Unseen Terror 2018: Day 12

Ricky Thomas and Angela Baker are getting ready to head out to "Camp Arawak" for the summer. Though the former has attended multiple times before, this will be the first occasion for his female cousin. Initially, Angela's quiet, extremely introverted behavior makes her the subject of bullying from bunkmates and female counselors alike, but she begins to open up more when Ricky's friend Paul takes an interest in her. After a brief incident with a camp chef nearly gets Angela molested, the cook is later attacked by an unknown assailant, and severely scalded by a large pot of boiling water. It isn't long before things start to go wrong for others with foul intentions, especially if there's been a prior connection with the young girl herself.



Making the conscious decision to finally watch and review 1983's slasher standout Sleepaway Camp was more difficult than I expected it to be. Mind you, it has nothing to do with the quality of the picture itself, or the fact that it's following yesterday's highlight of the marathon (so far). Rather, it is solely because I've known about the film's rather infamous and shocking twist for many, many years. You couldn't open up a magazine or watch some television countdown without them mentioning it, and due to such a thing, I felt like immediate viewings weren't fully necessary. But as I inch closer and closer to that bizarre area in one's life known as the mid-30s, the time came for me to just stop being lazy and watch the damn flick already.


Much to my surprise, the tone of Sleepaway Camp is dismally cruel. For an environment that does contain at least some moments of pure joy, there always seems to be some underlying hostility amongst these campers and their counselors, especially when it comes to their treatment of young Angela, who serves as somewhat of an avatar for the audience. It's perfect for molding people who already may be slightly deranged, but not completely unhinged into something truly malevolent. The purest of souls, and I do use that term loosely, could arguably be Angela herself, or perhaps her cousin Ricky (played wonderfully by Jonathan Tiersten) and his friend Paul (Christopher Collet of The Manhattan Project), who seems to be the only other person at the camp who wants to treat the nearly-mute girl with respect or affection. For what most collectively believe is not the strongest of slasher movie franchises, I was pleasantly surprised by how memorable and colorful (if not slightly typical) this cast of characters was. The bullies and antagonists are rather rotten, and the fact that young Karen Fields, who portrays the snobby and mean-hearted Judy, didn't go on to star in other projects is a damn shame.


Now, don't get me wrong, all of that hyping about the attitude and mood of Sleepaway Camp that I just wrote about it is something that I firmly stand behind. But categorizing it as top tier material would be grossly inaccurate, as the movie is still very cheesy and riddled with some of the same problems that befell nearly every release in this 80s-centric subgenre. Most of the lines uttered from writer/director Robert Hiltzik's script won't likely be making it onto the AFI's list of most influential movie quotes, and some of the delivery is downright cringeworthy (looking right at you Mike Kellin). Hell, there's a very good chance that you'll piece together most of its plot and subsequent revelations if you have a brain that is still functioning after the past two years have nearly destroyed everyone's remaining cells. Still, it doesn't detract from the fun factor, and the final product ensures you that as long as you are patient, these fools are going to get what's coming to them and through unusual methods (one scene involving a beehive got under my skin).


Sleepaway Camp won't exactly blow your mind by any means, and there are some themes that could be misconstrued as gross even by today's standards, but the movie absolutely deserves its cult status. What it lacks in most of the acting department or extravagant kills (Pieces it ain't), it makes up with memorable characters, joyfully campy dialogue, and yes, some excellent twists that those who go in completely blind will be rather shocked by. Even with the most important details permanently etched in my memory, I still found it to be quite the enjoyable experience. You can stream this relic on Amazon Prime, and if you can put off spending money on that latest Apple product, use some of the cash on the Blu-ray that Shout! Factory released a little while ago.




Tomorrow, we aren't leaving the decade of decadence just yet, but what ground should be covered? Only time will tell...

Unseen Terror 2017: Day 11 & 12

Hooray, birthday entry!

And uh, day after the birthday entry too I suppose. Yeah, I admit that it does seem to be a little too early to already be running behind, but hey, when you have a special occasion to celebrate, then perhaps it's excusable. Still, I don't want a repeat of last year, where I have to cram three or four days' worth of viewings into one entry, so let's just cut to the chase and talk about some films, yes? On a similar note, American Made isn't too shabby of a picture, and Tom Cruise is at his best when he's playing a bit of scumbag or sketchy individual.



Oh, right, there are horror movies to tall about.

