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Evil Thoughts. The Baby (1973) and The Prowler (1981)
Tonight I thought I would discuss two very different kind of horror films. Trying to dissect and compare horror films to each other can be enlightening to others; to help them explore new territories in horror. Also, this idea gives me to chat to be a blabber mouth about obscure, retro movies that most of the younger generations don’t know about. Hell, I’m almost 30 and I probably still need more horror movie schooling.
First I want to talk about Ted Post’s 1973 exploitation film The Baby. A social worker seeks out and becomes hired by the Wadsworth family to oversee the mentally ill child of the family who goes by the name of just Baby. Besides the retardation, Baby is an average boy who plays with toys, sucks on a bottle and cries when his diaper is wet with the exception that Baby is a 20-year-old man. The social worker plans for Baby seem genuine – to try to progress Baby’s ability to walk and talk like everybody else. However, the Wadworth family holds a dark secret that if anybody gets to close to that person ends up disappearing, but little does the Wadworth family know, that the social worker has alternate means for Baby than what she cares to divulge.
The Baby is a unique exploitation for me. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The fact that the mentally ill, a man, and the mind of a child are being exploited beyond rational means. When you (in this case when I) think of the exploitation genre, I imagine women being used for their body or just a person being exploited for violence. In The Baby, the man and the mentally ill is being abused for his body and the man and the mentally ill is being exploited for violence. During the duration, there is no grasp on who might be the hero and who might be the villain. The roles are a virtually reversed between the Wadworths family and the social worker and even at the end of the movie, you still don’t know how to process the information and end up second guessing the hero and the villain. The Baby will imprint in your mind and sear into your brain making The Baby a well executed film just by script alone. Director Ted Post and The Baby David Mooney do a remarkable job even if the 70s film does come off outdated and corny. Gerald Fried’s score is also pretty amazing and that is worth listening to as well.
Second comes The Prowler. A maniacal killer runs rampant on Avalon Bay, NJ dressed in WW II fatigues carrying a
pitchfork, bayonet and a handheld shotgun. The killer reminisces about Rosemary, the love of his lift who gives him a Dear John letter for his time in military service. His longing forces him to kill.
Tom Savini has mentioned that his work on 1981 The Prowler was his best work ever. I don’t know if I could agree with Mr. Savini or not on that as his effects for The Burning are superb, but anything Savini touches is gold so The Prowler is a shining example of his gruesome work. The problem or problems rather with The Prowler is the entire storyline as it was far too choppy and incoherent. I pieced the story all together sans the movie and I get that the audience sometimes has to make their own interpretation, but come on! I feel as if The Prowler character just didn’t have enough back story like Jason Voorhees who had a tragedy as a child seeing his mother beheading and seeks revenge on the free-spirited, sex crazed teenage campers and consolers.
Two very different movies. Two different styles. All with in the realm of thrills and chills. Exploitation and slasher genres have gained knowledge from these two prime examples, yet we still build and build upon each genre. We don’t see them too much in theaters anymore which is a shame since both genres really put you in the center of the worlds most delicate issues of the world. People kill people. People exploit people. These issues will never go away but they will never been renowned as popular because the subjects frighten us way too much.
Evil Dwelling: Horror Icons of the 21st Century?
After watching The Collector, I started to think about how potential horror icons of the 21st century seem to shrivel up, fizzle, and dissolve away into nothing halting a potentially worthy horror franchise into spit – yeah, spit. The franchise runners – Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th, Michael Myers of Halloween, Freddy Kruger of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Leatherface of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Chucky of Child’s Play, Pinhead of Hellraiser – are good examples of horror icons and their franchise titles; yet the trend has seem to fade away, perhaps we are seeing the last of franchise horror icon and their time as reigning champs is on the way out. I like to think that this lack of a long hauling series is giving an opportunity for new blood, but the majority of horror movies the past decade don’t have the staying power nor do they have enough support to have a sequel every other year. I’d like to share with you my thoughts on current horror franchise icons and some possible contenders for the future.
Ghostface
I like my knife.
Who is probably the face of franchise horror of the 2000s, Ghostface became a household horror name, easily becoming an icon without really trying. The simple use of black and white and an abstract of Edvard Munch’s portrait woven with the mind of Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson catapulted the franchise from the 1996 all the way to 2011. The icon has made it’s mark in the Halloween costume market, memorabilia shelves and was even homaged in an unofficial video game that pitted horror icon versus horror icon called Terrordome. The Ghostface killer can be anybody, can out swift anybody and can rise from the grave over and over again (much like his icon predecessors). However, Ghostface stays human and never has been backed by evil powers to contribute to his killing spree success (much unlike his icon predecessors).
