Galaxy of Terror (1981)

The blending of Science-Fiction and Horror is one of my favorite genres in film. Often times the results are horrendous, but the films have a charm about them. The way the cast interacts with the special effects, the way the director uses his crew to get the most atmosphere out of a shot. There are times when the films work fantastically; 'The Thing' (1982), 'Event Horizon'(1997), 'The Blob' (1988), and of course 'Alien' (1979) have proven to be very well executed genre films.

The movies mentioned above though have a thread in common; budgets. They can pull off fantastic effects which will dazzle the audience. Low budget features, like those from Roger Corman, try a little bit harder to get your video dollars. 'Galaxy of Terror' was a film I've only heard bits and pieces of over the years. I knew it had a decent cast, and the infamous worm scene was well discussed, but other than that the film was foreign to me.

The film opens with on a blue planet, with blue lettering for the credits. You can't read who's in it without glasses, so you know that it's not the most important. Some random person is killed by an unseen force aboard what is apparently a spaceship. It all happens so randomly and quickly it's hard to gauge what's going on. We're then thrust into what is apparently a Galactic conference of some sort with a witch, and some guy whose head looks like a lava lamp. Lava Lamp Head is apparently known as the Planet Master and rules over the fates of those in the Galaxy. Apparently he requests a team sent to the blue planet, Morganthus.

A team including Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), Captain Spalding (Sid Haig), and other body-bags enter the spaceship blasting off to the planet Morganthus. Their mission is the look for any survivors of a previous excursion, but there seems to be some devious characters aboard the vessel. The Commander is a little old for a field mission, and there's a cook. Apparently, machines normally make the food on spaceships, so a human doing it is tipping some of the crew towards interference from a government figure.

The crew is pulled down to the planet by an unknown force. Once the team lands a party is sent out to look for the missing crew members. On the crashed ship the crew finds that the missing parties are horribly butchered. Apparently when bodies of dead people are found in this future they're destroyed with a blaster because every body except one explodes when shot. A crew member lags behind after samples are collected, and soon has his head ripped back by some sort of cricket looking thing. From here the crew investigates the barren planet, but it appears that Morganthus is hiding more below it's surface.

The basic premise of 'Galaxy of Terror' is that your fears become real, and can kill you. Apparently the planet is some sort of testing ground for a new Planet Master. I really doubt I spoiled this film for you with that, but I felt that you should know exactly what's going on because even at the end of the film it's still kind of unclear. The film was beyond entertaining, and was filled with memorable moments. There's a scene where a man's severed arm throws a blade to kill him; a scene where a mammoth worm rapes and kills a woman, and not one but TWO Robert Englunds for your dollar.

The acting is what you tend to get from a late '70s, early '80s Roger Corman fare. It's cheesy, but there are actors who really like their material. Sid Haig ('House of 1,000 Corpses') asked to have almost all of his lines removed, and played the role mute except for one line. Robert Englund is just as awesome as ever, but his character's fate is never resolved; he just sort of stops being discussed about 15-minutes from the end. Then there is the always fantastic Ray Walston who most will recognize as the strict Mr. Hand from 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'.

The look of the film is like most 'Alien' clones, but to be honest that works for me. It's all about how you film the corridor scenes to build the atmosphere. You need to feel trapped along with the characters to really showcase the fear, and thankfully the scenes here are filled with dread. Then there is the fact that a young James Cameron worked on 'Galaxy of Terror' as Production Designer and Second Unit Director. It seems that the suits were so impressed with his knack for low-cost solutions that it helped his career to what we know today.

The negative aspects of 'Galaxy of Terror' involve the fact that you're never really sure what the fuck is going on, and then the ending just sort of happens. It really takes the awesome down a huge amount as you're left scratching your head bloody and raw. There are a lot of 'Alien' clones on the market, but I found 'Galaxy of Terror' to be pretty well executed for a low-budget feature. The actors seem to enjoy their roles, and the set design and effects bring the film above your typical cheap cult films.

'Galaxy of Terror' is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray from the Shout! Factory.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Evan Chimes In: The Intruder

Hello again, people of the internet. The next movie I'm going to be watching is 'The Intruder' starring William Shatner. I know absolutely nothing about this one. I've never heard of it and didn't want to be told much about it before watching it. From reading the back of the case, it seems that good old Capt. Kirk (caveat; I've never seen Star Trek or any of the movies. I can't recall seeing anything else that Shatner has been in, so this may very well be my very first Shatner experience. Let's hope I don't get Shat upon.) is a white supremacist that comes to a southern town on the eve of integration, and chaos ensues. Let's have at it...

Adam Cramer (Shatner), arrives in some small southern town the night before the integration of black children into the white schools. Shatner immediately begins campaigning against the integration and holds a rally the night after the first day of black children going to the white school. This first rally is a Ku Klux Klan-esque style rally. After the first rally a black family traveling in a car on their way home is stopped by a mob of white people. Tom McDaniel (Frank Maxwell) steps in and stops the violence before it starts.

Later that night there is a full on Klan rally with hoods and a cross burning. The Klan guys throw dynamite into the black church and the preacher stumbles out and dies in one of the black children's arms. While this is happening Shatner is banging the wife of the guy in the room next door.

The next day Tom McDaniel walks the black children to school. When he returns to his car, there is a group of white people from the town that want an explanation why he is a N-lover. Tom, in so many words, tells the people to fuck off. They beat the shit out of him and put him in the hospital.

Shatner goes back to his room and finds Sam Griffin (Leo Gordon) waiting for him. Sam is the guy in the room next door whose wife Shatner banged. Sam tells Shatner that his wife has skipped out on him. Sam eventually lets Shatner know that he knows the truth by pulling a gun on him. blah blah blah, long story short he doesn't shoot him.

Shatner puts the moves on Tom's daughter, Ella McDaniel (Beverly Lunsford), and hatches a plot to say Joey Greene (Charles Barnes), the kid that held the black preacher when he died, tried to rape her. The next day at school, Ella asks Joey to help her with some boxes in a storage room, when he is taking the boxes off a shelf she starts screaming.

The mob gathers outside the school once they hear of the "rape" and demand that Joey come out to them. Joey walks outside and is eventually grabbed and tied to a swing outside the school. Shit is about to get real when Sam Griffin shows up with Ella McDaniel and gets her to confess that she made the rape story up, and that Shatner told her to do it.

In the end Shatner ends up disgraced.

