Hey, Kindertrauma pals! Long time fan… I check your site almost daily. Just thought I'd share a few underrated (in my opinion, at least), rather obscure films I've seen recently.
1. Mirror, Mirror (1990)
Wow. This one. The cast tells you all you really need to know- Karen Black, Yvonne De Carlo, William Sanderson, Stephen Tobolowsky, RAINBOW HARVEST (not kidding…total Wynona Ryder knockoff)… Need I say more?
Fine. Here's the plot (per IMDb): "Shy teenager Megan moves to a new town with her widowed mother and quickly becomes the most unpopular girl in high school. But when she starts to communicate with a mysterious mirror, her tormentors begin to meet with a horrifying series of 'accidents.' Is the mirror a reflection of Megan's own inner demons… or has she unwittingly opened the doorway of the damned?"
Alas, it looks like this one's no longer on YouTube, but at least check out the trailer and tell me it's not the most perfect time capsule of late '80s/early '90s horror.
2. Tainted Blood (1993)
This one, on the other hand, is definitely still on YouTube, where you can catch it in all its early '90s, made-for-tv glory! Once again, I'll let the cast speak for itself- Raquel Welch, Alley Mills, Joan Van Ark (!!), Kerri Green (from Goonies, duh), Natasha Gregson Wagner…
Synopsis (per Amazon): "When a dedicated investigative reporter tries to find the teenaged twin of a homicidal maniac she enters a dark world of insanity and danger."
Definitely more of a thriller than horror, this one still gets bonus points for showing multiple scenes of Joan Van Ark smoking, drinking, and even smacking her daughter around! It's the simple things in life.
3. I've Been Waiting for You (1998)
Another made-for-tv gem, this one tried hard to cash in on the late '90s teen scream fad (Scream, IKWYDLS, etc.). Like IKWYDLS, it's even based (loosely, I assume) on a novel by Lois Duncan.
Per Amazon: "Someone is stalking teenagers in this picturesque New England town. A high school senior is mysteriously murdered and more teens fall victim to grisly accidents. Classmates blame Sarah (Sarah Chalke), the new girl who recently moved with her mother, Rosemary (Markie Post), into an old house believed to be haunted. The legend is that 300 years ago another girl named Sarah had lived in that same house and was burned at the stake for suspected witchcraft. With her dying words, she cast a curse on the town and vowed to come back to destroy the descendants of her killers. Now, the town's teens believe the new Sarah is the evil reincarnation of that witch. As the body count rises, Sarah must fight for her life and discover who the real killer is."
This one's also on YouTube, but in parts (ugh). It's not bad! It has a definite R.L. Stine/Christopher Pike feel to it, and as long as you don't need heavy doses of gore to satisfy your every need, this one is a pleasant time waster. Also: IT HAS A BITCHY SOLEIL MOON FRYE IN IT. There ya go.
~Matthew A.
