Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)

After the surprise, slow burn success of Night of the Living Dead, the early 1970s saw a mini wave of living dead films "inspired" (ie: in most cases, flat out ripped off) by the Romero classic.  This first wave was an interesting time for the Zombie movie subgenre, as it showcased a particular blueprint set forth by Night of the Living Dead, before ushering in a second, bloodier wave in the late 70s and early 80s after Romero again put his stamp on the scene with Dawn of the Dead. 


That first wave saw a few US titles like Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, Deathdream, and House of Seven Corpses.  Across the Atlantic though, standouts included Amando De Ossorio's Blind Dead four pack, Jean Rollin's  Les Démoniaques (released as Curse of the Living Dead in the States), Jess Franco's A Virgin Among The Living Dead and, of course, Jorge Grau's Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (known in the UK as The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue and, curiously, in the US as Don't Open The Window).

The plot of Sleeping Corpses follows George (Ray Lovelock, looking the spitting image of Barry Gibb), an antique dealer leaving the congestion and pollution of Manchester for a holiday in the English countryside.  Almost as soon as his trip begins though, Edna (Crisitina Galbo) quite literally runs into him and the begrudged pair set out traveling together.  Even though George has a time-sensitive meeting in Windermere with friends, he reluctantly decides to accompany Edna to her drug-addicted sister's house in South Gate, before can borrow her car to get himself to his destination. 

Ray Lovelock, as George, is just trying to stay alive.

It's not long into their journey when the pair meets a dead end and George asks some workers from the Department of Agriculture for directions.  This is where Sleeping Corpses stands out from its maggot-faced peers; much like Romero's films, Jorge Grau goes for a "message" here about a pollution (briefly hinted at in the film's opening segment) and the effects of technology on the environment.  The DOA are using a new, experimental machine to kill insects in fields . . . with the use of radiation.  Ever the hippie, George immediately grills the DOA on possible side effects to the land itself. 

George realizes that Edna is more than a woman.

The film's first zombie appears shortly after; a soaking wet suicide victim who rises from the river and tries to attack Edna.  This is where Sleeping Corpses really starts to take off!  The make-up by Italian legend Giannetto De Rossi (Zombie, The Beyond, Rambo III) is actually pretty impressive here -- especially considering some of the on-screen zombies of the time -- with the character quite literally sopping wet the entire time he's on-screen.  However, what sets Grau's zombies apart from Romero's is, as evidenced by the wet cat, they seem to have the ability to think. 

Knock, Knock sucka!  Open up!

In a later scene where George, Edna, and a beat cop named Craig are trapped in the mausoleum of a local cemetery, our wet friend manages to revive two freshly dead, not-yet-buried, companions . . . by rubbing his bloody fingertips over their eyelids.  It's also here where the film's first real gore occurs as the trio rip into a poor soul's stomach cavity and disembowel him for a quick snack! 


Also along for the ride is Academy Award nominee Arthur Kennedy, as a fascist police sergeant who believes Edna's sister is responsible for the murder of her husband (who's actually done in by our drip of a friend).  The Sergeant immediately takes a disliking to George and Edna of course, bluntly stating "You're all the same, the lot of you...with your long hair and your faggot clothes.  Drugs, sex, and every sort of filth!"  Of course, he also implicates the pair in the gory disembowelment, labeling them as devil worshippers!  Kennedy's appearance really elevates the film above a sort of standard "a bunch of unknowns trapped by zombies" and also creates an outright villain as The Sergeant and George have a continuous back and forth in their scenes together.  George represents the defiant, authority-questioning counterculture and The Sergeant embodies their iron-fisted oppressors with Conservative values.

This zombie ponders how to mend a broken heart.

Later in the film, several more living dead are revived once the action turns a nearby mortuary and what is perhaps the standout gore effect in Sleeping Corpses occurs; a telephone operator is ambushed from behind by the zombies and has one of her breasts torn off!  It's pretty gnarly and, true to the gore that De Rossi would later wow fans with in Lucio Fulci's films, is top notch! 

This zombie has a case of Night (of the Living Dead) fever.

Perhaps aping a bit too much from pre-Dawn of the Dead Romero, the film contains a rather downbeat ending, but manages to elicit one final, revenge-soaked cheer from the viewer before the credits roll.  


