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Category Archives: Films Released in 1988

THEY LIVE

Jul 15

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THEY LIVE-United States-1988

Roddy Piper as Nada

Keith David as Frank

Meg Foster as Holly

Directed by John Carpenter

Screenplay by Frank  Armitage

Based on “Eight O’clock in the Morning” by Ray Nelson

The one thing I can say about John Carpenter is that he’s a crazy genius. Leave it to him to cast “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in the role of a drifter who discovers a pair of sunglasses that enable him to see the subliminal messages of an alien race intent on lulling humans into a false sense of security. Piper is perfect as Nada. Carpenter realized that his experience as a professional wrestler would come in handy for two reasons. Piper’s microphone skills were the ultimate screen test for the hilarious one-liners he delivers in “They Live”. “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I’m all out of bubblegum”. “Life’s a bitch…and she’s back in heat.” “You know, you look like your head fell in the cheese dip back in 1957.” None of these lines could have been delivered with any kind of authority by anyone but Piper.

The other reason Piper is perfect for the role is his ability to sell a fight scene. Watch the fight between Piper’s character Nada and Frank (Keith David-”The Thing”, “There’s Something about Mary”). The scene is played out like an “I Quit” match. The sunglasses that Nada so desperately attempts to have Frank try on take the place of the microphone that Piper would shove in his opponents face in the hopes of hearing those words.

“They Live” works in other ways besides Piper’s casting. Carpenter may not be the most subtle director; but he has a point. Haven’t you always wondered that there was something more to what you read and watch on TV? Who knows, maybe I’m sending out subliminal messages with this blog. Maybe I’m saying “READ THIS BLOG” “YOU LOVE THIS BLOG” “THIS BLOG IS YOUR FRIEND”.

I can dream, can’t I?

TRIVIA

The line “I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubble gum” was ad-libbed by Roddy Piper. According to director John Carpenter, Piper had taken the line from a list of ideas he had for his pro wrestling interviews.

The fight between Nada (Roddy Piper) and Frank (Keith David) was only supposed to last 20 seconds, but Piper and David decided to fight it out for real, only faking the hits to the face and groin. They rehearsed the fight for three weeks. Carpenter was so impressed he kept the 5 minute and 20 second scene intact.

John Carpenter wanted a truly rugged individual to play Nada. He cast wrestler Roddy Piper in the lead role after seeing him in WrestleMania III. Carpenter remembered Keith David’s performance in The Thing and wrote the role of Frank specifically for the actor.

Roddy Piper’s character never gives his name nor is he referred to by name throughout the entire movie. He is simply referred to as “Nada” in the credits, which means “nothing” in Spanish. The name is most likely a reference to George Nada, the main character of Ray Nelson’s short story “Eight O’Clock in the Morning,” which was the basis for ‘They Live’.

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Posted in Films Based on Novels or Short Stories, Films Released in 1988, John Carpenter Films, Movies

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PUMPKINHEAD

Jun 18

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PUMPKINHEAD-United States-1988

Lance Henriksen as Ed Harley

Matthew Hurley as Billy Harley

John D’Aquino as Joel

Directed by Stan Winston

Poem by Ed Justin

Story by Mark Patrick Carducci, Stan Winston and Richard Weinman

Screenplay Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani

The last time I saw “Pumpkinhead” was when the film was first released to video. I remember looking forward to the film as it was the directorial debut of SFX wizard Stan Winston and that it starred Lance Henriksen, an actor that I’d grown to like after his roles in “The Terminator” and as the android Bishop in “Aliens.” I also remember being disappointed as I was hoping the film would be gorier than what it turned out to be. It just so happens that I was at that stage in my evolution as a horror film fan where blood and guts won out over acting, direction and storytelling. Despite the titular creature and its penchant for violence, “Pumpkinhead” is ultimately a tale of suspense and revenge that could have been so much better had Winston had a little more experience under his belt as a filmmaker.

Lance Henriksen portrays Ed Harley, a man of the country and a loving single father to his young son Billy. Billy is mortally wounded after being hit by a motorcycle and when the rider and his friends flee the scene, Ed takes revenge the only way he knows how. He calls on an old woman, Haggis; who in turn conjures the demon known as Pumpkinhead in order to seek out and destroy the ones who killed his child. Pretty soon the demon is hot on their heels and fulfilling his part of the bargain. But Ed soon finds out that vengeance comes with a price tag much too powerful to pay.

