The Top 10 Essential B-Movies #8: Orgazmo, The Hills Have Eyes, More
Posted by Chad Webb on 07.07.2006
#8 starts off with a salute to Bruce Campbell.
The B-Movie Tidbit
I thought I would share some information on B-movie icon Bruce Campbell. He met future director Sam Raimi in 1975 in a high school drama class, and after they were able to raise $350,000 to make Evil Dead history was eventually made for the two of them. He is currently making a prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep called Bubba Noseferatu. Some interesting facts about him are: Considered to be the best "Reverse Actor" in Hollywood. Was the first choice to play Louis Creed in Pet Sematary (1989). He is #22 on Tropopkin's Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100].
Here are some of his quotes:
"There is a large element of me in every role I do. Actors who say they can dive inside a character are either schizophrenic or lying."
(About the Evil Dead Trilogy) "For me, the first film was frankly about learning how to act. I can watch the first Evil Dead from about halfway on without cringing... When Army of Darkness came around, we decided to make a different type of movie altogether and made an action-adventure picture with the same imbecile."
"Don't aspire to be a B-movie director, you'll be there soon enough."
8. The Hills Have Eyes
Starring: Susan Lanier, Robert Houston, and Martin Speer
Written/Directed By: Wes Craven
1977
Ben Moser
My affection for this, Wes Craven's true masterpiece, runs so deep that I refuse to see the remake even though many of my friends have told me I'd like it. Like most horror flicks, the story begins with a group of folks taking an ill-advised route and running into trouble. In this case the group of folks is a family and the ill-advised route is to a silver mine. What Craven gives you from there is a fantastic character study on violence, family and revenge. The great thing about it, though, is that it still watches like a fun little gore-fest. The thing most keeping me from the remake is my fear that the characters won't ring as true and the villains won't come out as likable(you heard me). This movie didn't need a remake. The shots and use of the desert are beautiful in a way that even betrays the low budget goodness that otherwise surrounds this movie. It's a classic.
Matthew Craggs
In Orgazmo Trey Parker is a Mormon who comes across a porn production on one of his expeditions. The porn producer is desperate for a young man who can fight and a young man who can screw on camera. Parker can fight and needs cash so he and his fiancé can start their lives together. The concept is funny enough to carry the movie: A strict religious man as a star in a porn movie is funny as it is. But Parker and partner Matt Stone's trademark irony and heavy sarcasm amplify this conflict, adding to the laughs.
8. The Incredible Shrinking Man
Starring: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, and April Kent
Directed By: Jack Arnold
1957
Leonard Hayhurst
Scott Carey (Grant Williams) is exposed to a strange mist while on his boat and he begins to shrink in size. Eventually he's no bigger than a few inches and presumed dead after a run in with a house cat. The latter half of the film is Carey's perilous adventure in his own basement, foraging for food and water and fighting off spiders. While atomic horror films of the fifties were filled with doom and gloom the epilogue of this movie doles out a philosophy of optimism and wonder at the wide universe. Inventive special effects and cleverly evolving storyline make this a great B sci-fi film.
8. Troll / Troll 2
Starring: Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, and Shelley Hack (Troll 1)
Starring:Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, and Margo Prey (Troll 2)
Directed by: John Carl Beuchler (Troll 1)
Written/Directed By: Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2)
Troll 1: 1986/Troll 2: 1990
Ryan Latimer
They may be two films totally unrelated to each other in plot, characters, storyline or basically any other form of comparison (a true sign of a good film franchise), but I must lump the two "Troll" movies together for the sake of fairness. Deciding between them would be like choosing between my own two children. My own two horrible, awful, unrelated, embarrassingly bad children. Especially the second one, who is a goblin, not a Troll. I love them just the same. Not if you'll excuse me, I have to go indulge in this green pudding and bologna sandwich, turn into a tree, stop time, fight the evil monsters with my dead grandfather and piss on my family's dinner.
8. Chopping Mall
Starring: Kelly Maroni, Tony O' Dell, and Russell Todd
Directed By: Jim Wynorski
1986
Bryan Kristopowitz
What happens when a bunch of young shopping mall store workers sneak their pals into the mattress store after the mall closes for some after hours shimmy sham, and the ultra sophisticated robots that guard the mall at night get struck by lightning and go haywire? A night of sex, an awkward first date for two nerds, an electrocuted janitor (Dick Miller. What's not to like there?), two giant breasts, an excellent exploding head (which belonged to the woman with the giant breasts), and a deliberate rip off of the "gun shop" scene from George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." It's actually pretty cool from beginning to end. It doesn't take itself seriously, is fully aware of the fact that it's ripping off plenty of other flicks, and, come on, it's robots in a mall killing people. It's a Jim Wynorski flick, produced by Roger Corman, so you know what you're getting. Pure B-movie greatness, or just a dang good B- movie (depends on how you feel about it). You'll recognize the mall used in the flick (it's the same one Ahnold Schwarzenegger took Rae Dawn Chong to in "Commando"). Oh, and watch out for Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov cameo, playing the Blands from "Eating Raoul."
8. Wishmaster1/Wishmaster 2
Starring: Tammy Lauren, Andrew Divoff, and Robert Englund (Wishmaster 1)
Starring: Andrew Divoff, Paul Johansson, and Holly Fields (Wishmaster 2)
Directed By: Robert Kurtzman (Wishmaster 1)
Directed By: Jack Sholder (Wishmaster 2)
Wishmaster 1: 1997/ Wishmaster 2: 1999
Chad Webb
After Jason and Freddy, but before Jigsaw, there was a horror villain who seems to have gotten lost in the fray. That person is the Wishmaster. I can't really tell you why I even decided to watch these movies, but I did, and I thought they were fun to watch. They tried to bill the first one as a regular horror film, but it just wasn't. I prefer to watch the second film. The Wishmaster is actually called the Djinn, and Andrew Divoff plays him with the utmost comic creepiness. The reason I think these films make good B-movie madness is for the creativity and disgusting nature of the kills. The second film has the Djinn collecting 1001 souls after he was awakened by a failed robbery attempt. The third and fourth sequels had Divoff leave the role, and John Novak replaced him. It wasn't the same. We all have the fantasy that someone will come along and grant us wishes. This movie shows that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The wishes here have a comedic twist to them. Also, the guys will enjoy watching the sexy Tammy Lauren and the equally hot Holly Fields. This franchise should have ended with these two, but unfortunately it did not. You can buy parts 1 and 2 on a DVD together.
Honorable Mention
Coffy
Starring: Pam Grier, Booker Bradshaw, and William Elliot
Directed By: Jack Hill
1973
These are some interesting choices. I am glad to seeThe Hills Have Eyes on here. I was close to using that one myself. Also, I figured it would only be fair to put a Pam Grier flick on here. Thanks for reading! (facts provided by IMDB.com)
