Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict’s House of 100 Horrors (page 9)

Doug Bradley as Pinhead in Clive Barker's "Hellraiser"

81.  Hellraiser (1987)  Horror novelist Clive Barker makes his directorial debut in his own adaptation of his novella The Hellboud Heart, but although the film introduced horror fans to the now iconic character Pinhead, audiences would have to wait for the sequels for more from Hellraiser’s most famous character.  Yet, despite the lack of Pinhead in this film, Barker still manages to weave together an interesting and suspenseful yarn of sex, betrayal and violence.  When masochistic pervert Frank Cotton purchases a mysterious puzzle box in Morocco, upon opening the strange box he finds himself in a hell dimension once where he is to be tortured by demons called Cenobites, lead by the sadistic Pinhead, for seemingly eternity.  However, upon escaping from the dimension as only a heap of intestines and rotten tissue, Frank turns to his former mistress Julia, who just happens to be in a loveless marriage with his clueless brother Larry, for help.  Frank needs to feast on human blood so that his body will return to normal, so Julia begins to trick local men into entering Frank’s attic lair with promises of sex, but who instead find themselves being beat over the head with a hammer, and nothing more then nourishment for Frank so that he can regenerate himself to human form again.  However, when Frank’s niece Kristy discovers whats really going on in the attic, she has an encounter with the Cabonites herself and makes a deal with Pinhead to put a stop to her father’s evil wife and her sadistic uncle.  Praised for its special effects and make up during its release, Hellraiser comes off looking dated today, and the acting is of questionable quality.  However despite these flaws, thanks to a decent story and capable cinematography and direction, the film remains to be an enjoyable and often horrifying watch and the make up of the Cabonites, especially that used for Doug Bradley as Pinhead, is still quite good.  Yet what horror fans have to thank Hellraiser for is an escape from the slasher films that plagued the 1980’s by introducing a new horror icon who wasn’t going to waste his time slaughtering groups of teenagers.  Hellraiser is something a bit different, and set a new standard for imagination and storytelling, ushering in a new type of horror film.

Keither Sutherland and his vampire gang in "The Lost Boys"

82. The Lost Boys (1987) Despite the fact that The Lost Boys is one of the most influential vampire films in movie history, popularizing the current image of the vampire away from the coffins and capes of the past, the film itself has not aged well.  Yet, as the result of a capable script, some decent acting and a great concept, The Lost Boys deserves its place in the horror hall of fame.  When a divorced mother and her two teenage sons, Mike and Sam, move to her home town of Santa Carla, California to live with her eccentric father, the two brothers are unsure what to make of this strange little town that they are forced to call home, especially when they learn that it’s said to be the murder capital of the world.  When older brother Mike, played by Jason Patrice, eyes a beautiful girl named Star on the boardwalk, he is drawn into a local gang of punks, lead by group leader David, played by  Keither Sutherland looking as if he’s dressed up for Halloween as Billy Idol, in order to both be near her and impress her.  However, unbeknownst to Mike, the gang is in actuality a gang of vampires and soon Michael begins his transformation into one of them.  Yet, until he makes his first kill, it isn’t too late to save Michae’s soul from eternal damnation.  Discovering what has happened to his brother, Sam, played by 80’s heartthrob Corey Haim, enlists the aid of two vampire slaying comic book geeks, Allan and Edgar, played by Jamison Newlander and the other “Corey,” Corey Feldman, to save his brother and kill the vampires.  Can three awkward teenagers be successful against a group of vicious bloodsuckers?  The Lost Boys succeeds by its great premise and its heart filled performances by Patrice and Haim.  Some of the cinematography is also quite good, especially the scene of the vampires daring Mike to drop into the mist under a train bridge, and the movies theme song, as well as the Doors classic “People are Strange” (performed here by Bunny and the Echomen) are used very effectively.  However, it suffers for a number of reasons.  It’s a bit to over edited and slick for my liking, and the fashions and hairstyles, which were no doubt trying to appease to the MTV generation, are out dated and laughable.  The vampires, at times, are a bit too cartoonish, although you really wouldn’t want to mess with them.  However they make you miss Christopher Lee after a little while.  Yet the biggest scar on this film is the over the top performance by Corey Feldman.  In fact, I never realized how much I couldn’t stand Corey Feldman until I watched this film.  He can’t do comedy, and every time he utters a line it makes me want to gag.  He also succeeds to pulling Corey Haim down to his level in all the scenes they share together.  If there is one reason Corey Haim doesn’t have a career today it’s because he did so many films with Corey Feldman.  I think Haim should punch Feldman right in the face.  I know I would.  Anyhow, as long as you block out Corey Feldman’s performance The Lost Boys remains to be a great vampire film, and breathed new life into what was a dying genre, creating a gateway for the popularity of vampires today.

Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright in "Near Dark"

83.  Near Dark (1987)  As a result of it’s distributor going bankrupt, and being eclipsed by The Lost Boys, this vampire drama went virtually unnoticed during it’s original release.  However, Near Dark is one of the best vampire films of the 1980s, and a realistic look at what it would be like for a man during his first week of vampirism.  When Texan good ol’ boy Caleb, played by future Heroes star Adrian Pasdar, spends a night with a strange girl named Mae, he finds himself dipped into a world that he can’t understand, but doesn’t belong.  When Mae turns Caleb into a vampire, Caleb joins Mae’s “family,” lead by patriarch Jesse (played by Lance Henriksen) and while his real life family search for him, Caleb must not only learn the ropes at being a vampire, but gain the trust of his new found vampire companions who take an immediate dislike to him, as well as learn to accept the creature that he has become.  However, when his family’s life is threatened by his new companions it’s up to Caleb to decide if his loyalties lay with the family he left behind, or the vampires with whom his future depends.  Fantastic film full of great performances and grizzly action, Near Dark is full of fantastic cinematography, especially the night photography and the scenes involving Caleb smoking in the sunlight as he runs for home along the flat dusty Texas landscape.  The disturbing vampire slaughter at a small rural bar is specifically memorable.  Near Dark may not be deemed one of the classic horror films of the 1980s, but it should be.  Rarely is a vampire film made that is this smart.  Far more superior to The Lost Boys, if you missed it during its release, make sure you don’t miss it now.

Pauline Moran in "The Woman in Black"

84. The Woman in Black (1989) Filmed for television by the BBC, The Woman in Black has haunted me to the point that I have reoccurring nightmares about it to this day. It is truly, in my opinion, the scariest film I have ever seen due to its subtleties. However, its subtlety hurts it to the point that it is a bit dry in the beginning and becomes hard to get into. Yet, if you can manage the first forty minutes be ready for the biggest mind fuck you will ever experience in you life! Set in 1920′s England, young aspiring lawyer Arthur Kidd is sent by the law firm he works for to take care of the affairs of one of their deceased clients. This old client was a 90 year old reclusive woman who died alone in an old mansion separated from the mainland by a causeway that disappears at high tide. However, to Kidd’s horror, the mansion she died in is haunted by many ghosts, including the evil woman in black who keeps appearing to Kidd. During his stay in there Kidd pieces together just what happened in that house although it drives him to madness. Depending on sounds and simple images to create terror in the viewer, The Woman in Black is terrifying. Sadly, it is difficult to find in video stores, but it is usually shown every Halloween on PBS so check your local TV listings. However, if you are lucky enough to find a DVD copy of this rare gem make sure to jump on top of it.

85.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)  Before Sarah Michelle Gellar picked up a wooden stake, actress Kristy Swanson originated the role of Buffy Summers in the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and one of horrors newest icons was born.  The story goes that Buffy creator Joss Whedon had his script torn from his hands and rewritten by Hollywood reps to appeal to the screwball teen audience, making the film unpopular amongst many Buffy fans.  However, despite the rewrites, enough of Whedon’s original themes and ideas exist in the movie, which challenges the stereotypes that plague the horror industry.  Shallow and self centered cheerleader Buffy Summers has little to worry about except for popularity, her meathead boyfriend, and the upcoming prom.  However, when the mysterious Merrick Jamison Smythe (played by Donald Sutherland) shows up at her school, Buffy’s whole world is turned upside down when he reveals to Buffy that she is the latest incarnation of the legendary slayer, the one chosen girl whose destiny is to fight the darkness that threatens the world.  Now it’s up to Buffy to defeat the evil Lothos and his vampire horde before they kill everyone in Los Angeles.  At times Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems like an uneven film, full of sophomoric and juvenile badly inserted humor which makes fans of the well written TV series cringe (case in point – Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Rueben’s over the top death scene.  Thank god for dusting).  However Whedon’s original concepts of the blonde heroine who, instead of being the damsel in distress, can kick vampire ass is apparent, and even the theme of alienation at high school is shown through Buffy realizing how shallow her world is when she is faced with the responsibility of vanquishing evil.  Yet what makes this film are sincere and decent performances from Swanson and Sutherland, as well as a surprisingly humble performance by 90s teen heartthrob Luke Perry as Buffy’s pre-Angel/Spike love interest Pike, who leaves his James Dean wannabe persona at home and is half charming.  Although the film is highly inferior to the TV series, the Buffy movie is still a pretty decent watch, and the Buffy franchise all starts here, making it a must see for the fans of the TV series…and if your not a fan then you should be.  Make sure to watch each and ever season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the greatest horror franchise of the last fifteen years, after your finished this one..

