Charles W Jones

The Crawlers (1990) is an environmental horror cheese-fest also known as Troll 3, Creepers, or Contamination.7. There’s some discrepancy about the release date, some databases say 1990 while others say 1993, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt and went with 1990. It revolves around a small town that has mysterious deaths that no one can figure out until the EPA comes to save the day. The acting is what you’d expect from a 1980s direct-to-video film, even though this was filmed in 1990 and at times was quite comical. The screaming, though, was amazing. The effects, well, aren’t the best, but hey, The Crawlers is low-budget so my expectations shouldn’t have been set so high. The anticipation of the tree roots attacking people kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited for the next person to fall victim to their nefarious plan; I guess the toxic waste made them sentient too. The Crawlers could’ve been much worse and I actually enjoyed it, giving it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. The Crawlers (1990...

I vaguely remember Mimic ( 1997 ) when it came out. I know I saw it, but for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you anything about it. Since it’s a Guillermo del Toro film, I figured I’d give it another watch. Back then, I had no idea who he was, or why he mattered, of course, that’s changed since 1997. Strangely, I can check out bugs all day long, take photos of them for Facebook and Instagram, and I have no problem. The minute I see them in a movie or read them in a book my skin starts to crawl. Maybe, that’s why I don’t remember the details of this movie; I blocked it out. I’m impressed with the edge of the seat thrills and suspense Mimic offered throughout the film. There was a moment of boredom for me. The presentation of the mutated insects is remarkable, making this a gross-out creature feature for me. As I watched, I remembered things from the first time I’d seen it, and for some reason had placed the memory under Predator. The concept disturbs me, and that’s why, in my opinion, i...

Waxwork (1988) is one of the strangest anthology films I’ve ever seen. It begins as a horribly acted teen horror flick, then progresses into something good and unbelievably amazing, though the acting doesn’t improve. It’s weird. I don’t remember Zach Galligan’s acting skills to be so bad in Gremlins. It’s also a remake of sorts of House of Wax (1953). This movie’s cheesiness is super high, and the effects aren’t the worst I’ve seen. The ending fire is reminiscent of AIP, with it obviously not touching the building. If you’re looking for some good old-fashioned 80s horror that doesn’t require you to think, Waxwork is if the film for you. I give it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Waxwork is an OK remake of House of Wax. Click To Tweet Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) begins where the first ended with the super creepy hand (wait, is that Thing?) crawling away and our heroes escaping the evil world. Since I watched both films back-to-back, it’s obvious that they Sarah Brightman recast with Monika Schna...

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) doesn’t have any ties to An American Werewolf in London; thank the celluloid gods because it might have been a lot worse for it. I didn’t have any expectations that they would be linked. The opening scene is enticing, then fades to a bro comedy. I could’ve done without it), but it is a horror-comedy, so they had to start somewhere, I guess. Some scenes felt like they took them from an unknown National Lampoons screenplay. When Amy enters the film, it gets so much dumber for a while until we get into the meat of the movie. The visual effects in An American Werewolf in Paris are what you’d expect from the late 90s with the CGI takeover, but at least there’s some delightful gore and werewolf action. But to end the film as a RomCom was more than I could stomach after the blood and guts. An American Werewolf in Paris was OK, but no more than 3 out of 5 Stars. An American Werewolf in Paris is not a horrible follow-up to An American Werewolf in London. Cli...

I had higher hopes for Howling VII: New Moon Rising (1995) based on the previous installments; too bad it didn’t even reach Marsupials bar. To start, the name of the film in the opening credits was Howling VII: Mystery Woman, but when I did a Google searched, it only returned Howling VII or Howling: New Moon Rising, so it having an identity crisis right away isn’t a good sign. The setting itself is weird, but I can handle that if it makes sense, and I guess it did for the film. I take that back. It didn’t. And what’s with the art noir line dancing scenes? With one, it was quirky. The next was an eye-rolling bore and didn’t add anything to the film, well besides the time that I’ll never get back. The acting is the worst in the franchise. It’s like they just picked people from the street and asked if they wanted to be in a movie. If I were Clive Turner, I’d be super embarrassed for the writing, editing, and his role as Ted Smith, let alone my love for werewolves dropping a little because...

Howling VI: The Freaks (1991) reminds me of Vampire Circus (1972), which isn’t a bad thing; I liked that movie. Like the previous installment, this was a direct-to-video release, which is strange to me since it feels like something would’ve been in the theaters. I hadn’t seen this one until recently and will be watching it again. The opening scene is creepy, with the little girl being chased and killed in the woods. Then the film changes for a moment as it changes focus to Ian Richards, who walks across the desert with a familiar teddy bear. As I mentioned before, this film reminds me of Vampire Circus, and what comes next is the reason. The gore effects are well done and barely influenced by the new technology filling films in the 90s. The story was weird for me as I wasn’t sure how it all fit in, then I remembered Gary Brander’s book, Howling III: Echoes. While there isn’t much from that book in this film, there are pieces that are spot on. Giving further explanation would provide sp...

