Thank you, Jamie Lee Curtis.

She isn’t just my first final girl because, let’s face it, she was THE first final girl to hit a mainstream horror audience. With due kudos to final girls such as Marilyn Burns‘ Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Olivia Hussey’s Jess in Black Christmas, it was in 1978 that young starlet Jamie Lee Curtis first graced the screens as a 17-year-old babysitter who did not succumb to her attacker and continued to fight until the very end. This babysitter was named Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s masterpiece, Halloween.

While the horror genre has continued to wander in and out of our theaters, and Netflix streams, there have been very few lately that have the ability to leave any sort of mark for its fan base. Independent horror has seen a devoted increase over the last several years with many new filmmakers entering the scene if only for their film to be shown at one or two festivals. Zombie television is okay and possession scares on the big screen can grow old, but to take conventions from fifty years of horror thrillers that we love – I Saw What You Did And Know Who You Are, Black Christmas, When a Stranger Calls, Scream and Saw – and tie their principle elements (and best ones) into one recycled premise well then you have Don’t Hang Up.

Recycled as it may be, the film’s plot is actually refreshing; taking the simplicities of some of these earlier films, and working them into a pseudo-2017 era. With a limited theatrical run, but available on iTunes for rental or purchase, Don’t Hang Up has brought back something missing from genre fare. It has turned those horror clichés upside down and even succeeds in making the home phone, cell phone, computers, and our reliance on internet and Wi-Fi scary again! I can’t remember the last time a horror film was able to utilize all those things, even making a Smart TV scary when it turns on and off, while furthering the plot and enhancing the tension. In fact, the oldest trick, or should I say prank, in the book is turning the lights out. You think the dark can’t be scary anymore? It can always be scary especially in your own home. This film actually succeeded in drawing the viewer into it, laying the framework for your mind to start trying to figure out who the murderer is and how the characters actions influence their fates.

Keep reading after the trailer

Everybody has done pranks, phone calls, or other nasty jokes that ultimately ends up getting them in trouble one way or another. Enter our two main characters: Sam Fuller (Gregg Sulkin, Anti-Social) and Brady Mannion (Garrett Clayton, King Cobra, Hairspray Live – talk about diversity of roles! A future Zac Efron perhaps?); these two college frat pranksters are having the time of their lives along with their other two buddies in causing fear among many an unsuspecting victim. Running a successful feed of YouTube videos, these boys are drawing viewers in by the masses by preying on the fear they temporarily instill upon both guys and girls. While the film runs the risk of alienating the characters and making them unsympathetic, especially Clayton’s Brady, it takes enough time to show that Sam actually has feelings and dealing with relationship troubles with his girlfriend Peyton (Bella Dayne, The Goldbergs, Person of Interest) and even the absence of his parents. But it is the biggest dick of them all, Brady, who has the most baggage that is likely causing his behavior, when we learn of his lack of parental attention, failing grades, and wanting to escape it all by proving he can be something more to his parents by joining the Army. No sooner are they back in the prank calling action while chugging beer and munching down pizza when it is Sam’s phone that rings with an ominous male voice that has decided he’s going to turn the tides on them. If you think it is Scream all over again, you’re wrong, this guy literally toys with these guys – with that toying turning to torture once he reveals just how close he is to them, friends, and family. The fact that this film right away tosses the virginal-girl-in-trouble protagonist out the window and gives us two guys that are suddenly stripped of their egotistical masculinity, and made vulnerable, is grounds for immediate applause to Screenwriter Joe Johnson and the Directorial Duo of Damien Macé and Alexis Wajsbrot.

After the opening credits, one still has to wonder what they can expect from the acting especially when you have the fratboy, college nuances blatantly overacted at almost every turn. Turn it does though by fifteen minutes into the film, with Sulkin giving his most over to the part and finding that internal innocence that has now being violated. Despite the asshole that you do love to hate in Brady, Clayton’s teary puppy dog eyes when the character is at his most emotionally unstable, can’t NOT garner a bit of sympathy that yearns to help him and his friend out of this dire situation. That is yet another great thing about the film that it can warrant that type of response from the viewer where even though you know the guys deserve a good kick-in-the-ass and scare, the extremes they are put in now bring the fundamentals of their very humanity to the surface.

