Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween 2022: Day 8: Bad Moon (1996)

Check out the Podcast version with spoilers by visiting these links: Amazon, Anchor, Spotify, Stitcher, Pandora. Every year that I do this 31 Days Of Halloween marathon, I always try to include one of my favorite subgenres of horror which is the werewolf genre. In the past we have reviewed film like Wolfen, Ginger Snaps, Silver Bullet, The Wolf Man, and so many more. Some of the films have been great and some have been OK and that is the case with most horror films you watch, but the film I chose for today was adapted for the screen and directed by Eric Red (Body Parts). The film stars Michael Paré (Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich) as explorer Uncle Ted who one night in the jungles of the Amazon I believe is attacked by a werewolf and is bitten. In search of help, he travels to his sisters house in the middle of the woods, but little does she know or realize what she has invited into her home. The film also stars Mason Gamble (Dennis The Menace) as Brett, Mariel Hemingway (Superman IV: The Quest For Peace) as Janet, Johanna Marlowe (Girlfriend’s Guide To Divorce) as Marjorie, Hrothgar Mathews (The Core) as Flopsy, and Primo (When The Lights Go Out) as Thor.

Right off the bat I am going to start with this because I think this is super important to any werewolf movie fan and that is did the werewolf look cool and was the transformation scene cool? The only way I can answer this is by saying that while the werewolf itself looked very cool, the transformation scene was total garbage. It was obvious right from the start that it was obviously a CGI transformation and a very poor and obvious mistake. There were so many films before this that did it so much better than they did and with practical effects which made it frustrating considering that this came out in 1996. The acting was actually pretty good, but what brother and sister keep calling themselves little bro or hey big sis all the time? I don’t even say that to any of my brothers so the writing of the film was ok other than that one thing. The whole scenario with the dog was a little odd for me, but it made sense considering the title of the book it was adapted from was called Thor so obviously he was going to be the main hero of the film and he is just that which was a little far fetched for me. Like any horror film of back in the day, they waste absolutely no time with the sex scene and it’s a steamy one until the werewolf takes a chunk out of her. It’s not a bad film and it’s not a terrible film, it’s the middle of the pack (pun intended) which is why I am going to give the film an C for a final grade.

Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween 2018: Day 15: See No Evil 2 (2014)

One thing that I never understood as a kid was why the WWE’s own The Undertaker never starred in any horror films? Sure, we saw him in one film with Hulk Hogan when he played an alien bounty hunter, but never anything after that. One person that did make it into a horror film was his on screen brother Kane a.k.a. Glenn Jacobs who starred in 2006’s See No Evil where he played the monstrous killer Jacob Goodnight who inside of his hotel went on a killing spree until it was assumed he was dead. In See No Evil 2, Danielle Harris (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) plays morgue worker Amy, who decides to spend her birthday at work when the call for nine bodies comes in. Much to her surprise, her friends come and hold a surprise party there, but what they don’t realize is that Jacob Goodnight has other plans for them. The film also stars Katherine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) as Tamara, Chelan Simmons (Final Destination 3) as Kayla, Kaj-Erik Eriksen (88 Minutes) as Seth, Greyston Holt (Durham County) as Will, Lee Majdoub (ABC’s Of Death 2) as Carter, Michael Eklund (Eadweard) as Holden, Nancy Amelia Bell (Okja) as Jacob’s Mother, Reese Alexander (Boy In The Attic) as EMT #1, Kelly-Ruth Mercier (In My Dreams) as EMT #2, and the film was directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (Hellevator).

I have to start by saying that after the punishment that he received in the first film, I have no idea how he is still alive. Anyways, I am amazed that the Soska Twins were the ones that directed this film and I think they did a pretty great job for a film that went straight to DVD. There was a lot to like about the film especially with Glenn Jacob’s performance which I think was top notch even though it’s not a total stretch from his Kane character. I thought Danielle Harris was terrific as usual and I still believe that she is a very underrated actress in the world of horror. I am sorry to Katherine Isabelle, but I couldn’t wait for Jacob Goodnight to get his hands on her, but maybe that is a testament to how annoying her character was supposed to be. I love the fact that they have the whole film take place in a hospital-esque setting which reminds me of the sequel to the original Halloween. One of my complaints about the film is how cheap is this hospital, I mean the guy just busts through every wall and door in the place. With every slam of a human, they would go through part of the wall and he busted through doors that no one else could kick open. The other thing that made me puzzled is how much time did Jacob have to bar all the doors or put bodies up against doors in chains in between the time he was killing people? Other than that, I thought the acting was pretty good for the most part and some of the kills were cool while others could have been better. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween 2018: Day 8: Stephen King’s IT (1990)

The title of one of the greatest authors of horror has to belong to the one and only Stephen King who has been scaring people since at least the 80’s. The stories he creates are so iconic that they many have been turned into films like Stand By Me, The Mist, Misery, Graveyard Shift, Pet Sematary, and the film I chose for today in Stephen King’s IT. which is only a fraction of the 74 stories that have been turned into films. Last year, the remake thrilled audiences so much that I felt the need to watch the original to see the differences and such. In Derry, Maine, there have been too many unexplained disappearances that have involved children over it’s history. For seven kids known as the Losers Club, they’ll do whatever it takes to kill the evil manifestation known as Pennywise (Tim Curry), but 30 years later he has returned and the gang has to face the fear once again. The film stars Jonathan Brandis (Ladybugs) as Bill-age 12, Richard Thomas (The Waltons) as Adult Bill, Seth Green (Robot Chicken) as Richie-age 12, Harry Anderson (Night Court) as Adult Richie, Brandon Crane (Otherworld) as Ben-Age 12, John Ritter (Three’s Company) as Adult Ben, Adam Faraizl (RoboCop 2) as Eddie-Age 12, Dennis Christopher (Django Unchained) as Adult Eddie, Ben Heller as Stanley-Age 12, Richard Masur (My Girl) as Adult Stanley, Emily Perkins (Ginger Snaps) as Beverly-Age 12, Annette O’Toole (48 Hrs.) as Adult Beverly, Jarred Blancard (The Boys Club) as Henry Bowers-Age 14, Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas) as Audra Denbrough, and the film was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season Of The Witch).

I know that one of the biggest questions that you are all are wondering how I am going to answer is who did it better? I think it’s kind of an unfair question to ask because Tim Curry’s performance was iconic, but his performance was very different than Bill Skarsgård’s performance. I feel like Tim Curry’s Pennywise was more sinister and it was in a very direct way. You could tell that there was something seriously evil about him in just the way he spoke while Bill’s Pennywise has that innocent and playful side that he uses to fool you. One thing I will say about the film is that the special effects were a little cheesier in this one like the coming out of the drain pipe scene looks like they used claymation to shoot it and then the spider at the end of the film and that whole sequence was a little cheesy. Nonetheless, the film is three hours in length so you better be prepared to spend the time watching it because it’s an investment. The film was originally laid out as a TV miniseries so while you are watching you will see the pauses for commercial breaks. The style of this one is that they go back and forth in time to the present when addressing what happened which is why I give the remake a lot of credit. I like the idea that the first chapter was focused on them as kids so they can fully tell the story. Some details have changed as far as who presents the news about Derry’s past and who gets chased in the famous rock throwing scene. This was an iconic film that left an impression on a lot of people hence why people flocked to the theaters when the remake came out and why book sales probably jumped. I know I am going to try and read that monstrosity of a 1200 page plus book. For now, I am giving the film an A- for a final grade. Beep beep Richie!

Cheeseball Cinema: Wolfcop (2014)

The movie I chose for today’s Cheeseball Cinema entry is an interesting one to say the least and it should develop a cult following if it hasn’t already done so. There are films that are released independently around the world that get enough acclaim that hey become cult classics much like Hobo With A Shotgun did some time ago for fans looking for classic 80’s style vigilante films that were once popular. Now, comes a new film that could possibly do exactly the same as Hobo did and it’s called Wolfcop. Leo Fafard (The Unsaid) plays Lou Garou, a cop that is so jaded that he has become an alcoholic and he just doesn’t care about his job. Little does Lou realize that he is about to be entangled in something he never saw coming in his wildest dreams when during a satanic ritual, he gets turned into a werewolf vigilante that is about to clean up all the crap in his town that has run a muck.  The film also stars Amy Matysio (Just Friends) as Tina, the sexy Sarah Lind (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) as Jess, Jonathan Cherry (Final Destination 2) as Willie, Jesse Moss (Tucker & Dale Vs Evil) as Gang Leader, Aidan Devine (A History Of Violence) as Chief, Corinne Conley (Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer) as Mayor Bradley, James Whittingham (Bad Cops) as Coroner, and the film as directed by Lowell Dean (13 Eerie).

I have to say that I am starting to become a huge fan of what Canadians do up in Hollywood North because it seems like they don’t care about what is the most popular thing and they are willing to do anything. They also seem very obsessed with developing new ways to make films that feature Werewolves in different types of situations like Ginger Snaps and this film for example. I was very impressed with the film overall even though some of the acting could have been a little bit better, but they did the job and a damn good one. This was such a fun film to watch no matter where you are and it’s available right now on Netflix. The film also has the distinction of having one of the weirdest sex scenes as it crosses the line of bestiality, but I couldn’t look away as Wolfcop banged Sarah Lind’s character on screen. Sarah Lind is so sexy in this film, but the only T&A we get in the film is a quick glimpse at her puppies during that scene in the jail. One of the exciting things about this is that this series could take off like Sharknado if enough people check it out because they are filming Wolfcop II, but the question is can it live up to this one? The only way we’ll know is when it is released in 2016 and hopefully into theaters. The story is original and I like the concepts they use in this film and one of my favorite scenes involves a guy getting his face ripped off. You don’t get to see a lot of the kill scenes, but some are as cool as that one. On a scale of one being close to an A-List Hollywood film and five being the cheesiest film of all time, I would have to give this film a 2.6 for a final grade.

Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween 2014: Day 30: Ginger Snaps (2000)

What would Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween be like without the mighty Lycanthrope (werewolves) films that I absolutely love. There is something to be said about Werewolves and sexuality, but wee’ll save that conversation for another day and time. The idea of werewolves has always fascinated people because of the mythology behind and Hollywood especially has been fascinated with the genre as well since the release of The Wolfman. In the turn of the century, this independent film released by a young Lionsgate tried to reinvent the genre with Ginger Snaps. Ginger Snaps is about a couple of teenage sisters who have a severe obsession with death and suicide. One night, there lives will change forever when they encounter a werewolf in the woods terrorizing their town killing people’s pets. The oldest sister Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) is bitten by the werewolf and she begins to change as her younger sister Brigitte (Emily Perkins) looks for a way to cure her sister of this curse before she completely turns into a werewolf. The film also stars Kris Lemche (Final Destination 3) as Sam, Mimi Rogers (For A Good Time Call…) as Pamela, Jesse Moss (Tucker & Dale Vs Evil) as Jason, Danielle Hampton (Paradise Falls) as Trina, John Bourgeois (The Prince And Me) as Henry, Peter Keleghan (Shattered) as Mr. Wayne, and the film was directed by John Fawcett (The Dark).

Ginger (Katherine Isabelle)

This is definitely not your typical werewolf movie because there is a lot of symbolism in my opinion. The film asks a lot of questions about women and you could probably talk about feminism being mixed in horror with the final girl theory. I mean Ginger is getting her period for the first time when the movie starts which means that she is transforming from a girl to a women. You can also add on top of it that after she get’s bitten she is also transforming slowly everyday from a human to a full fledged werewolf and it’s really activating her hormones to a whole new level. The film also enforces some other troubling social issues that plague the kids of today in safe sex because there is a scene where Ginger is telling the nurse about her bleeding and after the nurse tries to console her about it, she remembers to mention to use protection during sex. Then Ginger has unprotected sex which the consequence is that the guy is now a werewolf too (social commentary on disease). Are you still following me? I hope so especially if you’ve reached this point in the paragraph because now it is time to talk about the science of the film or basically what I liked and didn’t like. The acting was decent at best with some moments of brilliance toward the end. The film has plenty of the action you would want from a werewolf horror movie towards the end of it which is kind of a drag, but the scenes are decent enough to wait for. The cinematography and the editing are definitely the focal points of the film, it’s basically saves the film in my opinion at times. I had thi movie sitting around for more than ten years and I never watched it until today. That kind of shocks me since there are at least two sequels that I know of that I could watch in the future. I think this is definitely a film that is worth checking out if you like the werewolf genre. I am going to give this film a B- for a final grade.

Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween 2014: Day 15: Torment (2013)

For today’s film for Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween, I chose a film that when I first saw the DVD cover at my local Walmart, I was instantly intrigued to read the back cover for details. The film is called Torment and it was directed by Jordan Baker (My Brother’s Keeper) and it’s about a newlywed couple named Corey (Robin Dunne) and Sarah (Katherine Isabelle) who decide to go on a trip to the countryside with Corey’s son from a previous marriage named Liam (Peter DaCunha). Corey hopes that the trip to the countryside will help Liam finally bond with his step mom Sarah, but they soon run into trouble when a family of freaks terrorizes them in their own home. Can Corey save his family before it’s too late, you’ll have to watch to find out. The film also stars Noah Danby (Riddick) as Mr. Mouse, Inessa Frantowski (Cosmopolis) as Pig Lady, Amy Forsyth (A Christmas Horror Story) as Little Monkey, Sitara Hewitt (Bollywood/Hollywood) as Deputy, and Joe Silvaggio (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) as Little Rabbit.

One of the first things I want to say about this film is that I loved the idea of it and for the most part I loved the execution. That doesn’t mean that I think the film is flawless because their are some minor details that bothered me as well. Katherine Isabelle from Ginger Snaps fame is in the film and I think she is sexy as hell and she does a great job with the role. The only thing is that he screams aren’t powerful enough like what you would see from a lot of women in horror, but I can deal with it because I think she’s great. One thing you’ll notice is that all Corey wants to do is save his kid and Sarah. Well, when he finally saves Corey, he leaves him by himself in the woods as he goes to look for Sarah and tells him to hide. Wait a minute here, what father in any horror film would do that? That to me was one of the minor flaws, but as I said it was a minor flaw. I love that the killer family takes all the heads off of Liam’s stuff animals and they use them as masks. It makes it even more creepy than if they were were wearing any other mask. The movie follows the guidelines of horror (films in general) with the hook in the beginning to keep you interested and you have all the subplots you could possibly want to keep driving the story.

One of the other elements of the story is that they use a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche that says, “When one has not has a good father, one must create one.” That quote is the entire basis of why this crazy family does what they do. They prey on families whose structures that no longer have sturdy foundations.they are very cult like in what their beliefs are and It definitely gives the crazy family a purpose so that the viewer isn’t confused when all is revealed later in the film. I’m not going to spoil what happens at the end, but they leave it open for a sequel which is all I can say. I am going to give Torment a B- for a final grade because I really did enjoy the film and I feel there are some great horror films out there that Hollywood is ignoring.Hence why I was amazed when I saw the cover of the film at Walmart. Check it out online whether it be Netflix or any other online on demand service, at a Redbox, or just buy the film on DVD.