Category: External Movies (Page 306 of 336)

Scare of the Day: “Eyes of a Stranger”

October 24, 2007 / Will Harris

When I helped pull together Bullz-Eye’s piece on TV transitions, which examined actors who tried but failed to make the transition from the small screen to the big screen, it turns out that there was at least one name that flew completely under my radar, possibly because her first shot as a leading lady turned out to be her last: Lauren Tewes, a.k.a. cruise director Julie McCoy on “The Love Boat.”

I’m not saying that Tewes’ lone headlining role in the 1981 slasher flick, “Eyes of a Stranger,” was necessarily bad enough to warrant such a sudden and dramatic conclusion to her career as a Hollywood leading lady…but, well, there’s a reason why the film is mostly remembered not for Tewes’s contributions but, rather, for the fact that the film served to introduce the world to Jennifer Jason Leigh. At the very least, it’s not going out on a limb to suggest that, even then, Leigh had the edge when it comes to range…but, then, you’ll see what I mean when you read about her character.

Tewes plays newscaster Jane Harris, who seems particularly stricken by the recent attacks on women by a nasty character who’s strangling and sexually molesting his victims. At first, it seems as though Jane’s concerns exist because she’s so protective of her deaf and blind sister (Leigh), but it soon becomes evident that there’s a horrible secret in her past which has raised her fear level. When she discovers who the guilty party is, Jane decides to play the “I Know What You Did” card by calling him and threatening him, which inevitably leads to a confrontation. The film’s gore effects are provided by the legendary Tom Savini, who offers particularly nice results to a decapitation (the head ends up floating in an aquarium), and director Ken Wiederhorn does manage to provide a few scares in the darkness, but, overall, the film’s only the slightest step up from TV movie fare. If you took away the nudity and gore, you’d find that the plot and dialogue wouldn’t even make the cut for a Lifetime production. Leigh obviously impressed someone with her work on “Eyes of a Stranger” – wow, she’s deaf and blind, but she can still make toast and coffee! – but given that Tewes slinked back to the Pacific Princess and Wiederhorn’s next project was “Meatballs 2,” it’s clear that Leigh was the only one.

In closing, we’re stuck with another film without a trailer available, so let’s watch the video for The Payola$’ song, “Eyes of a Stranger.” Paul Hyde + Bob Rock = an awesome ’80s Canadian rock song. Okay, maybe not awesome…but it’s still better than the movie that shares its title.

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews, Scare of the Day

Mr. Magorium’s Product Placement Emporium?

October 23, 2007 / David Medsker

I’m still not sure what to make of this. Visa recently launched another ad in their ‘cash and checks are evil’ series, taking place in a toy store. It is easily the most visually stunning of these spots to date, thanks in large part to the fact that literally everyone in the commercial is juggling. (You can view the clip here, scroll down to “View ‘Juggling’ TV Commercial). I love the fact that they used Danny Elfman’s theme to “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” as the background music. That piece changed soundtrack music forevermore, no joke. It was also the song my wife and I chose as cake-cutting music at our wedding. Again, no joke.

Now here is where my spider sense starts tingling.

Have you seen the trailer for the upcoming Dustin Hoffman/Natalie Portman family movie “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium”? The majority of it takes place in a toy store, and in the background they play, yep, Danny Elfman’s theme to “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” Huh. How about that. To 20th Century Fox’s credit, they also commissioned a remix of the Pilot song “Magic” for the spot as well, and anyone who wants to resurrect that song has our blessing. Still, something here just seems off.

Now, you could argue that the creative directors from two very different companies decided to use the same song at the same time, each one unaware of what the other was planning. Or, perhaps, this is calculated product placement, only we’re not supposed to know it yet. Maybe, a couple weeks from now, that Visa spot comes with a tag that says “See ‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,’ in theaters November 16.”

Changes things, doesn’t it? I suppose time will soon tell whether I’m a prophet or paranoid, though I suppose those traits aren’t mutually exclusive.

Action Movies, External Movies, Trailers, TV

Laugh of the Day: “How To Survive A Horror Movie”

October 23, 2007 / Will Harris

If you aren’t familiar with Seth Grahame-Smith, there’s no better time than Halloween to discover the work of the man responsible for DodgeTheKills.com. Not long ago, Grahame-Smith published his book, HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR MOVIE: ALL THE SKILLS TO DODGE THE KILLS; now, he’s taken portions of the text and made instructional films.

Here’s one of my favorite lessons: “Seven Things To Never, Ever, Ever Put In A Child’s Room.”

Man, I hate cymbal monkeys.

Anyway, go check out this flick and others over at DodgeTheKills.com and have several good laughs on me.

External Entertainment, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie Comedies, Movies, New Media, TV, TV Comedies

Scare of the Day: “Dr. Giggles”

October 22, 2007 / Will Harris

Man, I can still remember when this film was originally released: I was just finishing up college, and there was a big ol’ cardboard stand-up in the local theater, proclaiming its imminent release. I was never a horror movie aficionado back then, and, frankly, this just sounded like an excruciating viewing experience, preying on all of my own personal medical nightmares, so I decided to take a pass on checking it out.

