Skip to main content

2021 Psychotronic Challenge

 It the time of year to delve deep into the horror genre. This year, I'm using Scarecrow Video's 2021 Psychotronic Challenge as a guide. I'm finding that in order to meet the challenge, I'm re-watching instread of doing a lot of first time viewings this year, but it is good to dust off the videos and DVDs hiding in the back of the media cabinet as I remember the movies that meet the criteria. Also, I'm ignoring that these are supposed to be low-budget and just sticking to anything that would fall into the horror genre. 

Day 1 - 

"RE-ANIMATED: Businesses are opening back up and things are getting back to “normal” so to kick things off you get to watch a movie where something gets brought back to life. We’re baaaaaack!"


Kicked off the month with Demon Seed (1977) after seeing a trailer for the film and being curious about a movie where Julie Christy is impregnated by a demon. Well, it wasn't that. She was instead taken captive and experimented on by her scientist husband's smart house. Seriously messed up movie complete with creepy robot rape scene. 

As there was no actual re-animation in the movie, I followed it up with a classic, Young Frankenstein (1974). It was a delight as always, although my DVD is showing it's age as it isn't anamorphic. We talked about watching Re-Animator instead, but Scout is only a year old and I thought it was too soon to traumatize her with the sight of a re-animated cat. 

Day 2 - 

MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED: You know it, at least one character has to wear a mask for the entire movie 





Started early on Saturday with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, part 2 (1986). Found this on VHS at Goodwill and hadn't gotten around to watching it. I found this much funnier and more enjoyable than I remembered. 

And then made it a mask double-feature with Eyes Without a Face (1960). Last October, I watching nothing but horror from the 1960s since it might be my favorite decade for scary movies. So I used the theme as an excuse to pull out my Criterion DVD. Just a gorgeous film. 


Day 3 -

HIGH SPIRITS: Tickle your funny bones with a side splitter, a gut buster, a real scream. Go on, laugh your head off!




More horror comedies. Seems I'm going to watch all of the lighter stuff at the early part of the challenge. Another Goodwill find was an unopened VHS of the Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Let's just say that I remembered this being funnier. Did they actually get around to killing a single vampire? I don't think they did. I also forgot to laugh.

So Nate served up Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) followed up with The Final Girls (2015).  It was likely 1992 the last time I saw Buffy. I'd forgotten that Rutger Hauer had a mustache. Odd choice for an ancient vampire. And while I was generally entertained by The Final Girls, we spent way too much time trying to figure out how mom could have been in an 80s teen slasher, when mom only looked to be maybe 35 years old. Very confusing. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhastan

Right after seeing Sacha Baron Cohen's film, Borat, I was disappointed. I didn't laugh nearly as hard as I had hoped and it wasn't quite as outrageous as I had expected. But in retrospect, I have to admit the comic brilliance of Borat. Sacha Baron Cohen has adeptly created a film about a fictional man, Borat, from a fictionalized Kazakhastan and used this creation to show the hipocracy of America. Using tactics pioneered by reality television shows, Borat travels across America on a quest to find his true love, Pamela Anderson. On this journey, he meets numerous people who share their thoughts about a multitude of things, exposing the way some Americans really believe about race, class, homosexuality and the other sex. It is a very interesting film. Sure, it gets laughs from ambushing Pamela Anderson with a wedding bag, traveling with a bear, and a bit of naked wrestling, but this film is also very smart in its sly portrayal of the wealth of prejudices that are ali
Post a Comment
Read more

Girls who are boys, who like boys to be girls...

Where does one begin? Peaches Does Herself is a German concert movie of Peaches. Written by, Directed by and starring Peaches. But how does one describe this experience? Normally, I skip the Face the Music program of films at SIFF each year, but Peaches Does Herself was described as the queerest film in the festival. As it turns out, I knew exactly one Peaches song prior and still know little to nothing about her, but it didn't matter. I enjoyed the music and most of all, I loved her persona. Her sexuality was on display and was not only unapologetic, but read as loud as if it were a billboard with "fuck normalcy and judgement, this is who I am" in bright pink neon. To give an overall impression of the film, I've decided just to lay out what happens along with stills. I suspect that is the best I can do for readers to decide whether this is something they should seek out. The film begins in Peaches' bedroom and after the dancers climb through a giant vu
Post a Comment
Read more

Brand Upon the Brain! And more horror...

Brand Upon the Brain (2007) - I'm on so much crack! I'm a huge fan of horror. Guy Maddin! I love his movies and he was just in Seattle to perform Brand Upon the Brain! I'm certain I've written about Guy Maddin's films in the past, because he has been in Seattle several times for screenings and discussions of his work, especially since he spent quite a bit of time here casting, filming and scoring Brand Upon the Brain! with all local talent. What is so unique about Guy Maddin is that he creates modern, silent expressionist horror movies. His other films have been scored and therefore have the look and feel of a 1920s era silent picture without being silent. Brand Upon the Brain! is a silent movie and his best feature thus far. Like much of Maddin's previous work, this is totally autobiographical, or to quote Guy, "The thing is literally a true story - only much, much better." The main character is the prepubescent, Guy Maddin (Sullivan Brow
Post a Comment
Read more