Cinema Du Meep

1982 on Film

2012-01-19T17:38:00.008-05:00

Cinema Du Meep has just turned 3! To celebrate, why not look back at another 3... 30 Years ago to be exact.

My 10 Favorite Movies of 1982:

1982. I was 7. And like most 7 year olds, I was obsessed with one Movie. You can probably guess what that is pretty easily. And guess what, 30 odd years later it's still pretty great, if a touch too sentimental. But hey, it will still melt your heart and the Reese's Pieces in your pocket....

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

Original Theatrical Release Date: June 11th 1982

If it's 1982, It can only be E.T... Some Movies stay with you forever. Those experiences of seeing it at the Cinema (I think around 3 or 4 times) still burn bright in my mind. Oddly, of all the E.T. merchandising that came along with the Film, my favorite was a puzzle of the bicycle flying scene. I remember being really upset that someone had glued it together after I had completed the puzzle. I would never be able to take it apart ad complete it again. And Elmer's Glue just makes a big old mess.

E.T. takes you through a wave of emotions. It's great Filmmaking, it's heartfelt and it will be around longer than any of us.

Tootsie

Original Theatrical Release Date: December 17th 1982

Somethings telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it must be you
And I'm feeling it'll just be you
All of my life...

So goes some of the infectious lyrics that crawl into your brain and never leave for the theme song to Tootsie. A Movie that I adore to no end. Studio Films still had a spring left in their step in 1982, and although this Picture lost out to the rather dry Gandhi Bio-Pic for most of the awards (Comedy rarely ever fares well) Tootsie will always remain one of the very best of the year and of the decade for that matter.

The Last American Virgin

Original Theatrical Release Date: July 30th 1982

When you're a teenager, especially when you're a bit shy, the worst possible thing to do is to be friends with a Class-A jerk who's also a stud with the ladies. Our poor hero doesn't really learn this until late in the Film. And by the time he does, he's devastated and he'll never be the same again. The Last American Virgin is a Teen Sex Comedy very much like Porky's from the same year, but it also has an unexpected soul and dramatic weight that catches you off guard from time to time in between all the scenes of the boys trying to score with the ladies. Plus the Soundtrack is absolute tops. I sometimes credit this Picture, along with Just One Of The Guys, as the Movies that kind of changed my life. When I found myself watching these Movies over and over, I knew I was hooked and I myself would never be the same. Thankfully that didn't mean crying off into the night while driving while Quincy Jones' Just Once played over me. Well, at least not all the time...

Grease 2

Original Theatrical Release Date: June 11th 1982

If you can't fathom why I like Grease 2 so much, well, you're probably never going to know me. The real me. In my charade.... Actually, that's not my favorite song in the Film. It's probably a toss up between Cool Rider and Who's That Guy. The latter getting the edge because it invokes my name. What would they say it they knew it was Michael? But hey, I love all the songs. And I do like the first Film. It's just that Grease 2 belongs in a totally different universe for me. A world where nothing is ever that wrong. A world where I order a hamburger and ask for double Ketchup. A world that's not weird-weird, but like exciting weird. Ya know?

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Original Theatrical Release Date: August 13th 1982

I wasn't in love with Fast Times as much growing up as I am now. It's kind of crazy to think that, but it's true. Amy Heckerling's honest look into the lives of (mostly horny) High School teens mixed with zany antics is the perfect blend. I want to go to the Mall, have a lemonade, maybe a pretzel, make eyes with Phoebe Cates and Jennifer Jason Leigh and then catch a Movie RIGHT NOW. Aloha.

Zapped!

Original Theatrical Release Date: July 23td 1982

Speaking of horny teenagers, Scott Baio and Willie Aames work their pre-Charles In Charge magic and bring the Teen Comedy (by way of Carrie) gold. Zapped! is probably the best Motion Picture ever made. If you don't believe this, I just may have to shoot Salamis at you from a cannon. If you find yourself enjoying that too much, well, I'm sure we can make other arrangements (Maybe a yet-to-be exorcised ventriloquist dummy) For now, just watch Zapped all over again and fall in love it's mind bending, brassiere exploding power.

The Verdict

Original Theatrical Release Date: December 8th 1982

Sidney Lumet was a masterful Director. He was always able to coax great performances from his actors, and he had a knack for grounding his Movies in a reality that you not only can identify with, but also place yourself in. The Verdict is probably my favorite Film about a lawyer (sorry, To Kill A Mockingbird--You already have your throngs of fans, anyway) I think mostly it's because the Picture made me really care about this guy. A Lawyer. That's an incredible feat. The Verdict is the very definition of compelling.

My Favorite Year

Original Theatrical Release Date: October 1st 1982

It seems like most period Films are almost always so dramatic, so a comedy about the early days of Television was a refreshing change. And then you watch My Favorite Year and it turns out to be a HYSTERICAL comedy about the early days of Television with a truly wonderful performance by Peter O'Toole, my 2nd Favorite drunk of the 80's after Dudley Moore's Arthur. The script is superb. It's a Screwball Comedy very much in the vein of the all the greats from the 30's but set in the 50's and filmed in the 80's. It's a high wire act that never once teeters.

Eating Raoul

Original Theatrical Release Date: March 24th 1982

Cult icons Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov are cult icons for a reason. Just take a look at this insane Comedy and you'll be hooked. Eating Raoul was unlike any other Film of the time. And thank god for that. Anyone hungry? I know of a good little restaurant we can check out after watching the Movie...

Jekyll & Hyde...Together Again

Original Theatrical Release Date: December 3rd 1982

The Airplane! of coke snorting Mad Scientist Movies. I'm obsessed with this bizarre Movie. To think that it was released by Paramount, such a highly regarded Film Studio is just insane in itself. Jekyll & Hyde...Together Again makes me laugh and laugh. Mark Blankfield is genius in the titular roles. He should have had a bigger career. Co-stars Krista Errickson (Little Darlings, The First Time) as a ho, for sho. She's always played the bitchy girl so well. 1982 was truly a great year for Comedies.

More Movies I loved:

An Officer And A Gentlemen
Querelle
Vice Squad
48 Hrs.
The World According To Garp
Tempest
Fitzcarraldo
Making Love
Death Trap
Still Of The Night
Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Personal Best
Veronika Voss
Fighting Back
Porky's
Night Shift
Victor/Victoria
and Partners

Since there were so many good Horror Films in the early 80's (ah, still the golden era for the Slasher) I decided to give them their own top 10.

My 10 Favorite Horror Films of 1982:

The Thing

Original Theatrical Release Date: June 25th 1982

John Carpenter's The Thing. Not just A terrifying remake. A terrifying Film, period. The effects, the atmosphere, the music, the actors. Everything works and it works so well. The Thing didn't go over too well in 1982. Audiences were much more in the mood for a gentle Alien Film with E.T., released that very month. It's since become the Classic (and I can use that word as this Film is now 30 years old) that it so rightfully deserves to be.

