TODOH #20: Sleepaway Camp (1983)

“Meet me at the waterfront after the social.”

When Sleepaway Camp hit theaters in 1983, it delivered not only big profits for its filmmakers (It earned eleven million dollars against a $350,000 production budget), it became a cult classic that divided critics and gave horror fans one of the biggest and most shocking twist endings in slasher history. I won’t spoil that ending for you here, but you can read about it in this 2023 Thirty-One Days O’Horror post. Today, I just want to give a brief synopsis of the film and talk a bit about a few other things.

The film opens with a boating accident and then jumps ahead to Angela Baker and her cousin, Ricky, arriving at Camp Arawak for a summer of fun. Angela, still traumatized from the accident, is essentially mute, talking only to Ricky and briefly to a few other kids at camp that are nice to her. Unfortunately for Angela, there are more bullies (and even a sexual predator) at the camp than there are friends, and she becomes the focus of relentless abuse from campers like Judy, Meg, and Kenny. As the time passes at Camp Arawak, campers and employees begin to die in violent and bizarre ways. From curling irons to boiling water, all sorts of things are used to dispatch victims. But who is the killer? The answer can be found at the shocking conclusion of Sleepaway Camp!

The film features serviceable performances from all of the cast. Considering the fact that most of them are young teens, they do very well, especially Felissa Rose as Angela Baker. Kills were executed from the point-of-view of the killer, doing a very good job of throwing off the audience when it came to who was the slasher in the film. The practical effects were effective as well.

As time has gone on, the film has become a cult classic amongst horror fans and has been adopted by the LGBTQ community as well. The film is often the focus of debate in cinema for the issues that it presents. When looked through a modern lens, the film is something of a trailblazer and deserves any accolades that it receives.

I really enjoy Sleepaway Camp. It’s a favorite of mine that I discovered later in life. The end of the film is jarring and graphic, and really leaves a mark on you. If you haven’t seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend it!

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TODOH #19: The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)

“We die at dawn! He is Caligari!“

Something of a chaotic dream, the 1920 silent film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is equal parts horror story and political dissertation. On the surface, it is a tale of a demented doctor that uses a somnambulist (that’s a five dollar word for “sleepwalker that engages in tasks while sleepwalking”) to murder…..but the story has a twist that I really don’t want to spoil. Below the surface, the film is littered with political commentary, most of which is concerned with control, power, and authority. In a world still reeling from World War I and being prepped for World War II, the film spoke volumes. It takes aim at the German government specifically, but the film’s themes can be applied across history. There are other themes and elements in the film, but I’m neither an historian nor a sociologist, so I won’t bother much more with these elements, however they are very noteworthy.

What I will talk about are the performances of the cast and the brilliant set design. Friedrich Feher is wonderful as Franzis, the film’s protagonist. Lil Dagover does a great job as Jane, Franzis’ fiancee, who becomes the target of the wicked Dr. Caligari, played with twisted fervor by Werner Krauss. Conrad Veidt portrays Cesare, the suffering tool of murder utilized by Caligari. Veidt says more with his face than many modern actors can manage with a brilliant script.

The film was written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It was directed by Robert Wiene. One of the most impactful parts of the film is the visuals and stage design. Almost all of the film features buildings, streets, and even trees with jagged edges, bizarre angles, and varying scale sizes. It’s intentionally done this way and considered to be a high point of German Expressionism. A trio of men are given credit for coming up with the brilliant set design. Those men are Hermann Warm, credited with designing the visuals, Walter Reimann, who painted the sets and gave them their unique, jagged style, and Walter Röhrig, who assisted in constructing the wildly designed sets. As I stated in my original review of this film, it has a very Tim Burton-like look and feel to it, but it’s obviously decades prior to even the birth of Burton. It’s a brilliant set and one of my favorites in film.

Be sure to check out The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. I’m sure that you’ll love it. Thanks for checking out my review.

TODOH #18: An American Werewolf In London (1981)

“Keep clear of the moors.”

I’ve been a werewolf fan for pretty much all of my life. I can remember watching movies like Silver Bullet, Teen Wolf, The Wolf Man (my favorite overall), and The Monster Squad. As I got older (and braver), I watched The Howling, Wolf, and Dog Soldiers. Heck, I’m still watching werewolf films like Wolf Cop, Late Phases, and Underworld to this day. As much as I’ve enjoyed all of these films, the one with the coolest transformation is 1981’s An American Werewolf In London. Written and directed by Jonathan Landis (Trading Places, Coming To America, Twilight Zone: The Movie), it’s no surprise that this film is both a horror film and a comedy. What is surprising, however, is the fact that it works almost perfectly as both a horror and a comedy.

