"The Howling" film series is a mixed bag to be sure. Starting with the original 1981 film, we got a classic genre film and one of the best werewolf films ever made. After it's success at the box office came "Howling II" a few years later. A low budget, low class sequel.... Over the course of the 80's and early 90's followed more Howling sequels. With seven films in total, the quality ("Howling 7: New Moon Rising" is the only one that's UNWATCHABLE) varies quite a bit, but it really goes without saying that thanks to a great script, some outrageous moments and effects and a good cast, "Howling III-The Marsupials" is quite a fun ride. There's nothing too scary going on here, but this film provides some amazing weird moments, some darkly twisted touches and an overall sense of fun that for the horror/werewolf fan, it's real hard to dislike this film.Having nothing to do with the previous films other than the fact that part III also involves werewolves, the story centers around the existance of and subsequent hunt for a tribe of marsupial werewolves. Descended from the extinct Tasmanian Tiger, the tribe of marsupials have remained a secret until one of their own escapes to America and becomes a popular B Movie actress. Before long, other members of the tribe are sent to bring her back, attention is called to the tribe when she becomes famous and eventally, the marsupial tribe is being hunted through the outback by the military while a small band of humans race to protect them. Toss into the mix, werewolf nuns, a Russian werewolf ballerina, a 'Hitchcockian' B movie director and some other truly odd moments and you have a werewolf film unlike any other!There's a surprising amount of character depth here that really engages the viewer. You'll be engorssed in the love story that ignites between the refugee werewolf and the film producer, when they return to the outback to protect her tribe from the military, the viewer is generally rooting for the good guys to win the day. "Howling III" is a real crazy film, chaulk full of strange ideas, likable characters and some nice fx work. Don't let the PG-13 rating turn you off, it's not as tame as you'd think and it's so much fun that it doesn't matter what it's rated. One of the true sleeper greats of the 80's has arrived on DVD, don't pass this little gem up, get it before it's gone!

Steve Miner's House has always been an underrated, underlooked little film. Although not your average 'haunted house' film, there's plenty of jumps and laughs to be had here. House perhaps isn't the scariest movie around (okay, not even close), but the intent here is not to shock, if you're looking to be entertained for 90 minutes with some wildly funny special effects, a smirking sense of humor and several great performances, look no further than this little winner from 1985.

William Katt plays bestselling author Roger Cobb, a writer whose made a living penning gruesome horror novels. It seems however, of late, Roger has fallen on hard times. His son was kidnapped right out of his backyard one afternoon, he and his wife (Kay Lenz) are divorced and Cobb has developed quite a case of writers' block. He's been struggling to get his latest novel written, a story about his personal experiences in Vietnam. He's got a rapidly approaching deadline to meet and to top it all off, his elderly aunt has committed suicide leaving Cobb to inherit the big, spooky home in which she lived.

The house, as it is, is the same home where Cobb's son was abducted from years ago, despite warnings from his aunt claiming the house alive and the culprit behind the abduction, Cobb never took these 'ramblings' very seriously-until now.

To combat his demons and get his book written, Roger moves into the house and immediately, strange things begin to happen. He's attacked by garden tools, there's a creature living in an upstairs closet, a big, purple witch running about and demon children living in the chimney-and this doesn't begin to scratch the surface! To top it all off, Roger's nosy neighbor (George Wendt of Cheers fame) thinks he's gone insane and keeps a watchful (and comical) eye on him.

House is a horror movie, but it's one that will make you laugh more than scream. It contains a few jumps, but overall, is none too scary. Where House is strongest perhaps, is in its portrayal of its main character. Roger Cobb is a fully fleshed out character haunted by demons of his past while frantically attempting to bury them. It's not until the evils of the house force him to confront his past demons that Roger can begin, once again to assume control of his life. While House is a horror film, it's also a well written (by Fred Dekker-helmer of Night of the Creeps-what happened to this man?) story of a man obsessed with finding his missing child.

House may not be everybody's cup of tea, there are moments which some viewers may find just too silly, others may find it rather dull and too 'dated'. Genre fans and overall movie goers with an appreciation for a well-written film won't want to miss this film. A nice place to visit, a great film to own on DVD!

-For the record, the DVD transfer is beautiful, and the first 20,000 copies include House II: The Second Story which, is also a great film.

"If I Die Before I Wake" is far from a typical genre effort these days. In an age of 'hip' horror films which provide neither the promised horror nor suspense, it's refreshing to come across this little hidden gem of a movie! Fully loaded with both terror and suspense, it is a far cry from most modern horror films and because of this, most genre fans will be very pleased with this little offering. Think back to the late 70's, a time of exploitation/revenge cinema. If you've seen Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left", you know what kind of film you have on your hands with "If I Die...", it's not nearly as good as "Last House...", but worlds better than your typical "Urban Legend" or "Dracula 2000" offering that has sent horror fans running for the exits in disgust in recent years.

