Corpse Eaters

C'est L'Halloween!

2005-10-31T14:18:00.000-04:00

And the good news is, this is my last post on Corpse Eaters.

A couple of recent occurrences, all of them positive, have prompted me to reconsider my involvement with Corpse Eaters.

One, my best friends and former roommates have cobbled together a new group blog at The House of Irony. While the blog is as general as you can get, I did manage on convincing the designer of the site to allow readers to visit pages devoted solely to select topics, ie. Horror. So, in addition to the ramblings of mine that you've grown accustomed to, you can also catch the opinions on the topic from five additional deviants, all conveniently located in our horror section. Change your blogroll accordingly.

Two, I've had a horror-related project in mind for a couple of years now but I never quite had the concept nailed down well enough to feel comfortable pursuing it. I recently had the epiphany that I was waiting for, and which my tenure on Corpse Eaters helped me to achieve, and I need all the free time I can get to make this project a reality.

Before Corpse Eaters I had a moderately successful comic-related blog. On average, I received about one-tenth of the hits on Corpse Eaters as I did on that earlier blog, and every time I considered that fact I had myself a good laugh. Writing Corpse Eaters has been a joy that can't be numbered in the amount of readers, but can be judged by the quality. In fact, I appreciate the people who stuck with me even more so then I ever did before. Here's a few of the people whose work I've enjoyed and whose contributions to Corpse Eaters I've valued. Please, if you don't already visit their sites, do so.

Warrenzone - You crazy fucker. It always made me proud that I was one of only a handful of horror blogs linked to on your site. Rock out with your cock out, man.

Carnacki - One of the most fervent supporters of Corpse Eaters, I always regretted that I didn't touch on real-world supernatural events so that I could link to your excellent site more then I did. I hope this makes up for it.

Final Girl - The untamed Valkyrie of horror blogging, she achieved in one day what I couldn't in one month. May the blood on your sword be the blood of a King.

And the last thank you must be reserved for the lovely J. who has gleefully watched every single movie mentioned on this blog in addition to twice the amount that didn't quite make the cut. This silent masked killing machine couldn't ask for a nicer, kinder, silent masked killing machine to be his girlfriend.

Now what's it going to be next, baby? Blood Harvest, Curse of the Devil or Boa Vs. Python again?

The One Where Jason Wears A Potato Sack On His Head Pt. 2

2005-10-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

The following examination of the second Friday the 13th, and all subsequent discussion on the series, won't be reviews as such, and will therefore contain numerous SPOILERS. I will be including this warning before each entry. Please read no further if you haven't already seen the movie in question. Thanks.

"Some kind of out of control psychopath? A frightened retard? A child trapped in a man's body?"

It would be hard for me to pinpoint my main reason for being fascinated by the Friday the 13th franchise, but one of the major contenders would be the way it plays fast and loose with its own mythology, and how it seems to be able to get away with it. I think the explanation lies in its shaky beginning. The creators of Friday the 13th have admitted that they had no idea where they were going to go with the second one and the development of Jason was just one of many different possibilities. Compare this organic way of constructing a mythology with any other series. As examples, Halloween and Hellraiser established ground rules and main antagonists right off the bat, and any deviation from that standard, no matter how minor or even beneficial, was considered a form of blasphemy. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Friday the 13th evades this trap simply by having little in the way of a concrete foundation from the very start, which isn't to say that various installments haven't stretched this dubious advantage to its breaking point. Yes, I'm looking at you The One Where Jason Goes Into Outer Space.

The Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, The Bride of Frankenstein, Friday the 13th Part 2. Many people feel that this movie is one of those rare jewels, the sequel that is superior to its originator. I'm not sure I agree, but I can see why some would feel that way. Part 2 retains some of the grit of the first film, while finally establishing some of the more popular ground rules. With its transitional sequence from Part 1 to Part 2 out of the way, this installment jumps right in with a noticeable lack of bosomy support and the introduction of some truly scandalous ass cheek-enhancing short shorts. The 80's are just starting to kick into gear, camp counselors have gathered at nearby Camp Packanack for "training" and already the woods are looking more spacious and inviting.

Jason's supposed origin is told to the counselors as they huddle around a campfire. In it, Jason didn't drown as a child but survived and lived in a near bestial state in the surrounding woods. He was, according to legend, an unwitting witness to his mother's demise, which set him on his current path of destruction. To purists, this origin is the true one, preferable to the notion advanced in later films that Jason drowned in the lake and emerged from his slumber upon his mother's death. Truth be told, though numerous indications are made throughout the second film to support the first theory, we never objectively find out what happened to Jason during those missing decades. The head counselor's campfire tale is just that, a tale. If it also happens to be true is pure coincidence.

The inherent isolation of Jason in this situation, if this version is true, adds a compelling twist to his character. Unlike, say, the family in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jason is left without a support system. His motives are entirely clear, untainted by the whims of kin or friends. It's true, as critics have asserted, that Jason's actions are base, but how much thought has gone into the how and why of his rampage? Does he even understand the concept of Death, or what happened to his mother? The time that Jason has spent in the woods scrounging like an animal take up nearly half his life before the events of the first Friday the 13th, two decades worth, and none of it is accounted for. Also of interest is the human weakness shown by Jason in the second film. He hasn't yet developed his purposeful stride, instead varying his step from a slow stalk to a sharp trot to running away instead of towards danger. His hand isn't sure and steady yet, groping around seeking out a vengeance even he doesn't fully understand, but somehow feels compelled to obey. He even sets snares and requires shelter from the elements and his mask is utilitarian, with only one ragged eye hole poked through a dirty burlap sack.

