Lucky McKee’s “May” Slays with Wit, Style, and Pitch Black Humor

Slasher StudiosMay (2002)

May (played by the extremely talented and underrated Angela Bettis) is lonely. She works at an animal clinic and lives all alone in her apartment with her only friend, Susie, a doll in a glass case she’s had since she was a little girl. Although they’ve been friends forever, May wants a ‘real’ friend, someone she can hold. She gets some hope when she meets Adam (Jeremy Sisto), a cute mechanic with beautiful hands who may be able to accept her for who she is. However, she slowly starts to realize the more you get to know a person, the more parts you find that you don’t like…

This is the premise for the twisted directorial debut of the great Lucky McKee, a film that tackles horror, drama and pitch black comedy perfectly. Not a typical horror-comedy like RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD or EVIL DEAD II, but definitely something that manages to repulse you, scare you and make you laugh. Well, it’s definitely not a type of humor everyone could get into. It’s much more of an uncomfortable humor, something that might make you question how sick you really are, and something that would definitely offend others. Even while we’re sympathizing with a lonely woman slowly going insane when she realizes she may never fit in with humanity, doing sick things that make us question if we even should sympathize with her, it’s hard not to laugh at the film’s wonderfully insane sense of humor. Even as an animal lover, seeing a guy freaking out over coming home to find his dog randomly missing a leg is laugh-out-loud material, along with May grossing Adam out with some messed up work stories that she giggles like a little school girl over. The great Anna Faris adds more humor to the film as the hilariously ditzy and horny-as-hell lesbian.

Now, as I said, this isn’t a typical horror-comedy (or is it comedy-horror?). Lucky, along with his extremely talented cast and crew, know exactly how to get us invested in a character that attempts to come out of her shell and join humanity only to descend into horrifying insanity. He knows how to freak us out by pushing the envelope and showing us ugly situations that would make certain people walk out of the theater (the blind children and the broken glass, for example). But even with the FRANKENSTEIN-esque themes of loneliness and the failure to fit in with this world, the Polanski-like descent into madness and the sheer disgusting horror, it’s all shown in a thick coat of uncomfortable humor that makes it all much easier to sit through. One of my favorite films of all time, whether I look at it as horror, drama or comedy.

—Brian C Tyler

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Brian De Palma’s “Phantom of the Paradise” is a Rockin’ Good Time

Slasher StudiosPhantom of the Paradise

It’s quite difficult for me to choose a favorite horror-comedy because I have such a love for the sub-genre. There is something special about the grotesque being met with a sense of humor, especially when it’s done well.

When all is said and done there is a film at the very top of my list that is closest to my heart, Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise. Normally I find musicals quite irritating when they break for a musical number but in Phantom of the Paradise Paul Williams’ songs are well written and magically performed by William Finley and Jessica Harper.

A musical spoof/rock-opera of Phantom of the Opera/Faust, Phantom of the Paradise centers around a struggling musician named Winslow (Finley) who decides to sell his soul for his music, more specifically, for his music to be performed by the perfect woman with the perfect voice, Phoenix (Harper). Winslow is disfigured and double-crossed thanks to Swan, an evil record producer played perfectly by Paul Williams. Swan is planning to debut his new nightclub, The Paradise, with the music composed by Winslow/The Phantom but it will not be performed by Phoenix, it’s set to be performed by a musician named Beef who Swan has deemed more fitting. The Phantom is then set on exacting his revenge for the voice, the woman and the music he loves.

While Brian De Palma has written a brilliant, entertaining and wonderful film I don’t think it would have been as great without the music written by Paul Williams. The songs “Hell of It” (performed by Paul Williams) and “Faust” (performed by William Finley) are two of my favorite songs of all time, not just songs off of a soundtrack. The film was cast perfectly as well, Jessica Harper was recognized by Dario Argento thanks to Phantom and was cast in the well-deserved role as Suzy Bannion in his masterpiece, Suspiria 3 years later. While William Finley appeared in other De Palma films (most notably, Sisters) this was his biggest role and by far, by far, by far his best.

Comedies often add a lighthearted feel to a film but while the satirical elements and Gerrit Graham’s portrayal of Beef were the most comedic layers there was nothing lighthearted about Phantom of the Paradise. I attribute this mostly to William Finley’s performance as Winslow Leach, he grabs onto your heart while performing “Faust” in the beginning of the movie and doesn’t let go, even after the film ends.