This film opens rather quicky, with an immediate home invasion. There is no character development before things get underway, at the start,we are plunged headfirst into a realisitc nightmare along with Lori-Beth (Stephanie Jones) and her very young sister Mary (Coryanne Sennett). Three thungs have broken down the door and entered their home, while Lori-Beth quickly and carefully hides her little sister and herself, we hear the intruders sieze the rest of the family, mother, father and brother. These scenes are unsettling without being terribly graphic, director Brian Katkin keeps the violence off camera choosing instead to focus on the terrified expressions of a frantic Lori-Beth and the young and terrified Mary.

For the first half of the film, we follow Lori-Beth and her efforts to keep Mary safe, as well as find a way to get help. This is where the film is most effective, some of the scenes of Lori-Beth hiding from the intruders are heartpounding. Some of the moments where young Mary listens to her parents and brother being beaten in the next room are among the most unsettling I've seen in a while.

During the second half of the film, the pace slackens, but just a little. We begin to learn a little about the attackers' personalities and learn that the one in charge is Daryl (Muse Watson, the killer from I Know What You Did Last Summer). He is the most threatening of the bunch and is clearly the biggest menace in the film. Of course, they eventually find out about the two hidding siblings and so begins a game of cat and mouse for the third act. One of the thugs is also overcome with remorse and befriends the little girl, which makes for a more interesting and tense finish. It also gives the villians a much needed human characterisitc which was severely missing at the start. In many ways, seeing this human side makes these characters more frightening.

"If I Die Before I Wake" has a few uncomfortable moments, including beatings, rape and even sodomy. Although none of these moments are portrayed graphically, this may be enough to keep some viewers at bay. Seasoned horror vets shouldn't be overly bothered, but this film does produce moments of an unsettling nature for sure.

If there are any complaints regarding this film, it's the villians. They're not quite as believable as the rapist/killers in "Last House on the Left", at times (especially at the baginning) they tend to ham it up and go overboard balooning up their characters into larger than life cliches. This is both disapointing and a bit distracting. Most of this film is so good that it's sad to see it funble in one of the most crutial areas.

At 77 Minutes, "If I Die..." isn't very long giving it little chance to wear out its welcome. Overall, it's a mean little horror film that's actually scary and unsettling. This is a must see for horror fans, a welcome throwback to one of the golden ages of horror. It's a shame this great little sleeper didn't get a theatrical run, don't miss your chance to catch this one on DVD, it's really very good! Hats off to the cast and crew, you've made a horror film that's all too rare these days, it both scares and disturbs. Get this one along with the foreign chiller Funny Games for a night of close to home terror. To the viewer, consider yourself warned!

By now, everybody knows that Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers was butchered by Dimension Films prior to release. Several scenes were cut out of the film, others were shortened and the ending was entirely (and probaby for the best) reshot. That's not to say that this theatrical cut ending is anything good...but acceptable and a little less silly than the original ending.

This sixth entry in the Halloween series has its problems to be sure, but it's also pretty scary. Picking up six years after Halloween 5, we meet up again with Jamie Lloyd who has just given birth to a child in the confines on the Thorn cult compound. Jamie escapes with her baby and Michael follows. From here on, Michael returns to Haddonfield, Dr. Loomis (the returning Donald Pleasence in his final performance) is in pursuit and the mystery of the man in black is finally revealed. The problem with this theatrical cut is that it's largely incoherent. Most of the plot seems to have been removed, several key character development scenes have been snipped and what remains, is basically, the stalk and slash carnage that Michael Myers wreaks on the family living in the Myers house.

All of this may sound like carping, but far from it, this Halloween is actually one of the scariest (right behind 1 and 4), although it never quite matches up to those superior Halloween films, this one gives the viewer plenty of spooky scenes and some undeniable suspense. Rising star Paul Rudd turns up in an early starring role as Tommy Doyle who Laurie Strode babysat for in the original film. Tommy is now obsessed with Michael and knows that he has returned. Rudd's Tommy is a great character, Paul Rudd brings a lot of charm and charisma to the role-he makes for a great screen presence, it's too bad the series wouldn't revisit this character, for he is much more interesting than the sniveling alcoholic Jamie Lee Curtis gave us in Halloween H20.

Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers is widely debated amongst Halloween fans, while it's flawed to the extreme, to deny its impact is to be ignorant. Director Joe Chappelle takes a lot of flak for this film, but he actually infuses a lot of style and suspense into the 88 minue running time. The operating room massacre scene is a highlight among the Halloween series..not to mention the cool quick cut opening. In an earlier cut of the film, Chappelle actually comes off as a much stronger director, we see lots of awesome homages to the orginal Halloween such as a scene of Michael stalking Kara as she walks home from school, and a scene of Dr. Loomis fighting with the local police. Many nice touches were abandoned in favor of a shorter film...it really is a shame.