The cinematography is phenomenal, especially given the limited resume of the Directors, and the shots used immediately set the tone, environment, and pace; bringing us up close and personal in times of trauma for our characters, and far away for shots that make even the bravest viewer squirm not knowing where the killer is lurking. Sometimes with an independent production, certain values are compromised whether it is picture or sound but both are clean and crisp; the contrasts appropriate for the murky atmosphere that envelopes over the course of the film and the sounds from creaking floors and moving doors provide enough additional tension to keep an eye over your own shoulder.

Just when I thought that I knew what was going to happen, the film took a turn and gave me something more than I bargained for. Without spoiling it, I will say that even the experienced horror fan that could likely put the pieces together, won’t totally be sure until the final reveal and even small things, nothing original by any means, are placed just right where you are still clinging to the seat with your eyes locked onto the screen.

It is too bad that the film was not able to get a wide release, because it is exactly what the horror genre needs more of. It brings back the heyday of horror happenings. The tension is there. The horror is there. The blood is even most certainly there. There is no skimping on the carnage suffered by the victims or even the protagonists for that matter.

Lastly, it was a bonus to see Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil: Retribution) in the cast, with her part having an extremely vital role in establishing the storyline and more specifically, what the viewer and our characters are about to endure. It is with great pleasure that I say don’t skip it because when a genre entry like this comes calling, you don’t hang up!

February 2001 marked the start into a new venture of horror for me.

VHS Cover

The Scream franchise had concluded, Hall8ween: Homecoming (now Resurrection) was in development, Jason X was in limbo and no Elm Street entry anywhere in sight despite the Freddy vs. Jason rumors. But it was the likes of movies such as Cherry Falls which brought my young horror mind to the deeply vast multitude of slashers that were out there. I loved slashers and was familiar with the 80s boom but DVD was still new at the time and VHS were beginning to be sold off the rental shelves. This was where the magic happened as Jumbo Video (Dundurn) in Hamilton, Ontario began selling off previously viewed VHS. I must have spent almost an hour rooting through and there it was, calling out to me, Slumber Party Massacre 3. The rich red font with the picture of a drill coming down over three scantily-clad girls, and this yellow ribbon stating “UNRATED” felt like I was holding a piece of forgotten horror history. If that wasn’t enough, the VHS cover art quoted Joe Bob Briggs with such lines as “Nine breasts. Ten dead bodies.” That right there is an absolute classic! Modern horror just wasn’t cutting it when gratuitous gore-fests (relatively speaking) like this exist. It’s this reason alone that Slumber Party Massacre 3 will stand above all other 80s/90s B-Horror (even Popcorn) and the other two entries in the franchise.

The first driller killer kill of my life

The film starts with Jackie (Keely Christian), Diane (Brandi Burkett) and their friends playing volleyball on the California beach. When was the murder going to begin? Was there going to be a plot and if so, did it tie into the two that I had not seen? All this didn’t matter because then this random guy (Yan Birch), with a mysterious expression, walks up to them and this weird, off-kilter beat on the soundtrack plays. Weird! (Probably hence his “Weirdo” screen credit). They finish their game and set up plans for the rest of the day. One girl walks alone, gets into her car and there it is….the first driller killer kill of my life! Right through the car seat, grinding and thrusting – ah yes, the drill thrusting; clueing into the fact the drill was meant as a visual metaphor. I didn’t openly think this though or really care too much, but many critics of this franchise have. It’s a film for God’s sake, get over it.