I don't know how to feel about this one. The message was clear: White people are terrible. I enjoyed the movie, but this seems to be the seed that Hollywood planted which eventually flourished into the "shit on white people" movies of the more recent past. 'Crash' comes to mind. I fucking hated that movie. I don't know much about movies and movie history, but I contend that 'Crash' is the single worst movie to ever win an Oscar for Best Picture. If there was any possibility that if 'The Intruder' was never made, then I would not have had to sit through 112 minutes of pure, unadulterated, six-miles-over-the-top, shit that was 'Crash' then I'm fine with that trade-off.

Shatner's acting was superb. His character, Adam Cramer, is easily one of the most diabolical, sinister, manipulative antagonists I've ever come across. The movie is worth seeing, even if just for Shatner's portrayal of his character.

The real thing I took away from this movie is that when it comes to making white people look bad, Spike Lee ain't got shit on Roger Corman.

'The Intruder' is available on DVD from New Horizons Pictures.

Overall Rating: 7 / 10

(I should mention that I'm an extremely hard grader, you'll never see me give a 10.)

THE INTRUDER: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Movie Trailers, Frank Maxwell

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The Beyond (1981)

While 'Cannibal Holocaust' might have been one of the first movies to get me interested in Gore, Lucio Fulci was the one who showed me the beauty in the carnage. The Italian director is known for his surrealistic films, and brutal violence. The first film I saw by Fulci was 'Gates of Hell' which was when I was searching out any zombie related film. From there I saw 'Zombi 2', and then I found what many consider to be his masterpiece, 'The Beyond'.

One of the best things about 'The Beyond' is that it combines elements from so many different genres. Part haunted house flick, half zombie gore; 'The Beyond' offers something for almost any horror fan. For this viewing of Fulci's 'The Beyond' Jason and I were able to catch a 35mm print at The Coolidge Corner Theater. This was a film that I was very excited to cross off my list of movies to see on the big screen.

In 1927 Louisiana a lynch mob descends on the Seven Doors Hotel. A painter by the name of Schweik works on his macabre creation, inspired by the mystic book Eibon, in his hotel room, number 36. The mob enters the building, and breaks into Schweik's room; assaulting him in the face with a metal chain, and accusing him of being a warlock. The mob then drags him down into the basement where they nail his wrists to the wall, and pour quicklime on his face.

Present Day (1981) a woman by the name of Liza (Catrina MacColl) has inherited the hotel, and is fixing it up to re-open. Unfortunately, the house was built on one of the Seven Doors to Hell, and her renovations have awoken Satan himself. When construction workers start dying horrible deaths, a mysterious blind woman named Emily (Cinzia Monreale) warns Liza to abandon the hotel. Doctor John McCabe (David Warbeck)tells Liza that there's nothing to worry about, and to continue renovations. However when the body of Schweik shows up in the basement, John starts seeing the symbols of Eibon. Soon the forces of Hell spew forth the dead, and John and Liza must fight to stay alive.

The first thing that I enjoyed about the film was of course the special effects. Italian genre films from the late '70s and '80s have some of the best gore effects in cinema history. Germano Natali has done some great effects for films like 'Suspiria', and 'Deep Red' but 'The Beyond' has some of the best violence of all time. We see heads exploding, spiders devouring a face, eyes gouges, and the aforementioned death of Schweik. For those gore-hounds looking to wet their appetite look no further than 'The Beyond'.

The score by Fabio Frizzi is one of my favorites of all time. The choir and piano main theme is very atmospheric, and the score helps elevate the direction of cinematographer Sergio Salvati. Salvati has done all of Fulci's big horror titles, but I really think that his best work is with 'The Beyond'. The scenes down the flooded basement ooze with dread, and with the score by Frizzi, the direction of Lucio Fulci really shines through. Though, while able to raise your fears through the use of camera trickery and brilliant composers, he orchestrates the violence to shock and gross you out. This technique allows for you never to get settled in what you're watching, and should keep you glued to what's happening.

The only negative criticism I could give this Horror Classic is that the English dubbing is just awful. I would love to see a subtitled release at some point, but that is more than likely on any of the DVD releases by Anchor Bay. By all means 'The Beyond' is not a film for everyone. While enjoyable by a Horror fan for the effects, and atmosphere it is pretty damned out there. A lot of the happenings you just have to accept as going on, as we're never really clued into what exactly the powers of Eibon can be. The best bet is to turn off your mind, and enjoy the surrealistic elements of the story and the fantastic gore effects on the screen.

'The Beyond' has a few releases with Anchor Bay, and the rights are currently held with Grindhouse Releasing.

A random trivia fact you probably don't care about!

Did you know that 'The Beyond' is one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies? So much in fact that he was one of the primary reasons for an unrated release of the film, and the 35mm print that tours the country!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Necropolis (1987)

When Jason and I were walking through a video store, we find a label on a film proclaiming that:

"Warning: This film contains scenes of adult matter and/or graphic violence. No one under the age of 18 may view this film. No exceptions!!!!!"

You would think that it would be a violent, or hyper-sexed film. That warning just screams to rent the film if you're looking for a cheap thrill, or to fulfill your blood lust. That's the type of movie that you'd try to rent when you're 13. I've seen similar labels on films like 'Caligula', 'Toxic Avenger', and 'The Babysitters Club'.

It is pretty impossible to find a movie rental establishment in 2011. However there is one place that is independently owned, and still renting (!) VHS and DVD. Hollywood Express on Mass Ave in Cambridge, Ma has a collection of films ranging from obscure '80s STV (Straight-To-Video), or hard to find classics on VHS. Hollywood Express will be getting a good amount of money from me while I exploit their collection.

Looking for films that I missed during the VHS boom, I came across 'Necropolis' at the video store. This has been a title that has been on my radar for some time, but due to limited availability (only available on VHS) it has been hell tracking this title down. Then, when noting the warning label mentioned above I knew this was a film tailored towards my tastes. Turns out it was one of the worst movies I've seen in some time, but of course one of the funniest.

Old New York was once New Amsterdam. I'm not sure why they changed it; guess they liked it better that way. During the late 1600's a witch named Miss Eva is trying to secure the soul of a young virgin, who happens to be getting married at the precise moment of the Miss Eva's ceremony. It's never really mentioned why Miss Eva has chosen this woman for her soul, but I'm guessing her credit score was better. Or a virgin, better go with virgin. Miss Eva succeeds in killing the woman, but is apparently killed? I say apparently because suddenly the film jumps ahead 300 years, and now she has a motorcycle.