The film stars David Naughton as David Kessler and Griffin Dunne as Jack Goodman, two American college students who are on a jaunt across the North York Moors who happen to run into a werewolf. Poor Jack is killed, but David survives whenever patrons of the Slaughtered Lamb, a local pub, show up and blast the werewolf into oblivion. David wakes up a few weeks later in a hospital in London, falls in love with his nurse, Alex Price, and decides to spend a little time with her before returning home. He begins to have bizarre dreams and starts talking to Jack, now a decaying body, who claims that David is now a werewolf. Jack tells David that he has to kill himself in order to stop the werewolf bloodline and so that Jack can make his final exit to the afterlife. David debates and fails to attempt suicide and ultimately transforms into a werewolf, kills a lot of people, and then finds himself in an adult theater talking to Jack and the fresh crop of corpses that David has created. Alex and the doctor that patched up David attempt to save him, but what happens in the end? Watch An American Werewolf In London to see how the film concludes.

The film finds a very good balance between horror and humor. It also has what is considered to be one of, if not the best, transformation scenes of all time. The first-ever Oscar for Best Makeup was awarded to Rick Baker for his work on the film, a well-deserved honor. The wolf transformation scene is a masterclass in practical effects, blending makeup, prosthetics, wonderful acting from David Naughton, and camera trickery to turn David into a werewolf. The film also features an amazing chase sequence in the Tottenham Court Road London Underground station. The cast were all amazing and the music, featuring songs in which the moon is mentioned, is top notch.

I love this movie. It is my third favorite werewolf film overall (behind The Wolf Man and Teen Wolf) and features my favorite transformation scene. I even got to meet David Naughton a few years ago at Gulf Coast Fan Fest in Biloxi, MS. He was awesome and thought that it was a riot when I said that many people consider him to be werewolf royalty. If you ever get the chance to meet him, do it. You won’t regret it.

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TODOH #17: Chopping Mall (1986)

“Trust me, absolutely nothing can go wrong.”

Who knew that forty years ago, a cheesy B-movie would give us a glimpse at the future, when robots/AI would rule the world? Well, director and co-writer Jim Wynorski did just that with Chopping Mall. While the title may have you thinking that this is going to be just another standard slasher flick, you’d be wrong. Yep, Chopping Mall is the story of a group of friends that decide to throw a private party in a mall furniture store, only to find themselves as the primary targets of three rogue security robots out for blood. Produced by Julie Corman, the film was somewhat successful and has a devoted cult following.

The 1986 film stars two scream queen legends, Kelli Maroney and Barbara Crampton, and Head of the Class star Tony O’Dell. It also features Russell Todd, Karrie Emerson, Suzee Slater, John Terlesky, and Nick Segal. Also keep an eye out for Dick Miller as an unfortunate janitor. The special effects are serviceable, especially for an 80s B-flick. It’s just a really fun movie to watch when you have a little over an hour to kill.

So if killer robots, scream queens, and malls are your thing, Chopping Mall is for you. While it didn’t predict the downfall of the American shopping mall, it definitely gives us a look at what terrors await us if artificial intelligence decides to attack!

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TODOH #16: The Invisible Man (1933)

“Don’t worry, the whole world’s my hiding place.”

The legendary Claude Rains chews his way through 1933’s The Invisible Man like a madman on a mission. He portrays the titular character, also known as Dr. Jack Griffin, who discovers a formula to make himself invisible and he slowly spirals into madness due to the effects of the drug. As his mind starts to unravel, Dr. Griffin decides that he will rule the world through terror. He goes on a killing spree, throwing people off of cliffs, causing a train to wreck, blackmailing a dear friend into helping him execute his plan to take over the world, and generally scaring everyone. Hoping to save him, Griffin’s colleague, Dr. Kemp (William Harrigan), and his fiancee, Flora (Gloria Stuart, perhaps best known by modern audiences as Old Rose from Titanic) team up to stop him and hopefully return him to a state of visibility and sanity. Do they succeed? Watch The Invisible Man to find out what happens!

Rains gives a masterclass in acting in this film. He would go on to appear in other Universal Monster films and would have a very successful career. The film’s special effects, spearheaded by the brilliant John P. Fulton, John J. Mescall, and Frank D. Williams. This trio of men were already established FX masters and would go on to have award-winning careers. In particular, Williams is credited with creating the traveling matte shot, a precursor to blue and green screen work and, ultimately, CGI.

As the years have gone by, The Invisible Man has become one of my favorite Universal Monsters films. Claude Rains is one of my favorite actors as well. I highly recommend this film and consider it one of the best movies ever made.

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TODOH #15: The Legend Of Boggy Creek (1972)

“Fouke is a right pleasant place to live….until the sun goes down.”

Few films have impacted my life as much as 1972’s The Legend Of Boggy Creek. While many children were afraid to go into the water after watching Jaws, I was scared to go into the woods alone as a child thanks to The Legend Of Boggy Creek. This movie scared me more than any other film that I’ve ever watched, and it triggered my interest in Bigfoot, cryptozoology, and cryptid films. I’ve even had a bit part in a Bigfoot short film and am part of the Filmsquatch podcast because of the film.

The film was shot in a documentary style and featured the recounting of stories of encounters with the legendary Fouke Monster, a Bigfoot-like cryptid that is often very aggressive to those that cross its path. Many of the actors in the film are actual witnesses of the creature. Director and writer Charles B. Pierce crafted the film with an eerie look and feel, and the actors did surprisingly well in the recreations of encounters. The movie is simply unsettling to watch, and if you ever get the chance, I recommend visiting the actual community of Fouke.

Thanks for checking out my really quick look at The Legend Of Boggy Creek. I wrote a more in-depth review of the film here and you are welcome to check it out for yourself. Feel free to check out the podcast that I co-host, Filmsquatch, as well, and if you do go to Fouke, stop by the Monster Mart and check out their Fouke Monster museum. Also stop by the Boggy Creek Boutique and say hello to my wonderful friends, Jeff and Cindy! Their boutique is loaded with all sorts of cool cryptid goodies, homegrown foods, a movie rental section, Dungeons & Dragons gaming, and more!

TODOH #14: Tremors (1990)

“I vote for outer space. No way these are local boys.”

Tremors (1990) has a very soft spot in my heart. It’s one of the few things in my life that gave me a connection with my father. While my dad and I have always had a wonderful relationship, we are very different people. We don’t have very much in common outside of Thor comics (maybe I’ll expand on that some other time) and a few films. Tremors is one of those films, and it’s one of the best movies in that small group. We saw it together in a nearly empty theater way back in 1990. That theater is gone, but the memories of that day and that film are still with me.

The movie, for those who are unaware, stars Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire, in her acting debut. In the film, Bacon and Ward play Val and Earl, two handymen in Perfection, NV, who are trying to leave town and find bigger and better work elsewhere. Unfortunately for them, a small group of subterranean creatures that are large, fast, and very intelligent have appeared seemingly out of nowhere and are hungry. They utilize vibration caused by movement and sound on the surface and attack from below. Teaming up with college gradutate student Rhonda LeBeck, Val and Earl try to save their friends in Perfection before the creatures eat them all.

The film is carried by the performances of Kilmer, Ward, and Carter, and the hilarious supporting cast, specifically Gross and McEntire as Burt and Heather Gummer, two survivalists who have chosen to live in a compound in the area due to its isolation from the rest of the world. The film’s special effects are practical and great. The film bombed at the box office but grew a cult following when it arrived on home video. The years have been kind to the film, as it has gained more and more fans over time. The film spawned multiple direct-to-video sequels, all of which starred Michael Gross as Burt Gummer. Kilmer never returned to the franchise and Fred Ward only appeared in the first sequel. A short-lived television series was also produced. Kilmer pitched his own TV series recently, but it didn’t draw any interest from major studios.

Tremors is an excellent creature feature. The sequels degraded in quality with each release, but Michael Gross delivered a great performance in each film. I wrote a much, much more in-depth review a few years ago that you can read here, but just know that this is a fun, action-packed horror film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is definitely worth watching!

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TODOH #13: Scream (1996)

“I wanna be in the sequel!

Unless you’ve been under a rock since the mid 1990s, you’re probably well aware of the groundbreaking, genre-reviving juggernaut that is 1996’s Scream. The film, directed by horror master Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, injected new life into the slasher genre. The entire premise of the film is based upon the decades of slasher film tropes that came before it. There are countless references to other films in the genre and “the rules” of slasher films are established in the film as well. The movie featured smart characters, victims that fought back, and slashers that tripped, took refrigerator doors to the face, and taunted their victims with phone calls and trivia about horror films. Williamson baited the audience with clues and hints about each potential killer, and then switched things up, keeping audiences guessing. Heck, the movie even killed off the most famous actor in the entire cast (Drew Barrymore) at the beginning of the movie, despite having her featured in trailers and press junkets for the film.

