Claws & Saucers

  • CLASSIC CREEPY CARNIVAL CINEMA

    CLASSIC CREEPY CARNIVAL CINEMA Carnivals have always been a little creepy.  Sure, they’re places to have fun, but they always promise something weird, something grotesque, something to squirm and gawk at as part of the fun.  It’s no surprise, then, that carnivals have inspired a host of excellent horror films.  I’m distinguishing carnivals from circuses,…

  • “BEASTMASTER 2” (1991) Review

    BEASTMASTER 2: THROUGH THE PORTAL OF TIME (Sylvio Tabet, 107 min, color, 1991) What’s Happening: Dar must seek and destroy his evil older brother Famous For: Dar visits 1991 Los Angeles Here comes a surprisingly fun sequel to the hit 1982 Beastmaster.  It’s actually a new movie inspired by the first one, rather than a…

  • SCI-FI SERIALS: RETRO CLASSICS

    SCI-FI SERIALS: RETRO CLASSICS If you really want to appreciate classic sci-fi films, you can’t just watch the feature films; you need to watch the serials.  The episodic rhythm of a sci-fi serial is a little like that of a TV show or a comic book, but there’s something larger and more urgent about it,…

  • “Edward Scissorhands” (1990) Review

    EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Tim Burton, 105 min, color, 1990) What’s Happening: An invented man is fated to have scissors for hands Famous For: Last feature film appearance for Vincent Price Writer-producer-director Burton’s first film, the six-minute “Vincent” (1982) had featured Vincent Price’s voice.  Now, after the success of Pee-wee, Batman, and Beetlejuice, the great Burton got…

  • “SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT” 1-3 Review

    Here’s a combo review of the first three (1980s) SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Christmas horrors… SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (Charles E. Sellier Jr., 85 min uncut, color, 1984) What’s Happening: Traumatized on Christmas Eve, boy grows into Killer Santa Famous For: Most famous Killer Santa in horror film history I won’t argue that creating this…