What a fool I was.

Not that “Dr. Giggles” is in any way a classic, but as a fan of really awful puns and one-liners, I laughed out loud a dozen times during the course of the flick…and probably groaned at least as often. Anyone who’s guilty of snickering when Arnold Schwarzenegger watches a guy get cut in a half and then says, “He had to split,” will love watching a film with a serial-killing doctor who throws out lines like…

“Get ready to take your medicine.”
“Check-out time.”
“Do you feel any discomfort?”
“If you think that’s bad, wait until you get my bill.”

If you’re one of those folks who likes to have a pop culture timeline, “Dr. Giggles” was filmed in the same time frame when Holly Marie Combs was just starting on “Picket Fences,” Glenn Quinn was just getting the hang of playing Becky’s boyfriend, Mark, on “Roseanne,” and Larry Drake was several years into his stint as Benny on “L.A. Law” but was already trying to make sure it wouldn’t be the only role he was remembered for. (He’d already played the villain in “Darkman” two years prior to this.)

The film focuses on Evan Randell (Drake), whose father was the physician of the small, picturesque town of Moorehigh; Dr. Randell’s wife passed away, and he proceeded to remove the hearts from several townsfolk in an attempt to bring her back, but he was caught and stoned to death. (Gotta love that small-town justice, huh?) Young Evan, who’d assisted his father, managed to get away, vanishing into anonymity, but his natural tendency toward being batshit crazy led him to be institutionalized, and as “Dr. Giggles” begins, we’re introduced to Evan, all grown up, in the midst of performing a decidedly unauthorized operation on one of the suits at the asylum where he’s been held. This opening sequence is pretty sweet, actually, and I couldn’t help but think of Arkham Asylum, from the “Batman” comics. (When is someone gonna get around to adapting Grant Morrison’s graphic novel into a film, by the way?)

As you’ve read, there’s a lot of ridiculously silly humor in “Dr. Giggles,” but it works because of Drake’s delivery. There’s really not as much gore as you’d expect, although there are a couple of scenes worth noting, including one where the good doctor operates on himself; certainly the most disturbing scene, however, comes via the flashback sequence where we discover that Evan made it out of his parents’ house because his father sewed him into his mother’s corpse!

I’m mildly surprised that the film ended in such a way that a sequel is unlikely, but you can’t beat the way it does end, with Combs holding up two sharp knives, saying, “Take two and call me in the morning,” and stabbing Evan to death…though not before he gets in the closing line, “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Not anymore! (Ho, ho.)

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movies, Reviews, Scare of the Day

Scare of the Day: “Someone’s Watching Me!”

October 21, 2007 / Will Harris

The back of the box for “Someone’s Watching Me!” proclaims the film to be “the ‘lost’ John Carpenter suspense classic,” which is a fair description, in that it’s never before been available on either VHS or DVD until now, but what it fails to mention is that it’s actually a TV movie…not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just that it feels like a TV movie…or, at the very least, it looks like one. Still, I thought maybe it was just me until I looked up the history of the film and discovered its origins. Apparently, it aired on NBC in November of 1978…and since “Halloween” had opened only a month before and done boffo box office, wow, talk about your major coups! I mean, Carpenter had already directed two other theatrical features prior to “Halloween” (“Dark Star” and “Assault on Precinct 13”), so it’s not like he’d come out of nowhere, but, still, it’s like…well, imagine if NBC had debuted a TV movie directed by Steven Spielberg the month after “Jaws” had been released, and you kind of get the idea…sort of.

Lauren Hutton plays Leigh Michaels, a single and attractive TV news director who moves to Los Angeles for a new start. She gets herself an apartment, finds herself a job at a local station, and even finds a potential new beau named Paul Winkless (played by David Birney), so everything’s looking hunky-dory…until, that is, she finds herself on the receiving end of a stalker’s affections. He’s all up in her business. He’s got a telescope to watch her from afar, he’s bugged her apartment so he can hear every word she says, and he’s got her phone number, so he’s calling her at all hours of the day and night, just to keep her on edge. Thankfully, Paul’s got her back, and her supportive co-worker, Sophie (Adrienne Barbeau), agrees to assist her in fighting back…but will they succeed before things turn deadly?

Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

Though early in his career, it’s clear that Carpenter already had a flair for suspense. There’s a moment early in the film, not long after Leigh has moved into her apartment, when we get an unexpected glimpse of her stalker rushing out of the apartment that’ll give you the chills, and the POV shots used on various occasions prove extremely effective as well. The film’s climax, much of which takes place on the balcony of Leigh’s apartment, is mostly successful, though the limits of what could be shown on network television in the late ’70s result in a conclusion that’s not as chilling as it might otherwise have been. Still, it’s aided immensely by the work of composer Harry Sukman, whose Hitchcock-inspired sounds do well at upping the tension (and also served as a trial run for the work he would do the following year on “Salem’s Lot”).

In closing, since “Someone’s Watching Me!” was a TV movie and there’s no trailer available for it, I’ll instead offer up the video for Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” mostly because that’s what I typed just about every goddamned time I wanted to type the actual title of this movie.

Damn you, Rockwell…! Damn you all to Hell!!!