When compiling this year's listing of movies to watch, I managed to get lucky and gain access to a very good friend's Plex account. It was there that I found nearly every Stephen King adaptation to date, so the options are clearly open for me to pick and choose whatever the heck I could want. But after perusing, I shocked myself with a revelation: I have never seen Christine, the big screen version of his eighth published novel. This was especially surprising considering that it was also directed by horror icon John Carpenter, who I'd place in my personal list of top ten favorite directors, regardless of genre. If ever there were an invitation to finally take a shot and put the flick on, then it was now.

For those unaware of its plot, Christine is about a very socially awkward, dorky young man named Arnold Cunningham. Save for having a best friend in the athletic Dennis, he doesn't seem to have much luck with anything in general, be it a personal or social life. While traveling home one afternoon, the two of them drive by an old house, and suddenly "Arnie" is drawn to a broken down, ragged-looking 1958 Plymouth Fury. The owner of the property agrees to sell the vehicle, nicknamed "Christine," for a relatively meager amount of money. Within no time, Arnie begins taking his car to a repair shop, where his attitude and appearance begin to slowly change. It is during this time that his cohorts begin to do some research, and discover that the previous driver actually killed himself inside Christine. Even stranger is the fact that for as much time Arnie spends with his new purchase, it almost feels as if SHE's growing attached to him herself and acting unnaturally protective.


That concept for Christine is actually eerily similar to previous King works such as Carrie, but rather than psychic powers, this geeky character is instead gifted with the arrival of a four-wheeled machine that could help him exact revenge if there is a need for such a thing. It's also riddled with some of the same clichés as most, if not all of his prior projects (exaggerated bullies for one). Despite those minor critiques, Christine just clicks. Perhaps that can be attributed to the presence of John Carpenter, who shoots it in such a way that our eyes are glued to the screen for about every minute that goes by, as we grow attached to nearly every character throughout the picture. Even in his projects that aren't fully his own, the master behind Halloween and The Thing is still an expert at getting the best out of his cast, with future directors Keith Gordon (Dexter, Waking the Dead) and John Stockwell (Crazy/Beautiful) delivering memorable performances as our two leads. He also contributes an absolutely stellar score in between the old 1950s rock and roll tunes: a staple of his since the beginning that has very rarely changed. It's one of the many things that I truly admire about the man and something that I don't believe he gets enough credit for in the press.

I feel as though I can't add anything to the praise that Christine already gets from most fans of scarier cinema. It's a very entertaining experience that is exceptionally well shot and stylish as all hell (the sequences involving the car repairing itself are quite awesome and will make you want to research as to how it was done). Far more eerie and fun than it has any right to be, it's one of the highlights to the seventh year of Unseen Terror. There are relatively inexpensive releases out there for you to purchase, and once this fan is able to snag himself a better job in the future, the latter's Blu-ray shall be a welcome addition to the fold.

But be careful what you say about my Xbox One when I pop it in. She's pretty sensitive.

For the twelfth day, I figured that since Stephen King helped deliver one of the better pictures that I've seen so far, why not stick to another big screen feature from the most infamous person to emerge from Maine?

I was fully convinced that I had previously watched 1990's Graveyard Shift, a story about textile mill workers who are disappearing because they have a REALLY bad rat (or is it?) problem, until it suddenly occurred to me that I had only ever seen the final ten minutes on what I believe was Cinemax. Naturally my morbid curiosity led to me starting the whole thing up for the first time in 2017. Hey, I do possess some halfway decent memories of the finale, so the rest of the feature has to at least be entertaining. Unfortunately, what I received was something far less satisfying than I expected.


We'll start with the most noteworthy positive: Brad Dourif, once again, is the best aspect of a mediocre movie. In Graveyard Shift, he's playing a very unhinged ex-Vietnam veteran who has taken a serious liking to exterminating pests. His character is just so bizarre and amusing, that it wouldn't surprise you to learn that he may be committing these heinous acts of animal cruelty while being fully erect. Sadly, unlike his tenure in Death Machine, Dourif exits the flick far too early, and when he leaves, it's up to the rest of the cast to keep the film afloat. Perhaps it was due to a weak script or just feeling as if they wouldn't be able to compare to his greatness, but nobody else in particular seemed very interesting or well-developed, and we don't feel connected to or concerned for them during moments of peril. At least The Monster Squad's Steven Macht tries though, but goodness knows I could not quite figure out for the life of me what accent he was trying to lend to his character. My guess was a Latino version of Morgan Freeman who was reading an audiobook while on downers.

