Classic Movie Picks: January 2016

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)


Happy New Year! Here's to another year of classic movies full of old favorites and new discoveries!

1/1: American Remakes
8 PM - The Magnificent Seven (1960)
10:15 PM - M (1951)
The Magnificent Seven is a western about seven gunman hired to protect a town from ruthless bandits. Based on the Japanese film Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa, this is an example of a remake that lives up to the original. The change of setting to the American West works quite well and it has a great cast including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. A remake of the remake is scheduled to come out in fall of 2016 starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke. No idea if they've kept the setting and storyline, but let's hope the new version retains Elmer Bernstein's rousing score for the 1960 film.
M is based on a German film of the same name directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre. The German film is a suspenseful, noir-ish story about the manhunt for a murderer. I had no idea there was an American remake starring David Wayne, a Tony award-winning actor who I always enjoy when he shows up in supporting roles on film. I'm interested to see if this version matches the suspense of the original.

1/3, 9:45 PM - Broadcast News (1987)
Writer-director James L. Brooks created this examination of television news whose themes about entertainment vs. journalism are still relevant today. At the center of the story is a love triangle, as an ambitious and headstrong female producer (Holly Hunter) is drawn toward her network's handsome new anchor (William Hurt), while also being admired by a good-hearted, though neurotic, reporter (Albert Brooks). All the main characters are very well-drawn and well-acted. The first time I saw Broadcast News the thing that stood out to me was that the female protagonist was not wholly sympathetic; and for once, she wasn't being asked to choose between an obvious jerk and and obvious nice guy. Both the men are decent people; they are just different people. Mixed among the satire of the media are some truths about relationships: Sometimes you love the wrong person; you can't make someone love you, no matter how much you want them to; being a nice person is often underrated.

Directed by Ida Lupino
1/5, 12 AM - The Bigamist (1953)
1/12, 9:30 PM - Never Fear (1949)
Today, actress-turned-director Ida Lupino is regarded as a filmmaking pioneer. However, during the 1940s and 50s, when the number of women directing films in Hollywood could be counted on one hand, she was considered an oddity. Creating her own production company with her then-husband Collier Young, Lupino made films with a social conscience and storylines which focused on women. As the title suggests, The Bigamist is about a man secretly keeping two families in different cities. It stars Lupino, alongside Joan Fontaine and Edmond O'Brien as the three spouses. In real life, Lupino had at this point divorced Collier Young, who was also the film's screenwriter, but the two continued to produce together. Young had remarried with none other than Joan Fontaine. And so Ida found herself directing, and playing a rival to, her ex-husband's new wife, which seems...awkward. The film is part of a night featuring films restored with support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group of journalists which hands out the Golden Globe Awards each January. Never Fear is the story of a young dancer who contracts polio and how the diagnosis affects her career and relationships. This film was restored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Film Archive.
The situation for women in Hollywood has changed shockingly little in the past 60 years. Though women have moved into all levels of the film business, they are by far the minority and the balance of power still weighs heavily towards men. (In fact it's even less equal than it was 17 years ago.) In addition, film studios are still wary of making films about women's lives, despite the fact that female-starring films have been among the most popular of all-time -- from the 1930s when Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin were the top stars of their respective studios, to recent hits like Frozen and Bridesmaids, not to mention films like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music which are routinely shown in theaters today, decades after their first release. All this is to say that I have a deep admiration for trailblazers like Lupino and hope that very soon her type of "women's pictures" no longer seem daring. 