The slumber party gets underway, with Jackie running into the neighbor, Morgan (M.K. Harris) who portrays one of the most interesting characters in the film and another red herring as a possible suspect. All the girls come over and do their girl things — and honestly, as a teenager, I didn’t know any different — maybe girls didn’t go to the bra and panties extent in real life sleepovers — with guys dropping by to be goofs and hook up. The weirdo even sneaks around, and we are never told why this guy wants to lurk; he was surely up to no good. You could assume he just had a paraphilia touch for voyeurism and was hoping to see action.

Keep reading after the trailer

If you need a spoiler alert for a movie released in 1990, here it is: SPOILER ALERT

As they get picked off, one by one, I was trying to figure out who the killer was. I love any slasher that has you guessing. After repeated viewings, I definitely picked up on the clues including the photograph shown during the opening credits. Proverbial horror-film handsome hunk, Ken (Brittain Frye), is revealed as the murderer as the climax ensues.

This is where the standard B-Horror movie fare really takes a turn to the dark side, and while a casual viewing will have the fan laughing and enjoying, a deeply thorough look shows the true darkness behind Ken’s killing spree: his retired Uncle from the Police Force is killed and this sets Ken off on a killing spree to honor his Uncle. Sound lame? Not exactly. When Ken was just a little boy, he had too much of a bond with his Uncle — not by his own choice — the film shows his memory as P.O.V. flashbacks to his Uncle getting awfully close. So I think you get the idea of the type of abuse that was going on here. Further evidence of the abuse and lingering shame felt by Ken is shown when he hooks up with a girl, and later in the most controversial and borderline rape/kill scene, with Maria (Maria Ford). As soon as physical touch is made, Ken withdraws in shame. Any stalker/slasher usually is thrown into a psycho-sexual troubled category but to go this route I thought was awfully daring.

The violence amps up with the girls getting beaten around, and drilled excessively — with the weapon I mean — and it falls to Jackie, Diane and Susie (Maria Claire) to take down their attacker. These girls aren’t stupid either despite the occasional opportunity to run out the door (before Ken locks it), and actually use the volleyball net and house accessories to trap Ken. The volleyball net and therefore, the scene itself, actually foreshadowed to what would help the girls! Brilliant. Ken gets one more kill before Jackie goes to town prior to the cops showing up (thanks to Morgan); clearly psychologically scarred, Jackie drills the ever loving shit out of Ken where there is no coming back for a fourth entry in the series. These closing moments, and the sheer blood splatter alone, left me in awe and loving every second of it.

A financial success

DVD Cover

Shot on a low budget of $350,000 from New Horizons/New Concorde, produced by the legendary Roger Corman, directed by Sally Mattison and written by Catherine Cyran, Slumber Party Massacre 3 wasn’t even meant to be a part three but just another film hence why the original storyline following sisters Valerie and Courtney was discarded. The film had a theatrical release in 1990 earning back four times its budget! Not too bad if I do say. The VHS was released in both Rated R and Unrated versions (I scored the latter), and then later as the Massacre Collection, released on DVD. Interestingly, fans rejoiced because seven additional minutes over and above the previous unrated edition were added — making it a true-to-form ultimate cut which adds further character development and humanizes the girls even more so that the viewer cares for them. Outlets like Media Play or Suncoast were the only places to find these DVDs and thank God for that. Now with the help of Shout! Factory and most recently, their sub-labelled Scream Factory, all three Slumber Party Massacre films are available in HD and in all theatrical, unrated, and unrated/extended forms.

The horror franchise fanbase also continues to grow and I am proudly one of them; websites such as www.hockstatter.com led by Tony Brown, pays homage to the series and their sister series Sorority House Massacre. In 2003, I was even on the hunt to find Slumber Party IV, and I eventually did, as it was known then as Cheerleader Massacre. Didn’t have any real resemblance to the rest of the series but with the inclusion of original SPM star, Brinke Stevens, I keep this fondly in my VHS collection. Speaking of Sorority House Massacre, SPM3 was shot just after SHM2 including the use of the same house set and later, the use of screenshots from SHM2 used on the back of the SPM3 VHS and DVD cover art. Imagine that!? Certainly threw me even back when I first got that VHS wondering what these images were actually from. Mystery revealed the more I educated myself and SHM2 kept eluding me until a few years later when I got a copy and voila, there were the scenes. Those errors aside, I say that Slumber Party Massacre 3 remains the best in the series, of all the Slumber Party and Sorority House Massacres out there, with its portrayal of strong female characters, better-than-average dialogue, obligatory red herrings and low budget gore (better than CGI any day).

