It's a Horror to Know You: Dylan of Better Living Through Pop Culture!
(If I am lucky it gets updated every 6 months, usually it takes a year. Halley's Comet takes 75 years to make an appearance. Ergo, my blog > Halley's Comet.)
1. What is the first film that ever scared you?
Pete's Dragon. The foster family who "bought" Pete and chased him relentlessly terrified me.
2. What is the last film that scared you?
The Thing remake\prequel\reboot. Not so much scared, as got me to jump a couple of times.
3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.
Something Wicked this Way Comes. This poor little gem gets white washed by the Disney moniker, but it is kindertraumarific. I still remember our 4th grade class watching it and the teacher finally turning it off before it was over because so many of us were getting freaked.
Street Trash. Written of as a goofy comedy, this is one of those rare movies with unabashed political incorrectness, spot-on satire and wino's melting in toilets. The F/X are some of the best at that time. A great kick back, poor a tumbler of Viper and enjoy flick.
Near Dark. Not so much underrated as ignored. A well constructed story with good (Okay, sometimes merely passable…) acting and great F/X. Plus loads and loads of Henriksen!!!
4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.
Friday the 13th Part 7. Don't you judge me! My favorite of the series. Sci-Fi meets slasher with just a touch of brutal sleeping bag piñata.
Fright Night II. I almost listed this in the underrated category, but didn't feel that I could justify it merely with the two words, "Julie Carmen." Nowhere near the fun of its predecessor, but still… Roddy McDowell. That counts for something, right?
Waxworks. I said, don't judge me! I just watched this one recently with my son, because he had to put up with years of me saying, "Steak Tartar? Oh yes, Steak Tartar," completely out of context. Now he knows, and he may never forgive me.
5. Send us to five places on the Internet!
None of these are horror related, they are just places I love:
Cracked. Major time vampire, but, unlike most on the internets, very well written.
Joan of Dark. The life of a knitter, roller derbyer and barista all in one. Plus she's a friend of mine.
Sword Swallowing to the Hilt. Getcher minds out of the gutter! Great site for a nearly forgotten art.
Show History. While we're talking side show acts, this is another great site for aficionado's or beginners.
Sheldon Brown. He may have passed, but his site lives on. Sheldon combines my two favorite things, cycling and a passion for weirdness.
Dylan, I must judge you! My judgment is… you rule! I don't know how it happened but somehow over the years Friday 7: The New Blood slowly became my personal pet favorite. I know it's not the best but it is the most fun as far as I'm concerned. I love the characters and Jason looks great in it too. I'd kill to see the uncut version someday.
Something Wicked this Way Comes I watch just about every October. Like "The Lady in White" it just captures the fall season in a beautiful way.
And sign me up for some of that THE THING too. I ended up watching that movie an embarrassing amount of times. it drops the ball in a couple scenes but the environment and the situation are more than enough for me. I should have put that one in my IAHTKY as an"underrated". Great picks!
Man, I forgot there even was a Fright Night Part II! I saw it back in the early 90s on USA Up All Night. I just remember Julie Carmen in a fur coat and Jon Gries was werewolf (I think?). I'll have to give it another look.
Waxwork is a lot of fun! Mmmm Deborah Foreman…
I, like Unk, have judged you and your hilarious IAHTKY in the best possible way. That pic of the foster family in Pete's Dragon made me laugh really really hard. I absolutely LOVE that there is a place on the internet where I can go and read about other people's bizarre fear memories.
And man, oh man do I want to see that Street Trash movie now.
Great IAHTKY!
What's the uppermost still from?
@cmcmcmcm – yeah – see Street Trash. There are more than a couple of scenes that have never been duplicated.
I'm going to admit something – while watching Near Dark, when our hero rescues the vamps with his bold van-through-wall scheme, I kind of feel happy that they start to accept his as one of the family. Some part of me wants him to get on with his new life as one of the bad guys (and they are oh so very bad). I'm pretty sure that I can attribute this feeling to how cool and badass Paxton and Henriksen are in this film – they are 1000x more interesting than anything else that Pasdar's character has going on.
Nathan, that's from THE THING (2011).
@Dylan Great post! NEAR DARK is one of my favourite movies…ever. I think it's an extremely misunderstood masterpiece. Lance Henriksen has even said out of everything he's ever done that NEAR DARK was his favourite.
Got some great picks here.
Thanks all! Especially our Unk and Aunt for providing this forum to exorcise our kinderdemons.
cmcmcmcm, you will not regret seeing Street Trash. It is just delightfully gross in every sense of the word.
I am loving the Near Dark-gasms popping up here. It always amazes me how this movie gets passed over by even the most hardcore horror fans. Everyone always seems to agree that it is a great film when they think of it, but so few ever think of it. I rarely see it on "Greatest Horror Films" lists, and when I do it is often near the bottom. While I am easily biased to like anything that involves Sir Lance I am just as quick to dislike the presence of Bill Paxton ever. The only exceptions to the latter are Near Dark and, of course, Aliens.
Oof. That pic of the Gogans sent a shudder down me spine. I think that the early experience of Pete's Dragon made watching Deliverance years later that much more unsettling. Any one of those Gogan boys could just as easily been pickin' a banjer on a porch to amuse the city slickers.
Bill Paxton has been killed by Aliens, Predators and the Terminator. Who else can say that?
Bill Paxton also did one of my favorites, Frailty. (Although I don't understand the title).
Thanks, Unk. Say, did you get my Horror to Know You answers by any chance? I sent them a couple weeks ago.
Yep! I have one more to post for today (Gillig's) and then yours will be tomorrow Nate!
Sorry these are taking long but I wanted to make sure everybody got their due time on the front page!
No problem. I'll be patient. You're doing a great job with these!
I don't judge people who don't like FRIDAY THE 13TH VII: THE NEW BLOOD, I just feel sorry for them. They're missing out on so much ecstatic pleasure! I agree that my judgment is you rule! I love the image of your fourth grade class freaking out, one by one, at SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.
Good choices.
It is kind of amazing to me that Street Trash doesn't have a bigger reputation.
My love for Near Dark is only weakened by my contempt for the lame ending… breaking down with the deus ex machina blood transfusion claptrap. I hate it when horror movies spend their last few moments in a rush to set everything 'right'… where is the horror in that?
I'd have loved to see it end a lot more strange/subtle/gray/dark/something… anything other than how it ended.