My Favorite John Huston Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Wise Blood (1979)

2.   The Maltese Falcon (1941)

3.   Fat City (1972)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

2.   The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

3.   The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Moviedrome Mondays: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

by John Charet

Happy 2020 everybody 🙂 Well I am back, how was the Christmas and New Years of my dear readers 🙂 A new year also calls for the beginning of not only a new Moviedrome Monday entry from me, but also the first episode in the new season of Moviedrome, which in this case would be season 3. I also have a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing the 1976 cult classic Assault on Precinct 13 by now legendary director John Carpenter. If any of you readers are interested in reading Cox’s introductory transcript, read here. The episode’s original airdate was May 6, 1990 (read here). Though Cox has nice things to say about the film, he seems to give off the vibe that it is “overrated”, which I totally disagree with him on. I love Assault on Precinct 13, but then again, Cox has always been something of a contrarian. If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite John Carpenter films, read here.

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro of Assault on Precinct 13

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

 

Moviedrome Mondays: Sunset Boulevard (1950)

by John Charet

The last episode of Season 2 in Moviedrome is undoubtedly a memorable American classic. I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director/co-writer Billy Wilder’s 1950 Hollywood satire Sunset Boulevard. Readers can also read Cox’s intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was September 10, 1989 (read here). Every great thing that has ever been said about this film, I nod in agreement to. If any of you are interested in reading a list of my favorite Billy Wilder films, read here.

While this will not be my last blog entry for 2019, it will be my last one concerning the Moviedrome Mondays entries. I will resume my Moviedrome Mondays blog series in the new year (Sunday, January 12, 2020) beginning with season 3 of Moviedrome.

Here is a youtube video link to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introduction to Sunset Boulevard

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox presenting director Alexander Mackendrick’s 1957 classic Sweet Smell of Success, readers will once again have to rely on Cox’s transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was September 3, 1989 (read here). What more can be said about this great film. We get two powerhouse performances by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, memorable dialogue from screenwriters Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets (who was also a playwright) (you’re a cookie full of arsenic), spectacular black-and-white cinematography by the late legendary James Wong Howe and last, but not least, late great composer Elmer Bernstein’s jazzy score. I have seen all of Mackendrick’s Ealing comedies, but it has been a while since I saw his last two films, which were A High Wind in Jamaica and Don’t Make Waves, so I will have to re-watch them sometime in the future. Nevertheless, If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Alexander Mackendrick films, read here.

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: Five Easy Pieces (1970)

by John Charet

Once again, I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Bob Rafelson’s widely praised 1970 character study Five Easy Pieces,  readers will have to rely on his intro transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was August 27, 1989 (read here). While I may not adore Five Easy Pieces like Cox seemingly does, I still greatly admire it. Though undoubtedly dated in some ways, it remains fascinating thanks to it’s subject matter – the working class. As Cox implies at the end of his transcript, it also contains a memorable diner scene.

BTW, my two favorite Bob Rafelson films (and they are great one) are 1972’s The King of Marvin Gardens (also with Nicholson) and 1987’s Black Widow with Debra Winger and Theresa Russell, who ranks as one of my many favorite actresses.

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Also, here is a youtube video link to the film’s memorable diner scene

John Charet’s Favorite Horror Films: Part 3 of 3

by John Charet

I am going to sort out the films I mentioned in my last two entries in this series (read here and here) in chronological order. I know it may be misleading to call it “Part 3 of 3” since it does not reveal anything new, but I did not know what else to call it. Either way, enjoy the list 🙂