I will never get rid of my VHS, DVD or Blu-Rays, and I encourage any horror fan that has not seen the series, let alone this entry, to go find the Driller Killer before the Driller Killers finds you.

Which Slumber Party Massacre is your favorite in the series?

Editor’s Note: Jeff does a hell of a job getting us timely articles. For example this one should have been released around Valentine’s Day. I was lazy and messed it up. My apologies, Jeff!

Roses are red, violets are blue…

By 2001, horror fans had quite a fulfilling few years of gruesome greatness. The Scream sequels, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, Cherry Falls, School’s Out, The Faculty and Halloween: H20 brought the genre back to bloodlust days of the 80’s. Full of popular faces taking the primetime dramas by storm were now flooding the big screen. But amongst these, there was still no definitive take on the “holidays” or festive one-ofs (H20 an exception). Mainstream horror fans still had to rent My Bloody Valentine, a classic in its own right, come February 14^th to get the horror fix. Those with Blockbuster Video accounts probably stumbled across Cupid (starring Hellraiser’s Ashley Laurence) or even Lover’s Lane (with Scary Movie’s Anna Faris). They were decent little entries, but nothing that captured the essence of Valentine’s Day.

Thankfully, during a business meeting, producer Dylan Sellers came across a novel by Tom Savage called Valentine. This discovery would launch the producer into selling his pitch to Warner Brothers to make a thriller set on Valentine’s Day. Through rewrites, the story would become less like the novel (which this author owns having immediately rushed out to the bookstore the opening weekend of this movie) and more about a modern day take on an issue that remains very real: childhood bullying. Chosen to direct was the man that made Urban Legend the stylish and gothic entry that it is, Jamie Blanks. The cast was chosen – and what an impressive cast it is – and off they went to British Columbia to shoot the film in what was originally a planned 37 day shoot.

I’d rather be burned alive!

The story begins at a grade-school dance, where we meet young Jeremy Melton attempting to get a dance with some of the most popular girls at school. Innocent Jeremy, with buck teeth and big glasses, seems like a decent enough kid but is treated to “I’d rather be burned alive!” by Paige, or the cut to the chase “Eww!” by Lily. The only one who gives him a chance is the pleasantly plump Dorothy who craves the attention the other girls get. However, once the popular boys find her making out with Jeremy, she changes the story and sides with the in-crowd causing a public humiliation of Jeremy getting stripped down to his underpants in the centre of the dance floor and beaten.

Flash forward ten years, we start with Shelley (Katherine Heigl) as she is on a bad date and anxious to get back to work on her finals. She does return to her school after ditching the weird Jason Marquette (Adam Harrington). This opening kill sets up the revenge plot premise with Shelley receiving a Valentine’s Day card containing a threatening message and the killer sporting a Cherub mask. Note that one of the kids in the dance prologue was a passerby wearing the same mask.   The rest of the girls are reunited at Shelley’s funeral and quickly get caught up to speed on the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death courtesy of Detective Vaughn (Fulvio Cecere). The lead girl, Kate (Marley Shelton), is a writer who is also having unresolved romantic issues with alcoholic Adam Carr (David Boreanaz). While Lily (Jessica Cauffiel) and Paige (Denise Richards) have their freewill fun, it’s Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw) that is also having her share of crisis when she meets Campbell (Daniel Cosgrove).   Still longing for the attention after these years, she unwillingly deceived by Campbell’s charm but doesn’t want to face the truth. Whether it be Adam, or Campbell, or a few other guys thrown in, they all play as good red herrings to the viewer. We never quite know who it could be despite some of the obvious signs.

