It's Exactly What You Think It Is

I finally got around to this one in the Netflix queue, and I am so glad I did.  PIECES was one of our favorite films to watch and rewatch as a rental on VHS from the local video store when I was in High School.  While it didn't retain the charm it had for me in the 80s, it was a great trip down memory lane.

I am not sure why Christopher and Linda Day George signed on to this ridiculously gory and cheesy film, but they certainly did carry it through with decent performances.  It had been so long since I had seen this that I actually had forgotten who the killer was, so I was a bit surprised by the ending.  I wish we knew a bit more about the killer and how he evolved from the horny kid who went all Lizzy Borden on his mommy to ... the guy he ended up being. I won't spoil it in case anyone wants to watch it.

All in all, good classic splatter fun.

Rating: 7/10

I got your crazy...

Saw this in the theater earlier this year, so this was a rewatch with the wife on new year's eve.

I actually enjoyed it much more the second time around, as I was able to catch some of the little details that I missed the first time.  Also, knowing how it resolves, I saw some of the clues early on that I missed the first time.

Engaging story and well played by the cast.  Good stuff.

Rating: 9/10

Jason, Jason, Jason and Jason

Horror-film fan and fellow #tallyteers dude Jay (@sleestakk) dropped by recently and we plowed through four of the Friday the 13th franchise offerings.  F13 has had its ups and downs, but the ones that were decent to begin with really do hold up pretty well.  It's interesting to see how well the effects were done 20+ years ago, when the genre was still relatively young.  So, we began with...

Part 2 has always been one of my favorites.  I like it so well because it is the first true Jason-centric entry in the series, and Jason was still just a human, primally revenge-driven killer at this point.  Some iconic kills in this one too, like the wheelchair dude down the steps.  Good stuff. (I know that sounds weird, but that's just me.)

Rating: 9/10

We skipped Part III and moved on to Part IV, or the "Final" Chapter.  We should all know better than to think it's the final chapter of a cash cow like Jason.  Look at Jigsaw.  He's been "dead" for years yet still appears in more and more films.

Anyway, back to Jason.  This one is a fun watch, because it is the last true film of the original timeline with Jason as a mortal killer. (Parts 9 and 10 re-write history a bit, but I digress).

And when you can get  Corey to shave his head and go ape-shit, you know you're in for a good time.

Rating: 8/10

We jumped over the Jason-free Part V to move on to Jason Lives, only when I got Jay to commit to watching this one and the next one, since he had not seen Part VII before, and it's a true successor to this one.

This entry takes a more dark comedy approach than previous entries, as you might guess with Arnold Horshack in the first act.  Also, with some well-timed lightning, Jason really becomes the anti-hero in this one.  Add to this the fact that you get a kick-ass Alice Cooper soundtrack to accompany it, and it remains among my favorite F13 flicks.

Rating: 8/10

I hope Jay forgives me for making him watch this one.  I had only seen this one once or twice, years ago, and it was worse than I remember.

The plot concepts are even more ludicrous than bringing Jason back with lightning, and even Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernie's) can't save this one.  This one ranks just above Part VIII in my book.  Bleh.

Rating: 3/10

Let him eat cake...

This was a re-watch for me, but it had been (probably) 15+ years since I had seen this film: CREEPSHOW.

Unfortunately, it did not hold up well for me.  The scenes seemed to drag on a bit long for my liking, although Father's Day and The Crate remain favorite iconic movie moments for me.

One thing that kind of bothers me, and this is probably just a personal OCD-kinda thing: We never really seems to find out how or why the folks in Father's Day and Something to Tide You Over come back.  Obviously, revenge is a central theme in this compilation, so I guess that is the why.  But how?  I think I am over-analyzing this thing, and I should just enjoy it for what it is.  Watchable, but dated, enjoyable camp.

Rating:  5/10