All in all, it's an incredible entry in the Zombie movie subgenre and was certainly a worthy film that I'd read about before tracking down a bootleg VHS (ripped from the old, uncut Japanese laserdisc).  It's currently available on from the fine folks at Blue Undergound as Let Sleeping Corpses Lie on DVD, as The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue as a 2-disc DVD (with more special features and the Manchester Morgue title card), and also on Blu-ray as The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue.  Highly recommended if you haven't seen it yet!

A Worthy Sequel: Predator 2 (1990)

Stephen Hopkins' Predator 2 is, by my accounts, a criminally underrated sequel.  At this early stage in the franchise's development, I'm not sure if 20th Century Fox knew of its overall potential, though having a hot, young director like Hopkins (fresh off of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5) at the helm, suggests the similar formula that worked so well with Aliens a few years earlier.  Just by following up the juggernaut of success that the original Predator was, without its main star Arnold Schwarzenegger attached, this sequel was almost destined to be criticized right out of the gate.

Upon its release to home video (where I first saw it), I wasn't too impressed since Danny Glover was no Arnold, though I was still down since it was, ya know, The Predator and all.  Of course, the major eye-candy on display was the Easter egg (probably the first of its kind -- at least for me!) of the Xenomorph skull in the Predator's trophy case, teasing the Aliens Vs. Predator comic book mash-up a few years later! 

Now, as an adult, I'm able to fully appreciate Predator 2 for what it is:  a fun, roller-coaster ride of a monster movie that, at times, surpasses its predecessor!  Set in the not too distant future of 1997 (where fashion seems to hail from the Miami club scene and Gerardo was still popular on the radio), a crime-gripped Los Angeles is experiencing a record heat-wave which, of course, attracts everyone's favorite intergalactic big game hunter. A series of seemingly ritualistic grisly murders hints at an ongoing drug-fueled war between the Colombians and the Jamaicans.  Lt. Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover in his most Action Star role outside of the Lethal Weapon franchise) and his crew of Danny Archuleta (Ruben Blades) and Leona Cantrell (Maria Conchita Alonso), and fast-talking rookie Jerry Lambert (Bill Paxton, making him the first actor to be a part of the franchises for The Terminator, Aliens, and Predator!) is on the case, as more bodies start piling up.   

Let's take a look at some of the cool factors that help Predator 2 rise above mediocre sequel status and straight into the cult classic it should be seen as! 

1.) The level of violence on display works so much better in an Urban setting!

Right off the bat, Predator 2 begins with action as the LAPD is in the midst of a stand-off with the Colombian drug cartel!  There's lots of gunfire, explosions, and juicy squibs showing off overkill bullet hits.  At its core, this sequel is a police detective drama...but with the Predator involved.  Early on, the officers stumble upon the aftermath of the Predator wiping out The Colombians, leaving behind pools of blood on the floor and trails of viscera up the walls!  Literally, this film is completely gore soaked! 

 2.)  The Jamaican Voodoo Posse

Acting under the impression that the two feuding drug gangs are trying to wipe one another out, the story turns into just that:  the Jamaican Voodoo Posse, attacks Ramon Vega, head of the Colombian cartel!  The Jamaicans then proceed to ritualistically sacrifice ol' Ramon and cut out his heart!  This is also where the Predator gets his first big line of "Shit happens" before he wipes out every member of the Posse, while showing off some new toys of his own! 

Later on, we see more Posse members pick up Harrigan and bring him to a meeting with their leader, King Willie (played by Calvin Lockart, in an extended cameo).  Here the Posse ramp up Jamaican stereotypes as they arrive in an eccentric limousine, fish-bowling some enormous Wonder Joints that would make Dudley "Booger" Dawson proud! 

You want some ganja mon?

Furthermore, the scene where King Willie confronts the Predator a short time later is the definition of cool!  The Predator seemingly doesn't even break a sweat as he walks away with the Jamaican drug lord's still screaming severed head! 

3.) Gary Busey and Morton Downey, Jr (and, to a lesser extent, Robert Davi)

As a pioneer of "trash TV", Morton Downey, Jr. pretty much defined the darker side of syndicated television in the 1980s.  The chain-smoking Loudmouth was such a pop culture staple that, even at the age of 8 when Predator 2 came out, I knew who he was and what he was about!  Here, he's almost typecast as investigative reporter Tony Pope, being obnoxious and yelling in peoples' faces throughout his scenes.  

