Tremor Reviews

Scream (1996)

The Slasher Film is Reborn

[9/10 · 4 June 2000]

Every once in a while, a movie comes along and revives or re-

defines a specific genre. Two great examples are "Die Hard",

which gave the action genre a shot in the arm, and "Fatal

Attraction", which gave new meaning to the term "psychological

thriller". In 1978, John Carpenter's "Halloween" revived the

slasher picture, which was spawned 18 years earlier by Alfred

Hitchcock's classic 1960 film "Psycho". In 1996, 18 years after

"Halloween" scared the hell out of movie audiences, the slasher

genre was revived and redefined yet again by Wes Craven's new

nightmare flick "SCREAM". "Scream" tells the story of a rash of

spree killings plaguing the suburban California town of

Woodsboro. These murders seem to be connected to teenager Sydney

Prescott (Neve Campbell), whose mother Maureen was brutally

slain exactly one year earlier. The film opens with a tour-de-force performance by Drew Barrymore, who has the Janet

Leigh role from "Psycho" (first identifiable character who is

killed off early on in the story). Barrymore is terrorized via

telephone (borrowing from such horror classics as "When A

Stranger Calls" and "Black Christmas") by an assailant wearing a

black cloak and eerie "Ghostface" mask. After this harrowing

opening sequence, the fun begins again as the people in Sydney's

orbit become either suspects and/or victims. These characters

(superbly written by Kevin Williamson) include: bitchy,

ambitious journalist Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, in a knockout

performance); Sydney's best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan) and her

ditsy policeman brother Dewey (David Arquette, Cox's on-screen

and off-screen paramour); Sydney's boyfriend Billy Loomis

(played by Skeet Ulrich, a dead ringer for actor Johnny Depp,

who starred in Craven's 1984 classic "A Nightmare On Elm

Street". Ulrich broods much like Depp, and his character's name

is an obvious reference to the characters in "Psycho" and

"Halloween" played by John Gavin and Donald Pleasence); Billy's

goofy buddy Stu (Matthew Lillard); and horror film buff Randy

(Jamie Kennedy). The script includes rich characterizations (the

actors are all in top form as directed by the brilliant Craven),

several plot twists (you'll change your mind a dozen times

before you guess the identity of the killer), references to

other horror films, and an audacious sense of humor. "Scream",

like "Psycho" and "Halloween" spawned a countless number of

clones and imitations in the wake of its success. A must-see for

fans of this genre. My score: 9 out of 10.

Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)

A Canceled Gem

[2 June 2000]

Shame on NBC for canceling "Freaks and Geeks", the best new series of the 1999-2000 season. The mere fact that "Providence", "3rd Rock From The Sun" and "Just Shoot Me" are on NBC's fall schedule is the reason why the Peacock Network was in 3rd place this season! HA HA! "Just Shoot The Viewers" should be their motto. "Freaks and Geeks" centers around the suburban Weir siblings Lindsay and Sam, circa 1980. As the superb series opens, Lindsay (played to perfection by the brilliant Linda Cardellini, who is 25 but CAN PORTRAY a character much younger than her own years), finds herself forsaking her dorky friends (Mathlete tryouts anyone?) for a hipper group of "Freaks". These freaks consist of three stoner guys (James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel) and one loose chick (Busy Phillips, fierce and honest as Kim Kelly). Meanwhile, Lindsay's younger brother Sam (played by John Francis Daley, the best young actor to hit the TV screen in years...a pure natural), remains trapped in Geek Territory with his lifelong friends Neil and Bill (Samm Levine and Martin Starr, both excellent as Sam's counterparts). The Weir parents are superbly played by Joe Flaherty and Becky Ann Baker. This is a critically acclaimed family drama that should have made the 2000-2001 season cut. Maybe if it was a FOX original (like the similar superb "Malcolm In The Middle"), it coulda been a contenda! Hopefully, another network will pick up the syndication rights, including the lost episodes. This series reminded me of my own childhood (I identified with Sam, because I was 14 in 1981 as well). My score: 10 out of 10.

