September brings some early Halloween treats (never too early) to NETFLIX INSTANT WATCH.
Some highlights discovered, detailed and dissected…
For starters, have a WES CRAVEN Festival this month with…
SCREAM • SCREAM 2 • SCREAM 3 • SCRE4M
It’s great being able to watch scary movies on your smartphone, but it’s extremely poetic if you’re watching all four SCREAM movies while wearing a Ghost Face costume. The most recent sequel was a retro-satirical blast, if you haven’t seen it yet. If you haven’t seen the originals in a while, I highly recommend re-watching them before four. Still a ton of fun.
THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW
VERY loosely based on the non-fiction archeological account of ethnobotanist Wade Davis’ experiences in Haiti, and filled with some twisted comedic horror. If you can, watch it as a double feature with the classic Val Lewton produced I Walked With A Zombie.
THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART 2
Famous for being shelved for years before finally getting a theatrical release, it’s every bit unnecessary and bad as you’ve heard. Still, if you’re a fan of the original Wes Craven film and can’t get enough Michael Berryman in leather, this cult classic is worth cringing over.
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS
Not one of my favorites, but I do respect it though for having its roots in spooky story basics (shades of Grimm fairy tales in fact).
DEADLY BLESSING
Recently remastered for Blu-ray, Sharon Stone and Ernest Borgnine star in a horror movie light-years ahead of its time. Amish Mafia ain’t got nothing on this.
MUSIC OF THE HEART
And scariest of all, Wes Craven’s Oscar-nominated feel-good high school music program drama is also streaming this month.
THE MOLE MAN OF BELMONT AVENUE
People and pets are disappearing from writer/director/stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy’s inherited brownstone building, and the mole men are to blame. It’s a horror-comedy of low budget and big intentions, which explains its good reception at a number of film festivals. By the way, if Bradecich looks familiar, you’re not crazy. He’s the postman from the USPS’ recent advertising campaign.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS
SEASON 2, EPISODE 31
THE NIGHT THE WORLD ENDED
With The World’s End and This is the End in theaters and on DVD respectively now, you’ll want to check out this insane episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents about a prank gone way, way wrong. Keep an eye out for a cameo from kid actor Charles Herbert (The Fly, 13 Ghosts).
MADHOUSE
While awaiting an incredible Vincent Price Blu-ray collection coming this Fall from Scream Factory, Netflix offers a handful of titles featuring the legendary actor, but none more obscurely fantastic than Madhouse. This one is another good paring with any of the Scream films, as it has a sort of in-joke plot surrounding a mentally ill horror movie star.
Peter Cushing co-stars, and watch the credits for a note of “Special Participation by Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone.” They had been dead for several years, but live on as co-stars in film clips.
SCREAMTIME
As you know, I love a good Horror Anthology movie. This one kind of escaped me in the 80s though. It’s a trio of terror with one of the stories surrounding the fate of VHS theft at a local video store.
Finally, bad guys I can relate to.
British genre director Michael Armstrong (Mark of the Devil) wrote and co-directs.
HOWLING III: THE MARSUPIALS
Is there a more unnecessary franchise from a great original film than The Howling. I seriously challenge that. Of course, I must admit my guilt in saying I’ve seen most of the awful sequels, and truly honor part three as the one of the most incredibly strange.
As you may suspect from the title, it’s an Australian film, because when I think werewolf, my mind goes down under immediately. You won’t be the same after watching the Aborigine wolf-creature sacrifice sequence early on.
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