The climax unfolds at Dorothy’s Valentine’s Day party where the Cherub killer continues the murderous pursuit. With only a few girls left, it’s up to Kate to figure out if the killer really is Jeremy Melton or someone else. The kills are relatively simple, and Paige’s demise in the hot tub is the most gruesome and violent – a deliberate action since she was also the most harsh to Jeremy.

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The film was budgeted at an approximate $29,000,000.00 and despite the negative reviews from critics, was able to pull in an impressive $10,024,648.00 in its opening weekend of February 2^nd, 2001. Overall, by the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed $36,684,100.00. That’s not bad for a film that was loathed by genre fans and critics; it made its money back. What was it that made it so terrible?

In my opinion, it is not a terrible film. The movie focuses on a very relatable issue as having gone through grade school as one of the unpopular, bullying does happen and rejection from girls is a bitter pill to swallow. Painful memories just don’t go away, but society has the expectations that everyone matures and the past is the past. There is counseling and support groups available to make sure that any violent tendencies don’t come to fruition. This film speaks on that level, when treatment hasn’t worked, and how it affects not just the victim but the culprits. As all the girls are now mature and working on their careers, they are still very aware of their actions and roles they played in damaging a boy’s life. The guilt still haunts them and how do they come to terms with that now that they are in danger. These are adults dealing with adult issues, and stalking is still one of the number one most dangerous issues that America, and the world, has to deal with. In an article on the movie in Fangoria #200, Marley Shelton elaborated on the reality of the issue, “When I was growing up, I was both a victim and a perpetrator in my time. It’s the strangest period of life, and the script is absolutely on the mark.” (p.77)

Each character represents an archetype of the societal stereotypes we place on our friends, colleagues, and even family. In my favorite scene, Dorothy lets loose on Kate and calls the girls out on what each archetype they represent. It’s a scene that I feel plays to the viewer and makes the audience associate with how Dorothy feels or what role they play in their own lives. That’s not the only intelligence found hidden in this movie, but also the narrative craft employed by the writers. Each characters death is representative of the comments made to Jeremy at the dance; a clever way of foreshadowing fates. One last bit to point out is the tongue-firmly-in-cheek irony that all these girls, considering they were the popular and sought after ones, are all either in relationship troubles or outright single. It’s an acknowledgement to show that the “in-crowd” don’t always remain that way.

This movie is not without its flaws. There are times when the acting seems a bit overdone and the dialogue comes from a cheap late night baby blue movie – the scenes with Detective Vaughn and Paige for instance. At most, characters are dropped without any send off. Jason Marquette, although discussed, is not seen again or even bumped off, nor is Max (Johnny Whitworth) and Brian (Woody Jeffreys) – his machismo attempt to seduce Paige gets him in hot wax – so we are left to believe that he survives the slaughter still hurting upstairs in the bedroom. However, this could be a blessing in disguise. Yes, many characters do bite the dust, but it was refreshing to see that additional characters that were brought in were not killed unnecessarily just to heighten the blood levels. I believe it was a wise move not only to keep the red herrings open, but also serve some reality that the killer was not after them, only people who threatened to interfere with the revenge process.

MORE HORROR

No Blu-Ray, not even a direct money grab transfer, has been released for this and it’s a shame. With the DVD (one of my first ever DVDs to own might I add) having some special features, it lacked what horror fans would actually enjoy. MORE HORROR! Yes, it was revealed shortly after, that cuts were made and fans didn’t get to see the “coincidental” pool of blood shaped like a heart which oozed out of Ruthie’s neck or the skin-sizzling aftermath of the iron kill on Gary. PLEASE WARNER BROTHERS – give us this stuff!