Full, crescent, quarter…each is a bad moon for a werewolf. First off, I want to tell you that I didn’t like Bad Moon ( 1996 ) that much. It had so much potential to be good, but failed. There are good parts, like the beginning with the werewolf attack, even though the beast was very stiff. My attention was caught at this scene, and the reason I continued to watch. The term “flopsy” was weird, referring to the grifter that came to Janet’s home. I’ve never read Thor by Wayne Smith, so I don’t know if this was a term that he used in the book. From reading about this book, I wish they would’ve spent more time to focus on the dog’s point of view in the movie as it would’ve been better even with the horrible werewolf costume. I think the werewolf is what bugs me the most about this film. American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and even Silver Bullet had better werewolves than this one. The mouth was in this weird position like it had dislocated its jaw. Now, the gore effects were good, tho...

Four years after Phantasm III comes Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998). At the ending of Phantasm III, Tim is pulled through a window while Reggie is detained by several spheres, which is not touched on in this chapter. However, Mike experiences flashbacks while driving a hearse, showing things that happened in the previous three movies. Angus Scrimm was 72 when this was released, so it’s not surprising that he is showing his age. I just wish the body double was a better match because his movements aren’t quite right, and neither is his face when I caught a glimpse in the hanging scene. But at least now, we know why the Tall Man wants Mike. This ethereal chapter in the Phantasm franchise is the original story for the Tall Man and is very chilling. The effects and make-up are reminiscent of the 1980s, so much so, I thought the police officer was Chatterer from Hellraiser for a moment. The cool part is the cut scenes from the original and how they incorporate them into Phantasm IV. The ending ...

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) jumps ahead two years from the previous installment with some changes to the cast. A. Michael Baldwin returns as Mike Pearson, who’s been in a coma in those two years. Bill Thornbury also returns in his role as Jody; he was turned into a chrome ball and can somehow manifest into his human form. And, of course, Reggie and the Tall Man continue to be played by Reggie Bannister and Agnus Scrimm, respectively. With the addition of two new characters, Tim (an orphan) and Rocky (ex-military). I guess they were needed since they killed off Liz and Alchemy. Like 2, Phantasm III has bits that don’t match to events in the previous episode. In II, Reggie dropped his gun in the mausoleum because he was out of ammunition, but suddenly he has it again. Another is the ‘Cuda. It crashed and exploded, but somehow, Reggie is driving it. I guess someone who hadn’t seen Phantasm II since its release in 1988 wouldn’t notice these things in 1994, but watching them in a ...

A boy’s best friend is his mother. Norman Bates Psycho IV: The Beginning ( 1990 ) is made for television movie (Showtime) that attempts to give the history of Norman and doesn’t do the worst job. Having read Robert Bloch’s books in the Psycho series, I was surprised by the elements that were close. With the different version of this in my head, it’s hard to say which I like more, the books were interesting, but Bates Motel TV series 2013-17 is my favorite interpretation of the events, this isn’t horrible, it’s just strange the way it’s told. Nothing New There wasn’t much new in Psycho IV: The Beginning, I was hoping for more kills and craziness from Norman. I was happy that they kept close to the original with the way the kills were shot, not seeing the violence, but knowing what is happening. Henry Thomas (E.T.) plays teenage Norman and does the role justice. Anthony Perkins continues the role of adult Norman, and he feels off his game, almost like he really didn’t care anymore. I don...

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Stigmata ( 1999 ), so when I saw that it was going to be on TV, I had to put it in the DVR. I always found this film strange and disturbing. I like how they used the real stigmata location and give an explanation of the placement. This isn’t the first horror flick Patricia Arquette has been in. She was Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, which was her film debut. Over the years I’ve seen her in tones of things, but never really paid attention to her, even when she was Allison Dubois in the TV series Medium (I only saw a few episodes). Her role as Frankie Page is what made me take notice. The character is oddly reminiscent of Roberta Glass in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) played by her sister Rosanna Arquette over a decade prior. Stigmata for me, was pivotal because it highlighted possession in a different way than the Exorcist had done. In her fugue state, Frankie sees things and fucked up shit happens to her. There ar...

You think he was white before, you should see that sucker now. Fool The transition in horror style didn’t start until later in the 90s, so I always want to consider The People Under the Stairs ( 1991 ) an 80s movie, on top of that it’s Wes Craven who didn’t transition for the 80s at all. This is the first social themed horror movie that I’m consciously aware of seeing; I’m sure there’s probably some before this, but I don’t remember. The People Under the Stairs has a nice pace and doesn’t hold back to the end to have fun. I love the antagonists, Mommy and Daddy, and their strange sadistic ways. When the “people” are first introduced, I assumed that they were like characters from The Hills Have Eyes (any version). Well, they kinda are until they aren’t. Alice…I’m not sure what to say about her, she’s just there most of the time, which is totally how someone like that would be in real life. I did get a few of my favorite sphincter pucker moments, which I’d be very disappointed had I rece...

