Interview with Central Valley Horror Club Founder Kaci Hansen

Kaci Hansen is an artist, musician, writer, performer, dancer, director and special effects makeup artist, with a passion for all things horror, who tries to find as many ways as possible to integrate her love of the genre in with everyday life. Kaci was one of 13 lucky finalists in Fangoria Magazine’s nationwide search for their 2010 Spooksmodel, where she came in first place in the first fan-voting segment of the contest.

Kaci works with Nothing is Safe Films where she not only acts, writes, and directs, but also aids in production and special effects makeup. She recently completed her roles in The Orchard and Side of the Road, and is working on a five-part film project called The Apartments where she not only stars in one segment, but also directs her own segment and aids in FX/makeup on all of the segments.

Kaci also founded and dances with Central California’s first and only horror-themed dance troupe, The Horror Dolls.

In 2008 she founded the Central Valley Horror Club (the first and only horror-themed organization in Central California), who host numerous horror-themed events throughout Central California, including free movie nights and concerts. This past year, Kaci and the Central Valley Horror Club hosted their city’s first-ever Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash. The Central Valley Horror Club has had an enormous amount of support from the community, being featured in several in publications, and hopes to continue offering horror themed entertainment for a long time to come.

In 2009, Kaci began working with Comic Book Divas on her very own horror-comic, titled Kaci Hansen Presents… The comic will be available for purchase in early 2010 through ComicBookDivas.com

Kaci is currently in the process of writing music with her band The Homicidal Housewives, doing various horror conventions promoting The Horror Dolls and Kaci Hansen Presents…, and is working on various screenplays for films that will soon be available from Nothing is Safe Films.

Fatally Yours: How did you fall in love with the horror genre? 

Kaci Hansen: It actually began at a young age, when I fell in love with television shows of a darker aesthetic, such as The Addams Family and The Munsters. I would often stay at my great-grandparents’ house, and they didn’t have cable, so I often would watch reruns of these shows. I was always a big fan of the Halloween season and all of the spooky things that accompanied the holiday. What can I say? I ate the monster cereals for breakfast as often as I could, with Count Chocula being my favorite (it has since shifted over to Boo Berry).

My parents are actually huge horror fans, and they would always make me watch films with them. I would be absolutely terrified, sitting with my hands covering my eyes, occasionally peeking through my fingertips…and as scared as I was, I couldn’t get enough of it. As I got older, my interests peaked even further; my mom would always tell me, “It’s not real, you don’t need to be scared,” so naturally, I was fascinated that one could obscure that line between reality and fantasy, and create such an emotional and visual impact on the viewer. I believe that is what intrigued me to get involved in special FX artistry, prop making and development, and eventually, writing and directing my own projects.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you get involved in the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Many people just did not (and still do not) understand my fascination with the genre. I’d often bring up films or scenes from movies, and people would stare blankly at me, not having a clue what I was even referring to. I decided to change that, so in 2008, I founded Central Valley Horror Club – the first and only horror organization in Central CA. I began having free, public all-ages movie nights at a pizza place, so I could meet other horror fans, and hopefully ‘convert’ a few more. Our first event brought in over 60 people, and the support has been continuous! One thing we really try to touch on is playing lesser-known movies, to expose them to new horizons within the genre.

In 2009, I decided to introduce my city to something else they had never experienced before – horror-themed concerts and events. I hosted Central CA’s first Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash in 2009. To say that I was humbled by the support and appreciation that the community showed towards my efforts, would be an understatement. I literally receive emails every week asking when the next event will be.

In 2009, I also formed The Horror Dolls, which is the first and only horror-themed dance troupe in Central CA. I wasn’t sure how the community would react to it, but a local publication actually featured us on the cover of their October 2009 issue, and wrote an entire article on us.

I also became involved with Nothing is Safe Films in 2009, where I not only act, but I also write, direct and do makeup/FX. I had a small role in the films The Orchard and Side of the Road. I am currently working on a project titled The Apartments, where I am acting in one segment, writing/directing another segment, and doing makeup for all of the segments. It’s been a tedious project, with a lot of hiccups, but it’s been so much fun working on the set. We have a good group of people at Nothing is Safe; I love them.

