Showing posts with label 80's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80's. Show all posts

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Paul, Cheeks and Rickster. . .

 Though the many years have gone by, somewhere out there in the dark, these three still cruise through the night and they always will.

"Still they ride,

on wheels of fire,

They rule the night.

Still they ride,

the strong will survive

Chasing thunder. . . "

Songwriters: Jonathan Cain / Neal Joseph Schon / Stephen Ray Perry

Still They Ride lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

Sunday, October 10, 2021

THE LAMP [1987]

 A.K.A. THE OUTING -- WHICH NO ONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FILM CALLS IT SO I'M GONNA CALL IT "THE LAMP". 


This one was fun.  Better than it has a right to be, THE LAMP features an ancient woman's house being robbed by three petty criminals.  While ransacking the place (and sinking an axe into the old woman's head), the three stumble across a strange metal lamp just like you'd see in THE ARABIAN NIGHTS. 

When the old lady dies, a dangly red-jeweled bracelet falls off her wrist and the house-breakers rub the lamp for a joke.  No joke.  Something is released from the lamp which gruesomely kills the three crooks. The antique lamp (and the dangly bracelet) makes its way to the local museum and curator Dr. Wallace whose daughter Alex comes by, rubs the lamp (cause that's what you do with Aladdin's lamps) and tries on the dangly bracelet -- which she then cannot remove from her wrist.  Alex has a kinda psychotic ex-boyfriend who is terrorizing her and her new boyfriend.  Later, Alex's class goes on a field trip to the museum and she and her friends get the neato idea to try to sneak in and spend the night inside the museum.  Psycho ex-boyfriend and his sidekick overhear and hide inside the museum until after closing time.  Unfortunately for our gang of kids, the evil genie of the lamp periodically takes over Alex's body in order to facilitate the plan so that it will have plenty of victims locked inside the museum to kill horribly!


Firstly the cast does a really good job and there's not really any bad acting going on.  The prop for the lamp is superb and the evil genie itself is a nice practical effect which the cast remember was something like 18 feet tall.  SFX like green glowing energy zaps etc. are pretty woeful but the kills feature pretty excellent gory effects.  While the 80's were full to bursting with slasher movies, this one takes a novel approach by having an evil monster djinn offing teens in interesting, gory ways.  As I said, I had a lot of fun with this one owing to the novel premise and fun kills.  There were no real slow passages which made the film drag so that's also a huge plus.  So yeah, this is definitely a low-budget horror that really tries and, for the most part, succeeds in making a very watchable and entertaining Halloweeny viewing experience.  

Saturday, June 27, 2020

RAD [1986]

If it were possible for a movie to wear an electric pink fluorescent headband, RAD would wear it! 


The time-honoured tale of a kid torn between taking his SATs or qualifying for the BMX event of the year: Helltrack! A soundtrack that sounds more 80's than ANY 80's film soundtrack ever recorded; even managing to sandwich Real Life's classic "Send Me An Angel" in between John Farnham's pulsating 80's rock songs!
Quite a few instances of questionable acting and a screenplay so cheesy that I was bound up for a week after watching RAD. A whole lot of totally rad BMX bike stunts. Plus -- the movie that made "ass-sliding" a thing! All of this should add up to a really bad movie -- and RAD IS a bad movie -- but somehow all this stuff actually adds up to a hell of a good time and a fun . . . well . . . really rad movie! I can't tell you how much this film took me back to the mid-1980's. I never owned (nor even rode) a BMX but the vibe of this movie was soooooooo mid-80's, it gave me a rush of nostalgia which I don't usually get. If I had been 10 years old when RAD came out, I probably would've thought it was the best movie ever made! Not the greatest BMX movie ever made (that honour goes to the immortal BMX BANDITS) but this surprise Vinegar Syndrome blu-ray/4K release with the combo lenticular/holographic slipcover for their Halfway-To-Black Friday sale made my day!!!

Thursday, October 31, 2019

IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS [2019]

COULD THERE BE A MORE PERFECT WAY TO SPEND HALLOWEEN DAY?  I'd be hard-pressed to think of one. 
The crowd-funded (and I was one of that crowd) documentary written and directed by David A. Weiner
about the horror films of the 1980s clocks in at almost 4 and a half hours (!) but never dragged.  It was frankly just was I was hoping it would be:  a documentary trick-or-treat bag covering everything from the blockbusters like POLTERGEIST and THE FLY to franchise movies in the FRIDAY THE 13th, HALLOWEEN and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET SERIES but also giving equal time to small indies like BASKET CASE and THE STUFF to beloved favourites of mine like THE BURNING, MANIAC and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. 
Packed with horror celebrities talking about their favourite horror films, this doc features participation from John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Barbara Crampton, Keith David, Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, Jeffrey Combs, Alex Winter, Cassandra Peterson, Stuart Gordon, Larry Cohen (in probably one of his last interviews), Nick Castle, Heather Langenkamp, Tom Adkins, Doug Bradley, Joe Bob Briggs and many more.   The purpose here is not to provide any new information on the horror movies of the 80s but instead to play like a bunch of (admittedly rather famous) horror fans sitting around talking about the movies they love. 
It's a fun and entertaining blast of a doc.  Now, I know you won't be able to see it until it goes into general release in a few months -- I watched a sneak preview provided to all the donors -- but keep your eye out for it when it arrives.  I think any horror fan will love it. 
IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS has such sights to show you!

