Top 10 Surprises of MY 2018:

This are the Films that surprised me in 2018.  They just didn't *necessarily* have to come out in 2018.

Comprende?  Good.

10. Urban Legends- Bloody Mary: It didn't suck.  A good Director clearly helps, as this Movie shows.  It's just not good enough to make my Best of the Year.

9. Scanners 3- The Takeover: It wasn't good.  It was just so much ridiculous fun that I couldn't believe it.  It was better than the 2nd Film in that regard and more balanced as far as Pacing than the last 2.  It's the best-worst Sequel!

8. The Evil Dead (1981): It's not Breaking News to tell you that this Film is good.  What is notable is just how well it holds up.  I thought for sure that something would feel outdated here in 2018.  I was wrong and happy to be so.

7. Tag (2018): I don't always see Films alone and I don't always see them out of some burning desire to see one.  In this case, I saw this with my Family, as it was the consensus pick.  I wasn't expecting much.  To my surprise, it was actually good and had some depth buried under all of the silliness.  This kind of flew under the radar too, so give it a chance on Digital.

6. Constantine- City of Demons/Suicide Squad- Hell to Pay: Both were better than they had any right to be.  Both were bloodier than a cheap Steak.  DC can deliver...on DVD/Streaming.

5. The Happytime Murders: It didn't suck.  It was funny.  It had Social Commentary.  It will be on many Worst of the Year Lists I'm sure, but it surprised me in a good way.   Big whoop- wanna fight about it?

4. Nightbreed- The Cabal Cut: Okay, so I guess I was lying before.  This Cut actually did affect the Movie in a major way- I doubted that.  For me, it is a far superior Version.  Now I'm done writing about it.  Maybe...

3. Mandy: This is a tricky one to include.  It got LOTS of hype online before I saw it.  I really liked the Film.  So it's almost more a 'Surprise- you actually agreed with most people' situation than a 'Surprise- you liked it' thing.  That makes sense, right?

2. The Frozen Ground: Another Nic Cage Movie?!?  This is not a new Film, but one that I'd considered watching for a while.  Could a Film with two people- the other being John Cusack- who almost solely make Direct-to-DVD dreck be good?

Yes.  While it has one too many Subplots and adds unnecessary Drama to a real-life case, it was still far better than I expected.

1. Street Smart: A blind buy pays off! This is a Canon Film that manages to actually be good. The late Christopher Reeve would only do Superman IV (which narrowly missed out being in my Bottom 10 of 2018) if they made his pet project. It's actually good- this Film, that is.

Sadly, it got him no Oscar (or nomination!), but did get one for Morgan Freeman.

So those were my big surprises of 2018.

Did your favorites make the List?

Almost Heroes: Narcisse (Nightbreed)

After this, I swear I'm done talking about Nightbreed.
Probably.

In said Film, Narcisse is a strange man that Boone meets in a Psych Ward.  He sets him on the path to Midian.

In Midian, he aids Boone and helps protect Lori as well.

When it comes time to rescue Boone from the Police, Narcisse signs up and helps do just that.

When the attack comes, he tries to stop Decker (which is shown in the Book, but not the Film).

He gets killed and his death proves to Boone that he's not truly immortal, adding drama to the final fight.

Sorry, Narcisse.  You almost saved the day.

At least you get to live in the Theatrical Cut, even if it is via Reshoots and Editing.

Next time, a young man tries to help his Sister.  As you can guess, he nearly does the trick.  See you then...

Should You Bother?: Nightbreed- The Cabal Cut

After talking about the Book and the Theatrical Cut, I might as well talk about the 2013/14 Director's Cut.

Want to know if you should think about buying the Film again?

Should You Bother?

- More of the Nightbreed.  You see more of their home and their way of life.

- While still missing the better motivation for Ashbury (blackmailed by Decker), we get more of him being 'priestly' in this Cut.  He begs for them to spare the Nightbreed earlier, which then enforces his stance you see later (and in the original Cut).

- We see Lori singing at a Bar.  That's neat.

- Decker is seen stalking Lori during the start of the attack and chasing her, as opposed to just kind appearing down in Midian later.  He's still not the truly-clever stalker from the Book, but he's closer.

- Doug Bradley's voice is restored (save for one bit they missed) here.  He was dubbed in the Theatrical Cut, due to an accent matching better (or something).

- Instead of just stopping as they leave, the ending for Lori and Boone from the Book is here!

She refuses to let Boone leave as an Immortal and *maybe* find her later.  She forces his hand (and teeth) by stabbing herself, getting her to turn him.

Now you see where a certain Mormon Author stole that idea.