1/22: The Divine Miss Emma
8 PM - Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
10 PM - Sense and Sensibility (1995)
12:30 AM - Impromptu (1991)
2:30 AM - The Remains of the Day (1993)
Speaking of talented women in film... Emma Thompson has appeared on film and TV steadily for the past 30 years, but she had quite a run of good films in the early 1990s. She won the Best Actress Oscar for Howard's End and followed that up with starring roles in the Shakespeare adaptation Much Ado About Nothing and Remains of the Day, for which she received another Best Actress nomination. In 1995, she scored a major triumph adapting Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility for the screen and starring in the film. She thought she was too old to play Elinor Dashwood -- after all, in the book the character is 19 and Thompson was in her 30s -- but director Ang Lee thought she would be perfect for the part, aged up to 27 in the screenplay so that the idea of Elinor as an old maid would be more plausible to modern audiences. Thompson was nominated as Best Actress again; however, she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay making her the first (and possibly only) person to follow up an acting award with one for writing. 
Thompson had a small part in Impromptu which centers on the romance between French author George Sand (Judy Davis) and composer Frederic Chopin (Hugh Grant). I haven't seen this one, but the cast -- which includes not only Thompson, but Julian Sands, Mandy Patinkin, and Bernadette Peters -- should be a treat to watch. The other three films on the schedule tonight are excellent and delightful in their own way -- from Much Ado's exuberance and wit, to the warm heart of Sense, to the melancholia of Remains.

Classic Movie Picks: December 2015

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

Sinatra Sings!
12/2, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra -- A Man and His Music (1965)
12/9, 8 PM - Sinatra Sings (2011)
12/16, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back (1973)
12/23, 8 PM - Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank (1957)
12/30, 8 PM - Sinatra (1969)
Frank Sinatra is TCM's Star of the Month for December and they'll be showing his films each Wednesday - from the effervescent MGM Musicals like Anchors Aweigh and On the Town, to gritty dramas including The Man with the Golden Arm and The Detective, to his capers with the Rat Pack in Ocean's Eleven and Robin and the Seven Hoods, even his Oscar-winning turn as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. But the real treat, in my opinion, will be hearing Frank sing in the five TV specials they've included in the line-up. 

Whether you agree that he's the greatest singer of the 20th Century, or just in the top five, it's hard to deny the quality of his voice and his ability to interpret a song. That heavenly croon and charismatic presence, plus those twinkly blue eyes, made Sinatra the most popular singer in the country during WWII...with young women especially. (At the same time he was hated by American men, who saw him as a draft dodger hanging around the homefront stealing their women.) However, these specials show Frank after his teen idol phase, in full "Chairman of the Board" mode singing songs that have become standards. As a holiday treat, there's even Frank with his idol Bing Crosby singing Christmas songs! 

If you're interested in learning more about Sinatra's career, I highly recommend two episodes of the "You Must Remember This" podcast: episode 41 about Sinatra's rise to fame in the 1940s and episode 2 about his epic and weird triple album "Trilogy: Past, Present, and Future." 


12/17: Once More into the Disney Vault
Film critic Leonard Maltin hosts this evening of 5 movies and 4 shorts, many with a "winter" theme, dating from 1934 to 1983. I've really been enjoying these periodic peeks into the vault because the programming highlights the variety and depth of the Disney Studios output, particularly during the 50s and beyond when they were producing animated features and shorts, live-action films, documentaries, and television specials.

8 PM - So Dear to My Heart (1948)
Burl Ives, Beulah Bondi, and Bobby Driscoll star in this film about a farming family who adopts a black lamb. I haven't seen it, but I predict that Burl will break into song at some point.

9:30 PM - Rescue Dog (1947)
The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934)
Corn Chips (1951)
Three wintry animated shorts starring Pluto and a playful seal, some insects preparing (or not) for winter, and Donald Duck with Chip and Dale.

10 PM - Babes in Toyland (1961)
I enjoyed this film when I was a kid, and I think that it's really meant for an audience of children - adults may find it too cutesy. However, the costumes and score were nominated for Academy Awards, reflecting the high level of quality which was brought to all Disney productions. Former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello stars with Tommy Sands (who I always thought was Annette's Beach Party costar Frankie Avalon) as residents of Toyland and the plot revolves around whether they'll be able to marry as the evil Ray Bolger throws obstacles in their path to the altar.

12 AM - Never Cry Wolf (1983)
Far, far from Toyland, Charles Martin Smith stars as a biologist sent alone up to the Yukon to study wolves and their impact on the caribou population. Filmed in Alaska, this movie is praised for its beautiful visuals including scenes of the native wildlife. 

