Halloween 2020: October 15th

The Devil's Rain (1975)

Devil worship was a big deal in the early seventies, or so pop culture would make it seem. The Manson murders would shine a light on the West Coast occult scene, creating equal parts fear and fascination with Satanism in America. Following “Rosemary's Baby,” the blockbuster success of “The Exorcist” would make Lucifer big business at the box office. “The Exorcist” would spawn countless imitators, drive-ins and grindhouses being flooded with Satanic cult movies. Among the more notorious flicks to follow in Reagan McNeil's path is “The Devil's Rain.” The film was given a major advertising push, which made it a box office success. However, reviews were totally toxic. The movie would make William Shatner's non-”Star Trek” film career into a laughing stock. Critics, nerds, and writers have mocked it for decades. But I'm here to say that “The Devil's Rain” actually isn't that bad. It's actually pretty fun. 

In the pilgrim days, Mark Preston's ancestor was part of a Satanic cult led by warlock Jonathan Corbus. Preston would betray Corbus by stealing a grand grimoire essential to the cult's rituals. Through the centuries, Corbus has survived by passing his soul from body to body. He's continued to harass the descendants of Preston, still seeking the book. After Mark's parents are captured by the cult, he's tortured by Corbus into revealing the spell book's location. Mark's brother, Tom, searches for him with the help of psychic researchers. If they hope to rescue Mark and stop Corbus, they are going to have to unleash the devil's rain.

The main appeal “The Devil's Rain” will have for cult movie fans is its cast. Yes, “The Devil's Rain” is a William Shatner vehicle. Material that is already this overheated allows Shatner an excuse to go to his most histrionic heights. When his crucifix is turned into a snake, he gesticulates wildly. When being captured or tormented by the cultists, he wails to the rafters. Once he's brainwashed, Shatner overdoes being a weirdo zombie. Paired against Shatner at his most Shatnerian is Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine is also a glorious overacter. As the leader of a diabolical cult, Borgnine is given a free pass to glare wildly and spit each Satanic monologue with venom. And all of that is before he's transformed into a humanoid goat man. Watching these two legendary hams go toe-to-toe is incredible. It's so entertaining that the not-so-hammy performers in the film – Tom Skerritt doing his everyman bit, a still pretty sweaty Ida Lupino – seem to fade into the background.

“The Devil's Rain” was directed by William Fuest, previously of “Dr. Phibes” films. While those movies had an outrageous visual design, Fuest shoots “The Devil's Rain” in a far more intimate fashion. The director's claustrophobic composition, focused on the characters' faces in closed-in areas,  ratchets up the tension to a surprising degree. Yet as much as Fuest is focused on increasing suspense, he still knows when to let the movie's wild special effects take center stage. In the last act, the titular calamity is unleashed. The result is that about a hundred Satanists melt before our very eyes. The camera absolutely lingers on the oozing faces, spurting green slime and waxy substance. It is, to put it simply, pretty damn bitchin'. 

“The Devil's Rain” leaps headlong into its story. The first scene drops us right into the scenario with little explanation. We don't actually learn why Corbus' cult and the Preston family have this feud until an extensive flashback a half-hour into the movie. Yes, the plot of “The Devil's Rain” is rather ridiculous. A number of magical plot devices introduced throughout are rarely elaborated on, just doing whatever is necessary to move the story forward. Honestly, the black magic gobbleygook and nonlinear structure aren't even my problem with “The Devil's Rain's” plot. Instead, it's the decision to switch protagonists midway through. Shatner battling the cult is so entertaining that switching him out for Tom Skerritt and his psychic friends really drags the proceedings down.

Though widely dismissed as trash, “The Devil's Rain” would secretly have a big impact on pop culture. This was John Travolta's first movie, as he has a blink-and-miss-it role as one of the cultists. The brevity of his role did not stop advertisers from slapping Travolta's name above the title after he become a big star. More importantly, Don Post Studios would use the life-mask made of William Shatner's face for this film to create a Captain Kirk mask. That mask, as you might've guessed, would form the basis for Michael Myers' mask in “Halloween.” Okay, so “The Devil's Rain” might still be trash but it's highly entertaining trash and I am a-okay with that. [7/10]

Species II (1998)

Being an overgrown B-movie, “Species” was loaded with potential set-ups for a sequel. There was the matter of a monster-rat sighted right before the end credits. It was heavily implied that whatever alien intelligence that sent Sil to Earth would send more. Lastly, one brief line stated that other human/alien hybrid embryos, created at the same time as Sil, were put on ice. Dark Horse Comics would publish a comic book sequel that followed other threads but that last plot point would form the basis of “Species II,” the eventual theatrical sequel. The studio would rope in Peter Medek, the filmmaker behind critically acclaimed classics like “The Ruling Class” and “The Changeling,” to direct. This should've meant “Species II” was a classier affair than its predecessor, right?