Miss Eva wants a ring that was used in the ceremony. We're not told what the ring is for. She just needs to find it. It has ended up in the hands of a local magic shop proprietor, but the ring has been sold. The shop keep won't say who, but Miss Eva uses his fear of going deaf to torture the answer out of him. She promises to spare his life, and when he gives up the buyer she kills him anyway. She is on the way to a local preacher, who just happens to be the slave from earlier in the film.

The preacher works to help teens get off of drugs, and that's exactly where Miss Eva goes; however there is not a transition scene from the magic shop. Actually, we never really heard the name of the buyer clearly from the shop owner. Now at the youth center Miss Eva tries to seduce the ring out the preacher, but she fails causing her to have a child-like tantrum in the men's bathroom. With that, she's off to another location with no explanation as to what the fuck is going on in this movie. She's now trying to find the couple, who were reincarnated like every other character in this fucking movie, and steal their soul for Satan!

This is one of the most incoherent movies I've ever seen. We go from scene to scene with no transition. After Miss Eva kills a suicide patient at the Rehabilitation Center, she just is suddenly on her motorcycle in the next scene. She wanted the keys to the preacher's safe, but we're to assume that she got it? Then, the male lead walks in front of the magic shop; looking in the window. Then, the next scene is him walking through a beaded curtain to the backroom. What the hell? Is he like Kitty Pride? He can just walk through walls?

The acting is beyond hysterical. Lines are melodramatically over-the-top, and there isn't one actor or actress that has worked through a paper bag. The male lead looks like Al Pacino and Scott Baio had a lovechild, but his fake tough-guy, don't believe in the supernatural, bad cop persona is just lovable. Then there's the witch, Miss Eva. Sure, they wanted to make her this leather-clad biker chick, but it just looks like she got out of an unsuccessful groupie run at the band Poison.

Of course I love bad movies, but this was a tough one. The best scene in the entire damned movie is when Miss Eva grows 6 breasts to feed her demon clan. It's so bizarre, so hysterical that it gives the movie something to remember it by. Other than that Jason and I found ourselves just laughing at the continuity errors, like when the suicidal patient kills himself, he is slumped over in the chair. However when the police come to investigate the scene he is face down on the desk. This is as close to bottom of the barrel as it gets, but it has that '80s charm. With practical effects, and cheesy dialogue the film is not so bad it's good, but so bad it's tolerable. Like babysitting Dennis the Menace.

'Necropolis' is currently only on VHS from Lighting Pictures. The rights are probably buried under Lions Gate Entertainment's back catalog. Perhaps for the best.

*UPDATE* - 'Necropolis' has been released by Full Moon on DVD. You can pick it up over at Amazon for $9.99

Rating: 2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Trash Pile Top 10: Slasher Deaths

I can't speak for the masses, but there is one main reason I enjoy the Slasher sub-genre; the inventive new methods of disposing victims. There are really only seven to ten different plots in a Slasher film, so that will deter most viewers. The actors are in their late twenties to thirties playing teens, and normally have similar acting range. With that you're left with the special effects, and man oh man do (most) Slasher films bring the latex to the table.

It's hard to pick only ten kills that I find the best. There are many quality moments of carnage, but ten? Well, I'm going to give it a shot.

10. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1985) - Toboggan From Hell
There are so many fantastic moments in 'Silent Night, Deadly Night', but this was one of the best for me. These two kids steal this sled from another group of kids, and they proceed to sled the hill. Little do they know that Billy is going around dressed as Santa killing anyone who he deems naughty. These two hoodlums have an axe awaiting them.



9. Halloween (1978) - Hung Up to Dry
John Carpenter's 'Halloween' is one of the staples of Slasher history. While it wasn't the first to be released, it was the first box office success. By today's standards the death scenes seem tame, Bob's death is iconic. All he wanted to do was get a beer, and ends up getting stabbed in the gut.



8. Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers (1988) - Drugs can kill
The 'Sleepaway Camp' series is one of my favorites. The original has one of the best twist endings of all time, but I love how over-the-top the sequels are. The one liners by the killer, Angela, are some of the funniest in Slasher history. This particular death involves two drugged up sisters who are about to burn up one last time. These puns write themselves, I'm serious.



7. Hatchet (2006) - That's one way to loose your head
Adam Green's 'Hatchet' is one of my favorite horror films of the last few years. I also loved the sequel, maybe more so than the first. The death of the Jim and Shannon Permatteo is phenomenal, and then you see the tongue waggling in the aftermath. Adam Green really knows how to execute his death scenes with hysterical precision.



6. Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood (1988) - Tree Hugging Camper
I love the Friday the 13th series, so it was really hard to come up with just one to put on this list. However, this girl getting slammed into the a tree in her sleeping bag is one of the most brutal, especially the clip shown below, which is in it's uncut form. 'New Blood' was butchered by the MPAA, and apparently Paramount has lost the minutes (!) of deleted gore footage. Here's hoping it's discovered like the 'My Bloody Valentine' footage was back in 2009.



5. Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) - Speared for Your Pleasure
Outside of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' and H.G. Lewis's 'Blood Feast', Mario Bava's 'Twitch of the Death Nerve' is one of the first true slashers. The film tells the tale of a crazed family trying to off one another in gruesome ways to inherit the fortune of a dead relative. The film doesn't hold back, and like many Italian Horror films is very graphic. The death of Duke and Denise may be familiar to some as the same exact death was lifted for 'Friday the 13th Part 2'. The clip below shows the death prior, and then the double impalement.



4. A Nightmare on Elm St. (1984) - Well, that's one way to hit the sheets.
Freddy Krueger has always been one of my favorite slashers since I was a kid. I enjoy all of the films in the series ('Dream Warriors' is my favorite), but Glen's (Johnny Depp) death in the original is by far and away one of the most shocking in the series. Not only does this genuinely good guy get killed, he is apparently shredded to death and his remains are spewed from his bed. Then his parents walk in.

Glen's Death on YouTube (New Line has requested no embedding)

3. The Burning (1981) - Raft Trip to Damnation
I love the Weinstein produced 'The Burning'. While the setting of the summer camp may be a tired one 'The Burning' uses it to his best. Using cabins and the woods to his advantage, the avenging killer Cropsey is best when on the river. The first time I saw this scene I was blown away. The amazing effects by Tom Savini are phenomenal, and these 2:05 of brutality show only some of his amazing talents.



