"A REALLY INTELLIGENT INTERVIEWER." -- Lance Henriksen "QUITE SIMPLY, THE BEST HORROR-THEMED BLOG ON THE NET." -- Joe Maddrey,Nightmares in Red White & Blue
B-Sol here to tell you all about one very special woman whose
band will be headlining Captain Cruella’s 4th annual Village
Invasion on October 19 in Saugerties, New York. The woman is Lara Hope,
and the band is Tigeriss. Lara was on hand and tore it up last year, and
knowing her as well as we do, it’s a lock that she’ll be tearing it up
once again.
But
as if one band isn’t enough, the overachieving Ms. Hope happens to be a
member of several rockin’ ensembles. Her rockabilly band Lara Hope and
the Arktones is prepared to launch an ambitious fundraising campaign on
Indiegogo to help them record their very first full-length album—a
project they’ve been dedicating a lot of hard work to as of late. On top
of that, Lara is gearing up yet another group, the Misfits tribute band
known as the Miss-Tits (!!), to make a boobalicious debut at her very
own Rosendale Zombie Festival.
Yes,
you heard that right. In addition to her musical endeavors, Lara is
also the brains behind the Hudson Valley’s other undead extravaganza,
the Rosendale Zombie Festival, which will also be celebrating its fourth
year on Saturday, September 28! This one will be used as a fundraiser
for the Rosendale Food Pantry. Check out the official Facebook page right here!
In
addition to this, as part of the Gold Hope Duo, Ms. Hope had the
opportunity to be a part of the northeast leg of the Oddball Comedy and
Curiosity Festival, in which she opened for Dave Chappelle and Flight of
the Conchords. After Halloween, both the Gold Hope Duo and Tigeriss
will be embarking on a northeast tour along with fellow New York band
S.S. Web.
And
as if the whole music and zombies thing wasn’t enough, did I mention
that Lara Hope is an artist as well? Recently, she has begun focusing on
up-cycled, functional artwork, which includes turning cigar boxes into
mini coffins, as well as painting picture frames, mirrors and other
items. On Friday, September 13, she had her very first show opening at
the Ark Riot in Kingston, New York. Her work will continue to be on
display for the rest of the month. For more info, check out the official Facebook event page.
There’s
no doubt about it—Lara Hope is a true renaissance woman and a match for
even Captain Cruella herself in the events and arts departments. Be
sure to check out the Rosendale Zombie Festival later this month, and
then we “hope” (heh) to see you on hand to watch Lara and Tigeriss
perform at Village Invasion IV!
[This has been a cross-post from Cruella's Crypt.]
I'm hoping to see at least a few of you tomorrow at the Saugerties Village Invasion Zombie Crawl, where I'll be presenting a special screening of The Evil Dead... But for those of you who might not be able to make it, I wanted to share this special tribute to zombie movies, which I put together in honor of the occasion. Enjoy, and remember, when there's no more room in hell...
There are a few horror films which have particularly shaped me into the fan that I am today. And on the short list of these would certainly be F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, which has long been one of my favorites, and also among my picks for the most frightening motion pictures ever made. And this weekend, the Captain and myself were blessed with the opportunity to witness it as it was meant to be seen--on a big screen in a theater, with a live musical accompaniment.
I first discovered Nosferatu as a college student back in the early 1990s, having come across an old VHS copy at a street fair in Brooklyn. I'd heard a lot about it, but it wasn't until I saw it that I truly became mesmerized by this German Expressionistic masterpiece. I instantly became a champion for the film, publicly exhibiting it on my college campus during my time in the English Club (hey, it was based on Bram Stoker's novel, right?) and showing it to everyone I could. I even had a rare opportunity to head to Greenwich Village with some of my college pals to actually see the movie in a proper theater, with a live piano accompaniment. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but little did I know I'd have the chance to revisit it.
Fast-forward some 15 or so years later, and there we were, converging on New Haven's historic Lyric Hall for a unique exhibition of Nosferatu, this time with a live jazz ensemble accompaniment, no less. And it truly was a thrill to witness one of the most powerful horror films ever made, in such a way.
The venue alone made it worth the trip. Lyric Hall was an old vaudeville house going back a hundred years, and exactly the kind of intimate theatrical setting in which the movie might have originally been seen in 1922. Decorated with ornate chandeliers, elaborate moldings and gorgeous paintings, it was the ideal place to immerse oneself in such an experience. Sure, they were using a projection of the 2007 Kino DVD special edition release, but so what? That's the version with the remastered picture and restored tint, which only made it all the better.
