Tag: Lawrence Tierney

Classic Horror Treble – ‘Pieces’ – ‘The Prowler’ – ‘Massacre at Central High’ – No Quick Cuts



So, I saw all three of these in a row at the final night of Camp Blood VI at The Mahoning Drive-In Theater. I was excited because I’d never seen any of them, and I was hoping to find a gem, which I kind of did, but, well, let’s just get into it.

Original Release Dates:
August 23, 1982 (Spain)
September 23, 1983 (US)

Directed by Juan Piquer Simón
Written by Dick Randall and Roberto Loyola
Cast: Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Frank Braña, Paul L. Smith, Edmund Purdom, Ian Sera, Jack Taylor, Isabelle Luque, Gérard Tichy
Soundtrack: CAM

In the words of Michael Bluth, “I don’t know what I expected.“

“PIECES: It’s exactly what you think it is!” reads the brilliant tagline, and, I suppose it is, but, I guess I was hoping for something…a little more?

To be fair, it’s not the worst slasher movie I’ve ever seen, but it is one of the dumbest. Others have argued that Pieces is some sort of self-reflexive horror comedy, but I absolutely refuse to give it that much credit (it’s certainly no Slumber Party Massacre, I tell you what). I think the stupidity is exactly what it is on its face; nothing deeper. If you want to argue “so-bad-it’s-good,” that’s a different discussion (I still disagree), but clever? No.

And, frankly, the “Tower of Babel” method of filming without sound and dubbing in voices later does this movie no favors either (there are other films I haven’t minded it on, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here).

Also, they really get no mileage out of their Boston setting. I mean, I realize the film was a Spanish production largely shot in Madrid, but why even bring Boston up? Just set it in “The Town” like Frisky Dingo.

The kills, to say one positive horror movie thing, are pretty well-executed (and grisly), and overall the movie is just weird and interesting enough for me to not totally throw it in the trash, but I don’t exactly recommend it either.

And that’s all I have to say about Pieces.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)


Original Release Date: October 9, 1981

Directed by Joseph Zito
Written by Glenn Leopold and Neal Barbera
Cast: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lawrence Tierney, Farley Granger, Cindy Weintraub, Lisa Dunsheath, David Sederholm, Bill Nunnery, Thom Bray, Diane Rode, Bryan Englund
Soundtrack: Richard Einhorn

I never really thought about it before, but a major trope of slasher movies is a prologue in the past. Friday the 13th, Halloween, even Pieces, they all begin their stories years earlier, as does The Prowler, but what separates it from the others is just how much it leans into the period.

Frankly, I was a little disappointed The Prowler didn’t take place entirely in the 1940s, because the introduction is arguably the strongest part, at least visually.

However, it doesn’t entirely shoot its wad up front. The titular prowler is a striking antagonist, and the movie provides a lot of legitimate tension (in addition to some brutal kills courtesy of Tom Savini). The problem overall is that it’s more than a bit sleepy, and I found the conclusion pretty unsatisfying (honestly, this sentence could double as my review of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, also directed by Joseph Zito).

Still, I like Vicky Dawson and Christopher Goutman as the leads (seems a shame that they didn’t have more prolific acting careers), and (especially compared to Pieces) the film makes good use of its location (Cape May, NJ apparently doubling for Avalon, CA).

It’s just not particularly special.

Rating: ★★★☆☆


Original Release Date: November 10, 1976

Written and Directed by Rene Daalder
Cast: Derrel Maury, Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Ray Underwood, Steve Bond, Damon Douglas, Rex Steven Sikes, Lani O’Grady, Dennis Kort, Cheryl Smith, Jeffrey Winner, Tom Logan
Soundtrack: Tommy Leonetti

Man, so this was… “surprise hit” would an overstatement, but it was undoubtedly the most interesting film of the night.

In contrast to, say, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, where the “teenagers” are at odds with their adult overlords, Massacre at Central High doesn’t even show a non-student until the very end of the movie. It’s a bit of a heightened reality, but not totally detached either. I’d say it’s like if American Graffiti and The Mechanic had a baby (no surprise that Massacre at Central High was an influence on Heathers).

The movie certainly features some creative kills, but to me the primary strength of the film is Derrel Maury as David. The role itself is reasonably well-written, but he does plenty of work himself to offer a compelling performance, and he and Kimberly Beck (future star of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter…is there an echo in here?) have good chemistry. I wish I could say the same for Andrew Stevens as the other lead; it’s just not his finest hour. Thankfully there are some other highlights in the supporting cast (including Robert Carradine).

As I said, it’s not great, but it’s unique enough to see once.