- Ashbury is still transformed by the magic liquid, although not to the extreme degree from the Book.

Instead of resurrecting Decker (an homage to Videodrome, apparently), he meets the Sergeant, swearing his personal revenge on Baphomet.  When the man tries to join the Priest, he kills him...for some reason.

It's better, even if I still don't get it.

- More Nightbreed are shown during the Climax and in the Barn where they plan their future.

- In the Book, Narcisse is killed to add drama to Boone's fight with Decker.  He's not truly immortal, you see.

This was preserved originally, but Test Audiences were pissed at his death and he was restore in Editing.

In the Cabal Cut, he's dead again.

What do Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson and Narcisse have in common?  All saved by Test Audiences- go figure!

They also killed Will Smith, so trade-off.

The total difference in the Films is around 45 minutes.  I didn't cover all of it, but you get the gist.

I also like the Credits updated to thank people for the Restoration.

Verdict: Yes.

If you have Nightbreed, should you buy The Cabal Cut?  Yes.

Like The Donner Cut or other such Director's Cuts, you get enough new content to please you AND an arguably-better product.

Win-win.

3,800th Post Celebration!!!: Fiction vs. Fiction- Clive Barker's 'Cabal' (aka Nightbreed)

After around a Year and not actually finishing the work for the way I planned this AND skipping the 3,700th Post Celebration, we can still enjoy Plan B on *this* numbered Celebration.

After a long time, I finally finished another Book to cover and it's a bit of a cult sensation.  Let's see what happens in this battle...

 VS.

What's the Same?

The Core of the Story is the same.  It plays out in the same order and with the same basic beats.

All of the really interesting stuff- the creatures, the Doctor and the mysticism- is still there.

So yeah, this is the least interesting part to talk about.

What's Different?

So here we go...

- Decker (Cronenberg) has all of his motivation removed.  He doesn't talk to his Mask and see it as his 'true self.'  He's just a killer.
- The Film is less gory in parts, cutting stuff like a Nightbreed being disemboweled, but also more Action-packed in other parts.
- A whole subplot about 'Berserkers' was added to the Story to 'spice up' the 3rd Act.

- One major Character dies, but is saved by the choppy Editing and simply reappears.
- Father Ashbury is a sad, complex Character in the Book.  His blackmailing and change of heart is excised from the Film and he's just a drunken Priest.
- Speaking of Ashbury, he's burned to a crisp as a limbless body in the Book.  In the Film, he loses his scalp (kind of).

- One last thing with Ashbury, he is last seen guiding the Sheriff to hunt the Nightbreed in the Book.  In the Film, he uses Baphomet's magic water to revive Decker...for some reason.
- The Character of the Detective is made way more important...before abruptly-being killed.
- Many other random things are changed.  For instance. Lori's friend is killed in a burnt-out Diner by Decker and she's chased to Midian in the Book.  In the Film, she is killed outside Midian and Lori runs far less.  So much for Decker's ploy then!
- On the plus side, the Monsters are vaguely-described in the Book and made complete here.

Which is Better?

Do you want spectacle or quality?

If you don't know the Book at all, Nightbreed is a good Film that is just oddly-edited at times.
If you do know the Book, however, you'll see all of the stuff changed for unclear reasons and all of the subtext/motivation removed for the Film.

Nightbreed is still good, but it could have been better...like the Book.

Now that I've somewhat-spoiled a Cult Classic, here's to the next 100 Posts.  Oh and I should probably talk about 'The Cabal Cut' too, huh?

Quick Reviews: Haeckel's Tale (Masters of Horror)

It has been long enough since the last one of these (back in February).  Time for more craziness...

In this Tale (by the Director of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), a man learns the danger of Necromancy.  You needed to be told this?

A man goes to a Necromancer (who is the creepiest part of the Film).  She agrees to bring his dead wife back if he still wants to after this Tale...

A man named Haeckel is obsessed with restoring the dead.  His attempts with Science fail.

Disappointed, he is forced to go on a long journey to see his ailing Father.  On his way there, he sees a Necromancer (the late Jon Polito) and doesn't get answers.

A night or so later, he meets a strange Farmer who lets him stay the night at his House.

She's quite young and beautiful, drawing Haeckel's eye.  That night, she goes off with the Necromancer.

He hears her cries from the Graveyard and goes to help her, in spite of the Farmer's objections.

She wasn't crying out in pain- she was hooking up with Zombie Husband.  Zombie Dad is back!

He kills the Farmer and Necromancer, but is killed by the Zombie Baby!