I’ve loved Scream ever since I saw it for the first time way back in 1996 at the Oak Park VI with a group of friends. We rarely “talked movies” as a group, as I was the only film buff in the bunch, but Scream was different. We went back to the dorm and talked about the film all night and off and on for the next few weeks. It’s an awesome film and you should check it out for yourself.

If you’re not familiar with the film, it’s the story of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her group of friends attempting to survive a streak of violent murders in their hometown of Woodsboro, CA. It’s the one year anniversary of the murder of Sidney’s mother, and the press is drawn to the town, hoping to discover the killer’s true identity. The local police are struggling to find clues and everyone is a suspect. Bodies start piling up and the audience is forced to guess at who might be Ghostface, the name given to the killers that have donned the mask in all of the sequels that followed the original film. It’s a wild ride, and I know that you’ll love it.

The film starred Campbell, Barrymore, Courteney Cox (who was riding high on the success of Friends), David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, and Skeet Ulrich. It also featured Henry Winkler in a small role. The acting is excellent and the writing and direction are near perfect. I have zero gripes about the movie, especially as time moves on and the film becomes more nostalgic for me.

Thanks for checking out my post. You can read my original review from 2020 here. It’s more in depth than this one primarily due to the fact that this year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror posts are meant to introduce or revisit films that I love to my readers.

TODOH #12: Anaconda (1997)

“Buenos noches, beautiful.”

Anaconda is not a great film. It knows that it isn’t great and doesn’t try to be. This 1997 creature feature fully embraces the fact that it’s a monster movie with a ton of flaws, decent CGI, and a cast loaded with actors on their way up and actors on the way down in their careers. It’s the kind of film that you watch with friends, laugh out loud, and yell at the heroes and villains. It’s just a fun movie.

The film starred Jennifer Lopez (who was fresh off of her starring role in Selena), Ice Cube (who was making the transition from rapper to actor), Jon Voight (whose career was slowing down), Eric Stoltz (who pretty much just laid down for the entire film, literally), a young Kari Wuhrer, Owen Wilson in an early role, the reliable Jonathan Hyde, and Danny Trejo in a small role. The cast was solid and they did fine in their roles, but Jon Voight and Ice Cube stole the show in my book. Voight with his goofy accent and Ice Cube always looking for fuel made this movie better than it really was.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the film, it is the story of a documentary crew looking for a mysterious tribe in the Amazon who put their trust in a guide (Voight) who turns out to be a sneaky snake hunter that uses the crew as bait in order to capture a massive green anaconda. Voight and the snake start taking out crew members and it’s up to J-Lo and Ice Cube to stop them. That’s pretty much the story and it is wonderful.

There isn’t much more to say about this movie. You either love it or hate it. I experienced it on the big screen in a packed theater with people yelling and screaming at the characters. This added to the film’s allure and may be why I love it so much. In any case, you won’t waste your time watching this cheesy creature feature.

Thanks for checking out my post. I hope that you give Anaconda a chance!

TODOH #11: Freaks (1932)

“Make me one of you, will you?“

While some would argue that 1932’s Freaks isn’t necessarily a horror film, I believe that the climax of the film, which I won’t spoil, gives it everything it needs to earn that title. The film, directed by Tod Browning and based upon the short story Spurs by Tod Robbins, tells the story of a young circus performer named Hans (Harry Earles), a dwarf, who comes into a large inheritance, and a scheming trapeze artist named Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) who hatches a plan with the circus strongman, Hercules (Henry Victor), to seduce and marry Hans in order to poison and ultimately kill him, gaining his inheritance as her reward. Unfortunately for Cleopatra and Hercules, Hans’ friends, the circus “freaks,” discover her true plan and attempt to warn him before Cleopatra successfully murders him. The climax of the film is terrifying and under Tod Browning’s skillful guidance, played out to perfection.

The film was divisive from the start. Even in the 1930s, the movie drew criticism for its portrayal of real people with real medical issues as freaks. Others claimed that the film showed these so-called freaks in a setting where they are treated as equals among “normal” humans and that the real freaks were Cleopatra and Hercules. No matter which side of the argument you fall on, you have to admit that the film and its story are brilliant. The cast was amazing and I felt real emotions as I watched the story on the screen. Horror fans may recognize Browning’s name due to his extensive work with Lon Chaney and for the fact that he directed a little film starring Bela Lugosi called Dracula (1931).

Freaks is a perfect storm of story, controversy, romance, and prejudice. While only a heavily edited, sixty-four minute version of the film is known to exist, there are plenty of resources on both the web and in books that describe Browning’s original ninety-minute version of the film and it is even more sinister than the version that I’ve seen. I highly recommend this film for both its amazing story and its historical significance.

Thanks for checking out my post!