The Gate (1987)

"You've got demons."

I heart this film.  I'm very happy to have experienced it again, a truly important film from my youth, with you all.  It is a true example of many creative forces working together, most people doing multiple jobs for not a lot of money, to tell a story they all care about.  This movie is a true gem.  It's a horror movie for children, thus the happy ending and children protagonists, but one that has the "guts" (pun intended) to put some seriously scary stuff in.  One that respects the fact that children can handle fear, that they are braver than adults often give them credit for.  Plus, it makes for a horror film that you can still love every bit of as an adult (I'm going to be watching this one with my own kiddos one day, that's for darn sure).  I don't think scary movies made for kids have the same bravado anymore.  Do they even make scary movies for children anymore?


I'm leaving this one very open ended.  I just want to hear your
thoughts.  What did you think of The Gate?

'80s Anthology TV Shorts

The '80s was a magical time for TV shows to be short horror tales (Tales from the Crypt, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone re-boot, Tales from the Darkside, and Monsters, to name a few).  They serve as excellent study pieces, because limited budgets and very short shooting schedules led to stories that had to be told with minimal characters in a minimal amount of locations.  The two we watched in class were created by the same writing team - "Trick or Treat" (Tales from the Darkside) and "The Match Game" (Monsters).  Tales from the Darkside was first, had a bigger budget, and had the infamous George A. Romero, father of the modern day Zombie movie, attached to it.  Monsters had a lower budget, but it had a handful of the same passionate writers who, after Darkside's demise, kept fighting to tell creative tales, and although they had more restrictions budget wise, the show has a lot of charm and heart.  Sometimes creative solutions to restraints cause for creative results.



I love both shows, and feel like they both had creative teams that cared about their work deeply.  What are your thoughts on each show?  Which one do you like better?  Why?


If you missed them, or would simply like to watch them again because they are stinkin' rad, the links are here:  Tales from the Darkside.  And, Monsters part 1 and part 2.

Drag Me to HELL (2009) - EXTRA CREDIT

In order to snag up some sweet extra points here, check the movie out from your local library, rent it from your nearest video store, borrow it from a friend, and finish the film.  You'll be glad you did!

Once you've watched it, write on here what you thought?  Mr. Raimi has a very distinct horror film style, and "campy"... well, let's just say Sam Raimi and Campy are two peas in a pod.  Sam is the jelly to Campy's peanut butter.  Don't believe me?  Check out these delicious trailers, they serve as proof: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness.

Did this style work for you?  Did you like Drag me to Hell?  Why or why not.

Finish the movie, comment below, and those sweet sweet extra credit points shall be yours.