Psycho 2(1983)

I really love this movie. It is one of my all-time faves. I have to say that it is definitely a worthy sequel to Psycho(1960). I felt that Psycho 3 was very good also. The fourth installment was not as good as the others, but it was entertaining. I managed to get a copy of the rare movie 'Bates Motel', which was supposed to be a pilot for a new TV series based on the motel, but it wasn't picked up. I will be reviewing that in due course.

Anyway, we are taken to a courtroom where Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins) is being released after serving his time in a mental institution. There is one person who is not happy- Marion Crane's sister, Lila Loomis(Vera Miles). She thinks that Norman is not sane and that he needs to be sent back to the institution. Norman is taken back to the Motel and the house by his doctor, Bill Raymond(Robert Loggia). He looks around and he feels a little lost as he hasn't been alone in the house since the murders. His doctor tells him to get in touch if he needs to. He meets the new motel manager, Warren Toomey(Dennis Franz) and he takes an instant dislike to him.

Norman gets a job at the local diner and it is there that he meets Mary(Meg Tilly). She has been thrown out of her place and Norman offers her a place to stay. Also working at the diner is Mrs. Spool(Claudia Bryar) who is kind to Norman. Mary and Norman arrive at the motel to find that Mr. Toomey has been letting all sorts of things happen there. Norman is not happy and he tells Mary to go up to the house while he sorts him out. He fires him and Toomey is not happy. Mary stays at the house that night and the next day, she tells him that she has found a place to stay. Norman begins to get phone calls and notes from his mother and people are beginning to be killed. Is it mother?

Mary arrives at the house and tells Norman that she needs to stay so she moves in with him for a while. Norman begins to settle down and he gives up his job at the diner to do up the motel again. He and Mary seem to get along well, but there are strange things happening around the house. Norman is locked into the attic by someone and he later finds the door open. He is questioned by the cops about the murders of some local kids, but he doesn't know anything about it. They have a look in the cellar which has been tidied up. Mary tells them that she tidied it up and when they have gone, Norman asks her why she has lied to the cops. She tells him that they were going to arrest him and she knows that he was not responsible for those killings.

Mary goes to meet someone and it turns out to be Lila Loomis. It comes out that Lila is Mary's mother and that she has been trying to get Norman into trouble and drive him crazy again. Mary tells her that she doesn't want any more to do with it as she likes Norman. Lila was making the phone calls and planting the notes around the house. Mary is worried as people are getting killed and she doesn't believe that Norman did it. The doctor discovers that Lila and Mary were working together to cause Norman to become crazy again and he lets Norman know. Norman asks her why but the phone rings and he answers it. It is mother. It looks as if Norman has gone insane again.

Bodies start popping up all over the place. Mary tries to talk to him and make him see that his mother is dead and that he can get away from the motel,but he wont listen. She tries to dress up as his mother to tell him to stop, but she ends up killing the doctor. Norman runs after her and tries to kill her but he slips on a mound of coal among which is the body of Lila Loomis. Mary turns against Norman now and she tries to kill HIM but is shot by the cops. Norman is cleared of the murders and he goes back home. They think that Mary is the one who killed the victims. The final twist of the movie comes when Mrs. Spool arrives at the house to see Norman and to tell him that she is his real mother. He responds by hitting her over the head with a shovel and killing her. It seems that Mother has come home after all.....

One of the best Psycho sequels. I am giving this one a 10/10.

Hells Kitchen- Season 5, Episode 4 Recap

It was another fun-filled week in Hell's Kitchen and there was plenty more fun to come as we catch up with the cooks once again. Who will get the chop this week? Will it be the ever-annoying Coleen? Will lazy Lacey pull up her socks and will bossy Andrea ever shut up? Let's find out!

This week began with Carol being asked who the best cook is on the women's team- she chooses herself and Andrea. Danny is asked for the best cook on the men's team and he chooses himself, much to the annoyance of Ben, who thinks that HE deserves to be named the best cook. They have to make breakfast for some kids and the girls win by serving the most breakfast so that means the guys are faced with the task of cleaning both kitchens and prepping all of the stuff for that evening's service. The gals are treated to a day out while the guys slave in the kitchen. The tension is building between an angry Ben and Danny- Watch the Clip Above!