Basket Case
Original Theatrical Release Date: April 2nd 1982

By 1982, The Grindhouse Film was on it's last legs. With Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case, you get Grindhouse Movie perfection. I actually saw this in a Times Square theater back in the day, and it terrified the hell out of me. Now it's much more hysterical than scary, and I still love it so. It's the kind of Movie that captures a real sense of atmosphere and time period. We all have a little Belial attached to us somewhere. Hopefully not to our crotch...

Visiting Hours

Original Theatrical Release Date: May 28th 1982

Visiting Hours scared the hell out of me. And it still does. There's no Movie Psycho quite like Michael Ironside in this Film. Tons of suspense and an attitude to match. Don't ever cross a creep who wears mesh shirts and occasionally likes to wear women's makeup and jewelry when he has the urge to Slash. TV Journalists, Nurses and sluts with crimped hair, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Poltergeist

Original Theatrical Release Date: June 4th 1982

You moved the cemetery, but you left the bodies, didn't you? You son of a bitch... you left the bodies and you only moved the headstones! You only moved the headstones!!!

I always thought this was much more a Steven Spielberg Film than a Tobe Hooper one. Just watching the Film, you can tell who truly Directed the thing. But hey, whatever the case, Poltergeist was really effective back in it's day. I know a lot of people don't seem to think it holds up, but I'm not one of them. Every time I watch this Movie, I'm always struck by how authentic it's characters feel and how well the situation plays out. It may not be a non-stop creep-fest like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but it has it's moments, and those moments are really eye-opening. And you'll never look at a clown doll the same way ever again.

Class of 1984

Original Theatrical Release Date: August 20th 1982

When does a dream become a nightmare?
When do we do what must be done?
When do we stand and face the future?
When there is nowhere left to run?

The High School Movie meets The Horror Movie. Class of 1984 is really an Urban nightmare. A story of a teacher up against the odds, trying to hang on to the few students who do want to learn while dealing with the many who just want to cause trouble. It's a Movie that kind of shook me to my core back in the day. I understood that sometimes younger people can be bad, but I didn't know to what extent. And boy, they can also be damn fine Pianists! Class of 1984 is also a kick-ass revenge Movie. Wood Shop would never be the same for me once I reached High School.

Alone in the Dark

Original Theatrical Release Date: November 12th 1982

Director Jack Sholder's (A Nightmare On Elm Street 2, The Hidden) first Feature Film. A Slasher Movie with more attitude than anything else of the time. It's also criminally underrated. Let's see, mental patients Jack Palance, Martin Landau, a child molester and a guy known as "The Bleeder" under the influence of a wacky and possibly nuts himself psychotherapist played by Donald Pleasence, out to kill Dwight Schultz of the A-Team and his Family. Awesome.

Creepshow

Original Theatrical Release Date: November 12th 1982

George Romero + Stephen King. You can't go wrong! Some of the stories might be better than others (My favorite being the E.G. Marshall creepy-ass bug segment, and my least favorite the Stephen King starring Moss-Man bit) but it's all good stuff. I love Romero's visuals and his loving nod to the EC Comics of past. The cast is really superb. Top drawer Anthology Horror Filmmaking. I also enjoyed the Sequel from 1987.

Humongous

Original Theatrical Release Date: June 11th 1982

I've covered this little gem a couple of times before, so I'll leave it at that. You can read more about it here and more about the recent DVD can be found here.

And a 3quel Double Feature:

Friday the 13th Part 3

Original Theatrical Release Date: August 13th 1982

Jason is just off from his potato sack-head high from the great Part 2 and finds himself a new, iconic look for Part 3. In glorious 3D. I'm going to say it right now, Friday The 13th Part 3 is still my favorite theatrical 3D experience to date. The format has gotten all spiffy, but nothing will ever top my experience with this one. All in 3D: Eyeballs go-a-gouging. Juggling. Bats. Yo-Yos. Various weaponry. Windshields getting broken. Potheads. Popcorn and on and on. Friday 3 is the epitome of silly, Slasher Movie goodness. With a disco theme song! Grab your friends, prankster, pregnant or otherwise, get into a customized van and head to your families' cabin on the lake and let the fun begin!

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

Original Theatrical Release Date: October 22nd 1982

The Night Michael didn't come home but some kids with gnarly masks sure did. The fun begins!

Actually, I remember a lot of people really disappointed with this Film back in the 80's. I guess that's why it wasn't really a financial high point for the series. But hey, who cares about them? Tom Atkins and his investigation into the evil doings at a Halloween Mask and Novelty company are plenty fine to me. I'd also credit Halloween III with having the single most impressionable scene in Horror Movies of the time. Ugh, Bugs. I hate them. I'll never be the same. It's time, Kids....

I also have love for:

The Slumber Party Massacre
Cat People
Q The Winged Serpent
The Killing Hour
Amityville II: The Possession
Girls Nite Out
Death Valley
Madman
The Slayer
The Sender
The Dorm That Dripped Blood
Evilspeak
New York Ripper
and Silent Rage

1982 At The Box Office:

1. E.T. (359 million)
2. Tootsie (177 mill)
3. An Officer And A Gentlemen (129 mill)
4. Rocky III (124 mill)
5. Porky's (105 mill)
6. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn (78 mill)
7. 48 Hrs. (78 mill)
8. Poltergeist (76 mill)
9. The Best Whorehouse In Texas (69 mill)
10. Annie (57 mill)

1982 At The Oscars:

Best Picture: Gandhi (My personal choice of the nominees: E.T.)
Best Director: Richard Attenborough, Gandhi (Sidney Lumet, The Verdict)
Best Actor: Ben Kingsley, Gandhi (Peter O'Toole, My Favorite Year)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, Sophie's Choice (Meryl Streep)
Best Sup. Actor: Louis Gossett Jr., An Officer And A Gentlmen (John Lithgow, The World According To Garp)
Best Sup. Actress: Jessica Lange, Tootsie (Glenn Close, The World According To Garp)
Best Orig. Screenplay: Gandhi (Tootsie)
Best Adapt. Screenplay: Missing (The Verdict)
Best Cinematography: Gandhi (E.T.)
Best Original Score: E.T. (E.T. or Poltergeist)

Cinema Du Meep's 12 Favorite Older Films First Seen In 2011

2012-01-16T09:55:00.002-05:00

Although I try to get around to watching things I haven't seen before as much as possible, it gets a little harder these days in a world without the Video Store as we once knew it. Oh how I miss those days when the thrill of the hunt meant getting up off of the couch and actually going outside and down to the local Video Shops to find some Films that you have always meant to see, or the ones that you just had to take a chance on.