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

Brooke,sweet Brooke

[27 May 2000]

"Alice,Sweet Alice" (1977) was filmed one year earlier under the title "Communion", but released much later than the film's completion due to the success of child star Brooke Shields (starring in such films as "Pretty Baby" and "King Of The Gypsies" in the late 70's). Brooke isn't even the title character in this horror classic...that honor belongs to another excellent child actress/one-hit wonder Paula E.Sheppard. ***SPOILER ALERT*** "Alice" centers around a divorced woman (Linda Miller) and her two young daughters (Shields and Sheppard), and the rash of murders involving both their family and the Catholic church located in their New Jersey suburb. Shields has the Janet Leigh-Drew Barrymore role of Alice's younger sister Karen, who is murdered during the first 15 minutes on the day of her First Communion. Suspicion falls on her jealous, disturbed older sister (Sheppard, wearing a yellow raincoat and a creepy doll's mask for most of the film), but this whodunit is far from being simple. There are twists and turns abound, as well as excellent character development (scripted by Rosemary Ritvo and director Alfred Sole), interesting relationships among the interconnected characters, and the unknown cast is superb. I remember seeing this movie on Showtime when I was 14, and MAN, everyone was talking about it at school the next day! That, in itself is a recommendation. This gem is available on video (you'll have to hunt for it, though). My score: 9 out of 10.

Carrie (1976)

They're all gonna laugh at you!

[9/10 · 27 May 2000]

"Carrie" (1976), directed by Hitchcock disciple Brian DePalma, and based on the novel by Stephen King, is one of my top ten favorite horror films. The plot centers around Carrie White (played to perfection by Sissy Spacek), a shy, awkward teenager who possesses the powers of telekinesis (the ability to move objects at will), which she unleashes with great fury against her cruel classmates and religious fanatic mother (Piper Laurie, in a wild, wonderful performance) on the night of her Senior Prom. Among the cast of high schoolers are: William Katt and Amy Irving as popular couple Tommy Ross and Sue Snell, who are sympathetic towards Carrie's plight; and John Travolta (during his pre-superstardom days) and Nancy Allen as Billy Nolan and Chris Hargensen, the couple who initiates the cruel Prom Night prank that results in Carrie's wrath and the subsequent bloodbath. The entire movie is a tour-de-force, especially the climactic "crucifixion scene" between Spacek and Laurie (who deservedly earned Oscar nods for their indelible performances). DePalma's use of slow-motion, soft focus lenses and split screen are effective, and Pino Donaggio's musical score is superb. ***SPOILER ALERT*** And that ending! The dream sequence in which sole survivor Amy Irving, looking like a zombie bride, is attacked by a hand from beyond the grave as she attempts to place flowers on Carrie's burial site, started the "it was all a dream" trend in horror films (used again effectively in "Friday The 13th"). My score: 9 out of 10. The only Brian DePalma film that surpasses "Carrie" on his impressive resume is his 1987 non-horror classic "The Untouchables".

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Earth All Along...

[10/10 · 27 May 2000]

"Planet Of The Apes" (1968) is a sci-fi classic based upon Pierre Boulle's novel "Monkey Planet". The film's plot centers around modern day astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston), who crash-lands on a planet 2000 years into the future...a planet where humans are mute slaves and apes (philosophical orangutans, intelligent chimps and guerilla soldier gorillas) rule! And boy, do they rule! The ape makeup earned an honorary Oscar, and that final twist (scripted by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling of TV's "Twilight Zone") still packs a wallop after 30 years! Or should I say 2000 years! Heston was THE sci-fi actor of the late 60's and early 70's (starring in two "Apes" films, as well as "The Omega Man", "Soylent Green" and "Earthquake"). The rest of the cast is excellent: Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter as sympathetic chimpanzee doctors Cornelius and Zira; Maurice Evans as the pompous Dr. Zaius; and Linda Harrison (another one-hit wonder) as Taylor's beautiful mute mate Nova (the Eve of their new Millennium). "Apes" remains one of my favorite science fiction films ever, and brings back nostalgic memories of my childhood moviegoing experiences. Of its four sequels, "Escape From The Planet Of The Apes" (1971, third in the series) is by far the best. My score for this original: 10 out of 10.