Jigsaw
Every channel has Jigsaw – gosh!
Where Ghostface became the face of an horror icon of the millennium. Jigsaw most certainly was the presence that absorbed the rest of the icon persona of the 2000s. Ghostface had the healthy braun, Jigsaw had the killer mental capacity. The ailing killer engineer masterfully justified his kills by righting wrong by committing extreme self-judgments. Even after death, Jigsaw had a lasting impression upon his followers who carried out his deeds for him. For seven consecutive Halloweens, Jigsaw has made an appearance on the big screen. While most fans have probably had enough of Jigsaw for at least another seven years, there are some die hard Saw fans itching for more traps, more blood and more Jigsaw and his creepy doll.
Victor Crowley
A face only a mother can love.
Louisiana back-woods, swamp thing Victor Crowley is a deformed tortured soul that will never sleep until every single person who trespasses is ripped to bloody shreds with his bare hands or, of course, hatchet. Crowley came on the scene in 2006. Adam Green brought the slasher back. Green gave Crowley a tragic backstory much like Jason Voorhees. A boy who is teased to the point of his almost death only to rise again to embark on a murder crusade. Victor Crowley initial success might be his downfall. Much like how Wes Craven played out the Scream with sequel two (it was okay) and sequel three (damn near stank), Hatchet II was garbage in comparison. One could only hope Green took a step back and reviewed Crowley’s flaws to bounce the deranged maniac back to spilling more blood than ever.
The Creeper
Be a part of me!
Never have I really cared for Victor Silva, but his creation, The Creeper, has to be one of, if not the, best horror character icons ever. With intelligence, attitude and a knack for resurrection, The Creeper has it all. Two films are under this potential franchiser’s belt with a possible third movie continuously being hinted at and unlike perhaps Hatchet, the fans want the winged creature back and possible this year…so sources say. Lets all hope that The Creeper will piece himself back together, from the body parts of his future victims, and return to more rural terror!
The Collector
You’d like nice in my Collection!
The Collector had sparked this whole notion about more modern horror icons. With The Collection release, I’m anxious to see what kind of hobbies The Collector has in store. At first, I’ve brushed The Collector dismissing it as another run of the mill slasher flick. That is not the kind of horror blogger I strive to be, but one can get discouraged by most of the junk horror that surrounds us. I’m glad I have Jayson Kennedy in my life (or at least as a friend on my Facebook). I trust Jayson’s word so much that on his positive views of The Collector, I could not wait to get my hands on this interesting character. Marcus Dunstan’s and Patrick Melton’s icon has a bright future. Don’t get him mixed up with Jigsaw as The Collector is more of a perverse character whereas Jigsaw was a teacher of sorts. This is what makes The Collector an even more mysterious character.
Chromeskull
Slice and dice with a smile.
Laid to Rest was a sleeper. Loved the viciousness and the tenacity in brutally murdering people and using a camera to relive the experience over and over. Must like Adam Green, Chromeskull is the one trick pony of Robert Hall which could hinder Chromeskull’s career as a franchise killer! If there was ever another sequel, the story and the effects would really have to blow us, and the critics, out of the water if Chromeskulll wishes to return and return and return from the grave. Chromeskull’s mysterious ways his frightening and his appearance is reminisce of an 90’s slasher, but unlike those decade slashers Chromeskull has the most potential in the 2000s.
Now that I’ve shared my thoughts, can you think of any other franchise or potentially franchise icons that sparked in the turn of the century?
Evil Thoughts. The Collector (2009)
The Collector could be one of the next iconic horror villains of the 21st century. You don’t see too many “repeat offenders” as you might have in the 80s and 90s with Freddy Kruger or Michael Myers. Instead, you have Victor Crowley and The Collector – who else is out there? There are probably more, but that is another topic I might have to explore later on in a separate topic.
The Collector feels like Saw – no doubt about that. Since I knew the script was written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, there were most likely going to be some similarities. When I did some research, I saw that The Collector was a scrapped idea for a Saw prequel. I’m sure if that ever came to fruition, nobody would have noticed this flick. The Collector can stand by itself without the the help of Jigsaw, but the traps are all there; however, we don’t have the sob story of the cancer ridden engineer. Instead, the killer has little to no mercy and sadistic beyond rational. The Collector has no backstory and that is welcome – we don’t need to know his name, his origin or he reason on why he does what he does.
