Tag: 31 Days of Horror

31 Scary Movies: ‘Phantasm’

Jeff Mitchell

“Phantasm” (1979) – After watching Don Coscarelli’s film about a strange mausoleum executive – unofficially named The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) – and his best practices that don’t end in the best results for his customers, one can only conclude the writer/director marches to the beat of his own drum.  Well, you know what they say about geniuses?   Not that “Phantasm” is a genius film, because it’s not. No one in this movie behaves like an actual person would in real life. Many of the scenes seem thrown together, accompanied…

31 Scary Movies: ‘The Brood’

Jeff Mitchell

“The Brood” (1979) – “I’m in the middle of a strange adventure,” Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) says. That’s exactly how one might feel while watching writer/director David Cronenberg’s twisted film, “The Brood.”  Cronenberg pulls a sick idea from his imagination and gives it life in the form of this film.  So, horror movie fans, line up and give thanks….we think. Well, Frank Carveth (Art Hindle) does not have much to be thankful for these days.  His wife Nola is under psychiatric care in an unconventional hospital, and Frank finds bruises, scratches…

31 Scary Movies: ‘The Omen’

Jeff Mitchell

“The Omen” (1976) – Butch from “The Little Rascals”.  Nellie from “Little House on the Prairie”.  Farkus from “A Christmas Story”. These three rotten children inflicted much misery on Alfalfa, Laura Ingalls and Ralphie, respectively, over the years.  Proven by scores of on-screen threats, acts of deception and taunts, they are three of Hollywood’s most famous bad kids.  As callous as they were, Damien (Harvey Stephens) from “The Omen” probably tops the list as the most malevolent child in film or television history. Not by his own doing, but through the…