Ah yes, there was once a time, very long ago, when Drew Barrymore wasn’t “that first chick from SCREAM”, she wasn’t a talk show host, and she wasn’t a surprisingly well-adjusted former pre-teen alcoholic. She was just a child star schlepping for the latest product from the Stephen King factory.
I saved this advert from a Los Angeles TV Guide in 1987 when FIRESTARTER was making its broadcast debut. No, it’s not a good film, but neither is the remake or the source material, to be honest. Be nice to Drew–it’s not her fault.
Man, I can’t believe it’s been over ten years already since Kevin Smith punk’d the world with TUSK.
I’ll be writing more about this movie in my “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” segment in the future, but for now let’s take a moment to check out that theatrical one-sheet. Regardless of what you think of the film (and I know you folks are anxious to voice your opinions!), you gotta admit that poster is beautiful. Cleverly crafted and as dark as the film’s humor, kudos to the marketing team and artists who came up with this. It’s truly indicative of the film’s fairy-tale-gone-wrong approach, and I can almost hear Smith cackling as I admire it.
I hate to admit it, but Halloween is officially over. Now begins the slide toward the holiday season. Bleh. To help get us in the mood, I present this lovely little piece of slasher memorabilia I kept from all the way back in 1985.
After kicking up a shitstorm during its abbreviated theatrical release 40 years ago this month (!), SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT incited picketing soccer moms while the general public flipped out over its depiction of a killer Santa Claus. Obviously, these delicate types hadn’t been paying attention up to that point, because this plot device had already featured in such films as TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) and CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980).
By the summer of 1985, though, indiscriminate horror fiends were able to catch the film in their own homes, courtesy of those nutty fuckers over at USA Home Video, home of some the biggest display boxes on the market. (Seriously, those things were huge!)
We’ve finally made it to the most sacred horror day of the year! To celebrate, here’s a prism sticker of everyone’s favorite 1970s OG slasher, HALLOWEEN! How awesome is this, folks?!
Okay, full disclosure here: I had a crush on Lauren Tewes as a kid. Yes, around 1979, I watched “The Love Boat” religiously (“Saturday nights on ABC!”) to get an eyeful of Julie McCoy, the peppy, blonde cruise director. “Peppy” was fine, but “blonde” is the key word here. The previous year, Debbie Harry had awakened by childhood love of blonde women, and this continued through the 80s with Lisa Whelchel, Kristy McNichol, Alexandra Neil, and a few others I’ve forgotten. Yes, I was a horny fucker, even before I knew what ‘horny’ meant.
Therefore, when you combine “Lauren Tewes” with “slasher film”, it’s positively unfathomable that I didn’t see EYES OF A STRANGER until years after its release. One of the main reasons it got on my radar was because Tom Savini featured it in his first how-to effects book, “Grande Illusions”. Here, he got to recycle a few of his decapitation and throat-slashing gags from FRIDAY THE 13th (1980), as well as borrow the head-in-the-fishtank gag from his assistant, Taso Stavrakis, who first used it in HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE (1980).
Tewes plays Jane Harris, an earnest Miami news anchor who begins to obsess over the latest reports of a local rapist/murderer (played with a notably high ‘ick factor’ by John DiSanti). She’s made even more sensitive to the carnage from years of caring for her younger blind/deaf/mute sister, Tracy, ably brought to life by Jennifer Jason Leigh, who of course went on to jump-start her career the following year in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. When Jane begins to suspect a neighbor of the city’s latest spate of ghastly violence, she ups the ante, harassing him in turn as the would-be prey becomes the hunter. All this culminates in a shocking face-off as the burly, menacing killer zeroes in on Tracy, who is helpless to defend herself.
Released in the midst of 1981’s slasher haven, EYES OF A STRANGER bombed at the box office. There were some mighty odds stacked against it–not only is the film rather lurid and misogynistic, but headliner Tewes was caught up in a well-publicized battle with cocaine at the time, as well. As far as I’m concerned, the baffling one-sheet didn’t help matters much, either. If only the script had a couple more drafts to up the stakes a bit more, this could have been a home run. The idea of a news journalist playing detective, and then taunting the man she suspects of multiple murder, is a grand concept, and even critics who trashed the film agreed Leigh’s performance was impressive. There’s a lot to hang your hat on here, but the results didn’t quite go far enough to make a lasting impact on horror fans.
