Valley of the Dolls

I need my dolls!!!

Valley of the Dolls is melodramatic and trashy and that's why I LOVE this movie.  The film follows the careers of three innocent girls on their journey through life, which becomes corrupted by fame, booze and pills (a.k.a dolls). Most of the characters are over the top and their behavior runs the extremes from sickening sweet to ego maniacs. Schmaltzy songs and dance numbers along with the corny soundtrack add to the unintended humor of the film. 

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C.H.U.D

Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers - the BEST acronym ever!!

C.H.U.D (1984) has one of the cleverest film titles of all time; for that reason alone it has become a cult movie icon. C.H.U.D could have easily been a b-movie, but it rises above such a status due to its talented cast which includes John Heard (After Hours), Daniel Stern (Diner) and Kim Greist (Brazil). 

The film takes place in NYC's SoHo district, where there is something strange going on in the sewers. Could it be Alligators? Demented homeless people? Toxic waste? Is there a conspiracy afoot? 

If you like comedy with your horror then check this gem out!

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The Stepford Wives

Is there something in the water? What exactly is going on in Stepford?

The Stepford Wives (1975) is a chilling movie based on the book (1972) by Ira Levin (who also wrote the novel Rosemary's Baby). The film stars Katherine Ross, whose character moves to a "perfect" town in the suburbs. However, strange things are happening in Stepford. The men of the town go to mysterious meetings, while the women dutifully stay home and do chores. The wives of Stepford not only keep a clean house but their lawns are well groomed, they wear frilly outfits, they don't raise their voices and most importantly they are happily at their husband's beck and call. Aren't they aware of the female revolution?

The film examines the changing role of women in the 70's, through the use of a fictional utopia/distopia setting. It brings into focus mens' unease with women's liberation. Times were changing for women; they were moving their attention away from the home and concentrating on their own needs and desires. This film demonstrates the paranoia that society was going through during the 70's women's movement. 

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Dracula A.D. 1972

Swinging London in the early 70's, what is a vampire to do?

Dracula A.D. 1972 is my favorite Hammer Production that stars longtime screen-duo Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The story is centered around a groovy group of kids, looking for kicks. For a giggle, they participate in a ritual, headed by their strange, new friend Johnny Alucard (check out his name backwards - yeah baby!). Before the laugh is over, Dracula is resurrected and ready to take a bite out of the psychedelic scene. Hipsters, drop your grass and run! 

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Angel Heart

Life is a twisted mess when you sell your soul to the devil.

Angel Heart is a mysterious, dark tale that includes voodoo and satanism with a backdrop of New Orleans and Harlem. The film stars Mickey Rourke, one of my all time favorite actors in one of his very best performances. As always, he is able to create a character with multiple layers, through facial expression,  body language, inflections in his voice and complex delivery of his lines. Robert De Niro plays a supporting role. Although his screen time is rather short, his performance is extremely memorable and creepy. 

Angel Heart was directed by Alan Parker (Fame and The Commitments) who masterfully constructs a world that pulls the viewer in through intriguing visuals and strange clues. Parker causes the viewer to have an unsettling feeling; he creates intangible evil currents which wax and wane throughout the telling of the tale. 

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Clue

Murder, mayhem and madness. Plus, Tim Curry!!

Clue (The Movie) is a wacky comedy, loosely based on the popular board game, which stars cult movie icon Tim Curry along with Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Ellen Brennan and Lesley Ann Warren. Whether you're a fan of the game or not, the film holds its own. Clue was released in 1985 with three different endings; the whodunit conclusion depended on the exact theater you saw it at. The DVD contains all three endings, which are equally entertaining and silly.

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Lady In A Cage

An overbearing, invalid mother gets trapped in her home and tormented by hooligans.

Lady In A Cage (1964) stars Olivia de Havilland as the smothering, controlling mother who is recuperating from a hip operation. She is quite wealthy and has had an elevator installed in her home, which she uses to travel from one floor to another. During one fateful trip, the power goes out and she is stuck in her elevator which resembles a cage. Various degenerates come upon the scene (including one played by James Caan), tormenting the trapped woman, violating her home and stealing her possessions.

Olivia de Havilland's melodramatic acting, frantic voice-overs and contorted facial expressions notably add to the campy quality of the film. Also, there is an implied sub-plot that her son is gay and would rather kill himself then live another day with his dominant mother.

Lady In A Cage has a wonderful title sequence, interesting cinematography, suspense, violence, drugs/alcohol, juvenile delinquents, prostitutes, and pawn shops all centered around one hot afternoon.

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