Back to the story, in the evening the majority of the counselors make their way to the local watering hole for a few drinks and necking. This whittles the large group down to a more manageable level, but it's also weird in that they decide not to partake in such pleasures at the camp itself. In fact, at least one of the major characters, Ted the obligatory smart ass, doesn't even return to the camp. He ends up staying behind and we never really find out what, if anything, happened to him. The killings themselves have a few bright spots, including another use of the fake subjective camera where it appears that we're watching through the killer's eyes when really it's just another case of sleight-of-hand. Even the victims are interesting. It's one of the only instances that I can think of in a slasher film where the characters actually state their dreams and aspirations for a future they don't have, almost convincing an audience so used to ciphers that anyone with hopes can't possibly be cut down before they're given a chance to make them come true. It's little flourishes like this that place the first two films up there with Halloween and other more respected slasher fare, despite the heavy and usually well-deserved criticisms that came with later installments.

Now despite my preference for the first one, the second film has what is easily my favourite scene in the entire series, and one of my favourite scenes in all horror films. I'm glad Final Girl pointed this one out as well. I'm talking about the scene where Paul is investigating a dimly lit room in the main cabin and Ginny says "Paul, there's someone in this room," which escalates to "There's someone in this fucking room!" That instinctual knowledge that someone is right there with you, coupled with what seems to be a reluctance to immediately freak out for fear of embarrassment. It's the battle between rational reluctance and irrational certainty, played out in two nearly identical sentences, with the word "fucking" hammering the fact of the matter home. That second sentence pops right out, much more then if Ginny had simply started screaming straight away. It's a punch to the gut, and the perfect signal to start a new round of carnage, because all the last minute warnings in the world can't help you when the killer is right beside you unseen, waiting.

Damn, I'm going to go watch that part again.

The One Where Jason Wears A Potato Sack On His Head - Part 1.

2005-10-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

Friday the 14th

2005-10-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

That's How We Roll.

I bought a machete for J. today. While the cashier was ringing up my purchase, another salesperson pulled out a fancier, more expensive model that had just come in and tried to convince to buy it instead. This was the first time I had ever had someone attempt to upsell me on a machete. The new machete was mean looking, with a jagged handle that looked like something a member of Slipknot would approve of. I declined, pointing out that the machete I was already purchasing said "Property of Camp Crystal Lake", and that I'm old school like that.

I'm just glad I decided against the Friday the 13th shot glasses. If they had tried to push the ones with Leatherface based on the 'Saw remake on me I would have lost it.

Corpse Eaters Contest!

Funny but true, I haven't really done much drawing since I started work as an animator over a year ago. To rectify that, I've started forcing myself to free up time to get the artistic juices flowing again. Part of my new regimen involves sketching from movies while watching them. The above is a sampling of skecthes I did last night. As you can see, I'm plenty rusty. To help boost my confidence (or shatter it irrevocably), I've decided to hold a contest. If you can name the famous scream queen depicted above, send me an email at giant_ants@hotmail.com. At the end of the weekend, if any more then one person submits a guess, I'll randomly select one contestant who will win a DVD of the movie which these drawings were taken from. It doesn't get any simpler then this, unless we develop group telepathy or a hive mind of some kind.

Gone Fishin'

2005-10-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

I would like to apologize for my absence during this past weekend. I had every intention of posting every day this month, however, we Canadians get our Thanksgiving a week earlier then our American cousins. I had made a last minute decision to pay my mom a visit for the holidays, and though this normally wouldn't deter me from my duties, she had already made alternate plans which took me out of range of internet access for the entire trip. Those of you paying attention may have already guessed where this change of venue. That's right, I spent a chilly October long weekend at my Grandparent's cottage, the one I refer to in my Introduction. The lake, the woods, the dead leaves and the world's longest pathway to an outhouse. The past week's immersion into the Friday the 13th series served as the catalyst for one scary Thanksgiving dinner, let me tell you. I hope the thought of me cowering in terror all weekend will bring you some satisfaction.

On a related note, I've invited some of my friends from the upcoming House of Irony blog to contribute to Corpse Eaters during this month. Years ago the bunch of us would get together weekly to watch and review movies for a horror 'zine we were writing. In fact, Corpse Eaters was conceived as a continuation of that idea. I have no idea when or how much any of them will be contributing, if at all, but hopefully they'll be able to counterbalance some of my own views. If anyone else is interested in writing an alternate review, or has something related to Friday the 13th that they'd like to share that just won't fit in the comments, please feel free to contact me about contributing. I can be reached at giant_ants at hotmail dot com.

F13-C-64

2005-10-06T23:19:00.000-04:00

Most people I've spoken to remember the Nintendo Friday the 13th video game if they remember any, but it wasn't the first and certainly wasn't the best. The Commodore 64 version of Friday the 13th was one of my all-time favourite games for that system for one very compelling reason. You could beat Jason at his own game.

The premise of the game was simple. You and a group of friends are stalked by Jason within the confines of Camp Crystal Lake, with various scenes including a barn, haystacks, and some sort of cathedral. Within these scenes were a multitude of weapons such as a pitchfork, baseball bat, knife, machete and my favourite, the axe. Deviating from the status quo, one of the campers was in fact Jason Voorhees in disguise. It was your job to hunt down Jason and kill him before he killed all the other campers, including you. In order to unveil Jason's identity, you had to run into a camper or attack him, and if you were lucky and it was Jason he would reveal himself and come after you instead, giving you a chance to hack away at him. This is where things got interesting.

If everything were as straightforward as the above, then there wouldn't be much to playing the game, but in our variation you attempted to kill as many campers as you could before Jason got to them. Killing campers enraged Jason, and sent him on a mission to stop you, thereby reversing your roles. If you could whittle the numbers down until only you and Jason were left, then you'd finally face him and try to take him down. Killing campers and Jason was commendable enough, but if you managed the difficult task of getting all the campers before Jason was able to get any, then you'd really be rocking out with your cock out. In a sense, it was the pixelated mixture of Friday the 13th-Jason Goes To Hell and Freddy Vs. Jason, two decades ahead of its time.

Holy Guacamole

2005-10-05T23:19:00.000-04:00

O.K., fourth all-nighter in a row trying to get all these scenes done and I'm just too exhausted to even think, let alone write about hockey. Just when I think all hope is lost and I won't be able to post, along comes the wonderful J. to save my hide.