Service begins and the fun starts! As usual there are some huge mistakes. Coi messes up big time and she keeps messing everything up for the evening. In the men's kitchen, Ben is screwing his service up and everybody is angry with him as he is all talk and no action. He thinks that he is the best cook, yet he messes up again and again. J leaves a stalk in someones salad which is a really stupid mistake. Coleen is her usual annoying self and gets an earful from Chef Ramsay. You can tell that he does not like her because she claims to be a cook, yet she just teaches cookery but isn't a chef. I think that he sees her as a phony.

Seth gets it so wrong again when Chef Ramsay catches him wiping his sweaty brow on the same cloth he uses to wipe his pans with. Ugh. His hygiene leaves a lot to be desired and Chef Ramsay is disgusted with him. This week, there are no winners are Chef Ramsay tells them both to nominate two people from each team. Lacey and Coleen are nominated from the girls team. Note: I was very surprised that Coi was not nominated for elimination this week as she performed terribly. I think that Lacey is being used as a scapegoat and even though I don't like her, I think that the others pick on her a lot. The guys choose Seth and Ben rightly. In the end, Seth is kicked off and I think that that was the right decision. He just didn't have what it takes.

That is another week done in Hell's Kitchen. I will be back next week with more fun from the hottest kitchen in town!!!

Great Psychos in Horror Films- Who is the Best? Part 1

This is a poll to see who you think is the best psycho in horror movie land. Now, there are plenty to choose from and I will make a list below. Feel free to add your faves to my list and feel free to let me know if I have left anyone important out. There are so many movies that I will just name the ones that I can think of. As usual, you are welcome to let me know your thoughts on these monsters..... This list is in no particular order... I will be back with more psychos soon. In the meantime, choose your favourite from this list.

1.Norman Bates from Psycho 1,2,3,4
2. Jason from Friday the 13th 1-10, Freddy Vs Jason
3. Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm St 1-7, Freddy Vs Jason
4. Michael Myers from Halloween 1-8, Halloween (2007)
5.Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1-4, Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003)
6.Chucky from Child's Play 1-5
7.Leprechaun from Leprechaun 1-6
8.Candyman from Candyman 1-3
9.Angela from Sleepaway Camp 1-4, Return to Sleepaway Camp
10.Pinhead from Hellraiser 1-8
11. The Tall Man from Phantasm 1-4
12. Jigsaw(of course!!!!) from Saw 1-5

Quarantine(2008)

This documentary-style film is a remake of a Spanish film called REC(2007). It stars Jennifer Carpenter and Jay Hernandez. This movie is a rare thing- a remake that is actually quite good.

















If you have seen REC, then you will know all about it. But, for those who haven't, I will go through the plot. Angela Vidal(Jennifer Carpenter) is a reporter doing a story on firefighters in LA. Her camera man is Scott(Steve Harris). They are going to be following two firefighters for the night- Fletcher(Johnathan Schaech) and Jake(Jay Hernandez). There is an emergency and the firefighters have to go on a job. The reporter goes along with them. They come to a building and an old man who manages the building tells them that there is woman in her apartment screaming and he is worried. The firemen and camera go into the woman's apartment and find her acting very strangely. She has blood on her and she is foaming at the mouth. She bites a cop in the neck and they have to pull her off him while they take the cop away for medical attention.

There is consternation as the other residents of the building are wondering what is happening. Suddenly, Fletcher falls from upstairs onto the floor down below, breaking his leg. Lawrence, a vet has to try and help the injured. They begin to realise that they cannot get out of the building and that there is a lock down on the place. They can't use their phones or talk to anybody outside. They are told that they cannot come out. Jake thinks that it is because of something chemical or biological that is dangerous and that they are in quarantine. Everybody from the building is rounded up and told to stay in the lobby. Another woman, Elise, is infected too. Angela and Scott talk to the residents and generally annoy the cops and the other people. Meanwhile, the virus spreads and more and more of the residents fall victim to it. The vet thinks that it is some form of rabies and they find out that it started with a dog who was taken to vet with a sickness which turned out to be rabies. The dog belonged to a resident of the building.

















