FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FALLS INTO A NIGHTMARE WITH PHANTASM

"You play a good game, boy. But the game is finished. Now you die."

Phantasm: 1. An apparition or specter.
                  2. A creation of the imagination or fancy; fantasy.
               

In Phantasm we follow Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), and Jody's best friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). After the funeral of one of their pals, Mike sees a strange and frightening sight: The Tall Man (The director of the funeral parlor, played by Angus Scrimm), picking up a heavy casket with ease. It quickly becomes clear that there are some strange events surrounding the funeral parlor and The Tall Man himself. When Mike and pals go to investigate, they are sent spiraling into a surreal, bizarre world where they struggle to find a way to defeat the Tall Man and escape with their lives.

The chemistry between our three heroes is quite strong, and it's easy to buy them as best friends. They all do great performances and are super likable. Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man is an imposing figure indeed that feels supernatural and threatening. He doesn't speak much, but stalks around the screen. Make no mistake about it, this is his film and he is in control. Scrimm easily emerges as a horror icon to remember.

Phantasm is bizarrely structured, but is done so on purpose. There is a reason this movie is called Phantasm, and that's because the film is meant to resemble a nightmare. The way it's shot and edited helps to drive this point home. Phantasm is a master class in creating a strong, rich atmosphere and a good deal of tension. I wouldn't go so far as to call it genuinely scary, but it is without a doubt very creepy, suspenseful, and weird.

Phantasm is a film that doesn't waste any of our time. It hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. Yes, it is campy, silly, and nonsensical but in my own opinion this helps add to the film's odd charm (it also oozes 70's style). With strong performances from the cast, a palpable atmosphere (and some really pretty shots), and a cool, creepy villain, I'd say Phantasm is definitely a film you should check out.

4 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: HALLOWEEN H20 IS THE ENDING THIS FRANCHISE DESERVES

In Halloween H20, we pick back up with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) twenty years after the events of Halloween and Halloween 2. Still living in fear of her older brother, Laurie has changed her name and become the headmistress of a posh, gated, secluded prep school (she has essentially holed herself up there). Her son, John, lives there with her and attends the school. As Laurie struggles to overcome her growing paranoia (which always gets worse on Halloween), Michael returns one final time in an attempt to finish the job he started twenty years ago. Get ready for the final battle.

Jamie Lee Curtis is back in peak form (even getting to show she is still a Grade A scream queen in her opening scene). Curtis steps back into her iconic role with ease and finesse. Her role is meaty one, with plenty of internal conflict and psychosis she must battle (along with her brother, of course). Josh Hartnett is at his most likable here as her teenaged son, who only wants to go outside of the walls of the school. Laurie, naturally, strictly forbids this. Chris Durand steps effortlessly into the shoes of one of the most iconic slashers in film. His mask is kind of bad, but he is completely believable as Michael here. This is the return of Michael as we saw him in the first two Halloween films. Michael in this film is smart, fast, incredibly strong, and pretty cool. It just feels great to see the return of THE Michael Meyers. I've missed him dearly.

It's pretty awesome that they managed to rope Nancy Chambers back into the franchise. She reprises her role from the first Halloween, Marion Chambers (The nurse from the beginning that's first attacked by Michael, but survives. She wears the same outfit as she did in the original film. This a visual que to the audience as to who she is). It's also a nice surprise to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt pop up as Jimmy, a next door neighbor of Marion's. Both of these actors get very minimal screen time, but it feels good to have them here.

The beginning and ending of Halloween H20 are the strongest parts of this film, unfortunately the middle lags a good deal as we spend a decent amount of time focused on the prep school students. The characters are likable enough, but just aren't interesting. It also hurts that there aren't many Michael antics until the last 30 minutes or so of the film. That said, all the waiting pays off as the last battle is thrilling, epic, and pretty awesome.

Halloween H20 is not a perfect film, it often feels more like your typical 90's teen slasher than a Halloween film. Luckily, the characters of Michael and Laurie are perfect, and the film is filled with cool nods to the original (one example: Janet Leigh appears for one brief scene as Norma. Not only is this a nod to Psycho, which inspired the original Halloween a good deal, but in real life Leigh is Jamie Lee's mother). Halloween H20 sends the Halloween franchise off on the perfect note. Thank God they didn't make another awful, insulting sequel after this one.

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS GOES FOR A RIDE WITH THE HITCHER

"I want you to stop me."

In The Hitcher, Teen Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is tasked with delivering a car to California. On the long drive there, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) from the pouring rain. Unfortunately for Jim, this simple act of kindness has unforeseen, nightmarish consequences. Winds up that The Hitcher is a crazed psychopath who has been killing off whoever is unlucky enough to give him a ride. He almost immediately starts up a new game with Jim: Kill him, or be killed by him. Now, Jim must dig deep to find the strength (and maybe even the darkness) within himself if he is to survive the Hitcher's crazed game.

