It's a Horror to Know You: Matty from Boston!
1. What is the first film that ever scared you?
"10 to Midnight" (1983). Although now I see what a bad-ass Charles Bronson is, and Andrew Stevens certainly was dreamy back then, I didn't feel that way when I was young and witnessed the scene where the naked killer slaughters the room full of student nurses while Bronson's movie daughter is hiding. As for me, I was so petrified I couldn't change the channel. Instead, I hid behind the television set and listened to the carnage take place. I'd like to say I've become braver as an adult. I'd also like to say that I'm a supermodel. Yet neither of these are true.
2. What is the last film that scared you?
"Insidious" (2010): Holy junkpunch Batman, this movie scared me. When I'm alone in any darkened room, I imagine the scene where Barbara Hershey talks of her dream of the demon and the camera shows the outline of the creature in the corner of the little boy's room, slowly raising his arms. There's so much old-fashioned, good scare stuff in this movie. It's got excellent performances, especially the fantastic Lin Shaye, and characters that are easy to feel for. The jump scenes are outstanding and the whole film was pretty wild and unpredictable until the final reel.
3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.
(01) "Popcorn" (1991): One of my favorite slasher films, starring the always-lovable Jill Schoelen. It's got a creepy villain, great performances, likable and affable main characters, an obvious affection for the genre, and the scene where my beloved Miss Schoelen is trapped in the dark basement with only a flashlight as the killer skitters around her making noises is genuinely scary.
(02) "Prom Night 4: Deliver Us From Evil" (1992): Say what you like, but this movie owns! It's got all the slasher tropes: virginal heroine, sassy best friend, isolated location. But it also has a truly frightening and intense killer, likable characters, good performances, terrific score, exciting chase scenes, menacing phone calls, and even a horrific scene involving two of the heroine's murdered friends (watch the movie and you'll see). If you just overlook it's flaws (prom in the dead of winter, among others) and sit back and enjoy it for what it is — a throwback to 80's slashers — you'll have a swell time.
(03) "The Zero Boys" (1986): I shun the 3.6 rating this flick has on IMDB and say it's wrong, all wrong! Just like I do with the Kardashians, I will pretend it doesn't exist. How can I not love a movie where a bunch of renegade paint-ballers stumble upon a house in the woods and just make themselves at home, only to discover it belongs to torture-happy rednecks? Plus it stars the great Kelli Maroney of "Chopping Mall" and "Night of the Comet" and features a groovy 80's electronic score. I wish I could take the opening scene where the lead hero yells "Caaaayyy-seeeeeeyy!" in his best "Rambo" voice and make it my ringtone.
4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.
(01) "Demon Wind" (1990): Thanks to the late great "USA Up All Night", I discovered this craptastic classic. It's full of nonsensical scenes of monsters, really dumb college students (including 2 horribly-coiffed magicians), Dell the juiced-up mega-dillweed jock, and it's unintentionally funny. I heart this film like Lindsay Lohan hearts crack.
(02) "Doom Asylum" (1987): It's so poorly executed but so much fun, with completely ridiculous (and humorous) dialogue. There's too much to love about this movie — Tina, the lead rock band chick, and her amazing fake laugh steals the show (I want to be her for Halloween). It's got victims don't run away but stand still as the killer approaches them and basically let him kill them, the scene where the 2 would-be paramours run to each other in slow motion through a field, the heroine calling her boyfriend "Mom", and the fact that the whole movie takes place during daylight, and Kristin Davis (Charlotte from "Sex and the City") in her first role.
(03) "The Incredible Melting Man" (1977): Forget the fact that there's absolutely no explanation for the monster's motives. This film is gold! The conversation between Dr. Ted and his wife about the crackers for the soup while there's a mutated humanoid running around slaughtering people is so surreal and hilarious that this movie won over my stone-cold heart. There's a slow-motion window-crashing scene with a Rubenesque nurse, very convincing gore effects care of Rick Baker, the late great Burr DeBenning, and even with all the ineptitude going on, it's a really entertaining and enjoyable flick.
5. Send us to five places on the Internet!
(01) Bloody Disgusting.
(02) Danvers State Insane Asylum.
(03) Debbie Gibson Official.
(04) Kelli Maroney.
