Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - A 100% Spoiler-Free Review

There's good news and bad news Star Wars fans.

Good news?  This is the Star Wars film you've been looking for.

Bad news?  We've got to wait until 2017 to see what happens next!

In 1999, at the height of the hype and excitement for Episode I:  The Phantom Menace, I'll never forget leaving the midnight screening that we had (at the last minute) at the theater I worked at.  Leaving work that night, I tried so hard to convince myself that it was a good movie and that I enjoyed it.  With the next two films in the prequel trilogy, I felt the same way then, though the last 40 or so minutes of Episode III:  Revenge of the Sith (or at least when Anakin turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader) are pretty spot-on perfect and set up the classic, original trilogy.  

Time has been kind to the prequel trilogy though, as I revisited them all -- like most of you -- leading up to today's release of The Force Awakens.

As a kid, I vividly remember my dad relating information from an interview he'd seen or read about how, one day, there would be eventual Star Wars sequels with older versions of Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie telling the story to a younger generation.  Images of my favorite characters with greyed hair and beards danced in my head as I daydreamed about what could be . . . 

That day has finally come.  And it is incredible!

JJ Abrams has done it...

It seems that I'm now at the target demographic age where film and television properties that I've held near and dear for most of my life are suddenly being mined for sequels, remade, and/or rebooted, often times with varying degrees of success; Indiana Jones and Rocky Balboa are two immediate characters who spring to mind.  The latter of which definitely succeeded with Rocky Balboa both taking a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane, but also capping what has been an incredible series of films and, of course, Creed starting the next chapter so magnificently!  

Where parts of the Star Wars prequel trilogy felt like they were created to sell toys or fill in story gaps, I'm happy to report that The Force Awakens feels natural and is certainly a welcome trip back to familiar territory!  Catching up with characters like Han Solo and Chewbacca pretty much made the movie for me.  Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew effortlessly slip back into their characters as if 33 years hasn't passed at all.  Their dialogue banter made me feel like a kid again, daydreaming of riding with them in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon!  

The same can be said for Carrie Fisher as well, returning as Leia.  Her relationship with Han Solo has been one that, ultimately felt realistic and The Force Awakens deals with it in a way that I've seen all too often in couples.  There's genuine onscreen chemistry between Ford and Fisher which is just as evident as it was in The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. 

While revisiting the other six films lately, I've come to the realization that, next to Han Solo, my favorite Star Wars character is probably Chewbacca.  He's the family dog; loyal, lovable, and fierce when he needs to be to protect those he loves.  Seeing him and Han onscreen again (Chewie's extended cameo in Episode III:  Revenge of the Sith was all too brief for my tastes) connected with me in a way I can't really describe.  If it doesn't do the same for you, I'm sorry to hear that.  

Right in the goddamn Feels.

Obviously, there's the nostalgia factor that I'm sure detractors will look for some fault in, but it worked for me.  It didn't feel like a sly elbow to the ribs and a wink to say "See?  It's like the original!" as if to remind the audience of what used to be (and, as is often times the case with nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, recalls a most likely better film).  Again, it felt completely natural and made me yearn to see some of what happened in the 32 years since Return of the Jedi's finale!

Speaking of returning faces, seeing screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan's name back on the credits feels so right!  Kasdan famously penned The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, so the man can do no wrong in the hearts of many.  Kasdan, along with Abrams and Michael Arndt have crafted a story that continues one many of us have loved, while introducing new organic natural plot elements (and twists) that are perfectly at home in the Star Wars universe!  Well done sirs!

When The Force Awakens machine started rolling via the theatrical trailers and onslaught of new action figures and toys, I'll admit, I was skeptical of the new characters joining the story.  Call it post-prequel trilogy syndrome, where it felt like new characters -- with names too complicated to remember -- were only introduced to sell an action figure, I wasn't exactly thrilled about new friends joining my old friends.  Sure, Darth Maul looked cool and fought like a Sith champ, but his appearance in The Phantom Menace was too brief and I think he got swallowed up in the hype of that film's release. 

Kylo Ren is not Darth Maul.

Kylo Ren is a perfect successor to the villain role left vacant by Darth Vader!  During one sequence, he's even got some swagger about his walk that Vader himself often showed.  Even as a kid, I can't say that I was ever truly terrified by Darth Vader or hated him to the point of hissing and booing when he'd be onscreen, but I can definitely say Kylo Ren dances into those categories . . . he's one bad dude who has a lot of depth to his evilness.  And he looks cool, to boot!  Adam Driver takes on the role with gusto and is definitely a welcome addition to the Star Wars family as far as I'm concerned.