Men from the disease control come in and take samples, but one of them is attacked. All hell breaks loose and everyone is bitten bar the reporter and her camera man. They are told of a way out underneath the building before the building manager is killed. They enter his apartment to find keys to the door that will let them out but they discover an attic. Of course, they can't resist going up there and they discover an infected man up there. They have to turn on the night vision on the camera and Angela has to hide with Scott. But, Scott gets attacked by the infected man and he is eaten. Angela is left on her own and she tries to escape, but the man gets her in the end, dragging her into his lair for dinner....

I enjoyed this movie and I think that it equals the original. I liked the premise and there were some good shocks. I really think that is very entertaining and the end part is the best. I am going to give it a 7/10.

Friday the 13th 'Remake' (2009)

I sat down to watch the remake of Friday the 13th yesterday. I had read many bad reviews about it, but I always like to make up my own mind about things, so I said that I would give it a chance. You never know until you see it yourself. It started off well enough with the usual kids in the woods and camping etc etc. But, it was when Jason turned up that it really started to flag. I was a half hour into the movie and I was bored. I was an hour into the movie and I was just p****d off.It was just a whole bunch of cliches strung together and made into a movie. The acting was terrible,which isn't unusual for horror movies, but I didn't like the characters and what's more, I was glad when Jason killed them! I didn't like anything about the movie and I really tried to like it.
It was boring, cliched and just plain crap. It's all been done before, but it has been done way better than this. I am not going to bother reviewing it as I really don't see the point. You might have liked it and that is fine, but for me, I wouldn't want to waste my time seeing this piece of rubbish again. I will give it 0/10.

Rest Stop(2006)

This direct to video horror is a good example of a cheaply made movie which is entertaining. I enjoyed this one. There isn't much to it, but it is fun and it will pass away a couple of hours. There aren't many stars in this one, but Joey Lawrence(of Blossom fame) stars as a cop.















A guy, Jess(Joey Mendicino) picks up his girlfriend, Nicole(Jaimie Alexander) and they head out to California together. Nicole has to go to the bathroom so they look for a rest stop which they find. Nicole enters and is appalled by the dirty conditions of the bathroom. She does her business and comes out to find her man is gone. She calls out for him and she is baffled by his disappearance. She becomes very worried when she finds his phone which is thrown to her by some weirdo in a truck(aren't guys with trucks always the weirdo!). She discovers an RV and she hitches a lift with the Adams Family until they throw her out for looking at the devil's spawn in the back.

She goes back to the rest stop and she hears a girl crying and she sees that she is hurt. The girl tells her about the evil man who hurt her and that he tortured her. Nicole is freaked when the girl disappears. Did she really see her? She tries to find help but there is no one around. Suddenly she hears something and she sees a cop on a motorcycle. She thinks that she has been rescued from the hell that she is in. Of course, her relief doesn't last long. The killer in the truck runs over the cops legs without any problem and he is dragged by Nicole into the restroom. One point here- the cop has a radio and a gun and Nicole ignores these and just continues to be terrorized by the killer. That is a big flaw that I saw in this movie.

She chats with the cop about his family etc.(WHY? YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO GET AWAY!!!) The invincible killer returns and locks both of them in the restroom with no problem .
Nicole tries to open the door but then the killer bites her finger off. The cop tells her to shoot him when he comes back(why didn't she do that in the first place? The mind boggles!). She does shoot at him, but she doesn't hit him. The killer drops a camera into the restroom. Nicole looks at it and sees Jess being tortured. The killer pours gasoline into the building and Nicole tries to find a way out and she finds a hatch in the ceiling. The cop tells her to kill him rather than burn to death so she shoots him. The killer lights a match and drops it into the restroom. She jumps into the hatch and she sees that the cops body has disappeared.

Nicole gets outside and she encounters the killer again. She sneaks up behind him with a crow bar and she hits him over the head. The person drops to the ground and she turns him over to see what he looks like, only to discover that it is Jess with his mouth sewn shut. She is horrified and she makes a petrol bomb to throw at her attacker should he come after her. She sees the truck coming towards her and she lights the petrol bomb and throws it at the truck which is instantly alight. She runs away and thinks that she is free when she is runs into a man and everything fades to black. The movie ends with a new girl going into the restroom which has been renovated after the fire. She hears Nicole crying and runs for help, but there is no one there. Nicole is calling for help, but nothing can help her now. The last scene shows the father from the family in the RV burying the man who was found burned in the truck and telling his deformed son that this is their little secret...The killer's truck is going down the highway once again...