Back in the Present, we learn that the Necromancer is actually the lady and...I guess some time has passed (but it is not clear how much).  Pan out to the House being the one from the Story and we're out.

A quirky tale that takes a while to build up.  This one apparently came about when Roger Corman was unable to make an Episode.  Sadly that means that his last work as a Director is still Frankenstein Unbound.  This lead to McNaughton getting the gig and returning to Horror.  I guess making one real Horror Film- which is a Classic, mind you- makes a Master.  Oh well- it is still better than Mick Garris.  As far as the actual Episode goes, it is good, but a little slow.  The key thing is that it all builds to something really interesting.  It takes its time introducing the Characters and Themes that all pay off in the finale.  Henry wasn't a big, flashy Horror Film, so you did know what to expect.  The Themes and content are pretty freaky.  I should note that this was Produced in association with George A. Romero (RIP), so the Zombie thing shouldn't be a huge shock.  That said, I do have a litany of questions for how any of this is supposed to work.  Yes, it is 'magic' and yes, it is just a Film.  I can't help it.  Putting that aside, this one is worth the wait for fans of unique and dark Horror.  One last look at my new favorite lady...

A good, but freaky Episode that has a nice slow burn.  When it all comes together, it is great insanity.

Poor Bastards of Cinema: Saint Sinner

Consider this a Preview for an upcoming Review as a bonus.  Thanks to my poor planning, you win!

In Saint Sinner, some Demons show up in the present day (of 2002) and kill folks.  That's about it.  Naturally, some innocent folks eat it along the way...

In one Scene, our heroes narrowly escape the creatures at this Gas Station.

A nearby man is curious about what just happened.

...and the Demons decide to kill him- just cause.

The lesson: don't buy gas.  Clearly this is what Al Gore meant!

Next up, another Poor Bastard bites the dust.  It is just a matter of how and when.  Stay tuned...

Rare TV Anthology Flix: Quicksilver Highway

Is it at least better than Generation X?  

Today's Film is Quicksilver Highway, a Made-for-TV Film from 1997.  It sure feels like a Backdoor Pilot, but I can't find any proof of that.  

This Film is a compilation of a Stephen King tale and a Clive Barker one.  

After so many Films, were there any good tales from either left at this point?  Well, yes and no.  

In one Story, a man learns that an impromptu gift can be more important than you realize.  

In the second Story, a man learns that a hand is a terrible thing to waste.  

Wrapping both tales up is Christopher Lloyd, dressed up in a mix of his make-up from The Addams Family (sans the fat suit) and Annie.  Topical!  

The way it plays out is a bit odd, but I'll get to that shortly.  

Is this an overlooked gem or something that shouldn't have made its way out of the '90s?  To find out, read on...

In the opening, a man and his new Bride are stranded on the Highway.  He goes for help, while she stays behind...and gets company.

He offers to tell her a Tale while they wait for the man to return...

In this King tale, a man stops on a long drive home.  

He is given a pair of chattering teeth with feet from a roadside Store as a gift for his son's birthday that night.

He picks up a Hitchhiker on the way back, but things turn badly.  The van ends up flipping and he is trapped with the armed man.

Surprisingly, the teeth come to his aid, killing the man and dragging him away.  A year later, he returns to the Store and regains them.

As the Story ends, a noise is heard outside.  A man has hit a person walking down the road: the new husband.

He ends up being dragged away by the teeth as the segment ends.

Once that is over, we get the commercial fade (can't remove that for DVD?), we get the 2nd Story- now with Matt Frewer.  

He's a petty thief hiding out from the Cops, so he gets a Story.

See why I think this was a Pilot?  We get one Story, it ends and a second unrelated Story begins. It feels like 2 Episodes glued together.

In this Clive Barker tale, a man finds that his hands seem to be acting up.  

They lead him to act odd in Surgery (with Cameos by John Landis and Barker) and even kill his wife when he gets home!

As it turns out, there is a revolution brewing with...our hands.  This is serious, huh?

You did write Book of Blood, right?  I'm just curious.  The hands stop...for now.

After the tale, Frewer leaves and his hands push him towards a Cop, who arrests him.  

The End.

I'm a bit confused by this one.  I don't necessarily mind Horror Films/Stories that are light-hearted, but this might go a bit too far.  

The Stories are just plain silly!  

I guess I'm not used to these sorts of Anthologies *only* having the light-hearted tales.  

It is usually Scary Story, Weird Story, Scary Story (or something like that).  I'm also not used to one of these only having two Stories.  That's odd to more than just me, right?  