I have a horror comic coming out through ComicBookDivas.com in early 2010, called Kaci Hansen Presents…Hello Dollies.

Fatally Yours: What is one thing you’ve done within the horror genre that you are most proud of?

Kaci Hansen: I would have to say that forming Central Valley Horror Club would be exactly that. Hearing people thank me for making fun, affordable and unique events in our area makes all of the hard work and planning worth it. People would often complain that there was nothing ‘cool’ or ‘fun’ to do here, and it was my goal to change that. And I truly believe that I have.

Fatally Yours: How would you convince people who aren’t horror fans to give the genre a try?

Kaci Hansen: I always suggest watching a really, really cheesy horror flick – the kind that make you smile, even if it’s not supposed to. My recommendations would be Slumber Party Massacre II or Dead Alive…not that I think those are necessarily considered cheesy, but I have witnessed them bring smiles to the faces of many.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel women in horror get the proper recognition when compared to their male counterparts?

Kaci Hansen: It really depends on what role you’re referring to. In the past, it seemed that films written or directed by women were not taken too seriously, but I have seen what appears to be a tremendous change as of late. With film festivals like VISCERA, the creation of Women in Horror Month, and the unity between females involved in the genre, that is rapidly changing.

Fatally Yours: As a woman in horror, have you found it harder to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Kaci Hansen: Actually, quite the opposite. Occasionally, people seem to be taken aback a bit at first, but once they talk with me and see what a passion I have for the genre and what I do within it, they seem to hold a lot of respect for me, what I do, and why I do it. From time to time, people still seem surprised that Central Valley Horror Club was founded by a woman; they love it.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles within horror whether it be roles in horror films, women behind the camera, women writers, etc.?

Kaci Hansen: Absolutely. I’m really excited that more women are getting recognition for being behind the camera and utilizing their creative sides.

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire?

Kaci Hansen: Oh, there are so many, and for so many reasons…I’ll end up typing here all evening if I don’t narrow it down to one! I’m going to go with Bette Davis for this answer. I recently watched Dead Ringer again, and just love the way she could turn-on/turn-off that crazy, psychotic side yet appear so kind and sweet directly after…much like her role in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I have always admired her work.

I also love the iconic horror hostesses – Vampira and Elvira. Most people seem to only like one or the other, but I think they’re both great.

I also want to take this time to give a huge thank you to Hannah Neurotica for her efforts for Women in Horror Month, Shannon Lark for her efforts with The Chainsaw Mafia and VISCERA, and all of the other amazing women out there who are taking action every day to unite us all.

Fatally Yours: What inspires, influences and motivates you?

Kaci Hansen: Every film I watch is an inspiration to me to work hard, and to do my best. I always try to remind myself that EVERY film used to be an idea in the back of someone’s head; it was all up to them to put forth the effort to execute the idea.

I also just flat-out love what I do, and seeing how I’ve made a change in the community here really makes me happy. Seeing the support that Central Valley Horror Club has gotten is enough to make me continue working hard to enrich our city for horror fans.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films and books?

Kaci Hansen: This is the question I’m asked the most, and it’s always the most difficult one to answer!
I already mentioned my love for Slumber Party Massacre II…and if you can’t enjoy a guy who looks like the love-child of Andrew Dice Clay and an Elvis-impersonator swinging around a guitar with a drill on the end of it, then I don’t know what to tell you. I really love The Tingler, Mr. Sardonicus, House on Haunted Hill (you’ve gotta see the RiffTrax version of it!), Night of the Demons (1 and 2), Demons, Sleepaway Camp, Day of the Dead, Dead Ringer, The Gates of Hell, Return of the Living Dead…the list goes on and on.

Fatally Yours: Outside of horror what do you enjoy doing?