  1. The House of the Devil (1896) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (a.k.a. The Haunted Castle)
    (a.k.a. The Devil’s Castle)
    (Short Cinema)
  2. A Nightmare (1896) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (Short Cinema)
  3. The Bewitched Inn (1897) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (Short Cinema)
  4. The Astronomer’s Dream (1898) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (Short Cinema)
  5. The Four Troublesome Heads (1898) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (Short Cinema)
  6. Bluebeard (1901) (Dir: Georges Melies)
    (Short Cinema)
  7. The House of Ghosts (1908) (Dir: Segundo de Chomon)
    (Short Cinema)
  8. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (Dir: Robert Wiene)
  9. The Haunted Castle (1921) (Dir: F.W. Murnau)
  10. The Phantom Carriage (1921) (Dir: Victor Sjostrom)
  11. Haxan (1922) (Dir: Benjamin Christensen)
  12. Nosferatu (1922) (Dir: F.W. Murnau)
  13. Faust (1926) (Dir: F.W. Murnau)
  14. The Unknown (1927) (Dir: Tod Browning)
  15. Un Chien Andalou (1929) (Dir: Luis Bunuel)
    (Short Cinema)
  16. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) (Dir: Rouben Mamoulian)
  17. Frankenstein (1931) (Dir: James Whale)
  18. Freaks (1932) (Dir: Tod Browning)
  19. Island of Lost Souls (1932) (Dir: Eric C. Kenton)
  20. The Old Dark House (1932) (Dir: James Whale)
  21. Vampyr (1932) (Dir: Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  22. The Invisible Man (1933) (Dir: James Whale)
  23. King Kong (1933) (Dir: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack)
  24. The Black Cat (1934) (Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer)
  25. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (Dir: James Whale)
  26. Cat People (1942) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  27. The Ghost Ship (1943) (Dir: Mark Robson)
  28. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  29. The Leopard Man (1943) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  30. The Seventh Victim (1943) (Dir: Mark Robson)
  31. Bluebeard (1944) (Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer)
  32. The Curse of the Cat People (1944) (Dir: Robert Wise)
  33. The Uninvited (1944) (Dir: Lewis Allen)
  34. The Body Snatcher (1945) (Dir: Robert Wise)
  35. Dead of Night (1945) (Dir: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer)
    (Anthology Film)
  36. Isle of the Dead (1945) (Dir: Mark Robson)
  37. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) (Dir: Albert Lewin)
  38. Bedlam (1946) (Dir: Mark Robson)
  39. The Spiral Staircase (1946) (Dir: Robert Siodmak)
  40. Fireworks (1947) (Dir: Kenneth Anger)
    (Short Cinema)
  41. The Queen of Spades (1949) (Dir: Thoroid Dickinson)
  42. The Man from Planet X (1951) (Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer)
  43. The Thing from Another World (1951) (Dir: Christian Nyby)
  44. House of Wax (1953) (Dir: Andre De Toth)
  45. Godzilla (1954) (Dir: Ishiro Honda)
  46. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954) (Dir: Kenneth Anger)
    (Short Cinema)
  47. Them! (1954) (Dir: Gordon Douglas)
  48. Diabolique (1955) (Dir: Henri-Georges Clouzot)
  49. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (Dir: Don Siegel)
  50. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (Dir: Jack Arnold)
  51. Night of the Demon (1957) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  52. Dracula (1958) (Dir: Terence Fisher)
    (a.k.a. Horror of Dracula)
  53. The Testament of Doctor Cordelier (1959) (Dir: Jean Renoir)
    (French TV Film)
  54. Black Sunday (1960) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  55. Eyes Without a Face (1960) (Dir: Georges Franju)
  56. The Housemaid (1960) (Dir: Kim Ki-young)
  57. Jigoku (1960) (Dir: Nobuo Nakagawa)
  58. Peeping Tom (1960) (Dir: Michael Powell)
  59. Psycho (1960) (Dir: Alfred Hitchcock)
  60. Village of the Damned (1960) (Dir: Wolf Rilla)
  61. Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  62. The Innocents (1961) (Dir: Jack Clayton)
  63. Carnival of Souls (1962) (Dir: Herk Harvey)
  64. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) (Dir: Robert Aldrich)
  65. The Birds (1963) (Dir: Alfred Hitchcock)