The way the Stories are introduced is a bit odd too.  The Framing Device is just Lloyd talking to two different people at two different times and places altogether.  These are usually 'People in a Room Telling Stories' or 'Stories Being Shown to Someone.'  

As I said before, this feels like 2 Episodes of a Show (proposed or otherwise) slapped together.  Imagine two Tales from the Crypt Episodes slapped together to fill 90 minutes and you have how these feel.  The Performances are good all around, so I have no complaints there.  

The idea that the Characters in the Stories are someone from the Framing Device is a nice conceit.  The person is being told a Story, so they self-identify (or picture their Spouse, like in the first one).  

Honestly, I think that this might have worked with a more cohesive Narrative and a third Tale.  It would have provided a bridge (hopefully) and made things feel more balanced. 

As it is, Quicksilver Highway is not bad, but it is not great.  Hey look- Hand Squirrels!

Next up, I handle a Film made by someone I know through the Blogging Circles.  Is it Morbid to like the movie or not?  Stay tuned...

Delayed Reviews: Nightbreed

I honestly don't know how I managed to this one.  I watched this Film originally quite awhile ago (in 2007), but never reviewed it.  Why?  Well, I didn't have a Blog, so let's go with that excuse.  Yeah, that's the ticket!  Anyhow, I finally got a chance to watch the Film again recently and said 'might as well Review it this time.'  So today's Film is Nightbreed, one of four full Films Directed by Clive Barker, who's mostly known for his Writing (in Film and Literature).  The short version of why this came about is that infamous Director George Pavlou Directed the earliest works of Barker's Film Adaptations like Rawhead Rex and Transmutations.  The results were, well, less than great, so Barker just took over for himself and Directed Hellraiser.  He followed it up with this Film, which he Wrote (as both a Book- Cabal- and a Screenplay) and Directed.  The Production was rife with problems and Studio oversight, leading to the Cut I have.  There is a Director's (or Cabal) Cut out there which started to get shown at Festivals and the like a couple of years back.  I don't have that.  If and when I do see it, I'll cover it too.  Let's just hope it doesn't take another 7 years!  The Film tells that tale of a young man who dreams of a land called Midian.  Is he crazy?  Well, it would be a lame Film if he was, wouldn't it?  To find out what happens next, read on...

A troubled young man ('That Guy' Actor Craig Sheffer) is having crazy dreams, which upset him and his girlfriend.

He seeks help from his Therapist (David Cronenberg), but he's not exactly helpful.  He is, after, the prototype for Slender Man (more on that later).

Framed for the many Murders committed by Cronenberg, our hero flees in search of the land of his dreams.  Fortunately or unfortunately for him, he succeeds.

He is found nearby and shot to death by the Police after Cronenberg pulls his final move.  Movie over?

No, of course not.

Thanks to being bitten by a Nightbreed, Sheffer is reborn as one of them.  I bet that is explained better in the Book.  He goes back and wants to become one of them.

Sheffer tries to go get Cronenberg and falls into yet another trap, all the while fighting his now-rising dark side.  The fact that he is legally-dead draws the Police's attention and they now seek out Midian.

The leader of Midian tells the people to stay in hiding, while Sheffer insists that they fight.

Since they are being shot/stabbed/burned by the gun-crazy Cops, it might be wise.  Right, Black Satan?

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the citizen of Midian unleash their REALLY freaky residents.  Shit is about to go down!

I won't SPOIL the Climax of the Film for you too much, since this Film is pretty obscure still.  I will say that Sheffer meets his 'Maker' and the news is not good.  The End.

I don't know if the other Version is great, but this one is still quite good.  The Story could certainly be more fleshed out, the Characters explained better and minor tweaks could be made throughout.  I'm sure that a longer Cut could certainly help in those matters.  As far as this Film goes, it has an interesting Story, great Visuals and a compelling bit of Pacing.  You would obviously have to trade the latter for those improvements.  I could also point out that the Film is about as subtle as shooting paint at a canvas.  It is nothing if not direct.  That is fine.  It is one of those things where if you like the Story and what the message it is, you can excuse it.  If you don't like the Story or the message, it just feels like they are driving a tack hammer into your skull.  As cheesy as the Creature Design in Rawhead Rex was, the ones in here are freaky with a capital F!  I'm sort of glad that my copy was not the Restored Blu-Ray Disc as I'm pretty sure that I'd be having nightmares for weeks otherwise.  Regardless of which Version you see, you should see Nightbreed if you still haven't.  If nothing else, you will see the early version of what would become the Internet Meme known as Slender Man...

Next up, another Film that I have been meaning to cover for a long time.  Will I actually like a Vincent Gallo Film?  Stay tuned...