Charles W Jones

Fear Street Part One 1994 (2021) was on my list from 2020, but with everything else, it was pushed. It was included in the “Won’t Die If I Don’t See It” section and this is what I said about it Fear Street is an adaptation of books by R.L. Stine, which I never read. I’m assuming it’s gonna be like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, so I won’t be in a hurry to see this. Well, truth be told, I’m glad 21st Century Fox and Disney thing happened and Netflix picked it up because it probably would still be on my watch list. My preconceived notions about the film were swept away when the opening scene began and didn’t raise its ugly head again. Fear Street is nothing like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, what is like is classic 80s slasher stalker horror that always amuses me. Yes, there’s gore galore, but there’s also an interesting back story intertwined with what’s happening. The acting and effects are great too. So if you haven’t seen it, you need to. I gave Fear Street Part One – 1994 5

I would hope that Phantasm V: Ravager (2016) is the last in the franchise since Agnus died before the film was released; he was 90. Eighteen years passed since IV was released, and it’s very telling in the actors. I know, I know we all get old, but doing a Phantasm-athon and seeing them all at once is a little unnerving when I started watching this one. I never saw this one until recently and didn’t know what to expect (it’s the reason for the Phantasm binge). I thought it was awesome that they brought back the 1971 ‘Cuda with the hardtop. It was a lovely touch aiding in closing the circle. At first, I thought it would primarily focus on Reggie partially because of how IV ended and how Phantasm V began, but I was surprised and delighted to see that most everyone came back, even Rocky from III. Of course, there’s another girl in this one too. The overlay of realities in this one shows the sci-fi aspects of this film series. With the advancement of technology, the spheres are so much bet

After each time I see Phantasm (1979), it lingers in the back of my head for days. It has to be one of the most iconic movies for me for that reason. The beauty of the marble halls with the coffin drawers always delights my senses, but that’s not all that entices me into this world, and it’s also the flying chrome balls with blades zooming across the screen. With my most recent viewing, I’d forgotten the way Tall Man walks. Sometimes it’s heel to toe. On other occasions, it’s with wide strides. With each step of his fancy footwork, there’s a peculiar grace in his hand movements, even with the exaggerated swinging. Agnus Scrimm makes this icon of horror one of the creepiest and weirdest antagonists ever created; I can’t imagine anyone else taking the role and doing it justice. The dwarves always freak me out. Even knowing beforehand what/who they are, doesn’t change the unnerving sensation they exude. They are vicious things, and I wouldn’t want to cross them ever. Things get weird for

One of my favorite Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian movies from the 80s is Radioactive Dreams (1985). After searching for years and years, I found it on YouTube; someone was kind enough to copy it from VHS and upload it (the quality is better than I expected too), which I’m sure is 100% legal. I don’t care. I was super excited to see it again. The movie revolves around Philip Chandler and Marlowe Hammer, who finally dig out of the fallout shelter their fathers left them in when nuclear bombs were exploded worldwide. Neither knows what it is like in the world outside, but they are determined to find their dads, and they do. Chandler and Hammer are like 1950s gumshoes because they learned from old detective books in the shelter. Radioactive Dreams’ soundtrack is filled with obscure New Wave tracks that, in my opinion, should’ve had so much play on the radio back in the day, but they didn’t. Sue Saad is featured in a scene even, performing a song in music video style while the action happens in

I want to say that poetry has never been high on my list to read until I saw the beautiful cover for My Soul Is A Witness on Instagram. There is something about its simplicity and 70s style that drew me in. As a white gay man, I definitely didn’t know what to expect reading the prose and felt like a fish out of water, but as I read, I felt a sense of inclusion, though the strife in my life no way competes. Many of the poems in this collection are about celebrating life and people of color as well as motivational to write and live life to its fullest. I am very impressed with Yecheilyah Ysrayl’s voice and I hope that everyone will pick up a copy of My Soul Is A Witness. I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About My Soul Is A Witness My Soul is a Witness is a collection of poems that reminds us that there is still hope in our darkest moments. Nothing we go through is without a purpose. No pain we suffer, and no trial we experience happens without reason. It all ministers to our education and the

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone ( 1983 ) is considered a Space Western, which is a funny term on its own, but in this film, the space footage isn’t more than ten minutes. The musical score stays true to other big name Space Operas (another term that makes me giggle), it even competed with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi or thought it did. How many times have I seen this? At least 50 times, there’s something about it that sucks me in every time I see it, and is the reason it is one of my top 20 all time favorite movies. The costuming is like an episode of Mad Max, and the effects are epic. I love the ship made from railcars, I just wish it wasn’t destroyed so soon. The cast is quite exciting. Peter Straus plays Wolff, he is one sexy muthafucka bounty hunter that meets up with young Molly Ringwald playing Niki a ‘Scav.’ Eventually, they join forces with Washington, Ernie Hudson, to save the supermodels from Overlord’s grip (Michael Ironside). I will forever love Spacehunter:

Several countries banned The Devils (1971) for many years because of its content; not sure why, besides it was the 1970s. It appears that the version on Shudder is missing two minutes of the original 111-minute film, which could be compression, I guess. Another thing of great interest behind this film is that it originally had an X rating; you can imagine my expectations. Sexy AF Oliver Reed takes the lead role of Father Urbain Grandier and Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne des Anges. Both take on the historical roles amazingly, though neither have ever disappointed me. With 59 minutes left, I’m still waiting for the extremeness that caused all the hubbub back in the day. That’s not to say that I’m not enjoying The Devils because I am. The strangeness of each scene is off the charts. The visions, the mockery, and all the other stuff are extraordinary, reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange (1971) in styling. The set reminds me of something too, with its sterileness, that I still can’t put m

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) is a German horror film with English overdubs for us that only know one language. Netflix has been finding an amazing collection of films that I normally wouldn’t have seen or probably known about and this is a great addition to my favorite horror movies. Of course, I’m a little leary of things I find on Netflix, because it’s a coin-toss on whether I’m going to make it beyond the first twenty minutes. It starts with a very Friday the 13th feel and continues on that path for most of the movie with a few twists along the way that make it completely different from the aforementioned film. I enjoyed the multiple coming out scenes and not just about being gay. There’s even a strange bondage bit in a church. The backstory has a touch of Color Out of Space to it, which added a nuance that made the reason for the killers to be more cohesive. Speaking of them, they are super gross, though not super original and that was just fine. Nobody Sleeps in the W

Blood Vessel ( 2019 ) takes a group of unlikely survivors aboard a Nazi ship in hopes of finding a way home. The play on words in the title is a double entendre, giving the movie a bigger bite for me. This is one that I didn’t watch the trailer first, I saw a post on Facebook about the film being on Shudder , so I took the chance, and for a change won. None of the castaways on the liferaft have any idea what to expect when they board the ship and definitely didn’t expect to find it empty. The gore level in Blood Vessel is amazing as are the monsters that gave me one of the best surprises I’ve had watching a film in a while. The film is superb too, and let’s not forget the acting that is very strong. With every step, I was surprised by what they presented, and hoped that the collection of castaways would make it in the end; well, there was a happy ending of sorts, and definitely not what I expected. If you get a chance to watch Blood Vessel, do it, you won’t be sorry, especially if you’

Black Bayou: Scary Supernatural Horror with Demons (Dark Legacy Series Book 1) actually scared me, which is saying a lot. From the beginning, the terror began and didn’t let up. The story revolves around Marigold La Roux who, after suffering significant trauma from the hands of her parents is thrown into a world filled with demons and voodoo. Each page clearly shows Marigold’s new world and the agony she suffers.  If you’re looking for a great fright, this book is for you. I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About Black Bayou Marigold La Roux had a perfectly average existence…until the night her parents tried to murder her. Barely escaping with her life should have been the end of Marigold’s living nightmare. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning. Her entire world starts shattering. She moves to New Orleans to stay with her only living relative, her aunt Delilah. She believes the bustle of Bourbon Street will help her get a fresh start, but strange things start happening to Marigold at the

Nature is Satan’s church. Antichrist ( 2009 ) is one of those “artsy” horror films that is separated into chapters like a book. I’m wondering if bells and sirens are ringing in your head because I said “artsy” horror since normally, I hate those movies. This one is among the exceptions that I loved. Spoiler Alert I’d never heard of it until I was scrolling through the offerings on IFC OnDemand and I figured I’d give it a try, I can always stop it and pretend it never happened if it’s a big suck. I was hooked from the Prologue where William Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg have sex in a black and white world while their son, Nic, falls from an open window. Charlotte Gainsbourg plays She, who has a breakdown after son’s death, which is expected, I can’t imagine a parent losing a child. He is a therapist and takes over her case, firing the doctor, he takes her to the woods because she fears them and he figures that exposure therapy is a good route to help her. No More Spoilers, I promise Th