This is an entertaining movie but it is a bit frustrating when Nicole didn't use her head. But, in horror movies, the lead characters are so often dumb. There is an entertaining sequel called Rest Stop 2:Don't Look Back. I will give the first one a 7/10.

Aliens - A Jigsaw Classic

A good few years ago, your humble writer was deep in the heart of my home city strolling around doing some browsing for anything and everything.As always I was looking for DVDs to add to my collection.In the usual DVD shops I did not find anything that I wanted so I headed to the food department and I remember being disappointed having not seen a DVD that I wanted.As I browsed through the supermarket, mixed up with all the usual food was a DVD offer!! It was a 2 disc Special Edition of Aliens!!! It had a cheap price so naturally I grabbed it gratefully and proceeded to finish my shopping.I had Aliens for years on a video but never had it on DVD.I have seen the movie countless times and it is one of those movies that when it is on TV you watch it again and again! You end up saying " those marines are a bunch of wussies!" and "That Paul Reiser is such a weasel!" I love the original movie too but Aliens has a lot more action and gets me going every time!

So with shopping in my basket (yes Jigsaw uses a basket! remember that kids!!) I headed to the checkout or till whichever you prefer! It probably is the same all over the world but here in Ireland the DVD case is empty and the assistant has to go to a special locker to get the actual DVD.Too many people go for the 5 or 10 finger discount if the disc is inside i.e they steal it!!! So using the usual scanner the woman scanned in my food items and the last item was my DVD.She looked at it and looked up at me as if I had just taken a dump in a church!!!! She had a look of "O No, I cant believe you got a DVD as I have to get up off my @ss to go get it!" She went over to a different area where she talked with another woman for ages all the while I waited while she was catching up on the gossip.Then she obviously said something about me and they both looked over.She waddled to the locker and got the discs out and put them into the DVD case and waddled back over to the checkout.She slapped the DVD down next to me and I put it into my bag as she gave me my receipt and change.The whole time she acted like I had asked her for blood and she seemed to be trying to get back into the @ss groove she had on the chair.

I grabbed the change and receipt and headed off outside.What is the point of this story? Well, as she was so annoyed in getting me the discs she forgot to scan the DVD in!!!!! She had literally handed me a free 2 disc Special Edition of Aliens!!! I walked outside the supermarket where I celebrated my getaway thinking of her only just figuring out the twist in a scene reminiscent like the end of Saw! I did think of going back to pay her but with her attitude I thought it was like Karma and hopefully she had to pay the difference out of her salary.I have just re watched the special edition of Aliens and it always seems even better when I think of how I got it! I am aware that the story would be even cooler if I said I used the Jedi Mind Trick on her but that would not be true!

I am fairly sure that everyone has seen this movie by now and if you have not then shame on you! Go get it now! As the only survivor of the Nostromo when it encountered the Alien, Ripley has been floating in space for 57 years.Ripley is played by Sigourney Weaver in a real kick @ss role and she plays it brilliantly.Ripley is rescued and no one believes her story but when communication is lost with the colonists on the Alien planet, she is forced to go back there to face her demons.On the trip with her this time are a bunch of wussy marines who are like virgins that walk into a brothel.Gung ho for action but do not have much experience!!! Tagging along is Paul Reiser as the weaselly company man who has his own agenda.He was perfect in this part and I'm sure you say he gets what he deserves! Its a fantastic movie and my free special edition has intro and commentary by James Cameron.It has roughly 20 Min's more than the theatrical version and it definitely worth the nothing I paid for it!!!

Hells Kitchen Season 5 Episode 3 Recap

Hells Kitchen wasn't on for one week, so this week, we are only on episode 3. The last episode, we saw Ji go as she had hurt her ankle, even though Colleen and Lacey were both very weak.

















This week begins, as usual, with a challenge. Of course, the gals aren't happy that Ji went and they wish that it had been Lacey. Andrea(who I do not like) wishes that Lacey had hurt her ankle instead, which I thought was a bit mean. I don't like Lacey either, but she is still in the competition. Back to the challenge. The cooks are taken to a meat processing plant and the girls are so disgusted by the sight of the meat( I mean, if you want to be a chef, you are supposed to be used to the sight of RAW MEAT!!!). They are given a test afterwards to point out all of the different cuts of meat on a cow and the guys win.