These days, I'm sometimes able to find things through online means like Netflix and Youtube (The great little Thriller Windows that is on my list just happens to be available on YouTube in it's entirety. You can find it here). Occasionally I'll buy an old VHS (or a DVD if the Film was lucky enough to get one) off of eBay or Amazon. Even if the Movie doesn't turn out to be a Classic, it's more than likely worth the few bucks to buy. And besides, considering how many people worked on the Film, don't these Movies, whether they be good or bad, deserve to be checked out before they are forgotten entirely?

For the second year in a row (2010's list is right here) I was asked by my friend Brian over at the great blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks to be part of his monthly blogathon and contribute my list of First Seen Films From Last Year. Some of the Movies ended up being a bit obscure, while others were much more of high profile. I'm really proud to be in such great company with these bloggers, and I urge you all to not only check out my list, but to check out some others as well.

You can find my new list here: My 12 Favorite Older Films First Seen In 2011.

You're outta here, Julian. Bruce brings on the Payne in the surprisingly decent Warlock 3

2011 in Review

2012-01-12T20:42:00.006-05:00

Everything I've seen that's first run in 2011 (2010 can be found right here)
I will be editing this list as I catch the ones that I've missed and actually want to see!

A
Drive ****
Insidious ****

A-
Midnight In Paris ***1/2
Dirty Girl ***1/2
Beginners ***1/2
Bridesmaids ***1/2
Shame ***1/2
50/50 ***1/2
Win Win ***1/2
Young Adult ***1/2
Moneyball ***1/2
Our Idiot Brother ***1/2
True Adolescents ***1/2
The Sitter ***1/2
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory ***1/2

B+
Friends With Kids ***
Good Neighbors ***
Jane Eyre ***
Amigo ***
3 Backyards ***
Kaboom ***
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol ***
Final Destination 5 ***
The Innkeepers ***
Super 8 ***
Attack The Block ***
Super ***
Scream 4 ***
Margin Call ***
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ***
The Myth Of The American Sleepover ***
Trust ***
J. Edgar ***
Fast Five ***
Arthur ***
Cedar Rapids ***
Straw Dogs ***
X-Men: First Class ***

B
Friends With Benefits ***
The Change-Up ***
The Help ***
Horrible Bosses ***
Carnage ***
The Descendants ***
The Future ***
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes ***
The Iron Lady ***
Stake Land ***
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil ***
Just Peck ***
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas ***
The Trip ***
The Woman ***
Cracks ***
F. ***
What's Your Number? ***
The Rum Diary ***

B-
Fright Night ***
Paul ***
Bad Teacher ***
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy ***
One Day ***
Footloose ***
Shark Night 3D ***
Killer Elite ***
Creature ***
Husk ***
The Muppets ***
The Resident ***
Ceremony ***
Your Highness ***
The Ides Of March ***
Like Crazy ***

C+
Limitless **1/2
The Ward **1/2
Contagion **1/2
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark **1/2
HappyThankYouMorePlease **1/2
Take Me Home Tonight **1/2
The Roommate **1/2
Burke And Hare **1/2
A Little Help **1/2
30 Minutes Or Less **1/2
Everything Must Go **1/2
Hall Pass **1/2
Henry's Crime **1/2
The Perfect Host **1/2
Crazy Stupid Love **1/2
Every Day **1/2
Just Go With It **1/2

C
A Dangerous Method **
We Need To Talk About Kevin **
The Thing **
The Hangover Part II **
The Dilemma **
Unknown **
Martha Marcy May Marlene **
Dolphin Tale **
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 **
I Don't Know How She Does It **
The Beaver **
The Rite **
Jack And Jill **

C-
The Big Year **
Black Death **
Death Race 2 **
Monogamy **
Red State **

D+
Larry Crowne
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night **
Priest **
Mother's Day **
Cars 2 **

D
Hostel Part III **
Season Of The Witch **
Drive Angry **
Red Riding Hood **

D-
Hobo With A Shotgun *1/2
Rubber *1/2

F
Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon *

Key

**** excellent

***1/2 very good

*** recommended

**1/2 not bad

** not so hot

*1/2 skip it, buddy

* don't even think about it, mister

Still need to see

Margaret

Corman's World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel

The Skin I Live In

Higher Ground

The Tree Of Life

Weekend

The Artist

Terri

and a few others.

Battle Of The HOT Network Stars: Charlene Tilton Vs. Pamela Sue Martin Vs. Lisa Hartman

2012-01-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

Round 9 finds itself in a three-way battle of the 80's Night Time Soap Starlets!
(previous rounds found right here)

Charlene Tilton of Dallas

Pamela Sue Martin of Dynasty

Lisa Hartman of Knots Landing

Which suds star would you rather lather up with?

Corey Feldman of the 80's

2012-01-05T19:27:00.012-05:00

Corey Feldman. His very name should bring you back to the 80's. He had quite the run back then, starring in a string of memorable hits. Here's a look back...

Right before the 80's, Corey had made his debut doing a series of Commercials for McDonalds.

He also found himself surrounded by some creepy Hawaiian Punch action....

He made his Television acting debut with episodes of Eight Is Enough (1978), Alice (1978) and Willa (1979) before his feature Film Debut in the great, Time After Time (1979).

He landed as a series regular on The Bad News Bears TV Show (1979-80) which only lasted 2 Seasons, and then got work on the Television Movies Love, Natalie and Father Figure (both 1980).

From there he voiced a role in the Animated Disney Film The Fox and the Hound (1981) and co-starred with Gary Coleman in the TV-Movie The Kid With the Broken Halo (1982) TV-Movie. In 1982, he also became a Series Regular on that show that not only starred mega-babe Judy Landers, but also a creepy puppet: Madame's Place. Sadly (happily?) it only lasted 1 season.

From there on out Corey was the 80's.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Corey Vs. Jason...

Gremlins (1984) Corey meets cute with a Mogwai...

A brief return to Jason country in Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning (1985)...

The Goonies (1985) finds Corey as the irrepressible but lovable Mouth...

Corey dons a new look and gets to display some acting chops in Stand by Me (1986)...

The Lost Boys (1987) finds Corey as a Vampire Hunter...

Corey loves to break all the rules in License to Drive (1988)...

The 'Burbs (1989) finds Corey neighbors with Tom Hanks and possibly some mass murderers...

Corey gets to do the old body switch routine in Dream a Little Dream (1989)...

Corey Feldman also had guest starring roles throughout the 80's on the Television shows: Mork & Mindy (1980), I'm A Big Girl Now (1981), Foul Play (1981), The Love Boat (1979/1982), Father Murphy (1982), Gloria (1982), The New Leave It To Beaver (1983), Cheers (1983), One Day At A Time (1984), Heart Of The City (1986), Trying Time (1989) and who could forget the 15 And Getting Straight, The CBS SchoolBreak Special from 1989 which also co-starred Tatum O'Neal and Corey's girlfriend of the time, Drew Barrymore.