"I'm still working on Stephen King's Skeleton Crew. I'm kind of just reading the stories in random order. It struck me today that Stephen King always has his characters having sex at the most inappropriate times and its always because they can't help it, some force just overtakes them and they become aroused and apparently have no control and who cares if there's a fucking mist with giant bugs ready to eat them, or some big black pool of god-knows-what on the lake that would like to melt their flesh.

Remind me if the zombies come that Bangor, Maine is probably not the best place to go because Stephen King is probably going to be fucking everything on two legs."

Thanks for that pick-me-up, babe.

The Best Game You Can Name

2005-10-04T23:20:00.000-04:00

“You tell me goalies haven't suffered horribly because of those movies. Hell, it's like every day is Friday the 13th for us!”

I'm sure you all know what tomorrow is. Everyone here at work is pissing themselves in anticipation of the start of the hockey season, making side bets on the office pool. As I write this, someone started singing the Hockey Night In Canada theme. No, really. I'm serious. Me, I'm not a big fan of professional sports, preferring local rinks and ponds to arenas, but as a Canadian I'm honour-bound to have at least a modicum of interest. Apart from my nationality, at least part of this can be traced to the photo currently sitting at the top of this blog, the one of me wearing my Dad's mask when I was a child.

Practically every weekend I would go out to the rink and catch a game. My favourite hockey memory ever was when my Uncle, who usually played on the same teams as my Dad, dropped the gloves and started hammering some goon. It became a free-for-all, with both teams jumping in for a piece. During the carnage, I looked over to the crease to check on my Dad, and I caught him leaning against his net, watching the whole thing with a bemused look on his face. Not long after, the other goalie skated on over, they exchanged pleasantries, and gave colour commentary for the carnage playing out before them.

No wonder these guys were bent out of shape with Friday the 13th's depiction of those who wear the mask. Goalies are more often then not the peacemakers, taking the shots without feeling the need to dish them back out again. So this one is for all the goalie mask-wearing psychos out there, amateur and professional, peaceful and murderous, but especially for my Dad, the greatest goalie in the world.

“Dun dun dunn da-dahhh!” Now they've got me doing it.

The One Where Jason's Mom Is The Killer - Part II

2005-10-03T23:08:00.000-04:00

The One Where Jason's Mom Is The Killer - Part I

2005-10-02T21:49:00.000-04:00

The following examination of the first Friday the 13th, and all subsequent discussion on the series, won't be reviews as such, and will therefore contain numerous SPOILERS. I will be including this warning before each entry. Please read no further if you haven't already seen the movie in question. Thanks.

"I've had this dream about five or six times where I'm in a thunderstorm. It's raining really hard. It sounds like pebbles when it hits the ground. I can hear it. I try to block out the sound with my hands only it doesn't work. It just keeps getting louder and louder. And then... the rain turns to blood. And the blood washes away in little rivers."

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly half a century since the very first murders took place at Camp Crystal Lake.

Everyone who has seen these films has a favourite, but there can very little doubt that the first one in the series is the most distinct of the bunch, and that's even aside from the fact that Jason is not the killer. I'd guess that two factors play into this. Obviously, being the initial entry, the template for the films hadn't calcified yet. Later attempts to change the format of the series proved largely to be mistakes. The reason isn't necessarily because the audience wasn't getting what they were used to, though there was that too, but mainly because the changes were so large as to completely alter the concept. The first film, in comparison to these later experimentations, had differences that were so subtle that they were largely felt, not seen. Being familiar with the entire series actually makes watching the first installment more pleasurable, since it's a nice change of pace from the series as a whole without distancing itself completely.

The second reason for the unique nature of the first film is that it was a horror movie largely created by people who had only the basest idea of how to make a horror movie. This may sound like a recipe for disaster, but what the filmmakers had on their side was the technical experience of years in other areas of commercial film making, untainted by the cliche visual shorthand that might ruin an attempt by an expert on the genre.

Let's begin right from the start, at Camp Crystal Lake during the summer of 1958. The night sky is pitch black with just a bit of silver moon illuminating the screen. The camera moves down through absolute darkness and the solitary sounds of nature to the camp, with its warm colours standing out from the near encompassing void that surrounds it. After checking in with a group of counselors singing before the fireplace we see, through the killer's POV, a bunkhouse filled with small children sleeping peacefully. After stopping at each bed to hover over the children, the camera soon makes its way to the a pair of counselors and the carnage that the series is renowned for begins. It's worth pointing out that this is one of the only times we actually see children within the camp throughout the entire series, an exception being Part 6. Children are threatened in a few of the films, but rarely in the capacity as campers. In most subsequent films, even including the bulk of the first one, the counselors have arrived early for orientation, or the action doesn't take place at Camp Crystal Lake at all. I can only guess as to why children were rarely introduced into the Camp at a later date. Perhaps it was a result of the gradual sanitization of the series, or maybe it was simply eliminating excess characters for narrative or financial reasons. Regardless of the reasoning behind this omission this initial scene, accompanied by the familiar Friday the 13th theme, establishes the modus operandi of the killer while also giving us a slight chill as vulnerable children sleep soundly, unaware that death has chosen to pass them by in favour of other, more worthy victims.

The remainder of the film takes place in the present-day, and we're introduced to this world through the character of Annie, a spunky counselor on her way to Camp Crystal Lake. Along the way she, and we, are introduced to the townsfolk, who in turn tell her of the horrors that had taken place at that spot decades ago in the hopes of turning her away. Annie is yet another anomaly in the series.

In nearly every installment, with few exceptions, the characters can be neatly divided into the heroes, the primary victims and the secondary victims. Where all the roles are assigned is usually obvious from the start, again with some exceptions. The heroes become aware of the situation and survive until the end or close to it and the primary victims are given at least some degree of character development before they're killed. The secondary victims are probably the most interesting, in theory if not in characterization. Because later films usually stretched the action out over multiple days, it would be difficult to have any kills without tipping off the rest of the characters that something was amiss. Therefore, the secondary victims are either those who have absolutely nothing to do with the main plot, or they do have some relation to the other characters but don't actually interact with them and may have some reason why they could go missing without anyone noticing immediately. Secondary characters, by virtue of only being on the screen for a scene or two, have little time to develop character and are simply fodder, there to keep the pump primed.

