Final Women

Tales from the Darkside was produced by the late great George Romero from 1984 to 1988. It's not quite as showy as the later Tales from the Crypt , and the episodes were often low budget and kind of creaky. However, Darkside still has its charms. Here are some notable episodes listed below. What are your favorites? A Case of the Stubborns (Season 1, Episode 9) Featuring a young Christian Slater and Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek ), A Case of the Stubborns is more gross than scary. The episode tells a humorous tale of an aged family patriarch who refuses to believe that he has actually died. Slater is great here, as is comedic actor Eddie Bracken as his rapidly decomposing but remarkably still kicking grandfather. The makeup effects on this one are pretty gnarly, and I mean that in the best way possible. I have a pretty cast iron stomach when it comes to gore, but I had to turn my face away from the grody grandpa more than a few times. Anniversary Dinner (Season 1, Epi...

What horror fan doesn't get excited over Tales from the Crypt ? The beloved EC Comics based anthology series that ran on HBO from 1989-1996 is a fan favorite and featured many memorable episodes. I've created brief reviews of a few of my favorites, but there are plenty of other great episodes out there. Which ones do you love? Television Terror (Season 2, Episode 16) There's nothing like a good old fashioned haunted house story, and that's just what this episode is, albeit with that fun EC Comics' twist (generally awful people getting their just desserts). The episode features a smarmy TV reporter (Morton Downey Jr., Predator 2 ) investigating a supposedly haunted house where multiple murders occurred. There are a couple of good creepy moments in this early episode as well, particularly the man in the bathtub and the discovery of the fate of the poor cameraman. The New Arrival (Season 4, Episode 7) This is the first episode of Tales From the Crypt th...

The Haunting of Sharon Tate and Handling Real Life Tragedy for Fiction: Why I'm Sitting This One Out. A Personal Opinion. I will not be seeing The Haunting of Sharon Tate . I am not saying you shouldn't see it. By all means, see it if you want to. I feel very strongly against censorship in most circumstances (including this one). This is not a call for a boycott or an attempt to shame the people involved, who may have had the best of intentions. I'm simply saying that, after watching the trailer and clips and reading early reviews, I don't feel like I, personally, could sit though it. There is a way to do fictional movies based upon real life tragedies. There is even a way to do fictional movies based upon real life tragedies while incorporating more fantastical or humorous elements. However, it's a difficult task, and I applaud anyone who can do it successfully. I also realize that sometimes some movies, however well handled, will not be watchable to some....

I had been trying to get my hands on Fade to Black for years before it finally popped up free on Amazon Prime. I was so excited! But did it meet my expectations when I finally sat down and watched it? Actually, for the most part, yes. Fade to Black is a lot more character driven than I expected. It's also fairly competently shot and well acted. Clearly, a lot more thought was put into it than I first expected. I also couldn't help but love the main character, Eric (Dennis Christopher, adult Eddie Waspbrak from the original It), a geeky film buff, who in today's world would have a popular blog and possibly even a career in Hollywood (his makeup effects are phenomenal). However, in 1980, he's just a lonely, bullied nerd, who seems to provoke outrageously angry reactions from almost everyone he encounters. Yes, he does eventually turn serial killer, but it's still hard not to feel sorry for the poor guy, who's been kicked around by nearly everyone in his li...

I woke up this morning to the tragic news that Dick Miller had passed away two days ago on January 30. Dick Miller was one of those wonderful character actors. Rarely a leading man, he excelled in smaller but crucial roles and elevated each and every movie he was in. He had particular success in the horror genre, and frequently worked alongside genre stalwart, Joe Dante. He will be greatly missed. Some of his most memorable roles include: Gremlins (1984) Chopping Mall (1986) Rock 'n' Roll High School  (1979) He also blessed us with appearances in Premature Burial, A Bucket of Blood (a rare starring role), Piranha, The Howling, Night of the Creeps, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Burying the Ex, along with many other genre projects. In 2014, a documentary about his life and work titled That Guy Dick Miller   was released, and it is available for free with Amazon Prime. If you're fan, you can't miss this stellar documentary abo...