Once upon a time, a sweet old lady rented out her spare room to a blind man. She was ever so gracious and kind to him and felt bad when she said things like ‘let me show you.’ For their first meal together, she prepared everything she thought he might like; it was like a Mother’s Day Buffet. When she insisted that he eat after he’d refused, he did the unspeakable…and the rest is history. Mom ( 1991 ) is one of those movies that I was confused about since they mixed Vampire and Werewolf lore. Nestor Duvalier has all the symptoms of a vampire. He even pretends to be blind so that he can keep his sunglasses on. Brion James, who plays Nestor, is always interesting; I said interesting, not good. He’s one of those actors that doesn’t have much depth from character to character. And the weird accent he tries to maintain is annoying. The more appealing things in Mom was the leftover 80s vibe throughout the movie, especially the opening sequence. The gore was decent, though they could’ve done ...

Sometimes I wonder why I watch the movies that I watch, then I find a fun gem like Pale Blood ( 1990 ), and I’m thankful for my slumming around with low budget vampire films. I’m not saying this movie is perfect, but it’s great nonetheless. In the beginning, George Chakiris, who plays Michael Fury, is stiff and uncomfortable to watch, but he loosens up once things get going. I’ve seen Wings Hauser in tons of stuff before. Until now, I honestly never knew his name until looking at the cast list for this film. I’ll probably forget it soon after writing this review and say something similar for another movie. Pale Blood is one of the strangest vampire movies I’ve ever seen. While it attempts to maintain what I know about the genre, it does twist some parts around, which is fine, I don’t really care. Wait. I said strange. That is an understatement, but the twists and turns made it more exciting than I had expected. At least they weren’t shy about highlighting the erotica. I enjoyed Pa...

Highway to Hell ( 1992 ) is a movie I would’ve expected from 1983 or 1987, reminding me of some of my favorite post-apocalyptic films like Cherry 2000 (1987) or Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), or even any of the original three Mad Max movies. The soundtracks are even similar as is the location. Hidden Faces (Frank Fitzpatrick) is responsible for the music, and it’s more 80s than 90s, but then again it was 1992. This one tells the tale of Charlie and Rachel who are running to elope in Las Vegas, and they find misadventure along the way; Rachel is taken to Hell to be a bride of Satan. Along the way they meet up with many zany characters; the cameos are great. I’m not sure how this movie made it into the horror genre. There aren’t many movies that they didn’t steal from when they made this. Everything from the aforementioned Mad Max to Back to the Future. I didn’t mind, Highway to Hell is a kick the pants and well worth your attention if you come across it. Even thou...

Today, I’m talking about one of my favorite horror franchises, Candyman. The movies are based on the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker, which is in volume five of the Books of Blood (a.k.a. In The Flesh), so it’s no wonder I’m a fan. I figured I should share my thoughts on these films before the Jordan Peele film hits the scene. They will say that I’ve shed innocent blood. What’s blood for if not for shedding? Candyman Candyman (1992) begins the journey into this dark world set in a housing project in Chicago called Cabrini-Green. Helen Lyle is researching urban legends and comes across Candyman. During her research, she goes to Cabrini-Green, where she finds terrific graffiti and a tenant who isn’t afraid to talk to them. Philip Glass’ soundtrack gives a nice edge to the film, though it doesn’t need much help in that department. The film revolves around racial tensions, bringing a rare “villain,” who is black. Some say he’s the first, but I keep thinki...

I thought Jason was destroyed in toxic waste in the last installment, but whatever, we wouldn’t have Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) if that were the case, and, somehow, he is back at Crystal Lake. I don’t understand what possessed the Coroner to eat Jason’s heart. Out of all the Jason movies, this must be the strangest I’ve seen so far. Jason’s soul is transferred to one person to another via a black tentacle that comes from the hosts mouth. And I thought Jason Takes Manhattan was bad, but this is ridiculous, the effects aren’t even good. And don’t get me started on the over acting by Steven Williams as Creighton Duke. It’s one of those movies that I couldn’t stop watching, no matter how awful it was. Then it happened, Freddy Krueger took Jason’s mask; you’ve got to be kidding me. This one barely gets 1 out of 5 Stars. Instead of leaving it alone, they did Jason X (2001), another I haven’t seen until recently. Just because eight years have gone by since the last installmen...

I can smell the exquisite stench of what you really are. Pinhead Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) is the origin story of the box a.k.a. LeMarchand’s Box a.k.a. Lament Configuration. This is also the final theatrical release in the Hellraiser franchise. It’s obvious to me that this film was made as an anthology, but unlike other anthology movies, there is a continuum that puts it together into a cohesive story. Dr. Paul Merchant tells the story of his ancestors and how the box became. The only part of the story that I question the most is how Jacques was alive in 1996. He has a vampire feel to him at this point, which I guess could be attributed to something with Angelique, but it’s never said. The other thing that is barely touched on is the erotic flavor. In this fourth installment, the special effects have greatly improved as do the Cenobites. I’ve always loved the twins and the way they are created with the exquisite machine that fuses them so they never have to be separated from the ot...