Monday, October 21, 2019

BLACK ROSES (1988)

THIS TIME IT'S A HALLOWEEN MOVIE RECOMMENDATION BY ZIPPY THE CO-WORKER.  From the director of ROCK 'N' ROLL NIGHTMARE and THE JITTERS John Fasano, comes this fun visit to hair metal 80's horror that's a yearly rewatch tradition by my co-worker Zippy.  Metal band Black Roses with frontman Damian (Sal Viviano -- also of THE JITTERS) seem to have the Devil as their manager.  They decide to play their first live show ever (!) outside the studio in a white-picket-fence community where the adults are conservative sticks-in-the-mud and the teenagers are all "yearning to be free" of the dull town.  John Martin plays their "with-it, hip and groovy" lit teacher who really connects with the "kids" and becomes what amount's to the movie's hero;  you can tell he's the hero because he has a Magnum P.I. mustache so how can he NOT be?!?! 
On the first night of Black Roses' performance, the uptight adults stay for about 3 minutes of the group's first song (an innocuous little ditty) and promptly leave.  Then Black Roses breaks out the metal.  Gee, those adults weren't TOO worried about the satanic music corrupting their kids, were they, if they only devoted about 3 minutes to it before deciding Black Roses were harmless!  One metal performance, however, turns the teens into demon-possessed killers.  Horror fans will find their hearts go pitter-pat with the inclusion of the late, great Julie Adams (from THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON) in the cast.  There are goofy rubber monsters galore in this terrible but extremely entertaining little 80's horror flick which seems to say Tipper Gore was right!

Sunday, October 07, 2012

GARFIELD TRICKS AND TREATS

HERE IS A ONE-PAGE GARFIELD HALLOWEEN STRIP WHICH APPEARED IN THE HALLOWEEN ISSUE OF FAMILY CIRCLE MAGAZINE WAY BACK IN 1985!
 
Trick or treat!
Click picture to enlarge
 

Saturday, October 08, 2011

ALL RIGHT YOU WACKY WEIRDOS, REMEMBER VCR GAMES IN THE 80s??? Here's one which is the perfect game to play for the Halloween season: DOORWAYS TO HORROR. For those of you who are "Know-Nothing Tots", VCR games were big for a hot five minutes in the 1980s. They were your typical board games but with the addition of that keen new invention: the VCR. You'd pop a VHS tape into the VCR and then play along with whatever it told you to do on the TV screen. DOORWAYS TO HORROR is a game I actually never owned but my best doddy Cheeks did and we played it several times. I wonder if he still has it? The game was made by Pressman and released in 1986. In the game, the players would draw cards and go through a series of lettered doors through which some old low budget B-horror movie clips would play accompanied by spooky music and a whimsical narrator/game master of terrormonies. Ah, those were the days. Below this post you can actually watch the DOORWAYS TO HORROR videotape yourself. How great is that!?!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN! Why did they discontinue the Marathon Bar?!? Back in the day (1973-1981), M&M/Mars made this incredibly long candy bar called Marathon which was chocolate and caramel. But it was braided as you can see in this old ad featuring Patrick Wayne (yes, he's John Wayne's son) hawking the candy bar. I personally don't remember it being around THAT long; I seem to only remember it in the late 70's but apparently it hung in there for almost a decade before it was discontinued.
This just joins the LONG list of great foods that (for some reason) they don't make any more. Things like KOOGLE (a spread that was LIKE peanut butter but NOT peanut butter--it came in chocolate, banana and strawberry flavours if I remember correctly.) And you'll notice that it says "peanut spread" on the label -- but that must be a later incarnation because the Koogle that I smeared between 2 slices of bread (sometimes with Marshmallow Fluff added) had no peanuts (butter or otherwise) in it; in fact it was of much the same consistency as Marshmallow Fluff -- only dark DARK brown (much darker than the stuff pictured here -- much the same color as dark chocolate) or flourescent yellow or pink. I'm sure the stuff was made outta chemicals, plastic and wax -- and THAT'S why it tasted so good!!! God bless the 70's when they let you eat food that would kill ya! Then there was Aspen soda (it was apple flavoured - and yes it was good). This photo also causes me some form of consternation since my recollection is of a can with a white background -- not green like this one here. Or Tuna Twist (a box of stuff that you added to tuna fish to both soup up the flavour with herbs and spices as well as stretch the tuna so it made a little bit more sandwich-wise). Bizarrely, I still remember the jingle for Tuna Twist and, if you're ever around I can sing it to you: "Tuna Twist makes tuna taste fresh as a garden!" Sorry, the lame internet doesn't have a photo of Tuna Twist! And speaking of souping up. . .remember Soup Starter: that canister of dried stuff that you added water and meat to make a pot of (sorta) homemade soup??? Nope, internet ain't got a photo of THAT either. Bitches.
Some formerly thought lost food items which I have recently discovered STILL are made include that wonderful "stuff" Gerber's Blueberry Buckle (thanks to Cheekies for finding that one still on the shelves -- yes, it's baby food and yes, I'm OK with that. I can only describe it as a sorta blueberry puddin'!) and the wonderful, delectable Blackjack Gum (which sadly is only made certain times of the year -- much like Count Chocula cereal -- but, when it IS made it can be found in that silly general store type area in Cracker Barrel restaurants!
So, what "no longer made" food items do YOU miss? C'mon, Finky, you KNOW you're almost suicidal over Ragu's decision to discontinue Mama's Rich 'N' Meaty spaghetti sauce!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Whoa-oa-oa-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo
Whoa-oa-oa-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo
Hey baby, I'm talking to you
Stop yourself and listen
Some things you can never choose
Even if you try, yeah
You're hangin your head again
Cause somebody won't let you in
One chance, one love
Your chance to let me know
We can't go on
Just running away
If we stay any longer
We will surely never get away
Anything you want...we can make it happen
Stand up and turn around
Never let them shoot us down
Never,
Never
Never,
Never run away
AHHHHHHH . . . HERE'S TO GREEN EYES. . .