2 AM - White Wilderness (1958)
One of Disney's famous "true-life adventures," this film spotlights Arctic wildlife. It won the 1958  Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

3:30 AM - Polar Trappers (1938)
Back to cartoons with Donald and Goofy in their first short together without Mickey.

3:45 AM - The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
End the evening with this adventure tale about a Victorian Englishman who discovers a lost civilization of Vikings in the Arctic.


12/18 - Christmas with Criminals
8 PM - I'll Be Seeing You (1944) [also showing 12/25, 12:30 PM]
11:30 PM - Remember the Night (1940)
If you're looking for new movies to add to your usual Christmas line-up, consider the mini-genre of holiday love stories between a strait-laced guy and a wayward gal. Two films in this category (actually, the only two I'm aware of) are showing tonight! 

In I'll Be Seeing You, Joseph Cotten is a shell-shocked soldier on leave from WWII who meets Ginger Rogers on a train. She's also on leave, but from prison where she's serving a sentence for manslaughter (it was an accident though!). A few days spent celebrating the holiday with Ginger's family brings the two lost souls closer together.

Remember the Night casts Fred MacMurray as a District Attorney who feels sorry for accused shoplifter Barbara Stanwyck. Rather then letting her spend Christmas in jail, he bails her out and brings her home with him and the two are brought closer together...you know how it goes.


BONUS PICK: 12/5, 3:45 AM - Haxan (1922)
If you aren't into the warm and fuzzies going around during the holiday season, here is an antidote -- a bizarre silent film about witchcraft through the ages.

As my blogging partner put it in his recommendation of Haxan last Halloween:
"It’s one of those movies that you’ll want to watch with someone so there’s another witness to the crazy, bizarre, spooky, and oddly funny scenes that make up this silent movie. Haxan is a truly unique film: part documentary, part history lesson, part folklore study, part 'reenactment' of witchcraft confessions, and part social commentary."

This film has everything: medieval depictions of witches and demons, trial and torture of those accused of witchcraft, a Witches' Sabbath ritual, and, of course, Satan himself churning butter (what else?). The weird juxtaposition of the disturbing and ridiculous makes this an oddly funny film, despite the filmmaker's intentions to horrify. And it may horrify you, too; there's a lot of weird stuff here! Whether humorous or horrible, Haxan is the total opposite of the typical holiday film.

Classic Movie Picks: November 2015

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

11/10: Norma Shearer in the 30s
8 PM - Private Lives (1931)
9:30 PM - A Free Soul (1931)
11:15 PM - Let Us Be Gay (1930)
12:45 PM - The Divorcee (1930)
Norma Shearer is an actress I had never really heard of before I became a regular TCM-watcher, which is surprising considering the heights of her popularity during the 1930s. Costumed in slinky gowns by Adrian, she was an epitome of the glamorous Hollywood star. I think tonight's line up of films from 1930-31 represents a high point for her, evidenced by the Best Actress Academy Award she won in 1930. Shearer started her career during the silent era, but had no trouble transitioning to talkies and soon became the "Queen of MGM" -- a title she earned through her box office popularity, not simply because she was also the wife of MGM production chief Irving Thalberg. In fact, Thalberg almost didn't cast Shearer in her Oscar-winning role; he thought she wasn't sexy enough to play the title character of The Divorcee (what that says about their marriage, I'm not sure...). Shearer had a photographer take some shots of her in alluring poses which finally convinced Thalberg that she could pull off the role. Shearer's films during this "pre-code" period often dealt frankly with sexuality, which might account in part for their popularity with audiences; however, by today's standards the scandalous storylines seem a bit tame. In The Divorcee Shearer's character is branded as a sexually liberated "adventuress" by simply dating a string of men following her divorce -- mind you, she's not sleeping with any of them, just going to nightclubs and accepting expensive jewelry. Enjoy the films tonight for their glamour, wit, sexiness, and star power -- provided by handsome co-stars like Clark Gable and Robert Montgomery, but largely by Shearer herself.