Jack Skellington in Tim Burton's stop motion animated feature "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

86. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Tim Burton’s stop animation classic is often mistaken for a kids movie, but it probably isn’t suitable for some kiddies. God knows it would have scared the hell out of me as a child. Jack Skellington, mayor of Halloweenville, stumbles upon Christmasville and becomes completely enamored by the joyous holiday. He decides that this year he and his ghouls will take over this holiday. However, only knowing what comes natural to him, Jack blotches the whole thing up royally and it’s up to Santa to bail him out. Borrowing heavily from the art of Edward Gorey, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a unique animated feature full of plenty of eye candy, including dozens of Easter eggs for Burton fans making references to his earlier films.  Great musical score was written by Danny Elfman, who also makes a rare role as actor by voicing Jack Skellington as well.  A magical and fun film, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a whimsical romp for those who love dark and twisted humor and has spawned a huge cult following since it’s release.  One of Tim Burton’s most endearing films, makes perfect viewing for both your Halloween and Christmas seasons.

Rupert Everett and François Hadji-Lazaro in "The Cemetary Man"

87.  The Cemetery Man (1994)  Rupert Everett stars as Francesco Delamorte, the Cemetery Man,  in this surreal and wickedly funny Italian black comedy.  By day the lonely and tormented Delamorte is trapped in a job he loathes, tending a small village cemetery with his mentally retarded companion Gnaghi.  However, for some reason unknown to Delamorte, upon the seventh day after their death, the dead rise from their graves as zombies, forcing Delamorte and Gnaghi to take action by shooting them in the head before they cause havoc in the town.  Despite Delamorte’s requests for an investigation of these happenings, nobody will listen to him nor take his pleas seriously.  The mayor is to busy planning an election, the friendly police inspector is to busy unsuccessfully trying to stop mysterious deaths, and the city record department is too disorganized to get a proper investigation arranged.  Thus, night after night, Delamorte and Gnaghi repeat their nightly zombie killing spree….until love comes to the pair!  For Delamorte it is the beautiful widow and for Gnaghi the decapitated head of the resurrected mayor’s daughter.  Yet love will prove to be fleeting for them both, and soon all sense of reality begins to fade for the Cemetery Man and Gnaghi as they attempt to leave the zombie killing business.  Surreal and bizarre, The Cemetery Man is the most beautifully filmed horror in decades.  The cinematography for this film is stellar.  Rupert Everett is charismatic and funny as Delamorte and actor/musician François Hadji-Lazaro, who has an eerie reseblence to Curly Howard of Three Stooges fame, is charming and endearing as the lovable Gnaghi, whose love affair with the decapitated head, as strange as it may seem, is unbelievably adorable.  Unfortunately, The Cemetery Man seems to lose its focus during the second half of the film as Delamorte’s reality begins to fall apart, and the confusing ending is cause for much personal interpretation.  However, despite these flaws, The Cemetery Man is a great achievement in cinematography and a wickedly funny watch.  Possibly the greatest art horror film since 1979’s Nosferatu the Vampyre. 

Kirstin Dunst, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in "Interview with a Vampire"

88. Interview with a Vampire (1994)  Goth kids everywhere have Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire to thank for their entire subculture,  redefining gothic horror away from the macabre imagery of the Hammer Horror films and towards the pretentious pale faced wankers reciting nonsensical poetry in hushed tones and pirate shirts.  However, whether you like it or not, Interview with a Vampire is a landmark moment in horror, and Neal Jordan’s  film beautifully brings the vampire Lestat and his world to life.  Focusing on Louise, a vampire with a conscious who refuses to kill, and his sire Lestat, a reckless thrill seeker with a lust for blood and death, Interview with a Vampire is a look at their complex relationship together, as well as their relationship with their “daughter” Claudia, who although lives in the body of a child, is in fact decades old.  Despite the controversial casting of screen heart throb Tom Cruise in the role of Lestat, he takes the part seriously and creates one of his best screen characters, even prompting Anne Rice to purchase ad space in the New York Times encouraging fans to see the movie despite being vocally critical when she heard the original casting decision.  Cruise makes Lestat unlikable, arrogant and reckless…but incredibly charming!  Easily one of his best performanes.  Brad Pitt, on the other hand, as the vampire Louise gives one of his worst performances, making his character dull and moody and spends the entire film brooding and feeling sorry for himself.  Basically he is the embodiment of every goth kid worldwide.  However the real star of the film is Kirsten Dunst in her screen debut as pint sized vampire Claudia.  Dunst is cold, cunning and embodies pure evil as she manages to both charm and revolt the viewer.  Her screen chemistry with Pitt and Cruise truly saves the film which would have been a dreary bore without her.  Interview with a Vampire is an incredible debut for an actress who would grow up to have a rich career in films.   Interview with a Vampire also features such notable stars as Christian Slater as the interviewer, Stephen Rae as Santiago, whose performance at the Theatre of Vampires is one of the film’s highlights;  and Antonio Bandaras as Armand.  Interview with a Vampire is also notable for its over the top eroticism during vampire feeding, not to mention tons of homoerotic overtones.  Finally, the film is a triumph visually, with incredible sets, costumes and make up, which would define goth culture and fashion forever.  Interview with a Vampire may not be the greatest vampire film of all time, but it is easily one of the most influential vampire films on modern pop culture and its place in the horror hall of fame can not be denied.

