Feaure Length Review: 'Hide and Go Shriek' (1987)

As the late 80s dawned, the golden age of slasher movies slowly began to fade away. The once thriving sub-genre was beginning to lose popularity, perhaps due in part to Regan’s moralistic crusade across America and its punishing affects on censorship in the mainstream media. Wide releases such as the Friday the 13th franchise still managed to haul fans back into theatres but for the most part the stalker flick was slicing its last few torsos. Skip Schoolnik’s Hide and Go Shriek is one of the last of the late-80s slashers, plodding behind arguably far better titles like The Prowler and My Bloody Valentine , yet all is not lost in this much worn but far from abysmal dead teenager yarn.



THE LOWDOWN: In a dank and decrepit city apartment building a mysterious figure stands in front of a dangling light bulb, applying women’s makeup. Dressed in a suit and dark fedora, the shape then cruises the local prostitute line up, selecting a skinny blond number at random. During sex, the stranger then brutally murders the young whore in an alleyway and swiftly flees the scene, leaving her body behind on the cold asphalt.



Meanwhile, a group of young high school kids have just graduated from their senior year and are ready to celebrate the end of their youthful imprisonment in style. Rich boy John (Sean Kanan) has devised a plan for the horny young crew to sneak into his father’s fine furniture goods store in town and turn the warehouse into a party pad. Later that night when the naive clan arrive at their destination, they spot slimy dockworker Fred (Jeff Levine) – an ex-con bunking inside the warehouse until he can find a place of his own. Temporarily spooked, the teens quickly dismiss the creepy employee and continue inside the housing depot.



Once inside John gives his peers a tour of the surrounds, making it clear they are all alone until the doors open for business again the next morning. As the beer cans burst and the boobs bounce, the friends engage in a night of pranks and pantyhose, wistfully unaware of a killer lurking in the shadows with a taste for blood and a penchant for playing dress-ups.



THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: Like nearly every slasher film made since Bob Clark’s trendsetting 1974 masterpiece Black Christmas , the formulaic nature of Hide and Go Shriek is almost 100% textbook stalker film. All the elements are there: a murderous past event, the sex-crazed teens, the false shocks, the one-by-one murders, etc, etc. On the surface there’s not much to distinguish the film against the cavalcade of other slasher epics out there. However, by the time the identity of the killer is revealed, Hide and Go Shriek instantly becomes a far more curious movie than you might expect. At the risk of giving too much away, the film’s maniac is perhaps one of the more complex teen slayers the sub-genre has seen. Michael Kelly’s script paints the portrait of a sexually conflicted psychopath whose motive (while perhaps a little too vague) is surprisingly unconventional, opting for something other than just sheer retribution and vengeance. As they try to evade their captor, the doomed teens are constantly subjected to obscure shenanigans and strange behavior on the killer’s behalf, keeping them forever bewildered in their desperate fight for survival. In many ways it is this meddling of the minds which provides the assassin the most pleasure.



DOOMED CHARACTERS: Once again, Hide and Go Shriek follows in the footsteps of the majority of slasher movie cliché’s, offering its young cast of characters little-to-no development prior to their inevitable demise. Thankfully most of the characters are fairly likeable (with perhaps the exception of the Vanilla Ice-inspired Randy, played by Brittain Frye). If there is indeed anything to recommend with regard to the film’s talent lineup, it lies within its eccentric killer.



THE LOOK OF FEAR: The quality of a location can sometimes make or break an audience’s investment in the believability of a film. Given that 90% of the movie takes place at night in and around an aging warehouse, it would have been no easy task to maintain a visually interesting language of photography. Thus, some sequences in the film are slightly confusing as to where the characters are at each given time. Floor upon floor, room upon room the warehouse soon becomes a maze and a tricky one to navigate. This could be in part due to the fact that the DVD copy I was watching was practically a straight VHS transfer, complete with murky shadows and much haze throughout. On the plus side the warehouse locale certainly has its benefits; hallways, corridors, elevators and endless display rooms making an effective environment for dividing up the teenagers into different areas to meet their fates.

Speaking of fatality, Hide and Go Shriek ’s kills - while quite effective - are too few and far between. A drowning, two impalements and a decapitation make up the list of casualties, even though there are at least ten potential victims on the menu. That said, Screaming Mad George does a fine job executing(!) the red stuff.



THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: Surprisingly, there are a few effective moments in Hide and Go Shriek as far as its soundscape is concerned. One thing that many slasher films (in my opinion) tend to underestimate is atmosphere. The sub-genre’s very nature is built upon the notion of an unknown predator picking off young innocent lives one by one; a simple yet very real fear that, in the right hands, can be very effective cinematically. John Ross manages to compose a number of eerily potent compositions, most notably during scenes in which the killer prepares for his/her murderous activities. Outside of these few moments, however, the film’s score remains rather monotonous.



FINAL THOUGHTS: As a piece of vintage slasher cinema, Hide and Go Shriek certainly doesn’t break much new ground compared to many of its contemporaries. What does set it apart as a minor curiosity, however, is the genuinely unexpected disposition of its killer and their motes operandi. Otherwise, this slice n’ dice tale is pretty much all dried up before the blood begins to bubble.

Dir: Skip Schoolnik
Writer: Michael Kelly
Cast: Bunky Jones, Brittian Frye, Annette Sinclair, George Thomas
Country: USA
Run Time: 90min
Rated: M+

Feaure Length Review: 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' (1988)

After having worked on the 1986 indie horror gem Critters , FX gurus The Chiodo Brothers decided to fledge their monster making talents toward a creature feature of their own. Helmed by Stephen and co-written by Edward and Charles, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a rarely seen but much acknowledged cult title among genre fans that to this day remains the bros' only directorial effort.



THE LOWDOWN: Making out to the tune of a slow paced piano at a local Lover’s Lane, Mike (Grant Cramer) and his girlfriend Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) unexpectedly witness what appears to be a comet roaring through the night sky and landing deep in the woods.

Nearby at his secluded tin roof shack, Farmer Gene (the late, great Royal Dano) and his bloodhound Pooh Bear witness the same bright light display and promptly decide to investigate. Unfortunately, the old man and his pooch discover anything BUT the trace of a comet, but rather that of a mystical circus tent in its landing place with an eerily innocent allure. And before he can say “what in tarnation!” Gene and his partner in crime fall victim to one of the carnival house’s nasty inhabitants.



Back at Lover’s Lane, the foolish young couple decide to investigate the sighting. They too they come under deadly fire from a clan of hideously menacing killer clowns, hell bent on capturing members of the local human population and preserving them aboard their spaceship for later consumption.



The hapless duo promptly relay their insane story to the town’s local police force, led by deputy Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) and his youth-loathing superior Curtis Mooney (another great performance by the late John Vernon). After much deliberation, Dave joins the two in their hunt for the truth while Mooney takes exuberant pride in defending his law enforcement reputation by ignoring the town’s repeated cries for help at the hand of the murderous child entertainers.



THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: As a sci-fi/horror/comedy, Killer Klowns is definitely a product of its time. Tis was the 80s when the new wave of special effects artists reigned mainstream genre cinema; animatronics was just starting to kick off into new and more advanced stages, prosthetic makeup and application became more and more gruesome and stop motion animation was still widely practiced, all in the name of delivering to audiences a world of the fantastic. The movie is indeed playfully reminiscent of many cold war-inspired 1950s-60s sci-fi invasion flicks, painting the picture of a small American town at odds with a slowly conquering intergalactic visitor. And the choice of having clowns as lead villains is an interesting twist on conventions rather than employing more traditional space cretans; extraterrestrials that appear friendly at first, only to have their true hostile persona emerge later. These clowns are the perfect pranksters, employing uniquely hilarious demises for their ill fated victims. Cotton candy will never look the same after you’ve seen what these pesky critters use it for.



Structurally, Klowns still remains fairly old-fashioned. Right from the get-go it’s easy to see where the story is headed and each plot turn is generally telegraphed well before its execution. However, it’s this traditional storytelling that – in many ways - also makes the film so loveable. The film never takes itself seriously (nor should it) and it’s this good-humored mentality that makes the proceedings all the more watchable upon repeat viewings. More importantly, Klowns is never smug or pretentious about its homage’s to genre and was obviously a labor of love for the Chiodos, thus the child-like energy on screen consistently reflects that.