Adam Driver as the evil Kylo Ren.

Captain Phasma is a new addition to the villain roster that has seen its share of controversy, though I'm not sure why some people are up in arms.  Maybe it's the characters connection to the Phantasm series that won me over, but I think she's pretty cool and hope to see more of her.

Gwendoline Christie as new villain Captain Phasma.

On the Light Side of the Force, we're introduced to a trio of new heroes; the curious Rey, hotshot pilot Poe Dameron, and enigmatic Finn.  All three characters are played by actors who I'm relatively unfamiliar with (I've only seen John Boyega in Attack The Block), which was a nice surprise and made for a more believable world where the prequels had familiar faces pop up in support roles which was, at times, distracting. 

As Rey, Daisy Ridley rises to the challenge of maybe not necessarily carrying the entire film on her shoulders, but she'll definitely be a central part to the continuing story in the next two films.  There's an air of mystery to Rey that certainly had me craving for more and wanting to learn more about her.

Daisy Ridley as Rey.

Another new character that has already seen some unfair controversy of his own is Finn.  Attack The Block's John Boyega embodies Finn with a sense of realism and familiarity that I'm sure was evident in characters like Han Solo for audiences in 1977.  Again, there's some mystery to Finn and his back story which I hope is unfolded a bit in the coming films. 

John Boyega as Finn.

Perhaps my favorite new character, so far, is Poe Dameron. As played by Oscar Isaac, Poe is the sort of hotshot pilot and confident pilot that fits easily into the Star Wars universe.  He's as if Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Wedge Antilles were melded into one, perfect, heroic character.  I wouldn't mind having him in my corner if I was going up against the Dark Side of The Force!  Poe's scenes were easily some of my favorite; so much so that I wanted to reach into the screen and high-five him!  As with Rey and Finn, I look forward to seeing more of him in the coming films.

Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron.

It's easy to see kids today daydream of going on adventures with these three new heroes the same way we all did with Han, Chewie, and Luke.  

Also, on the droid side, there's BB-8.  Some may say his appearance is simply a toy commercial, but I have to disagree and say that he is just as lovable as R2-D2.  There's no denying that R2 and his banter with C-3PO have always felt a little Martin & Lewis or Abbott & Costello, so I was relieved that BB-8 doesn't try and impede on that relationship.  In a sense, BB-8 seems like a cute, little pet that everyone is going to want under their Christmas tree....but maybe that's just our culture right now and the abundance of hilarious animal videos and memes on the internet these days?  Either way, BB-8 is here to stay and I'm glad!

BB-8 as himself, a totally functioning, non-CGI droid!

The bottom line?  If you're a Star Wars fan, you will love this film.  It's great and has solid story-telling that ultimately caught me up and left me wanting more, in a good way!  You're able to catch up with pals you haven't seen in 30-odd years while at the same time meeting a bunch of new ones who will, no doubt, be lifelong friends!  

It's FUN and one hell of a ride.  Go see it!

May The Force be with you.  Always.

*Photos borrowed from www.starwars.com

Friday the 13th (1980): Looking Back on Camp Blood

First off, Happy Friday the 13th everyone!  I trust you're all in the midst of your date-appropriate marathons of Jason's greatest adventures!

Give me a few minutes of your time to talk about the original, and for my money, still the best entry in the long-running series....1980's Friday the 13th.  I recently posted my own gut-reaction ranking of all 12 films in the series with the original being at the top.  Of course, this caused a bit of head-scratching among my friends and family, so allow me to explain....

There was a time when all things Friday the 13th were sort of taboo in my life.  The most intense thing I'd seen was the trailer for Leatherface:  Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 before a screening of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 when I was 7yrs old.  Aside from a brief peek on USA Up All Night and maybe a scene or two on Cinemax or HBO while my parents weren't looking or were out of the room, I'd never seen any of the Friday the 13th movies.  As a kid in the 80s, Jason Voorhees was a playground legend; you were considered cool if you'd see a Friday the 13th movie.  Hell, I remember when my hometown movie theater showed Friday the 13th Part VIII and I thought my babysitter's daughter had guts and was cool as hell for going to see it!