The Lyric Hall Theater Orchestra, a small ensemble made up of guitar, tuba, accordion, saxophone, drums and assorted bizarre electronic noisemakers, put together an eccentric and engaging score for the film, which was especially effective during its more original portions. The droning, accordion-led music helped paint a nightmarish picture of dread that made me see the picture in a way I never had before.
That said, if I had to gripe about anything, it would be the noticeably inappropriate musical choices that peppered the score at periodic intervals. For instance, what would possess them to employ the theme to the movie Ben during the rats scene on the ship? Or "Happy Trails" as we watch Hutter gallop toward Count Orlock's castle? Or the Motown hit "Please Mr. Postman" at the moment he sends off his letter to his wife? While amusing, such post-modern, ironic touches only served to undermine the power of the film, and turn it into something to snicker at, rather than be terrified by. Much of the music actually worked against the film, which a good score should never do. Unless it was their intention to turn it into a comedy, which was not clear from the advertising at all.
Nevertheless, the music was, by and large, quite ingenious and suitably foreboding, in an unorthodox fashion. I can honestly say, that even after all these years, I've managed to see Nosferatu in a new light, taking away from it something I never did before. So you can imagine my delight when it was announced that in the fall, Lyric Hall will be presenting John Barrymore's 1920 Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. If only they can restrain themselves from the snarky musical interjections, that should be a lot of fun--and you can bet that the Captain and I will be on-hand with proverbial bells on.
Nosferatu has meant a lot to me through the years. I've shared it with close friends, with my children, and now, with my dear Captain Cruella. And I'm honored to have seen it not once, but twice on a big screen with live music. 2012 will mark the 90th anniversary of the film, and I'm already gearing up for a year-long celebration here in The Vault of Horror. So as I see it, this weekend's screening was the perfect warmup...
It's hard to believe that it's been 30 long years since John Landis' comic horror masterpiece, An American Werewolf in London, was first released to theaters in the summer of 1981. There can be no doubt that this film is one of the all-time greats of modern horror--or of all horror cinema, for that matter. And it deserves recognition during this lofty anniversary. Therefore, in the grand tradition of previous efforts here in the Vault, such as A Quarter-Century of Krueger and Psycho Semi-Centennial, I bring you Three Decades of David--a celebration of all things AWIL that will continue throughout the remainder of the year.
For this, the first installment of Three Decades of David, I'm taking a look at one of the most integral and memorable elements of An American Werewolf in London: The music. Short as it may be, the soundtrack to this film is one of the main reasons why it is so beloved to this day, and stands as one of the most definitive touches brought by Landis to the picture.
Carrying over a popular '70s device (arguably first introduced by Martin Scorsese in Mean Streets) Landis achieved a true masterstroke by introducing familiar 1960s pop tunes into his movie, dropping them into a scenario in which they would seem to have no business being, thus benefiting the film by their very juxtaposition. And yet as "out of place" as these tunes may seem to be, we all know the very simple, clever reason they were all incorporated: All the songs have one thing in common, the word "moon" in the title. And we all know the connection between werewolves and the moon, right? A very simple conceit, there can be no doubt. Perhaps too simple. But who can argue with the results?
Let's take a look at the five "moon" songs included in the film:
1. "Blue Moon" by Bobby Vinton Played over the opening credits and shots of the ominous English moors during the daytime, this recording was made in 1963 by Polish-American crooner Bobby Vinton. It was already by that time a very well-known pop standard by the team of Rodgers & Hart, and the first of three versions of the song included in the movie. The beautiful melody and vocals would stand in jarring contrast to the shocking content soon to follow.
2. "Blue Moon" by Sam Cooke The second of the three versions of Rodgers & Hart's 1934 classic to be included, this one is performed by the soulful Sam Cooke, and was recorded in 1960. I'll admit, I would have liked to have seen more varied "moon" songs included, rather than have the same one repeated thrice--"Moonglow", anyone? "I Wished on the Moon", perhaps? "Moonlight Becomes You"? Oh well...
3. "Moondance" by Van Morrison The title song to Morrison's 1970 album of the same name, this very sexy recording is very suitably used to further dramatize the burgeoning romance between David and his nurse-turned-girlfriend Alex.
