By Frank Pittarese
FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) Suburban teen Charley Brewster discovers that his neighbor, Jerry Dandridge, is a vampire. Worse, Jerry knows that Charley knows. When no one believes him, Charley desperately turns to cowardly TV horror host Peter Vincent for vampire-killing help. But then Jerry sets his hungry eyes on Charley’s girlfriend…
Total fun from start to finish. There are no real surprises here, and the movie includes every vampire trope you can imagine (including the “girl looks like the vampire’s long-dead lover”), but that makes it even more terrific. Everything familiar actually feels energized and fresh. Everyone — literally everyone — in this movie is wonderful. With a fair share of mild frights, and character-driven humor providing plenty of lighter moments, it’s never silly enough to be a legit horror-comedy (which is good for me; I’m not big on horror-comedy). The script by director Tom Holland is smart and self-aware, and the haunting, sometimes sexy, score by Brad Fiedel (The Terminator) is outstanding. The visual effects by Richard Edlund (Ghostbusters) and makeup effects by Steve Johnson are also memorable. This movie really fires on all cylinders. There’s some queer subtext, however unintentional, which — if you’re into subtext — gives the whole story a metaphorical boost. Three of the lead actors (Roddy McDowell, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys) were/are gay, Chris Sarandon’s ever-suave Dandridge has a interesting dynamic with his “roommate,” Billy, and Evil Ed’s journey is more powerful and touching if viewed through an LGBTQ lens. Or, ya know, they’re just a vampire, a henchman, a nerd… Taking everything at face value doesn’t make the movie any less perfect or fun. Followed up with a lukewarm direct sequel, a pretty great 2011 remake (with darker, more contemporary values), and sequel/reboot of that remake (which erases the events of the 2011 film), but this is the one to see. Every time I finish it, I want to immediately watch it again. A
HATCHING (2022) Tinja, a 12-year-old gymnast, lives with her well-to-do family in a Finish suburb. Her brother is obnoxious, her father is emotionally impotent, and her mother is a selfish, demanding adulteress, more concerned with her social media presence — and Tinja’s success — than her family’s well-being. One day, Tinja takes home a strange egg she finds in the woods, which quickly grows to a massive size. A horrible, unsightly creature hatches from it, and soon bonds with Tinja in more ways than one, becoming her fierce protector — and a deadly threat to everyone in her orbit.
I went into this with very low expectations, expecting a dull, pretentious, metaphor-heavy experience. I’m happy to say that’s not the case at all. While not the fastest moving flick in the queue (and there is a metaphor under its creepy skin), the film’s deliberate pace constantly builds a feeling of dread. The hatchling (which I won’t even describe here except to say hooray for practical effects), as it evolves, takes the film in surprising, if occasionally repulsive, directions. The film initially seems like a by-the-numbers creature feature, but it turns into something else completely, with an ending that (in a rare reaction from me) was totally chilling. Avoid spoilers going into this one — and be ready to want to throw bricks at your screen because the mother is horrible. Strong and disturbing stuff, with fantastic acting by young Siiri Solalinna. Currently streaming on Hulu (with subtitles). A–
SLUGS (1988) Toxic waste disposal leads to hordes of slugs killing the citizens of a small town. Based on a pretty decent novel by Shaun Hutson, this…snail’s-paced (I’m sorry) movie has little to offer. The characters aren’t a bit engaging and the script is lazy. The slug “attacks” (such as they are, because they don’t really do anything proactive on-camera) are adequate thanks to some gruesome makeup effects, but only one scene — in which a guy is eaten from the inside out — has enough unsettling tension to keep me from checking my phone. Currently streaming on Tubi. F
TORSO (1973) A masked madman is murdering women in a small, Italian college town. To avoid potential danger, Dani and three of her friends take off to a remote villa. But the killer has followed them, and things take a very bad turn.
This 1973 giallo is chock full of women, nudity, and nude women…but very light on characterization (I couldn’t tell several of the girls — and two of the guys — apart). For the genre, the violence is subdued…mostly implied. But what feels like a rather soft proto-slasher takes a big turn in the third act when the suspense suddenly cranks up. I went from “this is okay” to being fully invested in a blink. The vibe of the last 20-30 minutes is almost a precursor to Dean Koontz’s Intensity (infamously ripped off as Alexandre Aja’s High Tension), and it’s that thrilling close-out that elevates the movie. I watched the original Italian edit, but there are several cuts out there. Currently streaming on Tubi and Shudder. B