The girls have to bring in a cow and cut it up. I have to laugh at the big fuss they make about doing it.(Watch the Clip Above!) Chefs have to handle all sorts of raw things and I would think that it ain't a big deal. They are then given the offal from the cow to eat and then they start vomiting etc. I have to say that I was surprised at so called cooks vomiting. It reminded me of Fear Factor except that these are people who want to be chefs and they are so disgusted by offal which they will have to deal with if they are going to be chefs. Pathetic. Meanwhile, they guys are tasting wine and having a nice dinner while the ladies moan and whine.

The chefs are all back in the kitchen and the service is going to begin for the evening. One team has to serve he food while the other cooks it and vice versa. The girls do well and the guys are under pressure to cook the steaks etc as hells kitchen is transformed into a steakhouse. Ben surprises everyone by bringing dessert before the main course is even served. Then Giovanni, who works in a steakhouse messes up every steak he cooks. Lacey, meanwhile, is messing up her orders and Jean-Phillipe is not impressed. Seth is cutting a fillet steak and he messes up and wastes some of the most expensive cut of beef. Chef Ramsay is furious with him. Then it is the guys turn to serve and the gals head into the kitchen for their service. Charlie messes up with his service and he forgets everything and generally screws everything up. Colleen can't even remember what she is cooking and food begins to return to the kitchen. The guys lose and Charlie and Seth are up for elimination. Chef Ramsay eliminates Charlie(pictured above) as he really screwed up .

That's it for another week. What will happen? Will Lacey finally get kicked off? Will Seth do something right for a change? Let's find out next week when I recap another episode of Hell's Kitchen!

Jeepers Creepers(2001)

This horror movie was one of those which I really enjoyed from the past few years. It stars Justin Long and Gina Phillips. It's directed by Victor Salva who directed the sequel too. He also directed Clownhouse(1989).

Darry(Justin Long) and Trish(Gina Phillips) are driving home for spring break. They are the usual squabbling siblings and they are enjoying each other's company until some person in a truck tries to run them off the road. They let him pass them and they don't think about him until they happen to spot the same strange truck parked outside a house. They see him throwing things that could be bodies wrapped in bloodied sheets down a pipe. They wait until he leaves and then Darry wants to investigate what it was that they saw(not a very smart move!).

Trish doesn't want to investigate it at all but Darry convinces her to hold his legs while he has a look down the pipe to see what is going on. He sees rats and freaks out causing Trish to drop Darry down the pipe. What he finds down there is lots of bodies sewn together. There are some new bodies ready for the killer to darn. He climbs back out and they flee the scene. They find a gas station and they call the cops to tell them what has happened. They get a weird call from a psychic who tells them that they are in danger. She plays them the song called 'Jeepers Creepers' and she tells them when they hear that song played they are in extreme danger. They don't really take any notice of her (big mistake!) and they find out that the killers house has been burned to the ground along with any evidence of the bodies. The police escort them on their way.















Of course, the baddie follows them and he kills the cops that are with them and he chases the two young people. They try and get help from a strange lady with lots of cats, but the killer murders her too. They hit the weirdo with their car and they think that he is dead, until his wings begin to beat. They make it to the local police station and they wait to get help when the psychic, Gezelle,shows up to tell them that he ain't dead. She informs them of the history of the 'Creeper', who only comes every 23rd spring for 23 days to eat as many people as he can so he can replenish his own body. She tells them that it wants them and she doesn't know why.

They are faced with the creeper again as it attacks the police station. It eats some prisoners and it attacks the cops. Gezelle takes them upstairs and tells them that one of them is going to die in the dark with the song 'Jeepers Creepers' playing in the background. The creeper comes upon Gezelle but leaves her alone as she isn't afraid of him. He chases after the two siblings again. He manages to catch Darry and it becomes obvious that there is something about Darry that the creeper wants. He flies off with him leaving Trish helpless. The next day, their parents come to collect Trish and Gezelle goes home too in regret. We see that the creeper wanted Darry's eyes and that he has killed Darry. He is left in a dark boiler room which is the creeper's new lair. The song 'Jeepers Creepers' is playing in the background......

There is a sequel to this movie and I hear that there will be a third installation so that will be something to look forward to. I will review the sequel in a future post. As for this movie, I really liked it and I have it in my horror collection. I am going to give it a 7.5/10.