In the hands of a more capable, competant studio, Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers may have had a better chance...the makings of a great sequel were definately there (track down the infamous H6 producers cut). As it stands, turn your brain off, turn down the lights and be ready to be scared. Michael has come back to Haddonfield to kill and Halloween will never be the same.

David Cronenberg's The Fly has got to be one of the most powerful films ever made. Too often it gets praised: "good for a horror film.", that is just pure ignorance. The Fly was one of the best films of the 1980's and one of the best films ever made, for few films have the impact this one does.

Jeff Goldblum turns in the performance of his career as Seth Brundle, the brilliant, lonely scientist on the verge of a discovery that will certainly change the world. Geena Davis is also excellent giving a genuine performance as a skeptical reporter who falls for Brundle after he convinces her to check out his invention. What begins as a love story more involving and moving than any other film in the last twenty years, eventually turns to tragedy when Brundle tests his invention on himself and begins to lose all traces of his humanity. Slowly, Seth Brundle is metamorphasizing into a new breed of fly.

What really works about Cronenberg's best film are the superb actors in the leads, a series of gruesome (maybe that's an understatement) yet convincing fx and a wonderful script by Charles Edward Pogue (who also penned the brilliant and complex Psycho III). The script centers on the humanity of the whole thing and never loses sight of the focus, not once. Pogue's script is about two people in love and the tragedy that befalls them, for Brundle does turn into a fly by the finish of the film, but it's all a metaphor for disease. Made in the 1980's when the AIDS virus was still a new and mysterious disease, Cronenberg's gutsy film also tells a story of a man being consumed by a terrible disease for which there is no cure.

The Fly is a flawless film and a real treat for film lovers, horror fans, and those who just want to see a really good movie. It's just about one of the goriest movies you'll ever see, but if you're willing to go along, you won't be sorry and you'll never forget this film.

Josh Becker's Running Time is certainly one of the best film's I've seen in a long time. It's a crime caper with a gimmick-this film is seemingly shot in one continuous shot. While this makes for an interesting watch, Running Time has a lot more going for it than just that gimick.

Bruce Campbell turns in one of his strongest performances to date here as Carl, a convict just released from prison with one last heist to pull off. He and his partner in crime (Jeremy Roberts) assemble a crew to assist in the heist and before you know it the robbery it botched and Carl is running for his life.

Running Time's story written by Josh Becker (who also produced and directed) boasts nothing terribly original in terms of the actual plot, but his dialogue is sharp and brings all of his characters to life. Campbell really displays range in this film creating a wholly believable character who is struggling to make things right in his own life. It would be great to see this fine actor cast in more dynamic roles such as this one.

Although Running Time clocks in with a running time of 70 minutes, there's enough talent, humor and suspense in here for ten Hollywood productions. Josh Becker has always made great and interesting films, I anxiously look forward to his next project, Running Time was one of the best films I saw that year and it never gets old. Give this film a shot, it's as good a crime film as any made in the 90's and one that demands a larger audience.

Gone in 60 Seconds is your typical Jerry Bruckheimer summer action film. Those looking for a little bit of substance in their film need not apply to this one, audiences who want to grab a bag of popcorn and have some fun, will certainly get their money's worth out of this fast paced 'cartoon.'Calling this film a cartoon may sound like an insult, but with this film, that's not the case. With this movie, we get loads of colorful characters and some crazy stunt work. The story is one that you've seen a ton of times previously, and if you haven't it's still predictable. Randall "Memphis" Reins (Nicolas Cage) is an ex-car thief who once was 'the best' in the business. Reins is lured back into the business when his dopey brother (Giovanni Ribisi) gets on the bad side of a notorious criminal called 'The Carpenter'. Reins comes rushing, reluctantly at first, to little brother's aid and in order to have the little man's life spared, Reins, along with his brother, must steal 50 cars in 24 hours for 'The Carpenter' or both of them will be killed. There's some bits of Reins assembling the old gang he used to steal cars with including the sexy Angelina Jole-an ex-girlfriend with an attitude. Master actor Robert Duvall is also on hand as the theif's mechanic. Reins back on his old turf even makes a local gang very unhappy and just for good meausre, we get to see the car thieves dealing with these dopes in a few very amusing scenes. Another main character is a cop (Delroy Lindo) who sees Reins back in town and vows to catch him this time out. To this cop, Reins is like Moby Dick, and although this is nothing original, the cat and mouse, hide and seek game played between these two guys is also very fun.Gone in 60 Seconds is concerned less about plot and characters and more about cars and style. The thing about this movie though, is that for a movie about cars, we only get one car chase. Granted it is a long and exciting one toward the film's finish, but those expecting this one to be all chase will probably be disappointed. But, if you're just looking for two hours of escapist fun, this is a really great movie. There's nothing too special about any of it, but if you know what you're getting into, there's just a general aura of fun about the whole thing.This movie won't appeal to prudish viewers who believe themselves above a silly good time, fans of The Rock and Con Air should have a pretty decent idea of what they're getting into. Imagine those films, but sillier! Gone in 60 Seconds IS a fun movie, just turn off your common sense and enjoy the ride. I'll bet you have a good time.