4. "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival Perhaps the most fondly remembered of all the recordings used in the film, this was arguably Creedence's most well-known tune (a #2 hit from their 1969 album Green River), used to lead into the breathtaking Rick Baker werewolf transformation scene. The light-hearted tone of the music, mixed with the ominous message of the lyrics, perfectly sum up the effect of the movie itself.
5. "Blue Moon" by The Marcels And finally, we have the third and last rendition of "Blue Moon", the boldly reinterpreted 1961 doo-wop version by The Marcels, used by Landis over the closing credits. It kicks in just as we see David shot dead in the street by the woman he loves. Used in this way, the brash, buoyant (standard traditionalists might even say abrasive) vocals are utterly striking.
Ah, Valentine's Day is nearly upon us again! And unlike those woeful souls who choose to bemoan this holiday each and every year, here in the Vault, we celebrate it. Of course, we celebrate in a very unique way, because that's just how we roll.
In this case, we'll be cherishing the V-Day time of year by posting some fine selections from Michael P. Spradlin's latest poetry collection, Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book of Zombie Love Songs. This little tome was bestowed to me by a certain Captain of the undead not too long ago, and it's been a constant source of amusement since--so now I'm sharing it with you.
You may recall Spradlin's work from the zombie carols we ran here in the Vault during the 2009 Christmas season, and I assure you, these are just as entertaining. So cuddle close to the one you love and enjoy some brain-munching ballads...
I Want to Eat Your Hand
Oh yeah, I've turned into something, You just won't understand. When I say you're delicious I want to eat your hand, I want to eat your hand, I want to eat your hand.
Oh please, say I'm a zombie, I'm eating your brain pan, And please, don't slay me You'll let me eat your hand. Now let me eat your hand, I want to eat your hand.
And when I eat brains I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling that my gore You can't hide, you can't hide, you can't hide.
Yeah, you've got that large brain, I think you won't understand. When I'll say I'm so hungry I want to eat your hand, I want to eat your hand, I want to eat your hand...
Ring-a-ding-ding, Vault dwellers! For those heathens who may not be aware, this past weekend marked what would have been the 95th birthday of the one and only Francis Albert Sinatra, who only happens to be my very favorite musical performer of all time. And so, I managed to coerce both Brutal as Hell and the crew here into dedicating this week of The Lucky 13 Returns to horror musicals and music-related horror films in general.
So pour yourself a Jack & Coke, light up a Lucky Strike, and swing easy, baby! It's what Frank would've wanted...
B-Sol on The Wicker Man (1973)
It's interesting that this film is very often not really thought of as a musical, but it kind of is. It contains a couple of very atmospheric folk tunes from Paul Giovanni ("Corn Rigs" and "Gently Johnny") which totally stop the dramatic proceedings in their tracks. And as with most well-done films of musical bent, this does no harm to the film whatsoever--rather, it enhances it. And of course, we also have the deeply disturbing Middle English rondo "Sumer Is Icumen In" performed during the picture's chilling climax.
So we've established that the British cult classic is very much about music as well as horror. What we also need to establish is what a damn fine horror film it is. But you don't need me to tell you that. The Wicker Man is, simply put, one of the finest horror films ever made, and still has the power to shock in a very real way. Interestingly enough, the movie's sheer shock factor is in direct counterbalance to the hauntingly beautiful music featured throughout. And if anything, that juxtaposition makes the whole thing even more terrifying than it would have been otherwise.
There's a reason this film consistently makes just about every short list of the greatest horror films of all time. And while it's an even bigger deal in the U.K. than it is here in the States, it is definitely the kind of cult classic movie that needs to be seen and appreciated by all who consider themselves serious enthusiasts of the genre. Christopher Lee is at his insidious best, and of course Edward Woodward is so damn powerful in the lead role of Sgt. Howie. If you have never seen The Wicker Man (and I mean the original here--don't bother seeing the remake unless you need a good laugh), then do me a favor and fix that right away, okay? Very good.
When I first watched Wild Zero, I was pretty sure I had stepped into an alternate dimension. I had never seen anything so absurd in all my life. In fact, I am pretty sure I will never see anything quite that absurd. Wild Zero is ninety odd minutes of insanity, and it’s one of the funnest experiences one could have with a movie, but even within all that senselessness, there is something deeper going on.