(R.I.P. William Finley 1940–2012)

—Hollie Trondsen

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Tim’s Slasher Tweet Review: “Seed of Chucky” (2004)

Slasher Studios*Slasher Tweet Review

Our twitter reviewer Tim Schilling is back once again taking a look at the “Child’s Play” series with a review for the final Chucky flick “Seed of Chucky.” Though the film received recent reviews, it was one of the least successful films in the series when it came to box office and audience reaction. Is it as “bizarre” and “strange” as many horror fans have claimed or does it deserve a bit more respect? Let’s see as Tim cracks open the toy box one final time.

Thoughts before the film:
Finishing up the series cause I’ve been slackin lately. And again unlike everyone else, I actually do like this entry in the series. Haven’t seen it in a while though. #SeedofChucky

Thoughts while watching:
0:04 This house reminds me of an episode of Goosebumps with the living dolls. Anyone else think so?
0:07 You’re pissing your pants you’re pissing your pants!
0:16 What are the chances that all of these events would happen, and the baby doll would actually end up in Hollywood?
0:16 For real someone find it out. I bet it’s like one in 8327263859264.
0:24 I guess I’ve only seen the edited version of this movie before. That was a lot o blood.
0:36 Who doesn’t do that with a Fangoria magazine?
0:40 I wonder how much Jennifer was paid to say all this stuff about herself.
1:03 Glen/Glenda is more fucked up than Chucky.
1:11 Why you crying for your babies? You found out you were pregnant a day ago.

Overall:
#SeedOfChucky basically had the same exact feel as Bride but with a story that wasn’t as good. I miss the camp feel from the first three.

To follow Tim on twitter: https://twitter.com/schillingt
To follow Slasher Studios on twitter: https://twitter.com/slasherstudios

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Favorite Horror Comedies: “Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers” (1988)

Slasher StudiosSleepaway Camp 2

I saw part 2 before seeing parts 1 and 3, so that might have to do with why I prefer this sequel out of the entire series, or it might just have to do with the fact that this film is just totally amazing on all levels! This film probably has the most one-liners of all horror films! how many times have we all typed the entire screenplay to each other one quote at a time in comments? I’m pretty sure I’ve done the entire movie at least 3 times over with you guys. Always a blast! This film also has one of the biggest body counts ever. i believe it’s like 19 or 20!

Angela Baker/Angela Johnson has become one of my favorite horror movie antiheroes. She’s ruthless, fearless, relentless, psychotic, and has a bangin’ sense of humor! I can’t get enough of her one-liners before/after she kills: “just say NO to drugs!”.. “what are you looking for, a gun?” “no, a drill!”.. Pamela Springsteen is by far my favorite Angela, even though Felissa Rose did a stellar job as well.

Gore fans will not be disappointed with this one. the first 5 minutes has one of my favorite kills, the log to the head and the tongue getting cut off! What a delight! This film pays lots of homage to all the slasher icons like Freddy, Jason and Leatherface (as well as lots of other 80’s pop culture icons like the Brat Pack)! This movie is just a ton of fun for me and it makes me happy. It’s one of those movies i could watch over and over and over w/out ever getting tired of it!

–Jeffrey Lee

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So Bad, It’s Amazing: Hellgate (1989) Review

Slasher StudiosHellgate

For me, usually if a horror movies is TRYING to be funny it will fail miserably. The ones that do it straight and fail are all the more funny!

I seem to have to always justify my reasons to people as to how I can watch, buy, and even spend endless hours seeking the most wretchedly awful movies known to man. With eBay receipts reaching the hundreds, I confess I am guilty of that enjoyment. I also confess that this world we live in doesn’t let you choose your daily outcomes, and any honest person will admit that some of those outcomes can leave you feeling depressed, stressed, mad, bored, what have you. After watching some of these movies when in those mind frames, it’s very hard to find myself staying mad/sad/bored for too long!

How anybody could take the world and its petty problems serious after viewing a flick like this seem to be as alien to me as I to them. Sure, there are obnoxiously bad movies that do nothing but aggravate the senses, those movies reach the pits of banality and surely wont help with anyone’s all ready shaky mentalities, pure garbage we call em! Then we have the obscure flicks that goes beyond the pits of bad movie making and seems to reach a point that deserves its own plateau.