2. The Prowler (1981) - Stabbed in the head, and forked to death.
The one-two punch of Sherry and Carl's deaths in 'The Prowler' is amazingly brutal. Carl's eyes roll back in his head, which is just one of the coolest effects in the movie. The villain isn't done yet, and goes to the shower to stab Sherry in the abdomen with his trusty pitchfork. The movie is one of my favorite slashers, and is criminally unseen.



1. My Bloody Valentine (1981) - Silly girl, that's not how you take a shower.
As you can see, the Slasher films from 1981 are my favorite. 'The Prowler', 'The Burning', and 'Friday the 13th Part 2' are all great flicks. Each offering their own brand of sadistic butchery. Then there is 'My Bloody Valentine'. A film I find to be very unique. The cast is all older, and by that I mean they are cast to meet their actual ages. The setting is also fantastic. The scenes in the mine are very atmospheric, and Director George Mihalka makes use of his cinematographer to put the tension on high.

'My Bloody Valentine' had nearly three solid minutes of violence edited due to issues with the MPAA. It was thought to have been lost until the footage was found, and edited back into the film. I already loved this death prior, but seeing this uncut was a true spectacle. Sylvia is being chased around the men's bath area. The villain, Harry Warden, drops mining suits suspended from the ceiling, corralling her into the shower area. Warden then proceeds to pick Sylvia up by her head, and impales the back of her skull on the showerhead, causing blood and water to spew out of her mouth.

I tried to find the clip for you, but alas Lionsgate Entertainment has removed it from all known video sources. So if you've got an insatiable urge for death, give these movies a chance as they're chock full of awesome special effects, and nubile young (cough) teens.


Honorable mentions: Machete to groin (Just Before Dawn), Frozen Head Smash (Jason X), "Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch!" (Nightmare on Elm St. 3: Dream Warriors), Wheelchair Electrocution (Popcorn), Piercing Kevin Bacon's Neck (Friday the 13th), Bullet through eyeglass (Opera). I'm sure I'll think of more and update as I go.

Deathrow Gameshow (1987)

What is the pitch for a show about death row inmates playing for their lives on a game show? What producer has the balls to say, "Hey, what if we take people who are going to die, and give them a chance on a game show to play for their freedom?". It takes care of the prison overpopulation, and it fills the populace's blood lust. It has become a sub-genre of its own over the past few decades with films like 'The Running Man', 'Gamer', 'The Condemned', and 'Death Race' (the remake). They're all action intensive movies, and although black humor comes through the violence; comedies they ain't.

'Deathrow Gameshow' was a title that I had seen in video stores when I was a kid. By the time I was into renting obscure titles many video stores were closing down, or moving to DVD. It's a film that I had been searching for many years to find, and finally got a copy on VHS. That's a lot of hype to see a film about people getting killed on TV, but that VHS cover was imprinted in my brain. I HAD to see this movie. To my surprise upon first viewing it was more a Comedy than a Horror. I mean, sure, a good amount of Cult movies have that over-the-top comedic appeal. 'Deathrow Gameshow' was more alike to the works of the Zucker Brothers with 'Airplane!' or 'The Naked Gun'. Well, it wasn't what I was expecting and that first view was kind of like meeting a long time pen-pal. You have all these great expectations through fantastic conversations, but then find out that they're really off the wall, bat-shit crazy and can only hang out for an hour or so before taking off, because they know they'll overstay their welcome.

America's most popular game show is 'Live or Die' hosted by the charismatic Chuck Toedan. The show is known for its high ratings, and higher moral objection (see what I did there?). Contestants sign a waiver before going on acknowledging that their death could come at any moment. Chuck gets death threats, bomb threats and even threats of sex from crazed fans. OK, that's not so bad but overall it's pretty outrageous.

While promoting 'Live or Die' on a local talk show, he is accosted by Gloria Sternvirgin who is the leader of a local female rights group. I didn't make up that name. They really named her that. Gloria talks about how it's wrong to kill people, but Chuck is quick to remind her that these "contestants" were going to die anyways. He's giving them a chance to live, and their families also receive great prizes if their loved ones die. The two exit the interview, and Gloria confronts Chuck about his horrible lifestyle. Then, suddenly, out of a cliche comes two armed hitmen coming to take his life. Chuck grabs Gloria into the car, and they're off taking out the assailants on their way.

A few years back a mob boss died after he had passed his challenge; The Dance of the Seven Boners. You see, if he got an erection a motion device would trigger his electrocution. Well, he survived the model but it turns out that Chuck's manly touch is what did the boss in. Ever since he's had numerous attempts on his life. Gloria is thought to be in cahoots with Chuck (as is the case with every budding romance in a Cult movie), and is made a target as well. Will these two bite the bullet, or will they make it through to the other side? Find out on 'Deathrow Gameshow'!

Like I said, I was expecting a Horror movie and got a Zucker sytle Comedy. I love stupid, silly movies but was not expecting this. I decided to give the film a second view. After all, the hunt for such a film must return a positive experience, right? Right? Well, yes and no. The film is still pretty bad, but there are spots that are pretty funny. Visual gags like "Slow Children", and the kids are moving slow through a sidewalk always cracks me up. Where the film fails in the comic department is the dialogue. One of the best parts of the early Zucker films is while they have amazing visual gags, they also can write dialogue that makes you really laugh. Most of the jokes here felt forced, and really fell flat.

With a premise like 'Deathrow Gameshow' you would expect some pretty interesting death scenes, but they're really run of the mill. Electrocutions are the most popular, and don't really do much in terms of shock a response out of the viewer. The only real original death is an old lady (case of mistaken identity) runs through an fire themed obstacle course holding two canisters of gasoline. I'd say spoiler alert, but I don't think anyone cares. She makes it to the end, but blows up by a shoddy table with two candles.

'Deathrow Gameshow' was a real bust. I was expecting greatness, and got amateurish buffoonery. The film uses its low budget to its best abilities, but really can't find its ground between Horror and Comedy. The actors read their lines, but I don't believe they are enjoying themselves. Perhaps it's the quest was better than the treasure, but a film like 'Deathrow Gameshow' should make me feel like a winner. Instead I feel like a guy playing on the couch at home.

'Deathrow Gameshow' is available on DVD from Brentwood Home Video, but is currently Out Of Print.