The Collector Region 1 USA Blu-ray
I’m amped for the sequel. I can’t wait for more traps. Josh Steward is the Heather Lampkincamp of The Collector. I just hope The Collector isn’t dumb down in the sequel and reduced to a mediocre way of trying to earn a buck for the writers of Saw who by then wouldn’t be able to sell a script without it coming off like a Saw ripoff. Lets hope for the best, lets dream for The Collector will be as original as we all wish it to be and lets try to keep an open mind about sequels. Fans know that sequels can make or break a character – for The Collector’s sake, we hope that The Collection will make the character and set him for many more sequels to come.
Evil Nostalgia! Phantasm II on HBO and big screen viewing of John Carpenter’s They Live @ the Colonial Theatre!
Welcome back! And, boy, it sure does feel good to be back in the wide world of evil! With a new job, new wife, and practically a whole new life, my once idle hands were struggling to juggle my new found life. Where to begin? What to say? How can I build up that base I had over a year ago! Has the evil come back to me to guide my hands again? Has my “dark passenger” returned? (Dexter reference as I’ve caught up on all 7 seasons in the last month). We’ll see what happens with Its Bloggin’ Evil. No one knows where this road may lead the amateur horror fan site. I might not be as swanky by going to all the conventions and movie screenings like Freddy in Space.com or be an ultra-reviewer like Cinesploitation.com (whom I use to write for). Both of those sites have shunned me from doing what I need to do, what I care to do, what I love to do.
Lets start this off on the right severed foot with Phantasm II. You may be wondering why Phantasm II. Well, it just happened to be on HBO Zone last night and I sat, with my now wife, and we watched. I subjected her to Angus Scrimm’s The Tall Man and the othet dimension dwelling evil dwarfs. You would think one like myself owns all the Phantasm films. Don’t get me wrong, I do! I proudly bought the limited edition UK Sphere box set and have yet to open the sucker. I joyfully viewed after years of not opening the box set and not viewing the film anywhere else. My eyes were glued to the 32” TV and I probably had the wide and bright eyes of a fat kid in a candy store. What a way to start off (or to rekindle) It’s Bloggin’ Evil!
Don Coscarelli’s sequel just brings a grin from ear to ear even if the writing is a bit over-the-top, but hey, that’s the masterful dialogue of the 80’s and who can argue with that? Some might also dislike Phantasm II for the scab step-in roll filler James LeGros to fill the shoes of A. Michael Baldwin’s original character Mike. LeGros became the one who “shan’t be named” because Baldwin continued the character in the third and fourth sequel. However, Phantasm II brings back the deadly spheres, the pint sized evil dwarfs, and always sinister, never a minister, The Tall Man with special effects that are the epitome of 80’s glory. As you can see from the image on the left, this is what to expect – in case you’re sheltered self never seen Phantasm II. You can thank Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero who had a helping hand in creating realistically stunning exaggerations of body horror. Throw Mark Shostrom into the mix and you have a party of special effects gold.
Next stop – John Carpenter’s They Live! Obey The very same night as Phantasm II, I sat on our couch thinking what to do with my wife. We had no plans for a Friday night (sans boring married couple). She had no idea what to do. That is when it donned on me! I remembered that the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA was having a 25th Anniversary screening of They Live. After fairly little convincing, I managed to get my wife to come along to the 10:10pm showing. I think she was glad she attended because the turn out better than what she expected. Conform When we screened Night Breed months ago, the turn out was not as grand and we didn’t receive any free swag! For They Live, fans of the cult film flooded the theatre and the freebies was a pair of black shades, two pieces of a bubblegum, and a “Chew Bubblegum Kick Ass” sticker with Roddy Piper!
BUY AND DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
As you can see, we had lots of fun. The 35mm screening had all the imperfection glory, but that won’t deter us fans away from catching all of Roddy Piper’s catch phrases. You never know how outdated a film can be after 2.5 decades, but the dialogue and the actions of 80’s filmmaking leads my heart home. We will attend more screenings at Colonial especially Hammer Film’s The Brides of Dracula and Grisly in the coming months. I can’t wait!
It's Bloggin Evil! 