  66. Black Sabbath (1963) (Dir: Mario Bava)
    (Anthology Film)
  67. The Haunting (1963) (Dir: Robert Wise)
  68. Matango (1963) (Dir: Ishiro Honda)
  69. These Are the Damned (1963) (Dir: Joseph Losey)
    (a.k.a. The Damned)
  70. The Whip and the Body (1963) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  71. Blood and Black Lace (1964) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  72. Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) (Dir: Robert Aldrich)
  73. Kwaidan (1964) (Dir: Masaki Kobayashi)
  74. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) (Dir: Roger Corman)
  75. Onibaba (1964) (Dir: Kaneto Shindo)
  76. Planet of the Vampires (1965) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  77. Repulsion (1965) (Dir: Roman Polanski)
  78. Kill, Baby… Kill! (1966) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  79. Punch and Judy (1966) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  80. The War of the Gargantuas (1966) (Dir: Ishiro Honda)
  81. Viy (1967) (Dir: Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov)
  82. The Flat (1968) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  83. Hour of the Wolf (1968) (Dir: Ingmar Bergman)
  84. Kuroneko (1968) (Dir: Kaneto Shindo)
  85. The Living Skeleton (1968) (Dir: Hiroshi Matsuno)
  86. Night of the Living Dead (1968) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  87. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) (Dir: Roman Polanski)
  88. Shogun’s Joys of Torture (1968) (Dir: Teruo Ishii)
    (Anthology Film)
  89. Spider Baby (1968) (Dir: Jack Hill)
  90. Toby Dammit (1968) (Dir: Federico Fellini)
    (Segment of Spirits of the Dead)
    (Short Cinema)
    (Anthology Film)
  91. Witchfinder General (1968) (Dir: Michael Reeves)
  92. Blind Beast (1969) (Dir: Yasuzo Masumura)
  93. Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) (Dir: Teruo Ishii)
  94. Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969) (Dir: Kenneth Anger)
    (Short Cinema)
  95. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  96. Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  97. The Ossuary (1970) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Documentary Short)
  98. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) (Dir: Jaromil Jires)
  99. A Bay of Blood (1971) (Dir: Mario Bava)
    (a.k.a. Twitch of the Death Nerve)
  100. The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) (Dir: Piers Haggard)
  101. Daughters of Darkness (1971) (Dir: Harry Kumel)
  102. The Devils (1971) (Dir: Ken Russell)
    (I watched it online)
  103. What’s the Matter with Helen? (1971) (Dir: Curtis Harrington)
  104. Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) (Dir: Curtis Harrington)
  105. The Devil (1972) (Dir: Andrzej Zulawski)
  106. Images (1972) (Dir: Robert Altman)
  107. The Last House on the Left (1972) (Dir: Wes Craven)
  108. Sisters (1972) (Dir: Brian De Palma)
  109. The Baby (1973) (Dir: Ted Post)
  110. Blood for Dracula (1973) (Dir: Paul Morrissey)
  111. The Crazies (1973) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  112. Don’t Look Now (1973) (Dir: Nicolas Roeg)
  113. The Exorcist (1973) (Dir: William Friedkin)
  114. Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) (Dir: Paul Morrissey)
  115. Ganja & Hess (1973) (Dir: Bill Gunn)
  116. Lisa and the Devil (1973) (Dir: Mario Bava)
  117. Messiah of Evil (1973) (Dir: Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck)
  118. Theatre of Blood (1973) (Dir: Douglas Hickox)
  119. The Wicker Man (1973) (Dir: Robin Hardy)
  120. Black Christmas (1974) (Dir: Bob Clark)
  121. It’s Alive (1974) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
  122. Phantom of the Paradise (1974) (Dir: Brian De Palma)
  123. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (Dir: Tobe Hooper)
  124. Young Frankenstein (1974) (Dir: Mel Brooks)
  125. Amelia (1975) (Dir: Dan Curtis)
    (Segment of Trilogy of Terror)
    (TV Anthology Film)
    (Short Cinema)
  126. Deep Red (1975) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  127. Shivers (1975) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
    (a.k.a. They Came from Within)
  128. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) (Dir: Pier Paolo Pasolini)