The best thing about the film was Winston’s choice in casting Lance Henriksen in the lead role. Henriksen is an actor who has a strong command of the characters he portrays and in the humble opinion of this reviewer he is one of the most underrated actors in the business. That’s okay; horror fans have known for years how good the man is. It’s the rest of the world that needs to catch up.

So, many years later and a little bit wiser, I have come to enjoy “Pumpkinhead” for what it is; a suspense film in horror film clothing. It’s not perfect. Hell, sometimes it’s not even good. But it does what it sets out to do; it entertains while at the same time scaring the hell out of us.

TRIVIA

This film, orphaned by the bankruptcy of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, eventually garnered a spotty release when acquired by United Artists, which tested the film under the alternate title Vengeance – The Demon.

The one scene that made Lance Henriksen most want to take the role was where the deceased Billy sits up and asks his father what he’s done.

Film debut of Mayim Bialik.

Screenwriters Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani were inspired by the horror movies of Mario Bava.

½

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LADY IN WHITE

Apr 22

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LADY IN WHITE-United States-1988

Len Cariou as Phil Terragarossa

Alex Rocco (R) as Angelo 'Al' Scarlatti

Written and Directed by Frank LaLoggia

Lady in White is one of the most engaging and saddest ghost stories I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The tale of a murdered child and the ghost of her mother and her lament as she searches fruitlessly for a child that she has lost in a horrible and violent way is a depressing yet sweet motion picture. Even watching the deleted scenes there is a feeling of sadness that one cannot escape. There is not one moment where we do not feel a loss. There is not one moment where we do not feel a longing for the days that this film represents.

So, my question is why does a film like this only receive a rating of 6.6 on the Internet Movie Database? That’s not exactly a stellar mark, even though it is an above average rating. Here’s my reasoning; Lady in White represents a time of innocence, a time when people were kinder to one another. A time when we cared for each other in an individual way and did not think only of ourselves and what was important to us. A time when being a child meant that you didn’t have to worry that someone would think about hurting you, much less act on it. A time when a family was a family and not a unit where a person was separate from their mother or their father or their son or daughter, but instead we were one and the same. A time when we didn’t have the internet, or cell phones, or anything that made life easier to live; a time when we lived life each and every day as it came to us, no matter what. A time before anger, a time before there was stress and strife.

Lukas Haas’ performance as Frankie Scarlatti, the young boy who witnesses a ghostly re-enactment of the murder of a 10 year-old little girl, gives what may well be one of the best performances of his career. Frankie is all wide-eyed wonder and he represents a time for us when we believed in ourselves and in each other and maybe, just maybe in the things that we cannot see.

I’m sorry if this review rambles. I’m sorry if it isn’t even a review at all. What I don’t apologize for is the way that I feel. Writer/director Frank LaLoggia’s only crime is that he may be too sentimental. But the final question that I ask you is why the hell is that so damn wrong? Lady in White is a film he should be proud of.

TRIVIA

Rochester, New York, native Frank LaLoggia based the film on a popular and long-standing local urban legend known as “The White Lady.” Legend has it that the White Lady had a daughter who disappeared at the hands of a predatory young suitor, and so the White Lady roams the lake front to this very day, searching for her missing daughter. The supposed residence of the White Lady is actually the base of a demolished hotel that was built in the 1800s. Known as the White Lady’s Castle, it has become a popular tourist attraction and party site for teenagers.

Director Frank LaLoggia asked his friend Richard Jay Silverthorn, who portrayed the adult Lucifer in Fear No Evil, to create a mask that Frankie would use that was “representative of Bela Lugosi’s guise in Dracula”. Compare that mask at 05:50 with the statuette of Count Dracula at 49:48. Unfortunately, this connection is lost on most viewers who, immediately on seeing it, think the mask is of Richard Nixon.