(05) Urban Explorers.
Thanks so much for reading, kindertrauma! I love this site and read it every day! Much love, Matty from Boston MA.
Matty, this IAHTKY rules on so many different levels. Thank you first for the Debbie Gibson link. 10 to Midnight is on Netflix streaming and I'm thinking all fans of 80's horror should check that action/slasher out- it really is a disturbing sleaze-o-romp. Love that movie. I've also always had a thing for the crazy cover art on the VHS box.
I have never seen or heard of THE ZERO BOYS. How has that happened? You have just changed my life and I will hunt it down asap.
I have been meaning to watch Demon Wind, it has come up on KT a couple times. last I checked it was on Youtube so I'll try to get to that one soon too.
Doom Asylum is truly hilarious and good call on Prom Night 4. I think you just have to watch that one as a stand alone and forget the part 4 thing. I can remember being freaked out by the TV commercials for "The Incredible Melting Man" as a kid. Thanks for all these great titles Matty!! I can't wait to check out The Zero Boys. You had me at "Torture-happy rednecks"
Wow, I didn't even know there was a fourth Prom Night…I'm going to guess that they dropped the supernatural Mary Lou storyline after part III and went for in-name-only?
I know I had The Zero Boys on my radar after reading the plot synopsis somewhere a couple of years ago, but somehow it fell off…I'll have to look for it again. These IAHTKYs are costing me some money on Amazon! But it's so worth it.
"The conversation between Dr. Ted and his wife about the crackers for the soup while there’s a mutated humanoid running around slaughtering people is so surreal and hilarious that this movie won over my stone-cold heart." — Reminds me of the last episode of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace where Dr. Sanchez keeps talking about his favorite way to prepare soup while people are mutating into broccoli all over the place…I wonder if Darkplace found some inspiration in The Incredible Melting Man…
Watch these while you can..both "The Zero Boys" and "Demon Wind" (in full) on Youtube…
OMG I love this IAHTKY! I haven't seen most of these movies and want to see them all immediately! You should be a used car salesperson!
Thanks Matty from Boston!
Insidious did show us some very creepy images, but I still cannot get over the end…. In any case, Matty's mention of the demon/ghost in the boy's bedroom (there were a couple of these that were good) got me thinking about a similar scene that gave me the chills. The film is called "The Baby's Room" – it's a Spanish film part of the "Films to Keep you Awake" collection. The plot concerns a young couple with a baby, struggling against the evil spirit of the house they moved into. Overall not the most original film but it is decent enough and it earns its keep with a scene toward the beginning. The father has set up a video monitor in the baby's room and one evening we are shown that the baby has an unexpected visitor……
(Minor spoilers ahead)
I just found Doom Asylum on YouTube too. I had never heard of it before, but after watching the first five minutes I can already tell it's all I ever wanted in a movie. Thanks Matty!
Dear Unk — Thanks for making my day! I checked kindertrauma (as I do every day) and there was my post! And to you, Taylor, cmcmcmcm, Chuckles, and Erin, thanks for the enthusiasm and interest in my choices. All of you filled my day with glitter, unicorns, and double rainbows! And Unk, I love the effort you always put in to finding YouTube links and cool pics.
Try as I may, my beloved friends and wonderful better half just have no interest in my filmic tastes. You say "Linda Blair" to me, and I excitedly say "which prison movie?"; say it to them, and they say "Who?". This is evidenced by the fact that I've desperately attempted to make my better half watch "Pieces" and "Chained Heat" only to hear him snoring about 15 minutes in.
Also, "Zero Boys" now has a 3.3 on IMDB. It's not right! Let's fix that.
But again, many thanks for this site and the great people who visit!
Oh … man. The top pic – I've seen it many times over the years. I just realized that the guy superimposed on the clock… his arms … 10 to Midnight…… duh. I'm so dumb.
Matty! I never thought I'd live to see the day when somebody else thought that PROM NIGHT 4 was underrated. I totally thought that movie was creepy when it came out–but over the years I have heard so many awful things about it that I assumed I was wrong! Re-evaluation time… Thank you for this great post!
I'll give a shout out to the internet links! Urban Explorers is a great site and I can waste hours there and other sites about that topic.