Creepshow(1982)

Creepshow(1982) is a mix of comedy and horror and is written by Stephen King and directed by George A.Romero. It consists of five short stories and is similar to shows such as Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone. There is going to be some sort of remake but I don't really think that you can beat the original.

There is a prologue at the beginning with a little boy,Billy who is in trouble with his dad for reading a comic called 'Creepshow' instead of doing his chores. He tosses the comic in the bin and he sends Billy to his room. Billy is sulking in his room when a ghostly figure taps at his window and calls him to come closer. This begins the first story called 'Father's Day'. A few years ago an old man called Nathan Grantham(Jon Lormer) is celebrating his birthday with his family and he calls for his cake when his daughter Bedelia(Viveca Lindfors) hits him over the head with an ashtray and kills him. Seven years later, the family gather together for a dinner of Father's Day when daddy dearest comes back from the dead for the cake that he didn't get and he dispatches his killer relatives one by one.

The next tale of terror is called 'The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill' in which Stephen King plays Jordy. He plays a backwards hick living on his own when he finds a meteorite. He thinks that he can make money from it but instead, plants start to grow from it and he begins to be covered in them no matter what he tries to do. He is eventually killed by it. The third tale of woe is titled 'Something To Tide You Over' and it stars Leslie Nielsen as a rich man who finds out his wife is cheating on him with some guy played by Ted Danson. He buries them in the sand up to their necks and he lets them drown when the tide comes in, but he is the one in for a shock when they return from the dead to get their revenge...... 'The Crate' is the fourth tale of terror and it is about a mysterious creature which has been locked in a crate as it is a killer. It is discovered by a professor, played by Hal Holbrook who sets it on his domineering wife played by Adrienne Barbeau.



















The final story is called 'They're Creeping Up On You', which is about a man who is a germaphobe living in a sealed apartment. He is afraid of anything contaminating. He has an assistant called Mr. White who he treats badly. Finally, Mr. White has enough of his mean boss and he allows his apartment to be overrun by cockroaches which horrifies his employer. This leads us to the epilogue which brings us back to Billy. The guys who collect the garbage discover the 'Creepshow' comic and they are flicking through it when they see the ads for X- Ray Specs, a bodybuilding course and a coupon for a voodoo doll. That coupon is missing. Back in Billy's house, his dad is moaning that his neck is killing him and we see Billy upstairs with a voodoo doll sticking pins in it over and over.....

This is a great movie and there are some great stories. I think that this is a cult classic. There is a sequel which was made in 1987 which I will review in a future post. I will give this one a 7/10.

The Howling(1981)

This movie is directed by Joe Dante who directed Gremlins 1 and 2, Explorers, Innerspace and The 'Burbs. This is based on the novel of the same name which was written by Gary Brandner. It stars horror favourite Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee. There are six sequels(YES 6!!!).

Karen White(Dee Wallace) is a TV reporter who is being stalked by a serial killer. She cooperates with the cops to catch him and they do, shooting him in the process. Karen is left with amnesia afterwards and she is very shaken by it. She goes to a therapist, Dr. George Waggner(MacNee) who sends her and her hubby to a colony where his patients can be treated while they relax. They decide to go.

When they arrive, they are met by some strange characters. There is a nymphomaniac called Marsha Quist(Elisabeth Brooks) who tries her best to seduce Karen's husband. He doesn't want to have anything to do with her. As he is going back to his cabin, he is bitten by some wolf-like animal. He goes back to find Martha and they have sex, during which they both change into werewolves. Karen calls her friend, Terri(Belinda Balaski) to come and see what is going on as she is bewildered by her husbands behaviour. Terri discovers a connection between the serial killer who was following her and the colony. Karen wonders what her husband is hiding. Terri comes to the colony and she looks around for some clues to what is happening there. Unfortunately for her, she is attacked by a werewolf, but not before she calls her boyfriend, Chris(Dennis Dugan) who discovers about the werewolves and decides to get himself some silver bullets and kick some werewolf butt!