The Innocents (1961)

A classy classic

[9/10 · 27 May 2000]

The 1961 film "The Innocents", directed by Jack Clayton and based upon the novel "The Turn Of The Screw" by Henry James, is an classy, classic horror film. Ranking up there with "The Haunting" and "The Shining" as the best ghost stories ever filmed, "The Innocents" tells the story of a young English governess, played by the flawless Deborah Kerr, who comes to believe that the two precocious orphans in her care (played by the wonderful child actors Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin), are possessed by the spirits of their former governess and her lover. The film's setting is a spooky mansion located along the English countryside, and director Clayton makes good use out of the black-and-white photography and the estate's creepy locales (gazebo, tower and pond). This film boasts some of the scariest moments ever captured in a horror film. But don't expect "Friday The 13th" chase sequences and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" special effects. The story here (scripted by Truman Capote and William Archibald) is very subtle, preying upon the viewer's mind as if we were Kerr's character, who begins to believe that the apparitions are all part of her unraveling psyche. Kerr, Stephens and Franklin are superb, and the scenes involving the spirits are genuinely frightening! The downbeat ending is appropriate for its time (no happy endings in this genre). Don't watch this one alone! Leave the lights on! My score: 9 out of 10.

Growing Up Brady (2000 TV Movie)

Here's a story...the REAL story

[21 May 2000]

"Growing Up Brady" is an excellent TV-movie written and produced by actor Barry Williams (who played Greg in the series). The movie depicts the backstage and off-screen dramedies of the cast, focusing on the on-again, off-again romance between Williams and Maureen McCormick (who played Marcia), as well as a subplot involving the ongoing animosity between actor Robert Reed (who played Mike Brady) and series producer Sherwood Schwartz over script quality. Reed is portrayed by Daniel Hugh-Kelly, and Schwartz is played by Michael Tucker of "L.A.Law" fame. Both men are excellent, as is Rebeccah Bush, who is right-on target as Florence Henderson, especially during her embarrassing "date" with a then-teenaged Williams (what was she thinking?!). The best aspect of the film is the HOT HOT HOT chemistry between the young actors who portray Williams and McCormick (Adam Brody and Kaley Cuoco). Skip the "Brady Bunch" theatrical movies from the late 90's, and watch this film if/when NBC airs it again. Too bad this could not have been a theatrical release, so that the sexual liaisons could have been steamier, Reed's homosexuality could have been explored (being closeted must have caused some of that angst!), as well as the short-lived porno career of Susan Olsen (who played Cindy). My score: 8 out of 10, which is not bad for a made-for-TV flick. "The Brady Bunch" rules! Memo to Williams: great job! Especially the casting of Mike Lookinland's son to portray Mike/Bobby!

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)

More like One-Dimensional!

[21 May 2000]

"Friday The 13th Part 3" (1982) was another pointless sequel hoping to ride the wave of the original film's box office success. Not even the 3-D gimmick could save this worthless entry. One positive note: Dana Kimmell is by far the series' most beautiful leading lady (Adrienne King from Part 1 being the most realistic; and Amy Steel from "Part 2" being the toughest). Since there are 13 survivors from all eight "Friday" sequels (including Steel,Kimmell,Corey Feldman,Kimberly Beck,Melanie Kinnemann,Shavar Ross,Jennifer Cooke,Lar Park Lincoln,Kevin Blair,Jensen Daggett,Scott Reeves,John D.LeMay and Kari Keegan), a great idea for Part Ten would be for the survivors to return to Camp Crystal Lake as part of a group therapy session...one by one,they are murdered...instead of Jason being the killer,one of these survivors could be suffering from a severe case of psychosis brought upon by post traumatic stress disorder (my money would be on Feldman's creepy Tommy character). Hey,its a helluva lot better than "Jason In Space"! And Adrienne King could guest star in a dual role cameo as the group's psychiatrist. My score for Part 3: 3 out of 10 (all three points earned by Kimmell's beauty; Jason's new hockey mask doesn't even warrant a point...he looks like a demented goalie!).

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

Sequels Suck!