The Innkeepers (2011)

2012-01-03T01:02:00.008-05:00

Ti West's The House of the Devil was a Retro Horror Movie surprise. His latest, The Innkeepers, continues some of that retro feel while incorporating it's own point of view and sense of humor. I enjoyed the Film's attention to details (the opening credit sequence especially) and West's admirable attempt at delivering a Supernatural Horror Film that delivers some chills while being grounded in it's world of twenty-something slackerdom.

The Innkeepers does fumble with it's tone. It's sometimes overly meandering, other times manic. House Of The Devil was a bit more consistent until it's batshit crazy finale. The quirky humor here was welcome from time to time, mostly due to it's leading lady, Sara Paxton. She's great and extremely likable, and ends up totally blowing her co-star (Pat Healy) off the screen anytime she's partnered with him (which is most of the time). The Film is also boosted with the presence of 80's star Kelly McGillis, grounding the film just when the potential silliness of the Supernatural starts to kick in. She may not be able to take Tom Cruise's breath away anymore, but the bitch will cut you with an arched eyebrow.

Haunted House/Hotel/Whatever stories of this kind will always have you talking back to the screen with sentences that go something like this: GET OUT OF THE HOTEL!... DON'T GO IN THERE!... DON'T YOU DARE GO IN THE BASEMENT!... LEAVE ALREADY!... But it's characters never listen. Ti West understands his audiences expectations and instead of completely defying them, he nimbly plays along with the game. You can never leave a Haunted House. Once you do, the Movie is OVER. West's camera is also pretty assured here. Lots of creepy zooms and tracking shots, building tension and suspense in both expected and unexpected places. It's so welcome to see a Filmmaker in the Horror Genre who not only actually cares about such things, but is actually good at generating them (recalling John Carpenter's workmanlike 70's Films) and also isn't completely opposed to the idea of a cheap shock or two. Horror Films are supposed to be fun, right?

While The Innkeepers will inevitably be considered a letdown after the entirely excellent The House Of The Devil, I couldn't help but feel it's still miles above most other Films I've seen in the genre in the last 2 or 3 years since that Film (though Last year's Insidious is still TOPS in my book, Supernatural Horror wise) INN is especially effective if you enjoy Horror Films that rely more on their setting and characters instead of whatever else is considered fashionable these days in the genre but is ultimately empty and pointless. This is a Picture that will probably grow on you more in multiple viewings, and I look forward to watching it again in the future. This might sound weird, but watching that poor girl struggle so much to put a bag of garbage in a big, clunky dumpster was quite fun to watch.

Alternative Posters:

The Innkeepers was made available to watch On Demand starting on December 30th, and will also be in theaters for a limited engagement on February 3rd.

Ultimate 80's Adventure Movies

2011-12-19T19:49:00.001-05:00

Join The Adventure, The Romance, The Danger, The Treasure, The Thrills, The Spills and The Non-Stop Fun of the 1980's Adventure Film.

Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ripoff...

3D Adventure...

Adventures In Space...

Time Traveling Adventures...

Sky Adventures...

Pirate Adventures...

Adventures in Swords, Sorcery And Lots Of Muscles...

Animal Adventures...

Kids Adventures...

Adventures In Nature...

Fantasy Adventures....

Women Of Adventure...

Men Of Adventure...

Adventures In Treasure Hunting...

Out Of Control Adventures....

Cheerleader Movie Mania

2011-12-14T17:03:00.002-05:00

Let's hear it for the Cheerleader Movie!

Ranking Woody Allen

2011-12-09T16:39:00.002-05:00

After catching the Woody Allen Documentary on PBS a couple of weeks ago (It's available to stream within the US on their website and it heads to DVD for a limited time in February), I made it a mission to revisit Woody's Film Canon, in the order they were released. I fizzled out a bit during his lesser fare in the early to mid 2000s, but I was surprised to find that I loved some of his Films now more than ever (Small Time Crooks, Manhattan Murder Mystery) while others that I once really liked have lost some of their luster (Interiors, Alice)...

Check out the Documentary if you can. It was very well done and an informing glimpse into the inner workings of a Film Director. It was fun to draw parallels to Woody's upbringing in New York to my own. His real home was at the Cinema, and I can totally relate.

Here are his Films, in the order I like 'em...

Annie Hall (1977)
Play It Again, Sam (Actor/Writer) (1972)
Hannah And Her Sisters (1986)
Manhattan (1979)
Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)
The Purple Rose Of Cairo (1985)
Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Husbands And Wives (1992)
Small Time Crooks (2000)

Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Broadway Danny Rose (1985)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Match Point (2005)
Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Take The Money And Run (1969)
Midnight In Paris (2011)
Every One Says I Love You (1996)
Another Woman (1988)
Sleeper (1973)

Radio Days (1987)
Cassandra's Dream (2007)
Stardust Memories (1980)
Scoop (2006)
Alice (1990)
Sweet And Lowdown (1999)
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* But Were Afraid To Ask (1972)
Bananas (1971)
Celebrity (1998)
Whatever Works (2009)

Interiors (1978)
Zelig (1983)
Anything Else (2003)
Oedipus Wrecks (from New York Stories) (1989)
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)
The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion (2002)
Love And Death (1975)
Hollywood Ending (2001)
Melinda And Melinda (2004)
Don't Drink The Water (1994)
Shadows And Fog (1991)
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
September (1987)

Woody Allen is currently our most prolific American Filmmaker. Now in his mid 70s, he's still making the occasional wonderful Film, and has scored his biggest hit with the charming Midnight In Paris. Here's to all his future Films to come!

My Favorite Scream Queens Part 2

2011-12-05T15:50:00.002-05:00

More of my Favorite Scream Queens can also be found in Part 1 right HERE

Amy Steel
of Friday The 13th Part 2, April Fool's Day & Tales Of Poe

Kelli Maroney
of Slayground, Night Of The Comet, Chopping Mall, The Zero Boys, Not Of This Earth, Transylvania Twist, Hard To Die & Servants Of Twilight

Lesleh Donaldson
of Funeral Home, Happy Birthday To Me, Deadly Eyes, Curtains & Tales Of Poe

Lori Lethin
of Bloody Birthday, The Day After, The Prey & Return To Horror High

Bette Davis
of What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, Hush...Hush...Sweet Charlotte, The Nanny, Scream Pretty Peggy, Burnt Offerings, The Dark Secret Of Harvest Home, Return From Witch Mountain, The Watcher In The Woods & Wicked Stepmother

Mary Elizabeth Winstead
of Wolf Lake, Monster Island, The Ring Two, Final Destination 3, Black Xmas, Death Proof, The Thing & Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Janet Leigh
of Psycho, Honeymoon With A Stranger, Night Of The Lepus, The Fog & Halloween: 20 Years Later