In hopes of combating future invasions from the same forces, the U.S. government creates Eve, a genetic clone of Sil. She has been raised by Dr. Laura Baker, the first film's biologist. At the same time, a manned mission to Mars is led by Patrick Ross, son of a prominent senator. Ross collects a sample of Martian soil. Little does he know that the dirt is infected with the DNA of the alien intelligence that created Sil. It infects Patrick, turning him into an alien/human hybrid with an insatiable desire to mate. Every woman Patrick sleeps with immediately gives birth to a hybrid child, their bodies being torn open in the process. Preston Lennex is brought out of retirement to track down Patrick before he spawns a whole legion that will wipe out humanity.

“Species” cloaked its B-movie ambitions in big budget effects and slick direction. Yet within still beat the heart of an exploitation movie, questionable sexual politics included. If you expected a respected filmmaker like Peter Medek to try and class up “Species II,” think again. This sequel has to be one of the sleaziest, most mean-spirited mainstream movies I've ever seen. One of the first scenes involves a nude Natasha Henstridge being sprayed with poison gas. Upon returning home from Earth, Patrick has a semi-graphic threesome with sisters. The scenes concludes with the first woman being torn open by the alien baby inside her. Patrick sprouts tentacles while atop the other girl, essentially raping her to death. From there, “Species II” becomes a non-stop barrage of violence against women. A ridiculous scene is a line-up of improbably dressed prostitutes, Patrick hand-picking which one he wants to fuck and kill. This is after a totally gratuitous stripper montage. “Species II” is packed full of rape, exploding wombs, and disposable women. 

I have a strong stomach for monster movie sexism, as long as something cool or campy or fun is happening. Certainly, “Species II” is full of outrageous gore. At one point, the belly of an astronaut's wife graphically splits open for a murderous tentacle to emerge and kill him. A graphic moment has Patrick blowing his head off with a shot-gun, only for it grow back via mediocre CGI. The finale features a whole barn full of pulsating alien cocoons. Yet “Species II” is shockingly low on monster action itself. Eve doesn't actually transform into her full alien form until the very end of the film. Then she does almost nothing except get smacked around by Patrick. Patrick morphs into a quadrupedal beast with a bi-sected jaw around the same time but the puppet effects are extremely awkward. “Species II” promises an awesome monster showdown but does not really deliver.

The first “Species” hardly had the most memorable or lovable characters. However, its loaded cast elevated the material, while Natasha Henstridge brought some humanity to her alien seductress. “Species II” brings back some key players. Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger are back as Preston and Dr. Baker. Yet both are strictly going through the motions, Madsen just playing a tough guy, Helgenberger just playing a stern lady scientist. The romantic chemistry between them is gone. As Eve, Henstridge spends the whole movie cooped up, psychically pining for Patrick. Her character is given almost nothing to do. The film tries to make Patrick, played by a somnambulate Justin Lazard, sympathetic. That he's a good man driven by an outside force to do evil. Yet Patrick is such a despicable character that you can't relate to him. The other additions to the cast is Mykelti Williamson, playing an embarrassing caricature of a black man, and a slumming James Cromwell, as Patrick's terrible senator father. 

It seems to me that “Species II” assumed that the sex and violence is what attracted audiences to the first film. This is probably true but “Species” also had some fun ideas, a decent cast, and the good sense to balance its mayhem with camp. The sequel ejects everything except the sex and gore, leaving behind an aggressively unpleasant and largely meaningless film. Despite doubling-down on the tits and blood, audiences didn't show up. “Species II' only grossed 26 million against a 35 million dollar budget. The most notable thing about the film, to me, is that it would provide two of the monsters for the first wave of Movie Maniacs action figures from MacFarlane Toys, though one could hardly call the plastic representations of Eve and Patrick fan-favorites. [4/10]

Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy II

I ask any other nineties kids that may be reading this: Did you ever think “Goosebumps” was scary? I read quite a few of the books as a kid and rarely missed an episode of the TV show but was usually dissatisfied. I hated R.L. Stine’s dumb-ass twist endings and thought both the shows and books frequently contained too much goofy bullshit. The gorgeous cover art, and the show’s cool opening/theme song, drew me in but I never caught shivers. I almost liked the episode of “Goosebumps” I watched last Halloween so I decided to give another one a shot this year. Since Slappy was basically the show’s mascot, “Night of the Living Dummy II” seemed like the right pick.

Amy Kramer is frequently annoyed at her older sister Sarah and her younger brother Jed. Her parents are pretty nice though and are even supporting her interest in ventriloquism, by replacing her worn-out dummy with a new one named Slappy. Amy finds a card with an incantation written on it in the dummy’s pocket. After reading the words, strange things start to happen. Slappy seemingly speaks and acts on his own. Someone vandalizes Sarah’s painting and Amy is blamed, even though she’s sure Slappy did it. Her family thinks she’s making it up but Amy is increasingly certain her ventriloquist dummy is alive and evil.