I'd say my love affair with Friday the 13th, the first film, goes back to 1993.  I was 12yrs old and it was right around the time that Jason Goes To Hell was being released.  I don't remember the exact first time I saw the original film, but I do know for sure that I went and told everyone that I had finally seen "the one that started it all."  

Shortly before I was born (1980, to be exact), my parents had been dating for a short while and had made a habit of seeing horror movies on their double dates.  Dawn of the Dead and Silent Scream were two that Dad loves to tell stories about!  Of course, his greatest story is that of going to see Friday the 13th; Dad and his friend knew it wasn't over as Alice lay in that canoe and they kept assuring Mom and her friend that "it's all over" . . . as soon as Jason popped up from the mucky lake to pull Alice under, the ladies of the double date had to be peeled off the ceiling of the theater!  Classic stuff right?  You can kinda see where I get the love from, no? 

The film itself is simple and has a home-grown nature to it; sort of like a band's demo tape from "before they got big".  All the traits that will eventually make it a household name are there...they're just a little rougher.  

Everything in the movie just clicks with me.  The music is fantastic and creepy (by the time you hear the same similar score throughout all the sequels, although it was still Harry Manfredini and still cool, it just felt like a copy of the original).  The special effects are top-notch and I think are only matched by Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, again created by Tom Savini.  The acting is...well, I wouldn't say Oscar-caliber, but it's charming and believable to me.  Finally, the story is simple and contains all the elements of a great campfire tale told at a summercamp!  

One thing the series itself is known for is its seemingly endless supply of teenage stereotypes, often times introducing a character only to be machete fodder for Jason mere minutes later.  Again, I wouldn't say that the character in the original Friday the 13th are fully rounded-out characters (this IS a horror movie and I'm not here for Shakespeare, ya know?), I would maybe put them a level or so below the characters in the A Nightmare On Elm Street series.  For me, the teens in Friday's main competitor were more believable and were actually kids that I'd either wanted to be, already was to extent, or would want to hang out with.  The counselors in Friday the 13th seemed real enough to me and I took stock in their untimely fates.

Also, as a kid, you can imagine how many kids I know who went to "the camp from Friday the 13th"...probably the same amount of kids I knew who swore they either had a hoverboard or knew a kid who had one.  When I later found out that the movie had indeed been filmed in my homestate of New Jersey, that made it even cooler!  

The movie LOOKED like areas that I either played in right outside my house or the "summer home" that we had in upstate Pennsylvania in LeRoy Township.  Hell, the road that Ned/Jack/Marcie drive down on their way to the camp, as well as the "town" of Crystal Lake itself, all looked like they were right out of LeRoy, PA!   You look at the sequels and, aside from part 2 (which was filmed in Connecticut), you can tell they're not filmed on the East Coast.

Me, circa 1986, on the front porch of the house belonging to my Dad's hunting club.

They should have filmed the sequels up here at Sunfish Pond!

Another shot of Sunfish Pond.

This may as well have been a cabin in Friday the 13th!

 

 

 

Me, the last time I visited Sunfish Pond.

The fictional Camp Crystal Lake also looked like a very real area cubscout camp I had attended for a few brief hours (long story short...I didn't stick around after the initial tour and left my fellow pack members).  

Some people get freaked out by the faux-realism of a horror movie that's done in the "found footage" style...but me, just film it in my backyard and I'm sold!  

Speaking of the actual locations where the film was shot, the fact that I've been able to visit them multiple times over the years probably has something to with my undying love.  

Checking out the Mechanic's Lodge, which doubled for Alice's cabin!

Standing in front Jack and Marcie's cabin.  This is where Kevin Bacon got the arrow in his neck!

 

Sandee and I on the REAL Crystal Lake!

Kirk Hammett's Fear FestEVIL blog!!

Hey friends!

Check out the new blog from Metallica's resident Horror film lover, memorabilia collector and all-around Monster Kid, Kirk Hammett!

http://www.fearfestevil.com/kirksblog/

So far, it looks like Kirk is reviewing movies he's recently seen and passing on some of his personal recommendations!  His most recent post is starting a really cool discussion about Horror sequels and remakes!!