[21 May 2000]

"Friday The 13th,Part 2" (1981) was necessary as far a sequels go,since the presumed dead Jason didn't appear in the first "Friday" until the final scene. The word "necessary" is not equivalent to a good story,in this film's case. The original "Friday",like most in any film series,is far superior. Part 2 does include a couple of positive points: the pre-credits cameo by Part 1 survivor Adrienne King; and this film's heroine Amy Steel (as Ginny,perhaps the toughest of the "Friday" leading ladies). The rest of the cast is pretty awful,although the production values contain more gloss than grit (the original "Friday" was very grainy). One major loose end that wasn't even tied up in Part 3...what happened to Ginny's boyfriend Paul (John Furey) after Jason jumped through the window in the finale and attacked Ginny? My score: 5 out of 10 (points earned only by King and Steel as the tag team heroines).

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Disco Inferno!

[21 May 2000]

Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno" (1974) ranks right up there with "The Poseidon Adventure" as one of the disaster genre's finest films. More deadly serious than campy fun, "Inferno" tells the story of the heroic efforts to rescue a group of people trapped in a burning San Francisco skyscraper. The stellar, all-star cast includes Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J.Simpson, Robert Vaughn and Robert Wagner. This film was an Oscar-nominee for Best Picture, and a winner for Cinematography, Original Song (another Maureen McGovern classic) and Film Editing. The visual effects and set design are superb (holding their own in today's modern world of computer-generated FX), and the rescue attempts (via scenic glass elevator, helicopter, stairwell, cable-rigged swing from a nearby building) are spectacular! On the lighter side, Newman rescues TV's Bobby Brady (Mike Lookinland), while O.J. rescues a cat! The finale, in which a handful of characters remain trapped in the top-floor ballroom while the building's water tanks explode, is a classic flood vs.fire stunt. My score: 9 out of 10.

Terror Train (1980)

All Aboard!

[20 May 2000]

"Terror Train" (1980) is an obvious attempt to cash in on the revival of the slasher picture spawned two years earlier by "Halloween". The plot centers around a New Year's Eve masquerade party held aboard a train chartered by a graduating college fraternity. An uninvited stowaway,who was the victim of a vicious fraternity prank three years earlier (depicted in a pre-credits sequence),proceeds to stalk the members of the small, elite clique who were responsible for his subsequent mental breakdown. Heading the cast are: Jamie Lee Curtis as the film's heroine; Oscar-winner Ben Johnson as a paternal conductor (Curtis was always paired with father figures during her Scream Queen days: Donald Pleasence in "Halloween" and Leslie Nielsen in "Prom Night"); Hart Bochner as a cruel medical student; and David Copperfield as what else?...a magician! The film's final act, in which sole survivor Curtis engages in a lengthy, bloody battle with the killer is worth waiting for. Another plus: the killer dons the costume of each of his victims,and you'll NEVER guess who he is disguised as during most of the film. On the minus side: the film is poorly directed by Roger Spottiswoode, Copperfield's scenes are embarrassing, and Bochner chews the scenery with so much aplomb, one can't wait for his character to bite the dust. Curtis and Johnson are excellent,but this is the weakest entry in Curtis's horror film resume. "Halloween" did it so much better. My score: 6 out of 10.

Earthquake (1974)

Shake,Rattle and Roll!

[7/10 · 19 May 2000]

I was seven when I saw "Earthquake" for the first time in 1974, in my hometown's huge theater (before the horrid birth of the multiplex),complete with Sensurround effects. Viewing it again as an adult,I must admit that it is one of those bad films that you can't help but love! The film's story (written by Mario Puzo of "Godfather" fame!) centers around the lives of a small group of characters caught up in a cataclysmic earthquake which virtually destroys Los Angeles. The cast includes Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Genevieve Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner and Victoria Principal. Among the film's highlights aren't the special effects (which seem dated in the age of "Terminator 2" and "Titanic") but the rescue sequences involving Heston and Greene in a skyscraper, and Roundtree and Bujold in a hazardous canal. The rest of the film must be enjoyed for pure camp value: the wildly overacting of Heston and Gardner, Principal's afro; an out-of-place cameo by Walter Matthau as a drunk; Gortner as a sexual deviant; Gardner cast as Greene's daughter when they are actually only seven years apart in real life; Heston's futuristic-looking silver Suburban,complete with a T-top!; the silly romance between Kennedy and Principal,an obvious copycat of the Red Buttons-Carol Lynley May-December romance in "The Poseidon Adventure". The screenplay is pretty awful,complete with many more holes than the earthquake would have caused (did Roundtree outrun the flood on his motorcycle? why does Principal's brother Sal, played by Gabriel Dell,disappear half way through the film?). Overall, the film boasts enough suspense to keep the viewer somewhat engaged, although "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno" did it much better.