DOOMED CHARACTERS: Like many movies of its time, Killer Klowns incorporates a line up of formulaic characters (eg, youthful heroes, a neglectful police force, the oddball farmer and his pooch, etc, etc) that fulfill its story beats and overall narrative requirements in order to get from A to B easily, without straying too far into uncharted territory. Such characters rarely receive any personal development and/or additional motivation for their subsequent actions throughout the course of a film, often resulting in being cardboard cutouts difficult for an audience to generate much sympathy for. On the basis of the story alone Killer Klowns really doesn’t require its characters to be dissected in heavy detail, as the clowns themselves and the havoc they cause are the main reason to watch in the first place. Mike and Debbie are simply horny teenagers and catalysts for the town’s bewildered reaction to the extraterrestrial invasion. They needn’t require significant development, nor do the cops who finally decide to enlist their help. That said, Vernon is perhaps the cast’s biggest highlight as the disgruntled sheriff in a town falling apart, ice cream by bloody ice cream. Loaded with great one-liners and his ever-lasting voice of authority, he deftly rivals the clowns with a truly fun performance worthy of fan admiration.



THE LOOK OF FEAR: Given the wildly goofy premise of the film, the laundry list of special effects, costumes, set design and photographic elements automatically put Killer Klowns in a category all its own. A look and vibe of childlike fantasy is everywhere throughout the movie and remains consistent right up until the end credits. Charles Chiodo and Philip Dean Foreman’s candy-flavored sets aboard the clown’s spacecraft are boisterously imaginative and come pretty damn close to matching anything generated by renound Hollywood production designer Bo Welch. The clowns themselves (largely designed by the Chiodos themselves) are genuinely impressive and provide both constantly humorous sight gags as well as strangely unnerving laughter. And Alfred Taylor keeps his cameras steady for the most part, only occasionally delving into more inventive cinematography.



THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: Keeping in theme with the endless carnival sideshow that is Killer Klowns , the film’s synthesizer score is fittingly animated and lively throughout. Whenever a clown is on screen and set to cause mischief John Massari‘s music effectively extenuates their lethal tomfoolery, most evidently in the final climactic sequence aboard the circus tent ship. The movie’s sound design is also a triumph of festive acoustics, with every conceivably silly audio gag generously layered over the action. Oh, and who can forget the kick ass theme song by The Dickies? If you like to chow down on 80s pop for breakfast then this track is for you.




FINAL THOUGHTS: Even though the Chiodo Brothers might not be the most seasoned storytellers, they do manage to deliver a good old-fashioned, small town terror yarn that definitely knows how to pop the eyes with much cinematic candy. In many ways, it’s the perfect B movie. Who knows, maybe the bros will return to the directing scene again sometime in the future. Would this be a good thing? Personally, I’d embrace it with as much ice cream and deep fried corn dogs as I can muster.

Dir: Stephen Chiodo
Writer: The Chiodo Brothers
Cast: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon
Country: USA
Run Time: 88min
Rated: M+

Welcome to Samityville, suckers.

Why hello there, dear reader. Welcome to A Nightmare On Samityville Street - the blog committed to previewing, reviewing, articulating, dissecting, ripping, tearing, mushing, slushing and splattering anything and everything horror out there on planet earth!

Now I am well aware of and accustomed to (as I'm sure you rare) the plethora of horror movie blogs out there on the web, so the first question you might have upon reading this pesky introduction is "what makes your blog different?" A valid question indeed and I welcome it with open arms. Well, I'm not a professional film critic, nor am I employed by any board of film critics or any such industry association. I am merely a fan and a fellow fledging filmmaker. And I do love movies - horror movies in particular. A lot of film-based blogs out there tend to be what are often referred to as as 'hater blogs'; scribes that rant on and on carelessly about their own personal dislike for specific individuals and tastes without taking into consideration their reader's patience or tolerance. This IS NOT a hate blog. I always like to give filmmakers and their films the benefit of the doubt, no matter what the finished product may eventuate in being. And hopefully my writings reflect that notion.

Throughout Samityville you will find a wide range of my own personal reviews of horror films (both past and present, VHS and DVD), selected skinnies from the latest horror headlines, Top 10 Lists and other such fanboy tallies. These areas are easily accessible via the 'Blog Archive' links highlighted on the right hand side of any page you visit. And of course, feel free to comment on anything you discover within the walls of Samityville 's ghastly collections. But please note: THIS BLOG IS A WORK IN PROGRESS! I haven't had a chance to post much yet but with time this site will grow.

That's enough from me, bloodsuckers. Enjoy the blog and keep your lookin' balls locked on the picture radio!

Sam.