The Green Inferno (2015)

Nothing makes a film more desirable to see than having it unreleased, shelved indefinitely, or even banned.  In the Horror genre, this has worked out quite well, generating a buzz that almost ensures fans will be there once a film finally sees the light of day.  The most recent examples of this would obviously be Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (filmed in 2000, dropped by Universal, picked up by MGM and then subsequently dropped, only to be finally released by Lionsgate -- and make them a ton of money -- in 2003) and All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (filmed in 2006 and finally released in 2013).  In terms of being banned, pictures like Faces of Death and Make Them Die Slowly ("Banned in 31 Countries!" as its poster swore) played up that angle which certainly helped put butts in theater seats and definitely made me want to see them on video back in the day! 

In short, it all goes back to that primitive instinct of wanting to experience something that's been deemed forbidden.

When Eli Roth announced that he was making a film that was essentially a love letter to the Italian Cannibal subgenre of such classics as Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust and Umberto Lenzi's Cannibal Ferox (the aforementioned Make Them Die Slowly has many titles depending on which country you're in), there was immediate buzz.  Personally, I was interested to see a film like those listed actually playing at one of the mega movie theater chains in the US...I didn't think it was possible!  When the film encountered distribution woes, its buzz only increased.

Filmed in 2013 and finally just released this past weekend, Roth's The Green Inferno tells the story of Justine (expertly played by Roth's real life wife, Lorenza Izzo), a college Freshman seemingly trying to fit in with the local group of political activists on-campus. The basic plot is that the group of activists blindly follow a charismatic leader who fancies himself as the next Che Guevara (though he's more Jim Jones than anything) literally right into the line of fire to expose big industry's murderous effect on primitive, indigenous tribes in the Amazon.  The kids in this film aren't so much "tree huggers" as they're "cause huggers". 

Naturally, that's only the first half of the film; things soon spiral out of control as members of the group are captured by an indigenous tribe, where they're forced to stay for dinner...and breakfast...and lunch.  Sorry, the pun had to go somewhere!  

Roth famously cast a real-life Peruvian tribe that had never been filmed or photographed -- this only added to the maddening realism of the film, coupled with the fact that most of the trained actors are relative new faces.  While Cannibal Holocaust had its pseudo-documentary style benefiting its believability and strengthening its impact, Inferno's most effective strengths lie in its casting decisions.  It would have been much more difficult to believe someone like Brad Pitt was being eaten alive by a cannibal tribe, ya know?

Special effects duties are masterfully handled by Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, expertly portraying the on-screen carnage.  Not gonna lie...there are some truly brutal and nasty bits in this film, although seeing Nicotero and Berger's names in the opening credits made it a little easier to separate the onscreen carnage as fictional, whereas both films from Deodato and Lenzi surely had shoestring budgets, making their gore all that more impressive and shocking ("did they really just kill that actor?"). 

Also, like any Eli Roth film, there is an abundance of his trademark black humor . . . several hilarious bits and one-liners carefully break the tension during some of the most disturbing sequences!  In fact, one particular kill even treads levels of absurdity reached previously by Monty Python & The Holy Grail!  In terms of the film's violence, as brutal as it is, it's difficult to take seriously and be offended by because it's so over the top.  Truthfully, the most shocking moment in the film -- which genuinely made me jump -- occurs near the end and recalls Carrie and Friday the 13th.

Another interesting element in line with the film's humor is its constant poking and prodding of social justice warriors and the need to find a cause to rage against on college campuses.  As someone who was bored to tears by the on-campus activists while attending Rutgers, I found this angle to be extra humorous!  In fact, this is where one of The Green Inferno's most terrifying ideas comes into play; never mind the rampant cannibalism and savage blood-letting, the scariest part is how easily some people can forget their principles, no matter how much their gut is telling them they're making a bad decision...they still blindly follow and make that bad decision, all in the name of an attractive person or some radical cause.  The entire first half of the film before the kids get to Peru has that sense of dread in the form of a knot in the stomach screaming "this is not going to end well!"

If you're an Eli Roth fan already, you will love this film.  If you've never seen an Italian Cannibal film and had no desire to, this probably won't change your mind.  If you're a Horror fan though, your curiosity surely has to be piqued.  See it!

Somebody Please Tell Me WHY?!?!

Earlier this week, someone asked me, "Why do you like scary movies?"  Even though this was a question I attempted to answer when I started this blog, I still don't think I've come up with a definitive answer and, obviously, I couldn't really give a clear answer when that question was thrown at me.  Sometimes, it's as simple as "You can't understand it if you're not into it."

This pic says a couple of things about me, don't you think?