Kaci Hansen: I’m a Fine Art major, so all things related to art really interest me. I really love graphic design, web design, cooking and baking. JELL-O brains seem to be a staple in my household. I love animals (I have four dogs, and one kitty). I’m very close with my little brother (he’s 10) and have done a splendid job with exposing him to the genre so far. He actually led our zombie walk that took place before our Zombie Ball. I also love music – whether it be listening to it, playing it (I play guitar/keys), or going to a concert.

Fatally Yours: What are your goals for yourself within the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Just to do whatever I can to help artists, filmmakers, actors and actresses to get involved and recognized, and to unite other horror fans. Also, to continue bringing fun and exciting horror-themed events to the area. I really would like to get more involved with acting, as I have really enjoyed being in front of the camera as much as being behind it.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Kaci Hansen: Feel free to add me on Facebook, or on Myspace. My website, www.kacihansen.com, is currently being renovated, and with all of my projects going on, it’s taking me a little more time than I anticipated.

Central Valley Horror Club on Facebook
Central Valley Horror Club on Myspace
The Horror Dolls on Facebook
The Horror Dolls on Myspace
Kaci on IMDB

Strange Behavior (1981)

Strange Behavior (aka Dead Kids) is a little-seen 1981 horror film that is probably best remembered for a zany party scene where a bunch of teens are dancing up a storm to some god-awful ‘60s music that sounds like it was better suited for Grease 2. And, yes, the teens soon join in for a choreographed number that’ll probably make you gag a little. Still, despite this and a few other glaringly out-of-place scenes throughout the film, I found Strange Behavior to be a surprisingly entertaining flick.

In the seemingly idyllic burg of Galesberg, Illinois, it seems that things aren’t so peaceful. Kids are getting murdered left and right, and top cop John Brady (Michael Murphy), thinks it has something to do with the strange behavioral experiments going on at the local university. Brady seems to have a history with the scientist in charge of the suspicious experiments, Dr. Le Sangel (Arthur Dignam), only problem is that the Doctor is long dead (though he still “teaches” college classes via archival footage), having been replaced by his protégé, the icy Dr. Parkinson (Fiona Lewis). Still, the experiments have continued, but now the kids who volunteer for the mysterious experiments are turning out a bit robotic and zombie-like…

Meanwhile, Brady’s son Pete (Dan Shor) enrolls himself in these experiments under Dr. Parkinson’s care in hopes he can make enough money to cover his college application fees. There he meets love interest Caroline (Dey Young), who is a clueless receptionist that knows nothing of what goes on behind Dr. Parkinson’s closed doors.

Do the experiments have anything to do with the rash of murders occurring in the sleepy burg? Well, you can bet your bottom dollar they do, but can Brady get to the bottom of them before his own son becomes a mindless killing machine?

Strange Behavior was definitely a fun film to watch, despite its few wacky scenes and offbeat humor. In fact, its goofiness made it even more fun to watch! The party scene is classic enough, but there is also a hilarious scene where an older deputy is going through files and files of college transcripts to try and find a “fat girl” that fits the killer’s description…really, just watch it and you’ll understand!

The sly humor used throughout certainly doesn’t underscore the gore, though, and there is plenty to go around. People get stabbed, limbs get hacked off, a victim’s body is strung up in a field like a scarecrow, people’s heads get bashed and so on. Certainly not the goriest of films, even by slasher standards, but Strange Behavior does a decent job spreading some crimson around.

The story, written by Bill Condon (who would go on to write/direct Gods and Monsters and Dreamgirls) and Michael Laughlin, does have its plot holes, namely not entirely explaining why and how certain people were targeted to be killed. Were some of the victim’s random or were they all selected to be killed? This was never cleared up satisfactorily for me. Also, the pacing in the beginning and the end dragged a bit for me. The beginning had a pretty typical opening that didn’t immediately grab my attention. Then the end felt unnecessarily drawn out…and what was it with the cheesy wedding scene at the end? There were definitely some parts that could have been heavily edited. I never really did get the connection between Brady and his love interest (played by Louise Fletcher), who I guess was the housekeeper…that part of the story added nothing to the overall story and should have been dropped from the script. It’s almost if Condon and Laughlin were trying to cram as much as they could into the story, but I wished they had focused a bit more on the murders rather than unnecessary characters.

