was extremely powerful.
    I love the fact that this film has little to no CGI. It just goes to show that you don't need to sit at a computer, editing every scene to make the film better. ( I'm looking at you George Lucas)
    

Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

★★☆☆☆
1982 Santa Fe Prod
Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille
Color, 77mins

The Slumber Party Massacre 

      What the fuck did I watch? This is quite possible the most mediocre 80's slasher film I have seen in a long time. The killer has no mystery to him, the kills are bland, and the characters are flat. 

     The first kill leave's you going, power drill fuck yeah! Then when he starts chasing people down with this clunky tool it loses its charm fast.

      In these films I want variety, I don't want some average Joe (who by the way sounds like he's wearing spur's, every step he takes jingles) killing people the same way. I want an unstoppable force, always one step ahead of the protagonist.

       I understand that this is an exploitation film, and don't get me wrong I kept an open mind. Up until that one chick eats a dirty ass pizza on top of some dead guy.

The Black Cat (1934)

★★★★☆

1934 Universal  

Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff

Black and White, 65 mins

The Black Cat 
     
       I watched this film late one night on TCM and to my surprise, it quickly became one of my favorites. The movie starts up with Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Lugosi) sharing a train compartment with a honeymoon couple Joan and Peter on their way to Hungary.

      Lugosi explains to the couple about how he's been held in a prison camp for 15 years, and how he's going to meet with an old friend. On the way to the Hotel their bus crashes and Joan is injured, they are forced due to the storm to take refuge in Hjalmar Poelzig's (Karloff) Mansion. 

       Once they enter the mansion thats where things pick up. Karloff is the head of a satanic cult and is trying to use the couple for the next meeting, and Lugosi will stop at nothing to stop him.

      This movie has so many twist and turns if I say any more I'll spoil it. I love this film, the battle between good and evil is just so prevalent. If your a fan of Lugosi or Karloff at the peak of they're career this is a must see.

     

Top Ten 1980's Horror Films

This is my first post for Street Meat Reviews and I'll start with a standard. My top 10 80's horror films. (for the time being and in no order) I hope you enjoy and check some of these out.

The Prowler (1981)   

This is a bit of a shock to me not to see this on many peoples's lists. This is a great film, predictable yes, but some great FX from Tom Savini. Ex World War Vet kills teens at their Graduation nuff said.

Re-Animator (1985) 

My H.P Lovecraft film on this list. This is what happens when you get Frankenstein and place him in the 1980's. Jefferey Combs is over the top as always but I always felt that Stuart Gordon takes that into effect. 

"Don't expect it to tango, it has a broken back." 

  

Demons (1985) 

For fans of Evil Dead you may find a little spot in your heart for this little gem. Demons is a film by Lamberto Brava and Produced by Dario Argento about a mask that turns a night in the movie theatre into on hell of an adventure. Just over the top in so many ways, including katana's, dirt bikes, and a bad ass black dude.  

The Fly (1986) 

Jeff Goldblum at his fucking finest, don't get me wrong I love the Vincent Prince's The Fly, but this one excels to distant nebula's and back just to hand me a plate of Nacho's. The transformation from Seth Brundle to Brundlefly. I was captivated for every moment of this film. David Cronenberg I could kiss ya 

Day of the Dead (1985) 

A nod to George A Romero's Dead series this movie has some of the best FX in ANY zombie film I've seen. Everything is just so well done with this film. It just exudes style, It exudes substance (for a zombie film that is) and it shows a mans dedication to a series.

Friday the 13th (1980) 

There's a reason this has spawned so many sequels and a remake. The original Friday the 13th is a staple in the slasher genre.  

New York Ripper  (1982) 

This has one of the best head explosions I've seen, no joke. With a serial killer who sounds like donald duck and a cop ruthlessly pursuing him. This movie will keep you guessing the entire ride. 

The Burning (1981) 

Just watched this movie and with a release coming out soon by Scream Factory on Shout! I gotta say this one will be one for grabs. Stranded in the woods with a ruthless killer who's a step ahead of you for the entire film. This film's got jocks, geeks, babes and Jason Alexander, Enjoy.

  

My Bloody Valentine (1981) 

Im not gonna lie I wanted to put Black Christmas here, but since that was from 74 ( it hold up so well) I had to think of something else, and the next best thing that came to mind was My Bloody Valentine. When a group brings back the Valentines day dance they start getting killed one by one. 

Evil Dead 2 (1987) 

This is my personal choice for the best of the Evil Dead Trilogy. With the perfect blend of horror and humour. Survivors try to last the night in and old cabin being attacked by demons summoned by the Book of the Dead. Hail to the king baby!