  129. Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) (Dir: Alfred Sole)
  130. Carrie (1976) (Dir: Brian De Palma)
  131. God Told Me To (1976) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
  132. The Tenant (1976) (Dir: Roman Polanski)
  133. Castle of Otranto (1977) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  134. Demon Seed (1977) (Dir: Donald Cammell)
  135. Eraserhead (1977) (Dir: David Lynch)
  136. Martin (1977) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  137. Rabid (1977) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  138. Suspiria (1977) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  139. Dawn of the Dead (1978) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  140. Empire of Passion (1978) (Dir: Nagisa Oshima)
  141. The Fury (1978) (Dir: Brian De Palma)
  142. Halloween (1978) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  143. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Dir: Philip Kaufman)
  144. Someone’s Watching Me! (1978) (Dir: John Carpenter)
    (TV Film)
  145. Alien (1979) (Dir: Ridley Scott)
  146. The Brood (1979) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  147. Legend of the Mountain (1979) (Dir: King Hu)
  148. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) (Dir: Werner Herzog)
  149. Phantasm (1979) (Dir: Don Coscarelli)
  150. Salem’s Lot (1979) (Dir: Tobe Hooper)
    (TV Miniseries)
  151. Altered States (1980) (Dir: Ken Russell)
  152. The Changeling (1980) (Dir: Peter Medak)
  153. The Fall of the House of Usher (1980) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  154. The Fog (1980) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  155. Inferno (1980) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  156. The Ninth Configuration (1980) (Dir: William Peter Blatty)
  157. The Shining (1980) (Dir: Stanley Kubrick)
  158. Zigeunerweisen (1980) (Dir: Seijun Suzuki)
  159. An American Werewolf in London (1981) (Dir: John Landis)
  160. The Beyond (1981) (Dir: Lucio Fulci)
  161. The Evil Dead (1981) (Dir: Sam Raimi)
  162. Possession (1981) (Dir: Andrzej Zulawski)
  163. Scanners (1981) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  164. Basket Case (1982) (Dir: Frank Henenlotter)
  165. Creepshow (1982) (Dir: George A. Romero)
    (Anthology Film)
  166. The Entity (1982) (Dir: Sidney J. Furie)
  167. Next of Kin (1982) (Dir: Tony Williams)
  168. Poltergeist (1982) (Dir: Tobe Hooper)
  169. Q (1982) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
  170. Tenebrae (1982) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  171. The Thing (1982) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  172. Vincent (1982) (Dir: Tim Burton)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  173. The Dead Zone (1983) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  174. Down to the Cellar (1983) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  175. Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983) (Dir: John Landis)
    (Music Video)
    (Short Cinema)
  176. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (1983) (Dir: George Miller)
    (Segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie)
    (Short Cinema)
    (Anthology Film)
  177. The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope (1983) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  178. Videodrome (1983) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  179. Frankenweenie (1984) (Dir: Tim Burton)
    (Short Cinema)
  180. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (Dir: Wes Craven)
  181. Day of the Dead (1985) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  182. Phenomena (1985) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  183. Re-Animator (1985) (Dir: Stuart Gordon)
  184. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) (Dir: Dan O’Bannon)
  185. The Stuff (1985) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
  186. The Fly (1986) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  187. From Beyond (1986) (Dir: Stuart Gordon)
  188. Gothic (1986) (Dir: Ken Russell)
  189. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) (Dir: John McNaughton)
  190. Manhunter (1986) (Dir: Michael Mann)
  191. Angel Heart (1987) (Dir: Alan Parker)