At the start of this movie ominous music plays, lightning crashes, and we are introduced to 2 females and 1 male all telling ghost stories in a Friday the 13th like cabin. The ages of these people is never declared, although at one point a university is mentioned so for the movies sake, instead of 35ish (which indeed they appear to be), we’ll call them some things. They are waiting for another friend to arrive [for those who care it’s Horshak from Welcome Back Kotter, or to really get his face out there, Hawes from Jason lives!] and to kill time one female decides to tell of the urban legend of the old ghost town up the road. It seems in the fifties a biker gang kidnapped and killed the mayor’s daughter, and the mayor vows revenge, and wouldn’t you have it the mayor (or something) finds a blue crystal which can reanimate the Dead with its fantastical Tron like blue beam that it shoots forth when used. We know this from a hilarious scene involving a goldfish and a sea turtle (which bites the mayor’s face). Well Anyways, it appears the legend is really true and the ghost of the girl (with quite the rack) haunts the roads of the South African outback (although the movie says it’s set in California) seeking revenge against the gang who killed her, and her dad hates strangers in general and will kill them all!. Well Hawes takes a gamble and picks her up, enters the ghost town, and is seduced by ghoul girl! Revengeful mayor finds out, declares death, Hawes runs away, seeks his friends, and declares to save ghoul girl! Which leads the 20somethings to the ghost town, only to fall prey to zombies, slashers, constant one liners, and the suspense of watching a snail move.

I feel compelled by the approach to this material. Is it satire? Black Comedy? An honest approach to horror? Because of this uncertain demeanor the movie has a certain trashy charm. The writer seems to be inspired by sitcoms or something as the screenplay has these “witty” lines that fail in invoking Seinfeld or Married With Children. During the most “suspenseful” of scenes the characters have no problem taking a break to make a joke. Also the laws of this certain universe’s logic are also at best, helter skelter. Not only do characters have Scotty beaming them here and there, we also have scenes of zombies or something prowling the town, but it seems the director didn’t tell them their purpose as they seem to walk about, stare at the camera and then- that’s it! We also have ghoul girl laying in a bed which would seem to be the entire half of the film while enchanting “Matt, Darlin Matt” while her bosom,covered in red wine, camera mugs.

Also the movie breaks the rule of every character having a purpose. Who is the man burning at the end? Why would the mayor (or something) bring back the ghost of the biker gang who started everything in the first place?) Where exactly do all the “diners” occupants live? The movie is so obscure I found myself thinking, thinking, THINKING of all the answers.

The movie has some funny scenes to be sure. Also what is with the director himself? He has a cameo as a head in a fridge, and seems to no have no grasp on catching a clue. Take two murder scenes, one dude has his head chopped off and the body running down the road while the mad slasher holds the head up and laughs, or a female, after watching the beheading screams and then calmly sits in a saloon smoking & drinking, while ghost cabaret dancers dance a way, she is then strangled while blood spurts, in the most tackiest of slow motion. The ghost’s motivations are a little shaky: Are they all bad? Why are some only human while others are rotting? What about the reanimated bat on a string? The box cover has the mind boggling “From the SFX people who did Hellraiser 1&2”, but do a little digging, you’ll find out that he was an assistant on The Hellraiser movies 1&2 and visited the Hellgate set for ONE day before leaving and giving them permission to milk his name for all the appeal they could get.

And so forth.

There are plenty of bad movies, even movies that are considered “good”, this one seems to go beyond the realms of bad film-making, it’s so abysmal that it really makes my day, and that’s all that should matter right? Enjoy.

–Vince Fontaine

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Favorite Horror Comedies: “Jennifer’s Body” (2009) Review

Slasher StudiosJennifer's Body

My favorite horror comedy is the 2009 film Jennifer’s Body. The film tells the story of a nerdy high school girl named Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried, who goes out one night with her popular best friend Jennifer, played by Megan Fox. They then meet a band from the city and they end up luring Jennifer into their van after the bar they’re in gets set on fire. This worries Needy. When Needy returns home, Jennifer shows up all bloody and acting very different. Eventually, the bodies of some of the guys in the girls’ high school start piling up, and Needy suspects it’s Jennifer. Needy then sets out to discover what happened to Jennifer that night and why she’s committing these murders. Can she save her classmates as well as her best friend?

A lot of the time when I read people’s thoughts on Jennifer’s Body, it’s fairly negative. I personally love the movie. It has a nice ‘80s horror storyline and feel to it, and it has the humor of writer Diablo Cody, most famous for being the writer of Juno. The film isn’t scary, but it has some of the right horror elements, and throw in the fun, witty dialogue, and fun characters, and you have a fun horror comedy. The film has many great one-liners that I still quote while watching the movie, and they’re all pretty humorous. The acting by Amanda Seyfried was solid, honestly I’d like to a role that Amanda can’t do. One of the most impressive things about it for me though was Megan Fox. She actually didn’t do that bad of a job here, and she didn’t looks as fake physically here either. However some may argue that Megan basically played herself, which could very well be true. Jennifer’s Body is one under looked horror comedy that just does not get the credit it deserves for being a dark comedic gorefest.