The Hitcher is a film with clear Western influences . It's set on a dusty, desolate highway and our hero is on his own for most of the film. It has numerous chase scenes (the police are on a manhunt for Jim because he's been framed for The Hitcher's various murders), the locations all feel empty and dead, and it even has a few cool shoot-outs. The film itself is essentially a tale of good man vs. bad man, and it's made clear that Jim is likely the only person who can stop The Hitcher.

C. Thomas Howell is absolutely perfect as Jim. He makes Jim a relatable, sympathetic everyman who is stuck in a never-ending nightmare where things keep getting progressively worse. I really loved Jim in this film, and felt for his difficult plight. Rutger Hauer is terrifying as The Hitcher. He manages to imbue his character with a supernatural quality. It feels like he could pop up just about anywhere at any time. C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer work very well off of each other, and the scenes they share together are powerful.  Jennifer Jason Leigh co-stars as Nash, a waitress at a roadside diner who joins up with Jim later on in the film. She's also quite likable, though her screen time is minimal.

The film is pretty intense for most of it's run-time. We get very little breathing room, as things continually build until it's satisfying and cool climax. The Hitcher is a movie that has a smart script (by Eric Red), great direction (by Robert Harmon), and cool cinematography (by John Seale). It also makes many smart character decisions. The Hitcher is scary, thrilling, tense, super cool, super bleak/dark, and just all around awesome. I'd say it's easily one of my favorite horror films I've seen, and naturally it comes highly recommended.

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE WITH ROB ZOMBIE'S 31

Why is it that I keep watching Rob Zombie films? I like the guy, but his films more often than not are terrible. Luckily, this is one of his better films.

It's October 31, 1976 and a group of traveling, foul-mouthed, redneck carnies are kidnapped by warped aristocrats and forced to play a game called 31 where, for 12 hours, they must survive against a murderous horde of psychopaths.   I have to give Zombie some credit here. While his characters all start out as disgusting, ugly people by the end I was surprised to find I had grown to like some of them (including some of the psychos too). These characters would be victims Venus (Meg Foster) and Roscoe (Jeff Daniel Phillips), and psychos Sick-Head (a bilingual Nazi midget who speaks mainly Spanish with some English interspersed throughout played by Pancho Moler) and Doom-Head (A truly despicable character played by Richard Brake. He looks pretty cool in his get-up during the last act and has some of the film's best lines). It's a tough feat to start out with unlikable characters and find a way to bring the audience somewhat onto their sides, but Zombie kind of pulls it off (Here's a pat on the back Zombie). I also have to give Zombie props for using Aerosmith's Dream On and The Mama's and Papa's California Dreaming on the soundtrack.

As for the film itself, the script is pretty bad (par for the course for Zombie) and it's one of his ugliest films to watch. All the kill scenes are punctuated by shaky cam shots so it's kind of hard to make out what's going on on-screen (confusing and frustrating). There is basically no plot and our characters are thinly developed (including the psychos). The first 24 minutes are pretty tough to get through as we are introduced to our victims (This part is just the group talking worse than a 5 dollar hooker and making many sexual references). I was also shocked that almost all of Zombie's usual surreal/imaginative visual imagery and atmosphere was absent here. That said, I did find the film entertaining in a bad B-movie/ Grindhouse flick kind of way (I also will never understand why Zombie keeps featuring his wife in his films. Sheri-Moon is pretty bad here, which is confusing because I saw that she could actually act in his previous flick: Lords of Salem).

Rob Zombie's 31 is filled to the brim with blood, gore, some of the foulest language ever sampled, murder, lots of nudity (We see everything here, and I was none too impressed by it honestly), bad lines (sometimes so bad they're funny), and general chaos and anarchy. Naturally 31 won't be for everyone, but if you are a Zombie fan then I'd say it may be worth a watch.

2 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT CASPER

In Casper, Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a father and daughter who are still reeling from the death of their mother/wife, move into the old Whipstaff Manor (loacted in Friendship, Maine. *insert Stephen King pun here*). James is a Ghost psychologist who specializes in helping the dead tend to their unfinished business so they can move on. Whipstaff manor is haunted by four ghosts, Casper (Malachai Pearson), Stretch (Joe Nipote), Stinky (Joe Alasky), and Fatso (Brad Garrett). Since Casper died when he was 12 and Kat herself is just a young teen, it doesn't take long for Casper to fall, um, head over heels (?) for the girl. Little do they know, the evil Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) and her lacky Dibbs (Eric Idle, who I quite like here) are using James to rid the house of the ghosts so the two can find the treasure that is supposedly hidden inside.