Meanwhile, Eddie, the serial killer who Karen thought was dead is at the colony. He transforms into a werewolf while Karen watches in horror. Luckily for her, Chris arrives and shoots it with a silver bullet. What they don't know is that everyone at the colony is a werewolf(Oh-oh!). They have to try and escape from them, which they eventually do and they burn the colony to the ground. That isn't the end of this story, though. Karen vows to tell the world about the existence of these werewolves and she tells people on television. To prove that it is true, she transforms herself into a werewolf live on TV and Chris shoots her with a silver bullet. She had been bitten at the colony before escaping. No one really knows if this was real or just special effects. We also find out that there was one survivor from the colony- Marsha Quist. There are a lot of sequels, but the next one is Howling 2-Stirba- Werewolf Bitch which pales in comparison to this. I will review that in a later post. I enjoyed this movie a lot and I am going to give it 8/10.

The Hitcher(1986)

This 80's thriller was directed by Robert Harmon and stars C.Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer. It is a great action/thriller and there are plenty of thrills in it to satisfy a horror fan. It is well-made and the actors are good in it. There was a dodgy remake in 2007 starring Sean Bean, but I think the less said about that, the better. There was no comparison to this great movie.











Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell), is delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego when he picks up a hitch-hiker(not a very smart move) who is called John Ryder(Rutger Hauer). John seems quiet, but normal until they drive past an abandoned car. John tells Jim that the car is left there because he murdered and mutilated the driver and that he is going to do the same to Jim. Jim is understandably terrified by this freak and when John pulls a knife on him, Jim pushes him out of the car. Jim is relieved and he continues on his journey when he is passed by a station wagon with a family inside and Ryder! Jim tries to warn them, but it's too late. When Jim finally finds the station wagon, everyone has been killed.











He is pursued by Ryder and it seems that he will have to fight to escape with his life. Jim finds him at a gas station. Ryder blows up the place . Jim flees to a diner where he meets a waitress called Nash(Jennifer Jason Leigh). He calls the cops and then has something to eat. He finds a severed finger in his food. The cops arrest HIM as they think that he is responsible and he tries to explain that it isn't HIM, but Ryder who is the killer. Jim is brought to the local station and booked. Of course, Ryder has followed him there and murdered the cops. Jim runs away as cops come looking for him. Jim takes a cop hostage and demands to talk to someone who will believe his story. This person is the captain(Jeffrey DeMunn) who suspects that maybe Jim is not lying. Here comes Ryder again(does this guy ever give up?) and shoots the cops and the radio. Jim tries to kill himself with a revolver but changes his mind and decides to get Ryder.Jim confronts his nemesis and asks him why. Ryder doesn't give him a straight answer. He just tells him that he should know. Jim gets onto a bus and finds that Nash is on it. He tries to convince her that he is innocent. She believes his story. Jim is caught by the cops and he and Nash escape in a cop car after he pulls a gun on them. Ryder comes along again and helps Jim to escape. Jim and Nash hide in a motel and of course, Ryder comes back(yes, again!) and he kidnaps Nash. You just know that this isn't going to be pretty! He gets Jim to come to him and tries to get him to shoot him. Jim refuses to, knowing that Ryder will kill Nash if he does. Ryder kills Nash by pulling her apart(Ouch!) The cops come and arrest Ryder(Finally!). Jim is in shock. The cops are baffled as they can't find anything to say who Ryder is. He has no social security number, no driving licence. They put him in the police truck and are going to transport him to prison. Ryder manages to escape (is there no stopping this man?) and Jim is faced with him yet again. Jim runs him over and finally shoots him. He is left alone and smoking a cigarette at the end of the movie.

This is action non-stop with some great scenes. I recommend it to anyone who likes action/thriller/ horror. Rutger Hauer is creepy and very good as the elusive John Ryder. I will give this an 8/10. It is a modern classic.

Maximum Overdrive(1986)

Maximum Overdrive(1986) is a horror movie based on a short story by Stephen King and it is directed by King himself. It was a total flop, but that doesn't put me off at all. I think that it is fun and it is seen as a comedy/horror film. I don't really know why so many people dislike this film. The acting isn't great, but hey, it's a horror movie. Plus, it has Emilio Estevez and a great soundtrack by AC/DC. What's not to like?