My score: 7 out of 10. A guilty pleasure!

The Fog (1980)

Hazy Mist

[18 May 2000]

"The Fog" is director John Carpenter's worthy follow-up to his classic 1978 smash hit "Halloween". More ghost story than slasher flick,"The Fog" tells the tale of the spirits of a drowned leper colony who met their doom 100 years earlier in a shipwreck orchestrated by the town's six founding fathers. Sporting various weapons and hooks for hands,these ghouls seek revenge against the citizens of Antonio Bay,a California seaside community celebrating its centennial,as retribution for the "sins of their fathers". As a mysterious fog envelops the town, the denizens are attacked in various locales (beach house, fishing boat,Catholic church). The film boasts an excellent cast,led by Adrienne Barbeau (in her best role to date) as sexy disc jockey Stevie Wayne,who is isolated for most of the film in a spooky lighthouse,which serves as the town's radio station. The rest of the cast includes the mother-daughter Scream Queen team of Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis,as well as Hal Holbrook as an alcoholic priest,Tom Atkins as a local fisherman,a pre-credits cameo by John Houseman as an old sea captain, and Charles Cyphers and Nancy Loomis of "Halloween" fame. Carpenter provides the film's excellent musical score,as he did in "Halloween". In the end, the lead characters are surprisingly under-jeopardized (Barbeau and Curtis are attacked,but only Holbrook loses his head). Nevertheless,the film works primarily because of Barbeau's tour-de-force performance. My score: 8 out of 10.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Nowhere to run to...nowhere to hide!

[17 May 2000]

Despite its low budget and worthless sequels,the original "Friday The 13th" stands out among the crowd of blatant ripoffs by horror filmmakers hoping to cash in on the success of "Halloween". Without giving away the ending,the final cat-and-mouse game between heroine Alice (played to perfection by Adrienne King,a worthy successor to Jamie Lee Curtis's Scream Queen crown) and the film's killer is the ultimate experience in pure horror filmmaking and moviegoing. And that ending sure still packs a wallop after 20 years! The presumed dead Jason jumping out of the water and attacking Alice in the canoe is a far better final dream sequence jolt than the one in "Carrie" (where Amy Irving,looking like a zombie bride,is grabbed by a hand from beyond the grave). Kevin Bacon is fun as Jack,who gets it in the throat with a arrow after having sex with his girlfriend Marcie (Jeannine Taylor). Walt Gorney is effectively creepy as the town looney Crazy Ralph, and Robbi Morgan is excellent as the first victim,Annie,who audiences mistakenly believed would be the film's heroine since she was the first established character in the post-credits scene. The rest of the cast,which includes Betsy Palmer,Harry Crosby (Bing's son), Laurie Bartram and Mark Nelson,is pretty good for this kind of amateur outing. Tom Savini's makeup effects are superb,as is the "shrieking violins" score (an obvious "Psycho" ripoff, but nevertheless effective). Adrienne King still stands out as my favorite leading lady in the "Friday" series. I always wondered...whatever happened to her after Part 2? (The actress, not the character...since we all know what happened to Alice!!!) My score: 9 out of 10.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

There's got to be a morning after...

