This is a movie that I'm not entirely sure where I first heard about it. I know that thanks to podcasts, it went on my list of movies to check out. This is a documentary where they're taking clips from a plethora of horror movies and splicing them together. Something interesting to include, I've heard that voices in the community used this to clear up blind spots. There were a handful of movies here that moved up lists or got added to check out as well.
Our framing story here takes place in a movie theater. There are two hosts, Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. What I like about them is that they're telling a story or explaining troupes in horror movies. The editing here is amazing to take a few different movies that showcase what they're saying to get their point across. I read a review of this where that person said they would go to the movies more if they had a sneaky Donald Pleasence around them. It is a shame that he's passed away because I would love that.
There are other featured movie goers. I recognized Ángel Salazar from Scarface. Diane Stilwell looked familiar as well. There is a ton of clips used from the 1930s all the way up to the mid-1980s, when this was made. You'll see the likes of Abbott and Costello, Brooke Adams, Alan Arkin, Linda Blair, Veronica Cartwright, Nick Castle, Lon Chaney Jr., Bette Davis, Keith David, William Finley, Debbie Harry, Dustin Hoffman, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Michael Ironside. There are so many more that I didn't include as well.
This is a documentary that feels like they're doing a bit of tricks to be a movie. I love all the clips that are compiled. How they are edited together, in a way where it flows so nicely. Not everything here is horror. There are science fiction and darker crime films as well. That wasn't an issue for me personally, but if you are going by strict genres, it is a cheat. I'd highly recommend this as a fun documentary from the 1980s that breaks down troupes, story ideas and the like about a genre that I love.
My Rating: 8 out of 10.
Our framing story here takes place in a movie theater. There are two hosts, Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. What I like about them is that they're telling a story or explaining troupes in horror movies. The editing here is amazing to take a few different movies that showcase what they're saying to get their point across. I read a review of this where that person said they would go to the movies more if they had a sneaky Donald Pleasence around them. It is a shame that he's passed away because I would love that.
There are other featured movie goers. I recognized Ángel Salazar from Scarface. Diane Stilwell looked familiar as well. There is a ton of clips used from the 1930s all the way up to the mid-1980s, when this was made. You'll see the likes of Abbott and Costello, Brooke Adams, Alan Arkin, Linda Blair, Veronica Cartwright, Nick Castle, Lon Chaney Jr., Bette Davis, Keith David, William Finley, Debbie Harry, Dustin Hoffman, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Michael Ironside. There are so many more that I didn't include as well.
This is a documentary that feels like they're doing a bit of tricks to be a movie. I love all the clips that are compiled. How they are edited together, in a way where it flows so nicely. Not everything here is horror. There are science fiction and darker crime films as well. That wasn't an issue for me personally, but if you are going by strict genres, it is a cheat. I'd highly recommend this as a fun documentary from the 1980s that breaks down troupes, story ideas and the like about a genre that I love.
My Rating: 8 out of 10.