George Clooney, Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis battle vampires in Rodriquez and Quinton Tarantino's "From Dusk Till Dawn"

89.  From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)  The classic team of Robert Rodriquez and Quinton Tarantino, whose later collaborations would include Sin City and Grindhouse, first combined their talents for this excellent vampire tale.  Part crime drama/part vampire splatter fest, From Dusk Till Dawn follows the story of the Richard and Seth Greko, two gun toting brothers who have robbed a bank and have left a body trail half way across Texas.  Taking Jacob Fuller, a former minister who has lost his faith in God upon the death of his wife, and his two vacationing children hostage, Richard Greko promises to free the family if they successfully smuggle them across the Mexican border in the family RV, and once the brothers meet their contact at a secluded biker bar called the Titty Twister in the Mexican desert .  However, once the weary travelers reach their location, little do they know that their trials are just beginning, as they have unknowingly just walked into a vampire den!  Will they survive to see the dawn?  Excellent all star cast includes George Clooney as Richard Greko, a violent yet moral criminal that has as much heart as he does edge; Quinton Tarantino as his perverse and paranoid brother Seth (who also wrote the script, including all the great kind of one liners, quirky characters and monologues that Tarantino has become famous for); Harvey Keitel as Jacob Fuller and Juliette Lewis as his daughter Katie.  From Dusk Till Dawn is also full of memorable cameos including make up legend Tom Savini as biker turned vampire slayer Sex Machine, Fred Williamson as Viet Nam veteran tough guy Frost, Danny Trejo as bartender Razor Charlie, Cheech Marsden as Chet Pussy, whose “pussy speech” is easily the most memorable bit of dialogue in the film, and Selma Hayek who gives a show stopping performance as a vampire stripper.  From Dusk Till Dawn is an excellent action packed thriller, which plays tribute to the splatter films of the early 1980’s, but with far more intelligence and better performances.  Unfortunately, a series of lack luster sequels were made without the star power of the cast, director or writer. Stick to the original for one of the finest vampire movies of the 90’s.

Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True as a coven of teenage witches in "The Craft"

90.  The Craft (1996)  Although often disregarded for its teenage angst and melodrama, The Craft not only became popular with teenage girls upon its release, but also had far reaching influences on the face of pop culture by exploring the concept of Wicca and witchcraft, as well as mainstreaming Goth culture amongst teenagers.  Fairuza Balk, Rachel True and Neve Campbell play three misfit school girls with an interest in witchcraft.  When new girl Robin Tunney comes to the school and quickly finds herself an outcast herself, the girls discover that she possibly is the most powerful of them all and bring her into their coven.  Together the four girls quickly become mistresses of magic with unlimited power beyond their wildest dreams.  Returning to school the girls make all their fantasies come true while getting revenge on their former tormentors.  However, quickly the girls discover that power corrupts, creating a deadly power struggle within the coven.  The majority  of the performances seem to be right out of a John Hughes movie, and Neve Campbell is delightfully over the top in her role as gothy bad girl Bonnie.  Yet The Craft is an entertaining film geared especially towards teenage girls, and manages to be both sassy and sexy, while still being intelligent throughout.  Yet possibly the most important influence that The Craft had on pop culture was popularizing the concept of white magic and Wicca, which made this ancient craft a popular fad amongst angsty goth girls at the end of the 90s, opening the doors to Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Willow Rosenberg and the TV program Charmed.  If you haven’t seen The Craft in a while rewatch it.  Its better then you probably remember.