Rating: 2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Critters (1986)

Some say that imitation is the best form of flattery; others call it plagiarism. Either way, imitation has led to some horrendous rip-offs and inspired variations. For every 'Friday the 13th' there's 'House of Death'. 'Godzilla' and 'Gorgo'. George Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead' is responsible for almost 80% of zombie films from 1978 to 1983.

Then there are the films that claim they were written prior to those films. The film 'Critters' is one of them. I mean sure, you can try to cover your ass but I mean come on. If Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante's 'Gremlins' wasn't a hit at the box office I'm pretty sure New Line wouldn't have financed the film. That's the Hollywood machine sadly. What film is your film like, and how much money did that film make? With 'Gremlins' doing $148 million, that is more than enough convincing for studios to finance cheap films about dangerous little creatures. 'Hobgoblins' , 'Troll', and 'Munchies' are just some of the bastardized offspring of 'Gremlins'. 'Critters' on the other hand, was a well done variation.

An asteroid flies aimlessly through space, but this is no ordinary asteroid. It is a prison designed to hold the most vicious aliens in the solar system. Apparently the most notorious, the Crites, have been captured. Of course, as this is mere minutes into the movie the Crites break loose and escape the prison with a stolen space ship. This floating mass (similar to Mojo from the X-Men comics) hires two faceless bounty hunters, whose assignment is to track down the Crites at all cost.

Meanwhile, in a rural Kansas town on Earth, a family by the name of Brown works on their farm to make a living. Daughter April (Nadine Van der Velde) is trying to get in the bathroom before school, but her brother Brad (Scott 'Grimey' Grimes) is taking his time. The typical family bickering continues until a phone call for April comes in, and it's Steve from school. Jay (Billy Green Bush), the patriarch of the family, is concerned that his daughter might not be aware of how everything, you know, works down there. His wife Helen (Dee Wallace Stone) informs him that she's known for years.

Farm handyman Charlie (Don Keith Opper) is the town drunk. It's so bad that he's even got a room setup in one of the jail cells. Harv (M. Emmet Walsh) the town sheriff tells Charlie he better get his ass in motion if he wants to keep his job. Charlie keeps on his story about how he can hear alien transmissions through is teeth, and that it ruined his chances at the pros. Charlie shows up for work, but is distracted by Brad and his homemade fireworks. When Brad's slingshot breaks and Charlie attempts to fix it. April comes home in Steve's (Billy Zane) car, and Jay tries his best to introduce himself. In testing the slingshot, Charlie misses a tin can and hits April in the ass. Brad takes the fall for Charlie, and is sent to his room without dinner. He learned his lesson; never take the blame for a drunk.

Meanwhile, in space, the bounty hunters have traced the Crites to Earth and begin finding a way to transform their play-doh faces into human bodies. The first, by the name of Ugg (Terrence Mann) searches through history for a body to duplicate, and comes across '80s rocker Johnny Steele (also played by Mann). Taking the look of a flammable rock god, in spandex, Ugg waits for his partner to transform. He's being picky, and can't find any one person over a thousand years to look like.

Night falls on the Brown farm as the family, subtract Brad/add Steve, gather for dinner. April is obviously hot to trot as she's all up on Steve's crotch under the table. She grabs Steve to go for a "drive", which is code to go fuck in the barn. Jay brings his punished son some food, and confiscates Brad's slingshot. All of the sudden the Crites ship lands on their yard, and start on the prowl for food. After devouring a cow the Crites aim towards the town, and the Brown family home. Will the bounty hunters be able to save the family in time, or will they have to defend the planet themselves?

For this viewing of 'Critters' I was able to view one of the few remaining 35mm prints at The Coolidge Corner Theater. This film was another staple for many young horror viewers as it was PG-13, and could be seen by a studio's biggest demographic; teens. Then with that, video rental and cable brought the film to a whole new generation. One of my favorite things about 'Critters' is how the film finds great moments to add humor into the script. Whether it be from the Crites themselves, or from the town folks there are many moments to lighten to mood.

The main attraction in films like 'Critters' and 'Gremlins' are the special effects. How the creatures interact with the human players is clutch. If the movements are too jerky the effect looses credibility with the audience. The effects in 'Critters' are pretty fun, but not really packing the WOW factor you had from the effects of 'Gremlins'. The Crites are about ankle high, but are like piranha on crack. A pack of four can devour a cow in under ten minutes, and strip a human clean in under five. I enjoy the effects of the Chiodo Brothers (they also directed, and did the effects for 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'), but I'm not really scared of the Crites. I feel like I can kick them pretty easily, or at the very least burn them with a cigarette and hairspray.

The script contains the typical family pitfalls. Brother and sister rivalry. The father trying to accept his son. The mother trying to hold on to everything. It's all pretty run of the mill, and the acting does help with the cliches. Dee Wallace Stone is in my opinion just as likable here as she was in 'E.T.', and I'm always a fan of M. Emmet Walsh. Billy Zane in one of his first rolls is just there to be Critter bait, and his death is only slightly memorable for some chomped fingers and munched guts.

'Critters' may be a product of the '80s, but there are elements that hold up well for today. It's campy, and fun. A time capsule into when special effects involved material and hand, not a computer. I do recommend 'Critters', but it's more of a last on the list type of movie. While entertaining, the film doesn't really pack too big of a punch action wise. There are a few parts where the threat of eight Crites isn't as menacing as it should have been. 'Critters' spawned a slew of sequels. The second film, 'The Main Course', is my favorite of the series. The body count is higher, and more time to showcase the Crites in action. The third features Leonardo DiCaprio, and it's pretty shitty. However, it's not as shitty as 'Critters 4'. The Crites attacking a spaceship, and there is a marine with a huge drug problem trying to fight them. It's pretty bad.

'Critters' is available on DVD from New Line Cinema, and is also available in a box set with all four films.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

Original Trailer on YouTube

IMDB Page

Wikipedia Page

Amazon Page

Evan Chimes In: Death Race 2000

Hello, Interweb! I'm Evan, and I love movies. However, I lack the ability to remember a damn thing about 99.9% of all the movies I have ever seen. I haven't seen many old movies at all. I scare easily and don't really enjoy many flicks in the horror genre. I'm assuming that if you are reading this blog then you are a fan of the sorts of movies that Chris reviews here. I haven't seen anything that has been reviewed. Truth is, I'm too scared. Seeing as how I am ignorant when it comes to these sorts of movies, my function here will, hopefully, be to give all the cinephiles a glimpse into what a newcomer to these genres is thinking.