The brief appearance of resident "That Guy" character actor Robert Davi, as LAPD Chief Heinemann is also a thing of beauty.  Davi shows up long enough to be a prick and utter some savage insults at Harrigan and his team. 

Finally, there's Busey . . . this is almost immediately after his near fatal motorcycle accident and, in his role as mysterious Special Agent Peter Keyes, Busey chews scenery and delivers one-liners as though this were his final film!  "He's on safari...lions...tigers...bears...oh my!"

4.) The Predator's new weapons

Let's see, there's the razor wire net that makes short work of a Posse member early on . . . the retractable spear . . . the lobster claw-like spear tip that can fire from a wrist gauntlet . . . and, of course, that flying smart disc!  All of these new weapons expand on what made the original Predator so cool, yet aren't too intrusive or feel shoe-horned in to sell a toy or because the filmmakers thought they looked cool -- these DO look cool!

5.) Predator 2 expands on the Predator's mythology and gives a tease to a much bigger, connected world!

There's the aforementioned Xenomorph skull, suggesting the Alien and the Predator have crossed paths a few times (or at least will, fourteen years later on the big screen).  For my money, this Easter egg wins over the mash-up films we eventually got because of, not only the Wow! factor, but more so for the endless daydreams and What-If discussions it spawned among fans. 

On top of that, we get our first glimpses of more Predators and the sense that they are truly a tribe of hunters!  In the film's final moments, Harrigan is confronted by several Predators who seemingly have been standing aside, using their active camouflage, watching him battle one their own to the death.  I'm not sure who played these additional Predators, but they seem more in line with Kevin Peter Hall's body type and, for me, more realistic than the bulky, WWE-styled hunters we got in the AVP movies.  Again, this addition to the mythology is hinted at and teased in the film's final moments, leaving us asking questions and wanting more . . . which is a great thing!   THIS is how you set up backstory . . . today's screenwriters either don't know how to do this properly or they let studio suits interfere with demands for more and more details about where our characters come from.  

6.) The subway massacre!

Let's be honest:  when watching a movie like Predator or Predator 2, we want to see carnage and bloodshed right?  When Leona and Jerry decide to take the subway to meet up with Mike, they soon find themselves in the middle of a mugging gone bad as commuters draw their guns....and turn public transit into a shooting gallery for the Predator while remaining in his active camouflage appearance!  This sequence had to be one of the most complex for the production since it's in tight quarters and with limited lighting (love that strobe light effect though!).

Every single time I watch Predator 2, I hope that some how, some way Jerry Lambert will survive!  To me, that's a sure sign of a great film where, no matter how many times you've seen it, you always hope for a different outcome for favorite characters!

There are people getting shot, stabbed, thrown, smashed through windows, and just straight up hacked to pieces!  The strobe light effect throughout only adds to the suspense and ramps up the scare factor as the audience isn't completely sure of what's going on or who is still alive!  

Check out that gang member with the bloodied face and neck!!

7.) The one-liners

Since I was 8yrs old when I first saw Predator 2, it's pretty safe to say that the film contributed to a very outlandish vocabulary for me in the 1st and 2nd Grades!  In fact, given my age, I didn't even know what half of the dialogue meant; I just thought it was some funny shit!  Allow me to paint you some examples....


El Scorpio [after sniffing a cocaine mountain that would make Scarface blush] "Come and get it!  El Scorpio is ready!"

Gold Tooth:  "King Willie says, not only do I have to kill you, but I have to take your soul.  Voodoo magic.  Fucking voodoo magic, man!  But you know what?  I tell you what I believe:  shit happens!"

Old Woman In Apartment [after Mike declares he's a cop]  "I don't think he gives a shit."

King Willie:  "This is dread man.  Truly dread."

Mike Harrigan [descending down a pipe on the side of a building] "Maybe I'll get lucky and fall."

Leona Cantrell:   "I have heard about you."
Jerry Lambert: "Yeah?"
Leona Cantrell: "Yeah. Like your last partner got shot."
Jerry Lambert: "What?"
Leona Cantrell: "Well..."
Leona Cantrell: [grabs Jerry's balls] "Try that cowboy shit with me, fucker, and you can kiss these goodbye."