Angela Bettis
of Bless The Child, May, Carrie ('02), Toolbox Murders, The Circle, Masters Of Horror: Sick Girl, The Woods, Roman, Scar, Wicked Lake & The Woman

Virginia Madsen

of Zombie High, Candyman, The Prophecy, The Haunting, The Number 23, The Haunting In Connecticut & Red Riding Hood

Deborah Foreman
of April Fool's Day, Grizzly 2: The Predator, Destroyer, Waxwork & Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat

My Favorite role for each Scream Queen:

Amy Steel - Friday The 13th Part 2
Kelli Maroney - Night Of The Comet
Lesleh Donaldson - Curtain/Funeral Home (tie)
Lori Lethin - Bloody Birthday
Bette Davis - Burnt Offerings
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - The Thing (as she's the only good thing about it)
Janet Leigh - Psycho
Angela Bettis - May
Virginia Madsen - Candyman
Deborah Foreman - April Fool's Day

Total Cheeseball Guilty Pleasures Part 2: The Revenge of Señor Cinema Cheeseball

2011-12-02T15:13:00.004-05:00

Revenge is a dish best served with crackers. Here are more cheese-fest favorites (Part 1 can be found here)

Kirsty Swanson in the role she was born to play... A Mannequin! Well, I guess she was a robot once. Seriously though, she's even more wooden in this one. You gotta love that method acting! Also on hand are hairy Bavarians, weightlifter goons in neon spandex, Meshach Taylor returning to all his queening glory as Hollywood Montrose, several dance numbers, fairy tales come to life, the guy from Herman's Head, magical necklaces that aren't made of pearls, illegally parked jeeps, Video Dating and perhaps the lord himself returning to earth to stop this insanity from being shown in theaters and on Home Video... Until that happens, watch this Movie at all costs. It'll change your life!

Mannequin 2: On The Move (1991)

Okay, I'd gladly be the first to admit to loving this silly Movie and even preferring it to the first. Who in their darkest hearts doesn't have a desire to sing along to a class of horny kids about reproduction, or dance along with nuns at a bowling alley? You know you want to go to Biker heaven to find your chest exposed true love or the very least watch her or him gyrate on a ladder in the middle of a song and dance number. A couple of years ago there was a sing-a-long screening of this Film, and there I was, with a surprising amount of other people (nearly 25!), wearing a plastic lei, singing along. Grease 2 is considered a bomb, and it explodes it's way into my heart.

Grease 2 (1982)

Johnny Five is still alive, and this time he's in what I think is supposed to be New York City (or Toronto where they actually filmed). Short Circuit 2 sadly does not have either The Gute nor Ally Sheedy returning. But hey, it does have Fisher Stevens returning with his borderline racist portrayal of an Indian Computer geek! This go round Stevens gets to meet cute with the super cute Cynthia Gibb (who may or may not have been the reason why I watched this Film more than once in the first place growing up) The plot also revolves around how the big bad city is filled with people that only want to use Johnny Five to either rip off car stereos, make toys on an assembly line or rob Bank Vaults. At least he gets to speed read an entire book store and becomes an American Citizen at the end! Honestly, I can't tell you why I like this cheese-fest. Sometimes we all go down pretty reckless paths in life and don't want to stop...

Short Circuit 2 (1988)

Ethereal beauty and French Cinema star Emmanuelle Beart takes Tom Cruise's advice in Risky Business and says What The Fuck and makes her move to 80's American Films. She crash lands in Date With An Angel. The concept of a dude (soap star Michael E. Knight--not to be confused with the guy with the talking car) with a bitchy fiancee (a fuming Pheoebe Cates) who falls in love with an Angel with a broken wing is so cloyingly cute (complete with non-stop glowing Cinematography on Ms. Beart) that this hunk of brie actually somehow wins me over. Naturally directed by the guy who Helmed Friday The 13th: Jason Lives and the spooky One Dark Night.

Date With An Angel (1987)

Two working stiff dudes leave Detroit and head to Aspen to mingle with the super rich and teach them how to ski. One of them falls for that super rich bitch from other cheese favorite Staying Alive, leaving poor, interesting DJ Teri Polo waiting in the wings. Part romance, part soap opera, part sports movie, part buddy flick, part who the hell was this movie made for anyway? Me, I guess.

Aspen Extreme (1993)

Yeah, it's safe to say that nearly all Madonna movies suck. I love Desperately Seeking Susan, but can I honestly say that I love a strangely updated version of the Classic Bringing Up Baby with the Material Girl adopting a bizarre voice and needless betty boop-bop behavior? Griffin Dunne of After Hours returns for more New York adventure and somehow through all the madcap comedy and 80s cheese his and Madonna's zany chemistry actually works.

Who's That Girl? (1987)

She's a telephone pole worker by day. An aerobics instructor by night. Now she's possessed by a dead Ninja. This Movie simply cannot be described. It has to be seen to be believed. Enter The Lucinda Dickey Ninja, if you dare...
.

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

Speaking of which, I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw this one. The Original Karate Kid had become a cherished film to me. I even enjoyed the sequel, and felt it was a pretty decent companion to the original. But Part 3... How could they go so wrong... but oh so right! People, you must meet our new villain, ascot wearing Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). This guy is so completely ridiculous and over-the-top that he never fails to make me laugh. I almost wish he conquered poor Daniel Laruso and Mr. Miyagi and had sequels all his own.

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

The moving and triumphant story of a boy in a plastic bubble, er, crystal room, who falls for... Ack, just watch the video and fall in love with the glorious musical stylings of Tawny Kitaen...

Crystal Heart (1986)

I assure you, there is no one in the world quite like Kim Bentley (Jill Lansing in her only role). Who doesn't want to be around a girl with such an incredibly bad attitude, someone who constantly gets into fights with her parents, gets into fights with school friends, sleeps with her teachers, becomes a prostitute and then a hitman? Malibu High also uses music from The People's Court (!) in chase scenes. Now this is Filmmaking!

Malibu High (1979)

Porky's this ain't. It's so much better... It's the sequel to Screwballs!
And it has a theme song! Here's another classy song and scene from the Film...

Loose Screws (1985)

Come on, everybody... DO THE SCREW!!!

More screwy montage fun!