Rating: ★★★☆☆


So, yeah, it wasn’t the greatest night of horror in my life, but at least it was all new to me, and at least I was among friends. That’s the real win.

Classic Twofer – Hudson Horror Show: ‘Silver Bullet’ & ‘Fright Night Part 2’

Sometimes curiosity is dangerous, and sometimes it can lead you to some wonderful places.

My own curiosity in these particular films stemmed largely from their relative rarity.  ‘Silver Bullet’ can be found on DVD, but I can’t attest to the transfer quality, and ‘Fright Night Part 2’ appears to be out of print completely.  Regardless, neither movie has gotten a proper Blu-ray release, which is an utter shame.  So, in order to get a high definition viewing experience of each one, I found myself once again at the Alamo Drafthouse (Yonkers) for another abbreviated edition of the Hudson Horror Show.

 

Movie #1: ‘Silver Bullet’

Original Release Date: October 11, 1985
Directed by Daniel Attias
Written by Stephen King, based on his novel ‘Cycle of the Werewolf’
Cast: Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, Robin Groves, Terry O’Quinn, Bill Smitrovich, Joe Wright, Kent Broadhurst, Lawrence Tierney, William Newman, James Gammon
Soundtrack: Jay Chattaway

I
Loved
This
Movie.

If you’re a fan of 80s cinema, I can’t recommend ‘Silver Bullet’ highly enough, because it has just about everything you could ask for from such a film: a score from synth veteran Jay Chattaway, a cast chock full of “that guy” actors, Corey Haim in a motorized wheelchair, visual effects from Rick Baker and Rob Bottin, and, if all that weren’t enough, the man himself, Gary Busey as hard drinking “Uncle Red”.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s a Stephen King screenplay adaptation of a Stephen King novel?

That’s right.  In fact, ‘Silver Bullet’ plays out like a Stephen King greatest hits album.  You’ve got a small town attempting to deal with a mysterious threat, an ineffective band of vigilantes, a clergyman under duress, a killer monster, and a pair of children who are the only ones who know the truth.

All of these aspects add up to one of the best and most fun teen horror movies ever made.

Now, I’m not saying it’s perfect.  For one thing, the movie bills itself as a period piece, taking place in 1976, and there aren’t any elements placed in to convince you of this (unlike John Carpenter’s ‘Christine‘); and, on a related note, the story is bookended by some voice-over narration that is as unremarkable as it is extraneous.  Also, and this is admittedly nit-picky, I’d say the werewolf looks fine for this particular movie, but, compared to ‘An American Werewolf in London’ or ‘The Howling’, it feels just a bit lackluster.

However, as a whole, ‘Silver Bullet’ is tough to beat.  It’s got solid performances all around, it’s well-paced and not too long, and, most importantly, it knows exactly what it is, which is a horror film that’s meant to be fun.

Hopefully we’ll get a proper high definition home release in the not too distant future, because this is a movie I’d love to own.

Rating: ★★★★½

 

Movie #2: ‘Fright Night Part 2’

Original Release Date: May 19, 1989
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
Written by Tommy Lee Wallace, Miguel Tejada-Flores, and Tim Metcalfe, based on characters created by Tom Holland
Cast: Roddy McDowall, William Ragsdale, Traci Lind, Julie Carmen, Jon Gries, Russell Clark, Brian Thompson, Merritt Butrick, Ernie Sabella, Matt Landers
Soundtrack: Brad Fiedel

Tommy Lee Wallace has a decent enough horror resume, having come up alongside John Carpenter on such films as ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Fog’, making his directorial debut with ‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’, and, eventually, helming the television adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘It’ in 1990.  Frankly, with a C.V. like that, I expected a little more out of ‘Fright Night Part 2’ than what I saw.

The original ‘Fright Night‘ is one of the better major studio horror films of the Eighties, and one of its biggest strengths is a nice, tight script, in addition to a lot of wonderful practical visual effects.

By contrast, ‘Part 2’ has a similar sense of style, but the story is much more meandering, often frustratingly so, to the point that the movie doesn’t really jell overall.  It’s very much a classic “It happened again!?” sort of sequel, which I’m okay with, but I think they actually go a little too far in trying to connect it to the original movie.

However, there are particular elements and scenes that are creative enough on their own to make the movie worth seeing once.  Naming Brian Thompson’s character “Bozworth” was a nice touch, the bowling stuff is hilarious, and, as I said, practical effects still rule the day.

It may be a bit of a letdown after watching the original ‘Fright Night’ (or ‘Silver Bullet’), but I’d still recommend this one for 80s horror fans, and I hope it gets a proper home release someday as well.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

 

So, that’s about it.  Thanks again to Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers and Hudson Horrow Show for putting on another entertaining event, and I look forward to more in the future.