I just returned from seeing 2013’s first theatrical offering THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D! Many horror fans will site the original as a masterpiece and Bubba a.k.a. Leatherface remains a fan favorite. It’s understandable and there is NO question that the 1974 original was a disconcerting masterpiece with the chainsaw wielding, Leatherface, one of cinema’s most gruesome and iconic killers!
Anybody that knows me will tell you that one of my all-time favorite movies is Dark Night of the Scarecrow. Both David and I have written about it many times on this blog, I did a piece on it in Scary Monsters Magazine #81, and also contributed a chapter on it for an upcoming sequel to the book Horror 101: The A List of Horror Films & Monster Movies presented by A.C. Christensen. Despite featuring a killer scarecrow, the film’s true villain was Otis P. Hazelrigg brilliantly and devilishly played by Charles Durning and I was saddened to hear that yesterday, Christmas Eve, Mr. Durning died at the age of 89.
For the past couple of years, it’s been a Terror Dave holiday tradition posting a summary of horror films that have a Christmas theme (you can see last year’s by clicking HERE). This year we have a new addition to that list via Silent Night which, after a VERY brief run at select theaters, is now available on DVD/Blu-ray. So how does this one stack up against previous Yule-tide Terrors?
Not long after I became familiar with Chicago’s Wildclaw Theater, I’d been told that their annual December Deathscribe event was not to be missed! While horror isn’t something most folks gravitate towards this time of year (unless, of course, you count holiday shopping), leave it to this talented crew to toss conventional wisdom out the door and host one of the most unique, terror-filled evenings imaginable!
It was Friday night and I headed up to Schaumburg, Illinois for Chicago’s first Days of the Dead convention. I’d been to the first of these events last year in Indianapolis but there’s been several more since. It’s always a good sign when you see many of the same ghoulish faces return again, indicative of satisfied fans. That works out well for me because I personally feel that the fans often make the event. Their costumes add something extra by highlighting their zeal while providing lots of great photo ops for less bold conventioneers.
So far as this Monster Kid was concerned, December 25, 1978 would rank as my finest Christmas haul EVER! Not only did I receive my STAR WARS Creature Cantina along with its monster denizens, but also a big green monster I’d long been pining for. No, not The Incredible Hulk…I’m referring to the infamous Stretch Monster!
Terror from Beyond the Dave 