Enough about me. The first movie I will be watching is 'Death Race 2000'. Starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone. I actually think I may have borrowed this movie from Chris about a year ago. I'm fairly confident that I watched it, but I can't remember anything about it. Nothing. I'm told it is about a future (presumably the year 2000, so actually more than a decade in the past) where the national sport is a gumball rally style nationwide race where points are awarded for killing pedestrians. That's all I really need to hear. I'm reminded of the kick-ass old computer game Carmageddon. I'm going to go ahead and assume that this movie had some sort of influence on the people ultimately responsible for such a great computer game that consumed quite a bit of my childhood. I owe it to myself, and them, to watch the movie. I have been assured that it is not scary, so I'm game.

'Death Race 2000' is, indeed, about a gumball style trans-continental race in which drivers earn points by "scoring" a pedestrian. The type of pedestrian determines how many points are earned. Children, teenagers, old people, etc... are all worth different amounts of points. The American people seem to be enthralled by the race and show up in droves to the starts of each leg of the race.

The racers taking part in the race are Nero the Hero (played by Martin Kove), a Roman gladiator style combatant with his navigator Cleopatra (Leslie McRay) by his side. Then there is Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins) a Nazi bomber style combatant with her navigator Herman 'the German' Boch (Fred Grandy). The last of the non-star racers is Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov) a wild-west style combatant and her navigator Pete. Then we get to the all-stars and favorites for this year's race: 'Machine Gun' Joe Viterbo and Frankenstein. Machine Gun Joe is played by Sylvester Stallone and is supposed to resemble a 1930's style gangster. Joe's navigator is Myra (Louisa Moritz). Lastly, there is Frankenstein (David Carradine). Frankenstein is presented as an all-time great in the race having won many times in the past. The name apparently comes from the fact that he has been rebuilt as a semi-bionic racer. We'll get to Frankenstein's navigator in a second.

We learn about Thomasina Paine(Harriet Medin) who leads a rebel group that wants to put an end to the race. Their plot is called 'Operation Anti-Race', which is quite possibly the laziest name for a guerrilla operation. Their plan is to kidnap Frankenstein and spare his life in exchange for the permanent abolition of the race. Frankenstein's navigator is Annie Smith (Simone Griffeth) who is actually Thomasina Paine's great grand-daughter, and begins the race working as a spy. Frankenstein easily sniffs her out, bangs her, and makes her fall in love with him.

All in all the movie was pretty damn entertaining. It's not really my "cup of tea" so to speak, but I could find the humor in places. There were some things that kind of irked me, like the fact that apparently broken legs are instantly fatal. My favorite part was easily when Frankenstein takes off his glove, showing a grenade seemingly grafted to his palm, to which Annie says "Is that a hand grenade?". I love puns.

Everyone but Machine Gun Joe is killed off, in various ways, by the rebels. Machine Gun Joe is finished off by Frankenstein's hand grenade. Frankenstein marries Annie and become Mr. and Mrs. President Frankenstein. The first order of business for President Frankenstein is to abolish the race that made him famous. Way to bite the hand that feeds you.

'Death Race 2000' is currently available on both DVD and Blu-Ray from Shout! Factory.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Original Trailer on YouTube

IMDB Page

Wikipedia Page

Amazon Page

Interview: Coolidge Corner's Mark Anastasio

Despite the comforts of home, there's nothing like watching a cult movie in the theater. The crowd is supportive of the absurd plot lines, and thin acting. They cheer, laugh and in some instances throw things. Slowly, this is becoming a lost experience as most theaters will a) not show cult movies, and b) not show 35mm. I understand the want to go digital. It's cheaper, allowing for more copies to be released for a fraction of the cost. All the while providing audiences with the most advanced picture and audio. That's a bunch of horse-shit.

Thankfully, there are places like The Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA. From foreign films to current art-house the Coolidge caters to a diverse crowd of viewers. Before a viewing of the cult classic 'Street Trash' (read the review here), Trash Pile contributor Jason and I were able to get some time to talk with assistant program manger Mark Anastasio.

Chris: Describe what you do on a daily basis to find these films.

Mark: Well, the programing process happens between me and a couple of other guys in this office. Program Manager Jessie Hassinger and the Operations Director Andrew Thompson and I sort of sit here and fire ideas back and forth. It works really well to have checks and balances, so if I yell out something stupid those guys are quick to tell me that it's a great film, but might not draw a crowd. We have to strike that balance between playing something awesome, but also play something that keeps the series going as far as our audience is concerned.

Then it's a little bit of investigative work to actually track down prints. A lot of these old cult movies that we love so much don't exist anymore on film. A lot of them have been junked, or no one thought to preserve them because they were considered "crap" movies by a mainstream sense. It can be tough. We work with a network of private collectors that have their own 35mm archives, and those guys are really instrumental in bringing these films to us on film. Sometimes I know right where to go. I know this person has a print of 'Hellraiser', or this person has 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. We call them up, and ask if we can borrow it. Then we go about about getting the rights, if there are rights. So it's two different things; you have to spend a lot of time tracking down who owns the rights, and who owns a copy of the print.

In this case for 'Street Trash' I didn't see any copies of a print available with any of our collectors that we knew of. Then I saw that Synapse films, they put out a lot of cool cult DVDs, they had done a double-disc edition that they had struck from the original negative. I called up the president of Synapse and asked him straight up where he got the print to do that, or if he knew of a print holder. He said that the writer/producer Roy Frumkes has the rights, and has one of the only existing prints. He gave me that contact info, and it took awhile to hear back from him because he was in Germany touring 'Document of the Dead', so he wasn't there to get emails or check his home phone. I didn't think I'd hear back form him, but when he got back he called me and said he was stoked that Boston would be interested in the print. He wanted to know about the venue in general. How many kids we get coming out to make sure it was a worth while thing, and that we were a reputable house that would take care of his film. We do run reel to reel here, and our projectionists are highly skilled, some of the best in the business. Roy was cool with loaning us the print, and that's how we tracked down 'Street Trash'. When it arrived the print was actually kind of shoddy condition. Whoever had shown it last did not give it any kind of love, which is surprising. It came in, our head projectionist graded it at maybe a C, and by the time it leaves here it's gonna be in better shape than it came in.

Chris: Does that happen often?