[10/10 · 17 May 2000]

"The Poseidon Adventure" stands out as the best of the disaster film genre,which was spawned by 1970's "Airport" and recently revived with both worthy successors ("Titanic") and some not-so-worthy ("Volcano","Daylight" and "Dante's Peak".) The film's plot goes something like this...on New Year's Eve,a tidal wave capsizes the S.S.Poseidon during its journey from the States to Greece,and a small band of survivors (ten to be exact),led by a fiery preacher (the superb Gene Hackman),struggles to escape from the rising waters by climbing to the engine room,which is now located at the top of the ship. Shelley Winters is a standout among the top-notch all-star supporting cast (which includes Ernest Borgnine,Red Buttons,Carol Lynley,Roddy McDowall,Stella Stevens,Jack Albertson,Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea). The Oscar-winning special effects and set design will knock your socks off, and the film's theme song "The Morning After",sung by Maureen McGovern is also excellent (it won a Best Original Song Oscar). What separates "Poseidon" from the other films in the disaster genre is that you will find yourselves really caring about the characters,and the film's writers and producers were not afraid to kill off its lead characters. My score: 10 out of 10! Simply the best!

The Birds (1963)

Our Feathered Friends

[10/10 · 30 December 1998]

"THE BIRDS",Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 classic,is my second favorite film by the Master of Suspense ("Psycho" being the best,of course). Spoiled rich girl Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren,looking as beautiful as the radiant Janet Leigh did in "Psycho") follows potential boyfriend Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) to Bodega Bay,California,a small fishing village near San Francisco,where our feathered friends begin to viciously attack the town's denizens. The supporting cast is excellent: Jessica Tandy as Mitch's clinging mother Lydia,Suzanne Pleshette as local schoolteacher Annie Hayworth,and a very young Veronica Cartwright as Mitch's kid sister Cathy (Hitch's screenwriting collaborators always created rich characterizations). The special effects,for the time,were very impressive,and Hitch's direction of the bird attacks is superb. An interesting note: upon viewing the movie again recently (I try to watch it once a year),I noticed that there is no musical score...the sound effects are strictly confined to the birds! The film's only flaw...why did Tippi Hedren have to wear that green dress for most of the film?! Otherwise,a classic! **** A+ (10/10)

Psycho (1960)

Simply The Best!

[10/10 · 30 December 1998]

What more can be said about "PSYCHO",Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic that spawned an entire genre...the slasher film. To prove that this masterpiece truly stands the test of time,I recommended it to two of the 7th grade students that I teach (who have been subjected to the whole "Halloween-Friday The 13th-Nightmare On Elm Street-Scream" recycling bin)...and they loved it! The black-and-white cinematography is gorgeous,and the legendary musical score by Bernard Herrmann has never been matched (with John Carpenter's creepy "Halloween" score as a worthy runner-up). The 1998 remake is a pointless,cheap,waste of time (as it wastes the enormous,combined talents of Vince Vaughn,Anne Heche,Julianne Moore,William H.Macy,Philip Baker Hall and Robert Forster). As a movie buff and horror film addict,I cannot recommend "PSYCHO" enough...it is the definitive slasher film,and in my opinion,the best horror film ever! I'm not going to waste any time summarizing the now-familiar plot. Let's just say that no one twitched like the late,great Anthony Perkins,and the only actress to match Janet Leigh's shower scream is her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis of "Halloween" fame. **** A+ (10/10)

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

The Book Is Always Better

[6/10 · 26 November 1998]

Anyone who is a REAL fan of the slasher genre should skip this film...but read the excellent teen novel "I Know What You Did Last Summer" by Lois Duncan. In the book (and this is where the film misses the boat),four teens are involved in a hit-and-run accident in which they kill a LITTLE BOY,not a deranged fisherman with a hook (another imitation of FRIDAY THE 13TH's Jason).The screenplay (which,much to my disappointment),was written by the usually brilliant Kevin Williamson of "Scream" fame. The hit-and-run accident would much more poignant if the victim would have been synonymous with the character in the book. Williamson is an obvious fan of the classic "Prom Night", in which the victim (in a "six years earlier" prologue) was a 10-year-old girl. He should have copied that formula instead of the tired,bloody nameless,faceless JASON-FREDDY-MICHAEL formula. Of the actors,only Sarah Michelle Gellar,Johnny Galecki and Anne Heche save the film from an F rating. Ryan Phillippe,a major talent,wildly overacts here as Barry,and Freddy Prinze,Jr.,who showed promise in THE HOUSE OF YES,does the opposite and underacts with little to no emotion as Ray. Jennifer Love Hewitt is merely adequate as the lead character,Julie James. She and Neve Campbell are NOWHERE near Jamie Lee Curtis's league. This is an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of "Scream". Movies like this,and their even more disgusting sequels,are what killed the slasher genre in the early 80's. They will no doubt kill it again before the Millennium arrives

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Where are John Carpenter and Donald Pleasence when you need them??

