For a stretch in the 1980s you couldn’t visit the multiplex without tripping over vampires in the lobby. The Lost Boys, Near Dark, and The Hunger are among the classics of the era. Tom Holland’s Fright Night (1985) ranks near the top of that crowded field. A near-perfect horror comedy—a genre-blend that was perfected in … Continue reading Lost and Found: Fright Night Part 2
Category: horror
Elvira, Mistress of the Cake
Even though it’s my birthday soon, I’ll gladly share this gift with all of my friends: Yep, that’s Elvira, Mistress of the Dark herself, looking really excited to celebrate my latest trip around the sun. I’m just so honored she’s popping out of my cake! What a surprise! I can only imagine how many similar … Continue reading Elvira, Mistress of the Cake
Lost and Found: Shock Treatment
There must’ve been something in the water in the 1970s. Something that made artists really stretch their creative muscles, throw caution to the wind, and push boundaries like never before. The decade birthed punk rock and rap. It was the decade of the auteur in cinema. Subway graffiti art proliferated across American cities as a … Continue reading Lost and Found: Shock Treatment
Lost and Found: The Dead Pit
The Dead Pit (1989) is a true hidden gem of eighties horror. For a film no one ever seems to remember, this debut directorial effort by Brett Leonard (Virtuosity) has somehow managed to make it to DVD and Blu-ray formats over the years. Still, it’s a pretty deep cut for eighties horror, one which definitely … Continue reading Lost and Found: The Dead Pit
Carroll Baker’s Gialli at the Drive-In Asylum
Over the years I have fallen completely in love with the Italian giallo film genre. From Bava to Argento to Fulci and beyond, I am positively hooked on the style and mood of these lurid, pulpy Italian films. A year or two ago I picked up Severin's gorgeous, six-disc box set The Complete Lenzi/Baker Collection. … Continue reading Carroll Baker’s Gialli at the Drive-In Asylum
Bad Girls We Love: Helga from Tammy and the T-Rex
Tammy and the T-Rex (1994) is one of my favorite examples of a lost cult classic rediscovered decades later by B-movie aficionados thanks to a boutique label restoring it for a Blu-ray release. I do not remember this movie from the nineties, but that’s probably because it came and went in a flash and barely … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Helga from Tammy and the T-Rex
Elvira’s Oscar Moment
With Academy Award nominations being announced soon, it seems like a good time to revisit a performance that was unfairly snubbed at the 61st Oscar ceremony in 1989. [cue dramatic music] And if they ever ask about me, tell them I was more than just a great set of boobs. I was also an incredible … Continue reading Elvira’s Oscar Moment