Ace is obsessed with the band Guitar Wolf (played by the real-life band of the same name). When he witnesses a club owner about to hoodwink the band, he stands up for them. Ace and the band vow revenge on their double-crosser Captain. Meanwhile, space aliens land on Earth causing the dead to rise in rural Japan. As they fight for their lives, Ace falls in love with a young transgender named Tobio.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a convoluted mess, but it’s a pretty incredible one. From Guitar Wolf throwing guitar picks to protect himself to Captain’s incredibly tight hot pants, the film is an experiment in what-the-fuckery. While I might have said those words at least forty times while watching the film, I was still engrossed all the way through.
The factor that holds the whole film together is the love story. Ace and Tobio begin sweetly, but as her trans status becomes an issue the film manages to pull itself out of its own farce just enough to ally itself with a queer agenda—and all before the turn of the century. The film is incredibly entertaining, and while it might not seem like it’s coming out firmly on the side of queer politics, given its release year, it’s really quite ground-breaking. So if you decide to sit down and take in this strange little zombie romantic comedy, look forward to one of the most ludicrous activist films ever made.
C.L. Hadden of Fascination with Fear on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The legend of Sweeney Todd has been immortalized on stage and screen countless times throughout the years, and there have always been questions raised as to the validity of the supposedly true story. Starting out as a penny dreadful in the mid 1800's, it was most recently adapted for the screen in Tim Burton's 2007 version starring Johnny Depp in the title role.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street is first and foremost a musical, and uses the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler music and lyrics made popular in the late 70's Broadway smash. At once dark a dark and sinister production, the songs tell the story of Benjamin Barker (Depp), a simple man - a barber - whose life is forever changed when the corrupt Judge Turpin (the eternally impressive Alan Rickman) covets Barker's beautiful wife and goes to extremes to see her his. He throws Barker in prison on a trumped up charge and moves his heartbroken wife and young daughter into his own home.
Fifteen years later Barker is back, now calling himself Sweeney Todd. He's hellbent for revenge after he finds out his wife has poisoned herself and Turpin has his daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) locked away in an upstairs room of his home. He sets up a barber shop above the overly-zealous Mrs. Lovett's (Helena Bonham Carter) pie shoppe with the intent of luring Turpin there. Thing is, Todd isn't just shaving necks, he's slicing them open and sending the bodies to the basement through a trap door in the floor. Once in the bowels of the meat market the corpses are ground up and used in Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. Gah!
Oh the scandal of it all! To think something such as this would be made not only into a movie but into a musical is in and of itself a bizarre notion. But trust me, it works. A bleak and overtly grim London is portrayed in the seediest fashion imaginable, with poverty and hardship duly noted as our characters interact with not only each other but the hopeless city itself. Not a singer by trade, Depp's performance is actually more than just acceptable. He does an excellent job with the material, and had even the most wary critics backing him when the film came out. Bonham-Carter's voice isn't quite as stellar, but she certainly looks the part.
While it may seem to be a far stretch from your typical musical - and it certainly is a graphic little slice of cinema - Sweeney Todd is the musical for people who hate musicals. And it's perfect for horror fans. You do have to wait awhile for the gory carnage to start, but about halfway through the film the red stuff starts to flow freely. How they depict this on stage is beyond me, but Burton's film version not only looks amazing, but pulls off the story in fine fashion and is more than worth a look. After all, the bottom line is they are grinding people up and eating them. Even if you hate musicals, you have to admit that's pretty nasty.
* * * * * * * * * *
Join us next week for the Christmas edition of The Lucky 13 Returns!
Judging by my other blog, you might be under the impression that ol' B-Sol really doesn't go in for any music recorded after 1960... Allow me to shatter your expectation! Yes, it may be true that I've leaned quite heavily toward the grandpa music in recent years--but that doesn't mean I've no love for anything electric. I may have given up on much of the rock scene at some point in the second Clinton administration, but that doesn't mean I still don't go in for rock n' roll--especially when, ya know, the band is actually really good.
And Calabrese is one of those really good bands. Actually, scratch that--they're a damn fine rock band, and best of all, their music is all about something I/we really love: Horror! Brothers Davey, Bobby and Jimmy joined me earlier this week to talk about their amazing throwback horror punk, as well as the new album, Calabrese III: They Call Us Death--which "drops" as the kids say, on March 20.
