Ya Wanna See Something REALLY SCARY?
PLANET TERROR(2007) Robert Rodriguez' terrific tribute to the drive in films of the 1970's complete with a "fake" opening trailer and film that looks like it's been shredded and faded in places. The plot-ex-terrorist and some mercenaries unwittingly unleash a green gas that transforms people into flesh-eating zombies. It's a fun film with alot of cheesy dialogue and effects you haven't seen since the 1970's. I love this one. Alot of fun for a 'crowd' of friends.
28 DAYS LATER/28 WEEKS LATER(2003/2007) These two actually scared the bejeezus out of me. A contagious "rage" virus escapes an animal experimentation lab and spreads over Britain over the course of 28 days. Most of the populace is either dead or infected-rage-filled, blood-spewing and incredibly agile- and the survivors are hunkering down in hideouts from them, venturing out for food supplies. 28 DAYS is really scary in several very frightening scenes. While there is some gore, it's more what you imagine than what you see. In 28 WEEKS LATER, the US Army attempts to re-populate refugees in Britain who managed to escape. Only now the virus has become latent, and mutated to something more sinister and it's just a matter of time until it shows up again.
ALIEN(1979) The first and best of the series. Genuinely eerie and has a great build up and a pay off with one of the most frightening creatures ever imagined on screen. An alien creature of unknown origin, is taken aboard a spacecraft after one of the crew is infected by one of the alien eggs. Again, we have a film where more is imagined than shown in spots which only heightens tension. Still scary after all these years.
And also...
MATANGO:ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE(1963). Based on William Hope Hodgeson's creepy story "A Voice In The Night", MATANGO was made by Toho Studios who normally made Godzilla films, but this was a departure into horror for them and it's quite scary in places. Ishiro Honda's frightening build-up works on all levels which depicts a boatload of well-off people who, thanks to a storm, wind up shipwrecked on a lost and fog-enshrouded island and as food and water become scarce, they descend into madness. And then they find those "delicious" mushrooms...
QUATERMASS AND THE PIT(1967) (US Title: FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH). A London excavation unearths what appears to be an ancient spacecraft, in an area that has been plagued for centuries with sightings of ghosts, goblins and possessions. Even the name of the street is called "Hobb's Lane" which we are told, is a nickname for the Devil. Despite some of it's hokey effects it's still just a scary film because so much is done with lighting and sound and, just plain good direction and a terrific cast.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW(1975). Okay not scary but(Unless you see Tim Curry in garter belts and full make-up, and such scary), a Hell of alot of fun around this season! And, the music is just catchy now as it was then.
posted by Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) | 7:02 PM
2 Comments:
If you really liked Mantango: Attack of the Mushroom People, Bob, you should definitely try to find a copy of "Goke: Body Snatcher From Hell." Not a Toho, but still an amazing low budgeter from Japan. A jetliner crashes in a desolate area, and the characters find that the world outside is under attack by aliens. They too have to deal with one of their own, who has been taken over by one of the creatures... Amazing visuals in spots, and a really heavy theme...
Joe-Got it! Yep, GOKE is wild and scary as hell, moreso even than MATANGO. LOts of stylzed shots, the plane in the orange sky was the inspiration for a segment in KILL BILL VOL 1.
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