One interesting tidbit that I discovered while researching Graveyard Shift was that the original choice for director was legendary makeup/special effect pioneer Tom Savini. For reasons that can only presumably be attributed to lack of interest from the studio, he did not get the job, and the rather unknown Ralph Singleton was given the project instead. It's a damn shame, especially considering how tremendous Savini's body of work is, though the Cagney & Lacey veteran (......yep......) and his crew do bring a nice atmosphere to the whole thing. I can only assume that most of the budget was spent to help make some of the sets for the picture look dilapidated and fairly miserable, and a smidge more was used on designing the bloodthirsty and vicious creature that lurks below the mill. When it isn't being fully exposed until the end, it does look appropriately menacing and rather nifty. Those technical aspects do make for a nice bonus, but when you take those away, Graveyard Shift feels kind of hollow, and many other features of the final product feel cheap or unfinished (there's even a stock Wilhelm Scream thrown in towards the middle).


Though I would hesitate to call it a good movie, I can compliment Graveyard Shift by saying that it is quite watchable. It does help that Dourif and Macht are so strangely amusing to watch, and that the blood/gore is fairly good, but those could be about it. I honestly doubt that I will remember much about the overall experience by the end of the month, and that even includes the previously-mentioned standout performances. If you are still curious about adding it to your Stephen King collection, various forms of the DVD can be yours for more money than it is probably worth.



Or better yet, just go buy a second copy of Christine.




Tomorrow, we leave earth and encounter some strange visitors whose experiments could leave us rather traumatized. Lame hint? Sure, but I can see the fire in your eyes when I attempted that joke....

Unseen Terror 2017: Day 2

After spending the day with his girlfriend Sarah, promising schoolteacher Johnny Smith heads home for the evening. Due to stormy weather, however, he is involved in a car accident that leaves him in a coma. Five years pass, and Johnny is awoken by the hospital's neurologist, and he is informed that during this lengthy state of unconsciousness, Sarah has not only married but also bore a child. More surprising, however, is that the now-former educator has the ability to see a person's thoughts and visions through physical contact. While recovering, he attempts to rebuild his life, though the residents of his hometown all seem to have varying opinions on this man who claims that he can read your mind and potentially even see things that you cannot. In fact, there are some who feel as if his newfound ability can come in handy, be it for solving crimes, or preventing far worse ones from occurring in the near future.



This year officially marks the earliest time that Stephen King has made an appearance during my marathon (2013 had Brian De Palma's Carrie as my third entry). What happens to be more surprising is the fact that this was the very first time that I sat down to watch 1983's The Dead Zone, which as of this writing, is the only collaborative effort between the Maine author and well-respected filmmaker David Cronenberg (Videodrome, The Fly, The Brood). It also stands as one of actor Christopher Walken's most well-known movie efforts, and along with The Deer Hunter and True Romance, can be considered an essential viewing for fans of the quite kooky performer. One can make a very strong argument that this is one of the aforementioned director's most accessible pieces of work, but more on that later.


Walken does indeed deserve all of the praise for his portrayal of Johnny Smith (King sure could have picked a better name), as he keeps the character grounded and feeling human throughout its very brisk running time. For someone who has been gifted/cursed with the ability of second sight, he makes the former schoolteacher feel as if you could know a person like this in your daily life. The science fiction aspect of his powers and entire scenario is also perhaps the most realistic that I've seen in a motion picture in quite some time, as he doesn't overuse his abilities and we focus on the variety of people throughout; our protagonist may not even be the most fascinating human being stuck in this bizarre interpretation of Castle Rock, Maine. Martin Sheen is also splendid to watch as a slimy, overconfident local politician with delusions of grandeur and dreams of ascending to the oval office. He does have moments where he hams it up, but it's all in good fun and works to help give you the feeling that this is not as kind of a world as one would imagine it to be.