  192. Bad Taste (1987) (Dir: Peter Jackson)
  193. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) (Dir: Ching Siu-tung)
  194. Epidemic (1987) (Dir: Lars Von Trier)
  195. Evil Dead II (1987) (Dir: Sam Raimi)
  196. Hellraiser (1987) (Dir: Clive Barker)
  197. Near Dark (1987) (Dir: Kathryn Bigelow)
  198. Opera (1987) (Dir: Dario Argento)
  199. Prince of Darkness (1987) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  200. White of the Eye (1987) (Dir: Donald Cammell)
  201. Dead Ringers (1988) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  202. Lair of the White Worm (1988) (Dir: Ken Russell)
  203. Manly Games (1988) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  204. Monkey Shines (1988) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  205. They Live (1988) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  206. And All Through the House (1989) (Dir: Robert Zemeckis)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  207. Flora (1989) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Animated Short)
    (Short Cinema)
  208. The Man Who Was Death (1989) (Dir: Walter Hill)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  209. Society (1989) (Dir: Brian Yuzna)
  210. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) (Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto)
  211. The Woman in Black (1989) (Dir: Herbert Wise)
    (TV Film)
  212. Cutting Cards (1990) (Dir: Walter Hill)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  213. Jacob’s Ladder (1990) (Dir: Adrian Lyne)
  214. The Reflecting Skin (1990) (Dir: Philip Ridley)
  215. Two Evil Eyes (1990) (Dir: George A. Romero and Dario Argento)
    (Anthology Film)
  216. Deadline (1991) (Dir: Walter Hill)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  217. Dead Wait (1991) (Dir: Tobe Hooper)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  218. Foreverware (1991) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Eerie, Indiana)
    (Television)
  219. Hearts on a Chain (1991) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Eerie, Indiana)
    (Television)
  220. The Losers (1991) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Eerie, Indiana)
    (Television)
  221. The Retainer (1991) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Eerie, Indiana)
    (Television)
  222. Yellow (1991) (Dir: Robert Zemeckis)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  223. Army of Darkness (1992) (Dir: Sam Raimi)
  224. Candyman (1992) (Dir: Bernard Rose)
  225. Dead Alive (1992) (Dir: Peter Jackson)
    (a.k.a. Braindead)
  226. The Hole in the Head Gang (1992) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Eerie, Indiana)
    (Television)
  227. Maniac at Large (1992) (Dir: John Frankenheimer)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  228. On a Deadman’s Chest (1992) (Dir: William Friedkin)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  229. Raising Cain (1992) (Dir: Brian De Palma)
  230. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) (Dir: David Lynch)
  231. Body Bags (1993) (Dir: John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper)
    (Cable Anthology Film)
  232. Cronos (1993) (Dir: Guillermo del Toro)
  233. The Dark Half (1993) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  234. In the Mouth of Madness (1994) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  235. Cemetery Man (1994) (Dir: Michele Soavi)
  236. The Kingdom (1994-1997) (Dir: Lars Von Trier)
    (TV Miniseries)
  237. You, Murderer (1995) (Dir: Robert Zemeckis)
    (Episode of Tales from the Crypt)
    (Cable/Television)
  238. Cure (1997) (Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
  239. Mimic (1997) (Dir: Guillermo del Toro)
  240. Perfect Blue (1997) (Dir: Satoshi Kon)
    (Anime)
  241. Ringu (1998) (Dir: Hideo Nakata)
  242. Vampires (1998) (Dir: John Carpenter)
  243. Audition (1999) (Dir: Takashi Miike)
  244. eXistenZ (1999) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
  245. Ravenous (1999) (Dir: Antonia Bird)
  246. Bruiser (2000) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  247. Ginger Snaps (2000) (Dir: John Fawcett)
  248. Little Otik (2000) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (a.k.a. Greedy Guts)