It's that time of year again, when we each come up with our fantasy "wish list" of horror goodies, and hope that our loved ones pick up the hint and get us something we want, instead of another bland stocking stuffer we have to pretend to be excited about. That's why I've gone to the trouble once again of putting together this special catalog of brand new horror-related gift ideas for Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, or whatever.
Whether you print this out and hand it over to the folks buying you gifts this year, or if you're the woeful significant other of a horror freak trying to figure out what the hell to buy for them, I hope you find this useful...
Video
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer - Blu-Ray, $17.98 (Big Blu-Ray releases are the order of the day this year. Sign of the times...) Gremlins - Blu-Ray, $28.99 (The Dante/Spielberg '80s classic comes to Blu-Ray for its 25th anniversary.) The Monster Squad - Blu-Ray, $19.99 (I confess this cult favorite has lost a bit of luster for me personally, but most from my generation go nuts for it. Here it is on Blu-Ray for the first time.) Near Dark - Blu-Ray, $19.99 (Another, more deserved cult fave takes a Blu bow. And to think, there was a time when all prints were believed lost...) Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - DVD, $19.99 (The sole DVD release I've included is of my personal favorite horror TV movie of all time. Believe it or not, this is Warner Bros.' first official DVD release in the United States.)
Books
English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema - Paperback, $32.95 (This acclaimed 2001 history of British horror films from the silent era to the 1970s has finally come to paperback. Yeesh, I wonder how much the hardcover cost!) Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 2 - Graphic novel, $24.99 (More of Alan Moore's groundbreaking run on DC's greatest horror character. I've got a review copy from DC that I can't to jump into. Yes, it's good to be me.) Strange Suspense: Steve Ditko Archives - Graphic novel, $39.99 (An amazing collection encompassing the first few years of Ditko's work in comics, when he pumped out uncompromising horror tales, just prior to the inception of the Comics Code.) Eerie Archives, Vol. 2 - Graphic novel, $49.95 (In addition to Creepy, Eerie was one of Warren Publications' innovative mag-sized horror comics of the 1960s and 1970s. This Dark Horse compendium collects more of the best of them.)
Toys
Last Night on Earth - Board game, $57.95 (A zombie survival board game. Pricey, but looks like a lot of fun.) Arkham Horror - Board game, $59.99 (An even pricier, yet even more fun board game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.) The Simpsons Tree House of Horrors Monopoly - Board game, $35.95 (I know, I know, we've all had enough of these themed versions of Monopoly, but I like this one, don't you?) Edgar Allen Poe - Action figure, $12.95 (How cool is this? It even comes with a raven accessory...) 1954 Godzilla - Action figure, $15.25 (Bandai outdid themselves when they put out this 6-inch vinyl figure of Godzilla as he appeared in his original movie. A must-have for any G-fan.)
Music
The Definitive Horror Movie Music Collection - CD box set, $39.98 (This four-disc collection was just released last Halloween, and features the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performing a vast array of beloved horror themes from movies such as The Omen, Young Frankenstein, Let the Right One In, The Thing, Poltergeist, The Haunting, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist and yes, Twilight.)
The composer of this, one of the most recognizable TV theme songs of all time, passed away on Saturday. God love these old-school songwriters. We're really missing something without them...
Damn. This was something I was really looking forward to. For those who remember when the FOX network first launched in the late 1980s, the show Werewolf is something of a cult classic. Horror fans in particular ate it up with relish--I can remember one of my parents' friends who taped every single episode. Well, right now, that guy is doing a lot better than 99% of the rest of the show's fans. Because as of a couple days ago, the much-anticipated box set DVD release of the TV show was officially canceled.
It only ran for a single season of 28 episodes. But in that time, it picked up a loyal fan following that still remembers it. Werewolf told the story of Eric Cord (John J. York), a reluctant wolfman on the hunt for the leader of his tribe, so he can kill him and lift the curse. Along the way, he also struggles to avoid hurting others and escape the clutches of those who seek to destroy him. It sort of followed the successful formula of The Fugitive and The Incredible Hulk.
Anyway, after the show went off the air in 1988, it completely vanished from sight, becoming the sort of Holy Grail sought out at convention dealer tables and such. And now, the box set, which had been planned, after a series of delays, for release on October 9, has officially been deep-sixed. And all thanks to a couple of greedy has-been holdouts.
