Tuesday, October 31, 2017

31 Days of Horror Day 31 1922

Title-1922
Source-Netflix

Over at a friend's home helping pass out candy,she has Netflix and we are looking for a new horror film to watch. I read the description of 1922 and realize it is from the best Stephen King  novella collection Full Dark No Stars.

So far ,before 1922 which came out Oct 20th 2017 ,2 other novellas from the collection have been made into films. Both are worth seeing. Big Driver has Maria Bello,Olympia Dukakis plus Joan Jett in an exrended cameo and was made for the Lifetime channel a few years back. Don't hold its made for cable tv origins against it. Then Good Marriage got a limited theatrical release,i caught it on DVD. Again it's worth seeing.

1922 is a career highlight from Thomas Jane. He is buried so far in his role of a 20s Nebraska Salt of the Earth farmer that I didn't believe it was the same guy I mostly remember from The Mist or The Punisher.

Jane's wife wants to sell the farm to a local factory. And then move to the big city of Omaha.Jane as Wilfred wants to keep working the farm and convinces his teenage son that they must not sell the farm and move to the big city.

Wilfred convinces himself the only way to keep the farm is to kill his wife. He talks his son into helping him. And they pull off a well thought out murder. But a streak of bad luck strikes.

The son gets his girlfriend pregnant. She just happens to be the daughter of Wilfred's best friend. The son and pregnant girlfriend go on the run. And become a Bonnie and Clyde style of robbers/killers.

Really this is so worth seeing that I am ending my plot summery there. The cast is good,with Jane being AMAZING! The cinematography is nice to look at. My only gripe is mostly cause I have read,and loved,the novella many times. In the novella we are left to wonder if there is any kind of supernatural elements to the story at all. The few ghosts/etc could be delusional visions of a man under major mental stress. In the film this is way less ambiguous.

Still 1922 is the best new horror film of 2017s Halloween season. And it gets an A.

Cody's Film, TV, and Video Game Blog: Anthology Horrors: Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Cody's Film, TV, and Video Game Blog: Anthology Horrors: Trick 'r Treat (2007): Unless it's something I'm really interested in, I'm not the type of person who keeps up with any kind of in-depth movie news, ...

31 Days of Horror Day 31 Scream Queen Hot Tub Party

Title-Scream Queen Hot Tub Party
Source-Retromedia DVD

I was reading all the easy to find horror mags and zines in 91. So of course knew about this movie when it came out. I never saw it for rent at any video store. And refused to pay the going rate for something that was barely 50 minutes long. Finally in 2008 I found the pictured DVD at mall music store. It was clearance priced down to 10 bucks.

So what the Hell is SQHTP? Fred Olen Ray gathered 4 legit Scream Queens.
1.Michelle Bauer
2.Kelly Maroney
3.Monique Gabrielle
4.Brinke Stevens.

Plus for who knows why Roxanne Kernohan is the last of Scream Queens in this. From what I can find she seemed to do mostly small roles in big mainstream action or comedy films.

The plot is simple,the 5 women get invited to a house. A Ouija board is delivered and well that is all of the plot. The rest of the movie is either footage of on of the five stars from other Fred Olen Rey movies. Or newly shot solo footage of the stars. Until we get to the final scene where all the ladies get into a hot tub ,took long enough It is SCREAM QUEEN HOT TUB PARTY,and the 50 minutes is up. Film ends.

Each of the women gets a 5 or so minutes showcase scene. Brinke Stevens shows us how to take the perfect horror movie shower. Cause she starred in Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers Michele Bauer gives a demo on nude chainsaw safety.Ms Gabrielle does a striptease with annoying colored lighting. I honestly forget what Roxanne's scene is. And Kelli Maroney uses a bootleg SoloFlex while topless.

The DVD has a surprising amount of extras. A commentary with Fred Olen Ray,and some other guy. FRED reveals on the commentary why I could never find this for rent. It was never sold to and videostores. Mr Ray was a smart Fucker. This was sold mail order only and IIRC was 40 bucks plus shipping. To see it you had to buy it.

The DVD has a second film. Which was shot at the same house,and also has Michele Bauer. 1 Million Heels BC is more of an excuse for female nudity than SQHTP was. Bauer is a cave woman now in the Modern day. She sneaks into the house and ends up trying on lingerie with the two women that live in the house. Yea 1 Million Heels BC sucks.

If you are a fan of any of the stars of SQHTP  this release is worth grabbing for 10 bucks or less. Scream Queen Hot Tub Party gets a D+ as a film. But a much higher grade if you are a fan of any of the cast.

Phantasm BETAmax review

Misery VHS review

Tremors 2 EPK VHS review