Casper is one of the films I grew up with. I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, but how does it hold up now that I'm 26? The answer: It holds up ok, I guess. There isn't any real solid through-line or story for the film. Instead, we get a bunch of threads that are wrapped up by the end. The characters are likable enough, and most of the actors do decent jobs (except for Cathy Moriarty, who is like nails on a chalkboard). Christina Ricci's Kat was my childhood crush for quite some time, and she is still pretty lovely here (no pedo). Bill Pullman's James is pretty doofy and dorky, but still enjoyable. Fatso, Stinky, and Stretch are mean-spirited but never to the point where they aren't likable (Though they aren't funny....most of the jokes aren't funny. There are also quite a bit of bad cameos. ) and Casper is very sweet. The romance between Kat and Casper is cute but also fairly creepy (How would one react if a somewhat hormonal 12 year old ghost fell for you? I'm not sure, but I think the emotion of horror would fit in there somewhere).

The CGI for our main ghosts is pretty decent and holds up well enough, and the interior sets are pretty cool (I wouldn't mind staying for a while in Whipstaff Manor). There is a good deal of whimsy and silliness in the film (most of which feels VERY 90's). The soundtrack is one of the strong points of the film as it is hauntingly beautiful at time. Casper also has some moments that sent chills up my back (in a good way. One example would be Casper remembering his death).

I can't say Casper has much for anyone over the age of 13, but for kids and pre-teens/young teens it's a pretty decent, sweet little flick. I'm not sure I'll go back and re-watch it often, but maybe if/when I have kids I'll sit down and show it to them.

2.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: THE SHAPE RETURNS IN HALLOWEEN 4

While I personally liked Halloween 3, most audiences at the time did not. They demanded more of the adventures of Michael Meyers, and Hollywood listened. In Halloween 4, Michael has been lying unconscious in a mental asylum for ten years, both Loomis and him barely survived being set ablaze at the end of Halloween 2. While being transferred to Smith's Grove, he awakens and escapes back to Haddonfield where he commences his usual Halloween hunt. This time, he has a new target in his sights: Jamie (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode who is living with a foster family. Can Loomis track him down in time? Will Jamie survive with her sanity intact?

Halloween 4 is definitely better than Halloween 3. The film has an atmosphere that feels reminiscent of the ones in the first 2 Halloween films, and Michael still retains some of his supernatural qualities we are so familiar with. Danielle Harris does a great job as Jamie (for a child actor, she's pretty impressive), and Ellie Cornell holds her own as Rachel, Jamie's foster sister who is tasked with protecting the girl.

Donald Pleasence just about outshines everyone else as Loomis, putting on a superb performance that is on par with his previous outings as the beloved character (He has some scars from his burning in the 2nd film and walks with a limp). As for Sasha Jenson, I started out not really liking his Brady (he's kind of a douche) but by the time he has his quick fight with Michael I had grown to actually quite like his character. I also liked Beau Starr as Sheriff Ben Meeker, who actually acts pretty sensibly throughout the whole film.

Halloween 4 is a little uneven, but it certainly feels like we are watching a Halloween film and the darkness that pervaded the first film is back here (thankfully). It's not as good as the first two Halloween films, but it's certainly better than the third outing. Halloween 4 is the rare 4th-quel that is a worthy predecessor to the previous films and is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of the franchise. Complete with a pretty cool ending, Halloween 4 makes for good viewing during the haunting season.

4 Stars

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS IS SUCKED INTO THE GOTHIC WORLD OF BLACK SUNDAY

In Black Sunday, a traveling doctor and his assistant inadvertently awaken the spirit of a centuries old witch and her lover, who immediately set out for vengeance. The ancestor of the witch, a beautiful princess, is their main target and only the dr.'s assistant may stand in their way.

Black Sunday is an old-fashioned Italian gothic horror film. The dubbing isn't great and there is some silliness on occasion (like the romantic scenes), but everything else in this film is fan-freaking-tastic. The sets are elaborate and lush,  the atmosphere is chilling, rich, and all encompassing, and the cinematography is superb. It feels like we are in the middle of a classic, creepy ghost story. Barbara Steele commands the screen with her presence as both the princess and the witch. She oozes sexuality and is indeed breathtakingly beautiful ( She's hot enough to make any sane man join Satan just to be with her). The other actors all do fine jobs, but she is easily the standout.

Black Sunday is also surprisingly gnarly, gruesome and grotesque. There is a good deal of material that made me cringe. I was impressed by just how far the film goes at times. It's not hard at all to see why this film has earned it's classic status. The story may not offer many surprises but the film itself is still creepy, chilling and atmospheric as hell, plus our heroine is super easy on the eyes. Filmed in glorious black and white, Black Sunday is a certified classic that is a must see for any horror buff.

4 STARS