Wednesday, November 10, 2010

HH'10

Frights Group presents...

HOLIDAY HORRORS '10
We're doing things a little differently this year. There aren't enough unwatched holiday themed horror titles out there to fill an all-new slate (we've covered all the good ones -- and all the shittiest), so we're raiding the Horrors vault. From the list of favorites below, request the ones  you want in the draw. Any title that gets a vote goes in -- and we won't watch it without you. We do have a handful of new offerings, which are automatically in.

TURKEY TIME
 
Blood Rage (1987) - Witness the dumb and bloody Thanksgiving rampage of dorky, blonde, v-neck-sweatered twins Terry and/or Todd in this grisly forgotten turd-gem. Gorehounds, vote yes.

Home Sweet Home (1981) - Legendary Horrors classic where the Body By Jake guy does PCP, walks around a lot and kills a bunch of people that may or may not be a family on a day that may or may not be Thanksgiving. Shot in three days. Borderline avante garde.

The Granny (1995) - Several of you missed this at its riotous October Frights '10 screening, so we're sneaking it into Horrors for an encore. A combination of stupidity, latexy gore and awkward nudity that's basically the reason Frights exists.

Thankskilling (2009) - Last year's premiere was so goddamned beer-soaked that I don't remember if anyone missed it. If you did, here's your chance.

The House of Yes (1997) *Premiere* - That movie where Parker Posey is holding a gun on the cover. Turns out it takes place on Thanksgiving.


CHRISTMAS CLASSICS

 Bad Santa (2003) - Billy Bob at his best, playing a character whose soul is dogshit.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - The Ultimate.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - I remember seeing this in the theater on opening day and being like, "Wait, what? There's singing?"

Scrooged (1988) - Don't worry. Here at Frights, we blitz the fucking STOP button before that piece of shit singalong part over the end credits. So it's all gravy.

The Ref (1994) *Premiere* - I'm gonna be honest and say I have no idea if this is worth a shit. I haven't seen it since the theater and I may have only liked it then cause Denis Leary said "fuck" a lot.

HOLIDAY HORRORS
Black Christmas (1974) - Pick up the phone, IT'S BILLY! The classic.

Christmas Evil (1980) - Moss Garcia, you will receive your comeuppance, you little shitass.

Day of the Beast (1995) - Spanish classic featuring a priest and a metalhead joining forces to stop the arrival of Satan.

Don't Open Till Christmas (1984) - Probably the itchiest, oiliest thing to ever happen in the UK. Santa castration.

Gremlins (1984) - Hey, look, it was the same year as "Don't Open Till Christmas." Spielberg insisted on no castration here.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) - Jesus, look at 1984 go. People were really like, "Fuck Christmas," that year. The trash classic.

Iced (1988) *Premiere* - There were shitloads of snow on the slopes and up the filmmakers' noses for this low end ski slasher. Yes, this is what we've come to.

LUMPS OF COAL

Elves (1989) - Features Dan Haggerty in a Frights Hall of Fame performance that many have called "the drunkest of his career." Also notable for the bold artistic choice of making the elf creature (singular) about as articulated as a bean bag chair. Really something special.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) -Behold the wonderment of Eric Freeman's tour de force performance or else he will get all "IT'S GARBAGE DAY" on your ignorant ass. He basically reinvents acting here. His eyebrow work alone renders the entire history of drama irrelevant. What I'm saying is, WATCH THIS PIECE OF SHIT.

Santa Claws (1996) *Premiere* - There's really nothing good to be said here. Let's just wade through it. Or maybe Santa will let it fall off the lineup.

STOCKING STUFFERS

Campfire Tales: The Fright Before Xmas (1991) - It's the Christmas segment from the bargain basement anthology (and Frights alumnus) Campfire Tales, featuring the dreaded Satan Clause. By request, we can also watch the segment where smoking weed makes people melt.

Junky's Christmas (1993) - A beloved Horrors staple.

Tales from the Darkside: Seasons of Belief (1986) - If you vote for this, you know who will come to get you...THE GRITHER!

Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek (1959) *Premiere* - We're honored to have Rod Serling join the Horrors family.


THIS SHIT STARTS NEXT WEEK

Monday, September 27, 2010

ASIAN FREAKOUT SIDEBAR

This year's vintage Asian freakout is...

House (1977) - We showed this bootleg-style back at October Frights '09 and attendance was nil despite it being pretty much the awesomest thing on that whole slate. For the occasion of Frights '10, the good folks at Criterion have been gracious enough to release the fucker ON BLU-RAY (!) and if you don't show up this time, we're gonna shred your membership card.


Friday, September 24, 2010

PREMIERES

Confirmed to date:

Premiere #1 is a nasty Australian nightmare. The ladies are gonna freak for this.

Premiere #2 is a remake of an old Frights fave.

Premiere #3 is the sickest thing Frights has ever shown. It's unsuitable for viewing by humans, animals, particles floating in the air...really any lifeform. It's also awesome.

AND MORE TO COME...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

MAIN SLATE

Frights Group presents...















OCTOBER FRIGHTS '10

Some of these are almost borderline decent. The rest are at least violent. Or have violent themes and/or adult situations. I mean, it could be argued.

KILLER PARENTS
Last April, Killer Kiddies had their way. Now Mom and Dad get a turn.

 


American Gothic (1987) - When I was a kid, I asked my parents, "What's going on in that box art with those old people?" They were like, "We're thinking of sending you to military school."







 



Flesh Eating Mothers (1988) - Yeah, yeah, it looks fucking cheesy. But come on.  The idea of a Killer Parents section? On paper? Gold.