For me, that's like asking some of my friends "Why do you like football or other professional sports so much?"  In their cases, I'm sure it was something that was passed down from a parent, uncle, older brother, etc and more of a family tradition.  In my case, that'd certainly be true since I've got fond memories of watching, not only horror movies, but movies in general with both of my parents; in fact, some of my earliest memories revolve around movies or television.  Hell, that could even be why I love pizza so much, as a lot of my favorite childhood memories revolve around Pizza Friday at my house!  Before I was even born, when my parents were still dating, they often went to see horror movies like Dawn of the Dead, Silent Scream, and Friday The 13th!  This stuff is in my DNA!  Maybe if my dad had a football in the house while I was growing up, this blog would be dedicated to something entirely different, eh?

As with any bands that I find myself getting into, I feel the need to learn as much about "it" (whether it's a band, tv show, or a movie) as I can . . . this includes behind the scenes stories, photos, making-of's, meeting the cast and creators, and if possible, visiting the locations where said movie was made!  Deep down, I think this sort of "expert" mentality goes back to my childhood, being an only child and often times getting the short end of the stick from others . . .

In my early grade school years, I remember trying to be like my buddies and getting into some recreational sports; T-ball and soccer were my choices.  I hated both.  I hated the practice part and, basically, just wanted the glory of winning . . . never cared much for learning the rules of the game or any of that jazz, ya know?  Same thing in the 6th grade when I joined the school basketball team -- I wasn't very good and, no thanks to my team mates, I found very little encourgement to improve my skills.  I'd jump on a couple other bandwagons in the latter part of elementary school as well; for some reason the Miami Hurricanes were a "thing" at my school...so naturally, I had a t-shirt with their pelican mascot on it (though I remember the thing being a bit too tight on me).  Of course, you couldn't grow up in the early 90s without Michael Jordan fever and EVERYTHING was Chicago Bulls . . . so naturally, I had a Chicago Blackhawks hat that I wore pretty frequently.  Never saw a single game back then as a matter of fact!  Who knows, maybe I was predicting my future of eventually moving to Chicago and the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup a few times once I became an Illinois transplant! 


I remember this day vividly...that's the smile of a kid who's trying to fit in.

Looking back, perhaps there was a even a deep-rooted sense of being left behind that made me not want to tag along with what everyone else was into.  Being that I wasn't familiar with the rules of a football game, didn't know any professional skateboarders outside of Tony Hawk, and wasn't able to tell the difference between the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, I'm sure there was an unwritten attitude of "Alright then...forget that shit!"  Today, it's Fantasy Football picks...I scratch my head on how that stuff works.  Could I have taken the time to learn these things?  Probably.  Were they my ultimate interests or would I just be trying to fit in?  Absolutely the latter. 


Not sure what I was going for with the hair here...

Oh wait, this was it!

However, when it came to liking movies and horror movies . . . I was the king of my domain.  And that fact was comforting, acting as a suit of armor, protecting me from the mixed feelings I was experiencing, but not yet being able to fully vocalize until just now.  Perhaps Freddy and Jason slicing and dicing random teenage stereotypes helped to voice the feelings I was experiencing.  Of course, being on the verge of puberty didn't help matters either...talk about trying to find your identity!  On a side-note, when Black Sabbath were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were on-hand to do the honors.  During Hetfield's speech, he got choked up when he described how the doomy, monstrous guitar riffs lived inside of him, speaking the feelings he couldn't find words for, and helped crack the shell that he found himself stuck in at an early age, helping him find his own creative voice.  That totally resonates with me when it comes to horror movies and, ironically, Metallica's music even!  My grade school class was small...we had the brainy kids, the skaters (my friends), the nerds, the jocks, etc.  Now, after a couple years of half-heartedly chasing trends, I'd found my own identity.  I was the Monster Kid (and "Metallica Bob")!  Nerdy or otherwise...I was me.  I found myself just in time for high school, so I didn't have the same hellish experiences in grades 9 through 12 that a lot of other people talk about. 

While my friends were out doing BMX or skateboarding, I'd be tucked away in my bedroom watching my other friends like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, or hordes of zombies or aliens.  That kind of stuff was as cool to me as skating a half-pipe may have been to my buddies!  The heroes on my bedroom wall were Indiana Jones, Freddy Krueger, Rambo, and Metallica. 

Granted, at that time -- obviously pre-internet -- my fandom was a pretty isolated experience.  Outside of my older cousin Tim, there really wasn't anyone I could "talk shop" with except for a couple of buddies who liked Army of Darkness, Aliens, and Predator. 