The characters, for a change from most slashers, are well-developed and stay away from most horror movie stereotypes. You really could sympathize with Brady and his son Pete as they both try to make sense of what is going on. The cold character of Dr. Parkinson is also developed just enough so you know that deep down she’s evil. You even get a feel for the secondary characters, like Pete’s best friend Oliver (who disappears halfway through after donning a scary and oversized Tor Johnson-look-alike mask at the crrrrraaaazy costume party) and girlfriend Caroline (who wears one of the ugliest patterned pant and jacket sets I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing).

Despite some flaws and a few wacky sequences, Strange Behavior is otherwise an entertaining way to kill an hour and a half. It seems that many people aren’t familiar with this diamond in the rough, either, but nonetheless this unique film just begs to be seen. Just promise you won’t bust out any choreographed dance moves while watching!

Order it on Amazon!

Hard Rock Zombies (1985)

Where can you find horrible 80’s ballads, a rock star that is a pedophile, Nazis, deformed midgets, zombies, a grandma that transforms into a werewolf, bad 80’s metal hair, music video montages, Adolf Hitler and limber but evil groupies? Hard Rock Zombies, that’s where, one of the worst films ever made!

In the opening scene, a dirty-looking blond hitchhiker (Lisa Toothman), who looks like she’s wearing nothing but a scrap of shower curtain, gets picked up by two skeevy lamebrains. Two seconds later they’ve pulled off for a bit of skinny dipping in a scum-encrusted pond where Dirty Blond drowns both dudes. Who knew drowning produced so much blood? A weird guy who was taking pictures the whole time and his pet midgets (one with a patch over one eye and the other looking more like a creature from Ghoulies) join Dirty Blond in disposing of the bodies…but not before Dirty Blond cuts one of the victim’s hands off and croons, “I wanna hold your hand!”

After this preposterous opening scene we join “the band” onstage as they perform for their 12 groupies. After the long and drawn-out song, they head backstage, strip to their skivvies and pose for pics with more groupies! Lead singer and perv Jessie (E.J. Curcio) becomes enamored of the very young-looking Cassie (Jennifer Coe), who not only looks like she’s 12, but also looks like she’s got caterpillars glued over her already bushy Groucho Marx-like eyebrows. Cassie tries to warn Jessie that his band shouldn’t play their next gig in her podunk town, but Jessie is too smitten to pay attention.

On the way to Cassie’s town Jessie practices his newest song, which he’s borrowed from a medieval incantation that was used to raise the dead. Great idea, bonehead!

The band picks up Dirty Blond, who is out hitchhiking again (what a strange pastime…) and she tells them to stay at her family’s spacious Southern-style mansion. Once they arrive they meet with the creepy midgets and the rest of Dirty Blond’s strange family, including her grandparents who let the creepy midgets watch while they have geriatric sex, a hulking, bald man who is either her brother or the gardener (he’s quite handy with the weed whacker) and the paparazzo-in-training from the pond.

After they’ve stashed all their equipment, the band heads into town and we are forced to suffer another horrible musical number – and, hey, this one’s a montage complete with band members skateboarding, scaring kids by spraying them with shaken cans of beer, dancing like idiots, posing in a gigantic wood cut-out of themselves and hamming it up while disapproving townsfolk look on. The band gets thrown in jail for being so lame, but Dirty Blond bails them out.

After almost getting electrocuted while playing another horrible song in front of their hosts, the band eats it for real at the hands of Dirty Blond’s psycho family. Dirty Blond herself takes out a guy in the shower, while grandma turns into a werewolf(!) and mauls two other band members and Jessie is taken out by baldy with the weed whacker, but not before he gives Cassie his tape for his new dead-raising single!