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

20 YEARS AGO IN RUSTLER HISTORY: When Marlton Rustler Steak House (the greatest job in this or any other universe -- and here's an arial view of the Marlton Rustler on Route 70 back in the day with the old Gino's next door) closed down in May 1986, those few, proud and faithful transferred to Cinnaminson Rustler (yeah . . . they couldn't compare in a million years). Let me set the scene. ***WARNING - THIS BLOG CONTAINS RUSTLERSPEAK*** Lil Ole Me was working the greeter box ("Party Hienyiew") and our own beloved Paulster Paul was working salad bar. Our own beloved Cheekies had already punched off and was waiting for me to get done work so we could go frolic somewhere. (I promise he wasn't going to "410" me"). I was watching the clock (as was my wont) since I had 10 minutes to go in my shift. There I was calling back the orders all these dates were placing("Uh....one yellow five, one brown two and a lunch at the Y please.") as I innocently placed those plaques down on the rabble's (read: customers) tray. One of the rabble was an old man slightly younger than the Milky Way Galaxy. Slightly. Anyway, Paulster Paul, being the dutiful and thrifty employee that he was, was dutifully and thriftily spraying down the salad bar with a spray bottle of filled with water. Suddenly, the old man squawked: "What's that you're spraying there, sonny?" "Water." replied Paulster Paul. "Hmh." snorted the oldster, "Smells like bleach to me." Annoyed at the persnicketiness of senile citizens, Paul repeated emphatically, "No. It's water!" But then Paulster smelled it. Oops. Yeah, you guessed it! Some idiot (read: Cinnaminson Rustler employee NOT originally from Marlton) left a bottle of bleach water up by the salad bar where no such bottle should ever be found. "Hurtin' for certain without a curtain like Richard Burton who's no longer flirtin'!" "Cerptsy," said Paulster, "Close down the salad bar for a while!" Cue the mad scramble to take every crock of salad bar goodness (now contaminated with bleach) off the salad bar and replace them all. Cue the ENORMOUSLY obese manager Big John to come wobbling out at a frenetic pace in full panic. Cue Cerptsy and Paulster to start giggling. That is, until Cerptsy realizes that he's going to have to stay on the clock an extra HOUR before the whole salad bar is replaced and he will have to postpone frolics with Cheekies. Major bummer, dude. The only bright spot was, of course, when Big John clobbered himself on top of his head with a rack as he was rushing the tall cart into the back room. Ah well, Cinnaminson Rustler was extremely lame anyway and, when they closed down a mere 3 months later, we weren't surprised (or that sorry).
Next time remind me to tell you about the time when a customer asked me if a potato comes with the meal and I answered, "Yeah, if they time it right!"