As I got older, I realized that being a horror fan is actually pretty communal.  Through posting on message boards to meeting up with like-minded folks at conventions, I've made a lot of friends around the world through our mutual love of all things morbid and scary.  That's the thing though, being into horror movies is, nine times out of ten, just one of the many things that we can connect on.  We all enjoy this stuff for different reasons; some of it is from a technical standpoint on the special effects or story-telling/filmmaking, some of it might be a childhood nostalgia, and some of it might even be a fantasy element that acts as a cathartically, soothing alternative to whatever is going on in daily life. 

On the surface, being into this stuff is pretty nerdy . . . but what exactly is "nerdy"?  Is knowing every tiny detail about the three different "main" cuts of Dawn of the Dead or being able to recite every line of dialogue from Aliens any nerdier than knowing all the stats on Eli Manning?  I think not.  Collecting DVDs/blu-rays and movie posters isn't any different than collecting baseball cards (in some sense, both hobbies are just as expensive, too!). 

Today, I thrive on talking about horror with my friends either on-line, in person, or via almost daily text messages like "Dude, ever seen this movie?" or "Dude, check out what I just picked up!"  I love being thought of as the horror or movie guy to my friends outside of that smaller circle.  Like I said before, it's just me. 

While this pic is a bit old, it still personifies me to this day.

RIP Wes Craven 1939-2015

2015 has been a rough year to be a Horror fan, hasn't it?  We've lost way too many of our heroes this year and, unfortunately, we just lost another Great yesterday.

Wes Craven passed away from brain cancer at the age of 76.

When I saw the news dropped in as a comment on a Facebook thread, my heart sank.  After googling Wes to confirm my worst fear, I was immediately heart-broken and am still having a rough time dealing with his loss.  As I typed out a quick acknowledgement on Facebook last night, legit tears streamed down my face.  Some celebrity deaths are met with a sigh and a frown, but this one hit me really hard. 

It's no secret how important Freddy Krueger and the entire A Nightmare on Elm Street phenomenon has been in my life, but the first time I actually remember seeing Wes Craven speak on-camera about it goes back to when I was at least 5 or 6 years old.  The moment was part of an interview segment on the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors VHS documentary where Wes, along with Robert Englund, was seen on-hand signing autographs for eager fans and talking about the then still relatively young beast that he had birthed only a couple of years earlier.  

While I still have my original VHS, this copy is actually my wife's.

Wes, discussing the surreal nature of the Nightmare films.

On that initial introduction to the man -- and to this day -- I didn't think he looked like the type of guy who made Horror movies.  In fact, given his past career as an English teacher, he always reminded me of one of my own favorite professors.

I could watch and listen to a Wes Craven interview for hours, just to hear the man talk and wax philosophical about the genre I love.  As far as I'm concerned, Wes was the Thinking Man's Horror Filmmaker.  He brought depth and, quite frankly, the discussive nature to the genre.  

Recently on Twitter, Wes tweeted out these words of wisdom to aspiring filmmakers:  

"Take the 1st job you can in the industry you want to get into. The job doesn't matter, getting your foot in the door does."

From what I've read about his early interest in film, he took his own advice, getting his foot in the door with rougher and cruder (in every sense of the word) fare before making the leap to mainstream success with A Nightmare on Elm Street and eventually becoming a household name with the Scream series.  It's worth noting that he made a helluva an impact in 3 separate decades with his work -- Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes struck nerves in the 70s, Nightmare pretty much defined the 80s, and Scream revitalized a genre that was almost on life-support in the 90s.  That's three generations that his work reached!

Back in 1995, my parents took me to my first ever Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors convention in Manhattan.  As a 13yr old kid, I was mainly there to see and meet Ken Foree from Dawn of the Dead, though the bill also had Angus Scrimm, Heather Langenkamp, Clive Barker (apparently...though I don't remember that at all, but I just saw a flyer for the show today on Facebook), and of course, Wes Craven.  It goes without saying how starstruck I was meeting Ken Foree, so it's no surprise that I couldn't muster up the courage to meet anyone else at that show, even Heather and Wes!  Although, I do fondly recall giving a wave to Wes as he was out in the hallway, signing for courageous fans . . . and he waved back.