Total Cheeseball Guilty Pleasures and the man who loves them Part 1

2011-11-30T15:08:00.006-05:00

Call these silly Movies whatever you want. Totally cheeseball, cheese-fests, guilty pleasures... Whatever. I think maybe for some of us guys it's a bit harder to admit to enjoying or even, gasp, loving some of these rather light entertainments or Films aimed for perhaps a totally different demographic (Scotch loving, bearded married men are only supposed to love things blowing up, I guess) I say revel in it and enjoy. These are some of my Favorites. What are yours?
(Part 2 can be found here)

Monsieur Steve Guttenberg is probably the 1980's unsung hero. He starred in tons of hits and fondly remembered films (Cocoon, Police Academy, Diner, Three Men And A Baby...) but somehow didn't survive that decade fully intact. As the 80's drew to a close, The Gute sank his fangs into the groundbreaking story of a cancer stricken overweight cartoonist who allows his romance novelist sister (Shelley Long) to transform him into a hunky, motorcycle ridin' New Zealander. Yes my friends, his name is LOBO.. And this is the Movie that was formerly named Don't Tell Her It's Me and later retitled The Boyfriend School.

Don't Tell Her It's Me (1990)

One of The Gute's biggest hits of the 80s, Short Circuit, co-starred Ally Sheedy. After their fine work together on that Film, Sheedy set her sights on a Cinderella story. That is a Cinderella who is actually a Jesus And Mary Chain listening, coked up night club partying, midnight nude swimming, rich spoiled brat who one day loses her identity, family and friends and has to learn a few life lessons with the help of her fairy godmother (a chain-smoking Beverly D'Angelo) - Maid To Order is a PG-Rated chick-flick fantasy that this grown man and his beard loves...

Maid To Order (1987)

High School Movies were at their most popular in the 80s, but by 1989, the combination of High School flick by way of Footloose Musical was not warmly welcomed at all. The writer of Footloose tried to give the same old guy on the wrong side of the tracks story a Brooklyn spin, and ended up with a total cheese-fest. Complete with a Lorainne Bracco dance number. Sing is naturally spellbinding!

Sing (1989)

Pia Zadora + Harold Robbins. Need I say more?
The Lonely Lady was a notorious bad Movie back in it's day. I say that in today's world of fame at all costs regardless of talent makes this Lonely Lady a cheese that has aged very, very well...

The Lonely Lady (1983)

Most knew that a follow up to the disco grit of Saturday Night Fever some 6 years later wasn't going to be a surefire success, and with Sylvester Stallone and the helm with his brother Frank providing the music, I say those naysayers were completely wrong. Witness this masterful montage and fall in love with the wonder and the POWER that is still....

Staying Alive (1983)

Ah, Shelly Long once again. I could have easily included her other 80's guilty pleasure, Troop Beverly Hills, but for some reason I keep going back to this one. The popular chick Novel author Susan Isaccs penned the script, and the great Frank Perry (David & Lisa, The Swimmer) Directed this Movie about a Long Island housewife who dies by choking on a giant South Korean chicken ball ("A Chicken Ball That Ended It All" as the trailer so wittily proclaims) and comes back to life to find her true love (the charming irish doctor who couldn't save her from dying in the first place--Gabriel Byrne) Hello Again is my favorite of the cheeseball variety, the New York Movie Cheeseball. Remember to chew slowly while watching!

Hello Again (1987)

Lara Flynn Boyle kills someone with a wasp, arranges it to look like a member of the A-Team has committed suicide, mangles someone's hand by way of a paper shredder and makes old ladies bleed from cookies. With Oscar Winners (Faye Dunaway and Timothy Hutton) strutting their acting chops for all the world to enjoy. So much to enjoy here. Just don't fuck with...

The Temp (1993)

A movie about an ambitious college student who will stop at nothing to get his best friend, a hunky diver, to pose for a calendar so he can make a lot of money. Welcome to the 80's people! And dive into the cheesy fun of...

Campus Man (1987)

Chad Lowe plays a man who will also stop at nothing. This time it's to get close to the women he loves by pretending to be her female best friend, roommate and tennis partner. Somewhere in the world Hilary Swank is waiting to marry this dude. But hey...

Nobody's Perfect (1990)

Before his Arrested Development and eventual breakthrough success, Jason Bateman was once a leading man. Or rather, leading wolf. I love Teen Wolf Too. I suppose it's in it's own way terrible, but so is the original. This has the totally tubular premise of a boxing wolf, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark's Kim Darby as a mulleted Professor with a secret of her own and tons of Montages. Oh how I heart Montages...

Teen Wolf Too (1987)

Coming Soon: Part 2, The Revenge of Senor Cinema Cheeseball.

New Retro 80's DVDs For The Holidays

2011-11-28T14:57:00.003-05:00

All 80's Movies. All released for the first time on DVD. Get 'em for your favorite 80's Movie Lover. And maybe for yourself!

Coming In December:

Don't Open Till Christmas (1984) 12/6
Zone Troopers (1985) 12/6
Intruder Blu-Ray/DVD (1989) 12/13
Under The Boardwalk (1989) 12/13
Opposing Force (1986) 12/20

(Post) Thanksgiving Films worth checking out.

2011-11-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Surrounded by Family members. Swarmed by cousins and relatives who's names you can't quite recall. Chomping on a turkey leg. Realizing that the best part of the meal are actually the sides and not this dry bird. I myself long for some Sweet Potato casserole. The kind with the marshmallows on top. Some find it cloyingly sweet. I find it beyond awesome. The stuffing. Hopefully it's done well. There's nothing better than a delicious stuffing. And I kind of love the cranberries that come out of a can. The kind that take on the can's shape. Yum. But that's just me. Whilst feeling a bit claustrophobic, and trying to tune out the noise of family yammering away, and the image of a crazy aunt doing what every families crazy aunt does (embarrassing herself always) you might feel the need to run. I contemplated taking up smoking, just to have an excuse to get myself out of the house, but I don't think inhaling clouds of smoke into my lungs is the answer. I eye the Turkey's carving knife, catching a glimpse at myself in the reflection. An escape to the Movies is definitely in order. Before it's too late!

Here are some of my Favorite Films that revolve around Thanksgiving. Some of them are as sweet as the casserole, others are a bloody mess.. And all the better because of it.

I'm so glad you survived Thanksgiving! Here's to some Christmas and New Year's Evil just on the horizon...

Vigilante Movies Of The 1980's

2011-11-17T18:07:00.004-05:00

The 1980's. The Country's deficit grows and grows. Cities become bankrupt. Crime rises. What do you do when you can't walk the streets by yourself? Who do you turn to? The police? The ones that aren't losing their jobs to the failing economy and cutbacks are turning their backs. Too much to do with little manpower. Or are they afraid themselves?

Growing up in New York City during a fairly rough era, we had the Guardian Angels. They did what they could within an organized group to clean up the streets. While there was plenty of crime related to drugs and robbery, you couldn't possibly protect all the streets when Crime sometimes tends to be so utterly random. The Silver Screen had people like Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) and Paul Kersey (Death Wish) taking matters into their own hands. We had people like Bernard Goetz who fended off muggers on the subway with his gun. Although it was a crime he was ultimately punished for, the debate will always remains the same: Shouldn't you have the right to be able to defend yourself when you feel like no one else is?