This brings us back to Annie, who doesn't fit easily into any category. Though she's most snug in the role of secondary victim, we spend a great deal of time with her, including the pivotal introductory phase of the film. In a sense, Annie is a stand-in for the audience themselves, which makes her death so early in the film so horrifying and shocking. She doesn't even make it to the campsite. In addition, Annie is extremely likable and out-going, even going so far as to gush about her love of working with children, who she has enough respect for to refuse to call "kids". Mrs. Voorhee's vengeance isn't justifiable in the best of circumstances, but in the case of Annie it's hammered home that who you are or what you do doesn't matter, only that you've matched the criteria that fuels her blood lust. Continuing with this, later in the film Brenda is lured out into the darkness by a fake call for help. By rushing to the aid of this fake victim, she's not only setting herself up to be killed, but she's disproving the very rationale for the vengeance visited upon her, that is that her supposedly irresponsible behaviour is worthy of punishment. This is in stark contrast to the common assertion that only those who sin will be slaughtered. It's not the sin itself that matters, it's the potential for sin that decides the victim's fate. And since we're all capable of sin, we're all of us potential victims.

To be continued...

Introduction

2005-10-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

I used to go camping for at least a month every year. From birth to the onset of adulthood, I estimate that about 1/10th of my life was spent within the woods. As much as I loved the experience and miss it to this day, one of the most powerful emotions I feel from those days is that of fear. The fear of having to make my way blindly along the path between my grandparents' cottage and the outhouse at two in the morning. The fear that came from paddling across a lake as smooth as glass with only the strange sounds of nature drifting across the water. The fear of something residing in the dark shallows of the lake's bottom waiting to caress and tease my feet and legs while I swam. Bears roam the islands we set camp on. A friend of mine was disfigured when the car she was in hit a moose.

Just a few years ago, during the off-season, I visited the provincial park I used to stay at. My brother and I walked along a road we had traveled dozens upon dozens of times before, but this time with no one else within miles, with no lights, no moon to light our path, and with the occasional rustling from the woods pacing us mere metres away. We tried to alleviate the anxiety we felt by scaring each other, imagining what could be in among those trees. In the end, we did such an effective job frightening one another that we ended up running the rest of the way to the docks and our boat.

When I hear people reject the notion of the forest being a place thick with terror, I wonder if they're either the type that has never been in the woods before or one of those who have lived there all their lives. Because I know that for myself and others like me, a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing.

Derivative as they can be, the Friday the 13th franchise has attempted a number of different tactics in eliciting scares within (and without) the forest milieu, from utilizing that alien darkness I describe above to simply barreling in with two-fisted, hockey-masked mayhem. At their best, and hell, even at their worst, they provide as primal a thrill as any horror film.

T.G.I.F13

2005-09-30T13:08:00.000-04:00

With the month of October nearly upon us, numerous horror and non-horror blogs alike are preparing to unleash their very best material leading up to Halloween. I've noticed this build-up with envy, and have spent many long nights considering what I can do to contribute, if anything. It's purely a desire to keep up with the neighbours, as well as shaking the malaise that Corpse Eaters has been forced into in recent weeks. After pondering what I could do to stand out from the crowd and provide horrorific insight and excitement for the upcoming month, I realized that I've got nothing. So, instead, I'm going to post about Friday the 13th.

Many of you may recall that I promised an overview of the Friday the 13th series when I first started this blog. The time has finally come to deliver. Over the next month I will be sharing my observations on all eleven films made to date, as well as Jason Voorhees' excursions into other media. Due to circumstances beyond my control I may not be able to post every day, but I will try my hardest, and I guarantee that I will finally finish the task I set for myself many months ago. Welcome to a month full of Fridays.

Hold Yr Terror Close

2005-09-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

“Close your eyes and hold yr terror close.”

The Go! Team is even further away from the genre then The Gorillaz, but I've been listening them non-stop for the past two weeks and I wanted to share. The song found above first appeared on the B-side their single “The Power is On” and will appear on their forthcoming EP “Are You Ready For More?”. Atypical of The Go! Team's usual funk-filled Saturday morning cartoon lunacy, Hold Yr Terror Close is a quiet little toy piano piece accompanied by drummer Chi on fragile vocals. Enjoy!

Robert Wise 1914 - 2005

2005-09-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

"I've been accused by some of the more esoteric critics of not having a style, and my answer to that always is this -- I've done every genre there is, and I approach each genre in the cinematic style that I think is appropriate and right for that genre."

Journeyman director Robert Wise is probably best known for his musicals, but in a career that spanned over 45 years he brought his skilled craftsmanship to almost every imaginable genre, including horror.

Wise was one of those people who seemed to steal his way into the film industry, and with a combination of talent, determination and incredibly lucky timing, found his way onto the sets of some of the greatest directors and producers of the last century. After a stint editing on Citizen Kane and The Amazing Ambersons for Orson Welles, Wise's break into directing came from Val Lewton's The Curse of the Cat People when he was promoted from editor to director partway through production. Nowhere is the influence of Welle's chiaroscuro style and Lewton's less-is-more approach more evident in Wise's films then in those with a horrorific bent, particularly the film considered by many to be the greatest haunted house movie of all time, The Haunting.

Other films of interest to readers of this site include The Bodysnatchers, which was the last onscreen pairing of Karloff and Lugosi, the science fiction classic The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain, and Audrey Rose. For a far better and more comprehensive genre-centric obituary, please refer to Hollywood Gothique. In addition, this interview with the director includes discussions on Wise's horror and sci-fi work, Dark, But Shining has posted a sweet little obituary, and Monsterzine contributes a wonderful essay on just why The Haunting works so well.

Godspeed, Mr. Wise, and thanks for the chills.