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HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS

Oct 5

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HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS-United States-1988

Donald Pleasance as Dr. Sam Loomis

Ellie Cornell as Rachel Carruthers
Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd
Directed by Dwight H. Little
Story by Dhani Lipsius, Larry Rattner, Benjamin Ruffner, Alan B. McElroy
Screenplay by Alan B. McElroy

    How many freaking relatives does Michael Myers have? I mean, for gosh sakes he killed his sister when he was six; then he tried to kill his other sister Laurie, when he grew up. Now with Halloween 4 he’s trying to kill the daughter of Laurie Strode. I tell you what, they should have just showed the old boy a picture of Osama Bin Laden and told him “Alright, Michael, this is your sister, Osama Bin Myers. She’s a bearded lady and she can’t talk right. She lives overseas and she says you’re a pussy and to come and get her if you can. Here’s your plane ticket. Wait until the plane lands before you kill everybody on board. Go get her, boy!” There would have been no need to send any troops over there.

I don’t mean to make light of that whole situation. I’m making fun of the fact that this guy has all these relatives to kill. This is the plot to Halloween 4:

“There’s Michael Myers! Run for your life!”

“Why?”

“He’ll kill you if he catches you!”

“Are we related?”

“Well…no, I don’t think so.”

“Well, alright then. I’m cool.”

“Dang, I never thought of that.”

That, ladies and gentlemen is the plot of Halloween 4. Don’t get me started on the acting. There’s none of that in this movie, either. Well, I take that back. Donald Pleasance is still the king of psycho psychiatrists and Danielle Harris does a pretty darn good job in her first starring role, which means she isn’t too annoying for a screaming 7 year-old kid.

Halloween 4 should have been subtitled “The Myers Family Reunion.” Hell, I think maybe they should have all been called that.

 

Trivia
Series creator John Carpenter wrote a treatment for this film, that was a more ghostly psychological approach to the Michael Myers mythos. It concerned the town of Haddonfield and what effect the events of the first two films have had on the it’s citizens. This concept was later rejected by the producers in favor of the typical slasher fare, at which point in time John Carpernter bailed out of the film, making this the first film in the series to have no participation from him.
The girl who drove Rachel and Jamie to the costume store was named Lindsey and is approximately 17 years old. In Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis babysat a seven year old named Lindsey.
Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) of The Brady Bunch was the production assistant. His wife, Kelly Lookinland, played the dead waitress.
 
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THE BLOB

Jun 3

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THE BLOB-United States-1988

Shawnee Smith as Meg Penny

Donovan Leitch as Paul Taylor

Kevin Dillon as Brian Flagg
Directed by Chuck Russell
Screenplay by Frank Darabont and Chuck Russell
   For the most part, the 1988 remake of The Blob is identical to the 1958 original. That’s a good thing, though. Of all the horror films that have been re-made and brought into modern times, The Blob need not be one of them. Director Chuck Russell does a commendable job of bringing a 1950′s feel to the heart of the film. The plot remains the same: gelatinous life form crash lands and absorbs anyone or anything stupid enough to get in its way (too bad that doesn’t include Larry Hagman for directing that horrid sequel to the 1958 film, Beware! The Blob aka Son of the Blob). Stepping into the Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut roles are Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith. Dillon’s character, Brian Flagg is a bit more of a delinquent than McQueen’s character was in the original. Shawnee Smith is cute as Meg Penny, the cheerleader who saves the world, a far cry from her Saw character Amanda Young.
    There are a few small differences between this film and the 1958 original other than the characters. The main one being that the Blob is man-made and not an alien life form as depicted originally. Personally, I feel that this takes away from the film. It isn’t necessary to the story line to make the creature a product of man’s folly. That worked with Godzilla. It doesn’t work here, nor is it needed.
    There is also considerably more gore in the film. I guess that’s an okay thing, but again I really don’t see where it was needed except to pander to a younger audience who’ve never seen the original film. Director Chuck Russell is no stranger to gore, having directed A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. A pre-Shawshank Redemption Frank Darabont lends his pen to a co-screenwriting credit. Judging from the feel of the film, I would say that Darabont is responsible for the settings and the characterization.
     Overall, The Blob is an enjoyable remake that pays homage to the original film, but stumbles when it tries to tries to update it with unnecessary explanations.
Trivia
The film, co-written by Frank Darabont - who has adapted a number of Stephen King‘s works for the screen – contains several references to King’s novel ‘The Stand’: – In the novel, a viral “superflu” is engineered by the U.S. government in a biological weapons laboratory that is accidentally unleashed, resulting in a worldwide pandemic; in the film, the blob is likewise the result of experiments in biological warfare accidentally unleashed by the government. Additionally, though the government agents know the blob’s true nature, they tell the citizens of Asheville that they are dealing with a highly contagious disease. – Kevin Dillon plays Brian Flagg; the demonic Randall Flagg appeared in several of King’s novels, making his first appearance in THE STAND. – The blob’s first victim, the homeless man, is credited as “Can Man,” a reference to the STAND character “Trash Can Man.” Trash Can Man was Randall Flagg’s most devoted follower; in this film, Can Man shares nearly all his scenes with Brian Flagg.
Rock salt was dyed purple to create the crystallized Blob for the ending of the movie.
All of the exteriors for the movie were shot in a small south Louisiana town called Abbeville. Abbeville is laid out almost exactly the same as Arbeville, Colorado, where the movie takes place. Abbeville was used because filming took place in late 1987 and Arbeville was covered in snow. It’s just a weird coincidence that the names are so similar.
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FRIDAY THE 13th PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD

Apr 27

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FRIDAY THE 13th Part VII: THE NEW BLOOD-United States-1988

Lar Park-Lincoln as Tina Shepherd

Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees

Directed by John Carl Buechler

Written by Daryl Haney and Manuel Fidello (screenplay) and Victor Miller (characters)

“Adam raised a Kane! Adam raised a Kane!” Alright, so I owe Bruce Springsteen an apology for paraphrasing his song. Jason is back and Hodder than ever in Part VII: The New Blood. Kane Hodder, the man who would portray Jason not once, not twice, not even thrice but four times in a row makes his debut as the man behind the mask. Jason has returned from his watery grave thanks to Tina and her powers of telekinesis. Now Jason’s hellbent on killing as many people as he can and it’s up to Tina to use her powers to stop him before it’s too late. Can she do what no one else can? Or will she become just another victim?

I am a Kane Hodder fan through and through. I personally feel that he was the best Jason Voorhees ever. Kane brought a level of personality to the character that no one has been able to achieve since. I feel that this man is a very underrated actor.

As Tina, Lar Park-Lincoln brings a sensitivity to the role and yet underneath it all there is a strong will that does not give in easily. Don’t let the fact that she’s a woman fool you, this girl is the perfect foil for Jason.

Now for the kills. This film has the best kill of any of the Friday the 13th films. If you’ve seen this film then you know exactly which one I’m talking about. I’m talking about the one where Jason picks up this girl while she’s still in her sleeping bag and proceeds to slam her headfirst into a tree. Up until the face freeze in Jason X this one was the coolest kill of them all.

The New Blood is an appropriate sub-title for this film. With Hodder coming on board as Jason, the freshness of the story and the rather imaginative kills breathe a new life into a series that was quickly running out of ideas.

Too bad the next film in the series isn’t able to maintain it.

Trivia

John Carl Buechler was so impressed with Kane Hodder when he ate live worms on the set of Prison (1988), that he pushed for Paramount Pictures to let him cast Hodder in the role of Jason. If it had not been for Buechler’s persistence, the role of Jason Voorhees would have been reprised by C.J. Graham.

There were a number of filmed scenes that were edited out of the final cut in order for the movie to gain its R rating including: Maddy’s face getting stabbed in the wood shed, Dr. Crews’ body being cut in two in the woods, a longer death-in-sleeping bag scene, Russell‘s axe in the face by the lake, Jason holding David’s head, and an ending scene of Jason jumping out of the water and grabbing a fisherman.

Kane Hodder said he had difficulty with the scene where he kills the camper in the sleeping bag by bashing her into the tree because the dummy inside was heavier than he thought it would be. The scene required a number of retakes because he kept swinging as hard as he could but no matter how hard he swung the sleeping back he couldn’t get it to look right. By the final take, he was so fed up with the situation that after he dropped the bag he kicked it angrily. This is the shot that appears in the final film. In retrospect, Hodder said that was one of his favorite “kills” and he later recreates it inJason X (2001).

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Posted in Films in the Friday The 13th Series, Films Released in 1988, Movies, Sequels, Slasher Films

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