You see, Werewolf fell under the category of TV shows which used a lot of songs by a lot of different artists, and so when a show like this comes to home video, all the clearances for the rights to each and every song have to be secured. The Shout Factory, which had secured the rights to the show from Sony (why wouldn't Fox own them?) tried in vain, but in the end there were two anonymous parties that refused to allow their songs to be used. In other words, the price Shout Factory was offering wasn't high enough.
The company could not simply replace the tracks, as is usually done in situations like this, because the individual music tracks were never preserved. To remove them would have meant removing all the audio in those sections, including dialogue, sound effects, etc. And so a couple of money-grubbing "artists", no doubt washed up '80s hack bands looking for one last payoff, have successfully prevented Werewolf fans the world over from reliving their beloved show.
This is something that has been more than 20 years in the making. Even if you limit it strictly to the DVD era, that's still roughly a dozen years that fans of this show, myself included, have been waiting for it to finally be released. I even included the pilot on my list of favorite horror TV movies of all time, that shows you how much I dug it. Nevertheless, like the other admirers of FOX's early foray into lycanthropy, I will have to make do with crummy bootlegs.
Folks, I'm nearly overcome with rage here. Uh oh, is that a full moon? I think I feel a change coming on...
As you might be aware, I love H.P. Lovecraft. And when one loves Lovecraft, you sometimes feel like you possess something no one knows or cares about. And then you decide to punch in Cthulhu into Google video, and whammo, you find fantastic musical paens to the evil gods you worship. Enjoy.
Continuing the musical theme here in the Vault, join me this week as I take a look at the freakiest, eeriest, spookiest music videos ever to creep out our ADHD-addled, MTV generation brains. Enjoy...
10. "School's Out" by Gwar
Ah, Gwar, how I miss you. Gladiator costumes, fishnets, giant mechanical penises ejaculating on the crowd... that was music, kids.
9. "White Wedding" by Billy Idol
Eighties new wave meets Bride of Frankenstein. This one is just plain weird. Honestly, I find myself creeped out by Billy's sneer more than anything else.
8. "Y Control" by The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs A band I truly love, and not one I'd usually expect to creep me out. But they pulled it off, all thanks to that always reliable tool--creepy kids!
Everything The Misfits did was scary as hell. And this one's about as good as it gets. Horror-punk at its best. Gotta love the Franky cameo!
5. "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
A bizarre, demented peak into the mind of Trent Reznor, whom Tori Amos once said "just needs a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blankie." Maybe so Tori, maybe so.
4. "Sober" by Tool
Stop-motion animation hasn't been this scary since the heyday of Ray Harryhausen. Also, points to anyone who can tell me what the eff is going on in this video...
Duh, no-brainer. I'm not ashamed to admit that this video scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid. With the help of John Landis, the late King of Pop paid homage to zombie cinema with style.
2. "Dragula" by Rob Zombie
Was there any question that this guy was going to go on to become a horror movie director? Watch out for the footage from the 1920 Jekyll & Hyde, recently reviewed here.
The first time I saw it, with no knowledge of who the guy was, this video bored into my soul and filled my heart with icewater. I remember thinking, is this guy even human, or some kind of CG effect? Since then, he's become more of a camp figure, but back then, this clip was the stuff of nightmares.
Day of the Woman's thought-provoking post yesterday on the intersection between music and horror has put me in a musical state of mind. And so, for today's Tuesday Top 10, I've compiled my all-time favorite horror-themed songs. Now, some of these tunes are scary, and others are just steeped in the horror milieu. So scariness was not a requirement. Rather, these are the top songs that come to my mind in connection with the genre I adore so much...
10. The Time Warp What would the list be without a number from the greatest horror musical of them all. Just a fun, anthemic song that epitomizes what The Rocky Horror Picture Show is all about, and why it has gained such an infectious fan following. Plus, I just love Magenta's Marlene Dietrich impression.
9. Black Sabbath The title song of Black Sabbath's self-titled first album is a genuinely terrifying song. Just listening to Ozzy wail, "Oh no, no, please, God help me!" gives me goosebumps. A sinister song that was probably partly to blame for legions of parents freaking out over their kids listening to this band.
8. Thriller How could I not include Michael Jackson's pop ode to zombie culture? Plus, the video was even directed by John Landis. Big-time extra points for the rockin' appearance of the one and only Vincent Price, delivering perhaps the greatest rap of all time. "The funk of 40,000 years," indeed. V-Price could spit mad lyrics, yo.
