I LIKE THE WILLIES

Many moons ago, my friend Ed and I rented this on VHS and even then it was at least ten years after its prime. Somehow neither of us fairly horror-knowledgable gents had heard of it before, but the box was luring us in with a picture of Donkey Lips from "Salute Your Shorts" screaming and wearing pajamas in a bed full of creepy crawlies. Add to that the promise of campfire spook stories that would give us the titular Willies and it became a "must rent."

I remember we enjoyed it and I probably applauded the presence of James Karen. I kind of forgot the details about it shortly after, however. So it was a real treat to spot this for $1.99 at Kmart while I was killing time and perusing their Halloween stuff.

It's an anthology of gross-out stories framed around three cousins telling each other tall tales and urban legends while camping. Imagine Creepshow with a tenth of the budget and aimed at nine your olds and you'll be on the right path.

It was written and directed by Brian Peck, who, according to a quick IMDB search, played Scuz in Return of the Living Dead. So I guess that explains the appearances by Clu Gulager and James Karen. I'm also 99% sure I briefly spotted the cable repair dreamboat from Return of the Living Dead Part II in one of the opening segments. Other highlights include a cameo by Growing Pains' Kirk Cameron, a monster on a toilet, a deep fried rat, a grade school bully in an Iron Maiden t-shirt, Donkey Lips, a dog in a microwave, and that old man from Home Alone who doesn't want to sell Mrs. McCallister a plane ticket because his wife already has earrings ("long, dangly ones").

Bill Erwin. His name is Bill Erwin.

What a cool Old Man name. Bill Erwin. I bet he was never young.



Well, I guess that's my story about The Willies.

I LIKE OCTOBER

It's getting close to October and that means it is Halloween season! I figured I would dust off this old blog and try to get back into the practice of writing, even if it is just about the stupid crap that I get excited about as Halloween approaches.

One of my favorite things about Halloween time is that I can indulge in horror movie marathons without seeming as crazy as I do when I watch a glut of horror movies in front of the Xmas tree or while wearing a Hawaiian shirt and SPF50. Plus, there's something about that chill in the autumn air after a hot summer along with the sound of crisp dead leaves scraping the sidewalks that just make horror movies feel more at home.

In addition to the two Horror marathons I plan on hitting next month (Somerville Theater and Coolidge Corner are each hosting 12 hour fests), I wanted to up my at-home intake as well. I think I will start by revisiting the Saw series since this will be the fourth Saw-less October after being spoiled with a seven year stretch of annual mayhem.

Back in 2004 this poster was all I really knew about the movie I was going to see. I think there had also been an intriguing trailer, but the poster was unique and grossly provocative. In retrospect, with seven films under its belt, it must be difficult for a new viewer to go into the first Saw with any sincerity but I assure you that it delivered on its initial release. It was scary and it was original and that is the most you can ask of any horror movie. Its visual cues and set design harken back to David Fincher's Se7en but in a respectful rather than plagiaristic way. Each subsequent October for six years we got a new one and the jaded and cynical got a new punchline by the tail end of the run. But the reason the franchise was able to endure was this first movie. It set the tone. It set the traps. It set the twists. It set the gears in motion.

I distinctly remember the morning after seeing a late night showing when it came out. I was explaining the premise to my mother. The best way I could explain it was that the most disturbing thing about the movie was that somebody thought it up. I was so impressed, and a little concerned, that this twisted world was in somebody's head. But that was the important step for the series. Now the groundwork had been laid. It was easy now to let ideas flow and talk with friends about what would make a sick trap in a sequel. The inertia had been overcome and we would get six more installments that would redirect their efforts toward more graphic violence and more creative mechanisms of bodily harm.

Some people forget that the series started with some genuinely well done suspense and a relatively restrained use of gore (compared to what would come later) considering the subject matter. A great example of this is the scene in Adam's apartment. The power is out and he can only see in brief bursts of his camera flash. I remember sitting in the theater listening to high pitch of the flash charging and waiting to see what was in the darkness in front of him. In the closet. It's one of my favorite scenes throughout the entire series.

The iconic imagery of that creepy as hell doll, the pig mask, the mysterious robed Jigsaw, it all had potential for costumes, decorations, . . . sequels!

Saw has actually weathered the passage of time pretty well. Carey Elwes' acting is still unintentionally funny and it does have a low budget feel that helps at times and hinders at others.

Well, I think I'll go pop in Saw 2. I'm looking forward to watching these again. I remember particularly enjoying the Jigsaw backstory in the later sequels. I'll chime in here once in awhile with my thoughts on movies people saw ten years ago.

Thanks for reading!