Red Eye

2005-09-10T00:40:00.000-04:00

I hate the word “thriller” as it relates to modern movies. It never really bothered me that thriller was usually an appellation attached to films considered by many to be too sophisticated to be considered horror. After all, they usually end up being nothing more then incredibly benign bores that would serve only to drag horror as a genre even further down then it can manage on its own. To that end, I usually avoid self-styled thrillers, and considering Wes Craven's recent track record I was more then ready to give Red Eye a pass, but the opportunity to watch it presented itself and I would be lying if I didn't say I was grateful for the chance.

For those who don't already know, Red Eye concerns a young woman who must share a seat on an overnight plane trip with a sociopath who needs her help in arranging an assassination. Craven drops all the faux-intellectual posturing and self-referential garbage that have plagued his latest films and takes a workmanlike dive into a wonderfully cliché premise. I'm a great admirer of old school entertainment that doesn't pretend to originality but instead tries to deliver in the execution, and here Craven excels with the material.

Red Eye is a lean, tight, straightforward little movie, where every minor detail is a pivotal part of the plot. The pacing is fantastic. Just as the innocent little set-up at the beginning of the film starts to become numbing, Craven takes the lackadaisical pace and kicks it immediately into terror without a backwards glance. He even manages the difficult task of making the setting of the interior of a plane interesting, even at more then half the film's length. Reining himself seems to be a good exercise for Craven, as the sly, barely noticeable attempts at humour are the perfect asides. I was impressed despite myself.

Despite this, Red Eye wouldn't have been half as enjoyable without the presence of Cillian Murphy, who uses some leftover mojo from his role as The Scarecrow in Batman Begins. A lesser talent would not have been able to keep the protagonist, or the audience for that matter, riveted in their seats for that long. He enlivens the entire film with his performance, showing subtle shades of cool menace coupled with authority and even concern. Murphy punctuates this with quick, brutal scenes of violence, most of which were not only entirely plausible but also had real world repercussions that usually aren't seen in the cinema. The rest of the cast, including Rachel McAdams, comport themselves well, and it's certainly refreshing to see a cat-and-mouse game where the plot doesn't have advance based on the victims making a multitude of stupid mistakes.

All in all, it was certainly refreshing to watch an unpretentious little b-movie that doesn't rely on a twist ending to try and stand out.

J. on Foree

2005-09-05T21:36:00.000-04:00

"Sorry, baby, but that's one handsome man."

A Sound of Thunder

2005-09-02T02:30:00.000-04:00

Apparently, 80 million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to. That's the budget for A Sound of Thunder, a film based on a Ray Bradbury story first published over 50 years ago. The basic premise is one that should be familiar to most anyone. A group of people travel into the prehistoric past and change one little thing, which in turn sets into motion drastic changes in their present, like evolutionary dominoes.

Translating a short story into a feature film must be quite the task, but where A Sound of Thunder goes horribly wrong isn't in having a lack of material to work from, but in adding the wrong kind of padding. There are entire sequences of the movie that could have been dropped altogether, allowing the filmmakers to concentrate on improving what is one of the single most bland, badly-lit, mediocre special effects driven films I have ever seen. I half expected Uwe Boll's name to pop up in the credits somewhere, and I seriously could not believe that A Sound of Thunder wasn't made for the Sci-Fi channel. At one point J. seriously compared it unfavorably to Boa Vs. Python. Making things even worse, this movie has been sitting on the shelf for over two years, during which time surely somebody could have made an effort to edit it a little better, maybe even fix the little mistakes and incongruities strewn throughout. It's probably only because I'm an animator that I notice these things, but there were scenes with real people walking in front of CGI backgrounds where the people weren't just moving forward, but also drifting sideways at the same time. It was like they were on another plane of existence entirely.

The plot is king in A Sound of Thunder, something I normally wouldn't object to, except other little tidbits are thrown out there and never really go anywhere. For example, the main character has a chat with one of his co-workers, and they hint at a past together, one which has resulted in the main character feeling obligated to look after her. Not only is this never mentioned again, but when she's in peril he seems even less interested in her safety then if it was someone who he doesn't supposedly have an emotional investment in. And that's just one of dozens of examples of shoddy storytelling that make A Sound of Thunder stumble.

Aside from the lousy characterization, A Sound of Thunder also boasted a pre-Jurassic Park level dinosaur, boring set design, Ben Kingsley's hair, and only a few small, seemingly accidental instances of suspense. The entire movie centred around a small group of professional scientists/hunters, leaving the main ingredient of a good disaster movie on the cutting room floor, that is, small vignettes of everyday people dealing with the crisis. The few times they did deal with that aspect of the story were by far the best moments of the film. To cap it off, there were so many glaring plot holes and forced coincidences that it would make Warrenzone's list of Toolbox Murder transgressions pale in comparison. I'd mention a few, but the only real reason anyone could halfway enjoy A Sound of Thunder is for the unintentional laughs and I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. O.K., just one. I can't resist. The next time I'm confronted by a horde of slumbering reptilibaboons, I'll know to constantly shine a light in their face to keep them from waking up.

Not the worst movie I've seen all year, but it certainly comes close, A Sound of Thunder's only saving grace was in ripping it apart afterwards. Do yourself a favour. Skip the movie, save ten bucks and read the original story online instead.

I have a dream...

2005-08-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

I had a dream last night that a public access television show devoted to the discussion of classic and arthouse films had decided to do a profile on Amityville 2 - The Possession. The show was excellent.

That's it, really. I just thought I'd share.

Have you ever noticed how the word "Worm" is kind of in the title "Squirm"?

2005-08-26T15:13:00.000-04:00

Before they announced that Crispin Glover was attending the Festival of Fear this weekend, the guest I was most excited about was Jeff Lieberman. Even more then Clive Barker, and even more then Gunnar Hansen. Squirm was one of those chunky little films that my cousin and I discovered as kids when we would wade through all sorts of Mom and Pop dreck every week. I was all set to pick up one of the original posters from a source near Toronto for him to sign, one of the coolest fucking posters ever made. Even J., who was making fun of me for it, became excited by the prospect on the merits of that poster alone.

