Charles W Jones, Author - Blog

Yikes is the 29th day of 30 Days of Terror , and I today I bring one that is psychological to the core with a dash of slasher, A Reflection of Fear ( 1973 ). A cry in the night… A gasp in the dark… I’ve seen A Reflection of Fear several times. Each time, I’m just as shocked and amazed as the first time. Marguerite (Sondra Locke) lives with her mother, Katherine (Mary Ure), and her grandmother, Julia (Signe Husso), in an isolated mansion. Marguerite doesn’t leave the grounds often and talks to herself, an amoeba, her dolls, and Aaron. Everyone involved in her life assumes Aaron is a doll. She’s also an artist, painting random Biblical scenes and other strange things. Psychological The psychological elements in this film are off the charts, especially with Marguerite. There’s something about her that is child-like, her brattish outbursts. She is a bit of a vixen. Especially when her father, Michael (Robert Shaw), arrives to speak with her mother about getting a divorce. They h...

For the 28th day of 30 Days of Terror I thought a cult classic starring a Rock Superstar was an appropriate film to talk about. Monster Dog ( 1986 ) is an Italian film that was released direct to video in the USA in 1986. It stars Alice Cooper, who sounds a lot like Jeff Goldblum in this overdubbed work of art. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Alice Cooper’s speaking voice. The film opens and closes with the music video for Identity Crisis, performed by the fictitious pop-star, Vince Raven (Alice Cooper). I found it surprising that there isn’t more cheese in this movie; it is there, just not thick. The setting is Vince’s childhood home, where he hasn’t been in quite some time. They reveal the reason later with a totally radical backstory. I didn’t expect the imagery in the dream sequences or the high quality of the effects. The strangest thing is seeing Alice Cooper without his iconic dark makeup around his eyes. Well, that’s not true; his lack of makeup is...

On day 23, I asked if you’d heard of romantic horror. Well now it’s day 27 of 30 Days of Terror , and I bring it up again. This time, it is more relevant because there’s an unexpected element in Let Us Prey ( 2014 ). If you don’t see this movie, you’ll never have the experience. Sometimes I come across films filled with unexpected elements and I’m blown away with the mastery of the craft; this goes for books, too. With Let Us Prey I thought it was going to be like The Crazies or Bye Bye Man, but what it turned into was so much more. I love Angels An Angel of sorts appears, bringing a murder of crows or, maybe, a suspicion of ravens, I can never tell the difference, into a small town. While it is reminiscent of Needful Things and other films, they went beyond. The effects, camera work, and musical score made the movie tense, which is always a good thing in horror, as is the foreboding that lurked around every corner. The acting, while a little rough at momen...

For the 26th day of 30 Days of Terror , I thought I’d tell you about a movie that I thought was extraordinary and toot my horn a little. I always enjoy movies that touch on different plains of existence and those plains overlapping, allowing bad things to get through. Be Afraid (2017) is an example of one of those movies, and they did a pretty good job conveying it with the use of dreams, nightmares, and sleep paralysis. Be Afraid had some elements like other films, which is OK, and they weren’t blatant about it. For example, the “creature” taking children into a tunnel is reminiscent of Stephen King’s It. I can’t say that I haven’t been influenced by King’s work, if you’ve read the Circus Tarot Trilogy , you’ll see it. They also used imagery that reminded me of Freddy Krueger, one that gave me inspiration for Dreamwalker: The Second Plain . Those examples are what made the movie work for me. I wish they would’ve shown more of the creature, whatever it was. By the time we get to t...

A more recent film found it’s way to the 25th installment of 30 Days of Terror . The Terror of Hallow’s Eve ( 2017 ) wasn’t what I expected, and I was happy about that. This film is another that proves that low-budget doesn’t have to mean low effects or horrible acting. I’m not saying that all of the acting was good. At least they gave the lead roles to actors that didn’t make me want to punch myself in the throat. The story follows fifteen-year-old Tim, who is into creating special effects, creatures, and gore. He also has an active imagination. The opening scene is like so many horror movies I’ve seen before, and I thought, here we go, more regurgitation of past film greats. To my relief and surprise, it morphed into something great, though the central theme remained…but is that a bad thing? In my opinion, it’s not. We get glimpses of what’s to come, though briefly until the shit hits the fan. I always wonder about the grouping of pricks with little ones who hang together ...