    (Live-Action/Animation)
  249. The Devil’s Backbone (2001) (Dir: Guillermo del Toro)
  250. Ichi the Killer (2001) (Dir: Takashi Miike)
  251. Pulse (2001) (Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
  252. Trouble Every Day (2001) (Dir: Claire Denis)
  253. Blade II (2002) (Dir: Guillermo del Toro)
  254. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) (Dir: Don Coscarelli)
  255. Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary (2002) (Dir: Guy Maddin)
  256. May (2002) (Dir: Lucky McKee)
  257. Shaun of the Dead (2004) (Dir: Edgar Wright)
  258. Three… Extremes (2004) (Dir: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike)
    (Anthology Film)
  259. Cigarette Burns (2005) (Dir: John Carpenter)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  260. The Descent (2005) (Dir: Neil Marshall)
  261. Homecoming (2005) (Dir: Joe Dante)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  262. Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2005) (Dir: Don Coscarelli)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  263. Land of the Dead (2005) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  264. Lunacy (2005) (Dir: Jan Svankmajer)
    (Live-Action/Animation)
  265. Bug (2006) (Dir: William Friedkin)
  266. The Host (2006) (Dir: Bong Joon-ho)
  267. Imprint (2006) (Dir: Takashi Miike)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  268. Pick Me Up (2006) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  269. Sick Girl (2006) (Dir: Lucky McKee)
    (Masters of Horror Episode)
    (Cable/Television)
  270. The Woods (2006) (Dir: Lucky McKee)
  271. Diary of the Dead (2007) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  272. Inside (2007) (Dir: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo)
  273. Let the Right One In (2008) (Dir: Tomas Alfredson)
  274. Antichrist (2009) (Dir: Lars Von Trier)
  275. Coraline (2009) (Dir: Henry Selick)
    (Animated Film)
  276. Drag Me to Hell (2009) (Dir: Sam Raimi)
  277. Heartless (2009) (Dir: Philip Ridley)
  278. Jennifer’s Body (2009) (Dir: Karyn Kusama)
  279. The Loved Ones (2009) (Dir: Sean Byrne)
  280. Survival of the Dead (2009) (Dir: George A. Romero)
  281. Thirst (2009) (Dir: Park Chan-wook)
  282. Let Me In (2010) (Dir: Matt Reeves)
  283. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) (Dir: Eli Craig)
  284. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) (Dir: Drew Goddard)
  285. The Skin I Live In (2011) (Dir: Pedro Almodovar)
  286. The Woman (2011) (Dir: Lucky McKee)
  287. The Babadook (2014) (Dir: Jennifer Kent)
  288. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Home (2014) (Dir: Ana Lily Amirpour)
  289. It Follows (2014) (Dir: David Robert Mitchell)
  290. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) (Dir: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi)
    (Mockumentary)
  291. Crimson Peak (2015) (Dir: Guillermo del Toro)
  292. The Devil’s Candy (2015) (Dir: Sean Byrne)
  293. The Invitation (2015) (Dir: Karyn Kusama)
  294. Southbound (2015) (Dir: Chad, Matt & Rob, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and Patrick Horvath)
    (Anthology Film)
  295. We Are Still Here (2015) (Dir: Ted Geoghegan)
  296. The Witch (2015) (Dir: Robert Eggers)
  297. The Love Witch (2016) (Dir: Anna Biller)
  298. Raw (2016) (Dir: Julia Ducournau)
  299. Under the Shadow (2016) (Dir: Babak Anvari)
  300. Gerald’s Game (2017) (Dir: Mike Flanagan)
  301. Get Out (2017) (Dir: Jordan Peele)
  302. Little Evil (2017) (Dir: Eli Craig)
  303. Mother! (2017) (Dir: Darren Aronofsky)
  304. XX (2017) (Dir: Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin and Karyn Kusama)
    (Anthology Film)
  305. Annihilation (2018) (Dir: Alex Garland)
  306. The Haunting of Hill House (2018-Present) (Dir: Mike Flanagan)
    (Netflix Anthology Series)
  307. Hereditary (2018) (Dir: Ari Aster)
  308. Mandy (2018) (Dir: Panos Cosmatos)
  309. A Quiet Place (2018) (Dir: John Krasinski)
  310. The Dead Don’t Die (2019) (Dir: Jim Jarmusch)
  311. Midsommar (2019) (Dir: Ari Aster)
  312. The Lighthouse (2019) (Dir: Robert Eggers)
  313. Ready or Not (2019) (Dir: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)
  314. Us (2019) (Dir: Jordan Peele)