After the funeral, it is revealed that the members of Dirty Blond’s family are all Nazis in hiding and that her grandpa is actually the Grand Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler! Hitler has a hidden bunker well-stocked with poisonous gas and plans to take out the entire U.S.!

Meanwhile, Cassie is visiting the band’s grave. She plays the tape Jessie left her and – sho ‘nuff – the band comes back to life as zombies – stiff, Robot-dancin’ zombies that look like a bad KISS cover band that is.

They kill Dirty Blond and her Nazi family (who return as zombies), then drive (yup, zombies can drive) across town so they can play a showcase and impress a record executive. While we are forced to listen to another god-awful song (the third time we hear it in the film), zombies are slowly overtaking the town. The remaining townsfolk think they can repel zombies by holding out huge posters of famous people…buuuut that idea doesn’t work too well and more people become the zombies’ lunch.

One old guy suggests offering the ghouls the town’s virgin, who just happens to be Cassie. Something about the zombies not attacking the town for another 100 years if they can screw and eat a virgin. Anywho, the townspeople haul Cassie up the mountain like a sacrificial lamb and offer her to the zombies.

It’s up to Jessie and the rest of the zombified band to save his jailbait lady love and to put a stop to the zombie nonsense once and for all…but not until we suffer through yet another musical number.

Whew! Apologies for such a long synopsis, but really I wanted you to get a complete gist of the insanity of this movie! And believe me, you haven’t heard anything yet! I have yet to mention the self-cannibalizing midget or the freaky dance montages that feature Dirty Blond. In case you haven’t noticed, this movie is all over the place and you’ll be asking yourself WTF did I just watch when you are through (if you can bear and get all the way to the end, that is).

First off, the puke-inducing music is not what anyone would call “hard rock.” It just sounds like the most generic, Monster Ballad-esque sap you’ve ever heard. And they just keep playing the same damn songs over and over. Plus, they’ve got the whole pedophile angle covered even in the lyrics, which actually say “I’m so in love, but you’re so young.” Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Totally groddy! Someone call Chris Hansen with To Catch a Predator!

Considering this was at one point just supposed to be a 20 minute short movie I understand all the padding used, but did they really have to keep showing such cheesy montages? First with the band “running wild” (errrr, if “wild” means consorting with a bunch of pudgy schoolkids, riding skateboards and doing a Beatle-esque type dance down the middle of a street) through the redneck town and later on with Jessie and Cassie running at each other in slow-mo both dressed in white! And who can forget Dirty Blond doing some kind of weird 80’s dancing, first randomly in the desert then as a slinky zombie minx (who knew zombies were so flexible?). You could fill 20 bottles of Cheez-Whiz with the cheesiness coming out of just these montage scenes alone!

Then there was the whole “what were they smoking?” plot addition of Nazis and werewolves! Seriously, did they think that a strictly zombie movie would be that boring and they needed a little extra Third Reich pizazz? I really don’t know what writer/director Krishna Shah and co-writer David Allen Ball (and no, they haven’t done all that much since this, ahem, “film”) were thinking when they unleashed this horribly bad movie on an unsuspecting audience, but if they were doing drugs while dreaming this film up then it would make for a perfect “this is your brain on drugs” PSA. Just say no, kids!

You’d think with such vivid imaginations some great gore would come out of all this, but sadly the only “gore” we get is blood that looks like it was squirted right out of a Heinz ketchup bottle. The kill scenes are pretty hysterical, though, especially when geysers of blood erupt during a drowning scene and that the zombiefied band kills Hitler by what looks like a ring-around-the-rosies game gone wrong.

The craziness of the Hard Rock Zombies makes some parts entertaining, but for the most part it’s a real snoozefest. The film looses what little momentum it had at about the one hour mark and all those musical numbers certainly make it seem much longer than it actually is. I might have even fallen asleep had the music not been so gratingly bad. Yet, this film is so bad that like Troll 2 it certainly deserves to be seen at least once…but once will definitely be enough. After that you’ll want to bury Hard Rock Zombies for good.