To order from Amazon: Jennifer’s Body (DVD)

–Cody Landman

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Picking Favorites: Ranking the “Nightmare on Elm Street” Films

Slasher Studios*Picking Favorites

My love for the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series holds no bounds. It is a series that I grew up on and that I regularly watch. I can’t remember the last month that went by without me popping in a movie from the series as comfort food. Well, today I have decided to “rank” my favorite slasher series. Starting with the best and ending with the worst, the following are my selections. Please note that I will NOT be including either the remake or “Freddy Vs. Jason” into this list. Let’s say hello to Freddy! Pleasant dreams…

1) Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Convoluted? Pretentious? Overly meta? Shockingly, no. “New Nightmare” is that rare horror film in which everything works. The performances are pitch perfect, lead by a tour-de-force performance by the amazing Langenkamp. The script is full of twists and turns and the movie is quite possibly the best looking of the entire series. What starts out as a maze of mirrors becomes something much more than your typical nightmare. The film examines the role film plays on those who watch it. Something that Wes Craven’s “Scream” would play out to great effect two years later. I really can’t say enough about this film and homages to the original are expertly placed. It is my favorite horror film of all time and a modern classic.

2) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven’s definitive classic. Bet you can’t guess what it is. A Nightmare on Elm Street is an unbelievably original, terrifingly realistic, and overall terrifying that, despite a weak ending, is one of the best horror flicks of the quarter of a century. The film deals with a deceased child molester who now lives only through the dreams of the children of those who burned him alive. Robert Englund is truly frightening as Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven delivers a surprising amount of tension that still holds up today.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
If ever there was a horror sequel that screamed the 1980’s, it would be “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”. Crazy punk chick? Check. Wheelchair Dungeons and Dragons obsessed geek? Check. Zsa Zsa Gabor? Check. Dokken theme song? You better believe it, check! Dream Warriors is both a faithful to sequel to original masterpiece as well the rare sequel that actually advances the story without just being a carbon copy reboot of everything that made the first film great.

4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Truth be told, “Dream Master” is probably the most fun a viewer can have with the series. The deaths are completely imaginative, the special effects top notch, and the acting is solid on all accounts. It is also probably the most quotable entry of the series. It is entertaining as hell. Nonetheless, part of me wants Freddy scary again. As cool as the deaths are (Debbie’s cockroach death being the highlight death of the entire series for me), something here is missing that made the third installment so special.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part II: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
For those of you who haven’t seen this film, I don’t really know what to say besides the fact that it is very, very homoerotic. From the gym coach that Jesse finds at a gay bar (???) while sleepwalking to the gym coaches’ bondage death to the love scene between Jesse and Lisa in which Jesse can’t “perform”. Everything about this movie screams gay…and I haven’t seen talked about the dancing bedroom cleaning scene. It’s all funny, campy, over-the-top and “oh so 80’s.” haha

But the problem with Nightmare 2 isn’t the film’s gay themes, it’s the fact that it breaks too many of the rules laid out by the original. Why would Freddy want to be in the real world when the real world is the only thing that can kill him? How does Freddy make the parakeet explode if no one is dreaming? It doesn’t make scene. I will give this film some credit. The imagery is imaginative, the acting solid, and Freddy is pretty damn scary. It just doesn’t feel like a Nightmare movie. This is both it’s greatest weakness and it’s greatest fault.

6) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
The biggest problem with “Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” is the same problem that exists in “Freddy’s Revenge”: it breaks the rules of the series. Why would Freddy want to live on in the real world when the real world is the only thing that can kill him? Add in some hokey mother moments and an “in the womb” Krueger and you get a pretty dreadful sequel. The cinematography is top notch and the actors do what they can but, by this point in the series, who really cares? This isn’t a terrible entry but just a middle-of-the-road one. By this point the series was starting to show its age.