Foreign horror films are becoming quite popular. I’ve seen several with the strange overdubbing instead of subtitles. I prefer subtitles, though I catch myself not reading the words. On the 24th day of 30 Days of Terror , I chose one that a follower recommended, Inferno. Inferno (1980) is the second in the Three Mothers trilogy, conceived by Dario Argento. Now I need to find The Mother of Tears (2007). Seeing Inferno before Suspiria didn’t cause me to experience confusion. I even posted the review for Suspiria before this. This trilogy reminds of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy. Or even The Gates of Hell Trilogy with the movies not having a solid connection. I guess I could be missing the connection. This film is suspense-filled with great sets and gore, having elements that reminded me of House of Usher (1960). What I mean is that the sets were like whatever was lying around. It looks like they worked around whatever was lying about. The story is solid, giving information a...

Ever heard of romantic horror? I don’t mean Shades of Grey. I’m talking actual dark love. If I really think about it, I can name a few films that would fit into that category. I’m not saying Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ( 1986 ), the movie I chose for the 23rd day of 30 Days of Terror fits into that sub-genre, it was just asking a question. I guess I love you, too. Henry I hadn’t heard of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ( 1986 ) before, but when it was recommended to me by the streaming video service, I was intrigued. It felt like a not so distant relative to House of 1,000 Corpses, and it has Tom Towles (Otis) who played Deputy George Wydell in those films. In the beginning, we only see the brutal aftermath, but not the acts themselves, making it feel like a surreal nightmare. The gore effects are intense, but not overdone. The music is very stylistic and fitting for this movie, and different from other 80s horror flicks. The one bit that stayed with me was ...

I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t know about this movie, even the youngsters that I work with. The Birds is one of the most iconic movies ever made, and the perfect fit for the 22nd day of 30 Days of Terror . Yes, of course, bandages! It’s terrible! Lydia Brenner Alfred Hitchcock has always had a way of pulling me into his productions from TV shows to movies, and The Birds ( 1963 ) is one that engulfs me with a strange sort of terror that nothing else created has ever done. As I see it again, (and this happens every time) I forget that the first hour is like a 60s romance, but that’s OK because I like Melanie (Tippi Hedren) and Mitch (Rod Taylor) as they flirt and tease the other. The truth is that Melanie is a stalker, while maybe not malicious, a stalker nonetheless. Who else finds out where a man lives and where he stays on the weekends to give his sister a gift? On top of that, she’s doing it out of revenge for him humiliating her. How can I not give The Birds 5...

Western Horror Movies are a niche genre with only a few occupying the space. For the 21st day of 30 Days of Terror I thought it’d be awesome to talk about one of them. Ghost Town ( 1988 ) goes into this bucket, and at times I wondered if it was trying to be funny; 80s horror movies were filled with camp and cheese, but this one missed the comedic delivery. If that’s what they were trying to do. The Set Moving beyond the missed marks with the cheese, Ghost Town has a lot to offer, more than I expected. I want to mention one more thing that was strange before I tell you about anything else. The set. In my mind, it would’ve made more sense if the town hadn’t been in disarray. Then it would seem like Sheriff Langley and Kate truly stepped into the past. Now on to what was great or at least good. Don’t get what I said about the set previously wrong. I like it, it’s creepy and beautiful, reminding of many little ghost towns in Wyoming and Colorado that have just fallen apart. The story...

Day 20 of 30 Days of Terror brings another indie, low-budget film, Last Girl Standing ( 2015 ). This one is quite beautiful in a disturbing sort of way. Last Girl Standing is an impressive thriller, proving that low-budget doesn’t have to mean bad film. From the beginning, the excitement kept me intrigued. Poor Camryn was the only survivor of a deadly slasher, known as the Hunter. As she re-acclimates to the world, she starts to see the brutal killer everywhere she turns. Of course, we don’t know if she’s imagining or if he’s really returned. The suspense level kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited for the next delusion to come for her. At first, she doesn’t talk a lot, then she meets some people and starts opening up. A new friend takes her to the site, so she can gain closure; bad choice. The story is solid and believable, and now that I’ve seen this, I wonder what Kirsty Cotton or Lauri Strode would really be like in the aftermath of what they’d witnessed and experienced....