Available from Amazon!

The Gravedancers (2006)

You know, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a decent ghost story. This is why I was very excited to see The Gravedancers, part of the After Dark Horrorfest. I had missed it in theaters, so I was all over it when it came out on DVD. Did it live up to my expectations? Well, yes and no…

After attending the funeral of their friend, three friends sneak back into the cemetery at night to say their final farewells to their buddy. After getting drunk, they find a mysterious black card that contains a poem. Standing on a headstone, Sid (Marcus Thomas), one of the friends, reads the poem out loud. Meanwhile, Kira (Josie Maran) and Harris (Dominic Purcell of Prison Break fame) make with the smoochies, despite the fact that Harris is married to the devoted Allison (Clare Kramer). After the poem gets Kira and Harris’ attention, the three friends begin dancing atop some graves, just as the poem says to.

The next day, things seem to go back to normal (you know, except for the fact that Allison suspects something is going on with Kira and her husband). The next few weeks bring an array of strange occurrences to Harris and Allison’s new house. Pipes clank, the cat hisses at nothing and the piano plays by itself. Thinking that Kira might be stalking them like she’s done in the past, the two go to confront her at her house after one particularly frightening episode…but find her badly beaten and possibly raped by what she says is an invisible force. After dropping Kira at the hospital, Harris and Allison go to Sid’s, who is also experiencing paranormal activity in the form of small fires breaking out around his apartment. He has hired two paranormal investigators to get to the bottom of the haunting. Before long, the fact that the three friends danced on graves is revealed and the investigators tell them this is grave desecration. Upon further investigation it is revealed that the graves they danced upon belonged to the “condemned” – the murderers, psychopaths, rapists, criminally insane and the like. The poem that was read was actually a spell to release the spirits of the dead. Now, an ax-wielding adulteress is after Harris, a child pyromaniac is after Sid and, worst of all, a sadistic rapist/murderer is after Kira. The ghosts are active for one month, but are getting stronger each day. The friends must find a way to put the ghosts at peace before the ghosts lay them to rest.

I have mixed feelings about this film. It starts off pretty sweetly, all slow and moody as the ghosts begin their haunting. As the ghosts get stronger, their scare tactics get bigger and bigger. When the ghosts are actually able to manifest, they look delightfully creepy (and yes, perhaps even a little cheesy). The creepiest of them all is the gaunt, naked old rapist/murderer who is after Kira. Yet, the (unintentionally?) hilarious and over-the-top ending is what killed the movie for me. There’s nothing like a cheesy, huge CGI ghost-head chasing a Hummer that is plowing through wall after wall of a mansion to kill any residual creepiness.

Yet, I can’t help but remember how enjoyable ¾ of the movie was! Sure, it could have been a lot better, but this film is what it is, and it was fun! There’s nothing new here and no twists or very many surprises, but this movie is pure, brainless entertainment. Director Mike Mendez realized that this story has been done before (and better), so he just decided to have fun with it. Sure it didn’t live up to my expectations as my new favorite ghost film, but it did entertain me!

There are a few tension-filled scenes, my favorite being when Harris and Allison find Allison cowering in the corner of her house, covered in bite marks. Verrryyy creepy. Or check out the scene with Allison in the hospital. I’ll never look at a gurney the same again! When Sid, Kira, Harris and Allison all take refuge in the massive mansion of the paranormal investigators, the creeps really kick in as the three ghosts begin their attacks in earnest. Throat-slashings, being burning alive, ax murders, inappropriate fondling…it’s all here!

If you are in the mood for some “horror-lite” cinema, check out The Gravedancers for some pure popcorn cinema! The ending is entirely silly, but the rest of the film is quite enjoyable and definitely worth a rental.

Available on Amazon!

Calvaire (2006)

A disturbing little Belgian flick about a singer, Marc, who gets stuck out in the sticks with some sick backwoods men.