The Granny (1995) - On the other hand, zero cheese here. Looks like straight gravy to me. Maybe I'll stash this one until mid-October, when Frights-exhaustion threatens to take hold.








PETEY!
I tried to talk Olive into doing this section at April Frights '10, but she insisted on full-blown October.

Dogs (1976) - I love how, in this picture, they show five dogs, but only two of them actually look aggressive. Or even interested.
The Pack (1977) - A lost gem (never on DVD) in which a bunch of pissed off dogs attack a cabin and Joe Don Baker fucking handles it.





















Play Dead (1986) - Apparently, this one is not just a killer dog, but a magical killer dog. I don't know. I booked it as soon as I read the "killer" part.








THE WOODS
This shit is set in the woods. Two of them feature George Kennedy. Like the man says, "Drink this and stop being a pussy."




Demonwarp (1988) - As you can see from the cover, George is laying it down huge in this one. He's fighting some kind of Bigfoot creature, but then it looks like the creature is handling dynamite? Kennedywarp.
 




Grotesque (1988) - How did this film (notably lacking George Kennedy) make the lineup? Look at the cover. That's how. Somebody drew that years ago and because of it, we're watching this piece of shit today.








Humongous (1982) - Again with the cover art. I picked up this box every time I went to the video store as a kid. Was never allowed to rent it. It's time to finally be disappointed by the actual movie.



Just Before Dawn (1981) - Kennedy film #2! This is just straight slasher goodness right here. It's fucking packed with vitamins.





Shriek of the Mutilated (1974) - This one has a Bigfoot. Or maybe it's an Abominable Snowman. It just looks like some doofus wearing tons of gear on a ski trip. Regardless, Sasquatch genre.






REVENGE OF SHITFEST
No one is excused this year. If it gets pulled, it gets watched.





Jack-O (1995) - This one mysteriously fell off the lineup last October. It won't happen again. Time to take your stupid pumpkinhead medicine.






Nightbeast (1982) - Jesus. What can be said? The creature in that picture irritates people in Baltimore.


Revenge of Billy the Kid (1992) - "Old McDonald had a farm...and on the farm he had a goat." Billy was born and now it's our problem.

Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness (1986) - A lock for the Frights '10 "Nutbar" award. Gorey, gonzo shot-on-video trash. Just looking at it for more than like 10 seconds literally hurts your eyes.


REVENGE OF OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Frights' cool, calm center of semi-reasonably solid shit.

  



The Borrower (1991) - Another gem that's MIA on DVD. I remember this being fun and Josh giving it a thumbs up. I think he dozed off during parts though.


The Brain (1988) - So what if it belongs in Shitfest? Have you looked at that section? It's fucking crowded this year. I had the issue of Fangoria with gore shots from this film, but my mom confiscated it and scribbled over the pics with a black marker. So who knows. This is her fault.
The Convent (2000) - A splattery goof with teens fighting demonic nuns. Note: first appearance of Coolio in Frights. Finally.

Ghosthouse (1988) - Haunted house trash made by Justin's Italian ancestors. Clown doll!

Humanoids from the Deep (1980) - Quite possibly the bloodiest and horniest of Roger Corman's 70s-80s horror ripoffs. Please no rape complaints from female Frights fans. I mean, come on. They're rubber suit monsters.

 

Night of the Demons 3 (1997) - We've come this far in the passable low-end gore series and no complaints yet. Though I'm not gonna lie -- the 1997 date on this third and final chapter is goddamn terrifying.







The Sleeping Car (1990) - Young Chad read the "Forget Freddy, forget Jason" tagline on the box as, "This is some hardcore shit and you are not old enough to watch it." I am now old enough.






Tales from the Hood (1995) - Yeah, I know. You've been reading down this whole page, thinking, "What gives...where's the anthology?" Well here it is, and bonus -- it's mid-to-decent level.





The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter (1993) - No, that title is not fake. If you were at the now-legendary April Frights '10 screening of the first one, then you know how mind-blowing it is that Randolph Carter, one of the most pathetic losers in the history of cinema, is back to lead a second film. Historic.




WARNING: FRIGHTS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DIE FROM IT.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

OPENING FILM

October Frights '10 will open with...













THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: FIRST SEQUENCE (2010)
The most talked-about horror film of the year is the first of a very select group of contemporary titles getting the Frights treatment this October.  The rest will be shown unannounced, but hints will be posted following the full lineup, which is almost here.  It's creeping up the stairs...

 

Monday, March 29, 2010

THE NAME GAME

While you're all out getting haircuts and renting tuxedos in preparation for this evening's gala premiere of Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!, be advised of a crucial change to the Frights film selection format. As in past, each night's selection (other than the opener) will be determined on-the-night via random drawing from the Frights bucket. The twist this year is that, in addition to film titles, the names of veteran Frights participants (Justin, Emily, James, Tom, Nate, Melissa) will be placed in the bucket. If your name is pulled, it is your responsibility to declare that night's film. If your name is pulled and you are not present, we will attempt to call you one time and give you the option to tell us which film to watch. If you do not answer on the first try, we will draw again.

Sid says, PICK ME!

SURPRISE TITLES

Final note on titles: Keep in mind that Surprise Titles (totally different from Secret Titles) may be dropped into the lineup unannounced. These are new films -- or newly discovered films -- deemed too Frights-worthy to hold back. So far, there's one definite in the April lineup and a few candidates lurking.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

SECRETS #2-5

Secret Title #2 is a grisly gut check from Belgium.











Secret Title #3 is a contemporary body-horror freakout from an old master.










Secret Title #4 is a criminally underseen gore-comedy classic.











Secret Title #5 is a forgotten late '80s body-jumping thriller with a heavy metal soundtrack.