Movies like Pumpkinhead 2, Leprechaun 1 and 2, Ghoulies II, Army of Darkness and so on were movies on the shelf at the video stores in the early to mid 90's.
I know everyone has their own decade or period that is special to them in Horror, and this time is definitely the time for me. My older brother and I would check out the shelves in the Horror aisle for what seemed like hours, trying to decide which movie we would inevitably see that night or weekend. I know for the longest time that there were several VHS box arts that had a lasted impression on me for years to come, and I still remember them to this day. The mystery contained on the cover of these plastic cases was enough sometimes. But, even when we did watch one, there was still some mystery behind it. Something I appreciate to this day.
I look at each of these movies as an event to a place you know you cannot travel to. It's like the movie is letting you be a part of something you would have missed otherwise...and it's presented just for you. Though you can say that for any movie, these movies carry the heaviest of this load because they've become cult classics. I dare you to walk up to anyone on the street and ask them if they've seen Dr. Giggles, I guarantee you there response will be "What the fuck is that?" But, with that response, you know it's something special.
There are a lot of stipulations for a movie to fit into this category of Horror. First off, it needs to take place in a small town, or some place secluded. And in this location we'll need an old fable or an antagonist from the past that happens to be making itself known again. Then, you'll need a group of kids that are from out of town, or a group of kids who live in town that happen to have some sort of connection to the antagonist, or perhaps a parent/relative that does. The ending also has to have a feeling of resolution so that there is no possible way a sequel can be made...even if these movies do have sequels.
The film quality needs to look as if it's from the past, and if it's on VHS...even better! But, it can definitely NOT be High Definition, that'll spoil it all. The movie has to be fun in some way, as well as low budget... but not too low budget, as the love for the product needs to come across on screen. It also cannot be overly sexual, gorey, or violent because it makes the movie jump into another genre. A little sex here, a little blood there, but no intestines on the floor or full frontal, that's too much.
The thing that is reappearing needs to be something totally unbelievable or over the top ridiculous. Amazing music is also a key factor which makes any film a 90's cult classic. Don't think of music in the sense of 'Saved by the Bell' either, because that would totally tarnish what the hell I am getting at. Obviously, a lot of movie that fit into all of this criteria come off as average B-Movies, but when you take into account my memories of this era, I'm a little biased. I happen to like these kinds of films a lot more than I'm sure a lot of other people would.
If you have some sort of a kinship to the early to mid 90's scene of Horror, then I know you'll definitely appreciate what I am trying to say. They give off a certain aura that movies today definitely do not give me at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment