10OmnibusThursday, October 27, 1988
Sex, blood and gore in store for Halloween
By JAMES DEAN
3nd RICHARD SMITH
Staff Writers
it all started with Janet Leigh
taking a shower. There she was,
scrubbing herself down and the
next thing you know Norman's
stabbing her through the curtain,
die. They're making far too much
money for "The Final Chapter" to
really be the final chapter. We
cant get enough of them Even
though we know what's coming
next; even though the characters
are just underdeveloped enough
for us not to care If one of them
dressed up in one of his mother's gets a stray syringe through the
old frocks. Back then it had a bit eye; even though the gore is the
of class though. Granted, it wasnt real star; we keep going back,
a very pleasant thing to do to such And why not? After all, who can
a nice young girl, even if she did forget the terrifying moment in
walk off with that fat Texan's "Return Of The Living Dead" when
money. But it was scary for the the split dog comes to life and
right reasons. attacks the mortuary workers
Nowadays if s all blood. Buckets only to be battered senseless by
of it. If the grossnessdoesnt make a crutch. Or when the brother's
you want to throw up, then the body is torn apart by self
continual regurgitation of the possessed hooks in "Hellraiser" Or,
new stuff might. "Halloween
4," "Friday the 13th Part VII," "A
Nightmare On Elm Street 4,"
"Poltergeist III," and "The Return Of
The Living Dead ll" (which purists
would say is actually the fourth
in the series since it follows "Night
Of The Living Dead" and "Dawn Of
The Dead"). The trouble with the
one of the best, the tender
motherdaughter bonding scene
in "A Nightmare On Elm Street"
when Ronee Blakely says, quite
assuredly, of Freddy: "He's dead
because Mommy killed him."
So, folks, what should we be
seeing this Halloween to com
pletely scare our collective butts
"kitsch-and-ketchup" genre is that off? We recommend the following
after a while it is all, if youH pardon to give you the best fright this
the expression, bleeding obvious, weekend:
I mean, you just know that the Rosemary's Baby (1 968)
intelligent blonde will be the first Roman Polanski's classic chiller
to go. Shell go down into the deep, about the sort of problems you
dark, dank cellar for that extra can run into when you're pregnant
bottle of Gallo, trying not to be and you buy an apartment next
too concerned about the conver- to a couple of friendly, but fairly
sation she had with her absolute serious, devil worshippers. John
best high school friend about the Cassavetes and Mia Farrow are the
sacred plot of land on which the unsuspecting newly-weds, while
house was built; fumble for the their neighbors are played by
light switch which doesnt turn on Sidney Blackmer and Ruth ("Harold
the light on, ignoring the 60-piece and Maude") Cordon, who is corn
orchestra that must be down pletely brilliant and deservedly
there somewhere-, tell herself that won an Oscar for her part. Like all
the noise she heard was nothing the great horror films, nothing
and anyway she's over halfway really happens for ages, but it is
down now, too far to turn back; still totally creepy throughout
step off the last stair and grope The Exorcist (1973)
blindly across the deep, dark, dank Extremely intense and
cellar that is really quite light now renowned adaptation of William
though sftehasnt noticed; find the Peter Blatty's landmark novel
wine rack and grab what she about a 12-year-old actress'
thinks is that fine bottle of Gallo, daughter who gets possessed by
but wait! No! is it? Could it be? Yes, the devil. Linda Blair has never
a clammy disease-ridden hand, been able to forget it, even
Which repulsive, vile, filthy mutant though Mercedes McCambridge
is it? Michael Myers with the savs the nauahtv words to Dro-
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You know this guy must be a sharp kisser! Maybe that's why we keep going back for more gore,
such as in this fine, frightening film, "Hellraiser."
the very best horror flicks and not who have fairly primitive Ideas
for those who still cry during about what makes a good meaL
"Bambi." Based on an actual occurrence,
Psycho (1960) "Chainsaw" is about the purest,
More of a comedy than a horror most visceralexpression of horror
film really, but there's still some
thing about that shower scene
that sends a chill down the hard
iest of us. in case you dont know,
Anthony Perkins plays the young
owner of the Bates Motel, who still
ever committed to celluloid. You
do get over it after a few days.
An American Werewolf In
London (1981)
Two American friends are hitch
ing their way across the north
lets his mother bully him around. England moors when one of them
even though she hasnt left their is killed by a wolf and the other
house for years. Janet Leigh is the gets away with just being bittea
avaricious secretary who steals
some money she was asked to
deposit in the bank and makes the
unfortunate decision of staying
over at the suspiciously empty
Bates motel for the night Rumors
that Hitchcock plays Norman's
mother are
unfounded.
kitchen knife, or Jason with an
electronic corkscrew? Or is she
really asleep and the hand she
takes belongs to Freddy Krueger
and his digital daggers. Finger
flicking good.
tea Linda's unabashed innocence.
Max Von Sydow is the exorcist,
who is called in to confront the
foul-mouthed demon. William
("The French Connection") Fried-
kin's meticulous and completely
And these guys just refuse to terrifying masterpiece is one of
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The Texas Chainsaw P.!assa
cred974) Tobe Hooper's notorious,
influential slasher looks like it was
made for about 20 bucks. And
that's really why it scares the hell
out of anyone who dares to see
it. The thin story is about a group
of friends traveling in Texas who
come across a disturbed family
Ifs a false escape since, by the light
of the silvery moon, he turns into
a werewolf. John Landis, who later
used similar talents for Michael
Jackson's "Thriller" video, directs
this fully-fledged horror movie
with a terrifying sense of humor.
completely Perhaps the best scene, in which
the young American transforms
into the werewolf (an amazing
sequence which quite rightly won
an Academy Award for makeup
effects), is accompanied by a
plodding, all-stops-pulled-out ver
sion of "Blue Moon." This is an
absolute winner.
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DONT MISS "THE MOST INTELLIGENT
ENTERTAINMENT OF THE SEASON."
KiN(siEv,.m PASCALI S
fira ISLAND
X .fT N.C PREMIERE TOMORROW!
HAltOWEENTl
Shows Nightly 7 d.59:15
Sat & Sun Matinee 2 J.54:15
Kelly MoGUlsJocS Foster
THE ACCUSED m)
Shows Nightly 7.-00 95
Sat & Sun Matinee 2:004:20
Sigourney Weaver
Goiiillas In The EVIist
' e-vsnows Nightly 7.-009:30
. ' - Sat& Sun Matinee 204:30
Curse Of The Demon (1958)
In the same suit that he wears
for ail his films, Dana Andrews
plays a stuffy psychologist who
refuses to believe that an ancient
curse Is responsible for a series of
gruesome deaths. Despite its low
budget and shaky dialogue, this
shocker is surprisingly enticing and
gripping, well worth checking out
if you've seen all the famous
horror flicks.
And if you're short of cash or
cant get to a video store, the free
flicks shown on Halloween at the
Union this year are:
The Omen 7 p.m. only.
Though a little dated, this rather
sensational chiller about the com
ing of the anti-Christ still holds up
fairly well today. Gregory Peck
plays an American ambassador
who Is forced to adopt a child
when his wife (Lee Rernick) sup
posedly loses their child at birth.
Terrific special effects, especially
the famed decapitation scene, and
fine performances by Billie White
law as Damien's self-appointed
maid and Patrick Troughton as the
fanatical Irish priest.
Chost Story 9:30 pm only.
Absorbing adaptation of Peter
Straub's best seller about a 50-year-old
secret that returns to
wreak murderous revenge on four
elderly New Engenders and their
offspring. The remarkable cast
includes Fred Astaire, Douglas
Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman and
Melvyn Douglas.
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