Thanks for stopping by today for the 19th day of 30 Days of Terror , while I talk about The Blackcoat’s Daughter ( 2015 ). Netflix has an unending supply of films that it’s hard to see them all. I have so many in my cue that I don’t know if I’ll ever get them all watched. The Blackcoat’s Daughter is another film that doesn’t know its release date. It was first released at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Then shelved for two years before it was available for everyone else. On top of that, it has an identity crisis. I’ll talk about that later. It has a sinister feeling from the beginning that I hoped wouldn’t go away as the movie progressed, and to my delight, it didn’t. At first, I thought the vibes came from the musical score. Well, that had a part in it, but not the only reason. The story is bizarre and twisted. Add overlaying past and present, and it’s an experience I won’t soon forget. The POV element with the name of the character pr...

Indie horror creators have a broad spectrum of creativity, but small budgets to go with it. I know this all too well being an indie author. That doesn’t mean what is being produced isn’t good. Quite the opposite, most of what I’ve seen from this group of people is spectacular. For the 18th day of 30 Days of Terror , I want you to know about a dark thriller that I came across. Dr. Abbot says I’m OK now. Darling I’ve seen several Glass Eye Pix films, for the most part, their content is good, but Darling ( 2015 ) is the strangest of the ones I’ve seen. The entire movie is trippy and surreal with its black and white chapters unfolding before me. There is very little dialogue, and when verbal interaction happens, it’s strained and melodramatic and abrupt. The film uses camera angles like I’ve not seen in other movies. The overabundance is stressful to the viewer, which I hope was the desire as it brought me closer to Darling. She is bizarre to watch as she cleans the bathro...

Another 80s classic makes it to 30 Days of Terror on the 17th day, Dead & Buried ( 1981 ). This one is more obscure for the decade, but it leaves a lasting impression. Two murders in a town no bigger than a postage stamp. Sheriff Dan Gillis Cult Classics like Dead & Buried ( 1981 ) seem to be more available to the world in recent years with the advent of streaming video services, and premium movie channels adding more to their lineups. I remember seeing the VHS cover in the video store as a kid. The head protruding from the ground still reminds me of the statue of liberty. Fun soundtrack The opening scene has nice soft jazz music in the background as a man takes pictures of Potter’s Bluff, giving it a beatnik, artsy feel. I wasn’t sure where the movie was going when the girl on the beach starts posing for him. I especially wondered what was happening when she began to seduce him. Then the fun started. It went slasher with a bizarre twist (I’m not going to share that, you need ...

Horror Comedy can either be good or bad, for the 16th day of 30 Days of Terror , I chose to talk about a classic, produced by American International Pictures and filled with a star-studded cast. For whatever reason American International Pictures designated The Comedy of Terrors (1963) as horror comedy. I didn’t find any scary moments in this film at all. Comedy? Yes. Strange? Oh, yes. I won’t hold it against them, because this movie is fantastic. Did I mention Les Baxter did the score? The cast is phenomenal. Not only do we get Vincent Price as Waldo Trumball, Peter Lorre is his sidekick, Felix Gillie. Their slap-stick antics are bizarre to watch, though quite entertaining. It’s nice to see actors do things they normally wouldn’t do. My favorite in this film is Rhubarb the cat playing Cleopatra the cat; do not skip the ending credits of this film you’ll miss her acting prowess. I’m used to seeing Basil Rathbone in the serious role of Sherlock Holmes, and it’s delightful to see him in...

I can’t believe we’re already halfway through April; time flies when we’re having fun. For the 15th installment of 30 Days of Terror , I didn’t have to think too hard or long on which film to tell you about. The Legend of Hell House is just one of those films that sticks with me. There’s something about The Legend of Hell House (1973) that feels like American International Pictures produced it. It could be the sets or the dramatic focus on characters. Whatever it was that gave me the impression doesn’t matter, I love this movie. The most fantastic thing about this movie is how frightening things are without CGI. The camera angles and the simplistic use of shadows make it ghostly and surreal, even with the presence of strings or lifts—I didn’t see either, but I know they were there—made it feel real. The quick escalation of events is time-stamped, which is a nice touch, giving the audience a real timeline. The mild gore isn’t over the top, though the cat attack s...