Jerry Lambert: "Okay everybody, just take a deep breath. Loosen your sphincters. We don't need any rush hour Rambos here."


There are so many other quotable lines here that I could easily keep going....but you get the idea!

8.) The look of the Predator itself!

Once again, Stan Winston and his crew designed the titular creature and, despite some cosmetic changes to the overall look -- again hinting at different tribes, ranks, clans etc. among the Predator species -- this is one badass movie monster.  Here, the Predator has more of a lobster/crustacean appearance to go with his crab-like mandibles and his head shape seems a bit bigger as well.  Again, seeing this as a kid, the differences never really stood out as much as they do these days and, for that, I'm really grateful on the redesign.  Winston's minor changes to look of the Predator weren't as distracting or jarring as, say, the constant revisions made to the Xenomorph starting with Aliens and continuing all the way through the AVP movies!

Look, Predator 2 may not be the macho movie that its predecessor was, but damn, if it doesn't strike a different chord!  For me, the original film appealed to that basic instinct of "boys playing war", as it's impossible to argue with the cool factor of the film's first half.  The second half being just a cool monster movie with Schwarzenegger kicking ass, ya know?  Predator 2 has a bit of a B-movie/almost Grindhouse vibe to it at times, along with its straight ahead Action/Sci-Fi premise and, for me, that makes it stand out as a great sequel worthy of praise!  

With screenwriter of the original Predator, Shane Black, and Fred Dekker, creator of The Monster Squad/Night of the Creeps collaborating on a super secret direct sequel -- aptly titled The Predator, due in 2018 -- hopefully fans will take a moment and look back fondly at Predator 2.

House II: The Second Story (1987)

To be fair, House II isn't a very good film -- but it can certainly be an enjoyable film...if you can watch it without your "All my Horror must be deadly serious and loaded with gore" goggles.  When it was released in 1987, it was pretty much an instant childhood favorite of mine, though over the years, I sort of bought into its bad rep and dismissed it as mere cinema garbage.  Last night, Mrs. Constriction and I sat down to give it another spin and see how well it holds up.

And it better not leak...or else!

During a short, 1961-set prologue, we're introduced to a new titular house; Los Angeles' castle-like Stimson House and it's quickly apparent that this is a sequel in name/idea only.  Arye Gross (then of Just One Of The Guys fame, but later of TV's Ellen) stars as Jesse, who is moving into the house once owned by the birth parents he never knew.  Along with him is his record company shrew girlfriend, Kate, (annoyingly played by Friday the 13th Part VII's Lar Park Lincoln).  Jesse instantly begins digging through the family library and soon discovers the story of a strange Mayan crystal skull, once searched out by his Great Great Grandfather (whom he was named after).  Soon, Jesse's best friend Charlie (played with full-on 80s goofball buddy charm by Fright Night's Jonathan Stark and his Madonna wannabe girlfriend Lana (a pre-Problem Child and Robin Hood:  Men In Tights Amy Yasbeck) show up, unannounced, to hang out for a few days. 

Gross, as the film's hero Jesse

Lar Park Lincoln:  80s fashion icon!

This ain't Indiana Jones' crystal skull...

From there, in search of the crystal skull, Jesse and Charlie dig up the grave of the Great Great Grandfather (aka:  Gramps) and open up a Pandora's Box of strange events including:  an impressive mummified Royal Dano, a room in the house which opens to a prehistoric jungle, a crazed cro-mag throwback, Jim Henson-like puppets of a baby pterodactyl and a cute-as-a-button "caterpuppy", virgin-sacrificing Mayans, and of course, the film's main villain Slim Reeser, a sort of zombified Travis Tritt gunslinger...with the voice of Inspector Gadget's Dr. Claw (yes, Frank Welker supplies the voice here).


Jonathan Stark shows some great comedic timing in this film.

Rambo be damned.