Mark: No, it's not a normal thing but it's also not unusual for something to come in sort of messed up. A lot of places are going to digital, 2k and 4k projection, so the art of 35mm projection is unfortunately a dying one.

Chris: And it's only places like this, the Brattle, small indie theaters that will really do it anymore.

Mark: Lowe's, Boston Common we just heard this week...

Chris: Yeah they're all digital.

Mark: Yeah they phased out 35mm completely, and that's going be coming more and more the norm over the next couple of years. That's how we tracked down that particular print. That's pretty much average. Investigative...

Chris: All the legal work.

Mark: Yeah, the toughest one we came across this year was, I really wanted to do 'Sleepaway Camp' on film. We spent six months trying to get a print of 'Sleepaway Camp', and it just didn't work out. Once we found the rights holder, it's with the director.

Chris: Robert Hiltzik, right?

Mark: Yeah, we got in touch with Hiltzik. At first we tried his old law firms. Just googling the guy, finding his linked in. Calling places where he used to be a lawyer, getting forwarding numbers. Someone suggested that we try, I think his name is Jeff, that runs the Sleepaway Camp fansite. That's where most of the screenings, if you don't have the backing of that website your screening really can't happen. So we had to reach out to that guy, and when we finally got a hold of everything we were gonna play it the some month that we did 'The Burning'. We were told the film was booked in Cleavland for the the entire summer. That was a disappointing one, so it can be tough.

Chris: What is the personal favorite film you've been able to get?

Mark: Tonight ('Street Trash') is one of them. This is one that everyone was immediately behind. It was one of those where in talking about what to book we were all excited, but we didn't think the audience would be there. We've been in a place where we're getting good numbers every weekend for the last few months, and we've been sort of building a following, so we were able to say let's take a hit in order to play 'Street Trash'. I was actually surprised by the turn out last night. It was well over one hundred, and that really excited me and I stayed to watch the film, and I'm going to stay and watch it again tonight. It's really great on the big screen.

Let's see, what's another one. 'Night of the Creeps' was one I was really stoked to get for the Halloween marathon in 2009. That's probably one of my proudest programming moments. The sign is back there.

Chris: I see 'The Blob' on there too. The Chuck Russell version is so underrated.

Mark: Yeah, that's the one we did, and I got resistance!

Chris: That's bullshit! That's some of the best special effects next to 'The Thing', in terms of practical effects.

Mark: Dude gets pulled down a drain.

Chris: The fucking kid getting killed, you never see that.

Jason: That VHS cover was terrifying.

Mark: Oh, with the guy just getting pulled back surrounded by...

Jason: The pink ooze around him. Terrifying.

Mark: The best experience I've seen an audience have with one of the titles we've programmed, and I always talk about this as now it's rule in our programming. I forget what year it was, might have been the year before 'Night of the Creeps' and 'The Blob'. We did a double feature of 'Pumpkinhead' and 'Prom Night', and one of the secret films, I mean, for the remainder of the marathon we don't tell people what we're playing, so we don't have to get rights to show those films. Cause no one has bought a ticket thinking they're seeing that, so no one can get upset at us for cheating them.

Chris: Loopholes are fucking awesome.

Mark: Right, so we book rights for two and do the double feature, and the rest are all secrets. The best secret title we ever did was Lamberto Bava's 'Demons'. We got 'Demons' on film, and I was unfamiliar with it. All I knew was that I wanted to play it, and I love the trailer and I've never seen it. Watching it in an audience, I mean you're familiar with it, the demons breakout in a movie theater. Watching that, in a movie theater while people were delirious and in a marathon setting, the crowd was just so wild, and throwing shit and freaking out. From then on out we instituted something called 'Demons' rule. Whereas that was the high water mark. That's where the bar got set for how to give an audience a good time. You give them gore, actual scares and shit to laugh at. Trying to give them the perfect...

Chris: The perfect cult experience.

Mark: The perfect cult film experience, yeah. We do hard horror sometimes...

Chris: We came for 'Dream Home'.

Jason: That was really cool.

Mark: We try to do new stuff. We're branching out into different little sub-tags for our series. 'Dream Home' was under our Fresh Blood banner. Coolidge Cult Cuts is a series that we do for things like 'Street Trash' where it was a hard to find print, and it's something that is on film that is kinda rare that people should come out for. Those are some of my favorites.

Chris: Besides 'Sleepaway Camp' what are some other titles you've had a real hard time getting?

Mark: I mean 'Sleepaway Camp' was the toughest. There's always rights issues up in the air for things like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

Chris: Yeah, that's passed through so many different companies.

Mark: Yeah

Chris: Isn't it at Lionsgate now?

Mark: No one really has it now. A company called MCI I thought had it, but they actually don't know where the rights are at. It's owned by a lawyer at this point, and when that happens you don't play it. Another print that's been hard to find has been Argento's 'Suspiria'.

Chris: We caught the print last year at the Brattle.

Mark: Was that just last year?

(Hindsight: it was actually two years ago.)

Chris: Yeah, we went out for my birthday. It was a print by some U.K. collector.

Mark: Yeah they got it from the U.K., so I called that guy who said the print was booked for Halloween. He was really nice, and said any other time. That's one where it seems to me that are probably only two to three prints of that film left in existence. That print was no dice, found a collector who wasn't willing to lend, and then we tracked a print to Criterion in the US.

Chris: Oh wow, they have a print?

Mark: Yeah, but they had decommissioned it and it can't run. Then I tracked a print to Fox Canada, which normally we don't do because we deal with American distributors. We called them, and there initial response was no. We wrote back, and they said no. This week we tried again asking why, and they said we can have it. So the headliner for this year's marathon is Argento's 'Suspiria', and a new print of 'Return of the Living Dead'.

Chris: That's awesome.

Mark: Usually we do six films, but this year we're going to try to do seven because everything is about ninety minutes.

Chris: What are some titles that you have no interest in going after.

Mark: Well, I had a conversation last night with our projectionist Thomas, and Thomas is always on me to show 'Leprechaun', Leprechaun in Da Hood', and things like 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'.

Chris: You don't like 'Killer Klowns'.

Mark: I got something against 'Killer Klowns'. I don't know what it is. I've only seen it once or twice.

Jason: I feel like people would come out to see that.

Mark: People probably would, but for some reason those types of movies turn me off.

Jason: No 'Rumpelstiltskin'?