Perhaps it was the editing that created some of the aforementioned character confusion, as material was cut down to fit the running time. Even still, the film flows and becomes a welcome Valentine’s Day season shocker. The cast was impressive to say the least – David Boreanaz made his film debut here as he was a soaring favorite on Buffy and Angel, Denise Richards (who started in Starship Troopers and even played a Bond girl in The World Is Not Enough), Jessica Capshaw (she went onto play in The Practice and Grey’s Anatomy), Marley Shelton (Grindhouse, Scream 4) and lastly, Katherine Heigl who is no stranger to horror with Bride of Chucky and her behind-the-scenes attitude became “the talk” of Hollywood with her role on Grey’s Anatomy and the movie Knocked Up.

I don’t think a sequel would have been necessary despite the not-so-surprising reveal at the end of the movie, but the marketing potential was there. The Cherub killer would have made a great addition to McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs toyline or Neca’s Cinema of Fear.

Valentine’s Day 2015 just came to a close and I saved this movie to end my marathon. Let’s face it, the 2009 remake of My Bloody Valentine in 3D might be the best Valentine’s Day horror movie ever made, but it would not be February 14^th if ‘Valentine’ was not on my MUST WATCH list. I implore any viewer to give this movie a look-see and enjoy an A-List cast, with the 80s slasher nostalgia, mixed in with some millennium pop-culture and concerns. To coin the movie’s tagline whenever I see my enjoyment of this movie bashed by critics, “Falling in love never hurt so bad.”

The original website is full of suspenseful flash antics, eerie music and interactivity where you can still send out the same Valentines that are seen in the movie: http://valentinemovie.warnerbros.com/

Rowe,Michael. (2001) Valentine Runs Red. FANGORIA. New York, USA: Starlog Group, Inc. www.Fangoria.com

It’s that time of the year again. Halloween is looming and I’ve got the ultimate 31 movie countdown for you to watch this October.

So grab some beers, popcorn and a comfortable seat because we’re putting in some serious work this Halloween.

This is my list of movies to watch this Halloween. What would you recommend?

And number 31… HALLOWEEN!

Tom H’s Take:

For my first movie review [at 40oz. Of Horror] I have chosen Smiley (2012). Smiley starts off immediately at a high pace — establishing just what the movie is going to be about — an internet based urban legend that kills the person you are chatting with when typing a phrase three times.  So basically an internet version of Candyman combined with Scream; not that I would say this is a bad thing, but it’s not completely an original idea.

Throughout the movie Ashley (Caitlin Gerard – The Social Network) tries to find out who or what Smiley is. While doing so she is seen as a fucking crazy bitch who is on drugs or suffering from some psychotic break. The acting was OK considering it is a slasher flick. There was quite a bit of fast paced action and a fair amount of pretty gruesome deaths, and to top it off, it was good enough to keep me watching. I would not tell everyone that this movie is junk, I would pretty much describe this movie as a typical slasher with no real originality that sets it apart from any other slasher movie.

Originality Rating: 4 out of 10
Scare Rating: 5 out of 10

Horror fans around the world: watch this movie if only to get the opportunity to see some killing and another take on slasher films. You won’t love it, but you won’t completely hate it. You can blame me after you watch the film if you hate it, however I will not give a shit!

I watched the movie and survived so will you!

What did you think of Smiley?

Boo!

Meridian, Miss. police have charged 33-year-old Indianapolis man Jerry Jones with two counts of armed robbery.

During the stickup, Jones (not the owner of the Dallas Cowboys) donned the mask made famous in Wes Craven‘s 90s slasher flick Scream.

How awesome and stupid can one person be? A. If someone came into my store wearing that mask, I’d start shooting — no questions asked. And B. I think horror fans have been expecting something like this for a long time.

Watch out for copycats though… What’s next? Freddy Krueger knocking over 7-11s?

Although I’m sure there were plenty of screams,  no one was slashed in either heist.

David Arquette and Courtney Cox were unavailable for comment at the time of this article.

Check out the source article in the Indianapolis Star here.