Also along for the ride are Bill Maher and Cheers' John Ratzenberger.  Maher, with his face oozing yuppie smugness, is as punchable as he ever was as Kate's record executive boss.  Every time he's onscreen, there is a demand for it to be either kicked or punched!  In one of the film's most bizarre sequences, Ratzenberger shows up unannounced as Bill, The Electrician, joining Jesse and Charlie for an Indiana Jones style adventure where they battle Mayan worshippers and rescue a damsel in distress.  While clearly aping parts of Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom, the sequence comes off rather cheap-looking and its action is very wooden . . . but it's still fun because of Ratzenberger's presence! 

Just one, solid punch to that nose...please!

Everyone knows his name here because it's on his shirt.

For first-time director, Ethan Wiley, the action is pretty smooth, if not a bit stiff.  It's apparent that producer Sean S. Cunningham was sort of steering the train as the film looks and feels very much like its 1986 predecessor (some of the hallways and bedroom sets even appear to be re-dressings from the previous film).  Some of Wiley's previous credits were as creature techs and effects crew on Return of the Jedi and Gremlins, which explains the film's focus on cute, cuddly puppet creatures like the caterpuppy. 

Everyone needs this guy for Christmas!



A baby pterodactyl at a dinner table...wearing a bib.

Since this was the mid-to-late 80s, there's a strong emphasis on Chris Walas' effects crew trying to impress the audience with various makeups, puppets, and stop-motion animation -- with little to no blood (the only drops of which occur from gunshot wounds in the prologue and the final reel).  Think of House II as Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal on a much smaller budget and not so much as a "Horror" film and it's actually not too bad.  Almost 30 years later, the effects still hold up -- though puppeteer arms can be seen in a few shots -- and still invoke the emotions they intended.  The zombie makeups for Gramps and Slim are still impressive -- some may remember seeing Slim from the cover of Fangoria #64.

Gramps wants more beer, dammit!

Alright, who ordered the gunslinger entree?

In the end, the House series as a whole is a bit confusing and disjointed -- don't even get me started on the whole Horror Show/House III and then bringing William Katt back for House IV mess -- so it's not surprising that things sort of went of the rails with the first sequel.  Perhaps Fred Dekker and Sean Cunningham planned to have each film be different in the vein of an anthology?  After watching House II last night, we laughed more than I thought we would and, overall, just had fun with it. 

House (1986)

Yesterday, as my wife and I endured a tranquil eight hour drive home from Monroeville, PA (we were in town for this year's Living Dead Weekend in Evans City, PA), I had the sudden, gnawing urge to watch a particular film when we got home . . . the Steve Miner directed, Sean S. Cunningham produced and William Katt headlining House.  This is a film that has lived with me since its release to home video and, initially at least, completely terrified me!  It's not one that I revisit too often, but I thought, just for fun, let's revisit it.

How much are the property taxes, yo?

William Katt, rocking some of 1986's best fashion, stars as Roger Cobb, a Stephen King-like Horror novelist who is suffering the effects of PTSD from his tour of duty in Vietnam.  Kay Lenz also appears as Roger's estranged wife and soap opera star Sandy; unable to deal with the mysterious disappearance of their son Jimmy, the couple divorced.  On top of all of this Roger is suffering a bout of writer's block as he attempts to begin his next book, detailing his experiences in the Vietnam war (against his agent's advice of course).  The story really get moving when Roger learns that his beloved Aunt Elizabeth has committed suicide in the house he grew up in; ol' Auntie believed the house to be haunted of course.  While reviewing the titular house for a potential sale, Roger decides to move in and work on his next book.

There's our Greatest American Hero, ladies & gentlemen.

Kay Lenz as soap opera starlet Sandy

With a story by Fred Dekker, House is a perfect blend of horror suspense and rib-tickler comedy.  There are some genuinely creepy moments and shocking jump scares -- especially if you saw it for the first time at the age of 4yrs old like I did! -- but, with adult eyes, the creatures look a bit cartoonish and rubbery (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).  Yes, the house itself is haunted...kind of...it seems to be a conduit or gateway to "the other side" -- a similar theme would be explored in the Poltergeist series and, most recently, Netflix's Stranger Things.

Always listen to the crazy, suicidal ghosts!