7) “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” (1991)
If “New Nightmare” was the rare horror sequel in which everything worked than “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” is that rare horror movie in which nothing works. It sure as hell isn’t scary and the cameos by Johnny Depp and Roseanne come across as more desperate than funny. The deaths are awful as well. Killed by a robot hearing aid, killed by Freddy’s “power glove”, fallen from a parachute onto spikes placed by Freddy? Is this a Nightmare movie or a Looney Toons cartoon. Not only this, but Freddy himself doesn’t even get a cool or original death. They take the ending of the original and cheapen it and we are all worse for it. This film is a grim insult to Freddy fans everywhere.

To buy the box set from Amazon for under $30: Nightmare on Elm Street Collection

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“Asylum Blackout” Serves Up Tasty Cinematic Treat

Slasher StudiosAsylum Blackout

George and his fellow bad members pick up small gigs at night, while working at the asylum during the day. As cooks fot the criminaly insane, it is their job to prepare and serve the food for the inmates. With a less than ideal job, the group is hoping to make it big sometime soon and leave the asylum for good. Unfortunatly for them, the inmates have other ideas.

As a giant thunderstorm rolls through the town, the power at the asylum goes out. The lights don’t turn on, the security doors are useless and the phones are dead. Reluctant at first, the cooks decide to restore order and bring the wandering inmates back to their cells. George and his friends soon realize the inmates my be insane, but they are not stupid. With an almost methodical plan of attack, the prisoners slowly begin to take over the darkened asylum. Armed with whatever they can find, the criminally insane hunt down the guards and cooks, all while inflicting some serious pain.

The overall production was seamless. The cinematography is absolutely top notch as not one frame from this film is out of place. The picture perfect lighting and color tone found within this film emphasizes the detail and dedication that went into this production. The acting is seriously some of the best to come from a low budget film in a long time. Rupert Evans, the actor playing George, is the dominate acting force in the movie. His performance was is true, believable and without hesitation. Be on the look out for more from Evans.

IFC Midnight comes through big time with their release of, Asylum Blackout. Director, Alexandre Courtes, delivers the scares and the gore in new and inventive ways. The blood is plentiful and the deaths are to die for. Along with the great direction, the superb camera work and acting ensures this 2012 horror/thriller hits on all cylinders.

To order on demand: Asylum Blackout (Theatrical Rental)

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Slasher Studios Horror Webcast: Best Horror Comedies

Slasher Studios*Slasher Studios Podcast

On this week’s Slasher Studios Horror Webcast we will be discussing our all time favorite horror comedies. Horror movies that made us laugh AND scream. Join us Sunday May 27th at 10PM central at the link below to find out what horror comedies made the final cut! Miss a previous episode? No problem! You can listen to any of our shows archived also at the link below.

Slasher Studios Horror Webcast

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Underrated 80’s Slasher: “Honeymoon Horror” (1983)

Slasher StudiosHoneymoon Horror

I know a lot people aren’t going to agree with me here, but I’m going to speak up in the defense of this little guy, because I genuinely love this film.

One year after her husband is burned to death in a fire after discovering his wife’s infidelity, Elaine Carlton and her new husband Vic re-open their honeymooners paradise island which was devastated by the fire. Three newly-wed couples arrive looking for peace, quiet and sex, but everyone on the island is in for something far more frightening. Someone else is stalking the wooded island, someone horribly burned with vengeance in mind…
This film can be classified as just one of the droves of slasher films that were released in the wake of Halloween, and that generalisation is accurate. In all fairness Honeymoon Horror isn’t the best film, but it’s FAR from the bad film people have painted it out to be, sure it pales in comparison to Carpenter’s classic, but looks damn Oscar worthy when compared to the likes of cheapo messes like Sledgehammer (1983) or Spine (1987).

Two things in particular stand out in this film and make it more than worthwhile. First is the location, the isolated, wooded island is an absolute dream of a horror movie location. Shrouded in shadows and entirely cut off from civilization, it helps lend a heavy sense of dread and foreboding to a film that lacks in other areas, this elevates it and gives it a certain gloss, something missing from similar films.

Next I must commend this film for taking it’s time, it dares to pace it’s killings in between long stretches of story, and this in turn leads to a final act that is high in atmosphere and dread as our principals cower in a house, terrified of the killer lurking outside. Sure, the performances in this film are questionable and the editing is choppy, but trust me, Honeymoon Horror is much better than some of the slasher tripe making more money at the time. It’s location, pacing and atmosphere do volumes for it and elevate it a level, please seek it out, you could do so much worse!

Side note: This film was also the first film to be released direct to video without a theatrical run, RELEASED to video, not shot on video. It made upwards of 22 million dollars for Sony Video on a mere fifty thousand dollar budget…I implore you, see it!

—Reece Glen Donnell

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