Unfortunately, I just found out that Lieberman is unable to attend. I found this out through the Rue Morgue message board, within an announcement stating that Linda Blair would also not be able to make it. I'm glad I found out now rather then at the convention, but I also kind of wish that there had been a similar sticky made for Lieberman on the message board. I can kind of understand that he isn't as big a name as Linda Blair, but as you can see here, to some people his appearance (or lack thereof)was at least as important.

Regardless, this weekend is going to kick my teeth out and carry them in a small, paper bag. Gygax for life!

Potpourri

2005-08-19T12:10:00.000-04:00

Oh, like a mixture of dried flower petals I deliver to you odds and ends from around the pajama party.

Festivus of Fear

The schedule for this year's Festival of Fear is up, and between that and digging up old Archie comic digests I don't think I'll have time to rest, eat or even think next weekend. I talked with my brother on the phone the other night. He isn't able to make it this year and he's feeling a little bit down about it. When I told him that Crispin Glover was going to be there he flipped. "I would have asked him to try to kill me. How cool would that be? You know he'd do it."

Destroy All Monsters!

While I'm town for the Festival of Fear, I'm going to try and visit MONSTROUS VISIONS:Horror and Destruction in Japanese Films, an exhibit put together by the Japan Foundation Toronto.

"From monster films like Godzilla, apocalyptic anime such as Akira, to recent films as in The Ring, provocative Japanese films about horror and destruction continue to disturb and stimulate our imagination.

Using film posters as a starting point, MONSTROUS VISIONS invites visitors to reflect on the social and environmental destruction of war, disaster, and other dystopic scenarios, as well as horror on a personal, psychological level, as expressed through Japanese film. It also invites the viewer to think metaphorically about 'monsters' and their various cultural symbolic interpretations. The exhibit includes films about people who are monstrous in appearance, things that incites fear or cause trauma, or something atrocious, horrible or nightmarish."

Courtesy of the Rue and the Mortuary.

Those Crazy Kids

The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire has a link to a great zombie rant. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for zombies.

Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat sings the praises of a good underwater scare. On a related topic, I was only mildly interested in The Cave until I saw the new trailer for it. Now I've got an underwater, subterranean monster-sized boner, if you care to imagine that.

I would have more, but most everyone seems to be on vacation. Lightweights.

Excuses, Excuses...

Speaking of lightweights, you may have noticed a lack of regular updates on Corpse Eaters. I'd like to take a minute to explain. I just switched over to a new show and a new program at work, which has slowed my production down considerably. To get up to speed I've been working 60+ hours a week, with any remaining time going to hanging out with J. This delegation of time is likely to continue through to December, as this new show is potentially more lucrative then the last, and I want to make as much easy money as possible while the getting's good.

The funny thing is that my reason for not posting as much isn't the standard excuse of simply not having the time to write. On the contrary, because I spend at least an hour a day waiting for the computer to save while at work, I have accumulated quite the backlog of writing for the blog. No, my problem is that I have no time to make my way to a computer with internet access to post them.

Now, the good news. With the extra income I'm planning on buying a new home computer and finally getting internet access. In addition, there's a good chance that I'll be between jobs for a few months and will be able to concentrate more on Corpse Eaters. In fact, M Valdemar's recent post on creating a better horror blog has inspired me to think of new and better ways of presenting the material I bring, especially in regards to my field.

This isn't a farewell. I'll still be posting at least once a week, which was my original schedule when I first started the site. I just wanted to let everyone know why there hadn't been frequent updates and that there are even better days ahead.

Thanks for your support.

Matthew McGrory 1973 - 2005

2005-08-10T23:04:00.000-04:00

According to Yahoo News, actor Matthew McGrory has passed away at the age of 32. Probably best known to horror fans as "Tiny" from House of 1000 Corpses, McGrory's fleeting yet effective appearance in its sequel, The Devil's Rejects, was one of the highlights of the film for me. He also appeared in The Dead Hate the Living and Constantine, among others.

Further information on the man and his career can be located at his official site, A Foot And A Half. A fan-conducted interview with the actor can be found at the unofficial Matthew McGrory site.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Ray Harryhausen Q + A

2005-08-05T15:39:00.000-04:00

The following is a transcript of Ray Harryhausen's introduction to a screening of Jason and the Argonauts as well as the question and answer period conducted with the special effects legend immediately after the screening. It was transcribed from a shoddy personal recording and as such there may be a few instances where I was off on a word or two and had to take a few liberties to fill in the blanks. Mr. Harryhausen was incredibly funny and charismatic throughout the session and the entire experience was a delight.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FILM.

The whole picture was shot in Italy, and the interiors were shot in a studio in Rome. Jason and the Argonauts should have been shot in Greece, of course. When we investigated all of the various monuments there, they never bothered to rebuild some of them. Italy had them restored, and Italy was a much more colorful place. So, we shot a lot of it up North, and then we went down to Naples, where there are Greek temples of five thousand years old. I think you'll all enjoy the picture, Jason and the Argonauts. It's one of my favorites and most of the fan mail I get they say, Jason, many people love it. And I just want to say, we had the good pleasure of having that wonderful composer Bernard Herrmann on it.

Q + A

I have a little surprise for you. Perhaps you may recognize one of the...

[Drowned out by startled dork gasps]

This was one of the skeletons that was in The Incredible Voyage of Sinbad and I made six more to fight Jason. He has every joint that a real skeleton would have, and actually, I'm a people shrinker. I shrink the humans down to this size instead of building them up to the size of a normal skeleton. We had seven of them. Three are in Berlin, three are in my own collection and one has been dismembered for some other character.

Recycled!

Recycled? Cannibalism! [Laughter] I'm glad you enjoyed Jason so much.

If you redid the film today, with modern technology, what major changes would you make?

I'd rather not. [Wild applause] Of sixteen features, I think Jason was the most complete. We had a disadvantage because we had to make the pictures for very low budgets. The Beast from 20, 000 Fathoms only cost $200, 000 to make the whole picture, and today you'd spend millions on it. So, it's a different world, and I think this is a sign of that period, the Sixties, and I'm grateful that it holds up so well. Thank God for DVDs and laserdiscs. You can all see them again. These were made before some of you were born!