Mark: Yeah, shit like 'Rumpelstiltskin'. I guess it's little humanoid creatures that smile real big just don't scare me, so I'm not interested in playing it. 'Critters' on the other hand we're doing this weekend. I'd do 'Critters', I'd do stuff like 'Child's Play' but yeah, 'Killer Klowns' I would stay away from. 'Leprechaun' I'm resistant to. I don't know, I think that stuff is kinda easy. There are lots of theaters when March roles around, and gets to be St. Patty's Day and someone is doing a midnight screening of 'Leprechaun'. It just seems kinda uninspired.

Jason: That movie also isn't even that old.

Mark: It's few and far between that we play shit from the '90s in this series, so yeah the goofier shit I stay away from.

Chris: What movie started your interest in the genre?

Mark: My interest was sparked by my cousin Joan, who passed away young. She was my babysitter when I was kid, and we weren't too far apart I was probably twelve to her sixteen. While babysitting us, and I can't fucking remember specifics, and even when I was younger I must have been like seven or eight, she was probably too young to be watching us. I remember a horror show hosted by Gilbert Godfrey.

Chris: Yeah, one of the USA ones.

Mark: Yeah! Is that what it was?

Chris: Yeah, it was USA Up All Night.

Mark: Yes!

Jason: Yeah they used to play Troma.

Mark: Right, and that's exactly where I was going with it. It was USA Up All Night hosted by Gilbert Godfrey, and it was 'Class of Nuke 'Em High'. That's what I trace it all back to.

Chris: Yeah, we're big Troma enthusiasts.

Jason: I remember seeing Toxie, and getting a copy of Toxie II on tape that I got at Ames.

Mark: She used to let me watch that, and it would scar me for life. And I remember when I used to go to her house she had an original 'Nightmare on Elm St.' poster on her wall. Also, there was this video store called Video Express in my hometown, and it's not there anymore, of course. But they had an iguana in the display case, and it was real gross and I used to get my comic books there. Anyways it must have been when 'Texas Chainsaw II' came out they had a stand-up that was 6' tall, and in the doorway. I remember when my dad would return tapes I would stand there looking up at this thing peeing my pants, and I just had to see it. So the images of Leatherface, and Freddy, and sitting there watching 'Class of Nuke 'em High' and having fun with a fucking disgusting film like that is what got me into this, and it stuck.

Chris: What recent film do you feel captured the essence of the video boom?

Mark: Not so much 'Machete', not even 'Grindhouse'. I think the best of these recent exploitation, neo-grindhouse films is 'Hobo With a Shotgun', I think it's the better of the three.

Chris: I fucking love that movie.

Mark: It doesn't ever wink at you. It's fucking balls to the walls.

Chris: It is an exploitation movie.

Mark: It's got something to say, and I think it right on par with the old shit. that movies right on my shelf next to some of those perfect video titles next to 'Class of Nuke 'em High' and 'Toxic Avenger'.

Chris: I wish someone like Gorgon, who released 'House of the Devil' on VHS. I wish they'd do one for 'Hobo'. It's screaming for a VHS release.

Mark: That would be really sweet. Some places have be re-releasing them.

Chris: Yeah, Mondo just did 'Things' and 'Sledgehammer'. They're always on sale mid pay-week, and then...

Mark: They're gone. There's been talk of us getting a VHS series off the ground.

Chris: If you need any help I have hundreds of VHS tapes.

Mark: Do you really? Oh Chris, you're going to help us curate a series.

Chris: I'd love to help! There's one film I'd love to have people see on the big screen which is 'TerrorVision' (read the review here).

Mark: 'TerrorVision' rules, my projectionist, he wanted me to find a print of it.

Chris: It's hard as hell to find one apparently.

Mark: Yeah, I couldn't do it. I don't get stumped that often. I didn't give up on 'Suspiria', I didn't give up on fucking 'Sleepaway Camp', but 'TerrorVision' is proving to be too elusive. But that would be a perfect screening. We're gonna host a series, set up a VCR and do video on the big screen and see if kids will come out.

Chris: I think they will. There's a big market for video collectors; being one myself I have to put up with a lot of assholes on eBay. Only got a couple more questions here. What is the rarest 35mm film you've shown?

Mark: (pause) I don't know. I never really know how few prints are left of any given thing. I was talking to guys last night who seem to think that multiple prints of 'Street Trash' are available. I'm not so sure that's the case. I think that Roy has one, and director Jim Muro might have one but that's it. That's two prints. There are none on a collector's level at all. I can tell you for a fact that 'Sleepaway Camp' only has the one print available.

Jason: Now do you think you'd be able to acquire it at some time down the line?

Mark: I'll probably do it next summer. I wanna do it on film, and I want to do it when it's appropriate. We've been doing this summer camp series in June for few years. But that's probably the rarest. I know that certain shit is gone. I know that there's no 35mm copies of 'Predator'.

Chris: Such a waste. Last two, pretty quick. Favorite directors?

Mark: Carpenter. Definitely John Carpenter. I mean, I don't know where else to go from there.

Chris: He's one of my favorites too.

Mark: 'The Thing' is probably my favorite film, and that's one that I've played before.

Chris: I was here one of the last times you did it. Looked awesome.

Mark: Yeah, in my five years here I think I've played it three times. Between 'The Thing' and 'Halloween' those two are such milestone films. I'm pretty big on Cronenberg too.

Chris: Besides 'The Thing' any other favorite movies?

Mark: 'The Thing' is my favorite. I just love everything so much I never know where to go with this question. I love zombie films. You look at my horror shelves, and there's like two full shelves of just zombies films. 'Day of the Dead'.

Chris: Such an underrated movie. My favorite of the series.

Mark: 'The Thing' is my all time favorite film in any genre.

Jason: What did you think of the remake/prequel trailer?

Mark: I'm not too pissed yet.

Jason: Trailer looks all right.

Chris: From what I hear it's 70% practical effects.

Mark: As long as that's true, I'm fine. I've said that the first scene of shitty CGI will kill it for me, being such a fan of 'The Thing' I always wanted to know what happened at that Norwegian camp.

Chris: I'm a big fan of the Howard Hawks version as well.

Mark: And 'The Thing' itself is a remake, so we can't be too upset about doing a prequel to a remake. I'm pretty easy. I don't get too pissed over these sorts of things.

I want to thank Mark for taking time out of his schedule to give us the background on how much work goes into tracking down these prints. Please visit The Coolidge Corner Theater, and any local theater that is willing to show films that are a little outside the norm.

Coolidge Corner Theater