Two Mothers is one of the most spine-tingling stories I’ve read in a while. I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story revolves around Anna who is alone in a new house with a baby, waiting for her husband to arrive in a week. The overlaying story provides horrible details about a ghost and her desire to keep her baby. I recommend Two Mothers and I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About Two Mothers A mother’s depression. A ghost’s obsession. A baby caught in the crosshairs. Anna Jenkins is a new mother suffering from postpartum fatigue. While her husband is finishing up his Army duties before retirement, she travels to South Carolina to set up their house, an old farmhouse her husband bought sight unseen. It’s not long before Anna realizes there is something eerie about her new home. Although it’s the dog days of summer, the house is unusually cool even without the A/C running. And her baby, who usually screams nonstop, is mysteriously

The Johnsons is a quick frightening ghost story that I stumbled upon and thought I should tell you about. Short stories sometimes leave me feeling underwhelmed with underdeveloped characters or stories that are boring. The Johnsons isn’t one of those. From the first two or three paragraphs, I immediately knew each character, the setting, and that the entity in the house was very much present. The vividness of the story has left me unsettled and delighted all at the same time. If you’re looking for a quick read to give you a scare, definitely give The Johnsons a read. I give it 5 out of 5 Stars . About The Johnsons “Don’t be scared, mommy. She won’t hurt us. She just wants to take the baby away.” Fearing that the evils of the world might taint her precious children, Natalie has decided to try the homeschool approach to educating the next generation of her family. It’s worked out well so far for her eldest daughter, Susan, but as Natalie discovers that her child has developed a strange r

Crows by Grace Harney, I assumed when I started reading, was a Young Adult novel, but it turns out that is not actually the case. Yes, it’s teenage characters, but so is Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, and I don’t consider either of those YA. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what was happening in the first few chapters. And as Crows’ story progressed, I was super impressed with everything that unfolded before me. There are several twists that were shocking and frightening, keeping me interested with every turn of the page. If you’re looking for an unexpected story with believable characters, then you need to read Crows. I give it 5 out of 5 Stars . About Crows by Grace Harney Annie Murphy can sometimes tell the future. It’s the past she has trouble with. When her brother’s witch-girlfriend goes missing days after an invocation ritual, Annie has every reason to suspect him. But he says he didn’t do it, and Annie isn’t about to send another innocent man in her fami

So, yeah, this isn’t horror at all, but it’s still amazing. How could I leave Flash Gordon ( 1980 ) out of my diversion walk? Besides, it has an amazing soundtrack composed and performed by Queen, but that’s not the only reason I enjoy this movie. The level of campiness is astounding. It’s one of the most melodramatic movies I’ve ever seen. Topol, who plays Hans Zarkov is the cheesiest; it reminds me of Evil Dead in acting style. Seeing it now after many years I never realized Timothy Dalton was in it, and the one that blew me away was Richard O’Brien (Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show). The entire cast brought their A-game. The character Ming the Merciless isn’t that different from Supreme Being in Time Bandits (1981), so I see where that movie got the inspiration. The special effects are a delightful mix from lava lamp like visuals to the likes of the laser beams from the original Star Wars (1977). The sets and costuming are spectacular, but with such an enormous budget, I

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

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

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

As you’ve probably figured out, I love most things that were born in the 80s , so I’m coming at you today with The Lost Boys on the 6th day of 30 Days of Terror . I don’t know know how many times I’ve seen this movie, but I know it’s been more than 50. Besides millennials, I’m guessing most of you have seen this movie more than once too. Sail into the night, lost in the shadows… I don’t know what I like more The Lost Boys (1987) film or soundtrack. Recently, I learned that there are two sequels, but I’ve decided that I’m not going to ruin the beauty of this film by watching them. I don’t understand why it took them until 2008 to do them, or why fucking Corey Feldman is in them. Throughout the years, I’ve heard and read things about The Lost Boys that makes me laugh because I’m seriously confused why no one noticed these things when it was in the theaters in 1987 . The biggest is homoeroticism. Really? You didn’t catch that the first time. Everything from Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) havin

Welcome to Day 4 of 30 Days of Terror . Today is sponsored officially by the 80s. I know I’m a little biased when it comes to the decade. So when I say that most everything that came from the era is practically perfect in every way (like me) you might groan. I don’t care, the 1980s were amazing. When choosing a horror film for today, I knew I had to pick The Changeling. Some background info I hadn’t seen The Changeling (1980) in many years, so watching it again is a treat. It is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter claimed he experienced while he lived in the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado in the late 1960s. Too bad, they demolished the house in the 80s because the haunted house tour is missing something special. I wonder if the people who live in the high rise have experienced any unexplained events. The strange thing about that part of it is that the movie is set in Seattle, WA after the initial tragic beginning where compose