Finally, even though I've shared this pic on Facebook, it deserves to be shared here.  A couple of years ago, my wife and I did a joint Halloween costume as Freddy and Nancy.  Kudos go to Wife for her level of detail in creating her Nancy costume, which I'd like to think got some attention on Instagram from Wes . . . 

Even though my pic was probably one of hundreds he saw that day on Instagram, the fact that he took a second to not only take a look, but also"like" it . . . incredible!  The closest I've come to holding court with the man.  Speaking of the presence that Wes had on Instagram, I will really miss his posts, dropping little hints as to where he currently was or was on his way to in the world.  His photos were humorous, often sharing silly memes or showing off his animals.  The man also had some great Throwback Thursday photos that he'd tease his followers with to guess what the film was!  In short, his posts were always a great time!

In a couple of weeks, Horror Hound Weekend will be celebrating one of the largest Nightmare reunions ever, gathering members of the Nightmare family from the original and all its sequels in Indianapolis.  I look forward to sharing Nightmare memories with fellow fans and the alumni who will be there that weekend!  It's ironic that I just saw someone requesting Wes to be added to the guest list, literally, on Saturday . . . he'll be there with us for sure.

With that said, it deeply pains me to bid farewell to someone who has helped shape me and my interests ever since I was a little kid.  He leaves behind an incredible legacy of fear, scares, chills, and laughs.    

Sleep peacefully, sir.  RIP Wes Craven.

RIP Sir Christopher Lee 1922-2015

Christopher Lee, perhaps the most famous portrayal of Count Dracula.

Somewhere beyond the pearly gates, the ultimate Hammer horror film is finally under production . . . co-directed by Terrence Fisher and Roy Ward Baker, filmed by Freddie Francis and a cast including Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Ralph Bates, Ingrid Pitt, Kate O’Mara, Madeleine Collinson, Thorley Walters, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Vincent Price, and the star they’d all been waiting for…Sir Christopher Lee.

When Sir Christopher Lee passed away at the age of 93 on June 7, 2015 the film world lost one of its true legends, though this loss stings the horror world the most.

My earliest Christopher Lee memory goes back to elementary school and, although it’s a bit foggy, it still stands out.  While I’m not sure exactly what grade I was in – though it was probably 2^nd grade – I vividly remember coming home with my parents from some event at school in the evening.  It was around Halloween so, naturally, television stations were showing old horror films and, as luck had it, we came across Dracula:  Prince of Darkness!  At my age, since it wasn’t Freddy Krueger, I wasn’t exactly impressed, although both of my parents talked up Hammer Films and Christopher Lee himself.   I have faint memories of watching the film, though probably not in its entirety, as my young mind had an extremely short attention span in those days!  While it didn’t exactly make me a Hammer fan overnight, the seeds were still sown and, truth be told, it ended up being the very first Hammer film I would purchase years later on DVD (on a double bill with Satanic Rites of Dracula, no less!).

Being a kid in the late 80s/early 90s, my first real introduction to Christopher Lee would have to have been his appearance in Gremlins 2!  At the time, I thought he was just an uptight old geezer being mean to Billy and Gizmo!  Years later, of course, all the in-jokes and winks to his previous iconic  role as Dracula finally caught hold of me!

I’m embarrassed to say that, initially, I dismissed Hammer as nothing more than a retread of the Universal Monster films; of course that assessment couldn’t be further from the truth, as I now almost exclusively prefer Hammer over Universal!  As I became an adult, I got deeper into Hammer and their star actors and directors, many of whom I’d seen and loved in other projects like Peter Cushing in Star Wars and Tales From The Crypt or even Lee himself in The House That Dripped Blood. 

Christopher Lee is a certified legend.  There, I said it . . . and everyone should know it!  The man has close to 300 credits in his nearly 70yr career!  That fact in and of itself is an incredible feat that I’m not sure will be matched by any modern actor in or outside of the horror genre!  He could play them all . . . Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy, Rasputin The Mad Monk, a Bond villain, a evil wizard, an evil Sith Lord, a good guy, a bad guy, even an annoying pain in the ass (see his hilarious bit role in Raw Meat where he delights in pushing the buttons of Donald Pleasence).

They certainly don’t make them like this anymore.  We lost a great one, folks!

For a rare chance to catch a bunch of Lee’s most famous horror titles on television, make sure you tune in on Monday 6/22/15, as TCM will be dedicating a half day of programming to our fallen hero!  Starting at 6:15am, TCM will be airing The Mummy, Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, Dracula:  Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, and Horror Express!