For the 14th day of 30 Days of Terror , I picked a film starring one of my all-time favorite actors, actually two. If you’ve only seen the remake of House of Wax, I strongly suggest you search out the original. House of Wax ( 1953 ) is special because it has Vincent Price and Carolyn Jones. She doesn’t have a huge role, but it’s delightful and unexpected to see her play someone not Morticia Addams. Another fantastic thing about this movie is that it’s the first color 3-D film from Warner Bros. Pictures. There aren’t many in 3-D bits, and the ones inserted remind me of what they did in Friday the 13th 3-D. Had the Warner Bros. Pictures graphic not been present at the beginning of the film, I would’ve thought this was an American International Pictures movie filled with overly dramatic music, and elaborate low budget sets. As they show the exhibits in the rebuilt House of Wax, sometimes it’s hard to tell which pieces are wax and which are people; which is part of the twist. T...

Today, I thought a double feature would be fun for the 13th of 30 Days of Terror , but which two films? Well, that’s easy, the first two installments of the Gates of Hell Trilogy. I know few people who’ve heard of these films. The grouping of films in the Gates of Hell Trilogy is on the more obscure side. Lucio Fulci created them, and I applaud him, they are some of the most amazing films I’ve seen. City of the Living Dead (1980) a.k.a. The Gates of Hell is the first film in the trilogy. It’s followed by The Beyond (1981) and finished with The House by the Cemetery (1981). I have the knack for reading lips, and these movies are dubbed. At times, I get distracted if the mouths don’t match the lips. Especially when they are in English; both the lips and the words spoken. At first, I thought they were filmed in Italian, but within a few minutes, I saw that it wasn’t the case. City of the Living Dead City of the Living Dead is set in Dunwich. I’m not clear if it’s th...

For day 12 of 30 Days of Terror , I figured I’d continue on with George A. Romero, and talk about Diary of the Dead since I enjoyed Land of the Dead a lot more than I expected. I was hoping that Diary of the Dead (2007) was a continuation of Land of the Dead because I enjoyed the storyline and was curious to find out what happened to them, but it’s not. This is a found footage sort of thing set before the previous installment. The story isn’t anything extraordinary. Then again, survival films are about staying alive. The idea of it isn’t going to change from one film/book/video game to another. Survival isn’t anything new to the horror genre. Diary of the Dead explores the realities of a group of young adults and a professor as they discover that the world around them has quickly changed. As they travel across the country, they are subjected to one harrowing event after the other. The intensity of these scenes is captured on camera by Jason Creed, who wants the world to see ...

Day 11 of 30 Days of Terror brings Zombies from George A. Romero. While they are not my favorite, I understand that they are important, bringing a strong survival aspect to the horror genre…though, isn’t all horror about surviving and being mostly physically and mentally intact at the end? Zombies…I’m still not sure what I think of them. They are vile and disgusting creatures, wandering around aimlessly looking for the living to feast on and convert. I’ve seen the first in the Night of the Living Dead franchise, but nothing else until Land of the Dead (2005). Sorry, I’m just not a zombie fan. And no, I’ve never seen the Walking Dead series, but I’ve read a few of the comics, and I’m still like whatever. The story isn’t far removed from many post-apocalyptic films throughout the years with a single person or small group of people controlling things, maintaining their status while the working class gets the shaft…oh, wait, not too far from reality either. Having zombies form...

Wow, it’s already day 10 in 30 Days of Terror , April is just flying by. I grew up in a touristy town (not so much anymore). We had a thriving Main Street with hardware store that was stocked with more than hardware; seriously, if you thought it, the man more than likely had it in the store and all you had to do was ask. And a drugstore that had world famous malts and shakes. Tourist Trap doesn’t remind me of those days, it’s more like what I perceive my hometown to be like now. Tourist Trap ( 1979 ) is like a prologue to all slasher/stalker films that followed, showing us everything you shouldn’t do. Some of these things include: pay attention to signs, they are important; don’t run into the woods at night; if someone tells you to stay somewhere, do it; keep your virginity just a little while longer. All of these things, throughout the years, have been used and abused, but still make for an entertaining ride. This movie has the feel of House of Wax (1953) at times, to...