[8/10 · 25 October 1998]

As far as sequels go,"H20" isn't half bad. It rates up there with "Halloween 2",primarily because of the formidable presence of Jamie Lee Curtis,who returns as Laurie Strode in this seventh installment of the "Halloween" series/franchise. Twenty years later,the fun begins again in a small town near Haddonfield, Illinois (the original film's setting),as Nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens,who hasn't aged much in 20 years),and her young neighbor Tommy ("3rd Rock From The Sun" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt,who has the Drew Barrymore-Jada Pinkett role as the first big star to get knocked off in the movie's opening sequence),are murdered by Michael Myers as he attempts to learn the whereabouts of his sister Laurie,who vanished from Haddonfield years earlier. Where has Michael been since that fateful night in 1978 when he and Dr.Loomis (the late,great Donald Pleasence,whose presence is sorely missed in this film) presumably died in a hospital explosion? It is explained that Loomis survived,and was nursed back to health by Marion,but where the hell has Michael been hiding,since sequels 4,5 and 6 have totally been ignored (rightfully so,since Parts 4 and 5 were mediocre,Part 6 was just plain awful!....but hey,they're better than any of the "Friday The 13th" sequels)? So upon learning of Laurie's location,Michael proceeds to drive to Northern California for a final showdown with his sister. Laurie is now the alcoholic headmistress of an exclusive coed prep school, where her brooding son John (Josh Hartnett) is a senior. Curtis's real life mother,Janet Leigh of "Psycho" fame has a cameo as Norma (a name obviously inspired by "Psycho's" Norman Bates),the school's maternal secretary (she even drives the same car that her character, Marion Crane,did in "Psycho"). L.L.Cool J. shines in his role as Ronny,the school's security officer (now the "token African-American role") and aspiring romance novelist. Michelle Williams is excellent as John's girlfriend Molly,who possesses some of the same heroic traits and intelligence that an 18-year-old Laurie did 20 years earlier. The scariest moment in the film is when a young woman and her young daughter are cornered by Michael in an abandoned rest area bathroom. They are surprisingly spared,since Michael only wanted their car! The film's final showdown between Laurie and Michael is terrific. Where the film does falter is in its three remaining supporting characters...Adam Arkin as Curtis's boyfriend Will,Adam Hann-Byrd as John's friend Charlie,and Jodi Lynn O'Keefe as Charlie's girlfriend Sarah (why would a knockout like her date a geek like him,we'll never know!)...they are simply written into the script as victims,their murders aren't even inventive. The woman and her daughter at the rest area were far more interesting than these three...I was wondering,what was their story? Why were they at the rest area anyway,in the middle of nowhere? Why did Michael spare their lives? Overall,the film possesses more strengths than weaknesses (Jamie Lee Curtis is in top form...nobody cusses like her!). My score: *** B (7 out of 10).

Halloween II (1981)

Enter Sandman

[25 October 1998]