11/13: Bob's Picks Double Feature
1 AM - The Wrong Box (1966)
3 AM - Make Mine Mink (1960)
TCM host Robert Osborne has chosen to program two wacky British comedies, one which I've seen and one that I haven't. The Wrong Box is a film I recommend at every opportunity because it's simply one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Set in Victorian England, the story centers on two elderly brothers who plot to kill each other in order to inherit a large fortune. The farce builds at a frantic pace, combining witty dialogue with visual gags and physical comedy. John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, and Michael Caine are just the most recognizable names among the large cast. Make Mine Mink combines the comedy with a heist plot, which is pretty much impossible for me to resist. Terry-Thomas stars as an ex-military man who leads his neighbors at a boarding house as they hatch a scheme to raise money for charity by stealing mink coats. 

11/16: Starring Victor Mature
8 PM - My Darling Clementine (1946)
10 PM - Kiss of Death (1947)
12 AM - The Egyptian (1954)
2:30 AM - Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
4:30 AM - Easy Living (1949)
Handsome and brawny, Victor Mature is well-known for sword-and-sandal epics like Samson and Delilah and The Robe; however, tonight's line-up shows his versatility with roles in a western, noir, sports drama, even an Esther Williams "aquamusical." No matter the role, Mature stands out for his intense, striking presence and subtle performance. I haven't seen a lot of his films, in fact of these five I've only seen Mermaid (go figure, it's the only musical of the bunch); but I've never seen Mature give a bad performance. Off screen, he was self-deprecating about his acting ability. However, his films stand as proof that he was one of the most dynamic actors of his era.


11/23, 1 AM - What a Way to Go! (1964)
My favorite classic movie star Gene Kelly had a November birthday, so I wanted to pick one of his films this month. He's not the star of What a Way to Go! -- that's Shirley MacLaine as a wealthy widow recounting her experiences with four husbands who found success and riches, but met tragic ends. If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil the fun casting except to say that Kelly appears as one MacLaine's husbands doing a parody of his own image and his famous movie musical roles. Of course, the two stars get a dance number together, too!


11/28, 4 AM - All the Marbles (1981)
I'll say up front that I haven't seen this movie and considering that it involves women's wrestling, I'm coming in very dubious. However, the female sports film is a genre with few entries and as a woman who spent many years playing various sports, I'm interested in these stories. In All the Marbles, Peter Falk plays a streetwise survivor and showman who manages a wrestling tag team called the California Dolls, played by Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon, all the way to the championships in Reno. I'd watch Falk in anything. Director Robert Aldrich made one of my favorite films, The Dirty Dozen, and had success with another sports film, The Longest Yard. The costumes were even designed by the legendary Bob Mackie. However, I'm really interested to see how this film compares to other films of the genre such as Million Dollar Baby and A League of Their Own which focus on the sometimes paternal, sometimes romantic, relationships between the female athletes and their male managers. I'm really crossing my fingers that it's just not completely cringe-worthy. 

11/30: Satyajit Ray - Apu and More
8 PM - Pather Panchali (1956) + short Restoring the Apu Trilogy
10:15 PM - Aparajito  (1957)
12:15 AM - Apur Sansar (1959)
2:15 AM - Satyajit Ray (1982) 
4:45 AM - The Music Room (1958)
Indian director Satyajit Ray is best known for his acclaimed "Apu Trilogy" -- Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansar. A restored version of the three films was released earlier this year by Criterion, so if, like me, you've never seen Ray's films now seems like the perfect time. Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) follows a poor Indian family -- from children Apu and Durga to an elderly great-aunt -- as they struggle to survive through money troubles, monsoons, and illness. Aparajito (The Unvanquished) picks up the story of Apu as he comes of age and his mother grapples with sending him away to attend school. The third film, Apur Sansar (The World of Apu), shows Apu as a young adult confronting marriage and fatherhood. As a bonus, tonight's line up also includes a documentary about Ray and a non-Apu film, The Music Room. Thought by some to be Ray's greatest work, The Music Room is the story of an aristocrat unable and unwilling to acknowledge his dwindling fortunes. Ray's work is praised for its realistic portrayals of the lives of everyday Indians and not shying away from showing people in poverty. His films offer a stark contrast to the over-the-top spectacle of Bollywood cinema. I look forward to this chance to broaden my film education and become more familiar with Ray's work.