Nevertheless, a fully uncut version of the film was made available to the public once it debuted on DVD, and the small (albeit messy) additions finally allowed Savini to show off what he does best. I’d love to see someone get a hold of this and do a proper remake. By fleshing out the characters a bit more and making its villain even more dangerous, EYES OF A STRANGER could become the classic it should have been the first time around. Hell, for the right price, I’ll do it.
I understand. It’s only Tuesday, and not even close to the weekend yet. You’ve had four cups of coffee and you’re still not awake. You need something funny to help get your day going. UBHB has you covered!
Well, at least we know why they call him “Captain Howdy’!
Damien Leone and the TERRIFIER 3 folks have something to celebrate: This past weekend, the franchise’s latest sequel crossed the $50 million mark worldwide. That means it’s netted approximately 25 times its budget in just a little over two weeks. Not bad for a sociopathic clown, eh?
Check out all the finer details courtesy of the fine folks at Koimoi!
My latest historical horror novella, VALHALLA FEROX, is free here on UBHB for a limited time. Just head over to the Fiction tab and dig in!
VALHALLA FEROX is the first in a series of historical horror novellas that will debut here on UBHB. For a limited time, they will be free to read here on the blog before ultimately being published in traditional and e-book formats at the conclusion of the series. Therefore, get over there while the gettin’s good and get started now! And remember: content is recommended for adults only!
This is for the veteran horror fans out there. You know who you are.
Yeah, you know me pretty well by now, and so I’ll admit I probably watched this for Kirstie Alley (who was just entering into that late 30’s sexual peak women supposedly hit around that time).
Despite Kirstie’s demure presence, the real stars of the film were Chainsaw and Dave! Played with geeky zest by Dean Cameron and Gary Riley, respectively, Chainsaw and Dave were perfect mirrors of 1980s teenage horror fans, blindly devoted to gore effects and obsessed with films like THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, which they actually get to watch in class one day.
With effects from an uncredited Rick Baker, Carl Reiner’s SUMMER SCHOOL was a rare mainstream movie that trumpeted horror fans in a comedy forum. The film has been pretty much lost to time in the wake of so many zany comedies over the past 35+ years, but if you want to have some messy fun and revel in 80s horror fanboy shtick, SUMMER SCHOOL is a good place to start your education.
Today, we kick off a whole new feature on UBHB that checks out famous filming sites for many of your favorite horror classics.
A great place to start is the far reaches of the Central California coast. Let’s take a long drive out Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Marin Co., CA to check out Point Reyes Lighthouse. You horror hounds will know it best as the home of KAB Radio 1340 in Antonio Bay!
No, I unfortunately didn’t run into Adrienne Barbeau, but I did see another kind of beauty. After an extended drive through some quiet, desolate hills and a half-mile or so hike out to the spit, you come face-to-beacon with the famous lighthouse featured in John Carpenter’s THE FOG. Lots of boats, sea birds, and even a whale or two will undoubtedly greet you, as well. The area is billed as the second-foggiest location in North America (Nova Scotia tops that list), so if you’re going to visit, be sure to dress appropriately and be ready for any kind of weather.
Another thing to be mindful of is the 300+ stairs you need to traverse to reach the lighthouse. And true to the warning at the top, these fuckers are “wicked hard”! Seriously, be sure you’re in decent shape before you do this. Thankfully, there are some seating areas along the way to rest, if needed. Going down is a breeze; going up is another story.
I did get to go inside the lighthouse and chat with a guide regarding the history of its beacon. Film fans should know that it’s very tight quarters, and there’s no way you could fart in there, let alone have a radio station.
Another bonus of visiting the area: On your way west toward the lighthouse, you’ll pass the spot where Carpenter’s crew filmed the opening title card for the movie. As you can see from all my pictures, these locations have changed very little from when principal photography took place in Spring, 1979.
Before we head home, here is a short video of the lighthouse–be sure to listen closely towards the end of the clip to hear its signal!
Port Reyes Lighthouse, Marin Co., CA – filming location for John Carpenter’s THE FOG (1980)
UNBOUND HORROR BLOG 