Also worth noting, the cast contains two very popular television stars, who were both great comic relief on their immensely popular series; George Wendt of Cheers and Richard Moll of Night Court. Wendt appears as Harold, the nosey/kinda friend of a neighbor and Moll plays Roger's 'Nam buddy Big Ben.  Of the two, Wendt is perfect and serviceable as the skeptic to Roger's impending madness as the story progresses.  However, the film's one dull moment is Moll's performance.  I'm not sure if the part was written that way, but the Big Ben character has always fallen flat for me.  In the Vietnam flashback scenes, Big Ben comes across a little too cartoony and trying too hard to be a badass -- sort of like Ron Pearlman as Johner in Alien:  Resurrection).  The clunkiness of Big Ben has to be due to the script, as Moll as fine in other genre stuff like Evilspeak and The Dungeonmaster.  It also probably doesn't help that the 'Nam sequences are obviously filmed on a soundstage or someone's backyard, which immediately take me out of them...

Everyone knows your name in this house...



Richard Moll's performance is loaded with Bull...

Despite Richard Moll's sitcom delivery, the Big Ben character ends up being the film's main villain!  In Vietnam, Ben was hit by crossfire and, while begging Roger to "finish him off", was grabbed by NVA fighters and dragged away to a horribly prolonged death of torture....so, naturally, he's got a bone to pick with his old buddy Roger!  The Skeleton Big Ben looks surprisingly good and fits right in as the film's main baddie!  The makeup appliances seem to incorporate a similar process as seen in Return of the Living Dead with the Tar Man zombie, where the actor inside the suit has his face blacked out, but is still slightly visible whenever the monster opens its mouth to talk....still, ya gotta love practical special effects and I tip my hat to effects artists Barney Burman and Brian Wade!

Skeleton Big Ben stalks Roger in the House!

Also, a bit of a detractor for me is Friday The 13th composer Harry Manfredini's score for the film.  Sure there are some interesting themes -- the main one for instance -- but the majority of it echoes the Friday The 13th series a bit too much for me, resulting in a similar problem with his score for The Hills Have Eyes Part 2.


One of the more brilliant things that I noticed while watching the film again is its lighting.  In scenes that are set at night, the lighting in the house and in most rooms appears much brighter and fuller as if the action is taking place during the daytime.  In particular, scenes in the room where Aunt Elizabeth hanged herself and the room with the creepy closet.  This lighting choice further adds to the disorientation of when (or how long) events have been occurring. When Roger shoots the re-animated swordfish on the wall, the lighting in the den where it all happens suggests that its at night...but almost immediately after, Sandy shows up and it's the middle of the day and sunny outside.  Not sure if this was an intentional trick on the part of lighting tech Dennis Bishop or just a happy accident...


There are a few things that have sat with me since first seeing House though . . . that poster art is incredible isn't it?  I'll never forget seeing it in the video store and being absolutely terrified by it -- even if it is a bit misleading. 


Next, the scene where Sandy shows up at the house, startling Roger who's just fired off a few shotgun rounds at a mounted and stuffed swordfish.  Roger drops a couple of shotgun shells, which roll off the table between them and his beautiful wife bends down (out of frame) to pick them up . . . she then pops up as some sort of grotesque witch beast!  No joke...this was a moment for me where I'd clench my eyes shut and plug my ears!  Absolutely terrifying....of course, these days, it's a silly rubber suit and the whole thing plays much more for comedy than terror.

As the kids say these days:  Nightmare Fuel

Finally, there's Roger's bathroom and its medicine cabinet.  As a kid, around the same time this move was probably filmed, my older cousin Tim was always jumping out of his closet sporting some sort of Halloween mask (not to mention the Creepshow and Return of the Living Dead posters that he had on his bedroom wall) and scaring the hell out of me!  Of course, these days I thank him for showing me the way, but back then, that shit absolutely terrified me and gave me nightmares (in a good way)!  I swear -- and this is coming from the memory or a 4yr old -- that the bathroom at my aunt and uncle's house at the time looked exactly like that bathroom in House.  I'll never forget the eerie silence of being in that bathroom and as for the medicine cabinet that hung above the sink?  NOPE!

Who knew medicine cabinets were so terrifying?

Thirty years later, Steve Miner's House still holds up relatively well for me.  Despite its shortcomings with the Big Ben character and the 'Nam flashbacks, I still love it and give it a spin at least once a year.  If you're in the mood for some good fun with a horror film....I definitely recommend House!


Closet monsters be damned!