Moviedrome Mondays: The Buddy Holly Story (1978)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Steve Rash’s 1978 biographical drama The Buddy Holly Story, readers will have to rely on a transcript of his intro (read here). The episode’s original airdate was August 20, 1989 (read here). Nothing really to add here except that I echo Cox’s sentiments on this film. Nevertheless, it is turned to a good film thanks to Gary Busey’s electrifying performance as the iconic title character. A shame that the rest of it comes up bland by comparison (notice I said “by comparison”).

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

John Charet’s Favorite Horror Films Part 2 of 3

by John Charet
  1. The House of Ghosts (1908) (Dir: Segundo de Chomon)
    (Short Cinema)
  2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (Dir: Robert Wiene)
  3. Haxan (1922) (Dir: Benjamin Christensen)
  4. The Unknown (1927) (Dir: Tod Browning)
  5. Freaks (1932) (Dir: Tod Browning)
  6. Island of Lost Souls (1932) (Dir: Eric C. Kenton)
  7. King Kong (1933) (Dir: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack)
  8. The Uninvited (1944) (Dir: Lewis Allen)
  9. Dead of Night (1945) (Dir: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer)
    (Anthology Film)
  10. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) (Dir: Albert Lewin)
  11. The Queen of Spades (1949) (Dir: Thorold Dickinson)
  12. The Thing from Another World (1951) (Dir: Christian Nyby)
  13. Them! (1954) (Dir: Gordon Douglas)
  14. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (Dir: Jack Arnold)
  15. Dracula (1958) (Dir: Terence Fisher)
    (a.k.a. Horror of Dracula)
  16. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) (Dir: Terence Fisher)
  17. Eyes Without a Face (1960) (Dir: Georges Franju)
  18. The Housemaid (1960) (Dir: Kim Ki-young)
  19. Jigoku (1960) (Dir: Nobuo Nakagawa)
  20. Village of the Damned (1960) (Dir: Wolf Rilla)
  21. The Innocents (1961) (Dir: Jack Clayton)
  22. Carnival of Souls (1962) (Dir: Herk Harvey)
  23. These Are the Damned (1963) (Dir: Joseph Losey)
    (a.k.a. The Damned)
  24. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) (Dir: Roger Corman)
  25. Viy (1967) (Dir: Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov)
  26. The Living Skeleton (1968) (Dir: Hiroshi Matsuno)
  27. Spider Baby (1968) (Dir: Jack Hill)
  28. Toby Dammit (1968) (Dir: Federico Fellini)
    (Segment of “Spirts of the Dead”)
    (Anthology Film)
  29. Witchfinder General (1968) (Dir: Michael Reeves)
  30. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) (Dir: Jaromil Jires)
  31. The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) (Dir: Piers Haggard)
  32. Daughters of Darkness (1971) (Dir: Harry Kumel)
  33. What’s the Matter with Helen? (1971) (Dir: Curtis Harrington)
  34. Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) (Dir: Curtis Harrington)
  35. The Last House on the Left (1972) (Dir: Wes Craven)
  36. The Baby (1973) (Dir: Ted Post)
  37. Ganja & Hess (1973) (Dir: Bill Gunn)
  38. Messiah of Evil (1973) (Dir: Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck)
  39. Theatre of Blood (1973) (Dir: Douglas Hickox)
  40. The Wicker Man (1973) (Dir: Robin Hardy)
  41. Black Christmas (1974) (Dir: Bob Clark)
  42. Young Frankenstein (1974) (Dir: Mel Brooks)
  43. Amelia (1975) (Dir: Dan Curtis)
    (Short Cinema)
    (Segment of “Trilogy of Terror”)
    (TV Anthology Film) 
  44. Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) (Dir: Alfred Sole)
  45. House (1977) (Dir: Nobuhiko Obayashi)
  46. Alien (1979) (Dir: Ridley Scott)
  47. Phantasm (1979) (Dir: Don Coscarelli)
  48. The Changeling (1980) (Dir: Peter Medak)
  49. The Ninth Configuration (1980) (Dir: William Peter Blatty)
  50. An American Werewolf in London (1981) (Dir: John Landis)
  51. Basket Case (1982) (Dir: Frank Henenlotter)
  52. The Entity (1982) (Dir: Sidney J. Furie)
  53. Next of Kin (1982) (Dir: Tony Williams)
  54. Vincent (1982) (Dir: Tim Burton)
    (Short Cinema)
    (Animation)
  55. Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983) (Dir: John Landis)
    (Short Cinema)
    (Music Video)
  56. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (1983) (Dir: George Miller)
    (Segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie)
     (Anthology Film)
    (Short Cinema)
  57. Frankenweenie (1984) (Dir: Tim Burton)
    (Short Cinema)
  58. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (Dir: Wes Craven)