The film begins with all electrical and mechanical appliances becoming evil after being exposed to radiation from a comet. They begin to think for themselves and man is their first enemy. Cut to the Dixie Boy Truck Stop in Wilmington, North Carolina where the patrons of a restaurant are finding that something weird is going on with the trucks. They seem to have come alive and they have minds of their own. No one can quite believe it and they are trapped in the building by the trucks. The people in the restaurant don't know what to do and that is when an ex-con called Bill(Emilio Estevez) takes it upon himself to try and battle these demonic machines. There is a leader of the pack, which has a smiling goblin face on the front of it.










Bill and the others try to escape,but they are stopped by machine guns which are attached to a jeep. They have no choice but to pump gas for the trucks to keep them going. They try to come up with a plan to destroy the trucks and escape to Haven Island, which has no vehicles or machines allowed. They find a hidden stash of guns underneath the diner and they prepare to sneak out of the diner and away to freedom.















The trucks, however are not stupid and they are patrolling outside,waiting for someone to make a mistake. Eventually, the survivors sneak away from the diner without the trucks seeing them. They get away from the diner just in time as the trucks are smashing into it and destroying it. The whole truck stop explodes and takes some trucks with it. Of course, the leader of the trucks is still going strong and it follows them to the marina where they are going to try and get to the island. They are cornered by the huge truck, but Bill shoots at it and he manages to blow it up. They escape and later, we are told that a UFO was destroyed in space and maybe that that had something to do with it.

While it isn't the best Stephen King movie ever, it is well worth a watch and there are some good scenes in it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves 80's horror! I will give it a 8/10.

When A Stranger Calls(1979)

 

I know that most people will only have heard of the remake of this movie, but the original movie was much more spooky and scary. The remake has very little to do with this movie which is a shame because this is a great thriller with good actors. This movie is directed by Fred Walton who also directed April Fools Day(1986) and the little known I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are(1988).

The action begins with a babysitter called Jill Johnson(Carol Kane) who is babysitting for a doctor and his wife. She is enjoying her night and the kids are in bed when the phone rings. On the line is a stranger who asks her frightening questions like 'Have you checked the children'. Needless to say, Jill is spooked by this and she calls the cops after the stranger keeps calling her. The cops come and tell her that they will try and trace the call. The stranger rings Jill once more and he scares her witless. She is armed with a poker and when the cops call to tell her that they have traced the call, it appears that the call is coming from INSIDE the house! Jill tries to get out of the house when she sees the shadow of a man. She reaches the front door and then screams..

This brings us to a cop, John Clifford(Charles Durning) who is at the investigation. We find out that the kids were killed by some man called Curt Duncan(Tony Beckley) and that he has been sent to an asylum. Seven years pass and we find out that Duncan has escaped(of course!) and he is back on the streets. Clifford is on the hunt for him. Duncan is a loner and he is wandering the streets. He meets a woman called Tracy(Colleen Dewhurst) and they get on. He asks her out and she says that she will see. Meanwhile, Clifford finds out about Duncan and Tracy and he tells her what Duncan has done. We see that he tore the kids apart with his bare hands. Tracy is shocked and she agrees to help Clifford get Duncan. Duncan doesn't show up and Clifford walks Tracy home. He is leaving when he hears her screams. He runs back into her apartment and finds Duncan has attacked her. Duncan escapes, but Clifford runs after him. He runs after him and Duncan manages to lose him time and time again. Clifford is forced to give up. 

Meanwhile, Jill Johnson is married with two kids. She has moved on from that night. She and her husband go out that night for dinner and leave their kids with their babysitter, Sharon. Jill gets a call while she is at dinner to ask her has she checked the children. She calls the cops and they escort her home. Clifford tries to get in contact with Jill,but he can't. Jill and her husband go to sleep that night. Jill gets up in the middle of the night and the lights go out. She goes back to bed and she sees the closet door opening and she hears Duncan's voice. She shakes her husband but he isn't there. Duncan is in the bed with her! He attacks her and chases her around the room. Just then, Clifford arrives an he kills Duncan. Jill's husband is still alive. Clifford comforts Jill and we see a view of the house and Duncan's frightening eyes.....
 

This is a great thriller with some really eerie scenes. I think that it is underrated because the remake overshadowed it. I remember seeing this when I was very young and it scared the crap out of me. The remake is nothing like this and that explains why it disappointed many people. There was a sequel to this movie called When A Stranger Calls Back(1993) and it is very good. It has plenty of thrills and scary moments too. I will give this movie an 8/10.