Marc has just performed at an old folks home and sets out for his next gig, a large Christmas gala. He has quite a bit of road to travel, but he unfortunately gets stuck in the middle of the forest when his van breaks down. A strange young man, Boris, leads him to an inn where he meets the owner, Mr. Bartel. He spends the night and wakes up to find that Bartel has towed his car from the forest road to the inn, where he can work on it. Bartel is very kind to Marc after finding out they are both entertainers. He makes breakfast for him and promises to work on his van for him.

While Bartel works on his van, Marc decides to take a walk around the countryside. Before departing, Bartel severely warns him not to go into the village, as the villagers are "not like them." After Bartel's impassioned plea, Marc promises not to go near the village. Of course, curiosity gets the better of him and he stumbles upon a barn with some of the local-yokels inside. At first, he just hears squeals and grunts, then the sound of the men talking, and as he gets close enough, he is horrified to find out that the men are taking advantage of some of the livestock.

He hurriedly runs away and heads back to Bartel's. Meanwhile, Bartel is still working on Marc's car. By working I mean breaking and entering and going through Marc's things. He snags Marc's cell phone and some nudie pics. When Marc returns it's almost nightfall. Bartel explains he couldn't fix his car but has called the mechanic, who can't make it out until the next day. Marc is a little worried, but Bartel assures him everything will be right as rain. He cooks Marc a special dinner and proceeds to explain to him how his wife Gloria left him and how before her departure he was such a great comedian. Marc just wants to eat in peace and go to bed, but Bartel begs him to sing one of his songs. Marc finally sings, which brings a tear to Bartel's eye.

The next morning, Bartel is nowhere to be found. Marc finds his cell phone and the pictures in Bartel's room. Bartel finds Marc in his room and won't stop going on about Gloria. Marc begins to panic a little bit, finding that the phone cord has been cut and that all his clothes are gone, replaced by women's clothes. He looks outside his window to see Bartel smashing out the windows of his van and dousing it with gasoline. When Marc tries to stop Bartel, he is knocked out cold by him. After lighting the van on fire, Bartel drags Marc into the house, where he dresses him in women's clothes. When Marc comes too, he finds that Bartel believes him to be his wife that left him.

Marc's trouble doesn't stop there as he also has to contend with the villagers, who also believe him to be Gloria.

I'm not sure what to think of this movie...it was pretty disturbing and had its creepy parts, but it just didn't grab my attention. Sure, Bartel and the villagers were pretty twisted and desperate and some scenes were pretty brutal, but it still left something to be desired.

The director, Fabrice Du Welz, did an excellent job with the camera work and the Belgian countryside was gorgeous in winter. The actors all did an excellent job, especially Laurent Lucas as Marc and Jackie Berroyer as Bartel. Still, it felt like something was missing...

The story focuses on the build-up to Marc's imprisonment within the inn, Bartel's descent into madness and then Marc's brutalization. It is not a revenge flick a la I Spit on Your Grave or Deliverance, but still warns of the dangers of those that inhabit the countryside. It also moves slowly and towards the end I was confused by what happens between the villagers and Bartel.

This movie was well done and very unnerving and creepy and despite some flaws definitely deserves a look, just for its plain weirdness.

On Amazon!

Prom Night (1980)

I caught Scream on TV last weekend and was inspired to watch some classic slashers that I had never seen before.

One of these is Prom Night, an 80s slasher flick that stars Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis. It begins with four kids bullying a young girl in an abandoned building until she falls to her death. The four children vow to never speak of the incident again and just walk away...only, someone saw them do it and is out for revenge.

Fast forward six years, and those same kids are all seniors in high school. Jude, Nick, Wendy and Kelly are joined by Kim (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Alex, who are the siblings of Robin, the girl that was killed. Nick and Kim are to be Prom King and Queen, while Jude and Kelly are Kim's friends. Wendy is the queen bitch of the school and is trying to woo Nick back.