It's easier to just enjoy some of these crazy Films, a lot of which were VERY reactionary to the times and growing unrest, especially in urban areas. Movies like these can easily cross the line into exploitation, but when it's done in a way to entertain rather than simply depress it's audience, then I'm totally there. Pictures like Vigilante and Fight Back are outrageous in the way crime is portrayed, and that's what makes them so much fun.

Why not take back the streets yourself like some of these heroes in these Movies...

1980:

1981:

Panic In The Schools (1981) AKA: Panikos Sta Sholeia:

1982:

Devils In The Schools (1982) AKA: Satanades sta Sholeia:

1983:

1984:

1985:

Blood Debts (1985) AKA: Eliminator:

Streets Of Justice (1985):

1986:

1987:

1988:

Let Sleeping Cops Lie (1988) AKA: Never Wake A Cop:

1989:

Orapronobis (1989) AKA: Fight For Us:

Humongous (1982) - Now on DVD!

2011-11-15T14:54:00.002-05:00

Good news 80's Slasher Fans... Humongous, from 1982, is now on DVD!

Thanks to the good folk over at Scorpion Releasing, we can now finally see Humongous in all it's Anamorphic Widescreen glory. Uncut, too!

The beautiful opening credits...

A gorier, grittier prologue...

Headbands, big eyeglasses and crazy looks galore...

This new version will make you feel real good...

And maybe put you in the mood...

To drive a boat in a fog, of course...

Try not to scream, if you can...

Put some berries in your favorite shirt...

But remember to wash them off...

And then lay on top of someone if they have the chills...

Start your Scooby-Doo investigations...

Scream again if you must...

Return to sleuthing, please...

Get totally bummed because you lose your big glasses...

Be careful, someone might try to grab your crotch...

And this might take your boyfriend away. What a drag...

Look out for the things lurking behind you in a Split-Diopter shot...

Try to survive the night from some really bad makeup...

Become victorious.... and all alone...

Get your hands in your favorite pair of 80's jeans, pull out some cash, and buy yourself a copy of Humongous right now!

Humongous at Amazon

Top 10 Paul Schrader

2011-11-14T13:03:00.002-05:00

My 10 Favorite Films of Maverick Writer/Director Paul Schrader, a man who really knows how to tap into the darker, grittier parts of human nature.

1. American Gigolo (also writer) (1980)
2. Light Sleeper (also writer) (1992)
3. Cat People (also co-writer) (1982)
4. Affliction (also writer) (1997)
5. The Comfort Of Strangers (1990)
6. Hardcore (also writer) (1979)
7. Blue Collar (also writer) (1978)
8. Auto Focus (2002)
9. Patty Hearst (1988)
10. Light Of Day (also writer) (1987)

The Rest:

11. Witch Hunt (1994)
12. The Walker (also writer) (2007)
13. Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters (also writer) (1985)
14. Touch (also writer) (1996)
15. Forever Mine (also writer) (1999)
16. Adam Resurrected (2008)
17. Dominion: The Prequel To The Exorcist (2005)

Solely as a Screenwriter:

1. Taxi Driver (1976)
2. Raging Bull (1980)
3. Obsession (1976)
4. Rolling Thunder (1977)
5. Old Boyfriends (1979)
6. The Yakuza (1974)
7. The Mosquito Coast (1986)
8. The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
9. Bringing Out The Dead (1999)
10. City Hall (1996)

Paul Schrader's career in both Writing and Directing Films is pretty unique. He often stays true to his themes and ideas, even when the Films dip into other genres. He walks a dark path, and often the leading men who populate his Pictures are very flawed characters, sometimes desperately searching for some form of redemption. We can't help but identify with them to varying degrees.

Hopefully this Great Filmmaker, who has worked within the mainstream and on the outside, will get more opportunities to have his incomparable point of view come across in future projects.

25 Years Ago in 1986...

2011-11-07T15:18:00.001-05:00

...These Films were now playing at a theater near you!

I remember seeing quite a few of these at the Cinema. I just love the look of posters back then, don't you?

My only complaint... Let's Get Harry (good little Action Flick by the way) Gary Busey. No mustache. He totally broke the running theme of that poster, the bastard!

I highly recommend Modern Girls if you're in the mood for something very 80's and a lot of fun. In some ways it's the L.A. pop version of After Hours. And yes, that's a good thing. A very good thing. The actors and their characters are quite lovable, too. And if you're already a fan of the Film, Join Modern Girl's Facebook Page.

Besides Modern Girls, of the films on this list, Jumpin' Jack Flash is easily my most watched. And it ranks very high on my most watched of the 80's list. It's just so effortlessly watchable and the dialogue is very quotable. Whoopi Goldberg has never been as good in a Movie as she is here. For her first leading role, she really does a really great job of making it fun to watch a woman talk to her computer.

I can also watch Soul Man over and over. That is up until it tries a bit too hard to deliver it's message and the comedy winds down. But for the first hour or so, Soul Man is totally brilliant in the way it sends up white fear with black culture. Deadly Friend on the other hand is totally brilliant in the way it delivers this message: Mess with a robot, and then get your head basketballed off...

Something Special is a good addition to the gender reversal sub-genre. It's a charming little Teen Film with a very likable performance by the always underrated Pamela Segall.

Trick or Treat was a perfect Halloween release. I still remember going to see this at a theater filled with both families and heavy metal heads. Sometimes overlapping with a family of Metalheads. Some of the theater patrons were in full costume. It was a very interesting dynamic and a good time at the Movies. Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons are in the cast, but more importantly, it's star is Skippy from Family Ties.

From Beyond was also a terrific Film to release around Halloween. Remember when movies could be totally gruesome but also kind of sexy? From Beyond turns a crisp fall evening into something totally nasty and hot. Keep your pineal gland to yourself, Mister.

New York Horror Movies List

2011-11-03T19:18:00.001-04:00

Growing up in the gritty New York City of the late 70's and 80's could be considered by some to be horrifying in itself. For me, it helped form an appreciation for many things, including the Horror Film. The New York City of my youth was full of Movie Theaters, some of which were Movie Palaces, a lot of others were pretty run down and with no signs or repair on the horizon. But they were dirt cheap! It's in these theaters where I met my first love, The Movies. A love affair still growing strong after all these years.

Because a lot of these theaters were by their nature considered "seedy", I got to see all sorts of strange, offbeat Films, always avoiding the plethora of Porn and badly dubbed Chop Socky at my disposal. Porn because I was way too young, and Chop Socky because it somehow bored me. Although I still very much loved all the Mainstream films of the time (which I'm sure I'll get to in future posts), I tended to gravitate towards those of the more visceral variety. The Horror Film especially. I was lucky enough to watch a lot of movies that probably didn't get a lot of play outside of the Drive-In's in this country. I still greatly remember sitting in the theater watching Basket Case with both a wide smile on my face and my hands sometimes covering it in fear. To quote my Favorite Horror Film, Halloween, "...Everyone's Entitled To One Good Scare". I wanted a few more. And I got 'em.Thank you, New York!