  59. Re-Animator (1985) (Dir: Stuart Gordon)
  60. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) (Dir: Dan O’Bannon)
  61. From Beyond (1986) (Dir: Stuart Gordon)
  62. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) (Dir: John McNaughton)
  63. Manhunter (1986) (Dir: Michael Mann)
  64. Angel Heart (1987) (Dir: Alan Parker)
  65. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) (Dir: Ching Siu-tung)
  66. Hellraiser (1987) (Dir: Clive Barker)
  67. Society (1989) (Dir: Brian Yuzna)
  68. The Woman in Black (1989) (Dir: Herbert Wise)
    (TV Film)
  69. Jacob’s Ladder (1990) (Dir: Adrian Lyne)
  70. Two Evil Eyes (1990) (Dir: George A. Romero and Dario Argento)
    (Anthology Film)
  71. Candyman (1992) (Dir: Bernard Rose)
  72. Body Bags (1993) (Dir: John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper)
    (Anthology Cable Film)
  73. Cemetery Man (1994) (Dir: Michele Soavi)
  74. Ringu (1998) (Dir: Hideo Nakata)
  75. Ravenous (1999) (Dir: Antonia Bird)
  76. Ginger Snaps (2000) (Dir: John Fawcett)
  77. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) (Dir: Don Coscarelli)
  78. May (2002) (Dir: Lucky McKee)
  79. Three… Extremes (2004) (Dir: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike) (Anthology Film)
  80. Cigarette Burns (2005) (Dir: John Carpenter)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  81. The Descent (2005) (Dir: Neil Marshall)
  82. Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2005) (Dir: Don Coscarelli) (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  83. Imprint (2006) (Dir: Takashi Miike)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  84. Pick Me Up (2006) (Dir: Larry Cohen)
    (Episode of Masters of Horror)
    (Cable/Television)
  85. American Zombie (2007) (Dir: Grace Lee)
    (Mockumentary)
  86. Inside (2007) (Dir: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo)
  87. Rec (2007) (Dir: Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza)
  88. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) (Dir: Michael Dougherty)
    (Anthology Film)
  89. Let the Right One In (2008) (Dir: Tomas Alfredson)
  90. Jennifer’s Body (2009) (Dir: Karyn Kusama)
  91. The Loved Ones (2009) (Dir: Sean Byrne)
  92. Splice (2009) (Dir: Vincenzo Natali)
  93. Let Me In (2010) (Dir: Matt Reeves)
  94. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) (Dir: Eli Craig)
  95. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) (Dir: Drew Goddard)
  96. The Babadook (2014) (Dir: Jennifer Kent)
  97. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) (Dir: Ana Lily Amirpour)
  98. It Follows (2014) (Dir: David Robert Mitchell)
  99. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) (Dir: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi) (Mockumentary)
  100. The Devil’s Candy (2015) (Dir: Sean Byrne)
  101. The Invitation (2015) (Dir: Karyn Kusama)
  102. Southbound (2015) (Dir: Chad, Matt & Rob, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and Patrick Horvath)
    (Anthology Film)
  103. We Are Still Here (2015) (Dir: Ted Geoghegan)
  104. The Witch (2015) (Dir: Robert Eggers)
  105. The Love Witch (2016) (Dir: Anna Biller)
  106. Raw (2016) (Dir: Julia Ducournau)
  107. Under the Shadow (2016) (Dir: Babak Anvari)
  108. Gerald’s Game (2017) (Dir: Mike Flanagan)
  109. Get Out (2017) (Dir: Jordan Peele)
  110. Little Evil (2017) (Dir: Eli Craig)
  111. Mother! (2017) (Dir: Darren Aronofsky)
  112. XX (2017) (Dir: Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin and Karyn Kusama)
    (Anthology Film)
  113. Annihilation (2018) (Dir: Alex Garland)
  114. Hereditary (2018) (Dir: Ari Aster)
  115. Mandy (2018) (Dir: Panos Cosmatos)
  116. A Quiet Place (2018) (Dir: John Krasinski)
  117. Midsommar (2019) (Dir: Ari Aster)
  118. Ready or Not (2019) (Dir: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)
  119. Us (2019) (Dir: Jordan Peele)

Moviedrome Mondays: Trancers (1984)

by John Charet

I have posted a youtube video link to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s intro to director Charles Band’s 1984 sci-fi entry Trancers. The episode’s original airdate was August 13, 1989 (read here). Readers can read his transcript right here. As Cox implies here, Trancers is like a blend between The Terminator and Blade Runner. While by no means a classic, it is undeniably entertaining.

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Movidrome intro of Trancers

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer