TODOH #26: The Fly (1986)

“I’ll hurt you if you stay.”

Based upon George Langelaan’s 1957 short story of the same name, 1986’s The Fly tells the story of a young scientist named Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who develops a pair of telepods that allow him to teleport an item between the two pods. Seth develops a romantic relationship with a scientific journalist named Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), who he has trusted with his creation. The only problem with Seth’s telepods is that they cannot transport biological material. Inspired by Veronica, Seth ultimately succeeds in teleporting living tissue. He then decides to test the telepods on himself. He is successful, but completely unaware that a fly flew into the pod with him. After the teleportation, Seth begins to exhibit superhuman behavior and a massively increased sex drive. He scares Veronica away when he attempts to force her to go through the teleportation process as well, thinking the the telepods are what made him superhuman. As time passes, Seth begins to exhibit fly-like behavior, such as vomiting on his food to process it. He then starts to mutate into a fly/human hybrid. Determined to heal himself, Seth takes drastic measures to filter the fly DNA out of his body. Thrown in an unborn child and some brilliant special effects thanks to the work of Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis, and you’ve got a masterpiece of a film on your hands!

Working from a screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue, director David Cronenberg has crafted an amazing science fiction/horror film. It features some genuine scares, brilliant acting, especially from Goldblum, and a great plot. This movie is gory, but doesn’t rely on the gore for scares. The real horror comes from the deconstruction of Seth’s humanity in the film.

This really is an excellent film and I love it. It’s one of my favorite Jeff Goldblum films and it’s pretty high on my Geena Davis list as well, so if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.

I hope that you’re enjoying this year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror selections. I appreciate you reading my posts.

TODOH #25: Primal Rage (2018)

“There’s a creature that lives in these woods as ancient as my tribe remembers.”

There’s been something of a Sasquatch Renaissance in the last twenty or so years thanks largely to the work of independent filmmakers. From movies like Abominable (2006) to newer films such as Sasquatch Sunset (2024) and The Beast Of Trinity Texas (2025), Bigfoot has returned to the big screen with a vengeance. Today’s post takes a look at one of my favorite recent Sasquatch horror films, 2018’s Primal Rage.

Ashley reunites with her husband Max, who just got out of prison, and the two plan on rebooting their relationship. While driving through the Pacific Northwest, the couple get in an accident while trying to avoid a man that stumbles onto the road in front of them. When they go to check on the man, stones are thrown at them from the forest. They are then attacked by what appears to be a Sasquatch. The pair end up in dangerous rapids and ultimately end up on the bank of the whitewater river. With clothing soaked, they build a fire in order to warm up…..until they realize that the beast that attacked them before has caught up to them. They attempt to get back to the highway and come upon a group of hunters that take a liking to Ashley. Soon enough, the beast tracks them down again and begins killing everyone. Throw in a local Native American sheriff and some Native American beliefs, and you’ve got a really amazing survival horror film. Check it out to see how it all ends!

This film, directed by Patrick Magee and written by Magee and Jay Lee, features some simply amazing special effects. It isn’t surprising that the effects are so amazing, however, when you find out that Magee has worked with both Stan Winston and Rick Baker. The creature in this film, designed by Magee, is like no other Bigfoot creature that I’ve seen before in a film. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that it looks a bit like a Mandrill crossed with the Predator. The cast is also very good, especially Casey Gagliardi, who plays Ashley in the film.

The film relies heavily upon Native American stories about Sasquatch and utilizes a number of the traits that these creatures supposedly have thanks to Bigfoot researchers. Magee also makes the creature something of a camouflage specialist, and all I will say is that once the creature makes its first appearance on screen, keep your eyes peeled on the background of every scene in the movie, as the beast may just turn up when least expected. This is a very fun movie to watch and one of the best Bigfoot films that I’ve ever watched. Give it a look!

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TODOH #24: The Mummy (1999)

“No harm ever came from…reading a book.”