Hell Night is one of the creepiest slasher movies to come from the 80's. It makes great use of its setting-a creepy old mansion on a hill. The story, for the record, revolves around a College fraternity pledge night in which a small group of pledges (including Linda Blair) are forced to spend the night in the creepy old mansion called Garth Manor. Garth Manor is a place with a history, as your typical horror movie plot line would have it, exactly twelve years ago to the night, the Manor's previous resident murdered his whole family. As the pledges' night rages on with booze and sex, one by one they are stalked and murdered by a mysterious figure. The murderer this time out is actually rather surprising and refreshing, Hell Night is a definate cut above the majority of 80's killer flicks. There are some teriffic moments and some genuine suspense. Imagine a spooky house story crossed with a slasher on the loose and you have Hell Night, guaranteed to give you a shock or two.

The family vacation. If you've ever been on one with your not so hip family, than this movie is a must see for you!National Lampoon's Vacation is a comedic favorite and a sentimental favorite with me. This movie has been a treasured favorite with most of my family and I think that everyone has been on one of these vacations, where nothing goes as well as it should.Clark Griswold (Chase, perfectly cast) is a loving family man who wants nothing better for his family than for them to be happy. When he packs up the whole clan, his wife Ellen (Beverley D'Angelo) and his kids Rusty and Audrey, they take off on a cross country trek to Wally World (think Disney World). From Chicago to California, the Griswold family have a series of misadventures that HONESTLY are so funny, I cry everytime I watch this movie. This is just a great movie, a funny movie and one that everyone should see. It's got all kinds of humor, enough for everyone. Lowbrow, highbrow and all the middle stuff, this is a VERY funny movie, although the DVD version is lacking. Hold out for a special edition DVD, I'm content with my VHS right now, but regardless, see this movie, you'll never forget it. You'll definately come to love it.

Fletch is my personal favorite comedy and without a doubt, one of the funniest movies ever made. Chevy Chase is perfectly cast as Irwin Fletcher, a wise cracking newspaper reporter working undercover on a beach to expose a drug running operation. At the same time, he is mistaken for a junkie by shady millionare Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) who asks Fletch to murder him. Fletch agrees but launches an investigation into finding out why this man wants to be killed. This isn't lowbrow humor, it's quick witted and very fast. Fletch requires a few viewings before one is able to grab all the jokes, but it's well worth it. I've seen this movie about 30 times and each and every time I watch, it remains as funny as the first time I saw it. If you've liked Chevy Chase in Caddyshack or National Lampoon's Vacation, than you'll love him here. The dialogue is witty and extremely quotable. Chase's Fletch often disguises himself as he investigates the two mysteries, his cheap disguises and alias' (Ted Nugent, Don Corleone, Dr. Rosenpenis) are hysterical, Chase is a master of deadpan wisecracks, this movie is a perfect showcase for his talent.Aside from the brilliance of Fletch as a comedy, Fletch functions perfectly as a well made mystery movie. I disagree with one reviewer who praised the movie as a comedy but said it wasn't a very good movie. Fletch is a very good movie and aside from Chevy Chase, there are many other reasons for the success of this classic. Screenwriter Andrew Bergman has written one of the trickiest scripts in Hollywood history, it manages to be flat out hilarious, and captivating in the same light. Whenever I watch this film with a new viewer, they are always surprised as to how much the storyline grabbed them. Another plus with this movie is Harold Faltermeyer's superb synthesizer score. It's similar to his earlier Beverly Hills Cop score, maybe even better, it helps set the tone of this movie perfectly. Last but not least, we have the direction, all under the sure hand of Michael Ritchie. He keeps things moving and maintains a comedic tone which occasionally borders on seriousness to help the story progress. Balancing tones isn't easy, in this film it's done so well, it's hardly even noticable.Fletch is all around, an excellent film, but before everything else, it's a VERY funny film. A true cult classic. For audiences whom have seen Beverly Hills Cop, think along those lines, I always thought it would be amusing to see what would happen if Chase's Fletch met with Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley of the Cop films. If you've seen those than you have a good idea of what to expect with Fletch, a film loaded with belly laughs as long as you're willing to pick up on them.