13 Nights of Shocktober: Ed Wood

by A.J. 

Happy Halloween! The countdown is over and Halloween is finally upon us. Tonight, hopefully, you'll be relaxing, eating some candy, and watching a scary, or not-so-scary, movie. There are a lot of options for tonight and I hope I've been of some help. Here is my final recommendation to help bring an end to Shocktober:

Night 13: Happy, Happy Halloween! “Can your heart stand the shocking facts of the true story of Edward D. Wood Jr.?”

Ed Wood 

I must confess I don’t know much about the real person of Ed Wood, so I don’t know how much of the movie or the characters is accurate or how much is embellishment. I don’t care. I love this movie, I love this Ed Wood. If you ever ask me if I want to watch Ed Wood, no matter what time of year it is, I will always say “yes,” even if I’ve just watched it. Ed Wood is one of my two favorite Tim Burton movies (the other is Big Fish) and I think it might be his best film. Ed Wood is a loving, nostalgic tribute not just to the worst director ever and his movies, but also to movies in general, movie lovers, and misfits.  

Ed Wood is filmed in black and white in way that evokes the films of the 1950’s without calling attention to its own style. The movie begins with a push-in on an old spooky house in a thunderstorm with theremin music, just like an old spooky movie. Criswell emerges from a coffin to introduce the legend of Edward D. Wood, Jr. The enthusiasm and joy that Johnny Depp exudes in playing Ed Wood also fills every scene of the movie. During the opening titles sequence the camera flies over miniatures and cheap special effects like flying saucers and an octopus, props that would be used in Wood’s movies.

Wood sees the positive in everything. He finds the one unintentionally good line in a very bad review (the costumes looked real) of a bad low budget play Wood and his troupe just performed. He tells a producer that he just put on play that that was praised for its realism. He says “perfect” after every take when he’s shooting a movie, and there’s usually only one take. He doesn’t have the money or the time for multiple takes, but also he really does see every take as perfect. A telephone conversation with a producer that has just seen Glen or Glenda? (Wood’s film about a transvestite, played by himself) ends with Wood saying, “Worst film you ever saw? Well, my next one will be better.” He’s even pretty positive about being a transvestite in 1950’s America.

Wood works with the same group of friends and collaborators on his films and even picks up a few new additions. They are a lovable band of misfits. Bill Murray is great as Bunny Breckinridge; he manages to be both subdued and flamboyant as the very “out" character who wants to be a woman. Jeffery Jones plays Criswell, a TV psychic that makes outlandish predictions. “Ed, this isn’t the real world. You’ve surrounded yourself with a bunch of weirdos,” says Wood’s long suffering girlfriend, Dolores, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. She’s supportive, but she can only take so much; she’s not a misfit like Wood and his gang. She eventually leaves him, but Wood meets a wonderful match in Kathy, played by Patricia Arquette. Late in the film Kathy tells the newly unemployed TV host Vampira, who is embarrassed to be taking a part in Plan 9 from Outer Space, “Eddie’s the only fella in town who doesn’t pass judgement on people.” Wood replies, “That’s right, if I did, I wouldn’t have any friends." 