Sure, The Mummy (1999), directed by Stephen Sommers, who also wrote the screenplay, may be more of an adventure film than a horror movie, but this is my list and it’s one of my favorite horror films and I’m putting it on my list! It starred Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, and Oded Fehr, with an excellent supporting cast that featured Patricia Velasquez, Erick Avari, Jonathan Hyde, and the brilliant Kevin J. O’Connor. It’s loosely based upon the classic Universal Monsters film of the same name from 1932 starring Boris Karloff, but leans heavier on the adventure and action aspects of the story while the horror takes a tad bit of a backseat.

If you’re unfamiliar with the film, check out my review of it here. That particular review is a bit dated, as it was released long before Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (which is inferior to the 1999 film in every which way), but it covers everything that I love about this film. Yes, the CGI doesn’t look that great when viewed through a 2026 lens, but everything else about this movie is top notch. From the cast and direction to the music and the story, it’s a fun ride that isn’t too scary, but it’s scary enough to make my favorite horror film list.

The Mummy spawned a number of sequels and spin-offs, and a new film is in the works featuring much of the original cast. It was one of the most popular films of 1999 and arguably the most successful attempt by Universal to revive its classic Universal Monsters gaggle of monsters. I rarely hear anyone mention the 2017 reboot of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise and Lee Cronin’s film was basically an Evil Dead film, but I often hear folks quoting the Brendan Fraser film or talking about it in a positive way.

The Mummy never intended to be some great film with a deep meaning or moral tale. It was simply an adventure/horror film that injected classic chapter serial adventure and Raiders Of The Lost Ark action into a horror franchise that had been dead for decades. It revived interest in the old Universal Monsters, and, sadly, Universal has yet to recapture that film’s magic. Here’s hoping that the new film will revive the Universal Monsters yet again!

Thanks for checking out my post! There are only a few days left of Thirty-One Days O’Horror!

TODOH #23: The Wolf Man (1941)

“The wolf bit you, didn’t he?”

Easily my favorite werewolf film ever made and one of my favorite films of all time, 1941’s The Wolf Man is the movie that started it all for me. Not only did it make me a werewolf freak, it made me a horror fan for life. It triggered my love for the classic Universal Monsters. I was captivated by the story, the acting, and the amazing look of Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man. The film was directed by George Waggner and was written by Curt Siodmak, who is credited with creating much of the lore that has become canon in modern werewolf films.

The film tells the story of Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who has returned home after the untimely death of his brother. He reunites with his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Claude Rains), and forms a relationship with Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers), who runs an antique shop with her father. Larry, Gwen, and her friend, Jenny (Fay Helm), visit the local traveling gypsies and when the fortune teller Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) sees a pentagram on Jenny’s palm, Jenny runs off into the night and is savagely murdered by a wolf that Larry manages to beat to death with a walking cane that he purchased at Gwen’s shop. Larry is bitten by the beast before he kills it and Maleva warns him that he is now a werewolf. Larry doesn’t believe her, but on the next evening, a villager is murdered by a beast. Larry realizes that he has become a werewolf and attempts to leave before he kills again. Watch The Wolf Man to find out how the story ends!

Legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce came up with the werewolf design and while many have attempted to create similar designs over the years, nothing has beaten his original creation. The design allowed the audience to see Lon Chaney, Jr.’s eyes, which was, in my opinion, a huge benefit, as we get to see the emotional turmoil going on inside of Larry and the beast.

I love this movie. I wrote a more extensive review of it here, and if you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend watching film.

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TODOH #22: The Descent (2005)

“Hey, there’s something down here.”

One year after a tragic accident that cost the lives of her husband and young daughter, Sarah joins her friends Juno and Beth and three other women, Holly, Sam, and Rebecca, on a spelunking trip to Boreham Caverns. When they descend into the mouth of the cave, they discover that Juno has taken them not to Boreham Caverns, but to an unexplored cave system, hoping to make the trip a real adventure. What they find in the caverns, however, is something much, much more terrifying.

Released in 2005, the film was very successful at the box office and quickly became one of the top horror films of the decade. It has continued to find new fans over the years and consistently lands on “Best Of” horror lists. The film used practical effects for both the sets and creature design, with minimal CGI blended in at times. The creatures in the film were downright creepy, and the film’s scenes deep in the caves, especially when the women are crawling about in tight spaces, will give just about anybody claustrophobia.

