Mad Max (1979) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - April 17, 1980

This was another film whose soundtrack I received in a Christmas package in the early 80s, without having seen the actual film. It would be years before I watched the first Mad Max, long after I had seen both The Road Warrior [Mad Max 2] and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Both of which are superior to this admittedly modest rogue cop action thriller in every way.

But it all started here, with an attention grabbing snarl of dystopian angst.

Fright Flicks - Trading Card #55

Fright Night (1985)

 

The Thing from Another World (1951) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - April 16, 1951

A movie that really does not require any introduction. Also one whose DNA can be seen in just about every subsequent monster movie that followed it. One many levels I do not think it is a movie that ever can be surpassed. Equaled, yes. Surpassed. No. 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #19

Datalog: Approx. 0:1000 Hours, Day 2

It snatched up Superintendent Andrews right in front of us. Right up through the ceiling. And before that, it was Clemens. Andrews thought I was making it all up. He didn't believe me when I told him that the Alien was here. And it was dangerous. 

The Amityville Horror (2005) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - April 15, 2005

Just as the 1980s saw a slew of remakes of classic, or just recognizable, films from the 40s and 50s, the early 00s birthed a bunch of remakes of films from my 70s/80s childhood. Which meant I got to see a whole bunch of movies I grew up watching get repurposed, or reinvented, to varying degrees of commercial or artistic success.

I gave The Amityville Horror a pass when it came out, as nothing about it seemed all that different or even interesting. Make Stephen Kaplan's self-published, entertaining and fascinating The Amityville Horror Conspiracy into a movie and, well, I would gladly pay to watch that.

Fright Flicks - Trading Card #54

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

This card got flagged and briefly deleted over at Pinterest. Something to do, I think, with David Naughton's position and him being nude, albeit with the frank and beans being absent/erased. Not that kind of movie, after all.

It was restored, though, after I made an appeal.

The Company of Wolves (1984) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - April 14, 1985

Another gap in my monster movie viewing in dire need of filling. Sheesh. So many movies, so little time.

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #18

Datalog: Approx. 0:1000, Day 2

The Alien crept closer to me. So close, I could feel its breath on my face. I couldn't scream, I couldn't even move. Then Galic spoke to it. The beast turned and looked at him, then back at me. Without another sound, it just disappeared into the overhead airshaft.

An iconic image was so powerful it became a centerpiece of the ad campaign and, most likely, one the most memorable moments of the film. The above card text does a little bit of misdirection, though. I do not remember the character of Galic saying anything. The xenomorph just senses, or smells, the embryonic queen gestating inside Ripley and knows not to harm her. So it just leaves... 

The Medusa Touch (1978) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - April 13, 1978

Another movie that I remember seeing the ads for on television and, I think, the trailer for on the big screen. But I think I did not see the movie itself until it aired on the CBS Late Movie.

While the movie held my interest well enough, and I remember thinking it did not seem as bad or as boring as the scathing reviews and word of mouth I recall hearing in 1978 saying, the undisputed highlights were Burton's telekinetic attacks.

I also thought the ending was really, really cool.

Fright Flicks - Trading Card #53

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Nice shoot of the dead mom effect at the end of A Nightmare on Em Street. The real ending, not whatever it was that gotcha stinger at the end was.