The date of the prom coincides with Robin's death. That morning, Jude, Nick, Wendy and Kelly all receive creepy phone calls asking them to "come out and play." None of them take it seriously, but we see the shadowy killer sitting by the phone, crossing off each of their names after each call. We learn from the police that the man that was arrested for Robin's death has escaped from a mental institution. He was a child molester and the #1 suspect in Robin's case. When the police attempted to arrest him, he led them on a chase that resulted in a fiery crash. He was horribly disfigured and spent the next six years in a mental hospital.

Now it appears he is out for revenge on the four kids he blames for his incarceration and disfigurement...and the killer is planning to strike on prom night!

Kim and Alex's father (played by Leslie Nielsen!) is the principal of their high school, and it seems like he and their mother have never really recovered from Robin's death. The mother appears highly unstable, misplacing items, lingering a long time at her daughter's grave, getting overly excited...could she be the creepy caller?

At school, it seems Kim has issues with sleazeball loser Lou. He keeps harassing her, even attacking Kim in the cafeteria while wearing a ski mask. Alex steps in to defend his sister and does a pretty good job against Lou's goons and Lou himself. Alex is a pretty scrawny kid, so it's a bit unsettling to watch him take out three guys much bigger than himself. Lou is suspended because of his disgracefulness, but that doesn't stop Wendy from hatching a plan with him to ruin the prom.

Wendy is really pissed at Kim, who is the coolest girl in school. Wendy confronts her while Kim works on her sweet disco moves in the prom-decorated gym. Wendy tells Kim that after prom, it's over for her and Nick and that everything will go back to normal. Notice this exchange between the two:

Kim: You seem a little anxious, Wendy. By the way, who are you going with tonight?
Wendy: It's not who you go with, honey. It's who takes you home.

Oooooh...ME-OW!!

It turns out Wendy does have a date, with none other than our dear sweet Lou who shows up in his rusty car, alcoholic beverage in hand and two of his goons in the backseat. Kim and Nick are already boogeying the night away with Jude and her "It's Pat!" lookalike date and Kelly and her overly-libidous boyfriend.

Kelly and date sneak off to a supply closet, as she's decided to lose her virginity. She discovers it's simply not that easy and stops her date. He storms off to find someone else to get jiggy with it, and she's left all alone...well, not quite. The killer joins her and slits her throat. The killer then finds Jude with her date, who I like to call Pat. Pat and Jude are parked in his van on the edge of the bluffs. Jude is killed first, while Pat is just with the wrong girl at the wrong time. He tries to drive away, but the killer causes him to drive right off the cliffs.

Soon after, Wendy is attacked by the ski mask wearing killer. She manages to escape and runs all through the school, finding more and more locked doors...she gets farther and farther from the dance and finally gets put out of her stupidity with an axe.

Back at the dance, Kim and Nick await their crowning as Prom King and Queen. Wendy is missing, but Lou tells his goons to go ahead with the plan to ruin prom. When Nick and Kim are backstage, the goons attack them and tie them up. Lou stands in for Nick as Prom King. While he waits for the curtains to open, the killer, thinking Lou is Nick, sneaks up on him and...off with his head! Lou's head rolls out into the spotlight and the prom-goers panic. Kim rushes over to Nick to help him, but as they both try to escape the killer blocks their path. A scuffle occurs, as cheesy disco music plays in the background. Kim finally hits the killer in the head with his own axe, only to realize that the killer is...well, you'll just have to watch to find out!

This movie was made in 1980, and looks like it could have been made for TV. It doesn't show any gore and the film quality is pretty poor. There is a good close-up shot of the phone the killer uses to place the first calls, but the rest of the shots are pretty rudimentary, as if from a first-time filmmaker.

Beside the poor quality, it was an ok slasher. It's one redeeming quality was Jamie Lee Curtis, who (as usual) gives a great performance. She's the carefree, popular and independent girl everyone wishes they were in high school. I loved her character, especially when she had to confront Wendy over and over again.

Prom Night didn't leave me too impressed, but it's worth a looksie for its cult status and cheesiness.

Order it on Amazon!