Okay,so "Halloween II" doesn't live up to the original. With the exceptions of "The Godfather,Part II",and "Lethal Weapon 2",what sequel does? The story in Part II picks up on the same night in 1978 where the original left off...Dr.Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) still in hot pursuit of escaped mental patient Michael Myers,who continues to stalk Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis,who doesn't have much to do here except look and act catatonic) in the hospital where she is admitted after surviving Myers's earlier attack. Also back are Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers),who disappears halfway through the film after learning that his daughter Annie was one of Myers's victims,and Nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens),who drops a bombshell on Dr.Loomis...Laurie is Michael's long-lost sister! You see, Michael has inherited the memory genes of his ancient Celtic ancestors,who would choose the son of one of the families in their village to murder his entire family on All Hallow's Eve to appease the Druid gods (talk about a stretch for motivation!). Most of the film takes place in a dimly lit,understaffed hospital,where Michael slashes his way through several nurses, doctors,security guards and paramedics in order to get to Laurie. Jamie Lee Curtis agreed to portray Laurie again as a favor to John Carpenter (the original's director,who serves as producer and co-writer in this effort...Rick Rosenthal is this film's director),but she originally wanted her character to be killed off in the opening sequence. There wouldn't have been a story (or the need for a sequel),since she was revealed to be Michael's target,not a random victim. The supporting players, along with the afore-mentioned Cyphers and Stephens,are excellent,especially Lance Guest as Jimmy,Pamela Susan Shoop as Karen,Tawny Moyer as Jill,and Ana-Alicia as Janet. I always wondered,did Jimmy really die? Maybe he had a concussion after slipping in Mrs.Alves's drained blood and hitting his head on the floor. I always thought that he should have been the "Mr. Sandman" that the opening song was promising Laurie. Since this year's "H2O" was the third in this trilogy (parts 3 through 6 have been totally ignored),a great story would have been for Jimmy to have survived that night 20 years ago (after all, Michael never attacked him). He and Laurie could have gotten married a couple of years later,and could have faked their deaths (in order to explain Parts 4,5 and 6),leaving their young daughter Jamie in the care of an adoptive family. Laurie could have gotten pregnant for John a year after Jamie's birth. It would have been fun to see Lance Guest portraying Laurie's estranged husband Jimmy in "H2O". Also,it would have been cool to see Paul Rudd (hey,he's a major talent now,but so is Curtis, so if she can return to her horror roots,so can he) return as Tommy Doyle...and what about Lindsay Wallace and Sheriff Brackett? The "H2O" script would have been much scarier if it was set in Haddonfield,with Michael's survivors gathering together 20 years later for group therapy. The bottom line is, "Halloween II" is not a bad attempt to capture the magic that the first film possessed. It's nowhere near the original's league,but okay nevertheless. Great continuation of Carpenter's eerie score,by the way! One last thing,if Laurie shot out both of Michael's eyes in the film's finale,how could he possibly see in any of the sequels??? *** B (7 out of 10).

Halloween (1978)

You Can't Kill The Bogeyman!

[9/10 · 24 October 1998]

John Carpenter's 1978 smash "Halloween",the most influential horror film since "Psycho",revived the slasher genre and spawned a countless number of clones and imitations,including its own sequels. The late,great British actor Donald Pleasence stars as spooked psychiatrist Sam Loomis (Carpenter,an obvious Hitchcock disciple,loads his films with references and homages to Hitch,as does fellow disciple Brian DePalma of "Carrie" fame). Loomis is tracking down escaped mental patient Michael Myers,an evil,remorseless killing machine who returns to his hometown (Haddonfield,Illinois) 15 years after he murdered his sister Judith on Halloween night as a young boy. Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh,the latter who preceded her daughter as Scream Queen of the slasher genre in Hitchcock's 1960 classic "Psycho"),also stars as Laurie Strode,a teenaged babysitter who Myers stalks,along with her two friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J.Soles) on the fateful Halloween night in 1978. The final act of the film,in which Laurie is chased and stalked by Myers,boasts some of the most harrowing moments ever captured in a horror film. Along with the dynamic duo of Pleasence and Curtis,the other actors in the film,obvious amateurs,aren't half-bad: Charles Cyphers as Sheriff Leigh Brackett,Kyle Richards as Lindsay Wallace,Brian Andrews as Tommy Doyle,Nancy Stpehens as Nurse Marion Chambers,and John Michael Graham as Lynda's doomed boyfriend Bob. The film's only flaws are the poor casting choices of Nancy Loomis and P.J.Soles,both AWFUL in their roles as Annie and Lynda,and both looking WAY too old to portray high schoolers. Aside from this,"Halloween" is a classic....and check out that score by the director himself,John Carpenter! Its the best since Bernard Herrmann's legendary "Psycho" score. **** A