7. Werewolves of London God bless Warren Zevon. This staple of 1980s classic rock radio is the kind of song you just can't get out of your head. Plus, you've got major references to Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., and the title itself is Universal-inspired. I'll never give up hope of one day seeing a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vick's. Hopefully, his hair will be perfect.
6. The Thing That Should Not Be Metallica be some horror freaks, with a particular obsession with the work of H.P. Lovecraft. And this song is their magnum opus to the Cthulhu mythos, creepy as hell and grim in the extreme. In fact, I recommend you check out this excellent fan video created for the song--pointed out to me by the Vault's resident Lovecraft expert, RayRay.
5. Ghostbusters Rumor has it that Ivan Reitman wanted Huey Lewis & The News to record the title song for his movie, but when they turned him down, he brought in smooth jazz crooner Ray Parker Jr. and got him to basically record a Huey Lewis-style song. Whatever the case may be, there is probably no one born between 1970 and 1980 who doesn't know all the lyrics by heart...
4. Surfin' Dead God damn, but this is a great song by The Cramps, featured prominently in the soundtrack to The Return of the Living Dead. In fact, that flick is filled to the brim with rockin' horror tunes, so I figured I'd limit it to just one. In reality, I could probably fill this entire list with them if I wanted to.
3. Don't Fear the Reaper Such bleak subject matter for such a mellow-sounding song! Blue Oyster Cult's biggest hit pops up in the original Halloween, and of course was also the opening theme to the miniseries of Stephen King's The Stand. Forty-thousand men and women every day...
2. The Monster Mash So corny, but so much damn fun. Who doesn't love Bobby "Boris" Pickett's iconic novelty smash of the 1960s. A surf-tinged tune that conjures up all the innocent fun of the "monster kid" era. I can play this one for my kids 20 times in a row, and they'll still keep asking for it. In fact, it would've been very easy to slap this one up at number one. But I had to be brutally honest with myself and pick my true favorite...
1. This Is Halloween It figures that Danny Elfman, formerly of Oingo Boingo, would come up with this deliciously eery theme song for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The song is a perfect homage to childhood terrors, and sets the scene excellently for Burton's unique vision. This one always reminds me of what it's like to be a kid hiding under the covers from vampires... Plus, Marilyn Manson also did an awesome cover of it!
Some inevitable runners-up:
"I Put a Spell on You" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Never really noticed how long this thing was. It's like the Freebird of cheesy rap songs. And some days, I wish Will Smith was still doing stuff like this rather than I, Robot and I Am Legend... Anyway, enjoy, '80s children....
From the same company that today is responsible for High School Musical and Hannah Montana. With a touch of Irving Berlin, by way of '80 Euro synth popper Taco, thrown in for good measure...
Because I'm still in a musical mood, and because Bloody-Disgusting can't have all the B-Sol "best of" lists, tonight I've recruited BJ-C of Day of the Woman, and together we've whipped up a special look at the most memorable tunes ever included in a horror film.
Now, for the purposes of clarification, let us explain what we mean. These would be pre-existing recordings that were included in the soundtracks of horror movies. In other words, we're not talking about scores. And we're not talking about recordings specifically made for a particular film. This list is for songs that were already known long before they appeared on the soundtrack in question.
So without further ado, let's count down the top 15 coolest songs ever to be featured in a horror movie...
15. "Anything, Anything" by Dramarama A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) Call us crazy, but there's just something so Reagan-era bad-ass about the scene in NOES 4 when Alice is embracing her power as the Dream Master and prepping to do battle with Freddy as this power-pop gem blares out defiantly. Alice herself said it best: Effing Ay.
14. "Shadows of the Night" by Layton Dance of the Dead (2008) Who knew that a high school garage band covering Pat Benatar was the way to put brain-hungry zombies in a calm state? Hundreds of zombies are about to eat the main kids, but the second that guitar riff hits, they're entranced. The kids in Dance of the Dead clearly knew something we don't--because when we think of taming voracious ghouls, we don't think 80's female vocalists.
13. "The Midnight Special" by Creedence Clearwater Revival The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) "Wanna see something really scary?" Who knew Dan Akroyd could inspire such terror? The opening scene of the cinematic adaptation of Rod Serling's classic TV series starts with two motorists bonding over the down-home splendor of this CCR classic. It's the perfect song to set the complete opposite mood for what comes next...
