There is no question that one of the most enduring and influential Horror Hosts of all time was the late Bob Wilkins from the San Francisco Bay area. Less garish than that of many hosts, Wilkin’s style was about as simple as one could get; Just your average guy wearing glasses and sitting in a chair while smoking his cigar. Yet through his dry wit and demeanor was a charm that was undeniable.
Well, so much for spooking anyone from swimming in the ocean, as fall is effectively upon us. Don’t blame the Daves though, as the tardiness of this review falls entirely on my head. I’ll start out by saying this is the best-looking Blu-ray I have ever seen, and that isn’t because it is also, hands down, my favorite film. In this day and age, I highly doubt this is necessary, but beware of spoilers to come.
“Beware the 14th!” hisses a cantankerous bartender working in the small mining community of “Valentine Bluffs”…and not just because you’re about to get fleeced by The Hallmark Greeting Card company! The 1980’s were, without question, the golden age of the “slasher movie”; with particular emphasis on any special day on the calendar that could provide an excuse for some maniacal killer to start hacking away at horny young people. HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY the 13th, and GRADUATION DAY were just a few of those special occasions when you’d be better off locking your doors and hiding under your bed as opposed to going out and being festive.
I have been a giant rubber monster fan for as long as I can remember. I have so many fond memories of Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching the latest exploits of Godzilla or Gamera as they fought the newest monster foe bent on destroying the Earth. The one creature feature that always stood out though as the coolest of the Japanese giant monster movies was DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, from 1968. The funny thing is though, that as a kid, I never remembered the plot of the movie; I just remembered the last 15 minutes or so that featured the very best of what Toho had to offer in an over-the-top monster battle.
It’s been hard for me keeping the details of THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW reunion (which took place last July at the FRIGHT NIGHT FILM FESTIVAL in Kentucky) quiet this long, but I just had to wait for the right moment. With the Halloween season now firmly at hand and the anticipated release of the film on blu-ray THIS week, at last the stars are in perfect alignment for the story to finally be told!
There are many films which I would deem long overdue in terms of getting an official DVD release. Of that list of rare gems, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW was always listed near the top. This made-for-TV thriller premiered in October of 1981. I was eleven years old at the time, and an avid fan of horror. Unfortunately in that pre-VCR/cable and “too young to see R Rated films” world, there was little to satisfy my appetite. I remember seeing the television previews and being determined not to miss it. A full hour before the movie started (courtesy of CBS) I had carefully laid blankets on the floor of my bedroom while positioning my 13 inch Black & White television for optimum viewing. My efforts were not in vain as I was totally blown away by this film! Continue reading
Terror from Beyond the Dave 