The standout of Wood’s gang of misfits is Bela Lugosi, played excellently by Martin Landau. He deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor that year. Wood is so in awe of Lugosi that to him Lugosi is still a star even though he is washed up, his heyday having long since passed. Landau’s portrayal of Lugosi is very funny and very poignant. He’s not ready to stop making movies but the mainstream has forgotten about him. Even though everyone tells him Lugosi is washed up, to Wood sticks by his new friend, even after he finds out Lugosi is a morphine addict. Wood is Lugosi’s number one fan, and becomes his caretaker. There is something sad but endearing about someone looking after their broken down hero. Lugosi and Wood bond over nostalgia for old horror movies. Lugosi tells him, “They don’t want the classic horror films anymore. Today it’s all giant bugs… Who would believe such nonsense?” Wood feels the same, “The old ones were much spookier; they had castles and full moons.” It’s a great scene. Ed Wood was able to make Lugosi’s last days less somber and less tragic by giving him a chance to be in movies again, even if they were regarded as some of the worst movies ever made. Lugosi started his career starring in some of the best horror movies of the 30’s and finished his career by being in some of the worst movies of the 50’s, but they are movies people still remember and even enjoy, for one reason or another.

One of my favorite sub-genres is movies about making movies and Ed Wood is one of the best. It captures the joy of people doing something they really love. We see the making of Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster, and Wood’s masterpiece, Plan 9 from Outer Space. My favorite scene in Ed Wood, and my favorite scene about filmmaking in any film happens during the filming of Bride of the Monster. Tor Johnson, playing a character called Lobo, bumps into a doorframe and shakes the entire set. The cameraman asks Wood if he wants to do another take. Wood says, “No, it’s fine, it’s real. You know, in actuality, Lobo would have to struggle with that problem every day.” He’s completely right. Wood did have some kind of talent, even if it was only at finding a way to make his next movie (like convincing all of his friends to be baptized as Baptists so his religious landlord would fund Plan 9 from Outer Space, and maybe forget about the overdue rent). When Wood is feeling distraught and frustrated about the shooting of Plan 9, he goes to a bar, and sees Orson Welles, played quite impressively by Vincent D’Onofrio, sitting alone in the corner booth. They share frustrations about interfering, demanding producers and actors. Wood is wearing an angora sweater for the entire scene. Welles tells him, “Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?” I don’t care if this moment really happened or not; it’s a great scene.  

I could go on praising Ed Wood; I’ve only used two-thirds of my notes. There’s a lot to love about this movie. It’s a celebration of movies and misfits. It successfully combines joy and melancholy in way I typically only see in Wes Anderson films. It captures the unrelenting love people can have movies. Edward D. Wood, Jr. just needed to make movies and tell stories, even if they were bad. I’ll never get tired of hearing Depp’s wonderful delivery of “I like to wear women’s clothing.” Johnny Depp gives one of his best performances, if not his very best, as Wood. He seems over the top, but he’s not. He’s capturing Wood’s unbridled enthusiasm, positivity, and love for movies. It’s contagious. It makes me smile. I wonder if there is or ever has been anyone, including myself, that loved movies as much as Ed Wood. 

13 Nights of Shocktober: Night of the Creeps

by A.J. 

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 12: Spooky Fun Night, “The good news is your date is here. The bad news is…he’s dead.”

Night of the Creeps

The first time I saw the cult classic Night of the Creeps was on TCM as part of TCM Underground. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, on TCM of all channels, but I was very entertained and glad TCM included it in their programming schedule, uncut and commercial free. It is a cheesy 1980’s B-film of a horror movie but it is also a thoroughly entertaining love letter to cheesy 1950’s sci-fi/horror movies. Even a sharp observer will have to hit the rewind button a few times to catch all of the direct and indirect references to other horror movies and horror filmmakers.  

Right away Night of the Creeps lets you know what kind of movie you’re in for. It begins with two aliens with ray-guns on a spaceship chasing after a third alien carrying a cylinder. When the aliens speak, their dialogue is subtitled in both English and, what I assume to be, their alien language. The aliens are so obviously short men in suits and masks that I think that is what director Fred Dekker must have intended since the special effects later in the movie are pretty good. Dekker would go on to direct another cult classic with great effects, The Monster Squad, which is either a terrible or great film depending on what age you were when you first saw it. I think it’s great.

