The Deepest Cuts: ‘THIRST’ (1979)

October 21, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Horror, The Deepest Cuts, Thirst 70 Comments

The Deepest Cuts is a weekly invitation into some of the sleaziest, goriest, most under-explored corners of horror and cult film online. Every title will be streamable and totally NSFW. Whether it’s a 1960s grindhouse masterpiece, something schlocky from the 90s, or hardcore horror from around the world, these films are guaranteed to shock, disturb, tickle, or generally blow your mind.

I hate to make generalizations, but having seen a number of amazing, totally fucked up horror movies from Australia, I can’t help but think there’s something up down under – and I’ll tell you right now, whatever it is, I’m into it. After watching 2009’s The Loved Ones (a viewing inspired by the 13 Most Disturbing Horror Movies of the Last 13 Years list) I was looking for some righteous Ozploitation to stream, and I found it, in spades, in Thirst.

The Deepest Cuts: ‘THE BURNING’ (1981)

October 7, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Horror, The Burning, The Deepest Cuts, Tom Savini Leave a comment

The summer camp slasher happens to be one of my favorite sub-subgenres, for a number of reasons: the woods are inherently creepy, particularly after dark; the lone nut seeking bloody vengeance is a great set-up for suspense; and then you’ve got all the sweaty group dynamics that develop among pubescent youths in short shorts, left to their own arts-and-crafts-related devices. And while Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, just to name the most popular two, are undeniable gems, The Burning gives them both a bloody-good run for their money.

The Deepest Cuts: ‘SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE’ (1982)

September 23, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Horror, Slumber Party Massacre, The Deepest Cuts 2 Comments

Movie nerds of a certain age will recall fondly the days of wandering the aisles of their local video store, pondering the VHS tapes on the “Staff Picks” shelf and pining for a glimpse into that forbidden zone, the “adults only” back room. In the horror section, some of the cover art is planted so firmly in the horror fan’s psyche, it’s a wonder the films themselves aren’t viewed more often, from the painted decomposing, disembodied hand ringing the doorbell on the cover of House, or the demonic-looking monkey-and-cymbals toy of Monkey Shines. One of the most memorable, for me, has always been Slumber Party Massacre. With a title like that, and the image of scantily-clad teens cringing up at an drill-wielding killer, all in colors reminiscent of a Babysitter’s Club cover design, it should be immediately obvious that Slumber Party Massacre is not your typical slasher film.

The Deepest Cuts: ‘I DRINK YOUR BLOOD’ (1970)

September 16, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Horror, I Drink Your Blood, The Deepest Cuts Leave a comment

True surprises are rare for the horror aficionado, but every once in a great while, a film comes along that shows you that they really can do more and go further. I Drink Your Blood is just one of these films. It’s a totally batshit, schlocky masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.

The Deepest Cuts: ‘SHIVERS’ (1975)

September 10, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged David Cronenberg, Horror, Shivers, The Deepest Cuts

One of the threads running through horror history is that of the intellectual or artistically-minded auteur who turns away from their earliest works, claiming to always have wanted to do other work. Wes Craven is perhaps the prime example of this, whose bitterness toward the genre was always palpable in Q&As; one of his peers, David Cronenberg, similarly avoids discussion of his first films. However, his debut feature, Shivers, like that of Craven (The Last House on the Left), is a fantastic entry in the genre – and it features a parasite that is both fecal and phallic. Clearly, it’s a must-see.

Animating The Imagination: The Dark Fantastic Legacy of Wendy Froud

September 9, 2015 by J Simpson Posted in Editorials, Festival Coverage, Retrospectives Tagged Brian Froud, Jim Henson, Labyrinth, Retrospectives, The Dark Crystal, The Empire Strikes Back, Wendy Froud 1 Comment

A short line of blackclad fantasy lovers wrapped around the block, waiting for the Mission Theater to open its orange cathedral doors. The sun is shining in Portland’s chic Pearl District. The air is warm and dry. In short, a perfectly idyllic late summer/early fall day in Portland. Read More

The Deepest Cuts: DEADLY FRIEND (1986)

September 2, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Deadly Friend, Horror, The Deepest Cuts, Wes Craven Leave a comment

In honor of the now-late, inarguably great Wes Craven, let’s get into one of his films that even longtime fans of Craven are often unaware of: Deadly Friend. The film is a unique mixture of after-school-special and science fiction, with a little splash of gore mixed in – a one-of-a-kind film for the true Craven connoisseur.

Wes Craven: Horror High and Low

September 1, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Horror, In Memoriam, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Wes Craven Leave a comment

Wes Craven (1939-2015) was famous to horror fans and general cinephiles alike for popular, well-made horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, both of which achieved broad critical and financial success. His films’ popularity can be attributed to their effective scares and original imagery, but they also often share a real depth of conceptual underpinning. Many of Cravens’ fans may not know that he held a Master’s degree in Philosophy and Writing and taught as a Humanities professor before embarking on his filmmaking career, and that this background contributed significantly to many of his films. Read More

The Deepest Cuts: DEMONS (1985)

August 26, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Dario Argento, Demons, Horror, Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, The Deepest Cuts 2 Comments

Where else should Nostradamus’ predicted “coming of the demons” begin than in a creepy old movie theater full of misogynists, racist stereotypes, a blind man, and a weirdly mysterious redhead wearing a Peter-Pan-esque dress? With this set-up, an amazing soundtrack and loads of fantastic gore, it should be obvious that Demons is a definite must-see.

The Deepest Cuts: BODY MELT (1993)

August 19, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Retrospectives Tagged Body Melt, Horror, The Deepest Cuts Leave a comment

“The first phase is hallucinogenic… The second phase is glandular… The third phase is… ”

Body Melt is a delightful mix of fantastic gore, after-school-special aesthetics, dance music, and social critique of the bourgeois love of health and fitness crazes that could only come from 1990s Australia.