I’ll give “Night of the Living Dummy II” this much: It wants to be scary. There’s plenty of coy kids show music throughout but the score actually gets serious once Slappy starts chasing the sisters. The director even throws in some shaky-cam running scenes in an attempt to raise tension. Slappy is far too comical looking to be intimidating. Especially since he acts more like a G-rated insult comic than an evil dummy. Yet the speech he gives to Amy, about how she belongs to him, that no one will ever believe her, is almost creepy. There’s a certain pedophilic undertone in a grown man’s voice saying this to a ten year old girl. The scene where Slappy refuses to let go of a little sister’s fingers might’ve been tense if you ever felt the characters were in real danger. Amy’s common childhood angst, about being the unheard middle child, could’ve translated to something interesting. What if Slappy wasn’t inherently evil and was simply acting on the resentment Amy felt towards her family? 

Alas, R.L. Stine is a hack and “Goosebumps” is shallow garbage for babies. Slappy’s sinister nature is far-too telegraphed, his acts of “evil” far too pedestrian. The characters are cotton candy thin and the performances lack commitment. Events like weekly family night talent shows or mom and dad always sleeping on the couch feel like a child’s version of what suburban life is supposed to be. Needless to say, the twist ending is completely nonsensical. Like most of Stine’s “gotcha” endings, it’s so senseless and dumb it actually makes me a little angry. “Night of the Living Dummy II” is probably most valuable as comedy. Amy stuffing Slappy into a sewer drain is the sort of direct problem-solving you don’t often see in kids media. Slappy doing the Michael Myers rise or stealing a line from Chucky did make me laugh. Once again, an episode of “Goosebumps” might’ve been good if it was written by someone who had balls or wasn’t seemingly aimed at preschoolers. [5/10]

The Finishing Line (1977)

While Public Information Films may have a reputation for being traumatic, it turns out even the British public have their limits. In 1977, John Krish – the man behind the gut-wrenching television PSA "Sewing Machine" – was commissioned by the British Railways Board to make a film warning children about the dangers of playing on train tracks. He pitched a premise so outrageous that he assumed it would be rejected. Instead, they loved it. When "The Finishing Line" was shown in schools, it was frequently met with complaints and was eventually withdrawn. Yes, the country that thought the ultra-grim "Apaches" was an acceptable warning to school children flinched at "The Finishing Line."

The twenty-minute long film begins with the stern voice of an adult warning children not to play games on railways. This causes a young boy to imagine what it would be like if games - sponsored by schools and approved by parents - were played on train tracks. He imagines four competitions, between color-coded teams made up of kids as young as seven. First, kids must make it through a fence, down an embankment, and across the tracks to the other side. A second game involves throwing stones at a moving train, with points being earned for broken windows and injured passengers. The third contest sees kids rushing across the tracks before an on-coming train, points awarded for how many team members successfully cross. The final event is a marathon through a three-mile long tunnel, with trains running through. 

Each contest results in people, mostly kids, being injured or killed. "The Finishing Line's" gore is surprisingly graphic. We see people splashed with shattered glass, children lying mangled on the tracks, and a close-up on a boy's splintered skull. The final image of "The Finishing Line" is rows of dead bodies, all children, being laid down on the train tracks. While the violence is utterly shocking each time, this is not what makes "The Finishing Line" so horrifying. What's really upsetting is how casual everyone is about it. The couches and teachers calmly inform the kids of the rules before the games, everyone accepting the risks with no problem. A band plays. Snacks are sold. There's a big scoreboard. Paramedics and nurses prepare stretchers beforehand, anticipating the injuries. Nobody ever gasps when kids are struck down. In the final scene, as parents retrieve their dead offspring, you don't read grief on their faces but rather resignation. As if this is a totally normal thing, that has always happened. 

From a modern perspective, "The Finishing Line" plays less like a public warning and more like a predecessor to films like "Battle Royale" or "The Hunger Games." Yet Krish's short proves more upsetting than any of those because of its realism. The short is shot with documentary-like stillness. There's no score. As kids barrel through the fence or a train races closer, Krish's camera shakes, capturing the feeling of a cameraman recording a live event. The kids, long-haired moppets each, are played by real school children. Their performances are unvarnished and natural, the bickering and cheering seeming completely realistic. 

Obviously, "The Finishing Line's" message could not be more blatant: Don't screw around on train tracks, you dumbass kids. Yet, presented out of context, one can't help but feel other ideas. Kids being sent to die or be mangled in a trivial game creates an implicit criticism of the state that allows such things. And it's all dictated by the imagination of one person. You can't help but read the film as a screed against war or high school sports or any government-funded function that values glory over the safety of young people. "The Finishing Line" comes from the same decade as "Punishment Park" and Stephen King's "The Long Walk," suggesting these things were on people's mind after the Vietnam War. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Either way, "The Finishing Line" is a relentlessly grim, efficiently horrifying experience. [9/10]