The mysterious alien cylinder is shot into space and lands on Earth in 1959. The first scene on Earth is in black and white and looks like a clichéd scene from 1950’s teen horror movie. The setting is sorority row and not that far away a boy and girl are in a parked car. From the alien cylinder a wormy slug springs into the mouth of the boy who left his date alone in the car. While an alien parasite worm is jumping into his mouth, an axe wielding escaped mental patient is attacks the girl. After this scene you should definitely know that Night of the Creeps is campy, over the top, self-aware fun. The movie then jumps to 1986 during "Pledge Week." We meet Chris and J.C., two college freshmen. Chris talks J.C. into pledging a fraternity with him because he is desperate to impressive the very pretty Cynthia, who he thinks (for no reason at all) is only interested in frat guys. Cynthia’s boyfriend, Brad, is the head of the fraternity and gives them the pledge task of stealing a dead body from the university medical lab. Chris and J.C. accidentally unfreeze the body of the college boy infected with the alien parasite back in the 50’s. They freak out and run away. The infected zombie body walks out of the university, but not before attacking a young scientist played by a young David Paymer. 

The zombie body walks to the sorority house where its head splits open and releases more parasite slugs. The slugs enter into a body then eat at the brain turning a person into essentially a zombie until their head explodes to spread more slugs. The special effects are great old-school practical effects. Some effects, like the slugs and zombie make-up hold up better than others, like the animatronic zombie dog and cat, which still look pretty cool and scary. The effects do get pretty gross, but they are meant to scare and entertain you, not just shock you and make you feel queasy. Night of the Creeps has fun with its effects too. When a bus driver sees the decaying zombie dog in the road, his eyes bulge out of his head, like a cartoon.

Night of the Creeps is a movie you watch for the fun, gross effects, but there are some good characters to go along with the effects too. Chris and J.C. are supposed to be geeks, but there’s nothing much geeky about them other than that they’re not jocks. Chris Romero, our main character, is unfortunately blandly average. His only motivation is to impress the pretty girl because she is pretty. The characters around him, however, are pretty interesting and entertaining. His goofy friend J.C. (James Carpenter) Hooper, is more socially adept and aware and is, overall, a more well-rounded character. The character that steals the movie is the hardened, self-destructive Detective Cameron played by Tom Atkins. He walks into a crime scene and says “thrill me” and constantly refers to Chris and J.C. as Spanky and Alfalfa. When he shoots one zombie in the head he says, “It’s Miller time.” It doesn’t make any sense but it’s great. My favorite scene with him is when he tells Chris a haunting story of revenge from his past. It’s a serious and intense speech in the middle a campy movie and an awkward moment for Chris. Somehow, this character isn’t laughable but is still fun and fits right in with the rest of the movie.

My favorite character is Cynthia Cronenberg, the object of everyone’s affections, played by Jill Whitlow. To say that the female roles in 80’s comedies, especially 80’s teen comedies, are lacking in substance would be a gross understatement. Cynthia, however, is not a trophy or a doll. She’s not impressed with Chris at first since he sent J.C. to talk to her for him. She puts together that the attacks happening around the college are related to the missing body from the medical lab and has to convince Chris and J.C., who are skeptical. At the climax, when a busload of slug infested zombie frat guys descend upon the sorority house, she fights them off along with Chris and Detective Cameron to protect the rest of the sorority. Shooting the zombies stops them, but then the slugs inside just explode out and scatter. The only thing that kills the slugs is fire, so Detective Cameron gets a flamethrower from the police armory (because of course they have a flamethrower). It’s Cynthia who uses that flame thrower while wearing her formal gown to kill off the alien slugs, and she is as badass as she sounds.

This movie is as much a tribute to the whole horror genre as it is a send up of 50’s sci-fi/horror movies. If the characters last names sound familiar it is because many characters are named after horror and science fiction directors like: David Cronenberg (Shivers), James Cameron (Piranha II, Terminator), Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13^th), Steve Miner (Friday the 13^th Part II and III), Sam Raimi (Evil Dead), John Carpenter (Halloween), Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), and George Romero (Night of the Living Dead). The characters all attend Corman University, named after legendary producer Roger Corman, who made many, many campy films. When the sorority house mother is attacked she is watching Plan 9 from Outer Space on TV, perhaps the campiest film ever made by the man once voted worst director of all time, Ed Wood. 