The actors' portions aside, I feel as though we have to go back to David Cronenberg. Many fans such as myself tend to affiliate the Canadian director with the fear of losing control of one's own physical being. In nearly every effort of his that I've seen, there is this inherent and all-too-real sense of dread that we are not in control of our bodies, and in fact will deteriorate in more ways than we can imagine once something very basic has been altered. The decaying and transformation themes found in The Fly are a perfect example of this, and though The Dead Zone is a largely normal motion picture compared to his more grotesque and....well, icky releases (save for one moment involving a pair of scissors that can make even the most hardened person shudder), there is still this sort of morbidity that permeates from Johnny every time that he shakes the hand of another individual. He directs Walken and his co-stars in such a way that they truly feel remorseful and often frightened (a fine example is when Sheen first shakes hands with Walken) that this can not be prevented after his accident. Cronenberg understands that just because you've inherited a unique power doesn't mean that you will see everything that you want to see.


It goes without saying, but David Cronenberg's ninth entry into his very impressive filmography is absolutely worth adding to your watch list this year. It's filled with some solid, creepy suspense, and chocked full of enough emotionally-driven performances to help it stay above the rest of the (admittedly) hit-or-miss Stephen King adaptations out there. Much like yesterday's entry, the influence of The Dead Zone can clearly be seen on pictures from through the following decades, including Frailty and the Final Destination series. Unlike those gems, the classification of this as a "horror" movie is up for debate, but it's a damn fine flick regardless. The Dead Zone is available for purchase on DVD in most retail outlets that still carry physical media, and was even re-released on home video recently for about the same amount that you would pay for a happy meal at McDonald's.



But heck, perhaps if you had Johnny's second sight, you could ensure that you receive the correct toy that you were searching for.



Tomorrow, we make the decision to stick around in the 1980s, and pay a second visit to an old friend with a shiny, silver sphere...

Unseen Terror 2013: Day 27

When a meteorite crash lands on earth, an unknown alien species is unleashed upon the land. Manifesting itself and growing in the basement of a nearby townhouse, the breed begins to feed on anything and anyone that will dare to cross its path, all the while reproducing asexually at an alarming rate and spreading its seed around the neighborhood. Soon, it may be up to the house's initial inhabitants to put a stop to this extraterrestrial reign of terror before it devours everything in sight.


Boasting the smallest budget of any film on this year's countdown, The Deadly Spawn's budget is a meager twenty five thousand dollars, which isn't just doable for most folks with the right amount of connections and friends, but is really low by ANY decade's standards, much less the early 80s. Perhaps the bigger surprise to be found is just how entertaining the final product turns out to be, especially if you have a great respect for the art of "DIY" filmmaking.


Similar to what some Italian efforts were doing in the wake of the horror explosion post-Jaws and post-Alien, The Deadly Spawn's original title was changed over in some circles to Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn in order to capitalize on the success of Ridley Scott's aforementioned film, which was released several years beforehand. Other than boasting a threat from outer space and a whole lot of caucasians in the cast, the comparisons should end there though. For one thing, the designs on both creatures are obviously, radically different. Considering that this isn't H.R. Giger's work, the alien design here is fairly awesome, a horrifying, massive maw that seemingly boasts no eyes with one gigantic appetite, and can even spawn smaller, slug-like beings that slither around infesting and feasting on whatever they can find. It moves around like a slasher movie icon, but disgustingly consuming rather than cutting and tearing its victims.

There are two brothers to follow as our protagonists throughout the plot, and yes, their stories do connect with one another down the road. There's Pete, the older of the two and arguably the more awkward of the siblings. He's a serviceable, wannabe scientist-type, but not much more. From what I've read, most fans of this film seem to identify more with Charlie, the younger of the brothers, as he's usually the embodiment of every kind of kid you either grew up with, or even grew up as in the decade of decadence, given that his room is littered with old horror movie posters and toys, and he's a self-professed devotee of the genres that I love. Heck, he's even got the same Godzilla action figure that I STILL have to this day, and I can provide photographic evidence to prove this if need be!


I know a few friends in town who have aspirations of becoming directors, be they of documentaries, or full-length pictures, and because of the apparent "do it yourself" attitude and work found throughout The Deadly Spawn, I am more than happy to give the picture a good recommendation. As macabre and grotesque as it is for those not accustomed to films in its field (and make no mistake, the gore is very top notch for its budget), Douglas McKeown's lone motion picture effort can be a bit inspiring for future filmmakers, showing that you don't need the backing of a large company or an abnormal amount of money in order to make something that is instantly memorable or just plain cool. Paramount really dropped the ball not picking this up for distribution.



Tomorrow, we jump forward a few years and find ourselves stuck in HOUSE!