12. "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House The Stand (1994) Most people would point to Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper", but that's rather the obvious choice, don't you think? We prefer to go with this mellow adult contemporary fave, played to such excellent effect in this epic King mini-series adaptation, as an accompaniment to a post-apocalyptic world wiped out by epidemic. Finally--some peace and quiet!
11. "The Banana Boat Song" by Harry Belafonte Beetlejuice (1987) Watching Catherine O'Hara play Delia Deetz is amazing enough; watching Catherine O'Hara possessed by Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice and dancing around a dinner table while lip-synching calypso is nearly beyond words. A song written in no way for a horror film lends itself to its most memorable scene. It's still almost impossible for us to hear "Day-O" without thinking of Dick Cavett.
10. "Summer Breeze" by Type O-Negative I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) This brooding, sinister cover of the laid-back 1970s Seals and Croft hit seemed perfectly tailored for a horror movie soundtrack, and lo and behold, it soon turned up in the opening credits of this derivative '90s slasher. Who knew AM Gold could be so evil-sounding? Too bad, the movie was all downhill from here...
9. "Put a Lid On It" by The Squirrel Nut Zippers Fido (2007) Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the world's first dancing zombie. And when it comes time to do a little cha-cha-cha with her undead manservant, Carrie-Anne Moss chooses this nu-swing confection from mid-'90s hot jazzers SNZ--which ironically, wouldn't be recorded for another 40 years after the movie takes place.
8. "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd The Devil's Rejects (2005) Not only is it the song that one guy at every concert screams for (even if it's not a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert). It's also the song that signifies the end of Rob Zombie's Firefly family. This classic rock staple leads to one of the best endings in horror, as the ruthless family of killers you eventually root for in the end, are gunned down not to the sounds of bullets and screams...but feel-good Southern rock.
7. "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen Shaun of the Dead (2004) If you are in London, under zombie attack, and need a song with which to perfectly choreograph a killing scene... well, you could do far worse than this glam rock ditty. It not only has a slamming rhythm, but the irony of the lyrics just can't be beat.
6. "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazarus The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Buffalo Bill is like the love child of Leatherface and Dr. Frank N Furter, with hobbies that include kidnapping fat girls, keeping them in holes and forcing them to lotion their skin. His favorite pastime, however, is tucking his junk and dancing to Q Lazarus' Goodbye Horses. Thus making it the most memorable horror song-and-dance since the Monster Mash.
5. "Blue Moon" by The Marcels An American Werewolf in London (1981) They took a timeless Rodgers & Hart classic and butchered it beyond all recognition, but hey, Great American Songbook proclivities aside, this song fits perfectly in a film built completely around moon-themed devices. So well, in fact, that director John Landis saw fit to bookend the movie with it.
4. "Hip to Be Square" by Huey Lewis & The News American Psycho (2000) Huey Lewis and the News... are MUCH more than just okay. No one knows that better than Mr. Patrick Bateman, raincoat clad and axe in hand. And no one makes killing cooler than Christian Bale. This scene has given us one of the most sought-after animated gifs since the Rick Roll'd phenomenon, and "Hip to be Square" has become to upperclass apartments what "Duelling Banjos" was to the backwoods.
3. "Party Time" by 45 Grave The Return of the Living Dead (1985) The original version of this early '80s punk chestnut was a bit faster than the more mainstream-friendly one used to accompany the big pay-off cemetery resurrection scene in ROTLD. But in a soundtrack that is hands down one of the best ever produced for a horror film--if not the best--this is one established favorite that stands out and perfectly sums up the grim, madcap energy of the film.
2. "I Remember You" by Slim Whitman House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) This film has its detractors, but that aside, for our money there are few more effective scenes in recent horror cinema than the one in which the murderous deeds of the Firefly family are revealed for all to see as this haunting standard ballad is crooned forth by the yodeling country music wonder Whitman--in its entirety. Surreal. Disturbing. Classic.
1. "When the Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash Dawn of the Dead (2004) Anyone--including myself--doubting that Zack Snyder's remake of the George Romero masterpiece would be anything other than a disaster, found themselves inserting foot into mouth during this, one of the greatest opening title sequences horror fans have ever been treated to. Sounding as if it were practically written to accompany the zombie apocalypse, Cash's glorious recording assured us all that we were in for a treat.