Night of the Creeps was a flop when it was released in theaters but has since gone on to build a cult following. I can understand why. This movie has everything: horror, comedy, aliens, sorority girls, awesome horror effects, zombie jocks, a zombie cat, a zombie David Paymer, scenes in black and white, a scene with Dick Miller (who appears in several 80's horror movies), a suicidal cop on edge, a montage of college kids getting ready for a dance, and, best of all, a badass sorority girl with a flamethrower. Night of the Creeps is lots of fun and even a little scary. It’s a perfect movie for horror movie fans, people that like campy movies, and people that just want to have a spooky good time. 

13 Nights of Shocktober: What We Do in the Shadows

by A.J. 

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 11: Horror-Comedy Night, “I think we drink virgin blood because it sounds cool.”

What We Do In the Shadows

I’ve always been suspicious of the easy, instant, and unquestioned coolness and sexiness of vampires. Every screen representation of vampires portrays them as outsiders, but as cool outsiders. What We Do In the Shadows is about a group of undead, uncool outsiders, which makes them the most relatable vampires I’ve ever seen. This is the most delightful and hilarious comedy I’ve seen in years. Have I laughed as hard at other recent comedies? Yes, but none have had such a lasting effect on me. I saw this movie in theaters back in February of this year, and I still smile whenever I think about it.

What We Do in the Shadows was co-written and co-directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who also play two of the lead characters. Clement is best known for being part of the funny folk music duo Flight of the Conchords. He starred in the HBO series named after the duo. Taika Waititi wrote and directed some Flight of the Conchords episodes. The movie is shot as a documentary that follows four vampire friends and roommates in New Zealand as they prepare to attend the Unholy Masquerade, the biggest social event of the underworld.

This movie has an incredibly lovable band of misfits for its main characters. Each character portrays a different style of vampire. Viago (Waititi) is a foppish 18^th century vampire, like Anne Rice’s characters in Interview with the Vampire. Vladislav (Clement) is a medieval, feudal tyrant, like Vlad the Impaler (if he really was a vampire). Deacon (played by Jonathan Brugh) is a 19^th century Romantic era vampire, like Dracula, and Petyr (played by Ben Fransham) is a monstrous Nosferatu style vampire. Their dynamic is thrown for a loop for when Petyr turns one of their intended victims into a vampire. This new vampire is Nick (played by Cori Gonzalez-Macuer). He is young and hip and trendy and takes to being vampire very well. He walks down a busy sidewalk shouting, “I’m Twilight! That’s me!”

This is a horror comedy that is heavy on comedy and light on horror. There is not much gore but there are some bloody scenes played for laughs (Viago bites someone then can’t control the wild spurts of blood). The gags are very funny and clever. The vampires love going out but can’t tell if their outfits work because they don’t have reflections. Once they go out, they have to get the bouncer of a club to invite them in since vampires can’t enter any place they’re not invited. Viago, Vladislav, and Deacon all become obsessed with Nick’s blandly average human friend, Stu, who shows them how to use the internet, which leads to many laughs. One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when the vampires run into their natural rivals, a pack of werewolves led by Rhys Darby, who also had a part in the Flight of the Conchords series.

All of the vampires have backstories, hopes, and regrets that feel real and make them fully developed characters. The scenes of them having arguments about whose turn it is to do the dishes help, too. What We Do in the Shadows has loads of charm and delight but is also sincere without being overly dramatic. This film loves its characters and never makes fun of them. The pathos is genuine and well earned. This isn’t disposable comedy; jokes are great, but jokes with memorable characters are better. Whether you like horror or comedy, or both, or like vampires or are indifferent towards them, like me, What We Do in the Shadows will deliver on every front. When I make Best of 2015 list, I know this movie will be included, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I watch it next Shocktober, too.