Here's my way of celebrating the New York Horror Film. A visual list of everything that was either filmed in or set in the boroughs, upstate, the islands and all the nooks in between. Enjoy!

What better way to start off then the most infamous of Haunted House Movies & it's sequels, the Long Island set:

The Amityville Horror (1978) - Amityville, Long Island

Amityville II: The Possession (1982) - Amityville, Long Island

Amityville 3-D (1983) - Amityville, Long Island

The Addiction (1994) - Manhattan

The Ambulance (1990) - Manhattan

American Psycho (2000) - Manhattan

Angel Heart (1987) - Manhattan, Brooklyn

Aroused (1966) - Manhattan

Audrey Rose (1977) - Manhattan

Bad Biology (2008) - Brooklyn, Mahattan, Staten Island

Basket Case (1982) - Manhattan

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) - Manhattan

Begotten (1990) - Manhattan

The Believers (1987) - Manhattan, Brooklyn

Blood Sisters (1987) - Manhattan, New Jersey

Bloodsucking Freaks (1976) - Manhattan

Bloodthirsty Butchers (1970) - Staten Island

Brain Damage (1988) - Manhattan

Breeders (1986) - Manhattan

The Burning (1981) - Buffalo, New York

Carnage (1984) - Staten Island

Carnival Of Blood (1970) - Brooklyn

Cat People (1942) - Manhattan

C.H.U.D (1984) - Manhattan

Cloverfield (2008) - Manhattan

Combat Shock (1986) - Staten Island

Dark Water (2005) - Roosevelt Island

Dead Dudes In The House (1991) - Cherry Valley, NY

Def By Temptation (1990) - Brooklyn

Deranged (1987) - Manhattan

Devil's Advocate (1997) - Manhattan

Driller Killer (1979) - Manhattan

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) - Manhattan

The Eyes Of Laura Mars (1978) - Manhattan

The Fan (1981) - Manhattan

Fear No Evil (1981) - Rochester & Alexandria Bay, NY

Final Destination (2000) - Long Island

Final Destination 2 (2003) - Long Island

5 Dead On The Crimson Canvas (1996) Glen Cove, Long Island

Flesh Eating Mothers (1988) - Long Island

Forced Entry (1973) - Queens, Manhattan

1408 (2007) - Manhattan

Frankenhooker (1990) - Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey

Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) Manhattan, mostly on a boat :)

The Ghastly Ones (1968) - Staten Island

God Told Me To (1976) - Manhattan

Guru The Mad Monk (1970) - Staten Island

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) - Manhattan

Habit (1997) - Manhattan

He Knows You're Alone (1980) - Staten Island

Headless Eyes (1971) - Manhattan

Hell High (1989) - Scarsdale, The Bronx

Horror (2002) - Warwick, The Bronx, New Jersey

House On The Edge Of The Park (1980) - Manhattan, New Jersey

The Hunger (1983) - Manhattan

I Drink Your Blood (1970) - Sharon Springs, NY

Igor And The Lunatics (1985) Carmel, NY

Inferno (1980) - Manhattan

Invasion Of The Blood Farmers (1972) - Weschester County

Jacob's Ladder (1990) - Manhattan

Kill By Inches (1999) - Brooklyn, Manhattan

Killer Condom (1996) - Manhattan

The Killing Hour (1982) - Manhattan

King Kong (1933) - Manhattan

King Kong (1976) - Manhattan, Queens

Lady In White (1988) - Rochester, Alexandria Bay, Wade County, NY

Lake Placid (1999) - Lake Placid, Manhattan

Last House On Dead End Street (1977) - Oneonta, NY

Legacy Of Horror(Blood) (1978) - Staten Island

Love At First Bite (1979) - Manhattan

Lurkers (1988) - Manhattan

Madman (1982) - Southhampton, Long Island

Magic (1978) - Manhattan

Malevolence (2004) - Long Island

Manhattan Baby (1982) - Manhattan

Maniac (1980) - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens

Maniac Cop (1988) - Manhattan

Maniac Cop 2 (1990) - Manhattan, New Jersey

Mimic (1997) - Manhattan

Mirrors (2008) - Manhattan

The Monster Of Camp Sunshine (1964) - Manhattan

Mulberry Street (2006) - Manhattan

My Demon Lover (1987) - Manhattan

New York Ripper (1982) - Manhattan

Night Owl (1993) - Manhattan

A Night To Dismember (1983) - Long Island, Queens, The Bronx

Nightmare (1981) - Manhattan

100 Feet (2008) - Brooklyn

The Oracle (1985) - Manhattan

Perfect Strangers (1984) - Manhattan

The Phantom Of The Opera (1989) - Manhattan

Plutonium Baby (1987) - Manhattan

The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) - Poughkeepsie, NY

The Possession Of Joel Delaney (1972) - Manhattan

Prime Evil (1989) - Manhattan

Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) - Manhattan

The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972) - Staten Island

Red Hook (2009) - Manhattan, Brooklyn

The Rejuvenator (1988) - Manhattan

Rosemary's Baby (1968) - Manhattan

Satan's Little Helper (2004) - Hastins-On-Hudson, Tarrytown, White Plains, NY

Scream For Help (1984) - New Rochelle, NY

The Sentinel (1977) - Brooklyn

The Seventh Victim (1943) - Manhattan

Sex Wish (1976) - Manhattan

Shriek Of The Mutilated (1976) - Croton-On-Hudson, NY

Silent Madness (1984) Staten Island, New Jersey

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974) - Oyster Bay, Long Island

Sisters (1973) - Staten Island, Manhattan

Sleepaway Camp (1983) - Argyle, Fort Edward, Glen Falls, Lake Luzerne, NY

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - Sleepy Hollow, NY

Slime City (1988) - Manhattan

Slime City Massacre (2010) - Buffalo, NY

Slugs: The Movie (1987) - Lyons, NY

Special Effects (1984) - Manhattan

Spookies (1986) - Rye, NY

A Stranger Is Watching (1982) - Manhattan

Street Trash (1987) - Brooklyn

The Stuff (1985) - Manhattan, Accord, Kingston, NY

Tenement: Game Of Survival (1985) - The Bronx

Terror Firmer (1999) - Brooklyn, Manhattan

There's Nothing Out There (1992) - Piermont, NY

Too Scared To Scream (1985) - Manhattan

Vampire's Kiss (1989) - Manhattan

Wait Until Dark (1967) - Manhattan

Wendigo (2001) - Kingston, Phoenecia, Ulster County, NY

Wolf (1994) - Manhattan

Wolfen (1981) - The Bronx, Manhattan

Zombie (1979) - Brooklyn, Manhattan