My question concerns your association with Bernard Herrmann. Knowing that Mr. Herrmann had an erratic character, I was just wondering if your collaboration with him was smooth through all the four films, or did he give you a little trouble sometimes?

Oh, we got along very well. We were both born in June. [Laughter] He was ten years older then I was. But, we got along very well and he was a delightful person under me. He's a Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll. He's got a lovely heart underneath it all. I think that if you've read his biography, you'll understand. I only wish I had read his biography before I knew him. [Laughter] He was rather irascible and when we first chose him for the 7th Voyage, the picture was incomplete when we showed it to him, but I showed him a lot of my drawings. He had a reputation that if he didn't like something he'd say "Why did you show me this crap?!?" He didn't say a thing when he came out of the room after watching the first rough cut. He said, "Yes, I'd like to do the picture." It wasn't complete, there were very few creatures in it, he had to imagine them. I think his contribution to the film was enormous. I feel grateful that we had him for four of our films.

I don't have a question; I just wanted to tell you something. I have a four-year-old son, and of all the movies I own, yours are the movies he likes the most.

When these pictures were made they were considered B-pictures because they were made for very tight budgets. I'm glad to see that the pictures over the years have survived, and many of the so-called A-pictures that came out about the same time disappeared long ago.

Two-part question. First of all, did you find the transition from black and white to color made it more difficult to achieve a sense of realism? And secondly, when is your next movie coming out? [Laughter]

I retired twenty years ago. [Laughter] The black and white we did in the early days, I'm glad to report that a new color process has been devised and some of our black and white films are going to be colorized. It's a delight. I saw some of the tests and they look very promising. So they'll have a whole new life and I'm grateful for that.

You recently went to New Zealand to visit WETA FX. What do you think of the work they're doing down there?

After we did 1 million BC for Hammer, they wanted to do King Kong, and I'm rather grateful that they didn't get to it. They wanted me to work on it, and I rather hesitated about trying to remake a classic such as Kong. Peter Jackson has a love of Kong as much as I have, and I think he'll do a good interpretation, but there will always only be one King Kong. [Applause]

Do you have a favorite creature from all of your movies?

I can't, the others get jealous. [Laughter] Even the seven skeletons get jealous if I pick just one of them. No, I think Medusa. I like the complicated ones, like the Hydra. That was a problem, keeping those heads going in stop-motion. If I answered the telephone, I'd forget whether the third head was going forward or backward, but somehow I managed to get it. [Laughter] But don't look too closely.

Which animator do you think nowadays follows your legacy?

Well, it's a whole different world today. Phil Tippet has been doing some wonderful work. Most studios have had to give up dimensional work and they had to go into CGI, because they think that CGI is the cat's pajamas. I think it's a wonderful tool, but only a tool, and there's no reason it can't be combined with stop-motion animation.

What is the importance or influence of Willis O'Brien on your work?

Well, obviously, when I saw Kong my jaw was down to my navel. Nothing like it had been put on the screen. And that score... I had always appreciated the fact that the music was so important in this kind of film, this type of fantasy film. And we got the best composers possible for our major productions. In the beginning, we made pictures on the cheap and we had to use canned music and tracks from other films. Somehow it worked. They're not ideal, but I think when we got Bernie Herrmann, he was our first true composer, we got Miklos Rosza and Laurence Rosenthal many other very top-grade composers. And that's very important in this type of picture. Max Steiner's score for Kong was almost like an opera. He made leitmotifs for each character. That was the first time it had been done and we've tried to borrow those traditions. And I think that we've had some very good fortune to have the late Bernard Herrmann and others to compose them.

Mr. Harryhausen, I just wanted to wish you a belated happy birthday. [Applause] I have a question about the skeleton scene in Jason and the Argonauts. Like the lost spider scene in Kong whatever happened to that scene where the skeleton looks for his head? I assume it got cut out for some type of reason.

We cut it out because it slowed the action down, the whole pace of the film. So, we cut it out. I wish I'd kept it. I left it in the cutting room.

Mr. Harryhuasen, after you retired was there any movie that you saw on screen that you said, "Oh, I would like to have a hand in it"?

Yeah, well, wishful thinking. I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. and some of those, but that goes back some time. Recent pictures are very dynamic. You have to have an explosion every five minutes. We couldn't do that with Greek mythology. [Laughter] Young people have been brainwashed today to want something to happen every second right from the beginning, so, that's how the special effects pictures can reign supreme without story, which is unfortunate. But perhaps it will change.

What was the hardest monster for you to create?

I think the Hydra was one of them. The longest scene, it took four months to animate the five-minute sequence you just saw in Jason with the skeletons. That had to have split timing and I had to have a skeleton to meet all the swords of the actors so that it looked convincing, and of course the sound effects department put in the clashes of the metal, and that helped, too. I think that was the longest, and I tried to avoid those types of scenes in a film. Medusa was a problem. She had twelve snakes in her hair and the heads and tails all had to writhe and each frame of film had about 25 moves to make. That could get a little tedious sometimes. Apparently most people like her. I based her on Joan Crawford. Not that I feel Joan Crawford is Medusa. [Laughter] She had that bone structure and I played around with little features. I did a lot of research. I found out that the classic concept of Medusa was just a woman with a pretty face and snakes in her hair. For our purposes, we made her as ugly as possible. We gave her a bow and arrow so she could be wicked from a distance so I wouldn't have to animate little rattlesnake tails and little rattlesnake bodies and gossamer gowns. [Laughter]

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Part 2

2005-07-29T15:11:00.000-04:00

Back to Montreal for the tail end of the Fantasia film fest for a full day of cinema with very little sleep and next to no food. Who has the time? I made sure I got in earlier then I had to so I could get a good seat for the Jason and the Argonauts screening, but decided to squander a bit of time wandering around St. Catherine Ave. instead. When I finally got there, Mr. Harryhausen was in the lobby signing memorabilia, but I decided to wait until after the movie for my chance to meet him. Unfortunately, the line-up was immense despite my remaining lead-time. J. couldn't make it this trip, so being by myself I managed on finding a decent seat anyway.