The cast was exceptional. Sarah was portrayed by Shauna Macdonald. Her friend (and adversary), Juno, was portrayed by Natalie Mendoza. Alex Reid portrayed Sarah’s friend, Beth, who reveals to Sarah what is going on behind her back with Juno and her husband. The other three women in the spelunking group were MyAnna Buring as Sam, Saskia Mulder as Rebecca, and Nora-Jane Noone as Holly. This trio did an amazing job in supporting roles, especially Mulder and Noone.

I really like this film. It’s one of the few horror films that ever creeped me out while I was watching it and spent time in my mind long after the credits rolled. It’s probably one of the creepiest films that I’ve ever watched and I can’t recommend it enough!

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TODOH #21: Ginger Snaps (2000)

“B, I got the curse.”

Ginger Fitzgerald gets her first period……and becomes a werewolf….in the 2000 Canadian thriller Ginger Snaps. The film was written by Karen Walton (Orphan Black, Queer As Folk) and directed by John Fawcett (Orphan Black, Xena: Warrior Princess). It stars Emily Perkins as Brigitte Fitzgerald and Katharine Isabelle as her sister, Ginger. Mimi Rogers features in a supporting role as Pamela Fitzgerald, Brigitte and Ginger’s mother. The film also stars Kris Lemche, Jesse Moss, Danielle Hampton, and John Bourgeois. The movie is a personal favorite and has a strong cult following.

The movie takes place in Bailey Downs, Ontario, where the “Beast of Bailey Downs” has been slaughtering local pets. Outside of this fact, Bailey Downs is a fairly generic suburban town. Brigitte and Ginger are the town’s local freaks, fully embracing their morbid interests in taking photos of themselves in various staged death scenes and making a suicide pact with one another. Brigitte is fairly quiet and stays to herself, whereas Ginger isn’t afraid to stand up to her sister’s bullies and put the local boys in their place. While planning to exact revenge on Trina Sinclair (Hampton), the sisters are attacked by a violent, wolf-like creature. Ginger is bitten by the beast and it is killed when the town’s local dope dealer, Sam (Lemche), runs over it with his van. Ginger’s wounds begin to heal that evening and she slowly begins to transform over the next thirty days, becoming more aggressive, sexually and physically, and begins to crave flesh. As Ginger denies or ignores the changes that are happening to her, Brigitte teams up with Sam to find a cure before it is too late.

The film is often called a horror comedy, and while it definitely has a lot of humorous moments, it’s more of a horror film than a comedy. Some of the best funny moments are provided by Mimi Rogers’ seemingly dim-witted Pamela, as well as Katharine Isabelle. Emily Perkins plays her role fairly straight and, at least in my opinion, carries the film. The rest of the cast do excellent jobs as well.

The special effects, all of which are practical, are amazing. The film has received some criticism over the look of the werewolf in the film, but I think that it looks just fine. I was especially impressed with the slow transformation of Ginger over the course of the month. The film has also received criticism for its use of lycanthropy as a metaphor for the onset of female puberty. I think that those that criticize this aspect of the film either A) need to lighten up or B) are looking too deep for some type of meaning in the whole comparison. Puberty and coming of age have long been topics in film, and Ginger Snaps just piled on becoming a werewolf to make it more fun.

The film spawned two sequels. The first one, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, focuses on Brigitte’s attempts to fight off her own werewolf infection in a rehabilitation center. The second sequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, takes place in the Canadian wilderness at a fort in 1815. It establishes both the bond between Brigitte and Ginger as sisters and their ties to lycanthropy. While both of these films are excellent, they are much darker than the original film.

Thanks for checking out my post. I actually got to meet Emily Perkins a couple of years ago at the Houston Horror Film Festival. She was SO SWEET! I wore a Bailey Downs Field Hockey shirt and she loved it. We talked briefly and I got a photo (above) and an autograph from her. I still hope to meet Katharine Isabelle one day but, for now, I’m glad that I got to meet half of the Fitzgerald sisters! Be sure to check out all three of the Ginger Snaps films and if you’d like a deeper look at the ladies that portrayed the Fitzgerald sisters themselves, check out my post about them here.

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!

Thanks for checking out my post!

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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