What classics did you see last week ? (4 Aug- 10 Aug 2019)

Frenzy (2018)

"I had a raft...but the sharks ate it."

No, not a Hitchcock remake, thankfully. Just another killer shark TV movie. Good premise but the lack of horror portrayed by the actors sinks it a little. Why are they so calm about their friends being eaten in front of them?

The CGI sharks are a step up from some other CGI shark movies, but only slightly.

Still, it was an okay time waster and my fellow shark movie fans will find something to enjoy.



Capsized: Blood in the Water (2019)

Based on a true story from 1982 makes this Discovery Channel Shark Week movie a little more harrowing than your usual made-for-TV shark movie.

Plenty of tension during the shark scenes and some actual actors, it's similar to so many other movies but well done and worth your time.



Lake Placid: Legacy (2018)

Yes, another killer aquatic animal TV-movie, I was really on a roll.

Complete trash that copies Aliens, Jaws and Anaconda.

Naturally, I loved it. ::yes

Great poster too!



Crawl (2019)

"We can defeat these pea-brained lizard sh**s!"

Oh yeah, baby! That's what I'm talking about! A real suspenseful, gory, creepy, claustrophobic man-eating alligator flick! The man-eating animal genre is my favorite of all the horror genres, and this is a good one!

Directed by Alexandre Aja, the man who gave us Piranha 3D, so this instantly became a must see, since that movie delivered so well.

A competitive swimmer (Kaya Scodelario, a future star) and her dad (Barry Pepper) are stuck in their basement in a hurricane with hungry alligators. Great premise and this movie milks every ounce out of the scenario.



Summer Camp Nightmare (1987)

Sounds like a summer camp-themed horror movie, right? Nope, more of a teen drama about some rebellious teens fighting back against their strict camp counselors. Maybe they thought it was a horror movie they were making, but it's hardly suspenseful or scary at all. Chuck Connors plays the head counselor, with some seriously bad eyeglass frames!




Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Trashy, fun 80's summer camp slasher that I'd seen way back then. Now, the authentic 80's clothes, fashion and slang sticks out like, totally! A few laughs come from this rewatch for that reason alone. The kills are not bad, slightly more original that most. Still wondering exactly just where that curling iron wound up....yikes!

When I saw it back in the 80's, Christopher Collet as Paul, was the only "famous face" in the cast. He seemed to be an up and coming actor, he had done Firstborn (1984) and The Manhattan Project (1986). He didn't really go on to fame and fortune as an actor, but I do think being linked to this now classic of the slasher genre will keep his fame alive for years to come.



Hold on to your short-shorts for that ending!!!



Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers (1988)

A more comedic sequel, with the lead role of Angela suddenly recast with Pamela Springsteen, The Boss' sister! No clever twists here, but lots of interesting murders for the whole family to enjoy!



Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland (1989)

This sequel was filmed back-to-back with the previous one, all sets were reused and simply altered slightly. Angela is still bonkers and kills everyone she meets. Wholesome entertainment.



Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor (1992)

This is why horror gets no respect sometimes. They produce a Frankenstein's monster of a movie like this clip show and they know we'll show up for it anyway. And here I am, trying to complete the series, watching it too...even though I just saw all of this earlier in the week when I watched the series from the beginning.

There's a few shots added in from some aborted attempt at making a sequel that got shutdown. They add almost nothing. In fact, they are mostly confusing. You're basically just rewatching the best bits from the first three movies. The worst "film" I've seen all year. Maybe even including last year, and that's saying something since I watch my share of crap movies.



Return To Sleepaway Camp (2008)

I didn't have much hope for this after viewing the god-awful Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor, but it's actually a real sequel to the original, more so than any of the others. Very similar in many ways, thanks to Robert Hiltzik, the original writer/director from the first movie.

Some original cast members return and the kills are inventive. This is a worthy sequel and fans of the original will be pleased.



As you can see, all of the above films are beloved classics. I feel like I need a bath AND a shower after this week of cinematic carnage.



Till next week, have a great movie week everybody!