When Mr. Harryhausen entered the theatre, the entire audience leapt up for a five minute standing ovation that went on long after he had taken his seat. Thank goodness for La Belle Province. The Québécois are so damn passionate. There must have been something wrong with the theatre's air filtration system, because I think I got something in my eye. I'm such a soft touch. After all the ruckus wore down, Mr. Harryhausen introduced the film and we all sat back to watch. I could probably make the case that Jason and the Argonauts falls under the purview of Corpse Eaters, but I don't know what I could say that hasn't been said already. Regardless, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those that think evil reanimated sword swinging skeletons are awesome, and losers.

After the screening, Mr. Harryhausen took questions and had a signing in the mezzanine. I never get flustered around celebrities or other very important people, with the exception of really incredible animators. At least part of it is knowing first-hand just how tough animation can be, but even more so, unlike many of my peers I have a passion for the history of the medium. A few of the people I graduated with would actually brag that they didn't even like animation, and were simply looking for a way into the video game industry. Now, I don't think it's at all necessary to be completely knowledgeable in your field, especially if all it means to you is a paycheque, but I think it's important to know whose efforts and ingenuity created the basis which you take for granted every day. Ray Harryhausen is obviously one of those people. Don't forget your roots. When my turn at the signing came up, I rather nervously thanked him for all he had done for the art form of animation and special effects. He told me "Keep it up!" and I have to admit, I was smiling for the rest of the day.

Heroes of the East was up next. I wasn't really anticipating much, but I had an extra ticket and wanted to fill the gap in my schedule. Even though this is primarily a horror blog, like everyone else in the Pyjama Party I have a wider range of interests then shown here. One of those passions is old school kung-fu flicks. I was wrong to dismiss this film before watching it, because Heroes of the East was incredible. The simple premise of the movie involved a Chinese man marrying a Japanese woman and the culture clash that occurs, not only between their differing customs but including an exhaustive amount of marital arts techniques and weapons that each whip out in their escalating domestic dispute, culiminating in an international incident and a final third that was nearly all fights. Heroes of the East was hilarious, exciting and, surprisingly, educational, from kung fu superstar Gordon Liu demonstrating a more modest style of feminine martial arts, to one of the greatest Drunken Gods fighting sequences I have ever seen. At this point I was convinced that I was going to achieve that rare experience, a solid day of cinematic goodness at a film festival.

Then I watched Spider Forest.

After Spider Forest I remained seated in the theatre until the sold-out Stop The Bithc Campaign began. I'll speak about that later, but needless to say, I've never before seen that many people walk out of a theatre in the middle of a movie. With both a Mickey Mouse and Satanico Pandemonium dvd in my possession (you should have seen the look on the cashier's face when she rang that up), I headed back home to Ottawa and a night of rocking out at the club. So ends another wonderful experience at Fantasia, and I hope that next year I can devote even more time to its splendour.

Maybe I can book the whole month off.

Mischief is my business

2005-07-25T02:14:00.000-04:00

For the past year and a half I've worked side by side with monsters. Today is our last day in each other's company for at least a few months. There's a very good chance we'll be working together again in the future, but until then I'll miss our time together.

We've seen each other through laughter and tears, quivering terror and manly embraces, jiggling breasts and crotch-clutching suspense, tightie-whities and flaming guitorgans. If the monsters found themselves in a situation where they had to cross-dress (which was disturbingly often) they called me. Whenever someone had to do a face plant into a tree, a wall, or even a windshield, I was there. And when a monster started vomiting, stopped, then swallowed his own barf, I'd roll up my sleeves and spend five whole days making what has become known as The Citizen Kane of Near-Puke scenes.

Mr. Cube. Hey Hey. One day you'll find your rainbow.

2001 Maniacs Q + A

2005-07-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

"Horror to film is like Rock 'N Roll to music."

Director Tim Sullivan and Actress Christa Campbell were in attendance at the Fantasia screening of 2001 Maniacs and conducted a Q + A afterwards. J. rather snarkily asked me if I was planning on taking notes. Actually, J., I memorized everything. Faced!

2001 Maniacs was filmed in a Civil War re-enactment tourist town that cost only ten grand. The crew had to shoot all the most disturbing scenes early in the morning before the tourists came, and around them during business hours. During one of the more spectacularly gruesome set pieces, they were shocked to discover a group of kids applauding off to the side.

They had commissioned a group of Civil War re-enactment people for the film, but they ended up quitting after they had a chance to read the script. Their notice of termination came in the form of the so-called Curse of the Confederation, which each of them signed. From that moment on there were many odd, potentially dangerouoccurrenceses during the shoot.

One of the original contributors to 2000 Maniacs enjoyed the movie, declaring that everyone who deserved to get killed did, especially "the coloured one and the queer boy." Yikes.

H.G. Lewis liked the script so much that he decided that he should shoot all the murder sequences himself. Tim Sullivan tried to escape the situation gracefully, but in the end Lewis was apparently affronted and appears to have stopped speaking to Sullivan.

Travis Tritt, supposedly a huge horror fan, called Sullivan expressing interest in appearing in the film. At one point during the filming of 2001 Maniacs Tritt was locked in an enclosed space which the crew was unable to reopen. Fearful that they had killed him, they finally pried it loose and Tritt sprang out and clocked Sullivan in the head with a crowbar. He thought they were still filming.

2001 Maniacs actress Christa Campebell is set to appear in the November issue of Playboy. She seemed somewhat shy about it.

Robert Englund was very approachable and enthusiastic, and kept everyone's energy up. He performed his own stunts, including jumping over a wall of fire carrying a 40-lb. Sword and with the use of only one eye.

One member of the audience sincerely declared his shock that the man who played "the innocent alien from V" could portray such a villain. Stunned silence from the rest of the audience. Highlight of the night.